fix: improve capture folder resolution and missing-file notice

src/engine/CaptureChoiceEngine.notice.test.ts

@@ -240,4 +240,48 @@ describe("CaptureChoiceEngine cancellation notices", () => {
 			"Capture execution aborted: Target file missing",
 		);
 	});
+
+	it("shows a notice when the target file is missing and create is disabled", async () => {
+		settingsStore.setState({
+			...settingsStore.getState(),
+			showInputCancellationNotification: false,
+		});
+
+		const app = {
+			vault: {
+				adapter: {
+					exists: vi.fn(async () => false),
+				},
+				getAbstractFileByPath: vi.fn(),
+				modify: vi.fn(),
+				create: vi.fn(),
+			},
+			workspace: {
+				getActiveFile: vi.fn(() => null),
+			},
+			fileManager: {
+				getNewFileParent: vi.fn(() => ({ path: "" })),
+			},
+		} as unknown as App;
+
+		const plugin = { settings: settingsStore.getState() } as any;
+		const choiceExecutor: IChoiceExecutor = {
+			execute: vi.fn(),
+			variables: new Map<string, unknown>(),
+		};
+
+		const engine = new CaptureChoiceEngine(
+			app,
+			plugin,
+			createCaptureChoice(),
+			choiceExecutor,
+		);
+
+		await engine.run();
+
+		expect(noticeClass.instances).toHaveLength(1);
+		expect(noticeClass.instances[0]?.message).toContain(
+			"Capture execution aborted: Target file missing",
+		);
+	});
 });

src/engine/CaptureChoiceEngine.selection.test.ts

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import type { App } from "obsidian";
 import { CaptureChoiceEngine } from "./CaptureChoiceEngine";
 import type ICaptureChoice from "../types/choices/ICaptureChoice";
 import type { IChoiceExecutor } from "../IChoiceExecutor";
-import { openFile } from "../utilityObsidian";
+import { isFolder, openFile } from "../utilityObsidian";
 
 const { setUseSelectionAsCaptureValueMock } = vi.hoisted(() => ({
 	setUseSelectionAsCaptureValueMock: vi.fn(),
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ const createApp = () =>
 			adapter: {
 				exists: vi.fn(async () => false),
 			},
+			getAbstractFileByPath: vi.fn(() => null),
 		},
 		workspace: {
 			getActiveFile: vi.fn(() => null),
@@ -209,3 +210,58 @@ describe("CaptureChoiceEngine selection-as-value resolution", () => {
 		);
 	});
 });
+
+describe("CaptureChoiceEngine capture target resolution", () => {
+	beforeEach(() => {
+		vi.mocked(isFolder).mockReset();
+	});
+
+	it("treats folder path without trailing slash as folder when folder exists", () => {
+		const app = createApp();
+		vi.mocked(isFolder).mockReturnValue(true);
+
+		const engine = new CaptureChoiceEngine(
+			app,
+			{ settings: { useSelectionAsCaptureValue: false } } as any,
+			createChoice({ captureTo: "journals" }),
+			createExecutor(),
+		);
+
+		const result = (engine as any).resolveCaptureTarget("journals");
+
+		expect(result).toEqual({ kind: "folder", folder: "journals" });
+	});
+
+	it("treats trailing slash as folder even when folder does not exist", () => {
+		const app = createApp();
+		vi.mocked(isFolder).mockReturnValue(false);
+
+		const engine = new CaptureChoiceEngine(
+			app,
+			{ settings: { useSelectionAsCaptureValue: false } } as any,
+			createChoice({ captureTo: "journals/" }),
+			createExecutor(),
+		);
+
+		const result = (engine as any).resolveCaptureTarget("journals/");
+
+		expect(result).toEqual({ kind: "folder", folder: "journals" });
+	});
+
+	it("treats folder path as file when a file exists", () => {
+		const app = createApp();
+		vi.mocked(isFolder).mockReturnValue(true);
+		vi.mocked(app.vault.getAbstractFileByPath).mockReturnValue({} as any);
+
+		const engine = new CaptureChoiceEngine(
+			app,
+			{ settings: { useSelectionAsCaptureValue: false } } as any,
+			createChoice({ captureTo: "journals" }),
+			createExecutor(),
+		);
+
+		const result = (engine as any).resolveCaptureTarget("journals");
+
+		expect(result).toEqual({ kind: "file", path: "journals" });
+	});
+});

src/engine/CaptureChoiceEngine.ts

@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ import {
 import { isCancellationError, reportError } from "../utils/errorUtils";
 import { normalizeFileOpening } from "../utils/fileOpeningDefaults";
 import { QuickAddChoiceEngine } from "./QuickAddChoiceEngine";
+import { ChoiceAbortError } from "../errors/ChoiceAbortError";
 import { MacroAbortError } from "../errors/MacroAbortError";
 import { SingleTemplateEngine } from "./SingleTemplateEngine";
 import { getCaptureAction, type CaptureAction } from "./captureAction";
@@ -130,12 +131,11 @@ export class CaptureChoiceEngine extends QuickAddChoiceEngine {
 					getFileAndAddContentFn = ((path, capture, _options) =>
 						this.onCreateFileIfItDoesntExist(path, capture, linkOptions)
 					) as typeof this.onCreateFileIfItDoesntExist;
-			} else {
-				log.logWarning(
-					`The file ${filePath} does not exist and "Create file if it doesn't exist" is disabled.`,
-				);
-				return;
-			}
+				} else {
+					throw new ChoiceAbortError(
+						`Target file missing: ${filePath}. Enable "Create file if it doesn't exist" or choose an existing file.`,
+					);
+				}
 
 			const { file, newFileContent, captureContent } =
 				await getFileAndAddContentFn(filePath, content);
@@ -258,27 +258,75 @@ export class CaptureChoiceEngine extends QuickAddChoiceEngine {
 		}
 
 		const captureTo = this.choice.captureTo;
-		const formattedCaptureTo = await this.formatFilePath(captureTo);
-
-		// Removing the trailing slash from the capture to path because otherwise isFolder will fail
-		// to get the folder.
-		const folderPath = formattedCaptureTo.replace(/^\/$|\/\.md$|^\.md$/, "");
-		// Empty string means we suggest to capture anywhere in the vault.
-		const captureAnywhereInVault = folderPath === "";
-		const shouldCaptureToFolder =
-			captureAnywhereInVault || isFolder(this.app, folderPath);
-		const shouldCaptureWithTag = formattedCaptureTo.startsWith("#");
-
-		if (shouldCaptureToFolder) {
-			return this.selectFileInFolder(folderPath, captureAnywhereInVault);
+		const formattedCaptureTo = await this.formatter.formatFileName(
+			captureTo,
+			this.choice.name,
+		);
+		const resolution = this.resolveCaptureTarget(formattedCaptureTo);
+
+		switch (resolution.kind) {
+			case "vault":
+				return this.selectFileInFolder("", true);
+			case "tag":
+				return this.selectFileWithTag(resolution.tag);
+			case "folder":
+				return this.selectFileInFolder(resolution.folder, false);
+			case "file":
+				return this.normalizeMarkdownFilePath("", resolution.path);
+		}
+	}
+
+	private resolveCaptureTarget(
+		formattedCaptureTo: string,
+	):
+		| { kind: "vault" }
+		| { kind: "tag"; tag: string }
+		| { kind: "folder"; folder: string }
+		| { kind: "file"; path: string } {
+		// Resolution order:
+		// 1) empty => vault picker
+		// 2) #tag => tag picker
+		// 3) trailing "/" => folder picker (explicit)
+		// 4) ".md" => file
+		// 5) ambiguous => folder if it exists and no same-name file exists; else file
+		const normalizedCaptureTo = this.stripLeadingSlash(
+			formattedCaptureTo.trim(),
+		);
+
+		if (normalizedCaptureTo === "") {
+			return { kind: "vault" };
+		}
+
+		if (normalizedCaptureTo.startsWith("#")) {
+			return {
+				kind: "tag",
+				tag: normalizedCaptureTo.replace(/\.md$/, ""),
+			};
 		}
 
-		if (shouldCaptureWithTag) {
-			const tag = formattedCaptureTo.replace(/\.md$/, "");
-			return this.selectFileWithTag(tag);
+		const endsWithSlash = normalizedCaptureTo.endsWith("/");
+		const folderPath = normalizedCaptureTo.replace(/\/+$/, "");
+
+		if (endsWithSlash) {
+			return { kind: "folder", folder: folderPath };
+		}
+
+		if (normalizedCaptureTo.endsWith(".md")) {
+			return { kind: "file", path: normalizedCaptureTo };
+		}
+
+		// Guard against ambiguity where a folder and file share the same name.
+		const fileCandidatePath = this.normalizeMarkdownFilePath("", folderPath);
+		const fileCandidate = this.app.vault.getAbstractFileByPath(
+			fileCandidatePath,
+		);
+		const fileExists = !!fileCandidate;
+
+		if (isFolder(this.app, folderPath) && !fileExists) {
+			return { kind: "folder", folder: folderPath };
 		}
 
-		return formattedCaptureTo;
+		return { kind: "file", path: normalizedCaptureTo };
 	}
 
 	private async selectFileInFolder(

src/errors/ChoiceAbortError.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+import { MacroAbortError } from "./MacroAbortError";
+
+export class ChoiceAbortError extends MacroAbortError {}

src/gui/ChoiceBuilder/captureChoiceBuilder.ts

@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import {
 	normalizeAppendLinkOptions,
 	placementSupportsEmbed,
 } from "../../types/linkPlacement";
+import { getAllFolderPathsInVault } from "../../utilityObsidian";
 import { createValidatedInput } from "../components/validatedInput";
 import { FormatSyntaxSuggester } from "../suggesters/formatSyntaxSuggester";
 import { ChoiceBuilder } from "./choiceBuilder";
@@ -125,7 +126,9 @@ export class CaptureChoiceBuilder extends ChoiceBuilder {
 	private addCapturedToSetting() {
 		new Setting(this.contentEl)
 			.setName("Capture to")
-			.setDesc("Target file path. Supports format syntax.");
+			.setDesc(
+				"Vault-relative path. Supports format syntax (use trailing '/' for folders).",
+			);
 
 		const captureToContainer: HTMLDivElement =
 			this.contentEl.createDiv("captureToContainer");
@@ -157,7 +160,9 @@ export class CaptureChoiceBuilder extends ChoiceBuilder {
 
 			new Setting(captureToFileContainer)
 				.setName("File path / format")
-				.setDesc("Choose a file or use format syntax (e.g., {{DATE}})");
+				.setDesc(
+					"Choose a file, folder, or format syntax (e.g., {{DATE}})",
+				);
 
 			const displayFormatter: FileNameDisplayFormatter =
 				new FileNameDisplayFormatter(this.app, this.plugin);
@@ -168,10 +173,17 @@ export class CaptureChoiceBuilder extends ChoiceBuilder {
 			formatDisplay.setAttr("aria-live", "polite");
 			formatDisplay.textContent = "Loading preview…";
 
-			const markdownFilesAndFormatSyntax = [
-				...this.app.vault.getMarkdownFiles().map((f) => f.path),
-				...FILE_NAME_FORMAT_SYNTAX,
-			];
+			const folderPaths = getAllFolderPathsInVault(this.app)
+				.filter((path) => path.length > 0)
+				.map((path) => (path.endsWith("/") ? path : `${path}/`));
+
+			const markdownFilesAndFormatSyntax = Array.from(
+				new Set([
+					...folderPaths,
+					...this.app.vault.getMarkdownFiles().map((f) => f.path),
+					...FILE_NAME_FORMAT_SYNTAX,
+				]),
+			);
 
 			createValidatedInput({
 				app: this.app,