3 @setfilename ../../info/org
4 @settitle The Org Manual
7 @set DATE November 2009
9 @c Version and Contact Info
10 @set MAINTAINERSITE @uref{http://orgmode.org,maintainers webpage}
11 @set AUTHOR Carsten Dominik
12 @set MAINTAINER Carsten Dominik
13 @set MAINTAINEREMAIL @email{carsten at orgmode dot org}
14 @set MAINTAINERCONTACT @uref{mailto:carsten at orgmode dot org,contact the maintainer}
20 @c @hyphenation{time-stamp time-stamps time-stamp-ing time-stamp-ed}
35 @c Subheadings inside a table.
36 @macro tsubheading{text}
46 This manual is for Org version @value{VERSION}.
48 Copyright @copyright{} 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 Free Software Foundation
51 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
52 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.3 or
53 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
54 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU Manual,''
55 and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the license
56 is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation License.''
58 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have the freedom to copy and
59 modify this GNU manual. Buying copies from the FSF supports it in
60 developing GNU and promoting software freedom.''
62 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
63 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
64 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
65 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
71 * Org Mode: (org). Outline-based notes management and organizer.
77 @subtitle Release @value{VERSION}
78 @author by Carsten Dominik
80 @c The following two commands start the copyright page.
82 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
86 @c Output the table of contents at the beginning.
90 @node Top, Introduction, (dir), (dir)
97 * Introduction:: Getting started
98 * Document Structure:: A tree works like your brain
99 * Tables:: Pure magic for quick formatting
100 * Hyperlinks:: Notes in context
101 * TODO Items:: Every tree branch can be a TODO item
102 * Tags:: Tagging headlines and matching sets of tags
103 * Properties and Columns:: Storing information about an entry
104 * Dates and Times:: Making items useful for planning
105 * Capture - Refile - Archive:: The ins and outs for projects
106 * Agenda Views:: Collecting information into views
107 * Markup:: Prepare text for rich export
108 * Exporting:: Sharing and publishing of notes
109 * Publishing:: Create a web site of linked Org files
110 * Miscellaneous:: All the rest which did not fit elsewhere
111 * Hacking:: How to hack your way around
112 * MobileOrg:: Viewing and capture on a mobile device
113 * History and Acknowledgments:: How Org came into being
114 * Main Index:: An index of Org's concepts and features
115 * Key Index:: Key bindings and where they are described
116 * Variable Index:: Variables mentioned in the manual
119 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
123 * Summary:: Brief summary of what Org does
124 * Installation:: How to install a downloaded version of Org
125 * Activation:: How to activate Org for certain buffers
126 * Feedback:: Bug reports, ideas, patches etc.
127 * Conventions:: Type-setting conventions in the manual
131 * Outlines:: Org is based on Outline mode
132 * Headlines:: How to typeset Org tree headlines
133 * Visibility cycling:: Show and hide, much simplified
134 * Motion:: Jumping to other headlines
135 * Structure editing:: Changing sequence and level of headlines
136 * Sparse trees:: Matches embedded in context
137 * Plain lists:: Additional structure within an entry
138 * Drawers:: Tucking stuff away
139 * Blocks:: Folding blocks
140 * Footnotes:: How footnotes are defined in Org's syntax
141 * Orgstruct mode:: Structure editing outside Org
145 * Built-in table editor:: Simple tables
146 * Column width and alignment:: Overrule the automatic settings
147 * Column groups:: Grouping to trigger vertical lines
148 * Orgtbl mode:: The table editor as minor mode
149 * The spreadsheet:: The table editor has spreadsheet capabilities
150 * Org-Plot:: Plotting from org tables
154 * References:: How to refer to another field or range
155 * Formula syntax for Calc:: Using Calc to compute stuff
156 * Formula syntax for Lisp:: Writing formulas in Emacs Lisp
157 * Field formulas:: Formulas valid for a single field
158 * Column formulas:: Formulas valid for an entire column
159 * Editing and debugging formulas:: Fixing formulas
160 * Updating the table:: Recomputing all dependent fields
161 * Advanced features:: Field names, parameters and automatic recalc
165 * Link format:: How links in Org are formatted
166 * Internal links:: Links to other places in the current file
167 * External links:: URL-like links to the world
168 * Handling links:: Creating, inserting and following
169 * Using links outside Org:: Linking from my C source code?
170 * Link abbreviations:: Shortcuts for writing complex links
171 * Search options:: Linking to a specific location
172 * Custom searches:: When the default search is not enough
176 * Radio targets:: Make targets trigger links in plain text
180 * TODO basics:: Marking and displaying TODO entries
181 * TODO extensions:: Workflow and assignments
182 * Progress logging:: Dates and notes for progress
183 * Priorities:: Some things are more important than others
184 * Breaking down tasks:: Splitting a task into manageable pieces
185 * Checkboxes:: Tick-off lists
187 Extended use of TODO keywords
189 * Workflow states:: From TODO to DONE in steps
190 * TODO types:: I do this, Fred does the rest
191 * Multiple sets in one file:: Mixing it all, and still finding your way
192 * Fast access to TODO states:: Single letter selection of a state
193 * Per-file keywords:: Different files, different requirements
194 * Faces for TODO keywords:: Highlighting states
195 * TODO dependencies:: When one task needs to wait for others
199 * Closing items:: When was this entry marked DONE?
200 * Tracking TODO state changes:: When did the status change?
201 * Tracking your habits:: How consistent have you been?
205 * Tag inheritance:: Tags use the tree structure of the outline
206 * Setting tags:: How to assign tags to a headline
207 * Tag searches:: Searching for combinations of tags
209 Properties and Columns
211 * Property syntax:: How properties are spelled out
212 * Special properties:: Access to other Org mode features
213 * Property searches:: Matching property values
214 * Property inheritance:: Passing values down the tree
215 * Column view:: Tabular viewing and editing
216 * Property API:: Properties for Lisp programmers
220 * Defining columns:: The COLUMNS format property
221 * Using column view:: How to create and use column view
222 * Capturing column view:: A dynamic block for column view
226 * Scope of column definitions:: Where defined, where valid?
227 * Column attributes:: Appearance and content of a column
231 * Timestamps:: Assigning a time to a tree entry
232 * Creating timestamps:: Commands which insert timestamps
233 * Deadlines and scheduling:: Planning your work
234 * Clocking work time:: Tracking how long you spend on a task
235 * Resolving idle time:: Resolving time if you've been idle
236 * Effort estimates:: Planning work effort in advance
237 * Relative timer:: Notes with a running timer
241 * The date/time prompt:: How Org mode helps you entering date and time
242 * Custom time format:: Making dates look different
244 Deadlines and scheduling
246 * Inserting deadline/schedule:: Planning items
247 * Repeated tasks:: Items that show up again and again
249 Capture - Refile - Archive
251 * Remember:: Capture new tasks/ideas with little interruption
252 * Attachments:: Add files to tasks.
253 * RSS Feeds:: Getting input from RSS feeds
254 * Protocols:: External (e.g. Browser) access to Emacs and Org
255 * Refiling notes:: Moving a tree from one place to another
256 * Archiving:: What to do with finished projects
260 * Setting up Remember for Org:: Some code for .emacs to get things going
261 * Remember templates:: Define the outline of different note types
262 * Storing notes:: Directly get the note to where it belongs
266 * Moving subtrees:: Moving a tree to an archive file
267 * Internal archiving:: Switch off a tree but keep i in the file
271 * Agenda files:: Files being searched for agenda information
272 * Agenda dispatcher:: Keyboard access to agenda views
273 * Built-in agenda views:: What is available out of the box?
274 * Presentation and sorting:: How agenda items are prepared for display
275 * Agenda commands:: Remote editing of Org trees
276 * Custom agenda views:: Defining special searches and views
277 * Exporting Agenda Views:: Writing a view to a file
278 * Agenda column view:: Using column view for collected entries
280 The built-in agenda views
282 * Weekly/daily agenda:: The calendar page with current tasks
283 * Global TODO list:: All unfinished action items
284 * Matching tags and properties:: Structured information with fine-tuned search
285 * Timeline:: Time-sorted view for single file
286 * Search view:: Find entries by searching for text
287 * Stuck projects:: Find projects you need to review
289 Presentation and sorting
291 * Categories:: Not all tasks are equal
292 * Time-of-day specifications:: How the agenda knows the time
293 * Sorting of agenda items:: The order of things
297 * Storing searches:: Type once, use often
298 * Block agenda:: All the stuff you need in a single buffer
299 * Setting Options:: Changing the rules
301 Markup for rich export
303 * Structural markup elements:: The basic structure as seen by the exporter
304 * Images and tables:: Tables and Images will be included
305 * Literal examples:: Source code examples with special formatting
306 * Include files:: Include additional files into a document
307 * Macro replacement:: Use macros to create complex output
308 * Embedded LaTeX:: LaTeX can be freely used inside Org documents
310 Structural markup elements
312 * Document title:: Where the title is taken from
313 * Headings and sections:: The document structure as seen by the exporter
314 * Table of contents:: The if and where of the table of contents
315 * Initial text:: Text before the first heading?
317 * Paragraphs:: Paragraphs
318 * Footnote markup:: Footnotes
319 * Emphasis and monospace:: Bold, italic, etc.
320 * Horizontal rules:: Make a line
321 * Comment lines:: What will *not* be exported
325 * Special symbols:: Greek letters and other symbols
326 * Subscripts and superscripts:: Simple syntax for raising/lowering text
327 * LaTeX fragments:: Complex formulas made easy
328 * Previewing LaTeX fragments:: What will this snippet look like?
329 * CDLaTeX mode:: Speed up entering of formulas
333 * Selective export:: Using tags to select and exclude trees
334 * Export options:: Per-file export settings
335 * The export dispatcher:: How to access exporter commands
336 * ASCII export:: Exporting to plain ASCII
337 * HTML export:: Exporting to HTML
338 * LaTeX and PDF export:: Exporting to La@TeX{}, and processing to PDF
339 * DocBook export:: Exporting to DocBook
340 * Freemind export:: Exporting to Freemind mind maps
341 * XOXO export:: Exporting to XOXO
342 * iCalendar export:: Exporting in iCalendar format
346 * HTML Export commands:: How to invoke HTML export
347 * Quoting HTML tags:: Using direct HTML in Org mode
348 * Links in HTML export:: How links will be interpreted and formatted
349 * Tables in HTML export:: How to modify the formatting of tables
350 * Images in HTML export:: How to insert figures into HTML output
351 * Text areas in HTML export:: An alternative way to show an example
352 * CSS support:: Changing the appearance of the output
353 * Javascript support:: Info and Folding in a web browser
355 La@TeX{} and PDF export
357 * LaTeX/PDF export commands:: Which key invokes which commands
358 * Quoting LaTeX code:: Incorporating literal La@TeX{} code
359 * Sectioning structure:: Changing sectioning in La@TeX{} output
360 * Tables in LaTeX export:: Options for exporting tables to La@TeX{}
361 * Images in LaTeX export:: How to insert figures into La@TeX{} output
365 * DocBook export commands:: How to invoke DocBook export
366 * Quoting DocBook code:: Incorporating DocBook code in Org files
367 * Recursive sections:: Recursive sections in DocBook
368 * Tables in DocBook export:: Tables are exported as HTML tables
369 * Images in DocBook export:: How to insert figures into DocBook output
370 * Special characters:: How to handle special characters
374 * Configuration:: Defining projects
375 * Uploading files:: How to get files up on the server
376 * Sample configuration:: Example projects
377 * Triggering publication:: Publication commands
381 * Project alist:: The central configuration variable
382 * Sources and destinations:: From here to there
383 * Selecting files:: What files are part of the project?
384 * Publishing action:: Setting the function doing the publishing
385 * Publishing options:: Tweaking HTML export
386 * Publishing links:: Which links keep working after publishing?
387 * Project page index:: Publishing a list of project files
391 * Simple example:: One-component publishing
392 * Complex example:: A multi-component publishing example
396 * Completion:: M-TAB knows what you need
397 * Speed keys:: Electic commands at the beginning of a headline
398 * Customization:: Adapting Org to your taste
399 * In-buffer settings:: Overview of the #+KEYWORDS
400 * The very busy C-c C-c key:: When in doubt, press C-c C-c
401 * Clean view:: Getting rid of leading stars in the outline
402 * TTY keys:: Using Org on a tty
403 * Interaction:: Other Emacs packages
405 Interaction with other packages
407 * Cooperation:: Packages Org cooperates with
408 * Conflicts:: Packages that lead to conflicts
412 * Hooks:: Who to reach into Org's internals
413 * Add-on packages:: Available extensions
414 * Adding hyperlink types:: New custom link types
415 * Context-sensitive commands:: How to add functionality to such commands
416 * Tables in arbitrary syntax:: Orgtbl for La@TeX{} and other programs
417 * Dynamic blocks:: Automatically filled blocks
418 * Special agenda views:: Customized views
419 * Extracting agenda information:: Postprocessing of agenda information
420 * Using the property API:: Writing programs that use entry properties
421 * Using the mapping API:: Mapping over all or selected entries
423 Tables and lists in arbitrary syntax
425 * Radio tables:: Sending and receiving radio tables
426 * A LaTeX example:: Step by step, almost a tutorial
427 * Translator functions:: Copy and modify
428 * Radio lists:: Doing the same for lists
432 * Setting up the staging area:: Where to interact with the mobile device
433 * Pushing to MobileOrg:: Uploading Org files and agendas
434 * Pulling from MobileOrg:: Integrating captured and flagged items
439 @node Introduction, Document Structure, Top, Top
440 @chapter Introduction
444 * Summary:: Brief summary of what Org does
445 * Installation:: How to install a downloaded version of Org
446 * Activation:: How to activate Org for certain buffers
447 * Feedback:: Bug reports, ideas, patches etc.
448 * Conventions:: Type-setting conventions in the manual
451 @node Summary, Installation, Introduction, Introduction
455 Org is a mode for keeping notes, maintaining TODO lists, and doing
456 project planning with a fast and effective plain-text system.
458 Org develops organizational tasks around NOTES files that contain
459 lists or information about projects as plain text. Org is
460 implemented on top of Outline mode, which makes it possible to keep the
461 content of large files well structured. Visibility cycling and
462 structure editing help to work with the tree. Tables are easily created
463 with a built-in table editor. Org supports TODO items, deadlines,
464 timestamps, and scheduling. It dynamically compiles entries into an
465 agenda that utilizes and smoothly integrates much of the Emacs calendar
466 and diary. Plain text URL-like links connect to websites, emails,
467 Usenet messages, BBDB entries, and any files related to the projects.
468 For printing and sharing of notes, an Org file can be exported as a
469 structured ASCII file, as HTML, or (TODO and agenda items only) as an
470 iCalendar file. It can also serve as a publishing tool for a set of
473 An important design aspect that distinguishes Org from, for example,
474 Planner/Muse is that it encourages you to store every piece of information
475 only once. In Planner, you have project pages, day pages and possibly
476 other files, duplicating some information such as tasks. In Org,
477 you only have notes files. In your notes you mark entries as tasks, and
478 label them with tags and timestamps. All necessary lists, like a
479 schedule for the day, the agenda for a meeting, tasks lists selected by
480 tags, etc., are created dynamically when you need them.
482 Org keeps simple things simple. When first fired up, it should
483 feel like a straightforward, easy to use outliner. Complexity is not
484 imposed, but a large amount of functionality is available when you need
485 it. Org is a toolbox and can be used in different ways, for
489 @r{@bullet{} an outline extension with visibility cycling and structure editing}
490 @r{@bullet{} an ASCII system and table editor for taking structured notes}
491 @r{@bullet{} an ASCII table editor with spreadsheet-like capabilities}
492 @r{@bullet{} a TODO list editor}
493 @r{@bullet{} a full agenda and planner with deadlines and work scheduling}
494 @pindex GTD, Getting Things Done
495 @r{@bullet{} an environment to implement David Allen's GTD system}
496 @r{@bullet{} a basic database application}
497 @r{@bullet{} a simple hypertext system, with HTML and La@TeX{} export}
498 @r{@bullet{} a publishing tool to create a set of interlinked webpages}
501 Org's automatic, context-sensitive table editor with spreadsheet
502 capabilities can be integrated into any major mode by activating the
503 minor Orgtbl mode. Using a translation step, it can be used to maintain
504 tables in arbitrary file types, for example in La@TeX{}. The structure
505 editing and list creation capabilities can be used outside Org with
506 the minor Orgstruct mode.
509 There is a website for Org which provides links to the newest
510 version of Org, as well as additional information, frequently asked
511 questions (FAQ), links to tutorials, etc@. This page is located at
512 @uref{http://orgmode.org}.
517 @node Installation, Activation, Summary, Introduction
518 @section Installation
522 @b{Important:} @i{If you are using a version of Org that is part of the Emacs
523 distribution or an XEmacs package, please skip this section and go directly
524 to @ref{Activation}.}
526 If you have downloaded Org from the Web, either as a distribution @file{.zip}
527 or @file{.tar} file, or as a Git archive, you must take the following steps
528 to install it: go into the unpacked Org distribution directory and edit the
529 top section of the file @file{Makefile}. You must set the name of the Emacs
530 binary (likely either @file{emacs} or @file{xemacs}), and the paths to the
531 directories where local Lisp and Info files are kept. If you don't have
532 access to the system-wide directories, you can simply run Org directly from
533 the distribution directory by adding the @file{lisp} subdirectory to the
534 Emacs load path. To do this, add the following line to @file{.emacs}:
537 (setq load-path (cons "~/path/to/orgdir/lisp" load-path))
541 If you plan to use code from the @file{contrib} subdirectory, do a similar
542 step for this directory:
545 (setq load-path (cons "~/path/to/orgdir/contrib/lisp" load-path))
550 XEmacs users now need to install the file @file{noutline.el} from
551 the @file{xemacs} sub-directory of the Org distribution. Use the
555 make install-noutline
560 @noindent Now byte-compile the Lisp files with the shell command:
566 @noindent If you are running Org from the distribution directory, this is
567 all. If you want to install Org into the system directories, use (as
574 Installing Info files is system dependent, because of differences in the
575 @file{install-info} program. In Debian it copies the info files into the
576 correct directory and modifies the info directory file. In many other
577 systems, the files need to be copied to the correct directory separately, and
578 @file{install-info} then only modifies the directory file. Check your system
579 documentation to find out which of the following commands you need:
583 make install-info-debian
586 Then add the following line to @file{.emacs}. It is needed so that
587 Emacs can autoload functions that are located in files not immediately loaded
588 when Org-mode starts.
590 (require 'org-install)
593 Do not forget to activate Org as described in the following section.
596 @node Activation, Feedback, Installation, Introduction
600 @cindex global key bindings
601 @cindex key bindings, global
604 @b{Important:} @i{If you use copy-and-paste to copy Lisp code from the
605 PDF documentation as viewed by some PDF viewers to your @file{.emacs} file, the
606 single-quote character comes out incorrectly and the code will not work.
607 You need to fix the single-quotes by hand, or copy from Info
611 Add the following lines to your @file{.emacs} file. The last three lines
612 define @emph{global} keys for the commands @command{org-store-link},
613 @command{org-agenda}, and @command{org-iswitchb}---please choose suitable
617 ;; The following lines are always needed. Choose your own keys.
618 (add-to-list 'auto-mode-alist '("\\.org\\'" . org-mode))
619 (global-set-key "\C-cl" 'org-store-link)
620 (global-set-key "\C-ca" 'org-agenda)
621 (global-set-key "\C-cb" 'org-iswitchb)
624 Furthermore, you must activate @code{font-lock-mode} in Org
625 buffers, because significant functionality depends on font-locking being
626 active. You can do this with either one of the following two lines
627 (XEmacs users must use the second option):
629 (global-font-lock-mode 1) ; for all buffers
630 (add-hook 'org-mode-hook 'turn-on-font-lock) ; Org buffers only
633 @cindex Org mode, turning on
634 With this setup, all files with extension @samp{.org} will be put
635 into Org mode. As an alternative, make the first line of a file look
639 MY PROJECTS -*- mode: org; -*-
642 @vindex org-insert-mode-line-in-empty-file
643 @noindent which will select Org mode for this buffer no matter what
644 the file's name is. See also the variable
645 @code{org-insert-mode-line-in-empty-file}.
647 Many commands in Org work on the region if the region is @i{active}. To make
648 use of this, you need to have @code{transient-mark-mode}
649 (@code{zmacs-regions} in XEmacs) turned on. In Emacs 23 this is the default,
650 in Emacs 22 you need to do this yourself with
652 (transient-mark-mode 1)
654 @noindent If you do not like @code{transient-mark-mode}, you can create an
655 active region by using the mouse to select a region, or pressing
656 @kbd{C-@key{SPC}} twice before moving the cursor.
658 @node Feedback, Conventions, Activation, Introduction
665 If you find problems with Org, or if you have questions, remarks, or ideas
666 about it, please mail to the Org mailing list @email{emacs-orgmode@@gnu.org}.
667 If you are not a member of the mailing list, your mail will be passed to the
668 list after a moderator has approved it.
670 For bug reports, please provide as much information as possible, including
671 the version information of Emacs (@kbd{M-x emacs-version @key{RET}}) and Org
672 (@kbd{M-x org-version @key{RET}}), as well as the Org related setup in
673 @file{.emacs}. The easiest way to do this is to use the command
675 @kbd{M-x org-submit-bug-report}
677 @noindent which will put all this information into an Emacs mail buffer so
678 that you only need to add your description. If you re not sending the Email
679 from within Emacs, please copy and paste the content into your Email program.
681 If an error occurs, a backtrace can be very useful (see below on how to
682 create one). Often a small example file helps, along with clear information
686 @item What exactly did you do?
687 @item What did you expect to happen?
688 @item What happened instead?
690 @noindent Thank you for helping to improve this mode.
692 @subsubheading How to create a useful backtrace
694 @cindex backtrace of an error
695 If working with Org produces an error with a message you don't
696 understand, you may have hit a bug. The best way to report this is by
697 providing, in addition to what was mentioned above, a @emph{backtrace}.
698 This is information from the built-in debugger about where and how the
699 error occurred. Here is how to produce a useful backtrace:
703 Reload uncompiled versions of all Org-mode Lisp files. The backtrace
704 contains much more information if it is produced with uncompiled code.
707 C-u M-x org-reload RET
710 or select @code{Org -> Refresh/Reload -> Reload Org uncompiled} from the
713 Go to the @code{Options} menu and select @code{Enter Debugger on Error}
714 (XEmacs has this option in the @code{Troubleshooting} sub-menu).
716 Do whatever you have to do to hit the error. Don't forget to
717 document the steps you take.
719 When you hit the error, a @file{*Backtrace*} buffer will appear on the
720 screen. Save this buffer to a file (for example using @kbd{C-x C-w}) and
721 attach it to your bug report.
724 @node Conventions, , Feedback, Introduction
725 @section Typesetting conventions used in this manual
727 Org uses three types of keywords: TODO keywords, tags, and property
728 names. In this manual we use the following conventions:
733 TODO keywords are written with all capitals, even if they are
737 User-defined tags are written in lowercase; built-in tags with special
738 meaning are written with all capitals.
741 User-defined properties are capitalized; built-in properties with
742 special meaning are written with all capitals.
745 @node Document Structure, Tables, Introduction, Top
746 @chapter Document Structure
747 @cindex document structure
748 @cindex structure of document
750 Org is based on Outline mode and provides flexible commands to
751 edit the structure of the document.
754 * Outlines:: Org is based on Outline mode
755 * Headlines:: How to typeset Org tree headlines
756 * Visibility cycling:: Show and hide, much simplified
757 * Motion:: Jumping to other headlines
758 * Structure editing:: Changing sequence and level of headlines
759 * Sparse trees:: Matches embedded in context
760 * Plain lists:: Additional structure within an entry
761 * Drawers:: Tucking stuff away
762 * Blocks:: Folding blocks
763 * Footnotes:: How footnotes are defined in Org's syntax
764 * Orgstruct mode:: Structure editing outside Org
767 @node Outlines, Headlines, Document Structure, Document Structure
772 Org is implemented on top of Outline mode. Outlines allow a
773 document to be organized in a hierarchical structure, which (at least
774 for me) is the best representation of notes and thoughts. An overview
775 of this structure is achieved by folding (hiding) large parts of the
776 document to show only the general document structure and the parts
777 currently being worked on. Org greatly simplifies the use of
778 outlines by compressing the entire show/hide functionality into a single
779 command, @command{org-cycle}, which is bound to the @key{TAB} key.
781 @node Headlines, Visibility cycling, Outlines, Document Structure
785 @vindex org-special-ctrl-a/e
787 Headlines define the structure of an outline tree. The headlines in
788 Org start with one or more stars, on the left margin@footnote{See
789 the variable @code{org-special-ctrl-a/e} to configure special behavior
790 of @kbd{C-a} and @kbd{C-e} in headlines.}. For example:
800 * Another top level headline
803 @noindent Some people find the many stars too noisy and would prefer an
804 outline that has whitespace followed by a single star as headline
805 starters. @ref{Clean view}, describes a setup to realize this.
807 @vindex org-cycle-separator-lines
808 An empty line after the end of a subtree is considered part of it and
809 will be hidden when the subtree is folded. However, if you leave at
810 least two empty lines, one empty line will remain visible after folding
811 the subtree, in order to structure the collapsed view. See the
812 variable @code{org-cycle-separator-lines} to modify this behavior.
814 @node Visibility cycling, Motion, Headlines, Document Structure
815 @section Visibility cycling
816 @cindex cycling, visibility
817 @cindex visibility cycling
818 @cindex trees, visibility
819 @cindex show hidden text
822 Outlines make it possible to hide parts of the text in the buffer.
823 Org uses just two commands, bound to @key{TAB} and
824 @kbd{S-@key{TAB}} to change the visibility in the buffer.
826 @cindex subtree visibility states
827 @cindex subtree cycling
828 @cindex folded, subtree visibility state
829 @cindex children, subtree visibility state
830 @cindex subtree, subtree visibility state
834 @emph{Subtree cycling}: Rotate current subtree among the states
837 ,-> FOLDED -> CHILDREN -> SUBTREE --.
838 '-----------------------------------'
841 @vindex org-cycle-emulate-tab
842 @vindex org-cycle-global-at-bob
843 The cursor must be on a headline for this to work@footnote{see, however,
844 the option @code{org-cycle-emulate-tab}.}. When the cursor is at the
845 beginning of the buffer and the first line is not a headline, then
846 @key{TAB} actually runs global cycling (see below)@footnote{see the
847 option @code{org-cycle-global-at-bob}.}. Also when called with a prefix
848 argument (@kbd{C-u @key{TAB}}), global cycling is invoked.
850 @cindex global visibility states
851 @cindex global cycling
852 @cindex overview, global visibility state
853 @cindex contents, global visibility state
854 @cindex show all, global visibility state
858 @emph{Global cycling}: Rotate the entire buffer among the states
861 ,-> OVERVIEW -> CONTENTS -> SHOW ALL --.
862 '--------------------------------------'
865 When @kbd{S-@key{TAB}} is called with a numeric prefix argument N, the
866 CONTENTS view up to headlines of level N will be shown. Note that inside
867 tables, @kbd{S-@key{TAB}} jumps to the previous field.
869 @cindex show all, command
870 @kindex C-u C-u C-u @key{TAB}
871 @item C-u C-u C-u @key{TAB}
872 Show all, including drawers.
875 Reveal context around point, showing the current entry, the following heading
876 and the hierarchy above. Useful for working near a location that has been
877 exposed by a sparse tree command (@pxref{Sparse trees}) or an agenda command
878 (@pxref{Agenda commands}). With a prefix argument show, on each
879 level, all sibling headings.
882 Show the current subtree in an indirect buffer@footnote{The indirect
885 (@pxref{Indirect Buffers,,,emacs,GNU Emacs Manual})
888 (see the Emacs manual for more information about indirect buffers)
890 will contain the entire buffer, but will be narrowed to the current
891 tree. Editing the indirect buffer will also change the original buffer,
892 but without affecting visibility in that buffer.}. With a numeric
893 prefix argument N, go up to level N and then take that tree. If N is
894 negative then go up that many levels. With a @kbd{C-u} prefix, do not remove
895 the previously used indirect buffer.
898 @vindex org-startup-folded
899 @cindex @code{overview}, STARTUP keyword
900 @cindex @code{content}, STARTUP keyword
901 @cindex @code{showall}, STARTUP keyword
902 @cindex @code{showeverything}, STARTUP keyword
904 When Emacs first visits an Org file, the global state is set to
905 OVERVIEW, i.e. only the top level headlines are visible. This can be
906 configured through the variable @code{org-startup-folded}, or on a
907 per-file basis by adding one of the following lines anywhere in the
914 #+STARTUP: showeverything
917 @cindex property, VISIBILITY
919 Furthermore, any entries with a @samp{VISIBILITY} property (@pxref{Properties
920 and Columns}) will get their visibility adapted accordingly. Allowed values
921 for this property are @code{folded}, @code{children}, @code{content}, and
924 @kindex C-u C-u @key{TAB}
925 @item C-u C-u @key{TAB}
926 Switch back to the startup visibility of the buffer, i.e. whatever is
927 requested by startup options and @samp{VISIBILITY} properties in individual
931 @node Motion, Structure editing, Visibility cycling, Document Structure
933 @cindex motion, between headlines
934 @cindex jumping, to headlines
935 @cindex headline navigation
936 The following commands jump to other headlines in the buffer.
947 Next heading same level.
950 Previous heading same level.
953 Backward to higher level heading.
956 Jump to a different place without changing the current outline
957 visibility. Shows the document structure in a temporary buffer, where
958 you can use the following keys to find your destination:
959 @vindex org-goto-auto-isearch
961 @key{TAB} @r{Cycle visibility.}
962 @key{down} / @key{up} @r{Next/previous visible headline.}
963 @key{RET} @r{Select this location.}
964 @kbd{/} @r{Do a Sparse-tree search}
965 @r{The following keys work if you turn off @code{org-goto-auto-isearch}}
966 n / p @r{Next/previous visible headline.}
967 f / b @r{Next/previous headline same level.}
969 0-9 @r{Digit argument.}
972 @vindex org-goto-interface
974 See also the variable @code{org-goto-interface}.
977 @node Structure editing, Sparse trees, Motion, Document Structure
978 @section Structure editing
979 @cindex structure editing
980 @cindex headline, promotion and demotion
981 @cindex promotion, of subtrees
982 @cindex demotion, of subtrees
983 @cindex subtree, cut and paste
984 @cindex pasting, of subtrees
985 @cindex cutting, of subtrees
986 @cindex copying, of subtrees
987 @cindex sorting, of subtrees
988 @cindex subtrees, cut and paste
993 @vindex org-M-RET-may-split-line
994 Insert new heading with same level as current. If the cursor is in a
995 plain list item, a new item is created (@pxref{Plain lists}). To force
996 creation of a new headline, use a prefix argument, or first press @key{RET}
997 to get to the beginning of the next line. When this command is used in
998 the middle of a line, the line is split and the rest of the line becomes
999 the new headline@footnote{If you do not want the line to be split,
1000 customize the variable @code{org-M-RET-may-split-line}.}. If the
1001 command is used at the beginning of a headline, the new headline is
1002 created before the current line. If at the beginning of any other line,
1003 the content of that line is made the new heading. If the command is
1004 used at the end of a folded subtree (i.e. behind the ellipses at the end
1005 of a headline), then a headline like the current one will be inserted
1006 after the end of the subtree.
1009 Just like @kbd{M-@key{RET}}, except when adding a new heading below the
1010 current heading, the new heading is placed after the body instead of before
1011 it. This command works from anywhere in the entry.
1012 @kindex M-S-@key{RET}
1014 @vindex org-treat-insert-todo-heading-as-state-change
1015 Insert new TODO entry with same level as current heading. See also the
1016 variable @code{org-treat-insert-todo-heading-as-state-change}.
1017 @kindex C-S-@key{RET}
1019 Insert new TODO entry with same level as current heading. Like
1020 @kbd{C-@key{RET}}, the new headline will be inserted after the current
1023 @item @key{TAB} @r{in new, empty entry}
1024 In a new entry with no text yet, the first @key{TAB} demotes the entry to
1025 become a child of the previous one. The next @key{TAB} makes it a parent,
1026 and so on, all the way to top level. Yet another @key{TAB}, and you are back
1027 to the initial level.
1028 @kindex M-@key{left}
1030 Promote current heading by one level.
1031 @kindex M-@key{right}
1033 Demote current heading by one level.
1034 @kindex M-S-@key{left}
1035 @item M-S-@key{left}
1036 Promote the current subtree by one level.
1037 @kindex M-S-@key{right}
1038 @item M-S-@key{right}
1039 Demote the current subtree by one level.
1040 @kindex M-S-@key{up}
1042 Move subtree up (swap with previous subtree of same
1044 @kindex M-S-@key{down}
1045 @item M-S-@key{down}
1046 Move subtree down (swap with next subtree of same level).
1049 Kill subtree, i.e. remove it from buffer but save in kill ring.
1050 With a numeric prefix argument N, kill N sequential subtrees.
1053 Copy subtree to kill ring. With a numeric prefix argument N, copy the N
1054 sequential subtrees.
1057 Yank subtree from kill ring. This does modify the level of the subtree to
1058 make sure the tree fits in nicely at the yank position. The yank level can
1059 also be specified with a numeric prefix argument, or by yanking after a
1060 headline marker like @samp{****}.
1063 @vindex org-yank-adjusted-subtrees
1064 @vindex org-yank-folded-subtrees
1065 Depending on the variables @code{org-yank-adjusted-subtrees} and
1066 @code{org-yank-folded-subtrees}, Org's internal @code{yank} command will
1067 paste subtrees folded and in a clever way, using the same command as @kbd{C-c
1068 C-x C-y}. With the default settings, no level adjustment will take place,
1069 but the yanked tree will be folded unless doing so would swallow text
1070 previously visible. Any prefix argument to this command will force a normal
1071 @code{yank} to be executed, with the prefix passed along. A good way to
1072 force a normal yank is @kbd{C-u C-y}. If you use @code{yank-pop} after a
1073 yank, it will yank previous kill items plainly, without adjustment and
1077 Clone a subtree by making a number of sibling copies of it. You will be
1078 prompted for the number of copies to make, and you can also specify if any
1079 timestamps in the entry should be shifted. This can be useful, for example,
1080 to create a number of tasks related to a series of lectures to prepare. For
1081 more details, see the docstring of the command
1082 @code{org-clone-subtree-with-time-shift}.
1085 Refile entry or region to a different location. @xref{Refiling notes}.
1088 Sort same-level entries. When there is an active region, all entries in the
1089 region will be sorted. Otherwise the children of the current headline are
1090 sorted. The command prompts for the sorting method, which can be
1091 alphabetically, numerically, by time (first timestamp with active preferred,
1092 creation time, scheduled time, deadline time), by priority, by TODO keyword
1093 (in the sequence the keywords have been defined in the setup) or by the value
1094 of a property. Reverse sorting is possible as well. You can also supply
1095 your own function to extract the sorting key. With a @kbd{C-u} prefix,
1096 sorting will be case-sensitive. With two @kbd{C-u C-u} prefixes, duplicate
1097 entries will also be removed.
1100 Narrow buffer to current subtree.
1103 Widen buffer to remove narrowing.
1106 Turn a normal line or plain list item into a headline (so that it becomes a
1107 subheading at its location). Also turn a headline into a normal line by
1108 removing the stars. If there is an active region, turn all lines in the
1109 region into headlines. If the first line in the region was an item, turn
1110 only the item lines into headlines. Finally, if the first line is a
1111 headline, remove the stars from all headlines in the region.
1114 @cindex region, active
1115 @cindex active region
1116 @cindex transient mark mode
1117 When there is an active region (Transient Mark mode), promotion and
1118 demotion work on all headlines in the region. To select a region of
1119 headlines, it is best to place both point and mark at the beginning of a
1120 line, mark at the beginning of the first headline, and point at the line
1121 just after the last headline to change. Note that when the cursor is
1122 inside a table (@pxref{Tables}), the Meta-Cursor keys have different
1126 @node Sparse trees, Plain lists, Structure editing, Document Structure
1127 @section Sparse trees
1128 @cindex sparse trees
1129 @cindex trees, sparse
1130 @cindex folding, sparse trees
1131 @cindex occur, command
1133 @vindex org-show-hierarchy-above
1134 @vindex org-show-following-heading
1135 @vindex org-show-siblings
1136 @vindex org-show-entry-below
1137 An important feature of Org mode is the ability to construct @emph{sparse
1138 trees} for selected information in an outline tree, so that the entire
1139 document is folded as much as possible, but the selected information is made
1140 visible along with the headline structure above it@footnote{See also the
1141 variables @code{org-show-hierarchy-above}, @code{org-show-following-heading},
1142 @code{org-show-siblings}, and @code{org-show-entry-below} for detailed
1143 control on how much context is shown around each match.}. Just try it out
1144 and you will see immediately how it works.
1146 Org mode contains several commands creating such trees, all these
1147 commands can be accessed through a dispatcher:
1152 This prompts for an extra key to select a sparse-tree creating command.
1155 @vindex org-remove-highlights-with-change
1156 Occur. Prompts for a regexp and shows a sparse tree with all matches. If
1157 the match is in a headline, the headline is made visible. If the match is in
1158 the body of an entry, headline and body are made visible. In order to
1159 provide minimal context, also the full hierarchy of headlines above the match
1160 is shown, as well as the headline following the match. Each match is also
1161 highlighted; the highlights disappear when the buffer is changed by an
1162 editing command@footnote{This depends on the option
1163 @code{org-remove-highlights-with-change}}, or by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}.
1164 When called with a @kbd{C-u} prefix argument, previous highlights are kept,
1165 so several calls to this command can be stacked.
1169 @vindex org-agenda-custom-commands
1170 For frequently used sparse trees of specific search strings, you can
1171 use the variable @code{org-agenda-custom-commands} to define fast
1172 keyboard access to specific sparse trees. These commands will then be
1173 accessible through the agenda dispatcher (@pxref{Agenda dispatcher}).
1177 (setq org-agenda-custom-commands
1178 '(("f" occur-tree "FIXME")))
1181 @noindent will define the key @kbd{C-c a f} as a shortcut for creating
1182 a sparse tree matching the string @samp{FIXME}.
1184 The other sparse tree commands select headings based on TODO keywords,
1185 tags, or properties and will be discussed later in this manual.
1188 @cindex printing sparse trees
1189 @cindex visible text, printing
1190 To print a sparse tree, you can use the Emacs command
1191 @code{ps-print-buffer-with-faces} which does not print invisible parts
1192 of the document @footnote{This does not work under XEmacs, because
1193 XEmacs uses selective display for outlining, not text properties.}.
1194 Or you can use the command @kbd{C-c C-e v} to export only the visible
1195 part of the document and print the resulting file.
1197 @node Plain lists, Drawers, Sparse trees, Document Structure
1198 @section Plain lists
1200 @cindex lists, plain
1201 @cindex lists, ordered
1202 @cindex ordered lists
1204 Within an entry of the outline tree, hand-formatted lists can provide
1205 additional structure. They also provide a way to create lists of
1206 checkboxes (@pxref{Checkboxes}). Org supports editing such lists,
1207 and the HTML exporter (@pxref{Exporting}) parses and formats them.
1209 Org knows ordered lists, unordered lists, and description lists.
1212 @emph{Unordered} list items start with @samp{-}, @samp{+}, or
1213 @samp{*}@footnote{When using @samp{*} as a bullet, lines must be indented or
1214 they will be seen as top-level headlines. Also, when you are hiding leading
1215 stars to get a clean outline view, plain list items starting with a star are
1216 visually indistinguishable from true headlines. In short: even though
1217 @samp{*} is supported, it may be better to not use it for plain list items.}
1220 @emph{Ordered} list items start with a numeral followed by either a period or
1221 a right parenthesis, such as @samp{1.} or @samp{1)}.
1223 @emph{Description} list items are unordered list items, and contain the
1224 separator @samp{ :: } to separate the description @emph{term} from the
1228 @vindex org-empty-line-terminates-plain-lists
1229 Items belonging to the same list must have the same indentation on the first
1230 line. In particular, if an ordered list reaches number @samp{10.}, then the
1231 2--digit numbers must be written left-aligned with the other numbers in the
1232 list. Indentation also determines the end of a list item. It ends before
1233 the next line that is indented like the bullet/number, or less. Empty lines
1234 are part of the previous item, so you can have several paragraphs in one
1235 item. If you would like an empty line to terminate all currently open plain
1236 lists, configure the variable @code{org-empty-line-terminates-plain-lists}.
1241 ** Lord of the Rings
1242 My favorite scenes are (in this order)
1243 1. The attack of the Rohirrim
1244 2. Eowyn's fight with the witch king
1245 + this was already my favorite scene in the book
1246 + I really like Miranda Otto.
1247 3. Peter Jackson being shot by Legolas
1249 He makes a really funny face when it happens.
1250 But in the end, no individual scenes matter but the film as a whole.
1251 Important actors in this film are:
1252 - @b{Elijah Wood} :: He plays Frodo
1253 - @b{Sean Austin} :: He plays Sam, Frodo's friend. I still remember
1254 him very well from his role as Mikey Walsh in @i{The Goonies}.
1258 Org supports these lists by tuning filling and wrapping commands to deal with
1259 them correctly@footnote{Org only changes the filling settings for Emacs. For
1260 XEmacs, you should use Kyle E. Jones' @file{filladapt.el}. To turn this on,
1261 put into @file{.emacs}: @code{(require 'filladapt)}}, and by exporting them
1262 properly (@pxref{Exporting}). Since indentation is what governs the
1263 structure of these lists, many structural constructs like @code{#+BEGIN_...}
1264 blocks can be indented to signal that they should be part of a list item.
1266 The following commands act on items when the cursor is in the first line
1267 of an item (the line with the bullet or number).
1272 @vindex org-cycle-include-plain-lists
1273 Items can be folded just like headline levels. Normally this works only if
1274 the cursor is on a plain list item. For more details, see the variable
1275 @code{org-cycle-include-plain-lists}. to @code{integrate}, plain list items
1276 will be treated like low-level. The level of an item is then given by the
1277 indentation of the bullet/number. Items are always subordinate to real
1278 headlines, however; the hierarchies remain completely separated.
1280 If @code{org-cycle-include-plain-lists} has not been set, @key{TAB}
1281 fixes the indentation of the current line in a heuristic way.
1284 @vindex org-M-RET-may-split-line
1285 Insert new item at current level. With a prefix argument, force a new
1286 heading (@pxref{Structure editing}). If this command is used in the middle
1287 of a line, the line is @emph{split} and the rest of the line becomes the new
1288 item@footnote{If you do not want the line to be split, customize the variable
1289 @code{org-M-RET-may-split-line}.}. If this command is executed in the
1290 @emph{whitespace before a bullet or number}, the new item is created
1291 @emph{before} the current item. If the command is executed in the white
1292 space before the text that is part of an item but does not contain the
1293 bullet, a bullet is added to the current line.
1294 @kindex M-S-@key{RET}
1296 Insert a new item with a checkbox (@pxref{Checkboxes}).
1298 @item @key{TAB} @r{in new, empty item}
1299 In a new item with no text yet, the first @key{TAB} demotes the item to
1300 become a child of the previous one. The next @key{TAB} makes it a parent,
1301 and so on, all the way to the left margin. Yet another @key{TAB}, and you
1302 are back to the initial level.
1304 @kindex S-@key{down}
1307 @cindex shift-selection-mode
1308 @vindex org-support-shift-select
1309 Jump to the previous/next item in the current list, but only if
1310 @code{org-support-shift-select} is off. If not, you can still use paragraph
1311 jumping commands like @kbd{C-@key{up}} and @kbd{C-@key{down}} to quite
1313 @kindex M-S-@key{up}
1314 @kindex M-S-@key{down}
1316 @itemx M-S-@key{down}
1317 Move the item including subitems up/down (swap with previous/next item
1318 of same indentation). If the list is ordered, renumbering is
1320 @kindex M-S-@key{left}
1321 @kindex M-S-@key{right}
1322 @item M-S-@key{left}
1323 @itemx M-S-@key{right}
1324 Decrease/increase the indentation of the item, including subitems.
1325 Initially, the item tree is selected based on current indentation.
1326 When these commands are executed several times in direct succession,
1327 the initially selected region is used, even if the new indentation
1328 would imply a different hierarchy. To use the new hierarchy, break
1329 the command chain with a cursor motion or so.
1332 If there is a checkbox (@pxref{Checkboxes}) in the item line, toggle the
1333 state of the checkbox. If not, this command makes sure that all the
1334 items on this list level use the same bullet. Furthermore, if this is
1335 an ordered list, make sure the numbering is OK.
1338 Cycle the entire list level through the different itemize/enumerate bullets
1339 (@samp{-}, @samp{+}, @samp{*}, @samp{1.}, @samp{1)}). With a numeric prefix
1340 argument N, select the Nth bullet from this list. If there is an active
1341 region when calling this, all lines will be converted to list items. If the
1342 first line already was a list item, any item markers will be removed from the
1343 list. Finally, even without an active region, a normal line will be
1344 converted into a list item.
1347 Turn a plain list item into a headline (so that it becomes a subheading at
1348 its location). @xref{Structure editing}, for a detailed explanation.
1349 @kindex S-@key{left}
1350 @kindex S-@key{right}
1351 @item S-@key{left}/@key{right}
1352 @vindex org-support-shift-select
1353 This command also cycles bullet styles when the cursor in on the bullet or
1354 anywhere in an item line, details depending on
1355 @code{org-support-shift-select}.
1358 Sort the plain list. You will be prompted for the sorting method:
1359 numerically, alphabetically, by time, or by custom function.
1362 @node Drawers, Blocks, Plain lists, Document Structure
1366 @cindex visibility cycling, drawers
1369 Sometimes you want to keep information associated with an entry, but you
1370 normally don't want to see it. For this, Org mode has @emph{drawers}.
1371 Drawers need to be configured with the variable
1372 @code{org-drawers}@footnote{You can define drawers on a per-file basis
1373 with a line like @code{#+DRAWERS: HIDDEN PROPERTIES STATE}}. Drawers
1377 ** This is a headline
1378 Still outside the drawer
1380 This is inside the drawer.
1385 Visibility cycling (@pxref{Visibility cycling}) on the headline will hide and
1386 show the entry, but keep the drawer collapsed to a single line. In order to
1387 look inside the drawer, you need to move the cursor to the drawer line and
1388 press @key{TAB} there. Org mode uses the @code{PROPERTIES} drawer for
1389 storing properties (@pxref{Properties and Columns}), and you can also arrange
1390 for state change notes (@pxref{Tracking TODO state changes}) and clock times
1391 (@pxref{Clocking work time}) to be stored in a drawer @code{LOGBOOK}.
1393 @node Blocks, Footnotes, Drawers, Document Structure
1396 @vindex org-hide-block-startup
1397 @cindex blocks, folding
1398 Org-mode uses begin...end blocks for various purposes from including source
1399 code examples (@pxref{Literal examples}) to capturing time logging
1400 information (@pxref{Clocking work time}). These blocks can be folded and
1401 unfolded by pressing TAB in the begin line. You can also get all blocks
1402 folded at startup by configuring the variable @code{org-hide-block-startup}
1403 or on a per-file basis by using
1405 @cindex @code{hideblocks}, STARTUP keyword
1406 @cindex @code{nohideblocks}, STARTUP keyword
1408 #+STARTUP: hideblocks
1409 #+STARTUP: nohideblocks
1412 @node Footnotes, Orgstruct mode, Blocks, Document Structure
1416 Org mode supports the creation of footnotes. In contrast to the
1417 @file{footnote.el} package, Org mode's footnotes are designed for work on a
1418 larger document, not only for one-off documents like emails. The basic
1419 syntax is similar to the one used by @file{footnote.el}, i.e. a footnote is
1420 defined in a paragraph that is started by a footnote marker in square
1421 brackets in column 0, no indentation allowed. If you need a paragraph break
1422 inside a footnote, use the La@TeX{} idiom @samp{\par}. The footnote reference
1423 is simply the marker in square brackets, inside text. For example:
1426 The Org homepage[fn:1] now looks a lot better than it used to.
1428 [fn:1] The link is: http://orgmode.org
1431 Org mode extends the number-based syntax to @emph{named} footnotes and
1432 optional inline definition. Using plain numbers as markers (as
1433 @file{footnote.el} does) is supported for backward compatibility, but not
1434 encouraged because of possible conflicts with La@TeX{} snippets (@pxref{Embedded
1435 LaTeX}). Here are the valid references:
1439 A plain numeric footnote marker. Compatible with @file{footnote.el}, but not
1440 recommended because something like @samp{[1]} could easily be part of a code
1443 A named footnote reference, where @code{name} is a unique label word, or, for
1444 simplicity of automatic creation, a number.
1445 @item [fn:: This is the inline definition of this footnote]
1446 A La@TeX{}-like anonymous footnote where the definition is given directly at the
1448 @item [fn:name: a definition]
1449 An inline definition of a footnote, which also specifies a name for the note.
1450 Since Org allows multiple references to the same note, you can then use
1451 @code{[fn:name]} to create additional references.
1454 @vindex org-footnote-auto-label
1455 Footnote labels can be created automatically, or you can create names yourself.
1456 This is handled by the variable @code{org-footnote-auto-label} and its
1457 corresponding @code{#+STARTUP} keywords, see the docstring of that variable
1460 @noindent The following command handles footnotes:
1465 The footnote action command.
1467 When the cursor is on a footnote reference, jump to the definition. When it
1468 is at a definition, jump to the (first) reference.
1470 @vindex org-footnote-define-inline
1471 @vindex org-footnote-section
1472 @vindex org-footnote-auto-adjust
1473 Otherwise, create a new footnote. Depending on the variable
1474 @code{org-footnote-define-inline}@footnote{The corresponding in-buffer
1475 setting is: @code{#+STARTUP: fninline} or @code{#+STARTUP: nofninline}}, the
1476 definition will be placed right into the text as part of the reference, or
1477 separately into the location determined by the variable
1478 @code{org-footnote-section}.
1480 When this command is called with a prefix argument, a menu of additional
1483 s @r{Sort the footnote definitions by reference sequence. During editing,}
1484 @r{Org makes no effort to sort footnote definitions into a particular}
1485 @r{sequence. If you want them sorted, use this command, which will}
1486 @r{also move entries according to @code{org-footnote-section}. Automatic}
1487 @r{sorting after each insertion/deletion can be configured using the}
1488 @r{variable @code{org-footnote-auto-adjust}.}
1489 r @r{Renumber the simple @code{fn:N} footnotes. Automatic renumbering}
1490 @r{after each insertion/deletion can be configured using the variable}
1491 @r{@code{org-footnote-auto-adjust}.}
1492 S @r{Short for first @code{r}, then @code{s} action.}
1493 n @r{Normalize the footnotes by collecting all definitions (including}
1494 @r{inline definitions) into a special section, and then numbering them}
1495 @r{in sequence. The references will then also be numbers. This is}
1496 @r{meant to be the final step before finishing a document (e.g. sending}
1497 @r{off an email). The exporters do this automatically, and so could}
1498 @r{something like @code{message-send-hook}.}
1499 d @r{Delete the footnote at point, and all definitions of and references}
1502 Depending on the variable @code{org-footnote-auto-adjust}@footnote{the
1503 corresponding in-buffer options are @code{fnadjust} and @code{nofnadjust}.},
1504 renumbering and sorting footnotes can be automatic after each insertion or
1509 If the cursor is on a footnote reference, jump to the definition. If it is a
1510 the definition, jump back to the reference. When called at a footnote
1511 location with a prefix argument, offer the same menu as @kbd{C-c C-x f}.
1515 @item C-c C-o @r{or} mouse-1/2
1516 Footnote labels are also links to the corresponding definition/reference, and
1517 you can use the usual commands to follow these links.
1520 @node Orgstruct mode, , Footnotes, Document Structure
1521 @section The Orgstruct minor mode
1522 @cindex Orgstruct mode
1523 @cindex minor mode for structure editing
1525 If you like the intuitive way the Org mode structure editing and list
1526 formatting works, you might want to use these commands in other modes like
1527 Text mode or Mail mode as well. The minor mode @code{orgstruct-mode} makes
1528 this possible. Toggle the mode with @kbd{M-x orgstruct-mode}, or
1529 turn it on by default, for example in Mail mode, with one of:
1532 (add-hook 'mail-mode-hook 'turn-on-orgstruct)
1533 (add-hook 'mail-mode-hook 'turn-on-orgstruct++)
1536 When this mode is active and the cursor is on a line that looks to Org like a
1537 headline or the first line of a list item, most structure editing commands
1538 will work, even if the same keys normally have different functionality in the
1539 major mode you are using. If the cursor is not in one of those special
1540 lines, Orgstruct mode lurks silently in the shadow. When you use
1541 @code{orgstruct++-mode}, Org will also export indentation and autofill
1542 settings into that mode, and detect item context after the first line of an
1545 @node Tables, Hyperlinks, Document Structure, Top
1548 @cindex editing tables
1550 Org comes with a fast and intuitive table editor. Spreadsheet-like
1551 calculations are supported in connection with the Emacs @file{calc}
1554 (@pxref{Top,Calc,,Calc,Gnu Emacs Calculator Manual}).
1557 (see the Emacs Calculator manual for more information about the Emacs
1562 * Built-in table editor:: Simple tables
1563 * Column width and alignment:: Overrule the automatic settings
1564 * Column groups:: Grouping to trigger vertical lines
1565 * Orgtbl mode:: The table editor as minor mode
1566 * The spreadsheet:: The table editor has spreadsheet capabilities
1567 * Org-Plot:: Plotting from org tables
1570 @node Built-in table editor, Column width and alignment, Tables, Tables
1571 @section The built-in table editor
1572 @cindex table editor, built-in
1574 Org makes it easy to format tables in plain ASCII. Any line with
1575 @samp{|} as the first non-whitespace character is considered part of a
1576 table. @samp{|} is also the column separator. A table might look like
1580 | Name | Phone | Age |
1581 |-------+-------+-----|
1582 | Peter | 1234 | 17 |
1583 | Anna | 4321 | 25 |
1586 A table is re-aligned automatically each time you press @key{TAB} or
1587 @key{RET} or @kbd{C-c C-c} inside the table. @key{TAB} also moves to
1588 the next field (@key{RET} to the next row) and creates new table rows
1589 at the end of the table or before horizontal lines. The indentation
1590 of the table is set by the first line. Any line starting with
1591 @samp{|-} is considered as a horizontal separator line and will be
1592 expanded on the next re-align to span the whole table width. So, to
1593 create the above table, you would only type
1600 @noindent and then press @key{TAB} to align the table and start filling in
1601 fields. Even faster would be to type @code{|Name|Phone|Age} followed by
1602 @kbd{C-c @key{RET}}.
1604 @vindex org-enable-table-editor
1605 @vindex org-table-auto-blank-field
1606 When typing text into a field, Org treats @key{DEL},
1607 @key{Backspace}, and all character keys in a special way, so that
1608 inserting and deleting avoids shifting other fields. Also, when
1609 typing @emph{immediately after the cursor was moved into a new field
1610 with @kbd{@key{TAB}}, @kbd{S-@key{TAB}} or @kbd{@key{RET}}}, the
1611 field is automatically made blank. If this behavior is too
1612 unpredictable for you, configure the variables
1613 @code{org-enable-table-editor} and @code{org-table-auto-blank-field}.
1616 @tsubheading{Creation and conversion}
1619 Convert the active region to table. If every line contains at least one
1620 TAB character, the function assumes that the material is tab separated.
1621 If every line contains a comma, comma-separated values (CSV) are assumed.
1622 If not, lines are split at whitespace into fields. You can use a prefix
1623 argument to force a specific separator: @kbd{C-u} forces CSV, @kbd{C-u
1624 C-u} forces TAB, and a numeric argument N indicates that at least N
1625 consecutive spaces, or alternatively a TAB will be the separator.
1627 If there is no active region, this command creates an empty Org
1628 table. But it's easier just to start typing, like
1629 @kbd{|Name|Phone|Age @key{RET} |- @key{TAB}}.
1631 @tsubheading{Re-aligning and field motion}
1634 Re-align the table without moving the cursor.
1638 Re-align the table, move to the next field. Creates a new row if
1643 Re-align, move to previous field.
1647 Re-align the table and move down to next row. Creates a new row if
1648 necessary. At the beginning or end of a line, @key{RET} still does
1649 NEWLINE, so it can be used to split a table.
1653 Move to beginning of the current table field, or on to the previous field.
1656 Move to end of the current table field, or on to the next field.
1658 @tsubheading{Column and row editing}
1659 @kindex M-@key{left}
1660 @kindex M-@key{right}
1662 @itemx M-@key{right}
1663 Move the current column left/right.
1665 @kindex M-S-@key{left}
1666 @item M-S-@key{left}
1667 Kill the current column.
1669 @kindex M-S-@key{right}
1670 @item M-S-@key{right}
1671 Insert a new column to the left of the cursor position.
1674 @kindex M-@key{down}
1677 Move the current row up/down.
1679 @kindex M-S-@key{up}
1681 Kill the current row or horizontal line.
1683 @kindex M-S-@key{down}
1684 @item M-S-@key{down}
1685 Insert a new row above the current row. With a prefix argument, the line is
1686 created below the current one.
1690 Insert a horizontal line below current row. With a prefix argument, the line
1691 is created above the current line.
1693 @kindex C-c @key{RET}
1695 Insert a horizontal line below current row, and move the cursor into the row
1700 Sort the table lines in the region. The position of point indicates the
1701 column to be used for sorting, and the range of lines is the range
1702 between the nearest horizontal separator lines, or the entire table. If
1703 point is before the first column, you will be prompted for the sorting
1704 column. If there is an active region, the mark specifies the first line
1705 and the sorting column, while point should be in the last line to be
1706 included into the sorting. The command prompts for the sorting type
1707 (alphabetically, numerically, or by time). When called with a prefix
1708 argument, alphabetic sorting will be case-sensitive.
1710 @tsubheading{Regions}
1713 Copy a rectangular region from a table to a special clipboard. Point and
1714 mark determine edge fields of the rectangle. If there is no active region,
1715 copy just the current field. The process ignores horizontal separator lines.
1719 Copy a rectangular region from a table to a special clipboard, and
1720 blank all fields in the rectangle. So this is the ``cut'' operation.
1724 Paste a rectangular region into a table.
1725 The upper left corner ends up in the current field. All involved fields
1726 will be overwritten. If the rectangle does not fit into the present table,
1727 the table is enlarged as needed. The process ignores horizontal separator
1732 Wrap several fields in a column like a paragraph. If there is an active
1733 region, and both point and mark are in the same column, the text in the
1734 column is wrapped to minimum width for the given number of lines. A numeric
1735 prefix argument may be used to change the number of desired lines. If there
1736 is no region, the current field is split at the cursor position and the text
1737 fragment to the right of the cursor is prepended to the field one line
1738 down. If there is no region, but you specify a prefix argument, the current
1739 field is made blank, and the content is appended to the field above.
1741 @tsubheading{Calculations}
1742 @cindex formula, in tables
1743 @cindex calculations, in tables
1744 @cindex region, active
1745 @cindex active region
1746 @cindex transient mark mode
1749 Sum the numbers in the current column, or in the rectangle defined by
1750 the active region. The result is shown in the echo area and can
1751 be inserted with @kbd{C-y}.
1755 @vindex org-table-copy-increment
1756 When current field is empty, copy from first non-empty field above. When not
1757 empty, copy current field down to next row and move cursor along with it.
1758 Depending on the variable @code{org-table-copy-increment}, integer field
1759 values will be incremented during copy. Integers that are too large will not
1760 be incremented. Also, a @code{0} prefix argument temporarily disables the
1761 increment. This key is also used by shift-selection and related modes
1762 (@pxref{Conflicts}).
1764 @tsubheading{Miscellaneous}
1767 Edit the current field in a separate window. This is useful for fields that
1768 are not fully visible (@pxref{Column width and alignment}). When called with
1769 a @kbd{C-u} prefix, just make the full field visible, so that it can be
1772 @item M-x org-table-import
1773 Import a file as a table. The table should be TAB or whitespace
1774 separated. Use, for example, to import a spreadsheet table or data
1775 from a database, because these programs generally can write
1776 TAB-separated text files. This command works by inserting the file into
1777 the buffer and then converting the region to a table. Any prefix
1778 argument is passed on to the converter, which uses it to determine the
1781 Tables can also be imported by pasting tabular text into the Org
1782 buffer, selecting the pasted text with @kbd{C-x C-x} and then using the
1783 @kbd{C-c |} command (see above under @i{Creation and conversion}).
1785 @item M-x org-table-export
1786 @vindex org-table-export-default-format
1787 Export the table, by default as a TAB-separated file. Use for data
1788 exchange with, for example, spreadsheet or database programs. The format
1789 used to export the file can be configured in the variable
1790 @code{org-table-export-default-format}. You may also use properties
1791 @code{TABLE_EXPORT_FILE} and @code{TABLE_EXPORT_FORMAT} to specify the file
1792 name and the format for table export in a subtree. Org supports quite
1793 general formats for exported tables. The exporter format is the same as the
1794 format used by Orgtbl radio tables, see @ref{Translator functions}, for a
1795 detailed description.
1798 If you don't like the automatic table editor because it gets in your
1799 way on lines which you would like to start with @samp{|}, you can turn
1803 (setq org-enable-table-editor nil)
1806 @noindent Then the only table command that still works is
1807 @kbd{C-c C-c} to do a manual re-align.
1809 @node Column width and alignment, Column groups, Built-in table editor, Tables
1810 @section Column width and alignment
1811 @cindex narrow columns in tables
1812 @cindex alignment in tables
1814 The width of columns is automatically determined by the table editor. And
1815 also the alignment of a column is determined automatically from the fraction
1816 of number-like versus non-number fields in the column.
1818 Sometimes a single field or a few fields need to carry more text,
1819 leading to inconveniently wide columns. To limit@footnote{This feature
1820 does not work on XEmacs.} the width of a column, one field anywhere in
1821 the column may contain just the string @samp{<N>} where @samp{N} is an
1822 integer specifying the width of the column in characters. The next
1823 re-align will then set the width of this column to no more than this
1828 |---+------------------------------| |---+--------|
1830 | 1 | one | | 1 | one |
1831 | 2 | two | ----\ | 2 | two |
1832 | 3 | This is a long chunk of text | ----/ | 3 | This=> |
1833 | 4 | four | | 4 | four |
1834 |---+------------------------------| |---+--------|
1839 Fields that are wider become clipped and end in the string @samp{=>}.
1840 Note that the full text is still in the buffer, it is only invisible.
1841 To see the full text, hold the mouse over the field---a tool-tip window
1842 will show the full content. To edit such a field, use the command
1843 @kbd{C-c `} (that is @kbd{C-c} followed by the backquote). This will
1844 open a new window with the full field. Edit it and finish with @kbd{C-c
1847 @vindex org-startup-align-all-tables
1848 When visiting a file containing a table with narrowed columns, the
1849 necessary character hiding has not yet happened, and the table needs to
1850 be aligned before it looks nice. Setting the option
1851 @code{org-startup-align-all-tables} will realign all tables in a file
1852 upon visiting, but also slow down startup. You can also set this option
1853 on a per-file basis with:
1860 If you would like to overrule the automatic alignment of number-rich columns
1861 to the right and of string-rich column to the left, you and use @samp{<r>} or
1862 @samp{<l>} in a similar fashion. You may also combine alignment and field
1863 width like this: @samp{<l10>}.
1865 @node Column groups, Orgtbl mode, Column width and alignment, Tables
1866 @section Column groups
1867 @cindex grouping columns in tables
1869 When Org exports tables, it does so by default without vertical
1870 lines because that is visually more satisfying in general. Occasionally
1871 however, vertical lines can be useful to structure a table into groups
1872 of columns, much like horizontal lines can do for groups of rows. In
1873 order to specify column groups, you can use a special row where the
1874 first field contains only @samp{/}. The further fields can either
1875 contain @samp{<} to indicate that this column should start a group,
1876 @samp{>} to indicate the end of a column, or @samp{<>} to make a column
1877 a group of its own. Boundaries between column groups will upon export be
1878 marked with vertical lines. Here is an example:
1881 | | N | N^2 | N^3 | N^4 | sqrt(n) | sqrt[4](N) |
1882 |---+----+-----+-----+-----+---------+------------|
1883 | / | <> | < | | > | < | > |
1884 | # | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
1885 | # | 2 | 4 | 8 | 16 | 1.4142 | 1.1892 |
1886 | # | 3 | 9 | 27 | 81 | 1.7321 | 1.3161 |
1887 |---+----+-----+-----+-----+---------+------------|
1888 #+TBLFM: $3=$2^2::$4=$2^3::$5=$2^4::$6=sqrt($2)::$7=sqrt(sqrt(($2)))
1891 It is also sufficient to just insert the column group starters after
1892 every vertical line you'd like to have:
1895 | N | N^2 | N^3 | N^4 | sqrt(n) | sqrt[4](N) |
1896 |----+-----+-----+-----+---------+------------|
1900 @node Orgtbl mode, The spreadsheet, Column groups, Tables
1901 @section The Orgtbl minor mode
1903 @cindex minor mode for tables
1905 If you like the intuitive way the Org table editor works, you
1906 might also want to use it in other modes like Text mode or Mail mode.
1907 The minor mode Orgtbl mode makes this possible. You can always toggle
1908 the mode with @kbd{M-x orgtbl-mode}. To turn it on by default, for
1909 example in mail mode, use
1912 (add-hook 'mail-mode-hook 'turn-on-orgtbl)
1915 Furthermore, with some special setup, it is possible to maintain tables
1916 in arbitrary syntax with Orgtbl mode. For example, it is possible to
1917 construct La@TeX{} tables with the underlying ease and power of
1918 Orgtbl mode, including spreadsheet capabilities. For details, see
1919 @ref{Tables in arbitrary syntax}.
1921 @node The spreadsheet, Org-Plot, Orgtbl mode, Tables
1922 @section The spreadsheet
1923 @cindex calculations, in tables
1924 @cindex spreadsheet capabilities
1925 @cindex @file{calc} package
1927 The table editor makes use of the Emacs @file{calc} package to implement
1928 spreadsheet-like capabilities. It can also evaluate Emacs Lisp forms to
1929 derive fields from other fields. While fully featured, Org's
1930 implementation is not identical to other spreadsheets. For example,
1931 Org knows the concept of a @emph{column formula} that will be
1932 applied to all non-header fields in a column without having to copy the
1933 formula to each relevant field.
1936 * References:: How to refer to another field or range
1937 * Formula syntax for Calc:: Using Calc to compute stuff
1938 * Formula syntax for Lisp:: Writing formulas in Emacs Lisp
1939 * Field formulas:: Formulas valid for a single field
1940 * Column formulas:: Formulas valid for an entire column
1941 * Editing and debugging formulas:: Fixing formulas
1942 * Updating the table:: Recomputing all dependent fields
1943 * Advanced features:: Field names, parameters and automatic recalc
1946 @node References, Formula syntax for Calc, The spreadsheet, The spreadsheet
1947 @subsection References
1950 To compute fields in the table from other fields, formulas must
1951 reference other fields or ranges. In Org, fields can be referenced
1952 by name, by absolute coordinates, and by relative coordinates. To find
1953 out what the coordinates of a field are, press @kbd{C-c ?} in that
1954 field, or press @kbd{C-c @}} to toggle the display of a grid.
1956 @subsubheading Field references
1957 @cindex field references
1958 @cindex references, to fields
1960 Formulas can reference the value of another field in two ways. Like in
1961 any other spreadsheet, you may reference fields with a letter/number
1962 combination like @code{B3}, meaning the 2nd field in the 3rd row.
1963 @c Such references are always fixed to that field, they don't change
1964 @c when you copy and paste a formula to a different field. So
1965 @c Org's @code{B3} behaves like @code{$B$3} in other spreadsheets.
1968 Org also uses another, more general operator that looks like this:
1970 @@@var{row}$@var{column}
1974 Column references can be absolute like @samp{1}, @samp{2},...@samp{@var{N}},
1975 or relative to the current column like @samp{+1} or @samp{-2}.
1977 The row specification only counts data lines and ignores horizontal
1978 separator lines (hlines). You can use absolute row numbers
1979 @samp{1}...@samp{@var{N}}, and row numbers relative to the current row like
1980 @samp{+3} or @samp{-1}. Or specify the row relative to one of the
1981 hlines: @samp{I} refers to the first hline@footnote{Note that only
1982 hlines are counted that @emph{separate} table lines. If the table
1983 starts with a hline above the header, it does not count.}, @samp{II} to
1984 the second, etc@. @samp{-I} refers to the first such line above the
1985 current line, @samp{+I} to the first such line below the current line.
1986 You can also write @samp{III+2} which is the second data line after the
1987 third hline in the table.
1989 @samp{0} refers to the current row and column. Also, if you omit
1990 either the column or the row part of the reference, the current
1991 row/column is implied.
1993 Org's references with @emph{unsigned} numbers are fixed references
1994 in the sense that if you use the same reference in the formula for two
1995 different fields, the same field will be referenced each time.
1996 Org's references with @emph{signed} numbers are floating
1997 references because the same reference operator can reference different
1998 fields depending on the field being calculated by the formula.
2000 As a special case, references like @samp{$LR5} and @samp{$LR12} can be used
2001 to refer in a stable way to the 5th and 12th field in the last row of the
2004 Here are a few examples:
2007 @@2$3 @r{2nd row, 3rd column}
2008 C2 @r{same as previous}
2009 $5 @r{column 5 in the current row}
2010 E& @r{same as previous}
2011 @@2 @r{current column, row 2}
2012 @@-1$-3 @r{the field one row up, three columns to the left}
2013 @@-I$2 @r{field just under hline above current row, column 2}
2016 @subsubheading Range references
2017 @cindex range references
2018 @cindex references, to ranges
2020 You may reference a rectangular range of fields by specifying two field
2021 references connected by two dots @samp{..}. If both fields are in the
2022 current row, you may simply use @samp{$2..$7}, but if at least one field
2023 is in a different row, you need to use the general @code{@@row$column}
2024 format at least for the first field (i.e the reference must start with
2025 @samp{@@} in order to be interpreted correctly). Examples:
2028 $1..$3 @r{First three fields in the current row.}
2029 $P..$Q @r{Range, using column names (see under Advanced)}
2030 @@2$1..@@4$3 @r{6 fields between these two fields.}
2031 A2..C4 @r{Same as above.}
2032 @@-1$-2..@@-1 @r{3 numbers from the column to the left, 2 up to current row}
2035 @noindent Range references return a vector of values that can be fed
2036 into Calc vector functions. Empty fields in ranges are normally
2037 suppressed, so that the vector contains only the non-empty fields (but
2038 see the @samp{E} mode switch below). If there are no non-empty fields,
2039 @samp{[0]} is returned to avoid syntax errors in formulas.
2041 @subsubheading Named references
2042 @cindex named references
2043 @cindex references, named
2044 @cindex name, of column or field
2045 @cindex constants, in calculations
2048 @vindex org-table-formula-constants
2049 @samp{$name} is interpreted as the name of a column, parameter or
2050 constant. Constants are defined globally through the variable
2051 @code{org-table-formula-constants}, and locally (for the file) through a
2055 #+CONSTANTS: c=299792458. pi=3.14 eps=2.4e-6
2059 @vindex constants-unit-system
2060 @pindex constants.el
2061 Also properties (@pxref{Properties and Columns}) can be used as
2062 constants in table formulas: for a property @samp{:Xyz:} use the name
2063 @samp{$PROP_Xyz}, and the property will be searched in the current
2064 outline entry and in the hierarchy above it. If you have the
2065 @file{constants.el} package, it will also be used to resolve constants,
2066 including natural constants like @samp{$h} for Planck's constant, and
2067 units like @samp{$km} for kilometers@footnote{@file{constants.el} can
2068 supply the values of constants in two different unit systems, @code{SI}
2069 and @code{cgs}. Which one is used depends on the value of the variable
2070 @code{constants-unit-system}. You can use the @code{#+STARTUP} options
2071 @code{constSI} and @code{constcgs} to set this value for the current
2072 buffer.}. Column names and parameters can be specified in special table
2073 lines. These are described below, see @ref{Advanced features}. All
2074 names must start with a letter, and further consist of letters and
2077 @subsubheading Remote references
2078 @cindex remote references
2079 @cindex references, remote
2080 @cindex references, to a different table
2081 @cindex name, of column or field
2082 @cindex constants, in calculations
2085 You may also reference constants, fields and ranges from a different table,
2086 either in the current file or even in a different file. The syntax is
2089 remote(NAME-OR-ID,REF)
2093 where NAME can be the name of a table in the current file as set by a
2094 @code{#+TBLNAME: NAME} line before the table. It can also be the ID of an
2095 entry, even in a different file, and the reference then refers to the first
2096 table in that entry. REF is an absolute field or range reference as
2097 described above for example @code{@@3$3} or @code{$somename}, valid in the
2100 @node Formula syntax for Calc, Formula syntax for Lisp, References, The spreadsheet
2101 @subsection Formula syntax for Calc
2102 @cindex formula syntax, Calc
2103 @cindex syntax, of formulas
2105 A formula can be any algebraic expression understood by the Emacs
2106 @file{Calc} package. @b{Note that @file{calc} has the
2107 non-standard convention that @samp{/} has lower precedence than
2108 @samp{*}, so that @samp{a/b*c} is interpreted as @samp{a/(b*c)}.} Before
2109 evaluation by @code{calc-eval} (@pxref{Calling Calc from
2110 Your Programs,calc-eval,Calling Calc from Your Lisp Programs,Calc,GNU
2111 Emacs Calc Manual}),
2112 @c FIXME: The link to the Calc manual in HTML does not work.
2113 variable substitution takes place according to the rules described above.
2114 @cindex vectors, in table calculations
2115 The range vectors can be directly fed into the Calc vector functions
2116 like @samp{vmean} and @samp{vsum}.
2118 @cindex format specifier
2119 @cindex mode, for @file{calc}
2120 @vindex org-calc-default-modes
2121 A formula can contain an optional mode string after a semicolon. This
2122 string consists of flags to influence Calc and other modes during
2123 execution. By default, Org uses the standard Calc modes (precision
2124 12, angular units degrees, fraction and symbolic modes off). The display
2125 format, however, has been changed to @code{(float 8)} to keep tables
2126 compact. The default settings can be configured using the variable
2127 @code{org-calc-default-modes}.
2130 p20 @r{switch the internal precision to 20 digits}
2131 n3 s3 e2 f4 @r{normal, scientific, engineering, or fixed display format}
2132 D R @r{angle modes: degrees, radians}
2133 F S @r{fraction and symbolic modes}
2134 N @r{interpret all fields as numbers, use 0 for non-numbers}
2135 T @r{force text interpretation}
2136 E @r{keep empty fields in ranges}
2141 In addition, you may provide a @code{printf} format specifier to
2142 reformat the final result. A few examples:
2145 $1+$2 @r{Sum of first and second field}
2146 $1+$2;%.2f @r{Same, format result to two decimals}
2147 exp($2)+exp($1) @r{Math functions can be used}
2148 $0;%.1f @r{Reformat current cell to 1 decimal}
2149 ($3-32)*5/9 @r{Degrees F -> C conversion}
2150 $c/$1/$cm @r{Hz -> cm conversion, using @file{constants.el}}
2151 tan($1);Dp3s1 @r{Compute in degrees, precision 3, display SCI 1}
2152 sin($1);Dp3%.1e @r{Same, but use printf specifier for display}
2153 vmean($2..$7) @r{Compute column range mean, using vector function}
2154 vmean($2..$7);EN @r{Same, but treat empty fields as 0}
2155 taylor($3,x=7,2) @r{taylor series of $3, at x=7, second degree}
2158 Calc also contains a complete set of logical operations. For example
2161 if($1<20,teen,string("")) @r{``teen'' if age $1 less than 20, else empty}
2164 @node Formula syntax for Lisp, Field formulas, Formula syntax for Calc, The spreadsheet
2165 @subsection Emacs Lisp forms as formulas
2166 @cindex Lisp forms, as table formulas
2168 It is also possible to write a formula in Emacs Lisp; this can be useful
2169 for string manipulation and control structures, if Calc's
2170 functionality is not enough. If a formula starts with a single-quote
2171 followed by an opening parenthesis, then it is evaluated as a Lisp form.
2172 The evaluation should return either a string or a number. Just as with
2173 @file{calc} formulas, you can specify modes and a printf format after a
2174 semicolon. With Emacs Lisp forms, you need to be conscious about the way
2175 field references are interpolated into the form. By default, a
2176 reference will be interpolated as a Lisp string (in double-quotes)
2177 containing the field. If you provide the @samp{N} mode switch, all
2178 referenced elements will be numbers (non-number fields will be zero) and
2179 interpolated as Lisp numbers, without quotes. If you provide the
2180 @samp{L} flag, all fields will be interpolated literally, without quotes.
2181 I.e., if you want a reference to be interpreted as a string by the Lisp
2182 form, enclose the reference operator itself in double-quotes, like
2183 @code{"$3"}. Ranges are inserted as space-separated fields, so you can
2184 embed them in list or vector syntax. A few examples, note how the
2185 @samp{N} mode is used when we do computations in Lisp.
2188 @r{Swap the first two characters of the content of column 1}
2189 '(concat (substring $1 1 2) (substring $1 0 1) (substring $1 2))
2190 @r{Add columns 1 and 2, equivalent to Calc's @code{$1+$2}}
2192 @r{Compute the sum of columns 1-4, like Calc's @code{vsum($1..$4)}}
2193 '(apply '+ '($1..$4));N
2196 @node Field formulas, Column formulas, Formula syntax for Lisp, The spreadsheet
2197 @subsection Field formulas
2198 @cindex field formula
2199 @cindex formula, for individual table field
2201 To assign a formula to a particular field, type it directly into the
2202 field, preceded by @samp{:=}, for example @samp{:=$1+$2}. When you
2203 press @key{TAB} or @key{RET} or @kbd{C-c C-c} with the cursor still in
2204 the field, the formula will be stored as the formula for this field,
2205 evaluated, and the current field replaced with the result.
2208 Formulas are stored in a special line starting with @samp{#+TBLFM:}
2209 directly below the table. If you typed the equation in the 4th field of
2210 the 3rd data line in the table, the formula will look like
2211 @samp{@@3$4=$1+$2}. When inserting/deleting/swapping column and rows
2212 with the appropriate commands, @i{absolute references} (but not relative
2213 ones) in stored formulas are modified in order to still reference the
2214 same field. Of course this is not true if you edit the table structure
2215 with normal editing commands---then you must fix the equations yourself.
2216 The left-hand side of a formula may also be a named field (@pxref{Advanced
2217 features}), or a last-row reference like @samp{$LR3}.
2219 Instead of typing an equation into the field, you may also use the
2225 Install a new formula for the current field. The command prompts for a
2226 formula with default taken from the @samp{#+TBLFM:} line, applies
2227 it to the current field, and stores it.
2230 @node Column formulas, Editing and debugging formulas, Field formulas, The spreadsheet
2231 @subsection Column formulas
2232 @cindex column formula
2233 @cindex formula, for table column
2235 Often in a table, the same formula should be used for all fields in a
2236 particular column. Instead of having to copy the formula to all fields
2237 in that column, Org allows you to assign a single formula to an entire
2238 column. If the table contains horizontal separator hlines, everything
2239 before the first such line is considered part of the table @emph{header}
2240 and will not be modified by column formulas.
2242 To assign a formula to a column, type it directly into any field in the
2243 column, preceded by an equal sign, like @samp{=$1+$2}. When you press
2244 @key{TAB} or @key{RET} or @kbd{C-c C-c} with the cursor still in the field,
2245 the formula will be stored as the formula for the current column, evaluated
2246 and the current field replaced with the result. If the field contains only
2247 @samp{=}, the previously stored formula for this column is used. For each
2248 column, Org will only remember the most recently used formula. In the
2249 @samp{#+TBLFM:} line, column formulas will look like @samp{$4=$1+$2}. The left-hand
2250 side of a column formula cannot currently be the name of column, it
2251 must be the numeric column reference.
2253 Instead of typing an equation into the field, you may also use the
2259 Install a new formula for the current column and replace current field with
2260 the result of the formula. The command prompts for a formula, with default
2261 taken from the @samp{#+TBLFM} line, applies it to the current field and
2262 stores it. With a numeric prefix argument(e.g. @kbd{C-5 C-c =}) the command
2263 will apply it to that many consecutive fields in the current column.
2266 @node Editing and debugging formulas, Updating the table, Column formulas, The spreadsheet
2267 @subsection Editing and debugging formulas
2268 @cindex formula editing
2269 @cindex editing, of table formulas
2271 @vindex org-table-use-standard-references
2272 You can edit individual formulas in the minibuffer or directly in the
2273 field. Org can also prepare a special buffer with all active
2274 formulas of a table. When offering a formula for editing, Org
2275 converts references to the standard format (like @code{B3} or @code{D&})
2276 if possible. If you prefer to only work with the internal format (like
2277 @code{@@3$2} or @code{$4}), configure the variable
2278 @code{org-table-use-standard-references}.
2285 Edit the formula associated with the current column/field in the
2286 minibuffer. See @ref{Column formulas}, and @ref{Field formulas}.
2287 @kindex C-u C-u C-c =
2289 Re-insert the active formula (either a
2290 field formula, or a column formula) into the current field, so that you
2291 can edit it directly in the field. The advantage over editing in the
2292 minibuffer is that you can use the command @kbd{C-c ?}.
2295 While editing a formula in a table field, highlight the field(s)
2296 referenced by the reference at the cursor position in the formula.
2299 Toggle the display of row and column numbers for a table, using
2300 overlays. These are updated each time the table is aligned; you can
2301 force it with @kbd{C-c C-c}.
2304 Toggle the formula debugger on and off. See below.
2307 Edit all formulas for the current table in a special buffer, where the
2308 formulas will be displayed one per line. If the current field has an
2309 active formula, the cursor in the formula editor will mark it.
2310 While inside the special buffer, Org will automatically highlight
2311 any field or range reference at the cursor position. You may edit,
2312 remove and add formulas, and use the following commands:
2318 Exit the formula editor and store the modified formulas. With @kbd{C-u}
2319 prefix, also apply the new formulas to the entire table.
2322 Exit the formula editor without installing changes.
2325 Toggle all references in the formula editor between standard (like
2326 @code{B3}) and internal (like @code{@@3$2}).
2329 Pretty-print or indent Lisp formula at point. When in a line containing
2330 a Lisp formula, format the formula according to Emacs Lisp rules.
2331 Another @key{TAB} collapses the formula back again. In the open
2332 formula, @key{TAB} re-indents just like in Emacs Lisp mode.
2335 Complete Lisp symbols, just like in Emacs Lisp mode.
2337 @kindex S-@key{down}
2338 @kindex S-@key{left}
2339 @kindex S-@key{right}
2340 @item S-@key{up}/@key{down}/@key{left}/@key{right}
2341 Shift the reference at point. For example, if the reference is
2342 @code{B3} and you press @kbd{S-@key{right}}, it will become @code{C3}.
2343 This also works for relative references and for hline references.
2344 @kindex M-S-@key{up}
2345 @kindex M-S-@key{down}
2346 @item M-S-@key{up}/@key{down}
2347 Move the test line for column formulas in the Org buffer up and
2350 @kindex M-@key{down}
2351 @item M-@key{up}/@key{down}
2352 Scroll the window displaying the table.
2355 Turn the coordinate grid in the table on and off.
2359 Making a table field blank does not remove the formula associated with
2360 the field, because that is stored in a different line (the @samp{#+TBLFM}
2361 line)---during the next recalculation the field will be filled again.
2362 To remove a formula from a field, you have to give an empty reply when
2363 prompted for the formula, or to edit the @samp{#+TBLFM} line.
2366 You may edit the @samp{#+TBLFM} directly and re-apply the changed
2367 equations with @kbd{C-c C-c} in that line or with the normal
2368 recalculation commands in the table.
2370 @subsubheading Debugging formulas
2371 @cindex formula debugging
2372 @cindex debugging, of table formulas
2373 When the evaluation of a formula leads to an error, the field content
2374 becomes the string @samp{#ERROR}. If you would like see what is going
2375 on during variable substitution and calculation in order to find a bug,
2376 turn on formula debugging in the @code{Tbl} menu and repeat the
2377 calculation, for example by pressing @kbd{C-u C-u C-c = @key{RET}} in a
2378 field. Detailed information will be displayed.
2380 @node Updating the table, Advanced features, Editing and debugging formulas, The spreadsheet
2381 @subsection Updating the table
2382 @cindex recomputing table fields
2383 @cindex updating, table
2385 Recalculation of a table is normally not automatic, but needs to be
2386 triggered by a command. See @ref{Advanced features}, for a way to make
2387 recalculation at least semi-automatic.
2389 In order to recalculate a line of a table or the entire table, use the
2395 Recalculate the current row by first applying the stored column formulas
2396 from left to right, and all field formulas in the current row.
2402 Recompute the entire table, line by line. Any lines before the first
2403 hline are left alone, assuming that these are part of the table header.
2405 @kindex C-u C-u C-c *
2406 @kindex C-u C-u C-c C-c
2408 @itemx C-u C-u C-c C-c
2409 Iterate the table by recomputing it until no further changes occur.
2410 This may be necessary if some computed fields use the value of other
2411 fields that are computed @i{later} in the calculation sequence.
2414 @node Advanced features, , Updating the table, The spreadsheet
2415 @subsection Advanced features
2417 If you want the recalculation of fields to happen automatically, or if
2418 you want to be able to assign @i{names} to fields and columns, you need
2419 to reserve the first column of the table for special marking characters.
2423 Rotate the calculation mark in first column through the states @samp{ },
2424 @samp{#}, @samp{*}, @samp{!}, @samp{$}. When there is an active region,
2425 change all marks in the region.
2428 Here is an example of a table that collects exam results of students and
2429 makes use of these features:
2433 |---+---------+--------+--------+--------+-------+------|
2434 | | Student | Prob 1 | Prob 2 | Prob 3 | Total | Note |
2435 |---+---------+--------+--------+--------+-------+------|
2436 | ! | | P1 | P2 | P3 | Tot | |
2437 | # | Maximum | 10 | 15 | 25 | 50 | 10.0 |
2438 | ^ | | m1 | m2 | m3 | mt | |
2439 |---+---------+--------+--------+--------+-------+------|
2440 | # | Peter | 10 | 8 | 23 | 41 | 8.2 |
2441 | # | Sam | 2 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 1.8 |
2442 |---+---------+--------+--------+--------+-------+------|
2443 | | Average | | | | 29.7 | |
2444 | ^ | | | | | at | |
2445 | $ | max=50 | | | | | |
2446 |---+---------+--------+--------+--------+-------+------|
2447 #+TBLFM: $6=vsum($P1..$P3)::$7=10*$Tot/$max;%.1f::$at=vmean(@@-II..@@-I);%.1f
2451 @noindent @b{Important}: please note that for these special tables,
2452 recalculating the table with @kbd{C-u C-c *} will only affect rows that
2453 are marked @samp{#} or @samp{*}, and fields that have a formula assigned
2454 to the field itself. The column formulas are not applied in rows with
2457 @cindex marking characters, tables
2458 The marking characters have the following meaning:
2461 The fields in this line define names for the columns, so that you may
2462 refer to a column as @samp{$Tot} instead of @samp{$6}.
2464 This row defines names for the fields @emph{above} the row. With such
2465 a definition, any formula in the table may use @samp{$m1} to refer to
2466 the value @samp{10}. Also, if you assign a formula to a names field, it
2467 will be stored as @samp{$name=...}.
2469 Similar to @samp{^}, but defines names for the fields in the row
2472 Fields in this row can define @emph{parameters} for formulas. For
2473 example, if a field in a @samp{$} row contains @samp{max=50}, then
2474 formulas in this table can refer to the value 50 using @samp{$max}.
2475 Parameters work exactly like constants, only that they can be defined on
2478 Fields in this row are automatically recalculated when pressing
2479 @key{TAB} or @key{RET} or @kbd{S-@key{TAB}} in this row. Also, this row
2480 is selected for a global recalculation with @kbd{C-u C-c *}. Unmarked
2481 lines will be left alone by this command.
2483 Selects this line for global recalculation with @kbd{C-u C-c *}, but
2484 not for automatic recalculation. Use this when automatic
2485 recalculation slows down editing too much.
2487 Unmarked lines are exempt from recalculation with @kbd{C-u C-c *}.
2488 All lines that should be recalculated should be marked with @samp{#}
2491 Do not export this line. Useful for lines that contain the narrowing
2492 @samp{<N>} markers or column group markers.
2495 Finally, just to whet your appetite for what can be done with the
2496 fantastic @file{calc.el} package, here is a table that computes the Taylor
2497 series of degree @code{n} at location @code{x} for a couple of
2502 |---+-------------+---+-----+--------------------------------------|
2503 | | Func | n | x | Result |
2504 |---+-------------+---+-----+--------------------------------------|
2505 | # | exp(x) | 1 | x | 1 + x |
2506 | # | exp(x) | 2 | x | 1 + x + x^2 / 2 |
2507 | # | exp(x) | 3 | x | 1 + x + x^2 / 2 + x^3 / 6 |
2508 | # | x^2+sqrt(x) | 2 | x=0 | x*(0.5 / 0) + x^2 (2 - 0.25 / 0) / 2 |
2509 | # | x^2+sqrt(x) | 2 | x=1 | 2 + 2.5 x - 2.5 + 0.875 (x - 1)^2 |
2510 | * | tan(x) | 3 | x | 0.0175 x + 1.77e-6 x^3 |
2511 |---+-------------+---+-----+--------------------------------------|
2512 #+TBLFM: $5=taylor($2,$4,$3);n3
2516 @node Org-Plot, , The spreadsheet, Tables
2518 @cindex graph, in tables
2519 @cindex plot tables using gnuplot
2522 Org-Plot can produce 2D and 3D graphs of information stored in org tables
2523 using @file{Gnuplot} @uref{http://www.gnuplot.info/} and @file{gnuplot-mode}
2524 @uref{http://cars9.uchicago.edu/~ravel/software/gnuplot-mode.html}. To see
2525 this in action, ensure that you have both Gnuplot and Gnuplot mode installed
2526 on your system, then call @code{org-plot/gnuplot} on the following table.
2530 #+PLOT: title:"Citas" ind:1 deps:(3) type:2d with:histograms set:"yrange [0:]"
2531 | Sede | Max cites | H-index |
2532 |-----------+-----------+---------|
2533 | Chile | 257.72 | 21.39 |
2534 | Leeds | 165.77 | 19.68 |
2535 | Sao Paolo | 71.00 | 11.50 |
2536 | Stockholm | 134.19 | 14.33 |
2537 | Morelia | 257.56 | 17.67 |
2541 Notice that Org Plot is smart enough to apply the table's headers as labels.
2542 Further control over the labels, type, content, and appearance of plots can
2543 be exercised through the @code{#+PLOT:} lines preceding a table. See below
2544 for a complete list of Org-plot options. For more information and examples
2545 see the Org-plot tutorial at
2546 @uref{http://orgmode.org/worg/org-tutorials/org-plot.php}.
2548 @subsubheading Plot Options
2552 Specify any @command{gnuplot} option to be set when graphing.
2555 Specify the title of the plot.
2558 Specify which column of the table to use as the @code{x} axis.
2561 Specify the columns to graph as a Lisp style list, surrounded by parentheses
2562 and separated by spaces for example @code{dep:(3 4)} to graph the third and
2563 fourth columns (defaults to graphing all other columns aside from the @code{ind}
2567 Specify whether the plot will be @code{2d}, @code{3d}, or @code{grid}.
2570 Specify a @code{with} option to be inserted for every col being plotted
2571 (e.g. @code{lines}, @code{points}, @code{boxes}, @code{impulses}, etc...).
2572 Defaults to @code{lines}.
2575 If you want to plot to a file, specify @code{"@var{path/to/desired/output-file}"}.
2578 List of labels to be used for the deps (defaults to the column headers if
2582 Specify an entire line to be inserted in the Gnuplot script.
2585 When plotting @code{3d} or @code{grid} types, set this to @code{t} to graph a
2586 flat mapping rather than a @code{3d} slope.
2589 Specify format of Org-mode timestamps as they will be parsed by Gnuplot.
2590 Defaults to @samp{%Y-%m-%d-%H:%M:%S}.
2593 If you want total control, you can specify a script file (place the file name
2594 between double-quotes) which will be used to plot. Before plotting, every
2595 instance of @code{$datafile} in the specified script will be replaced with
2596 the path to the generated data file. Note: even if you set this option, you
2597 may still want to specify the plot type, as that can impact the content of
2601 @node Hyperlinks, TODO Items, Tables, Top
2605 Like HTML, Org provides links inside a file, external links to
2606 other files, Usenet articles, emails, and much more.
2609 * Link format:: How links in Org are formatted
2610 * Internal links:: Links to other places in the current file
2611 * External links:: URL-like links to the world
2612 * Handling links:: Creating, inserting and following
2613 * Using links outside Org:: Linking from my C source code?
2614 * Link abbreviations:: Shortcuts for writing complex links
2615 * Search options:: Linking to a specific location
2616 * Custom searches:: When the default search is not enough
2619 @node Link format, Internal links, Hyperlinks, Hyperlinks
2620 @section Link format
2622 @cindex format, of links
2624 Org will recognize plain URL-like links and activate them as
2625 clickable links. The general link format, however, looks like this:
2628 [[link][description]] @r{or alternatively} [[link]]
2632 Once a link in the buffer is complete (all brackets present), Org
2633 will change the display so that @samp{description} is displayed instead
2634 of @samp{[[link][description]]} and @samp{link} is displayed instead of
2635 @samp{[[link]]}. Links will be highlighted in the face @code{org-link},
2636 which by default is an underlined face. You can directly edit the
2637 visible part of a link. Note that this can be either the @samp{link}
2638 part (if there is no description) or the @samp{description} part. To
2639 edit also the invisible @samp{link} part, use @kbd{C-c C-l} with the
2642 If you place the cursor at the beginning or just behind the end of the
2643 displayed text and press @key{BACKSPACE}, you will remove the
2644 (invisible) bracket at that location. This makes the link incomplete
2645 and the internals are again displayed as plain text. Inserting the
2646 missing bracket hides the link internals again. To show the
2647 internal structure of all links, use the menu entry
2648 @code{Org->Hyperlinks->Literal links}.
2650 @node Internal links, External links, Link format, Hyperlinks
2651 @section Internal links
2652 @cindex internal links
2653 @cindex links, internal
2654 @cindex targets, for links
2656 @cindex property, CUSTOM_ID
2657 If the link does not look like a URL, it is considered to be internal in the
2658 current file. The most important case is a link like
2659 @samp{[[#my-custom-id]]} which will link to the entry with the
2660 @code{CUSTOM_ID} property @samp{my-custom-id}. Such custom IDs are very good
2661 for HTML export (@pxref{HTML export}) where they produce pretty section
2662 links. You are responsible yourself to make sure these custom IDs are unique
2665 Links such as @samp{[[My Target]]} or @samp{[[My Target][Find my target]]}
2666 lead to a text search in the current file.
2668 The link can be followed with @kbd{C-c C-o} when the cursor is on the link,
2669 or with a mouse click (@pxref{Handling links}). Links to custom IDs will
2670 point to the corresponding headline. The preferred match for a text link is
2671 a @i{dedicated target}: the same string in double angular brackets. Targets
2672 may be located anywhere; sometimes it is convenient to put them into a
2673 comment line. For example
2679 @noindent In HTML export (@pxref{HTML export}), such targets will become
2680 named anchors for direct access through @samp{http} links@footnote{Note that
2681 text before the first headline is usually not exported, so the first such
2682 target should be after the first headline, or in the line directly before the
2685 If no dedicated target exists, Org will search for the words in the link. In
2686 the above example the search would be for @samp{my target}. Links starting
2687 with a star like @samp{*My Target} restrict the search to
2688 headlines@footnote{To insert a link targeting a headline, in-buffer
2689 completion can be used. Just type a star followed by a few optional letters
2690 into the buffer and press @kbd{M-@key{TAB}}. All headlines in the current
2691 buffer will be offered as completions. @xref{Handling links}, for more
2692 commands creating links.}. When searching, Org mode will first try an
2693 exact match, but then move on to more and more lenient searches. For
2694 example, the link @samp{[[*My Targets]]} will find any of the following:
2698 ** TODO my targets are bright
2699 ** my 20 targets are
2703 Following a link pushes a mark onto Org's own mark ring. You can
2704 return to the previous position with @kbd{C-c &}. Using this command
2705 several times in direct succession goes back to positions recorded
2709 * Radio targets:: Make targets trigger links in plain text
2712 @node Radio targets, , Internal links, Internal links
2713 @subsection Radio targets
2714 @cindex radio targets
2715 @cindex targets, radio
2716 @cindex links, radio targets
2718 Org can automatically turn any occurrences of certain target names
2719 in normal text into a link. So without explicitly creating a link, the
2720 text connects to the target radioing its position. Radio targets are
2721 enclosed by triple angular brackets. For example, a target @samp{<<<My
2722 Target>>>} causes each occurrence of @samp{my target} in normal text to
2723 become activated as a link. The Org file is scanned automatically
2724 for radio targets only when the file is first loaded into Emacs. To
2725 update the target list during editing, press @kbd{C-c C-c} with the
2726 cursor on or at a target.
2728 @node External links, Handling links, Internal links, Hyperlinks
2729 @section External links
2730 @cindex links, external
2731 @cindex external links
2732 @cindex links, external
2740 @cindex WANDERLUST links
2742 @cindex USENET links
2747 Org supports links to files, websites, Usenet and email messages,
2748 BBDB database entries and links to both IRC conversations and their
2749 logs. External links are URL-like locators. They start with a short
2750 identifying string followed by a colon. There can be no space after
2751 the colon. The following list shows examples for each link type.
2754 http://www.astro.uva.nl/~dominik @r{on the web}
2755 file:/home/dominik/images/jupiter.jpg @r{file, absolute path}
2756 /home/dominik/images/jupiter.jpg @r{same as above}
2757 file:papers/last.pdf @r{file, relative path}
2758 ./papers/last.pdf @r{same as above}
2759 file:sometextfile::NNN @r{file with line number to jump to}
2760 file:projects.org @r{another Org file}
2761 file:projects.org::some words @r{text search in Org file}
2762 file:projects.org::*task title @r{heading search in Org file}
2763 id:B7423F4D-2E8A-471B-8810-C40F074717E9 @r{Link to heading by ID}
2764 news:comp.emacs @r{Usenet link}
2765 mailto:adent@@galaxy.net @r{Mail link}
2766 vm:folder @r{VM folder link}
2767 vm:folder#id @r{VM message link}
2768 vm://myself@@some.where.org/folder#id @r{VM on remote machine}
2769 wl:folder @r{WANDERLUST folder link}
2770 wl:folder#id @r{WANDERLUST message link}
2771 mhe:folder @r{MH-E folder link}
2772 mhe:folder#id @r{MH-E message link}
2773 rmail:folder @r{RMAIL folder link}
2774 rmail:folder#id @r{RMAIL message link}
2775 gnus:group @r{Gnus group link}
2776 gnus:group#id @r{Gnus article link}
2777 bbdb:R.*Stallman @r{BBDB link (with regexp)}
2778 irc:/irc.com/#emacs/bob @r{IRC link}
2779 shell:ls *.org @r{A shell command}
2780 elisp:org-agenda @r{Interactive Elisp command}
2781 elisp:(find-file-other-frame "Elisp.org") @r{Elisp form to evaluate}
2784 A link should be enclosed in double brackets and may contain a
2785 descriptive text to be displayed instead of the URL (@pxref{Link
2786 format}), for example:
2789 [[http://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/][GNU Emacs]]
2793 If the description is a file name or URL that points to an image, HTML
2794 export (@pxref{HTML export}) will inline the image as a clickable
2795 button. If there is no description at all and the link points to an
2797 that image will be inlined into the exported HTML file.
2799 @cindex square brackets, around links
2800 @cindex plain text external links
2801 Org also finds external links in the normal text and activates them
2802 as links. If spaces must be part of the link (for example in
2803 @samp{bbdb:Richard Stallman}), or if you need to remove ambiguities
2804 about the end of the link, enclose them in square brackets.
2806 @node Handling links, Using links outside Org, External links, Hyperlinks
2807 @section Handling links
2808 @cindex links, handling
2810 Org provides methods to create a link in the correct syntax, to
2811 insert it into an Org file, and to follow the link.
2815 @cindex storing links
2817 Store a link to the current location. This is a @emph{global} command (you
2818 must create the key binding yourself) which can be used in any buffer to
2819 create a link. The link will be stored for later insertion into an Org
2820 buffer (see below). What kind of link will be created depends on the current
2823 @b{Org-mode buffers}@*
2824 For Org files, if there is a @samp{<<target>>} at the cursor, the link points
2825 to the target. Otherwise it points to the current headline, which will also
2828 @vindex org-link-to-org-use-id
2829 @cindex property, CUSTOM_ID
2830 @cindex property, ID
2831 If the headline has a @code{CUSTOM_ID} property, a link to this custom ID
2832 will be stored. In addition or alternatively (depending on the value of
2833 @code{org-link-to-org-use-id}), a globally unique @code{ID} property will be
2834 created and/or used to construct a link. So using this command in Org
2835 buffers will potentially create two links: a human-readable from the custom
2836 ID, and one that is globally unique and works even if the entry is moved from
2837 file to file. Later, when inserting the link, you need to decide which one
2840 @b{Email/News clients: VM, Rmail, Wanderlust, MH-E, Gnus}@*
2841 Pretty much all Emacs mail clients are supported. The link will point to the
2842 current article, or, in some GNUS buffers, to the group. The description is
2843 constructed from the author and the subject.
2845 @b{Web browsers: W3 and W3M}@*
2846 Here the link will be the current URL, with the page title as description.
2848 @b{Contacts: BBDB}@*
2849 Links created in a BBDB buffer will point to the current entry.
2852 @vindex org-irc-link-to-logs
2853 For IRC links, if you set the variable @code{org-irc-link-to-logs} to
2854 @code{t}, a @samp{file:/} style link to the relevant point in the logs for
2855 the current conversation is created. Otherwise an @samp{irc:/} style link to
2856 the user/channel/server under the point will be stored.
2859 For any other files, the link will point to the file, with a search string
2860 (@pxref{Search options}) pointing to the contents of the current line. If
2861 there is an active region, the selected words will form the basis of the
2862 search string. If the automatically created link is not working correctly or
2863 accurately enough, you can write custom functions to select the search string
2864 and to do the search for particular file types---see @ref{Custom searches}.
2865 The key binding @kbd{C-c l} is only a suggestion---see @ref{Installation}.
2868 When the cursor is in an agenda view, the created link points to the
2869 entry referenced by the current line.
2873 @cindex link completion
2874 @cindex completion, of links
2875 @cindex inserting links
2877 @vindex org-keep-stored-link-after-insertion
2878 Insert a link@footnote{ Note that you don't have to use this command to
2879 insert a link. Links in Org are plain text, and you can type or paste them
2880 straight into the buffer. By using this command, the links are automatically
2881 enclosed in double brackets, and you will be asked for the optional
2882 descriptive text.}. This prompts for a link to be inserted into the buffer.
2883 You can just type a link, using text for an internal link, or one of the link
2884 type prefixes mentioned in the examples above. The link will be inserted
2885 into the buffer@footnote{After insertion of a stored link, the link will be
2886 removed from the list of stored links. To keep it in the list later use, use
2887 a triple @kbd{C-u} prefix argument to @kbd{C-c C-l}, or configure the option
2888 @code{org-keep-stored-link-after-insertion}.}, along with a descriptive text.
2889 If some text was selected when this command is called, the selected text
2890 becomes the default description.
2892 @b{Inserting stored links}@*
2893 All links stored during the
2894 current session are part of the history for this prompt, so you can access
2895 them with @key{up} and @key{down} (or @kbd{M-p/n}).
2897 @b{Completion support}@* Completion with @key{TAB} will help you to insert
2898 valid link prefixes like @samp{http:} or @samp{ftp:}, including the prefixes
2899 defined through link abbreviations (@pxref{Link abbreviations}). If you
2900 press @key{RET} after inserting only the @var{prefix}, Org will offer
2901 specific completion support for some link types@footnote{This works by
2902 calling a special function @code{org-PREFIX-complete-link}.} For
2903 example, if you type @kbd{file @key{RET}}, file name completion (alternative
2904 access: @kbd{C-u C-c C-l}, see below) will be offered, and after @kbd{bbdb
2905 @key{RET}} you can complete contact names.
2907 @cindex file name completion
2908 @cindex completion, of file names
2910 When @kbd{C-c C-l} is called with a @kbd{C-u} prefix argument, a link to
2911 a file will be inserted and you may use file name completion to select
2912 the name of the file. The path to the file is inserted relative to the
2913 directory of the current Org file, if the linked file is in the current
2914 directory or in a sub-directory of it, or if the path is written relative
2915 to the current directory using @samp{../}. Otherwise an absolute path
2916 is used, if possible with @samp{~/} for your home directory. You can
2917 force an absolute path with two @kbd{C-u} prefixes.
2919 @item C-c C-l @r{(with cursor on existing link)}
2920 When the cursor is on an existing link, @kbd{C-c C-l} allows you to edit the
2921 link and description parts of the link.
2923 @cindex following links
2926 @item C-c C-o @r{or} @key{RET}
2927 @vindex org-file-apps
2928 Open link at point. This will launch a web browser for URLs (using
2929 @command{browse-url-at-point}), run VM/MH-E/Wanderlust/Rmail/Gnus/BBDB for
2930 the corresponding links, and execute the command in a shell link. When the
2931 cursor is on an internal link, this command runs the corresponding search.
2932 When the cursor is on a TAG list in a headline, it creates the corresponding
2933 TAGS view. If the cursor is on a timestamp, it compiles the agenda for that
2934 date. Furthermore, it will visit text and remote files in @samp{file:} links
2935 with Emacs and select a suitable application for local non-text files.
2936 Classification of files is based on file extension only. See option
2937 @code{org-file-apps}. If you want to override the default application and
2938 visit the file with Emacs, use a @kbd{C-u} prefix. If you want to avoid
2939 opening in Emacs, use a @kbd{C-u C-u} prefix.@*
2940 If the cursor is on a headline, but not on a link, offer all links in the
2941 headline and entry text.
2947 On links, @kbd{mouse-2} will open the link just as @kbd{C-c C-o}
2948 would. Under Emacs 22, @kbd{mouse-1} will also follow a link.
2952 @vindex org-display-internal-link-with-indirect-buffer
2953 Like @kbd{mouse-2}, but force file links to be opened with Emacs, and
2954 internal links to be displayed in another window@footnote{See the
2955 variable @code{org-display-internal-link-with-indirect-buffer}}.
2960 Push the current position onto the mark ring, to be able to return
2961 easily. Commands following an internal link do this automatically.
2963 @cindex links, returning to
2966 Jump back to a recorded position. A position is recorded by the
2967 commands following internal links, and by @kbd{C-c %}. Using this
2968 command several times in direct succession moves through a ring of
2969 previously recorded positions.
2973 @cindex links, finding next/previous
2976 Move forward/backward to the next link in the buffer. At the limit of
2977 the buffer, the search fails once, and then wraps around. The key
2978 bindings for this are really too long, you might want to bind this also
2979 to @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p}
2981 (add-hook 'org-load-hook
2983 (define-key 'org-mode-map "\C-n" 'org-next-link)
2984 (define-key 'org-mode-map "\C-p" 'org-previous-link)))
2988 @node Using links outside Org, Link abbreviations, Handling links, Hyperlinks
2989 @section Using links outside Org
2991 You can insert and follow links that have Org syntax not only in
2992 Org, but in any Emacs buffer. For this, you should create two
2993 global commands, like this (please select suitable global keys
2997 (global-set-key "\C-c L" 'org-insert-link-global)
2998 (global-set-key "\C-c o" 'org-open-at-point-global)
3001 @node Link abbreviations, Search options, Using links outside Org, Hyperlinks
3002 @section Link abbreviations
3003 @cindex link abbreviations
3004 @cindex abbreviation, links
3006 Long URLs can be cumbersome to type, and often many similar links are
3007 needed in a document. For this you can use link abbreviations. An
3008 abbreviated link looks like this
3011 [[linkword:tag][description]]
3015 @vindex org-link-abbrev-alist
3016 where the tag is optional. The @i{linkword} must be a word; letter, numbers,
3017 @samp{-}, and @samp{_} are allowed here. Abbreviations are resolved
3018 according to the information in the variable @code{org-link-abbrev-alist}
3019 that relates the linkwords to replacement text. Here is an example:
3023 (setq org-link-abbrev-alist
3024 '(("bugzilla" . "http://10.1.2.9/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=")
3025 ("google" . "http://www.google.com/search?q=")
3026 ("ads" . "http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/
3027 nph-abs_connect?author=%s&db_key=AST")))
3031 If the replacement text contains the string @samp{%s}, it will be
3032 replaced with the tag. Otherwise the tag will be appended to the string
3033 in order to create the link. You may also specify a function that will
3034 be called with the tag as the only argument to create the link.
3036 With the above setting, you could link to a specific bug with
3037 @code{[[bugzilla:129]]}, search the web for @samp{OrgMode} with
3038 @code{[[google:OrgMode]]} and find out what the Org author is
3039 doing besides Emacs hacking with @code{[[ads:Dominik,C]]}.
3041 If you need special abbreviations just for a single Org buffer, you
3042 can define them in the file with
3046 #+LINK: bugzilla http://10.1.2.9/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=
3047 #+LINK: google http://www.google.com/search?q=%s
3051 In-buffer completion (@pxref{Completion}) can be used after @samp{[} to
3052 complete link abbreviations. You may also define a function
3053 @code{org-PREFIX-complete-link} that implements special (e.g. completion)
3054 support for inserting such a link with @kbd{C-c C-l}. Such a function should
3055 not accept any arguments, and return the full link with prefix.
3057 @node Search options, Custom searches, Link abbreviations, Hyperlinks
3058 @section Search options in file links
3059 @cindex search option in file links
3060 @cindex file links, searching
3062 File links can contain additional information to make Emacs jump to a
3063 particular location in the file when following a link. This can be a
3064 line number or a search option after a double@footnote{For backward
3065 compatibility, line numbers can also follow a single colon.} colon. For
3066 example, when the command @kbd{C-c l} creates a link (@pxref{Handling
3067 links}) to a file, it encodes the words in the current line as a search
3068 string that can be used to find this line back later when following the
3069 link with @kbd{C-c C-o}.
3071 Here is the syntax of the different ways to attach a search to a file
3072 link, together with an explanation:
3075 [[file:~/code/main.c::255]]
3076 [[file:~/xx.org::My Target]]
3077 [[file:~/xx.org::*My Target]]
3078 [[file:~/xx.org::/regexp/]]
3085 Search for a link target @samp{<<My Target>>}, or do a text search for
3086 @samp{my target}, similar to the search in internal links, see
3087 @ref{Internal links}. In HTML export (@pxref{HTML export}), such a file
3088 link will become an HTML reference to the corresponding named anchor in
3091 In an Org file, restrict search to headlines.
3093 Do a regular expression search for @code{regexp}. This uses the Emacs
3094 command @code{occur} to list all matches in a separate window. If the
3095 target file is in Org mode, @code{org-occur} is used to create a
3096 sparse tree with the matches.
3097 @c If the target file is a directory,
3098 @c @code{grep} will be used to search all files in the directory.
3101 As a degenerate case, a file link with an empty file name can be used
3102 to search the current file. For example, @code{[[file:::find me]]} does
3103 a search for @samp{find me} in the current file, just as
3104 @samp{[[find me]]} would.
3106 @node Custom searches, , Search options, Hyperlinks
3107 @section Custom Searches
3108 @cindex custom search strings
3109 @cindex search strings, custom
3111 The default mechanism for creating search strings and for doing the
3112 actual search related to a file link may not work correctly in all
3113 cases. For example, Bib@TeX{} database files have many entries like
3114 @samp{year="1993"} which would not result in good search strings,
3115 because the only unique identification for a Bib@TeX{} entry is the
3118 @vindex org-create-file-search-functions
3119 @vindex org-execute-file-search-functions
3120 If you come across such a problem, you can write custom functions to set
3121 the right search string for a particular file type, and to do the search
3122 for the string in the file. Using @code{add-hook}, these functions need
3123 to be added to the hook variables
3124 @code{org-create-file-search-functions} and
3125 @code{org-execute-file-search-functions}. See the docstring for these
3126 variables for more information. Org actually uses this mechanism
3127 for Bib@TeX{} database files, and you can use the corresponding code as
3128 an implementation example. See the file @file{org-bibtex.el}.
3130 @node TODO Items, Tags, Hyperlinks, Top
3134 Org mode does not maintain TODO lists as separate documents@footnote{Of
3135 course, you can make a document that contains only long lists of TODO items,
3136 but this is not required.}. Instead, TODO items are an integral part of the
3137 notes file, because TODO items usually come up while taking notes! With Org
3138 mode, simply mark any entry in a tree as being a TODO item. In this way,
3139 information is not duplicated, and the entire context from which the TODO
3140 item emerged is always present.
3142 Of course, this technique for managing TODO items scatters them
3143 throughout your notes file. Org mode compensates for this by providing
3144 methods to give you an overview of all the things that you have to do.
3147 * TODO basics:: Marking and displaying TODO entries
3148 * TODO extensions:: Workflow and assignments
3149 * Progress logging:: Dates and notes for progress
3150 * Priorities:: Some things are more important than others
3151 * Breaking down tasks:: Splitting a task into manageable pieces
3152 * Checkboxes:: Tick-off lists
3155 @node TODO basics, TODO extensions, TODO Items, TODO Items
3156 @section Basic TODO functionality
3158 Any headline becomes a TODO item when it starts with the word
3159 @samp{TODO}, for example:
3162 *** TODO Write letter to Sam Fortune
3166 The most important commands to work with TODO entries are:
3170 @cindex cycling, of TODO states
3172 Rotate the TODO state of the current item among
3175 ,-> (unmarked) -> TODO -> DONE --.
3176 '--------------------------------'
3179 The same rotation can also be done ``remotely'' from the timeline and
3180 agenda buffers with the @kbd{t} command key (@pxref{Agenda commands}).
3184 Select a specific keyword using completion or (if it has been set up)
3185 the fast selection interface. For the latter, you need to assign keys
3186 to TODO states, see @ref{Per-file keywords}, and @ref{Setting tags}, for
3189 @kindex S-@key{right}
3190 @kindex S-@key{left}
3191 @vindex org-treat-S-cursor-todo-selection-as-state-change
3194 Select the following/preceding TODO state, similar to cycling. Useful
3195 mostly if more than two TODO states are possible (@pxref{TODO
3196 extensions}). See also @ref{Conflicts}, for a discussion of the interaction
3197 with @code{shift-selection-mode}. See also the variable
3198 @code{org-treat-S-cursor-todo-selection-as-state-change}.
3201 @cindex sparse tree, for TODO
3204 @vindex org-todo-keywords
3205 View TODO items in a @emph{sparse tree} (@pxref{Sparse trees}). Folds the
3206 entire buffer, but shows all TODO items and the headings hierarchy above
3207 them. With a prefix argument, search for a specific TODO. You will be
3208 prompted for the keyword, and you can also give a list of keywords like
3209 @code{KWD1|KWD2|...} to list entries that match any one of these keywords.
3210 With numeric prefix argument N, show the tree for the Nth keyword in the
3211 variable @code{org-todo-keywords}. With two prefix arguments, find all TODO
3215 Show the global TODO list. Collects the TODO items from all agenda
3216 files (@pxref{Agenda Views}) into a single buffer. The new buffer will
3217 be in @code{agenda-mode}, which provides commands to examine and
3218 manipulate the TODO entries from the new buffer (@pxref{Agenda
3219 commands}). @xref{Global TODO list}, for more information.
3220 @kindex S-M-@key{RET}
3222 Insert a new TODO entry below the current one.
3226 @vindex org-todo-state-tags-triggers
3227 Changing a TODO state can also trigger tag changes. See the docstring of the
3228 option @code{org-todo-state-tags-triggers} for details.
3230 @node TODO extensions, Progress logging, TODO basics, TODO Items
3231 @section Extended use of TODO keywords
3232 @cindex extended TODO keywords
3234 @vindex org-todo-keywords
3235 By default, marked TODO entries have one of only two states: TODO and
3236 DONE. Org mode allows you to classify TODO items in more complex ways
3237 with @emph{TODO keywords} (stored in @code{org-todo-keywords}). With
3238 special setup, the TODO keyword system can work differently in different
3241 Note that @i{tags} are another way to classify headlines in general and
3242 TODO items in particular (@pxref{Tags}).
3245 * Workflow states:: From TODO to DONE in steps
3246 * TODO types:: I do this, Fred does the rest
3247 * Multiple sets in one file:: Mixing it all, and still finding your way
3248 * Fast access to TODO states:: Single letter selection of a state
3249 * Per-file keywords:: Different files, different requirements
3250 * Faces for TODO keywords:: Highlighting states
3251 * TODO dependencies:: When one task needs to wait for others
3254 @node Workflow states, TODO types, TODO extensions, TODO extensions
3255 @subsection TODO keywords as workflow states
3256 @cindex TODO workflow
3257 @cindex workflow states as TODO keywords
3259 You can use TODO keywords to indicate different @emph{sequential} states
3260 in the process of working on an item, for example@footnote{Changing
3261 this variable only becomes effective after restarting Org mode in a
3265 (setq org-todo-keywords
3266 '((sequence "TODO" "FEEDBACK" "VERIFY" "|" "DONE" "DELEGATED")))
3269 The vertical bar separates the TODO keywords (states that @emph{need
3270 action}) from the DONE states (which need @emph{no further action}). If
3271 you don't provide the separator bar, the last state is used as the DONE
3273 @cindex completion, of TODO keywords
3274 With this setup, the command @kbd{C-c C-t} will cycle an entry from TODO
3275 to FEEDBACK, then to VERIFY, and finally to DONE and DELEGATED. You may
3276 also use a numeric prefix argument to quickly select a specific state. For
3277 example @kbd{C-3 C-c C-t} will change the state immediately to VERIFY.
3278 Or you can use @kbd{S-@key{left}} to go backward through the sequence. If you
3279 define many keywords, you can use in-buffer completion
3280 (@pxref{Completion}) or even a special one-key selection scheme
3281 (@pxref{Fast access to TODO states}) to insert these words into the
3282 buffer. Changing a TODO state can be logged with a timestamp, see
3283 @ref{Tracking TODO state changes}, for more information.
3285 @node TODO types, Multiple sets in one file, Workflow states, TODO extensions
3286 @subsection TODO keywords as types
3288 @cindex names as TODO keywords
3289 @cindex types as TODO keywords
3291 The second possibility is to use TODO keywords to indicate different
3292 @emph{types} of action items. For example, you might want to indicate
3293 that items are for ``work'' or ``home''. Or, when you work with several
3294 people on a single project, you might want to assign action items
3295 directly to persons, by using their names as TODO keywords. This would
3296 be set up like this:
3299 (setq org-todo-keywords '((type "Fred" "Sara" "Lucy" "|" "DONE")))
3302 In this case, different keywords do not indicate a sequence, but rather
3303 different types. So the normal work flow would be to assign a task to a
3304 person, and later to mark it DONE. Org mode supports this style by adapting
3305 the workings of the command @kbd{C-c C-t}@footnote{This is also true for the
3306 @kbd{t} command in the timeline and agenda buffers.}. When used several
3307 times in succession, it will still cycle through all names, in order to first
3308 select the right type for a task. But when you return to the item after some
3309 time and execute @kbd{C-c C-t} again, it will switch from any name directly
3310 to DONE. Use prefix arguments or completion to quickly select a specific
3311 name. You can also review the items of a specific TODO type in a sparse tree
3312 by using a numeric prefix to @kbd{C-c C-v}. For example, to see all things
3313 Lucy has to do, you would use @kbd{C-3 C-c C-v}. To collect Lucy's items
3314 from all agenda files into a single buffer, you would use the numeric prefix
3315 argument as well when creating the global TODO list: @kbd{C-3 C-c t}.
3317 @node Multiple sets in one file, Fast access to TODO states, TODO types, TODO extensions
3318 @subsection Multiple keyword sets in one file
3319 @cindex TODO keyword sets
3321 Sometimes you may want to use different sets of TODO keywords in
3322 parallel. For example, you may want to have the basic
3323 @code{TODO}/@code{DONE}, but also a workflow for bug fixing, and a
3324 separate state indicating that an item has been canceled (so it is not
3325 DONE, but also does not require action). Your setup would then look
3329 (setq org-todo-keywords
3330 '((sequence "TODO" "|" "DONE")
3331 (sequence "REPORT" "BUG" "KNOWNCAUSE" "|" "FIXED")
3332 (sequence "|" "CANCELED")))
3335 The keywords should all be different, this helps Org mode to keep track
3336 of which subsequence should be used for a given entry. In this setup,
3337 @kbd{C-c C-t} only operates within a subsequence, so it switches from
3338 @code{DONE} to (nothing) to @code{TODO}, and from @code{FIXED} to
3339 (nothing) to @code{REPORT}. Therefore you need a mechanism to initially
3340 select the correct sequence. Besides the obvious ways like typing a
3341 keyword or using completion, you may also apply the following commands:
3344 @kindex C-S-@key{right}
3345 @kindex C-S-@key{left}
3346 @kindex C-u C-u C-c C-t
3347 @item C-u C-u C-c C-t
3348 @itemx C-S-@key{right}
3349 @itemx C-S-@key{left}
3350 These keys jump from one TODO subset to the next. In the above example,
3351 @kbd{C-u C-u C-c C-t} or @kbd{C-S-@key{right}} would jump from @code{TODO} or
3352 @code{DONE} to @code{REPORT}, and any of the words in the second row to
3353 @code{CANCELED}. Note that the @kbd{C-S-} key binding conflict with
3354 @code{shift-selection-mode} (@pxref{Conflicts}).
3355 @kindex S-@key{right}
3356 @kindex S-@key{left}
3359 @kbd{S-@key{<left>}} and @kbd{S-@key{<right>}} and walk through @emph{all}
3360 keywords from all sets, so for example @kbd{S-@key{<right>}} would switch
3361 from @code{DONE} to @code{REPORT} in the example above. See also
3362 @ref{Conflicts}, for a discussion of the interaction with
3363 @code{shift-selection-mode}.
3366 @node Fast access to TODO states, Per-file keywords, Multiple sets in one file, TODO extensions
3367 @subsection Fast access to TODO states
3369 If you would like to quickly change an entry to an arbitrary TODO state
3370 instead of cycling through the states, you can set up keys for
3371 single-letter access to the states. This is done by adding the section
3372 key after each keyword, in parentheses. For example:
3375 (setq org-todo-keywords
3376 '((sequence "TODO(t)" "|" "DONE(d)")
3377 (sequence "REPORT(r)" "BUG(b)" "KNOWNCAUSE(k)" "|" "FIXED(f)")
3378 (sequence "|" "CANCELED(c)")))
3381 @vindex org-fast-tag-selection-include-todo
3382 If you then press @code{C-c C-t} followed by the selection key, the entry
3383 will be switched to this state. @key{SPC} can be used to remove any TODO
3384 keyword from an entry.@footnote{Check also the variable
3385 @code{org-fast-tag-selection-include-todo}, it allows you to change the TODO
3386 state through the tags interface (@pxref{Setting tags}), in case you like to
3387 mingle the two concepts. Note that this means you need to come up with
3388 unique keys across both sets of keywords.}
3390 @node Per-file keywords, Faces for TODO keywords, Fast access to TODO states, TODO extensions
3391 @subsection Setting up keywords for individual files
3392 @cindex keyword options
3393 @cindex per-file keywords
3398 It can be very useful to use different aspects of the TODO mechanism in
3399 different files. For file-local settings, you need to add special lines
3400 to the file which set the keywords and interpretation for that file
3401 only. For example, to set one of the two examples discussed above, you
3402 need one of the following lines, starting in column zero anywhere in the
3406 #+TODO: TODO FEEDBACK VERIFY | DONE CANCELED
3408 @noindent (you may also write @code{#+SEQ_TODO} to be explicit about the
3409 interpretation, but it means the same as @code{#+TODO}), or
3411 #+TYP_TODO: Fred Sara Lucy Mike | DONE
3414 A setup for using several sets in parallel would be:
3418 #+TODO: REPORT BUG KNOWNCAUSE | FIXED
3422 @cindex completion, of option keywords
3424 @noindent To make sure you are using the correct keyword, type
3425 @samp{#+} into the buffer and then use @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} completion.
3427 @cindex DONE, final TODO keyword
3428 Remember that the keywords after the vertical bar (or the last keyword
3429 if no bar is there) must always mean that the item is DONE (although you
3430 may use a different word). After changing one of these lines, use
3431 @kbd{C-c C-c} with the cursor still in the line to make the changes
3432 known to Org mode@footnote{Org mode parses these lines only when
3433 Org mode is activated after visiting a file. @kbd{C-c C-c} with the
3434 cursor in a line starting with @samp{#+} is simply restarting Org mode
3435 for the current buffer.}.
3437 @node Faces for TODO keywords, TODO dependencies, Per-file keywords, TODO extensions
3438 @subsection Faces for TODO keywords
3439 @cindex faces, for TODO keywords
3441 @vindex org-todo @r{(face)}
3442 @vindex org-done @r{(face)}
3443 @vindex org-todo-keyword-faces
3444 Org mode highlights TODO keywords with special faces: @code{org-todo}
3445 for keywords indicating that an item still has to be acted upon, and
3446 @code{org-done} for keywords indicating that an item is finished. If
3447 you are using more than 2 different states, you might want to use
3448 special faces for some of them. This can be done using the variable
3449 @code{org-todo-keyword-faces}. For example:
3453 (setq org-todo-keyword-faces
3454 '(("TODO" . org-warning)
3455 ("DEFERRED" . shadow)
3456 ("CANCELED" . (:foreground "blue" :weight bold))))
3460 While using a list with face properties as shown for CANCELED
3461 @emph{should} work, this does not aways seem to be the case. If
3462 necessary, define a special face and use that.
3464 @node TODO dependencies, , Faces for TODO keywords, TODO extensions
3465 @subsection TODO dependencies
3466 @cindex TODO dependencies
3467 @cindex dependencies, of TODO states
3469 @vindex org-enforce-todo-dependencies
3470 @cindex property, ORDERED
3471 The structure of Org files (hierarchy and lists) makes it easy to define TODO
3472 dependencies. Usually, a parent TODO task should not be marked DONE until
3473 all subtasks (defined as children tasks) are marked as DONE. And sometimes
3474 there is a logical sequence to a number of (sub)tasks, so that one task
3475 cannot be acted upon before all siblings above it are done. If you customize
3476 the variable @code{org-enforce-todo-dependencies}, Org will block entries
3477 from changing state to DONE while they have children that are not DONE.
3478 Furthermore, if an entry has a property @code{ORDERED}, each of its children
3479 will be blocked until all earlier siblings are marked DONE. Here is an
3483 * TODO Blocked until (two) is done
3492 ** TODO b, needs to wait for (a)
3493 ** TODO c, needs to wait for (a) and (b)
3499 @vindex org-track-ordered-property-with-tag
3500 @cindex property, ORDERED
3501 Toggle the @code{ORDERED} property of the current entry. A property is used
3502 for this behavior because this should be local to the current entry, not
3503 inherited like a tag. However, if you would like to @i{track} the value of
3504 this property with a tag for better visibility, customize the variable
3505 @code{org-track-ordered-property-with-tag}.
3506 @kindex C-u C-u C-u C-c C-t
3507 @item C-u C-u C-u C-c C-t
3508 Change TODO state, circumventing any state blocking.
3511 @vindex org-agenda-dim-blocked-tasks
3512 If you set the variable @code{org-agenda-dim-blocked-tasks}, TODO entries
3513 that cannot be closed because of such dependencies will be shown in a dimmed
3514 font or even made invisible in agenda views (@pxref{Agenda Views}).
3516 @cindex checkboxes and TODO dependencies
3517 @vindex org-enforce-todo-dependencies
3518 You can also block changes of TODO states by looking at checkboxes
3519 (@pxref{Checkboxes}). If you set the variable
3520 @code{org-enforce-todo-checkbox-dependencies}, an entry that has unchecked
3521 checkboxes will be blocked from switching to DONE.
3523 If you need more complex dependency structures, for example dependencies
3524 between entries in different trees or files, check out the contributed
3525 module @file{org-depend.el}.
3528 @node Progress logging, Priorities, TODO extensions, TODO Items
3529 @section Progress logging
3530 @cindex progress logging
3531 @cindex logging, of progress
3533 Org mode can automatically record a timestamp and possibly a note when
3534 you mark a TODO item as DONE, or even each time you change the state of
3535 a TODO item. This system is highly configurable, settings can be on a
3536 per-keyword basis and can be localized to a file or even a subtree. For
3537 information on how to clock working time for a task, see @ref{Clocking
3541 * Closing items:: When was this entry marked DONE?
3542 * Tracking TODO state changes:: When did the status change?
3543 * Tracking your habits:: How consistent have you been?
3546 @node Closing items, Tracking TODO state changes, Progress logging, Progress logging
3547 @subsection Closing items
3549 The most basic logging is to keep track of @emph{when} a certain TODO
3550 item was finished. This is achieved with@footnote{The corresponding
3551 in-buffer setting is: @code{#+STARTUP: logdone}}.
3554 (setq org-log-done 'time)
3558 Then each time you turn an entry from a TODO (not-done) state into any
3559 of the DONE states, a line @samp{CLOSED: [timestamp]} will be inserted
3560 just after the headline. If you turn the entry back into a TODO item
3561 through further state cycling, that line will be removed again. If you
3562 want to record a note along with the timestamp, use@footnote{The
3563 corresponding in-buffer setting is: @code{#+STARTUP: lognotedone}}
3566 (setq org-log-done 'note)
3570 You will then be prompted for a note, and that note will be stored below
3571 the entry with a @samp{Closing Note} heading.
3573 In the timeline (@pxref{Timeline}) and in the agenda
3574 (@pxref{Weekly/daily agenda}), you can then use the @kbd{l} key to
3575 display the TODO items with a @samp{CLOSED} timestamp on each day,
3576 giving you an overview of what has been done.
3578 @node Tracking TODO state changes, Tracking your habits, Closing items, Progress logging
3579 @subsection Tracking TODO state changes
3580 @cindex drawer, for state change recording
3582 @vindex org-log-states-order-reversed
3583 @vindex org-log-into-drawer
3584 @cindex property, LOG_INTO_DRAWER
3585 When TODO keywords are used as workflow states (@pxref{Workflow states}), you
3586 might want to keep track of when a state change occurred and maybe take a
3587 note about this change. You can either record just a timestamp, or a
3588 time-stamped note for a change. These records will be inserted after the
3589 headline as an itemized list, newest first@footnote{See the variable
3590 @code{org-log-states-order-reversed}}. When taking a lot of notes, you might
3591 want to get the notes out of the way into a drawer (@pxref{Drawers}).
3592 Customize the variable @code{org-log-into-drawer} to get this
3593 behavior---the recommended drawer for this is called @code{LOGBOOK}. You can
3594 also overrule the setting of this variable for a subtree by setting a
3595 @code{LOG_INTO_DRAWER} property.
3597 Since it is normally too much to record a note for every state, Org mode
3598 expects configuration on a per-keyword basis for this. This is achieved by
3599 adding special markers @samp{!} (for a timestamp) and @samp{@@} (for a note)
3600 in parentheses after each keyword. For example, with the setting
3603 (setq org-todo-keywords
3604 '((sequence "TODO(t)" "WAIT(w@@/!)" "|" "DONE(d!)" "CANCELED(c@@)")))
3608 @vindex org-log-done
3609 you not only define global TODO keywords and fast access keys, but also
3610 request that a time is recorded when the entry is set to
3611 DONE@footnote{It is possible that Org mode will record two timestamps
3612 when you are using both @code{org-log-done} and state change logging.
3613 However, it will never prompt for two notes---if you have configured
3614 both, the state change recording note will take precedence and cancel
3615 the @samp{Closing Note}.}, and that a note is recorded when switching to
3616 WAIT or CANCELED. The setting for WAIT is even more special: the
3617 @samp{!} after the slash means that in addition to the note taken when
3618 entering the state, a timestamp should be recorded when @i{leaving} the
3619 WAIT state, if and only if the @i{target} state does not configure
3620 logging for entering it. So it has no effect when switching from WAIT
3621 to DONE, because DONE is configured to record a timestamp only. But
3622 when switching from WAIT back to TODO, the @samp{/!} in the WAIT
3623 setting now triggers a timestamp even though TODO has no logging
3626 You can use the exact same syntax for setting logging preferences local
3629 #+TODO: TODO(t) WAIT(w@@/!) | DONE(d!) CANCELED(c@@)
3632 @cindex property, LOGGING
3633 In order to define logging settings that are local to a subtree or a
3634 single item, define a LOGGING property in this entry. Any non-empty
3635 LOGGING property resets all logging settings to nil. You may then turn
3636 on logging for this specific tree using STARTUP keywords like
3637 @code{lognotedone} or @code{logrepeat}, as well as adding state specific
3638 settings like @code{TODO(!)}. For example
3641 * TODO Log each state with only a time
3643 :LOGGING: TODO(!) WAIT(!) DONE(!) CANCELED(!)
3645 * TODO Only log when switching to WAIT, and when repeating
3647 :LOGGING: WAIT(@@) logrepeat
3649 * TODO No logging at all
3655 @node Tracking your habits, , Tracking TODO state changes, Progress logging
3656 @subsection Tracking your habits
3659 Org has the ability to track the consistency of a special category of TODOs,
3660 called ``habits''. A habit has the following properties:
3664 You have enabled the @code{habits} module by customizing the variable
3667 The habit is a TODO, with a TODO keyword representing an open state.
3669 The property @code{STYLE} is set to the value @code{habit}.
3671 The TODO has a scheduled date, with a @code{.+} style repeat interval.
3673 The TODO may also have minimum and maximum ranges specified by using the
3674 syntax @samp{.+2d/3d}, which says that you want to do the task at least every
3675 three days, but at most every two days.
3677 You must also have state logging for the @code{DONE} state enabled, in order
3678 for historical data to be represented in the consistency graph. If it's not
3679 enabled it's not an error, but the consistency graphs will be largely
3683 To give you an idea of what the above rules look like in action, here's an
3684 actual habit with some history:
3688 SCHEDULED: <2009-10-17 Sat .+2d/4d>
3689 - State "DONE" from "TODO" [2009-10-15 Thu]
3690 - State "DONE" from "TODO" [2009-10-12 Mon]
3691 - State "DONE" from "TODO" [2009-10-10 Sat]
3692 - State "DONE" from "TODO" [2009-10-04 Sun]
3693 - State "DONE" from "TODO" [2009-10-02 Fri]
3694 - State "DONE" from "TODO" [2009-09-29 Tue]
3695 - State "DONE" from "TODO" [2009-09-25 Fri]
3696 - State "DONE" from "TODO" [2009-09-19 Sat]
3697 - State "DONE" from "TODO" [2009-09-16 Wed]
3698 - State "DONE" from "TODO" [2009-09-12 Sat]
3701 :LAST_REPEAT: [2009-10-19 Mon 00:36]
3705 What this habit says is: I want to shave at most every 2 days (given by the
3706 @code{SCHEDULED} date and repeat interval) and at least every 4 days. If
3707 today is the 15th, then the habit first appears in the agenda on Oct 17,
3708 after the minimum of 2 days has elapsed, and will appear overdue on Oct 19,
3709 after four days have elapsed.
3711 What's really useful about habits is that they are displayed along with a
3712 consistency graph, to show how consistent you've been at getting that task
3713 done in the past. This graph shows every day that the task was done over the
3714 past three weeks, with colors for each day. The colors used are:
3718 If the task wasn't to be done yet on that day.
3720 If the task could have been done on that day.
3722 If the task was going to be overdue the next day.
3724 If the task was overdue on that day.
3727 In addition to coloring each day, the day is also marked with an asterix if
3728 the task was actually done that day, and an exclamation mark to show where
3729 the current day falls in the graph.
3731 There are several configuration variables that can be used to change the way
3732 habits are displayed in the agenda.
3735 @item org-habit-graph-column
3736 The buffer column at which the consistency graph should be drawn. This will
3737 overwrite any text in that column, so it's a good idea to keep your habits'
3738 titles brief and to the point.
3739 @item org-habit-preceding-days
3740 The amount of history, in days before today, to appear in consistency graphs.
3741 @item org-habit-following-days
3742 The number of days after today that will appear in consistency graphs.
3743 @item org-habit-show-habits-only-for-today
3744 If non-nil, only show habits in today's agenda view. This is set to true by
3748 Lastly, pressing @kbd{K} in the agenda buffer will cause habits to
3749 temporarily be disabled and they won't appear at all. Press @kbd{K} again to
3750 bring them back. They are also subject to tag filtering, if you have habits
3751 which should only be done in certain contexts, for example.
3753 @node Priorities, Breaking down tasks, Progress logging, TODO Items
3757 If you use Org mode extensively, you may end up enough TODO items that
3758 it starts to make sense to prioritize them. Prioritizing can be done by
3759 placing a @emph{priority cookie} into the headline of a TODO item, like
3763 *** TODO [#A] Write letter to Sam Fortune
3767 By default, Org mode supports three priorities: @samp{A}, @samp{B}, and
3768 @samp{C}. @samp{A} is the highest priority. An entry without a cookie
3769 is treated as priority @samp{B}. Priorities make a difference only in
3770 the agenda (@pxref{Weekly/daily agenda}); outside the agenda, they have
3771 no inherent meaning to Org mode.
3773 Priorities can be attached to any outline tree entries; they do not need
3779 Set the priority of the current headline. The command prompts for a
3780 priority character @samp{A}, @samp{B} or @samp{C}. When you press
3781 @key{SPC} instead, the priority cookie is removed from the headline.
3782 The priorities can also be changed ``remotely'' from the timeline and
3783 agenda buffer with the @kbd{,} command (@pxref{Agenda commands}).
3786 @kindex S-@key{down}
3789 @vindex org-priority-start-cycle-with-default
3790 Increase/decrease priority of current headline@footnote{See also the option
3791 @code{org-priority-start-cycle-with-default}.}. Note that these keys are
3792 also used to modify timestamps (@pxref{Creating timestamps}). See also
3793 @ref{Conflicts}, for a discussion of the interaction with
3794 @code{shift-selection-mode}.
3797 @vindex org-highest-priority
3798 @vindex org-lowest-priority
3799 @vindex org-default-priority
3800 You can change the range of allowed priorities by setting the variables
3801 @code{org-highest-priority}, @code{org-lowest-priority}, and
3802 @code{org-default-priority}. For an individual buffer, you may set
3803 these values (highest, lowest, default) like this (please make sure that
3804 the highest priority is earlier in the alphabet than the lowest
3807 @cindex #+PRIORITIES
3812 @node Breaking down tasks, Checkboxes, Priorities, TODO Items
3813 @section Breaking tasks down into subtasks
3814 @cindex tasks, breaking down
3815 @cindex statistics, for TODO items
3817 @vindex org-agenda-todo-list-sublevels
3818 It is often advisable to break down large tasks into smaller, manageable
3819 subtasks. You can do this by creating an outline tree below a TODO item,
3820 with detailed subtasks on the tree@footnote{To keep subtasks out of the
3821 global TODO list, see the @code{org-agenda-todo-list-sublevels}.}. To keep
3822 the overview over the fraction of subtasks that are already completed, insert
3823 either @samp{[/]} or @samp{[%]} anywhere in the headline. These cookies will
3824 be updates each time the todo status of a child changes, or when pressing
3825 @kbd{C-c C-c} on the cookie. For example:
3828 * Organize Party [33%]
3829 ** TODO Call people [1/2]
3833 ** DONE Talk to neighbor
3836 @cindex property, COOKIE_DATA
3837 If a heading has both checkboxes and TODO children below it, the meaning of
3838 the statistics cookie become ambiguous. Set the property
3839 @code{COOKIE_DATA} to either @samp{checkbox} or @samp{todo} to resolve
3842 @vindex org-hierarchical-todo-statistics
3843 If you would like to have the statistics cookie count any TODO entries in the
3844 subtree (not just direct children), configure the variable
3845 @code{org-hierarchical-todo-statistics}. To do this for a single subtree,
3846 include the word @samp{recursive} into the value of the @code{COOKIE_DATA}
3850 * Parent capturing statistics [2/20]
3852 :COOKIE_DATA: todo recursive
3856 If you would like a TODO entry to automatically change to DONE
3857 when all children are done, you can use the following setup:
3860 (defun org-summary-todo (n-done n-not-done)
3861 "Switch entry to DONE when all subentries are done, to TODO otherwise."
3862 (let (org-log-done org-log-states) ; turn off logging
3863 (org-todo (if (= n-not-done 0) "DONE" "TODO"))))
3865 (add-hook 'org-after-todo-statistics-hook 'org-summary-todo)
3869 Another possibility is the use of checkboxes to identify (a hierarchy of) a
3870 large number of subtasks (@pxref{Checkboxes}).
3873 @node Checkboxes, , Breaking down tasks, TODO Items
3877 Every item in a plain list (@pxref{Plain lists}) can be made into a
3878 checkbox by starting it with the string @samp{[ ]}. This feature is
3879 similar to TODO items (@pxref{TODO Items}), but is more lightweight.
3880 Checkboxes are not included into the global TODO list, so they are often
3881 great to split a task into a number of simple steps. Or you can use
3882 them in a shopping list. To toggle a checkbox, use @kbd{C-c C-c}, or
3883 use the mouse (thanks to Piotr Zielinski's @file{org-mouse.el}).
3885 Here is an example of a checkbox list.
3888 * TODO Organize party [2/4]
3889 - [-] call people [1/3]
3894 - [ ] think about what music to play
3895 - [X] talk to the neighbors
3898 Checkboxes work hierarchically, so if a checkbox item has children that
3899 are checkboxes, toggling one of the children checkboxes will make the
3900 parent checkbox reflect if none, some, or all of the children are
3903 @cindex statistics, for checkboxes
3904 @cindex checkbox statistics
3905 @cindex property, COOKIE_DATA
3906 @vindex org-hierarchical-checkbox-statistics
3907 The @samp{[2/4]} and @samp{[1/3]} in the first and second line are cookies
3908 indicating how many checkboxes present in this entry have been checked off,
3909 and the total number of checkboxes present. This can give you an idea on how
3910 many checkboxes remain, even without opening a folded entry. The cookies can
3911 be placed into a headline or into (the first line of) a plain list item.
3912 Each cookie covers checkboxes of direct children structurally below the
3913 headline/item on which the cookie appears@footnote{Set the variable
3914 @code{org-hierarchical-checkbox-statistics} if you want such cookies to
3915 represent the all checkboxes below the cookie, not just the direct
3916 children.}. You have to insert the cookie yourself by typing either
3917 @samp{[/]} or @samp{[%]}. With @samp{[/]} you get an @samp{n out of m}
3918 result, as in the examples above. With @samp{[%]} you get information about
3919 the percentage of checkboxes checked (in the above example, this would be
3920 @samp{[50%]} and @samp{[33%]}, respectively). In a headline, a cookie can
3921 count either checkboxes below the heading or TODO states of children, and it
3922 will display whatever was changed last. Set the property @code{COOKIE_DATA}
3923 to either @samp{checkbox} or @samp{todo} to resolve this issue.
3925 @cindex blocking, of checkboxes
3926 @cindex checkbox blocking
3927 @cindex property, ORDERED
3928 If the current outline node has an @code{ORDERED} property, checkboxes must
3929 be checked off in sequence, and an error will be thrown if you try to check
3930 off a box while there are unchecked boxes above it.
3932 @noindent The following commands work with checkboxes:
3937 Toggle checkbox status or (with prefix arg) checkbox presence at point. With
3938 double prefix argument, set it to @samp{[-]}, which is considered to be an
3942 Toggle checkbox status or (with prefix arg) checkbox presence at point. With
3943 double prefix argument, set it to @samp{[-]}, which is considered to be an
3947 If there is an active region, toggle the first checkbox in the region
3948 and set all remaining boxes to the same status as the first. With a prefix
3949 arg, add or remove the checkbox for all items in the region.
3951 If the cursor is in a headline, toggle checkboxes in the region between
3952 this headline and the next (so @emph{not} the entire subtree).
3954 If there is no active region, just toggle the checkbox at point.
3956 @kindex M-S-@key{RET}
3958 Insert a new item with a checkbox.
3959 This works only if the cursor is already in a plain list item
3960 (@pxref{Plain lists}).
3963 @vindex org-track-ordered-property-with-tag
3964 @cindex property, ORDERED
3965 Toggle the @code{ORDERED} property of the entry, to toggle if checkboxes must
3966 be checked off in sequence. A property is used for this behavior because
3967 this should be local to the current entry, not inherited like a tag.
3968 However, if you would like to @i{track} the value of this property with a tag
3969 for better visibility, customize the variable
3970 @code{org-track-ordered-property-with-tag}.
3973 Update the statistics cookie in the current outline entry. When called with
3974 a @kbd{C-u} prefix, update the entire file. Checkbox statistic cookies are
3975 updated automatically if you toggle checkboxes with @kbd{C-c C-c} and make
3976 new ones with @kbd{M-S-@key{RET}}. TODO statistics cookies update when
3977 changing TODO states. If you delete boxes/entries or add/change them by
3978 hand, use this command to get things back into sync. Or simply toggle any
3979 entry twice (checkboxes with @kbd{C-c C-c}).
3982 @node Tags, Properties and Columns, TODO Items, Top
3985 @cindex headline tagging
3986 @cindex matching, tags
3987 @cindex sparse tree, tag based
3989 An excellent way to implement labels and contexts for cross-correlating
3990 information is to assign @i{tags} to headlines. Org mode has extensive
3993 @vindex org-tag-faces
3994 Every headline can contain a list of tags; they occur at the end of the
3995 headline. Tags are normal words containing letters, numbers, @samp{_}, and
3996 @samp{@@}. Tags must be preceded and followed by a single colon, e.g.,
3997 @samp{:work:}. Several tags can be specified, as in @samp{:work:urgent:}.
3998 Tags will by default be in bold face with the same color as the headline.
3999 You may specify special faces for specific tags using the variable
4000 @code{org-tag-faces}, in much the same way as you can for TODO keywords
4001 (@pxref{Faces for TODO keywords}).
4004 * Tag inheritance:: Tags use the tree structure of the outline
4005 * Setting tags:: How to assign tags to a headline
4006 * Tag searches:: Searching for combinations of tags
4009 @node Tag inheritance, Setting tags, Tags, Tags
4010 @section Tag inheritance
4011 @cindex tag inheritance
4012 @cindex inheritance, of tags
4013 @cindex sublevels, inclusion into tags match
4015 @i{Tags} make use of the hierarchical structure of outline trees. If a
4016 heading has a certain tag, all subheadings will inherit the tag as
4017 well. For example, in the list
4020 * Meeting with the French group :work:
4021 ** Summary by Frank :boss:notes:
4022 *** TODO Prepare slides for him :action:
4026 the final heading will have the tags @samp{:work:}, @samp{:boss:},
4027 @samp{:notes:}, and @samp{:action:} even though the final heading is not
4028 explicitly marked with those tags. You can also set tags that all entries in
4029 a file should inherit just as if these tags were defined in a hypothetical
4030 level zero that surrounds the entire file. Use a line like this@footnote{As
4031 with all these in-buffer settings, pressing @kbd{C-c C-c} activates any
4032 changes in the line.}:
4036 #+FILETAGS: :Peter:Boss:Secret:
4040 @vindex org-use-tag-inheritance
4041 @vindex org-tags-exclude-from-inheritance
4042 To limit tag inheritance to specific tags, or to turn it off entirely, use
4043 the variables @code{org-use-tag-inheritance} and
4044 @code{org-tags-exclude-from-inheritance}.
4046 @vindex org-tags-match-list-sublevels
4047 When a headline matches during a tags search while tag inheritance is turned
4048 on, all the sublevels in the same tree will (for a simple match form) match
4049 as well@footnote{This is only true if the search does not involve more
4050 complex tests including properties (@pxref{Property searches}).}. The list
4051 of matches may then become very long. If you only want to see the first tags
4052 match in a subtree, configure the variable
4053 @code{org-tags-match-list-sublevels} (not recommended).
4055 @node Setting tags, Tag searches, Tag inheritance, Tags
4056 @section Setting tags
4057 @cindex setting tags
4058 @cindex tags, setting
4061 Tags can simply be typed into the buffer at the end of a headline.
4062 After a colon, @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} offers completion on tags. There is
4063 also a special command for inserting tags:
4068 @cindex completion, of tags
4069 @vindex org-tags-column
4070 Enter new tags for the current headline. Org mode will either offer
4071 completion or a special single-key interface for setting tags, see
4072 below. After pressing @key{RET}, the tags will be inserted and aligned
4073 to @code{org-tags-column}. When called with a @kbd{C-u} prefix, all
4074 tags in the current buffer will be aligned to that column, just to make
4075 things look nice. TAGS are automatically realigned after promotion,
4076 demotion, and TODO state changes (@pxref{TODO basics}).
4079 When the cursor is in a headline, this does the same as @kbd{C-c C-q}.
4082 @vindex org-tag-alist
4083 Org will support tag insertion based on a @emph{list of tags}. By
4084 default this list is constructed dynamically, containing all tags
4085 currently used in the buffer. You may also globally specify a hard list
4086 of tags with the variable @code{org-tag-alist}. Finally you can set
4087 the default tags for a given file with lines like
4091 #+TAGS: @@work @@home @@tennisclub
4092 #+TAGS: laptop car pc sailboat
4095 If you have globally defined your preferred set of tags using the
4096 variable @code{org-tag-alist}, but would like to use a dynamic tag list
4097 in a specific file, add an empty TAGS option line to that file:
4103 @vindex org-tag-persistent-alist
4104 If you have a preferred set of tags that you would like to use in every file,
4105 in addition to those defined on a per-file basis by TAGS option lines, then
4106 you may specify a list of tags with the variable
4107 @code{org-tag-persistent-alist}. You may turn this off on a per-file basis
4108 by adding a STARTUP option line to that file:
4114 By default Org mode uses the standard minibuffer completion facilities for
4115 entering tags. However, it also implements another, quicker, tag selection
4116 method called @emph{fast tag selection}. This allows you to select and
4117 deselect tags with just a single key press. For this to work well you should
4118 assign unique letters to most of your commonly used tags. You can do this
4119 globally by configuring the variable @code{org-tag-alist} in your
4120 @file{.emacs} file. For example, you may find the need to tag many items in
4121 different files with @samp{:@@home:}. In this case you can set something
4125 (setq org-tag-alist '(("@@work" . ?w) ("@@home" . ?h) ("laptop" . ?l)))
4128 @noindent If the tag is only relevant to the file you are working on, then you
4129 can instead set the TAGS option line as:
4132 #+TAGS: @@work(w) @@home(h) @@tennisclub(t) laptop(l) pc(p)
4135 @noindent The tags interface will show the available tags in a splash
4136 window. If you want to start a new line after a specific tag, insert
4137 @samp{\n} into the tag list
4140 #+TAGS: @@work(w) @@home(h) @@tennisclub(t) \n laptop(l) pc(p)
4143 @noindent or write them in two lines:
4146 #+TAGS: @@work(w) @@home(h) @@tennisclub(t)
4147 #+TAGS: laptop(l) pc(p)
4151 You can also group together tags that are mutually exclusive by using
4155 #+TAGS: @{ @@work(w) @@home(h) @@tennisclub(t) @} laptop(l) pc(p)
4158 @noindent you indicate that at most one of @samp{@@work}, @samp{@@home},
4159 and @samp{@@tennisclub} should be selected. Multiple such groups are allowed.
4161 @noindent Don't forget to press @kbd{C-c C-c} with the cursor in one of
4162 these lines to activate any changes.
4165 To set these mutually exclusive groups in the variable @code{org-tags-alist},
4166 you must use the dummy tags @code{:startgroup} and @code{:endgroup} instead
4167 of the braces. Similarly, you can use @code{:newline} to indicate a line
4168 break. The previous example would be set globally by the following
4172 (setq org-tag-alist '((:startgroup . nil)
4173 ("@@work" . ?w) ("@@home" . ?h)
4174 ("@@tennisclub" . ?t)
4176 ("laptop" . ?l) ("pc" . ?p)))
4179 If at least one tag has a selection key then pressing @kbd{C-c C-c} will
4180 automatically present you with a special interface, listing inherited tags,
4181 the tags of the current headline, and a list of all valid tags with
4182 corresponding keys@footnote{Keys will automatically be assigned to tags which
4183 have no configured keys.}. In this interface, you can use the following
4188 Pressing keys assigned to tags will add or remove them from the list of
4189 tags in the current line. Selecting a tag in a group of mutually
4190 exclusive tags will turn off any other tags from that group.
4193 Enter a tag in the minibuffer, even if the tag is not in the predefined
4194 list. You will be able to complete on all tags present in the buffer.
4197 Clear all tags for this line.
4200 Accept the modified set.
4202 Abort without installing changes.
4204 If @kbd{q} is not assigned to a tag, it aborts like @kbd{C-g}.
4206 Turn off groups of mutually exclusive tags. Use this to (as an
4207 exception) assign several tags from such a group.
4209 Toggle auto-exit after the next change (see below).
4210 If you are using expert mode, the first @kbd{C-c} will display the
4215 This method lets you assign tags to a headline with very few keys. With
4216 the above setup, you could clear the current tags and set @samp{@@home},
4217 @samp{laptop} and @samp{pc} tags with just the following keys: @kbd{C-c
4218 C-c @key{SPC} h l p @key{RET}}. Switching from @samp{@@home} to
4219 @samp{@@work} would be done with @kbd{C-c C-c w @key{RET}} or
4220 alternatively with @kbd{C-c C-c C-c w}. Adding the non-predefined tag
4221 @samp{Sarah} could be done with @kbd{C-c C-c @key{TAB} S a r a h
4222 @key{RET} @key{RET}}.
4224 @vindex org-fast-tag-selection-single-key
4225 If you find that most of the time you need only a single key press to
4226 modify your list of tags, set the variable
4227 @code{org-fast-tag-selection-single-key}. Then you no longer have to
4228 press @key{RET} to exit fast tag selection---it will immediately exit
4229 after the first change. If you then occasionally need more keys, press
4230 @kbd{C-c} to turn off auto-exit for the current tag selection process
4231 (in effect: start selection with @kbd{C-c C-c C-c} instead of @kbd{C-c
4232 C-c}). If you set the variable to the value @code{expert}, the special
4233 window is not even shown for single-key tag selection, it comes up only
4234 when you press an extra @kbd{C-c}.
4236 @node Tag searches, , Setting tags, Tags
4237 @section Tag searches
4238 @cindex tag searches
4239 @cindex searching for tags
4241 Once a system of tags has been set up, it can be used to collect related
4242 information into special lists.
4249 Create a sparse tree with all headlines matching a tags search. With a
4250 @kbd{C-u} prefix argument, ignore headlines that are not a TODO line.
4253 Create a global list of tag matches from all agenda files.
4254 @xref{Matching tags and properties}.
4257 @vindex org-tags-match-list-sublevels
4258 Create a global list of tag matches from all agenda files, but check
4259 only TODO items and force checking subitems (see variable
4260 @code{org-tags-match-list-sublevels}).
4263 These commands all prompt for a match string which allows basic Boolean logic
4264 like @samp{+boss+urgent-project1}, to find entries with tags @samp{boss} and
4265 @samp{urgent}, but not @samp{project1}, or @samp{Kathy|Sally} to find entries
4266 which are tagged, like @samp{Kathy} or @samp{Sally}. The full syntax of the search
4267 string is rich and allows also matching against TODO keywords, entry levels
4268 and properties. For a complete description with many examples, see
4269 @ref{Matching tags and properties}.
4272 @node Properties and Columns, Dates and Times, Tags, Top
4273 @chapter Properties and Columns
4276 Properties are a set of key-value pairs associated with an entry. There
4277 are two main applications for properties in Org mode. First, properties
4278 are like tags, but with a value. Second, you can use properties to
4279 implement (very basic) database capabilities in an Org buffer. For
4280 an example of the first application, imagine maintaining a file where
4281 you document bugs and plan releases for a piece of software. Instead of
4282 using tags like @code{:release_1:}, @code{:release_2:}, one can use a
4283 property, say @code{:Release:}, that in different subtrees has different
4284 values, such as @code{1.0} or @code{2.0}. For an example of the second
4285 application of properties, imagine keeping track of your music CDs,
4286 where properties could be things such as the album, artist, date of
4287 release, number of tracks, and so on.
4289 Properties can be conveniently edited and viewed in column view
4290 (@pxref{Column view}).
4293 * Property syntax:: How properties are spelled out
4294 * Special properties:: Access to other Org mode features
4295 * Property searches:: Matching property values
4296 * Property inheritance:: Passing values down the tree
4297 * Column view:: Tabular viewing and editing
4298 * Property API:: Properties for Lisp programmers
4301 @node Property syntax, Special properties, Properties and Columns, Properties and Columns
4302 @section Property syntax
4303 @cindex property syntax
4304 @cindex drawer, for properties
4306 Properties are key-value pairs. They need to be inserted into a special
4307 drawer (@pxref{Drawers}) with the name @code{PROPERTIES}. Each property
4308 is specified on a single line, with the key (surrounded by colons)
4309 first, and the value after it. Here is an example:
4314 *** Goldberg Variations
4316 :Title: Goldberg Variations
4317 :Composer: J.S. Bach
4319 :Publisher: Deutsche Grammophon
4324 You may define the allowed values for a particular property @samp{:Xyz:}
4325 by setting a property @samp{:Xyz_ALL:}. This special property is
4326 @emph{inherited}, so if you set it in a level 1 entry, it will apply to
4327 the entire tree. When allowed values are defined, setting the
4328 corresponding property becomes easier and is less prone to typing
4329 errors. For the example with the CD collection, we can predefine
4330 publishers and the number of disks in a box like this:
4335 :NDisks_ALL: 1 2 3 4
4336 :Publisher_ALL: "Deutsche Grammophon" Philips EMI
4340 If you want to set properties that can be inherited by any entry in a
4341 file, use a line like
4342 @cindex property, _ALL
4345 #+PROPERTY: NDisks_ALL 1 2 3 4
4348 @vindex org-global-properties
4349 Property values set with the global variable
4350 @code{org-global-properties} can be inherited by all entries in all
4354 The following commands help to work with properties:
4359 After an initial colon in a line, complete property keys. All keys used
4360 in the current file will be offered as possible completions.
4363 Set a property. This prompts for a property name and a value. If
4364 necessary, the property drawer is created as well.
4365 @item M-x org-insert-property-drawer
4366 Insert a property drawer into the current entry. The drawer will be
4367 inserted early in the entry, but after the lines with planning
4368 information like deadlines.
4371 With the cursor in a property drawer, this executes property commands.
4373 Set a property in the current entry. Both the property and the value
4374 can be inserted using completion.
4375 @kindex S-@key{right}
4376 @kindex S-@key{left}
4377 @item S-@key{left}/@key{right}
4378 Switch property at point to the next/previous allowed value.
4380 Remove a property from the current entry.
4382 Globally remove a property, from all entries in the current file.
4384 Compute the property at point, using the operator and scope from the
4385 nearest column format definition.
4388 @node Special properties, Property searches, Property syntax, Properties and Columns
4389 @section Special properties
4390 @cindex properties, special
4392 Special properties provide an alternative access method to Org mode
4393 features, like the TODO state or the priority of an entry, discussed in the
4394 previous chapters. This interface exists so that you can include
4395 these states in a column view (@pxref{Column view}), or to use them in
4396 queries. The following property names are special and should not be
4397 used as keys in the properties drawer:
4399 @cindex property, special, TODO
4400 @cindex property, special, TAGS
4401 @cindex property, special, ALLTAGS
4402 @cindex property, special, CATEGORY
4403 @cindex property, special, PRIORITY
4404 @cindex property, special, DEADLINE
4405 @cindex property, special, SCHEDULED
4406 @cindex property, special, CLOSED
4407 @cindex property, special, TIMESTAMP
4408 @cindex property, special, TIMESTAMP_IA
4409 @cindex property, special, CLOCKSUM
4410 @c guessing that ITEM is needed in this area; also, should this list be sorted?
4411 @cindex property, special, ITEM
4413 TODO @r{The TODO keyword of the entry.}
4414 TAGS @r{The tags defined directly in the headline.}
4415 ALLTAGS @r{All tags, including inherited ones.}
4416 CATEGORY @r{The category of an entry.}
4417 PRIORITY @r{The priority of the entry, a string with a single letter.}
4418 DEADLINE @r{The deadline time string, without the angular brackets.}
4419 SCHEDULED @r{The scheduling timestamp, without the angular brackets.}
4420 CLOSED @r{When was this entry closed?}
4421 TIMESTAMP @r{The first keyword-less timestamp in the entry.}
4422 TIMESTAMP_IA @r{The first inactive timestamp in the entry.}
4423 CLOCKSUM @r{The sum of CLOCK intervals in the subtree. @code{org-clock-sum}}
4424 @r{must be run first to compute the values.}
4425 ITEM @r{The content of the entry.}
4428 @node Property searches, Property inheritance, Special properties, Properties and Columns
4429 @section Property searches
4430 @cindex properties, searching
4431 @cindex searching, of properties
4433 To create sparse trees and special lists with selection based on properties,
4434 the same commands are used as for tag searches (@pxref{Tag searches}).
4440 Create a sparse tree with all matching entries. With a
4441 @kbd{C-u} prefix argument, ignore headlines that are not a TODO line.
4444 Create a global list of tag/property matches from all agenda files.
4445 @xref{Matching tags and properties}.
4448 @vindex org-tags-match-list-sublevels
4449 Create a global list of tag matches from all agenda files, but check
4450 only TODO items and force checking of subitems (see variable
4451 @code{org-tags-match-list-sublevels}).
4454 The syntax for the search string is described in @ref{Matching tags and
4457 There is also a special command for creating sparse trees based on a
4463 Create a sparse tree based on the value of a property. This first
4464 prompts for the name of a property, and then for a value. A sparse tree
4465 is created with all entries that define this property with the given
4466 value. If you enclose the value into curly braces, it is interpreted as
4467 a regular expression and matched against the property values.
4470 @node Property inheritance, Column view, Property searches, Properties and Columns
4471 @section Property Inheritance
4472 @cindex properties, inheritance
4473 @cindex inheritance, of properties
4475 @vindex org-use-property-inheritance
4476 The outline structure of Org-mode documents lends itself for an
4477 inheritance model of properties: if the parent in a tree has a certain
4478 property, the children can inherit this property. Org mode does not
4479 turn this on by default, because it can slow down property searches
4480 significantly and is often not needed. However, if you find inheritance
4481 useful, you can turn it on by setting the variable
4482 @code{org-use-property-inheritance}. It may be set to @code{t} to make
4483 all properties inherited from the parent, to a list of properties
4484 that should be inherited, or to a regular expression that matches
4485 inherited properties.
4487 Org mode has a few properties for which inheritance is hard-coded, at
4488 least for the special applications for which they are used:
4490 @cindex property, COLUMNS
4493 The @code{:COLUMNS:} property defines the format of column view
4494 (@pxref{Column view}). It is inherited in the sense that the level
4495 where a @code{:COLUMNS:} property is defined is used as the starting
4496 point for a column view table, independently of the location in the
4497 subtree from where columns view is turned on.
4499 @cindex property, CATEGORY
4500 For agenda view, a category set through a @code{:CATEGORY:} property
4501 applies to the entire subtree.
4503 @cindex property, ARCHIVE
4504 For archiving, the @code{:ARCHIVE:} property may define the archive
4505 location for the entire subtree (@pxref{Moving subtrees}).
4507 @cindex property, LOGGING
4508 The LOGGING property may define logging settings for an entry or a
4509 subtree (@pxref{Tracking TODO state changes}).
4512 @node Column view, Property API, Property inheritance, Properties and Columns
4513 @section Column view
4515 A great way to view and edit properties in an outline tree is
4516 @emph{column view}. In column view, each outline node is turned into a
4517 table row. Columns in this table provide access to properties of the
4518 entries. Org mode implements columns by overlaying a tabular structure
4519 over the headline of each item. While the headlines have been turned
4520 into a table row, you can still change the visibility of the outline
4521 tree. For example, you get a compact table by switching to CONTENTS
4522 view (@kbd{S-@key{TAB} S-@key{TAB}}, or simply @kbd{c} while column view
4523 is active), but you can still open, read, and edit the entry below each
4524 headline. Or, you can switch to column view after executing a sparse
4525 tree command and in this way get a table only for the selected items.
4526 Column view also works in agenda buffers (@pxref{Agenda Views}) where
4527 queries have collected selected items, possibly from a number of files.
4530 * Defining columns:: The COLUMNS format property
4531 * Using column view:: How to create and use column view
4532 * Capturing column view:: A dynamic block for column view
4535 @node Defining columns, Using column view, Column view, Column view
4536 @subsection Defining columns
4537 @cindex column view, for properties
4538 @cindex properties, column view
4540 Setting up a column view first requires defining the columns. This is
4541 done by defining a column format line.
4544 * Scope of column definitions:: Where defined, where valid?
4545 * Column attributes:: Appearance and content of a column
4548 @node Scope of column definitions, Column attributes, Defining columns, Defining columns
4549 @subsubsection Scope of column definitions
4551 To define a column format for an entire file, use a line like
4555 #+COLUMNS: %25ITEM %TAGS %PRIORITY %TODO
4558 To specify a format that only applies to a specific tree, add a
4559 @code{:COLUMNS:} property to the top node of that tree, for example:
4562 ** Top node for columns view
4564 :COLUMNS: %25ITEM %TAGS %PRIORITY %TODO
4568 If a @code{:COLUMNS:} property is present in an entry, it defines columns
4569 for the entry itself, and for the entire subtree below it. Since the
4570 column definition is part of the hierarchical structure of the document,
4571 you can define columns on level 1 that are general enough for all
4572 sublevels, and more specific columns further down, when you edit a
4573 deeper part of the tree.
4575 @node Column attributes, , Scope of column definitions, Defining columns
4576 @subsubsection Column attributes
4577 A column definition sets the attributes of a column. The general
4578 definition looks like this:
4581 %[@var{width}]@var{property}[(@var{title})][@{@var{summary-type}@}]
4585 Except for the percent sign and the property name, all items are
4586 optional. The individual parts have the following meaning:
4589 @var{width} @r{An integer specifying the width of the column in characters.}
4590 @r{If omitted, the width will be determined automatically.}
4591 @var{property} @r{The property that should be edited in this column.}
4592 @r{Special properties representing meta data are allowed here}
4593 @r{as well (@pxref{Special properties})}
4594 (title) @r{The header text for the column. If omitted, the}
4595 @r{property name is used.}
4596 @{@var{summary-type}@} @r{The summary type. If specified, the column values for}
4597 @r{parent nodes are computed from the children.}
4598 @r{Supported summary types are:}
4599 @{+@} @r{Sum numbers in this column.}
4600 @{+;%.1f@} @r{Like @samp{+}, but format result with @samp{%.1f}.}
4601 @{$@} @r{Currency, short for @samp{+;%.2f}.}
4602 @{:@} @r{Sum times, HH:MM:SS, plain numbers are hours.}
4603 @{X@} @r{Checkbox status, @samp{[X]} if all children are @samp{[X]}.}
4604 @{X/@} @r{Checkbox status, @samp{[n/m]}.}
4605 @{X%@} @r{Checkbox status, @samp{[n%]}.}
4606 @{min@} @r{Smallest number in column.}
4607 @{max@} @r{Largest number.}
4608 @{mean@} @r{Arithmetic mean of numbers.}
4609 @{:min@} @r{Smallest time value in column.}
4610 @{:max@} @r{Largest time value.}
4611 @{:mean@} @r{Arithmetic mean of time values.}
4612 @{@@min@} @r{Minimum age (in days/hours/mins/seconds).}
4613 @{@@max@} @r{Maximum age (in days/hours/mins/seconds).}
4614 @{@@mean@} @r{Arithmetic mean of ages (in days/hours/mins/seconds).}
4618 Be aware that you can only have one summary type for any property you
4619 include. Subsequent columns referencing the same property will all display the
4620 same summary information.
4622 Here is an example for a complete columns definition, along with allowed
4626 :COLUMNS: %25ITEM %9Approved(Approved?)@{X@} %Owner %11Status \@footnote{Please note that the COLUMNS definition must be on a single line---it is wrapped here only because of formatting constraints.}
4627 %10Time_Estimate@{:@} %CLOCKSUM
4628 :Owner_ALL: Tammy Mark Karl Lisa Don
4629 :Status_ALL: "In progress" "Not started yet" "Finished" ""
4630 :Approved_ALL: "[ ]" "[X]"
4634 The first column, @samp{%25ITEM}, means the first 25 characters of the
4635 item itself, i.e. of the headline. You probably always should start the
4636 column definition with the @samp{ITEM} specifier. The other specifiers
4637 create columns @samp{Owner} with a list of names as allowed values, for
4638 @samp{Status} with four different possible values, and for a checkbox
4639 field @samp{Approved}. When no width is given after the @samp{%}
4640 character, the column will be exactly as wide as it needs to be in order
4641 to fully display all values. The @samp{Approved} column does have a
4642 modified title (@samp{Approved?}, with a question mark). Summaries will
4643 be created for the @samp{Time_Estimate} column by adding time duration
4644 expressions like HH:MM, and for the @samp{Approved} column, by providing
4645 an @samp{[X]} status if all children have been checked. The
4646 @samp{CLOCKSUM} column is special, it lists the sum of CLOCK intervals
4649 @node Using column view, Capturing column view, Defining columns, Column view
4650 @subsection Using column view
4653 @tsubheading{Turning column view on and off}
4656 @vindex org-columns-default-format
4657 Turn on column view. If the cursor is before the first headline in the file,
4658 column view is turned on for the entire file, using the @code{#+COLUMNS}
4659 definition. If the cursor is somewhere inside the outline, this command
4660 searches the hierarchy, up from point, for a @code{:COLUMNS:} property that
4661 defines a format. When one is found, the column view table is established
4662 for the tree starting at the entry that contains the @code{:COLUMNS:}
4663 property. If no such property is found, the format is taken from the
4664 @code{#+COLUMNS} line or from the variable @code{org-columns-default-format},
4665 and column view is established for the current entry and its subtree.
4668 Recreate the column view, to include recent changes made in the buffer.
4675 @tsubheading{Editing values}
4676 @item @key{left} @key{right} @key{up} @key{down}
4677 Move through the column view from field to field.
4678 @kindex S-@key{left}
4679 @kindex S-@key{right}
4680 @item S-@key{left}/@key{right}
4681 Switch to the next/previous allowed value of the field. For this, you
4682 have to have specified allowed values for a property.
4684 Directly select the nth allowed value, @kbd{0} selects the 10th value.
4688 Same as @kbd{S-@key{left}/@key{right}}
4691 Edit the property at point. For the special properties, this will
4692 invoke the same interface that you normally use to change that
4693 property. For example, when editing a TAGS property, the tag completion
4694 or fast selection interface will pop up.
4697 When there is a checkbox at point, toggle it.
4700 View the full value of this property. This is useful if the width of
4701 the column is smaller than that of the value.
4704 Edit the list of allowed values for this property. If the list is found
4705 in the hierarchy, the modified values is stored there. If no list is
4706 found, the new value is stored in the first entry that is part of the
4707 current column view.
4708 @tsubheading{Modifying the table structure}
4712 Make the column narrower/wider by one character.
4713 @kindex S-M-@key{right}
4714 @item S-M-@key{right}
4715 Insert a new column, to the left of the current column.
4716 @kindex S-M-@key{left}
4717 @item S-M-@key{left}
4718 Delete the current column.
4721 @node Capturing column view, , Using column view, Column view
4722 @subsection Capturing column view
4724 Since column view is just an overlay over a buffer, it cannot be
4725 exported or printed directly. If you want to capture a column view, use
4726 a @code{columnview} dynamic block (@pxref{Dynamic blocks}). The frame
4727 of this block looks like this:
4729 @cindex #+BEGIN, columnview
4732 #+BEGIN: columnview :hlines 1 :id "label"
4737 @noindent This dynamic block has the following parameters:
4741 This is the most important parameter. Column view is a feature that is
4742 often localized to a certain (sub)tree, and the capture block might be
4743 at a different location in the file. To identify the tree whose view to
4744 capture, you can use 4 values:
4745 @cindex property, ID
4747 local @r{use the tree in which the capture block is located}
4748 global @r{make a global view, including all headings in the file}
4749 "file:@var{path-to-file}"
4750 @r{run column view at the top of this file}
4751 "@var{ID}" @r{call column view in the tree that has an @code{:ID:}}
4752 @r{property with the value @i{label}. You can use}
4753 @r{@kbd{M-x org-id-copy} to create a globally unique ID for}
4754 @r{the current entry and copy it to the kill-ring.}
4757 When @code{t}, insert an hline after every line. When a number @var{N}, insert
4758 an hline before each headline with level @code{<= @var{N}}.
4760 When set to @code{t}, force column groups to get vertical lines.
4762 When set to a number, don't capture entries below this level.
4763 @item :skip-empty-rows
4764 When set to @code{t}, skip rows where the only non-empty specifier of the
4765 column view is @code{ITEM}.
4770 The following commands insert or update the dynamic block:
4775 Insert a dynamic block capturing a column view. You will be prompted
4776 for the scope or ID of the view.
4781 Update dynamic block at point. The cursor needs to be in the
4782 @code{#+BEGIN} line of the dynamic block.
4783 @kindex C-u C-c C-x C-u
4784 @item C-u C-c C-x C-u
4785 Update all dynamic blocks (@pxref{Dynamic blocks}). This is useful if
4786 you have several clock table blocks in a buffer.
4789 You can add formulas to the column view table and you may add plotting
4790 instructions in front of the table---these will survive an update of the
4791 block. If there is a @code{#+TBLFM:} after the table, the table will
4792 actually be recalculated automatically after an update.
4794 An alternative way to capture and process property values into a table is
4795 provided by Eric Schulte's @file{org-collector.el} which is a contributed
4796 package@footnote{Contributed packages are not part of Emacs, but are
4797 distributed with the main distribution of Org (visit
4798 @uref{http://orgmode.org}).}. It provides a general API to collect
4799 properties from entries in a certain scope, and arbitrary Lisp expressions to
4800 process these values before inserting them into a table or a dynamic block.
4802 @node Property API, , Column view, Properties and Columns
4803 @section The Property API
4804 @cindex properties, API
4805 @cindex API, for properties
4807 There is a full API for accessing and changing properties. This API can
4808 be used by Emacs Lisp programs to work with properties and to implement
4809 features based on them. For more information see @ref{Using the
4812 @node Dates and Times, Capture - Refile - Archive, Properties and Columns, Top
4813 @chapter Dates and Times
4819 To assist project planning, TODO items can be labeled with a date and/or
4820 a time. The specially formatted string carrying the date and time
4821 information is called a @emph{timestamp} in Org mode. This may be a
4822 little confusing because timestamp is often used as indicating when
4823 something was created or last changed. However, in Org mode this term
4824 is used in a much wider sense.
4827 * Timestamps:: Assigning a time to a tree entry
4828 * Creating timestamps:: Commands which insert timestamps
4829 * Deadlines and scheduling:: Planning your work
4830 * Clocking work time:: Tracking how long you spend on a task
4831 * Resolving idle time:: Resolving time if you've been idle
4832 * Effort estimates:: Planning work effort in advance
4833 * Relative timer:: Notes with a running timer
4837 @node Timestamps, Creating timestamps, Dates and Times, Dates and Times
4838 @section Timestamps, deadlines, and scheduling
4840 @cindex ranges, time
4845 A timestamp is a specification of a date (possibly with a time or a range of
4846 times) in a special format, either @samp{<2003-09-16 Tue>} or
4847 @samp{<2003-09-16 Tue 09:39>} or @samp{<2003-09-16 Tue
4848 12:00-12:30>}@footnote{This is inspired by the standard ISO 6801 date/time
4849 format. To use an alternative format, see @ref{Custom time format}.}. A
4850 timestamp can appear anywhere in the headline or body of an Org tree entry.
4851 Its presence causes entries to be shown on specific dates in the agenda
4852 (@pxref{Weekly/daily agenda}). We distinguish:
4855 @item Plain timestamp; Event; Appointment
4857 A simple timestamp just assigns a date/time to an item. This is just
4858 like writing down an appointment or event in a paper agenda. In the
4859 timeline and agenda displays, the headline of an entry associated with a
4860 plain timestamp will be shown exactly on that date.
4863 * Meet Peter at the movies <2006-11-01 Wed 19:15>
4864 * Discussion on climate change <2006-11-02 Thu 20:00-22:00>
4867 @item Timestamp with repeater interval
4868 @cindex timestamp, with repeater interval
4869 A timestamp may contain a @emph{repeater interval}, indicating that it
4870 applies not only on the given date, but again and again after a certain
4871 interval of N days (d), weeks (w), months (m), or years (y). The
4872 following will show up in the agenda every Wednesday:
4875 * Pick up Sam at school <2007-05-16 Wed 12:30 +1w>
4878 @item Diary-style sexp entries
4879 For more complex date specifications, Org mode supports using the
4880 special sexp diary entries implemented in the Emacs calendar/diary
4881 package. For example
4884 * The nerd meeting on every 2nd Thursday of the month
4885 <%%(diary-float t 4 2)>
4888 @item Time/Date range
4891 Two timestamps connected by @samp{--} denote a range. The headline
4892 will be shown on the first and last day of the range, and on any dates
4893 that are displayed and fall in the range. Here is an example:
4896 ** Meeting in Amsterdam
4897 <2004-08-23 Mon>--<2004-08-26 Thu>
4900 @item Inactive timestamp
4901 @cindex timestamp, inactive
4902 @cindex inactive timestamp
4903 Just like a plain timestamp, but with square brackets instead of
4904 angular ones. These timestamps are inactive in the sense that they do
4905 @emph{not} trigger an entry to show up in the agenda.
4908 * Gillian comes late for the fifth time [2006-11-01 Wed]
4913 @node Creating timestamps, Deadlines and scheduling, Timestamps, Dates and Times
4914 @section Creating timestamps
4915 @cindex creating timestamps
4916 @cindex timestamps, creating
4918 For Org mode to recognize timestamps, they need to be in the specific
4919 format. All commands listed below produce timestamps in the correct
4925 Prompt for a date and insert a corresponding timestamp. When the cursor is
4926 at an existing timestamp in the buffer, the command is used to modify this
4927 timestamp instead of inserting a new one. When this command is used twice in
4928 succession, a time range is inserted.
4932 Like @kbd{C-c .}, but insert an inactive timestamp that will not cause
4939 @vindex org-time-stamp-rounding-minutes
4940 Like @kbd{C-c .} and @kbd{C-c !}, but use the alternative format which
4941 contains date and time. The default time can be rounded to multiples of 5
4942 minutes, see the option @code{org-time-stamp-rounding-minutes}.
4946 Insert a timestamp corresponding to the cursor date in the Calendar.
4950 Access the Emacs calendar for the current date. If there is a
4951 timestamp in the current line, go to the corresponding date
4956 Access the agenda for the date given by the timestamp or -range at
4957 point (@pxref{Weekly/daily agenda}).
4959 @kindex S-@key{left}
4960 @kindex S-@key{right}
4962 @itemx S-@key{right}
4963 Change date at cursor by one day. These key bindings conflict with
4964 shift-selection and related modes (@pxref{Conflicts}).
4967 @kindex S-@key{down}
4970 Change the item under the cursor in a timestamp. The cursor can be on a
4971 year, month, day, hour or minute. When the timestamp contains a time range
4972 like @samp{15:30-16:30}, modifying the first time will also shift the second,
4973 shifting the time block with constant length. To change the length, modify
4974 the second time. Note that if the cursor is in a headline and not at a
4975 timestamp, these same keys modify the priority of an item.
4976 (@pxref{Priorities}). The key bindings also conflict with shift-selection and
4977 related modes (@pxref{Conflicts}).
4980 @cindex evaluate time range
4982 Evaluate a time range by computing the difference between start and end.
4983 With a prefix argument, insert result after the time range (in a table: into
4984 the following column).
4989 * The date/time prompt:: How Org mode helps you entering date and time
4990 * Custom time format:: Making dates look different
4993 @node The date/time prompt, Custom time format, Creating timestamps, Creating timestamps
4994 @subsection The date/time prompt
4995 @cindex date, reading in minibuffer
4996 @cindex time, reading in minibuffer
4998 @vindex org-read-date-prefer-future
4999 When Org mode prompts for a date/time, the default is shown in default
5000 date/time format, and the prompt therefore seems to ask for a specific
5001 format. But it will in fact accept any string containing some date and/or
5002 time information, and it is really smart about interpreting your input. You
5003 can, for example, use @kbd{C-y} to paste a (possibly multi-line) string
5004 copied from an email message. Org mode will find whatever information is in
5005 there and derive anything you have not specified from the @emph{default date
5006 and time}. The default is usually the current date and time, but when
5007 modifying an existing timestamp, or when entering the second stamp of a
5008 range, it is taken from the stamp in the buffer. When filling in
5009 information, Org mode assumes that most of the time you will want to enter a
5010 date in the future: if you omit the month/year and the given day/month is
5011 @i{before} today, it will assume that you mean a future date@footnote{See the
5012 variable @code{org-read-date-prefer-future}. You may set that variable to
5013 the symbol @code{time} to even make a time before now shift the date to
5014 tomorrow.}. If the date has been automatically shifted into the future, the
5015 time prompt will show this with @samp{(=>F).}
5017 For example, let's assume that today is @b{June 13, 2006}. Here is how
5018 various inputs will be interpreted, the items filled in by Org mode are
5022 3-2-5 --> 2003-02-05
5023 14 --> @b{2006}-@b{06}-14
5024 12 --> @b{2006}-@b{07}-12
5025 Fri --> nearest Friday (defaultdate or later)
5026 sep 15 --> @b{2006}-09-15
5027 feb 15 --> @b{2007}-02-15
5028 sep 12 9 --> 2009-09-12
5029 12:45 --> @b{2006}-@b{06}-@b{13} 12:45
5030 22 sept 0:34 --> @b{2006}-09-22 0:34
5031 w4 --> ISO week for of the current year @b{2006}
5032 2012 w4 fri --> Friday of ISO week 4 in 2012
5033 2012-w04-5 --> Same as above
5036 Furthermore you can specify a relative date by giving, as the
5037 @emph{first} thing in the input: a plus/minus sign, a number and a
5038 letter ([dwmy]) to indicate change in days, weeks, months, or years. With a
5039 single plus or minus, the date is always relative to today. With a
5040 double plus or minus, it is relative to the default date. If instead of
5041 a single letter, you use the abbreviation of day name, the date will be
5042 the nth such day. E.g.
5047 +4d --> four days from today
5048 +4 --> same as above
5049 +2w --> two weeks from today
5050 ++5 --> five days from default date
5051 +2tue --> second Tuesday from now.
5054 @vindex parse-time-months
5055 @vindex parse-time-weekdays
5056 The function understands English month and weekday abbreviations. If
5057 you want to use unabbreviated names and/or other languages, configure
5058 the variables @code{parse-time-months} and @code{parse-time-weekdays}.
5060 @cindex calendar, for selecting date
5061 @vindex org-popup-calendar-for-date-prompt
5062 Parallel to the minibuffer prompt, a calendar is popped up@footnote{If
5063 you don't need/want the calendar, configure the variable
5064 @code{org-popup-calendar-for-date-prompt}.}. When you exit the date
5065 prompt, either by clicking on a date in the calendar, or by pressing
5066 @key{RET}, the date selected in the calendar will be combined with the
5067 information entered at the prompt. You can control the calendar fully
5068 from the minibuffer:
5073 @kindex S-@key{right}
5074 @kindex S-@key{left}
5075 @kindex S-@key{down}
5077 @kindex M-S-@key{right}
5078 @kindex M-S-@key{left}
5081 > / < @r{Scroll calendar forward/backward by one month.}
5082 mouse-1 @r{Select date by clicking on it.}
5083 S-@key{right}/@key{left} @r{One day forward/backward.}
5084 S-@key{down}/@key{up} @r{One week forward/backward.}
5085 M-S-@key{right}/@key{left} @r{One month forward/backward.}
5086 @key{RET} @r{Choose date in calendar.}
5089 @vindex org-read-date-display-live
5090 The actions of the date/time prompt may seem complex, but I assure you they
5091 will grow on you, and you will start getting annoyed by pretty much any other
5092 way of entering a date/time out there. To help you understand what is going
5093 on, the current interpretation of your input will be displayed live in the
5094 minibuffer@footnote{If you find this distracting, turn the display of with
5095 @code{org-read-date-display-live}.}.
5097 @node Custom time format, , The date/time prompt, Creating timestamps
5098 @subsection Custom time format
5099 @cindex custom date/time format
5100 @cindex time format, custom
5101 @cindex date format, custom
5103 @vindex org-display-custom-times
5104 @vindex org-time-stamp-custom-formats
5105 Org mode uses the standard ISO notation for dates and times as it is
5106 defined in ISO 8601. If you cannot get used to this and require another
5107 representation of date and time to keep you happy, you can get it by
5108 customizing the variables @code{org-display-custom-times} and
5109 @code{org-time-stamp-custom-formats}.
5114 Toggle the display of custom formats for dates and times.
5118 Org mode needs the default format for scanning, so the custom date/time
5119 format does not @emph{replace} the default format---instead it is put
5120 @emph{over} the default format using text properties. This has the
5121 following consequences:
5124 You cannot place the cursor onto a timestamp anymore, only before or
5127 The @kbd{S-@key{up}/@key{down}} keys can no longer be used to adjust
5128 each component of a timestamp. If the cursor is at the beginning of
5129 the stamp, @kbd{S-@key{up}/@key{down}} will change the stamp by one day,
5130 just like @kbd{S-@key{left}/@key{right}}. At the end of the stamp, the
5131 time will be changed by one minute.
5133 If the timestamp contains a range of clock times or a repeater, these
5134 will not be overlayed, but remain in the buffer as they were.
5136 When you delete a timestamp character-by-character, it will only
5137 disappear from the buffer after @emph{all} (invisible) characters
5138 belonging to the ISO timestamp have been removed.
5140 If the custom timestamp format is longer than the default and you are
5141 using dates in tables, table alignment will be messed up. If the custom
5142 format is shorter, things do work as expected.
5146 @node Deadlines and scheduling, Clocking work time, Creating timestamps, Dates and Times
5147 @section Deadlines and scheduling
5149 A timestamp may be preceded by special keywords to facilitate planning:
5153 @cindex DEADLINE keyword
5155 Meaning: the task (most likely a TODO item, though not necessarily) is supposed
5156 to be finished on that date.
5158 @vindex org-deadline-warning-days
5159 On the deadline date, the task will be listed in the agenda. In
5160 addition, the agenda for @emph{today} will carry a warning about the
5161 approaching or missed deadline, starting
5162 @code{org-deadline-warning-days} before the due date, and continuing
5163 until the entry is marked DONE. An example:
5166 *** TODO write article about the Earth for the Guide
5167 The editor in charge is [[bbdb:Ford Prefect]]
5168 DEADLINE: <2004-02-29 Sun>
5171 You can specify a different lead time for warnings for a specific
5172 deadlines using the following syntax. Here is an example with a warning
5173 period of 5 days @code{DEADLINE: <2004-02-29 Sun -5d>}.
5176 @cindex SCHEDULED keyword
5178 Meaning: you are planning to start working on that task on the given
5181 @vindex org-agenda-skip-scheduled-if-done
5182 The headline will be listed under the given date@footnote{It will still
5183 be listed on that date after it has been marked DONE. If you don't like
5184 this, set the variable @code{org-agenda-skip-scheduled-if-done}.}. In
5185 addition, a reminder that the scheduled date has passed will be present
5186 in the compilation for @emph{today}, until the entry is marked DONE.
5187 I.e. the task will automatically be forwarded until completed.
5190 *** TODO Call Trillian for a date on New Years Eve.
5191 SCHEDULED: <2004-12-25 Sat>
5195 @b{Important:} Scheduling an item in Org mode should @i{not} be
5196 understood in the same way that we understand @i{scheduling a meeting}.
5197 Setting a date for a meeting is just a simple appointment, you should
5198 mark this entry with a simple plain timestamp, to get this item shown
5199 on the date where it applies. This is a frequent misunderstanding by
5200 Org users. In Org mode, @i{scheduling} means setting a date when you
5201 want to start working on an action item.
5204 You may use timestamps with repeaters in scheduling and deadline
5205 entries. Org mode will issue early and late warnings based on the
5206 assumption that the timestamp represents the @i{nearest instance} of
5207 the repeater. However, the use of diary sexp entries like
5209 @code{<%%(diary-float t 42)>}
5211 in scheduling and deadline timestamps is limited. Org mode does not
5212 know enough about the internals of each sexp function to issue early and
5213 late warnings. However, it will show the item on each day where the
5217 * Inserting deadline/schedule:: Planning items
5218 * Repeated tasks:: Items that show up again and again
5221 @node Inserting deadline/schedule, Repeated tasks, Deadlines and scheduling, Deadlines and scheduling
5222 @subsection Inserting deadlines or schedules
5224 The following commands allow you to quickly insert a deadline or to schedule
5231 Insert @samp{DEADLINE} keyword along with a stamp. The insertion will happen
5232 in the line directly following the headline. When called with a prefix arg,
5233 an existing deadline will be removed from the entry. Depending on the
5234 variable @code{org-log-redeadline}@footnote{with corresponding
5235 @code{#+STARTUP} keywords @code{logredeadline}, @code{lognoteredeadline},
5236 and @code{nologredeadline}}, a note will be taken when changing an existing
5238 @c FIXME Any CLOSED timestamp will be removed.????????
5242 Insert @samp{SCHEDULED} keyword along with a stamp. The insertion will
5243 happen in the line directly following the headline. Any CLOSED timestamp
5244 will be removed. When called with a prefix argument, remove the scheduling
5245 date from the entry. Depending on the variable
5246 @code{org-log-reschedule}@footnote{with corresponding @code{#+STARTUP}
5247 keywords @code{logredeadline}, @code{lognoteredeadline}, and
5248 @code{nologredeadline}}, a note will be taken when changing an existing
5255 Mark the current entry for agenda action. After you have marked the entry
5256 like this, you can open the agenda or the calendar to find an appropriate
5257 date. With the cursor on the selected date, press @kbd{k s} or @kbd{k d} to
5258 schedule the marked item.
5261 @cindex sparse tree, for deadlines
5263 @vindex org-deadline-warning-days
5264 Create a sparse tree with all deadlines that are either past-due, or
5265 which will become due within @code{org-deadline-warning-days}.
5266 With @kbd{C-u} prefix, show all deadlines in the file. With a numeric
5267 prefix, check that many days. For example, @kbd{C-1 C-c / d} shows
5268 all deadlines due tomorrow.
5272 Sparse tree for deadlines and scheduled items before a given date.
5276 Sparse tree for deadlines and scheduled items after a given date.
5279 @node Repeated tasks, , Inserting deadline/schedule, Deadlines and scheduling
5280 @subsection Repeated tasks
5281 @cindex tasks, repeated
5282 @cindex repeated tasks
5284 Some tasks need to be repeated again and again. Org mode helps to
5285 organize such tasks using a so-called repeater in a DEADLINE, SCHEDULED,
5286 or plain timestamp. In the following example
5288 ** TODO Pay the rent
5289 DEADLINE: <2005-10-01 Sat +1m>
5292 the @code{+1m} is a repeater; the intended interpretation is that the task
5293 has a deadline on <2005-10-01> and repeats itself every (one) month starting
5294 from that time. If you need both a repeater and a special warning period in
5295 a deadline entry, the repeater should come first and the warning period last:
5296 @code{DEADLINE: <2005-10-01 Sat +1m -3d>}.
5298 Deadlines and scheduled items produce entries in the agenda when they
5299 are over-due, so it is important to be able to mark such an entry as
5300 completed once you have done so. When you mark a DEADLINE or a SCHEDULE
5301 with the TODO keyword DONE, it will no longer produce entries in the
5302 agenda. The problem with this is, however, that then also the
5303 @emph{next} instance of the repeated entry will not be active. Org mode
5304 deals with this in the following way: When you try to mark such an entry
5305 DONE (using @kbd{C-c C-t}), it will shift the base date of the repeating
5306 timestamp by the repeater interval, and immediately set the entry state
5307 back to TODO. In the example above, setting the state to DONE would
5308 actually switch the date like this:
5311 ** TODO Pay the rent
5312 DEADLINE: <2005-11-01 Tue +1m>
5315 @vindex org-log-repeat
5316 A timestamp@footnote{You can change this using the option
5317 @code{org-log-repeat}, or the @code{#+STARTUP} options @code{logrepeat},
5318 @code{lognoterepeat}, and @code{nologrepeat}. With @code{lognoterepeat}, you
5319 will also be prompted for a note.} will be added under the deadline, to keep
5320 a record that you actually acted on the previous instance of this deadline.
5322 As a consequence of shifting the base date, this entry will no longer be
5323 visible in the agenda when checking past dates, but all future instances
5326 With the @samp{+1m} cookie, the date shift will always be exactly one
5327 month. So if you have not paid the rent for three months, marking this
5328 entry DONE will still keep it as an overdue deadline. Depending on the
5329 task, this may not be the best way to handle it. For example, if you
5330 forgot to call you father for 3 weeks, it does not make sense to call
5331 him 3 times in a single day to make up for it. Finally, there are tasks
5332 like changing batteries which should always repeat a certain time
5333 @i{after} the last time you did it. For these tasks, Org mode has
5334 special repeaters markers with @samp{++} and @samp{.+}. For example:
5338 DEADLINE: <2008-02-10 Sun ++1w>
5339 Marking this DONE will shift the date by at least one week,
5340 but also by as many weeks as it takes to get this date into
5341 the future. However, it stays on a Sunday, even if you called
5342 and marked it done on Saturday.
5343 ** TODO Check the batteries in the smoke detectors
5344 DEADLINE: <2005-11-01 Tue .+1m>
5345 Marking this DONE will shift the date to one month after
5349 You may have both scheduling and deadline information for a specific
5350 task---just make sure that the repeater intervals on both are the same.
5352 An alternative to using a repeater is to create a number of copies of a task
5353 subtree, with dates shifted in each copy. The command @kbd{C-c C-x c} was
5354 created for this purpose, it is described in @ref{Structure editing}.
5357 @node Clocking work time, Resolving idle time, Deadlines and scheduling, Dates and Times
5358 @section Clocking work time
5360 Org mode allows you to clock the time you spend on specific tasks in a
5361 project. When you start working on an item, you can start the clock.
5362 When you stop working on that task, or when you mark the task done, the
5363 clock is stopped and the corresponding time interval is recorded. It
5364 also computes the total time spent on each subtree of a project. And it
5365 remembers a history or tasks recently clocked, to that you can jump quickly
5366 between a number of tasks absorbing your time.
5368 To save the clock history across Emacs sessions, use
5370 (setq org-clock-persist 'history)
5371 (org-clock-persistence-insinuate)
5373 When you clock into a new task after resuming Emacs, the incomplete
5374 clock@footnote{To resume the clock under the assumption that you have worked
5375 on this task while outside Emacs, use @code{(setq org-clock-persist t)}.}
5376 will be found (@pxref{Resolving idle time}) and you will be prompted about
5382 @vindex org-clock-into-drawer
5383 Start the clock on the current item (clock-in). This inserts the CLOCK
5384 keyword together with a timestamp. If this is not the first clocking of
5385 this item, the multiple CLOCK lines will be wrapped into a
5386 @code{:LOGBOOK:} drawer (see also the variable
5387 @code{org-clock-into-drawer}). When called with a @kbd{C-u} prefix argument,
5388 select the task from a list of recently clocked tasks. With two @kbd{C-u
5389 C-u} prefixes, clock into the task at point and mark it as the default task.
5390 The default task will always be available when selecting a clocking task,
5391 with letter @kbd{d}.@*
5392 @cindex property: CLOCK_MODELINE_TOTAL
5393 @cindex property: LAST_REPEAT
5394 @vindex org-clock-modeline-total
5395 While the clock is running, the current clocking time is shown in the mode
5396 line, along with the title of the task. The clock time shown will be all
5397 time ever clocked for this task and its children. If the task has an effort
5398 estimate (@pxref{Effort estimates}), the mode line displays the current
5399 clocking time against it@footnote{To add an effort estimate ``on the fly'',
5400 hook a function doing this to @code{org-clock-in-prepare-hook}.} If the task
5401 is a repeating one (@pxref{Repeated tasks}), only the time since the last
5402 reset of the task @footnote{as recorded by the @code{LAST_REPEAT} property}
5403 will be shown. More control over what time is shown can be exercised with
5404 the @code{CLOCK_MODELINE_TOTAL} property. It may have the values
5405 @code{current} to show only the current clocking instance, @code{today} to
5406 show all time clocked on this tasks today (see also the variable
5407 @code{org-extend-today-until}), @code{all} to include all time, or
5408 @code{auto} which is the default@footnote{See also the variable
5409 @code{org-clock-modeline-total}.}.@* Clicking with @kbd{mouse-1} onto the
5410 mode line entry will pop up a menu with clocking options.
5413 @vindex org-log-note-clock-out
5414 Stop the clock (clock-out). This inserts another timestamp at the same
5415 location where the clock was last started. It also directly computes
5416 the resulting time in inserts it after the time range as @samp{=>
5417 HH:MM}. See the variable @code{org-log-note-clock-out} for the
5418 possibility to record an additional note together with the clock-out
5419 timestamp@footnote{The corresponding in-buffer setting is:
5420 @code{#+STARTUP: lognoteclock-out}}.
5423 Update the effort estimate for the current clock task.
5426 @item C-c C-y @ @ @r{or}@ @ C-c C-c
5427 Recompute the time interval after changing one of the timestamps. This
5428 is only necessary if you edit the timestamps directly. If you change
5429 them with @kbd{S-@key{cursor}} keys, the update is automatic.
5432 Changing the TODO state of an item to DONE automatically stops the clock
5433 if it is running in this same item.
5436 Cancel the current clock. This is useful if a clock was started by
5437 mistake, or if you ended up working on something else.
5440 Jump to the entry that contains the currently running clock. With a
5441 @kbd{C-u} prefix arg, select the target task from a list of recently clocked
5445 @vindex org-remove-highlights-with-change
5446 Display time summaries for each subtree in the current buffer. This
5447 puts overlays at the end of each headline, showing the total time
5448 recorded under that heading, including the time of any subheadings. You
5449 can use visibility cycling to study the tree, but the overlays disappear
5450 when you change the buffer (see variable
5451 @code{org-remove-highlights-with-change}) or press @kbd{C-c C-c}.
5454 Insert a dynamic block (@pxref{Dynamic blocks}) containing a clock
5455 report as an Org-mode table into the current file. When the cursor is
5456 at an existing clock table, just update it. When called with a prefix
5457 argument, jump to the first clock report in the current document and
5459 @cindex #+BEGIN, clocktable
5461 #+BEGIN: clocktable :maxlevel 2 :emphasize nil :scope file
5465 If such a block already exists at point, its content is replaced by the
5466 new table. The @samp{BEGIN} line can specify options:
5468 :maxlevel @r{Maximum level depth to which times are listed in the table.}
5469 :emphasize @r{When @code{t}, emphasize level one and level two items.}
5470 :scope @r{The scope to consider. This can be any of the following:}
5471 nil @r{the current buffer or narrowed region}
5472 file @r{the full current buffer}
5473 subtree @r{the subtree where the clocktable is located}
5474 tree@var{N} @r{the surrounding level @var{N} tree, for example @code{tree3}}
5475 tree @r{the surrounding level 1 tree}
5476 agenda @r{all agenda files}
5477 ("file"..) @r{scan these files}
5478 file-with-archives @r{current file and its archives}
5479 agenda-with-archives @r{all agenda files, including archives}
5480 :block @r{The time block to consider. This block is specified either}
5481 @r{absolute, or relative to the current time and may be any of}
5483 2007-12-31 @r{New year eve 2007}
5484 2007-12 @r{December 2007}
5485 2007-W50 @r{ISO-week 50 in 2007}
5486 2007 @r{the year 2007}
5487 today, yesterday, today-@var{N} @r{a relative day}
5488 thisweek, lastweek, thisweek-@var{N} @r{a relative week}
5489 thismonth, lastmonth, thismonth-@var{N} @r{a relative month}
5490 thisyear, lastyear, thisyear-@var{N} @r{a relative year}
5491 @r{Use @kbd{S-@key{left}/@key{right}} keys to shift the time interval.}
5492 :tstart @r{A time string specifying when to start considering times.}
5493 :tend @r{A time string specifying when to stop considering times.}
5494 :step @r{@code{week} or @code{day}, to split the table into chunks.}
5495 @r{To use this, @code{:block} or @code{:tstart}, @code{:tend} are needed.}
5496 :link @r{Link the item headlines in the table to their origins.}
5497 :formula @r{Content of a @code{#+TBLFM} line to be added and evaluated.}
5498 @r{As a special case, @samp{:formula %} adds a column with % time.}
5499 @r{If you do not specify a formula here, any existing formula.}
5500 @r{below the clock table will survive updates and be evaluated.}
5501 :timestamp @r{A timestamp for the entry, when available. Look for SCHEDULED,}
5502 @r{DEADLINE, TIMESTAMP and TIMESTAMP_IA, in this order.}
5504 To get a clock summary of the current level 1 tree, for the current
5505 day, you could write
5507 #+BEGIN: clocktable :maxlevel 2 :block today :scope tree1 :link t
5511 and to use a specific time range you could write@footnote{Note that all
5512 parameters must be specified in a single line---the line is broken here
5513 only to fit it into the manual.}
5515 #+BEGIN: clocktable :tstart "<2006-08-10 Thu 10:00>"
5516 :tend "<2006-08-10 Thu 12:00>"
5519 A summary of the current subtree with % times would be
5521 #+BEGIN: clocktable :scope subtree :link t :formula %
5528 Update dynamic block at point. The cursor needs to be in the
5529 @code{#+BEGIN} line of the dynamic block.
5530 @kindex C-u C-c C-x C-u
5531 @item C-u C-c C-x C-u
5532 Update all dynamic blocks (@pxref{Dynamic blocks}). This is useful if
5533 you have several clock table blocks in a buffer.
5534 @kindex S-@key{left}
5535 @kindex S-@key{right}
5537 @itemx S-@key{right}
5538 Shift the current @code{:block} interval and update the table. The cursor
5539 needs to be in the @code{#+BEGIN: clocktable} line for this command. If
5540 @code{:block} is @code{today}, it will be shifted to @code{today-1} etc.
5543 The @kbd{l} key may be used in the timeline (@pxref{Timeline}) and in
5544 the agenda (@pxref{Weekly/daily agenda}) to show which tasks have been
5545 worked on or closed during a day.
5547 @node Resolving idle time, Effort estimates, Clocking work time, Dates and Times
5548 @section Resolving idle time
5549 @cindex resolve idle time
5551 @cindex idle, resolve, dangling
5552 If you clock in on a work item, and then walk away from your
5553 computer---perhaps to take a phone call---you often need to ``resolve'' the
5554 time you were away by either subtracting it from the current clock, or
5555 applying it to another one.
5557 @vindex org-clock-idle-time
5558 By customizing the variable @code{org-clock-idle-time} to some integer, such
5559 as 10 or 15, Emacs can alert you when you get back to your computer after
5560 being idle for that many minutes@footnote{On computers using Mac OS X,
5561 idleness is based on actual user idleness, not just Emacs' idle time. For
5562 X11, you can install a utility program @file{x11idle.c}, available in the
5563 UTILITIES directory of the Org git distribution, to get the same general
5564 treatment of idleness. On other systems, idle time refers to Emacs idle time
5565 only.}, and ask what you want to do with the idle time. There will be a
5566 question waiting for you when you get back, indicating how much idle time has
5567 passed (constantly updated with the current amount), as well as a set of
5568 choices to correct the discrepancy:
5572 To keep some or all of the minutes and stay clocked in, press @kbd{k}. Org
5573 will ask how many of the minutes to keep. Press @key{RET} to keep them all,
5574 effectively changing nothing, or enter a number to keep that many minutes.
5576 If you use the shift key and press @kbd{K}, it will keep however many minutes
5577 you request and then immediately clock out of that task. If you keep all of
5578 the minutes, this is the same as just clocking out of the current task.
5580 To keep none of the minutes, use @kbd{s} to subtract all the away time from
5581 the clock, and then check back in from the moment you returned.
5583 To keep none of the minutes and just clock out at the start of the away time,
5584 use the shift key and press @kbd{S}. Remember that using shift will always
5585 leave you clocked out, no matter which option you choose.
5587 To cancel the clock altogether, use @kbd{C}. Note that if instead of
5588 cancelling you subtract the away time, and the resulting clock amount is less
5589 than a minute, the clock will still be cancelled rather than clutter up the
5590 log with an empty entry.
5593 What if you subtracted those away minutes from the current clock, and now
5594 want to apply them to a new clock? Simply clock in to any task immediately
5595 after the subtraction. Org will notice that you have subtracted time ``on
5596 the books'', so to speak, and will ask if you want to apply those minutes to
5597 the next task you clock in on.
5599 There is one other instance when this clock resolution magic occurs. Say you
5600 were clocked in and hacking away, and suddenly your cat chased a mouse who
5601 scared a hamster that crashed into your UPS's power button! You suddenly
5602 lose all your buffers, but thanks to auto-save you still have your recent Org
5603 mode changes, including your last clock in.
5605 If you restart Emacs and clock into any task, Org will notice that you have a
5606 dangling clock which was never clocked out from your last session. Using
5607 that clock's starting time as the beginning of the unaccounted-for period,
5608 Org will ask how you want to resolve that time. The logic and behavior is
5609 identical to dealing with away time due to idleness, it's just happening due
5610 to a recovery event rather than a set amount of idle time.
5612 You can also check all the files visited by your Org agenda for dangling
5613 clocks at any time using @kbd{M-x org-resolve-clocks}.
5615 @node Effort estimates, Relative timer, Resolving idle time, Dates and Times
5616 @section Effort estimates
5617 @cindex effort estimates
5619 @cindex property, Effort
5620 @vindex org-effort-property
5621 If you want to plan your work in a very detailed way, or if you need to
5622 produce offers with quotations of the estimated work effort, you may want to
5623 assign effort estimates to entries. If you are also clocking your work, you
5624 may later want to compare the planned effort with the actual working time, a
5625 great way to improve planning estimates. Effort estimates are stored in a
5626 special property @samp{Effort}@footnote{You may change the property being
5627 used with the variable @code{org-effort-property}.}. You can set the effort
5628 for an entry with the following commands:
5633 Set the effort estimate for the current entry. With a numeric prefix
5634 argument, set it to the NTH allowed value (see below). This command is also
5635 accessible from the agenda with the @kbd{e} key.
5638 Modify the effort estimate of the item currently being clocked.
5641 Clearly the best way to work with effort estimates is through column view
5642 (@pxref{Column view}). You should start by setting up discrete values for
5643 effort estimates, and a @code{COLUMNS} format that displays these values
5644 together with clock sums (if you want to clock your time). For a specific
5648 #+PROPERTY: Effort_ALL 0 0:10 0:30 1:00 2:00 3:00 4:00 5:00 6:00 7:00 8:00
5649 #+COLUMNS: %40ITEM(Task) %17Effort(Estimated Effort)@{:@} %CLOCKSUM
5653 @vindex org-global-properties
5654 @vindex org-columns-default-format
5655 or, even better, you can set up these values globally by customizing the
5656 variables @code{org-global-properties} and @code{org-columns-default-format}.
5657 In particular if you want to use this setup also in the agenda, a global
5658 setup may be advised.
5660 The way to assign estimates to individual items is then to switch to column
5661 mode, and to use @kbd{S-@key{right}} and @kbd{S-@key{left}} to change the
5662 value. The values you enter will immediately be summed up in the hierarchy.
5663 In the column next to it, any clocked time will be displayed.
5665 @vindex org-agenda-columns-add-appointments-to-effort-sum
5666 If you switch to column view in the daily/weekly agenda, the effort column
5667 will summarize the estimated work effort for each day@footnote{Please note
5668 the pitfalls of summing hierarchical data in a flat list (@pxref{Agenda
5669 column view}).}, and you can use this to find space in your schedule. To get
5670 an overview of the entire part of the day that is committed, you can set the
5671 option @code{org-agenda-columns-add-appointments-to-effort-sum}. The
5672 appointments on a day that take place over a specified time interval will
5673 then also be added to the load estimate of the day.
5675 Effort estimates can be used in secondary agenda filtering that is triggered
5676 with the @kbd{/} key in the agenda (@pxref{Agenda commands}). If you have
5677 these estimates defined consistently, two or three key presses will narrow
5678 down the list to stuff that fits into an available time slot.
5680 @node Relative timer, , Effort estimates, Dates and Times
5681 @section Taking notes with a relative timer
5682 @cindex relative timer
5684 When taking notes during, for example, a meeting or a video viewing, it can
5685 be useful to have access to times relative to a starting time. Org provides
5686 such a relative timer and make it easy to create timed notes.
5691 Insert a relative time into the buffer. The first time you use this, the
5692 timer will be started. When called with a prefix argument, the timer is
5696 Insert a description list item with the current relative time. With a prefix
5697 argument, first reset the timer to 0.
5700 Once the timer list is started, you can also use @kbd{M-@key{RET}} to insert
5704 Pause the timer, or continue it if it is already paused.
5705 @c removed the sentence because it is redundant to the following item
5706 @kindex C-u C-c C-x ,
5708 Stop the timer. After this, you can only start a new timer, not continue the
5709 old one. This command also removes the timer from the mode line.
5712 Reset the timer without inserting anything into the buffer. By default, the
5713 timer is reset to 0. When called with a @kbd{C-u} prefix, reset the timer to
5714 specific starting offset. The user is prompted for the offset, with a
5715 default taken from a timer string at point, if any, So this can be used to
5716 restart taking notes after a break in the process. When called with a double
5717 prefix argument @kbd{C-c C-u}, change all timer strings in the active region
5718 by a certain amount. This can be used to fix timer strings if the timer was
5719 not started at exactly the right moment.
5722 @node Capture - Refile - Archive, Agenda Views, Dates and Times, Top
5723 @chapter Capture - Refile - Archive
5726 An important part of any organization system is the ability to quickly
5727 capture new ideas and tasks, and to associate reference material with them.
5728 Org uses the @file{remember.el} package to create tasks, and stores files
5729 related to a task (@i{attachments}) in a special directory. Once in the
5730 system, tasks and projects need to be moved around. Moving completed project
5731 trees to an archive file keeps the system compact and fast.
5734 * Remember:: Capture new tasks/ideas with little interruption
5735 * Attachments:: Add files to tasks.
5736 * RSS Feeds:: Getting input from RSS feeds
5737 * Protocols:: External (e.g. Browser) access to Emacs and Org
5738 * Refiling notes:: Moving a tree from one place to another
5739 * Archiving:: What to do with finished projects
5742 @node Remember, Attachments, Capture - Refile - Archive, Capture - Refile - Archive
5744 @cindex @file{remember.el}
5746 The Remember package by John Wiegley lets you store quick notes with little
5747 interruption of your work flow. It is an excellent way to add new notes and
5748 tasks to Org files. The @code{remember.el} package is part of Emacs 23, not
5749 Emacs 22. See @uref{http://www.emacswiki.org/cgi-bin/wiki/RememberMode} for
5752 Org significantly expands the possibilities of Remember: you may define
5753 templates for different note types, and associate target files and headlines
5754 with specific templates. It also allows you to select the location where a
5755 note should be stored interactively, on the fly.
5758 * Setting up Remember for Org:: Some code for .emacs to get things going
5759 * Remember templates:: Define the outline of different note types
5760 * Storing notes:: Directly get the note to where it belongs
5763 @node Setting up Remember for Org, Remember templates, Remember, Remember
5764 @subsection Setting up Remember for Org
5766 The following customization will tell Remember to use Org files as
5767 target, and to create annotations compatible with Org links.
5770 (org-remember-insinuate)
5771 (setq org-directory "~/path/to/my/orgfiles/")
5772 (setq org-default-notes-file (concat org-directory "/notes.org"))
5773 (define-key global-map "\C-cr" 'org-remember)
5777 The last line binds the command @code{org-remember} to a global
5778 key@footnote{Please select your own key, @kbd{C-c r} is only a
5779 suggestion.}. @code{org-remember} basically just calls Remember,
5780 but it makes a few things easier: if there is an active region, it will
5781 automatically copy the region into the Remember buffer. It also allows
5782 to jump to the buffer and location where Remember notes are being
5783 stored: just call @code{org-remember} with a prefix argument. If you
5784 use two prefix arguments, Org jumps to the location where the last
5785 remember note was stored.
5787 The Remember buffer will actually use @code{org-mode} as its major mode, so
5788 that all editing features of Org mode are available. In addition to this, a
5789 minor mode @code{org-remember-mode} is turned on, for the single purpose that
5790 you can use its keymap @code{org-remember-mode-map} to overwrite some of
5791 Org mode's key bindings.
5793 You can also call @code{org-remember} in a special way from the agenda,
5794 using the @kbd{k r} key combination. With this access, any timestamps
5795 inserted by the selected Remember template (see below) will default to
5796 the cursor date in the agenda, rather than to the current date.
5798 @node Remember templates, Storing notes, Setting up Remember for Org, Remember
5799 @subsection Remember templates
5800 @cindex templates, for Remember
5802 In combination with Org, you can use templates to generate
5803 different types of Remember notes. For example, if you would like
5804 to use one template to create general TODO entries, another one for
5805 journal entries, and a third one for collecting random ideas, you could
5809 (setq org-remember-templates
5810 '(("Todo" ?t "* TODO %?\n %i\n %a" "~/org/TODO.org" "Tasks")
5811 ("Journal" ?j "* %U %?\n\n %i\n %a" "~/org/JOURNAL.org")
5812 ("Idea" ?i "* %^@{Title@}\n %i\n %a" "~/org/JOURNAL.org" "New Ideas")))
5815 @vindex org-remember-default-headline
5816 @vindex org-directory
5817 @noindent In these entries, the first string is just a name, and the
5818 character specifies how to select the template. It is useful if the
5819 character is also the first letter of the name. The next string specifies
5820 the template. Two more (optional) strings give the file in which, and the
5821 headline under which, the new note should be stored. The file (if not
5822 present or @code{nil}) defaults to @code{org-default-notes-file}, the heading
5823 to @code{org-remember-default-headline}. If the file name is not an absolute
5824 path, it will be interpreted relative to @code{org-directory}.
5826 The heading can also be the symbols @code{top} or @code{bottom} to send notes
5827 as level 1 entries to the beginning or end of the file, respectively. It may
5828 also be the symbol @code{date-tree}. Then, a tree with year on level 1,
5829 month on level 2 and day on level three will be build in the file, and the
5830 entry will be filed into the tree under the current date@footnote{If the file
5831 contains an entry with a @code{DATE_TREE} property, the entire date tree will
5832 be build under that entry.}
5834 An optional sixth element specifies the contexts in which the user can select
5835 the template. This element can be a list of major modes or a function.
5836 @code{org-remember} will first check whether the function returns @code{t} or
5837 if we are in any of the listed major modes, and exclude templates for which
5838 this condition is not fulfilled. Templates that do not specify this element
5839 at all, or that use @code{nil} or @code{t} as a value will always be
5845 (setq org-remember-templates
5846 '(("Bug" ?b "* BUG %?\n %i\n %a" "~/org/BUGS.org" "Bugs" (emacs-lisp-mode))
5847 ("Journal" ?j "* %U %?\n\n %i\n %a" "~/org/JOURNAL.org" "X" my-check)
5848 ("Idea" ?i "* %^@{Title@}\n %i\n %a" "~/org/JOURNAL.org" "New Ideas")))
5852 The first template will only be available when invoking @code{org-remember}
5853 from an buffer in @code{emacs-lisp-mode}. The second template will only be
5854 available when the function @code{my-check} returns @code{t}. The third
5855 template will be proposed in any context.
5857 When you call @kbd{M-x org-remember} (or @kbd{M-x remember}) to remember
5858 something, Org will prompt for a key to select the template (if you have
5859 more than one template) and then prepare the buffer like
5862 [[file:@var{link to where you called remember}]]
5866 During expansion of the template, special @kbd{%}-escapes@footnote{If you
5867 need one of these sequences literally, escape the @kbd{%} with a backslash.}
5868 allow dynamic insertion of content:
5870 %^@{@var{prompt}@} @r{prompt the user for a string and replace this sequence with it.}
5871 @r{You may specify a default value and a completion table with}
5872 @r{%^@{prompt|default|completion2|completion3...@}}
5873 @r{The arrow keys access a prompt-specific history.}
5874 %a @r{annotation, normally the link created with @code{org-store-link}}
5875 %A @r{like @code{%a}, but prompt for the description part}
5876 %i @r{initial content, the region when remember is called with C-u.}
5877 @r{The entire text will be indented like @code{%i} itself.}
5878 %t @r{timestamp, date only}
5879 %T @r{timestamp with date and time}
5880 %u, %U @r{like the above, but inactive timestamps}
5881 %^t @r{like @code{%t}, but prompt for date. Similarly @code{%^T}, @code{%^u}, @code{%^U}}
5882 @r{You may define a prompt like @code{%^@{Birthday@}t}}
5883 %n @r{user name (taken from @code{user-full-name})}
5884 %c @r{Current kill ring head.}
5885 %x @r{Content of the X clipboard.}
5886 %^C @r{Interactive selection of which kill or clip to use.}
5887 %^L @r{Like @code{%^C}, but insert as link.}
5888 %^g @r{prompt for tags, with completion on tags in target file.}
5889 %k @r{title of currently clocked task}
5890 %K @r{link to currently clocked task}
5891 %^G @r{prompt for tags, with completion all tags in all agenda files.}
5892 %^@{@var{prop}@}p @r{Prompt the user for a value for property @var{prop}}
5893 %:keyword @r{specific information for certain link types, see below}
5894 %[@var{file}] @r{insert the contents of the file given by @var{file}}
5895 %(@var{sexp}) @r{evaluate Elisp @var{sexp} and replace with the result}
5896 %! @r{immediately store note after completing the template}
5897 @r{(skipping the @kbd{C-c C-c} that normally triggers storing)}
5898 %& @r{jump to target location immediately after storing note}
5902 For specific link types, the following keywords will be
5903 defined@footnote{If you define your own link types (@pxref{Adding
5904 hyperlink types}), any property you store with
5905 @code{org-store-link-props} can be accessed in remember templates in a
5908 @vindex org-from-is-user-regexp
5910 Link type | Available keywords
5911 -------------------+----------------------------------------------
5912 bbdb | %:name %:company
5913 bbdb | %::server %:port %:nick
5914 vm, wl, mh, rmail | %:type %:subject %:message-id
5915 | %:from %:fromname %:fromaddress
5916 | %:to %:toname %:toaddress
5917 | %:fromto @r{(either "to NAME" or "from NAME")@footnote{This will always be the other, not the user. See the variable @code{org-from-is-user-regexp}.}}
5918 gnus | %:group, @r{for messages also all email fields}
5920 info | %:file %:node
5925 To place the cursor after template expansion use:
5928 %? @r{After completing the template, position cursor here.}
5932 If you change your mind about which template to use, call
5933 @code{org-remember} in the remember buffer. You may then select a new
5934 template that will be filled with the previous context information.
5936 @node Storing notes, , Remember templates, Remember
5937 @subsection Storing notes
5939 @vindex org-remember-clock-out-on-exit
5940 When you are finished preparing a note with Remember, you have to press
5941 @kbd{C-c C-c} to file the note away. If you have started the clock in the
5942 Remember buffer, you will first be asked if you want to clock out
5943 now@footnote{To avoid this query, configure the variable
5944 @code{org-remember-clock-out-on-exit}.}. If you answer @kbd{n}, the clock
5945 will continue to run after the note was filed away.
5947 The handler will then store the note in the file and under the headline
5948 specified in the template, or it will use the default file and headline.
5949 The window configuration will be restored, sending you back to the working
5950 context before the call to Remember. To re-use the location found
5951 during the last call to Remember, exit the Remember buffer with
5952 @kbd{C-0 C-c C-c}, i.e. specify a zero prefix argument to @kbd{C-c C-c}.
5953 Another special case is @kbd{C-2 C-c C-c} which files the note as a child of
5954 the currently clocked item.
5956 @vindex org-remember-store-without-prompt
5957 If you want to store the note directly to a different place, use
5958 @kbd{C-1 C-c C-c} instead to exit Remember@footnote{Configure the
5959 variable @code{org-remember-store-without-prompt} to make this behavior
5960 the default.}. The handler will then first prompt for a target file---if
5961 you press @key{RET}, the value specified for the template is used.
5962 Then the command offers the headings tree of the selected file, with the
5963 cursor position at the default headline (if you specified one in the
5964 template). You can either immediately press @key{RET} to get the note
5965 placed there. Or you can use the following keys to find a different
5968 @key{TAB} @r{Cycle visibility.}
5969 @key{down} / @key{up} @r{Next/previous visible headline.}
5970 n / p @r{Next/previous visible headline.}
5971 f / b @r{Next/previous headline same level.}
5973 @c 0-9 @r{Digit argument.}
5976 Pressing @key{RET} or @key{left} or @key{right}
5977 then leads to the following result.
5979 @vindex org-reverse-note-order
5980 @multitable @columnfractions 0.2 0.15 0.65
5981 @item @b{Cursor position} @tab @b{Key} @tab @b{Note gets inserted}
5982 @item on headline @tab @key{RET} @tab as sublevel of the heading at cursor, first or last
5983 @item @tab @tab depending on @code{org-reverse-note-order}.
5984 @item @tab @key{left}/@key{right} @tab as same level, before/after current heading
5985 @item buffer-start @tab @key{RET} @tab as level 2 heading at end of file or level 1 at beginning
5986 @item @tab @tab depending on @code{org-reverse-note-order}.
5987 @item not on headline @tab @key{RET}
5988 @tab at cursor position, level taken from context.
5991 Before inserting the text into a tree, the function ensures that the text has
5992 a headline, i.e. a first line that starts with a @samp{*}. If not, a
5993 headline is constructed from the current date. If you have indented the text
5994 of the note below the headline, the indentation will be adapted if inserting
5995 the note into the tree requires demotion from level 1.
5998 @node Attachments, RSS Feeds, Remember, Capture - Refile - Archive
5999 @section Attachments
6002 @vindex org-attach-directory
6003 It is often useful to associate reference material with an outline node/task.
6004 Small chunks of plain text can simply be stored in the subtree of a project.
6005 Hyperlinks (@pxref{Hyperlinks}) can be used to establish associations with
6006 files that live elsewhere on your computer or in the cloud, like emails or
6007 source code files belonging to a project. Another method is @i{attachments},
6008 which are files located in a directory belonging to an outline node. Org
6009 uses directories named by the unique ID of each entry. These directories are
6010 located in the @file{data} directory which lives in the same directory where
6011 your Org file lives@footnote{If you move entries or Org files from one
6012 directory to another, you may want to configure @code{org-attach-directory}
6013 to contain an absolute path.}. If you initialize this directory with
6014 @code{git init}, Org will automatically commit changes when it sees them.
6015 The attachment system has been contributed to Org by John Wiegley.
6017 In cases where it seems better to do so, you can also attach a directory of your
6018 choice to an entry. You can also make children inherit the attachment
6019 directory from a parent, so that an entire subtree uses the same attached
6022 @noindent The following commands deal with attachments.
6028 The dispatcher for commands related to the attachment system. After these
6029 keys, a list of commands is displayed and you need to press an additional key
6030 to select a command:
6035 @vindex org-attach-method
6036 Select a file and move it into the task's attachment directory. The file
6037 will be copied, moved, or linked, depending on @code{org-attach-method}.
6038 Note that hard links are not supported on all systems.
6044 Attach a file using the copy/move/link method.
6045 Note that hard links are not supported on all systems.
6049 Create a new attachment as an Emacs buffer.
6053 Synchronize the current task with its attachment directory, in case you added
6054 attachments yourself.
6058 @vindex org-file-apps
6059 Open current task's attachment. If there are more than one, prompt for a
6060 file name first. Opening will follow the rules set by @code{org-file-apps}.
6061 For more details, see the information on following hyperlinks
6062 (@pxref{Handling links}).
6066 Also open the attachment, but force opening the file in Emacs.
6070 Open the current task's attachment directory.
6074 Also open the directory, but force using @command{dired} in Emacs.
6078 Select and delete a single attachment.
6082 Delete all of a task's attachments. A safer way is to open the directory in
6083 @command{dired} and delete from there.
6087 @cindex property, ATTACH_DIR
6088 Set a specific directory as the entry's attachment directory. This works by
6089 putting the directory path into the @code{ATTACH_DIR} property.
6093 @cindex property, ATTACH_DIR_INHERIT
6094 Set the @code{ATTACH_DIR_INHERIT} property, so that children will use the
6095 same directory for attachments as the parent does.
6099 @node RSS Feeds, Protocols, Attachments, Capture - Refile - Archive
6103 Org has the capability to add and change entries based on information found in
6104 RSS feeds. You could use this to make a task out of each new podcast in a
6105 podcast feed. Or you could use a phone-based note-creating service on the
6106 web to import tasks into Org. To access feeds, you need to configure the
6107 variable @code{org-feed-alist}. The docstring of this variable has detailed
6108 information. Here is just an example:
6111 (setq org-feed-alist
6112 '(("ReQall" "http://www.reqall.com/user/feeds/rss/a1b2c3....."
6113 "~/org/feeds.org" "ReQall Entries")
6116 will configure that new items from the feed provided by @file{reqall.com}
6117 will result in new entries in the file @file{~/org/feeds.org} under the
6118 heading @samp{ReQall Entries}, whenever the following command is used:
6123 Collect items from the feeds configured in @code{org-feed-alist} and act upon
6127 Prompt for a feed name and go to the inbox configured for this feed.
6130 Under the same headline, Org will create a drawer @samp{FEEDSTATUS} in which
6131 it will store information about the status of items in the feed, to avoid
6132 adding the same item several times. You should add @samp{FEEDSTATUS} to the
6133 list of drawers in that file:
6136 #+DRAWERS: LOGBOOK PROPERTIES FEEDSTATUS
6139 For more information, see @file{org-feed.el} and the docstring of
6140 @code{org-feed-alist}.
6142 @node Protocols, Refiling notes, RSS Feeds, Capture - Refile - Archive
6143 @section Protocols for external access
6144 @cindex protocols, for external access
6147 You can set up Org for handling protocol calls from outside applications that
6148 are passed to Emacs through the @file{emacsserver}. For example, you can
6149 configure bookmarks in your web browser to send a link to the current page to
6150 Org and create a note from it using Remember (@pxref{Remember}). Or you
6151 could create a bookmark that will tell Emacs to open the local source file of
6152 a remote website you are looking at with the browser. See
6153 @uref{http://orgmode.org/worg/org-contrib/org-protocol.php} for detailed
6154 documentation and setup instructions.
6156 @node Refiling notes, Archiving, Protocols, Capture - Refile - Archive
6157 @section Refiling notes
6158 @cindex refiling notes
6160 When reviewing the captured data, you may want to refile some of the entries
6161 into a different list, for example into a project. Cutting, finding the
6162 right location, and then pasting the note is cumbersome. To simplify this
6163 process, you can use the following special command:
6168 @vindex org-reverse-note-order
6169 @vindex org-refile-targets
6170 @vindex org-refile-use-outline-path
6171 @vindex org-outline-path-complete-in-steps
6172 @vindex org-refile-allow-creating-parent-nodes
6173 Refile the entry or region at point. This command offers possible locations
6174 for refiling the entry and lets you select one with completion. The item (or
6175 all items in the region) is filed below the target heading as a subitem.
6176 Depending on @code{org-reverse-note-order}, it will be either the first or
6178 By default, all level 1 headlines in the current buffer are considered to be
6179 targets, but you can have more complex definitions across a number of files.
6180 See the variable @code{org-refile-targets} for details. If you would like to
6181 select a location via a file-path-like completion along the outline path, see
6182 the variables @code{org-refile-use-outline-path} and
6183 @code{org-outline-path-complete-in-steps}. If you would like to be able to
6184 create new nodes as new parents for refiling on the fly, check the
6185 variable @code{org-refile-allow-creating-parent-nodes}.
6188 Use the refile interface to jump to a heading.
6189 @kindex C-u C-u C-c C-w
6190 @item C-u C-u C-c C-w
6191 Jump to the location where @code{org-refile} last moved a tree to.
6193 Refile as the child of the item currently being clocked.
6196 @node Archiving, , Refiling notes, Capture - Refile - Archive
6200 When a project represented by a (sub)tree is finished, you may want
6201 to move the tree out of the way and to stop it from contributing to the
6202 agenda. Archiving is important to keep your working files compact and global
6203 searches like the construction of agenda views fast.
6208 @vindex org-archive-default-command
6209 Archive the current entry using the command specified in the variable
6210 @code{org-archive-default-command}.
6214 * Moving subtrees:: Moving a tree to an archive file
6215 * Internal archiving:: Switch off a tree but keep i in the file
6218 @node Moving subtrees, Internal archiving, Archiving, Archiving
6219 @subsection Moving a tree to the archive file
6220 @cindex external archiving
6222 The most common archiving action is to move a project tree to another file,
6228 @item C-c C-x C-s@ @r{or short} @ C-c $
6229 @vindex org-archive-location
6230 Archive the subtree starting at the cursor position to the location
6231 given by @code{org-archive-location}.
6232 @kindex C-u C-c C-x C-s
6233 @item C-u C-c C-x C-s
6234 Check if any direct children of the current headline could be moved to
6235 the archive. To do this, each subtree is checked for open TODO entries.
6236 If none are found, the command offers to move it to the archive
6237 location. If the cursor is @emph{not} on a headline when this command
6238 is invoked, the level 1 trees will be checked.
6241 @cindex archive locations
6242 The default archive location is a file in the same directory as the
6243 current file, with the name derived by appending @file{_archive} to the
6244 current file name. For information and examples on how to change this,
6245 see the documentation string of the variable
6246 @code{org-archive-location}. There is also an in-buffer option for
6247 setting this variable, for example@footnote{For backward compatibility,
6248 the following also works: If there are several such lines in a file,
6249 each specifies the archive location for the text below it. The first
6250 such line also applies to any text before its definition. However,
6251 using this method is @emph{strongly} deprecated as it is incompatible
6252 with the outline structure of the document. The correct method for
6253 setting multiple archive locations in a buffer is using properties.}:
6257 #+ARCHIVE: %s_done::
6260 @cindex property, ARCHIVE
6262 If you would like to have a special ARCHIVE location for a single entry
6263 or a (sub)tree, give the entry an @code{:ARCHIVE:} property with the
6264 location as the value (@pxref{Properties and Columns}).
6266 @vindex org-archive-save-context-info
6267 When a subtree is moved, it receives a number of special properties that
6268 record context information like the file from where the entry came, its
6269 outline path the archiving time etc. Configure the variable
6270 @code{org-archive-save-context-info} to adjust the amount of information
6274 @node Internal archiving, , Moving subtrees, Archiving
6275 @subsection Internal archiving
6277 If you want to just switch off (for agenda views) certain subtrees without
6278 moving them to a different file, you can use the @code{ARCHIVE tag}.
6280 A headline that is marked with the ARCHIVE tag (@pxref{Tags}) stays at
6281 its location in the outline tree, but behaves in the following way:
6284 @vindex org-cycle-open-archived-trees
6285 It does not open when you attempt to do so with a visibility cycling
6286 command (@pxref{Visibility cycling}). You can force cycling archived
6287 subtrees with @kbd{C-@key{TAB}}, or by setting the option
6288 @code{org-cycle-open-archived-trees}. Also normal outline commands like
6289 @code{show-all} will open archived subtrees.
6291 @vindex org-sparse-tree-open-archived-trees
6292 During sparse tree construction (@pxref{Sparse trees}), matches in
6293 archived subtrees are not exposed, unless you configure the option
6294 @code{org-sparse-tree-open-archived-trees}.
6296 @vindex org-agenda-skip-archived-trees
6297 During agenda view construction (@pxref{Agenda Views}), the content of
6298 archived trees is ignored unless you configure the option
6299 @code{org-agenda-skip-archived-trees}, in which case these trees will always
6300 be included. In the agenda you can press @kbd{v a} to get archives
6301 temporarily included.
6303 @vindex org-export-with-archived-trees
6304 Archived trees are not exported (@pxref{Exporting}), only the headline
6305 is. Configure the details using the variable
6306 @code{org-export-with-archived-trees}.
6308 @vindex org-columns-skip-arrchived-trees
6309 Archived trees are excluded from column view unless the variable
6310 @code{org-columns-skip-arrchived-trees} is configured to @code{nil}.
6313 The following commands help managing the ARCHIVE tag:
6318 Toggle the ARCHIVE tag for the current headline. When the tag is set,
6319 the headline changes to a shadowed face, and the subtree below it is
6321 @kindex C-u C-c C-x a
6323 Check if any direct children of the current headline should be archived.
6324 To do this, each subtree is checked for open TODO entries. If none are
6325 found, the command offers to set the ARCHIVE tag for the child. If the
6326 cursor is @emph{not} on a headline when this command is invoked, the
6327 level 1 trees will be checked.
6330 Cycle a tree even if it is tagged with ARCHIVE.
6333 Move the current entry to the @emph{Archive Sibling}. This is a sibling of
6334 the entry with the heading @samp{Archive} and the tag @samp{ARCHIVE}. The
6335 entry becomes a child of that sibling and in this way retains a lot of its
6336 original context, including inherited tags and approximate position in the
6341 @node Agenda Views, Markup, Capture - Refile - Archive, Top
6342 @chapter Agenda Views
6343 @cindex agenda views
6345 Due to the way Org works, TODO items, time-stamped items, and
6346 tagged headlines can be scattered throughout a file or even a number of
6347 files. To get an overview of open action items, or of events that are
6348 important for a particular date, this information must be collected,
6349 sorted and displayed in an organized way.
6351 Org can select items based on various criteria and display them
6352 in a separate buffer. Seven different view types are provided:
6356 an @emph{agenda} that is like a calendar and shows information
6359 a @emph{TODO list} that covers all unfinished
6362 a @emph{match view}, showings headlines based on the tags, properties, and
6363 TODO state associated with them,
6365 a @emph{timeline view} that shows all events in a single Org file,
6366 in time-sorted view,
6368 a @emph{text search view} that shows all entries from multiple files
6369 that contain specified keywords,
6371 a @emph{stuck projects view} showing projects that currently don't move
6374 @emph{custom views} that are special searches and combinations of different
6379 The extracted information is displayed in a special @emph{agenda
6380 buffer}. This buffer is read-only, but provides commands to visit the
6381 corresponding locations in the original Org files, and even to
6382 edit these files remotely.
6384 @vindex org-agenda-window-setup
6385 @vindex org-agenda-restore-windows-after-quit
6386 Two variables control how the agenda buffer is displayed and whether the
6387 window configuration is restored when the agenda exits:
6388 @code{org-agenda-window-setup} and
6389 @code{org-agenda-restore-windows-after-quit}.
6392 * Agenda files:: Files being searched for agenda information
6393 * Agenda dispatcher:: Keyboard access to agenda views
6394 * Built-in agenda views:: What is available out of the box?
6395 * Presentation and sorting:: How agenda items are prepared for display
6396 * Agenda commands:: Remote editing of Org trees
6397 * Custom agenda views:: Defining special searches and views
6398 * Exporting Agenda Views:: Writing a view to a file
6399 * Agenda column view:: Using column view for collected entries
6402 @node Agenda files, Agenda dispatcher, Agenda Views, Agenda Views
6403 @section Agenda files
6404 @cindex agenda files
6405 @cindex files for agenda
6407 @vindex org-agenda-files
6408 The information to be shown is normally collected from all @emph{agenda
6409 files}, the files listed in the variable
6410 @code{org-agenda-files}@footnote{If the value of that variable is not a
6411 list, but a single file name, then the list of agenda files will be
6412 maintained in that external file.}. If a directory is part of this list,
6413 all files with the extension @file{.org} in this directory will be part
6416 Thus, even if you only work with a single Org file, that file should
6417 be put into the list@footnote{When using the dispatcher, pressing
6418 @kbd{<} before selecting a command will actually limit the command to
6419 the current file, and ignore @code{org-agenda-files} until the next
6420 dispatcher command.}. You can customize @code{org-agenda-files}, but
6421 the easiest way to maintain it is through the following commands
6423 @cindex files, adding to agenda list
6427 Add current file to the list of agenda files. The file is added to
6428 the front of the list. If it was already in the list, it is moved to
6429 the front. With a prefix argument, file is added/moved to the end.
6432 Remove current file from the list of agenda files.
6437 Cycle through agenda file list, visiting one file after the other.
6438 @kindex M-x org-iswitchb
6439 @item M-x org-iswitchb
6440 Command to use an @code{iswitchb}-like interface to switch to and between Org
6445 The Org menu contains the current list of files and can be used
6446 to visit any of them.
6448 If you would like to focus the agenda temporarily on a file not in
6449 this list, or on just one file in the list, or even on only a subtree in a
6450 file, then this can be done in different ways. For a single agenda command,
6451 you may press @kbd{<} once or several times in the dispatcher
6452 (@pxref{Agenda dispatcher}). To restrict the agenda scope for an
6453 extended period, use the following commands:
6458 Permanently restrict the agenda to the current subtree. When with a
6459 prefix argument, or with the cursor before the first headline in a file,
6460 the agenda scope is set to the entire file. This restriction remains in
6461 effect until removed with @kbd{C-c C-x >}, or by typing either @kbd{<}
6462 or @kbd{>} in the agenda dispatcher. If there is a window displaying an
6463 agenda view, the new restriction takes effect immediately.
6466 Remove the permanent restriction created by @kbd{C-c C-x <}.
6470 When working with @file{speedbar.el}, you can use the following commands in
6474 @item < @r{in the speedbar frame}
6475 Permanently restrict the agenda to the item---either an Org file or a subtree
6476 in such a file---at the cursor in the Speedbar frame.
6477 If there is a window displaying an agenda view, the new restriction takes
6480 @item > @r{in the speedbar frame}
6481 Lift the restriction.
6484 @node Agenda dispatcher, Built-in agenda views, Agenda files, Agenda Views
6485 @section The agenda dispatcher
6486 @cindex agenda dispatcher
6487 @cindex dispatching agenda commands
6488 The views are created through a dispatcher, which should be bound to a
6489 global key---for example @kbd{C-c a} (@pxref{Installation}). In the
6490 following we will assume that @kbd{C-c a} is indeed how the dispatcher
6491 is accessed and list keyboard access to commands accordingly. After
6492 pressing @kbd{C-c a}, an additional letter is required to execute a
6493 command. The dispatcher offers the following default commands:
6496 Create the calendar-like agenda (@pxref{Weekly/daily agenda}).
6498 Create a list of all TODO items (@pxref{Global TODO list}).
6500 Create a list of headlines matching a TAGS expression (@pxref{Matching
6501 tags and properties}).
6503 Create the timeline view for the current buffer (@pxref{Timeline}).
6505 Create a list of entries selected by a boolean expression of keywords
6506 and/or regular expressions that must or must not occur in the entry.
6508 @vindex org-agenda-text-search-extra-files
6509 Search for a regular expression in all agenda files and additionally in
6510 the files listed in @code{org-agenda-text-search-extra-files}. This
6511 uses the Emacs command @code{multi-occur}. A prefix argument can be
6512 used to specify the number of context lines for each match, default is
6515 Create a list of stuck projects (@pxref{Stuck projects}).
6517 Restrict an agenda command to the current buffer@footnote{For backward
6518 compatibility, you can also press @kbd{1} to restrict to the current
6519 buffer.}. After pressing @kbd{<}, you still need to press the character
6520 selecting the command.
6522 If there is an active region, restrict the following agenda command to
6523 the region. Otherwise, restrict it to the current subtree@footnote{For
6524 backward compatibility, you can also press @kbd{0} to restrict to the
6525 current region/subtree.}. After pressing @kbd{< <}, you still need to press the
6526 character selecting the command.
6529 You can also define custom commands that will be accessible through the
6530 dispatcher, just like the default commands. This includes the
6531 possibility to create extended agenda buffers that contain several
6532 blocks together, for example the weekly agenda, the global TODO list and
6533 a number of special tags matches. @xref{Custom agenda views}.
6535 @node Built-in agenda views, Presentation and sorting, Agenda dispatcher, Agenda Views
6536 @section The built-in agenda views
6538 In this section we describe the built-in views.
6541 * Weekly/daily agenda:: The calendar page with current tasks
6542 * Global TODO list:: All unfinished action items
6543 * Matching tags and properties:: Structured information with fine-tuned search
6544 * Timeline:: Time-sorted view for single file
6545 * Search view:: Find entries by searching for text
6546 * Stuck projects:: Find projects you need to review
6549 @node Weekly/daily agenda, Global TODO list, Built-in agenda views, Built-in agenda views
6550 @subsection The weekly/daily agenda
6552 @cindex weekly agenda
6553 @cindex daily agenda
6555 The purpose of the weekly/daily @emph{agenda} is to act like a page of a
6556 paper agenda, showing all the tasks for the current week or day.
6559 @cindex org-agenda, command
6562 @vindex org-agenda-ndays
6563 Compile an agenda for the current week from a list of Org files. The agenda
6564 shows the entries for each day. With a numeric prefix@footnote{For backward
6565 compatibility, the universal prefix @kbd{C-u} causes all TODO entries to be
6566 listed before the agenda. This feature is deprecated, use the dedicated TODO
6567 list, or a block agenda instead (@pxref{Block agenda}).} (like @kbd{C-u 2 1
6568 C-c a a}) you may set the number of days to be displayed (see also the
6569 variable @code{org-agenda-ndays})
6572 Remote editing from the agenda buffer means, for example, that you can
6573 change the dates of deadlines and appointments from the agenda buffer.
6574 The commands available in the Agenda buffer are listed in @ref{Agenda
6577 @subsubheading Calendar/Diary integration
6578 @cindex calendar integration
6579 @cindex diary integration
6581 Emacs contains the calendar and diary by Edward M. Reingold. The
6582 calendar displays a three-month calendar with holidays from different
6583 countries and cultures. The diary allows you to keep track of
6584 anniversaries, lunar phases, sunrise/set, recurrent appointments
6585 (weekly, monthly) and more. In this way, it is quite complementary to
6586 Org. It can be very useful to combine output from Org with
6589 In order to include entries from the Emacs diary into Org mode's
6590 agenda, you only need to customize the variable
6593 (setq org-agenda-include-diary t)
6596 @noindent After that, everything will happen automatically. All diary
6597 entries including holidays, anniversaries, etc., will be included in the
6598 agenda buffer created by Org mode. @key{SPC}, @key{TAB}, and
6599 @key{RET} can be used from the agenda buffer to jump to the diary
6600 file in order to edit existing diary entries. The @kbd{i} command to
6601 insert new entries for the current date works in the agenda buffer, as
6602 well as the commands @kbd{S}, @kbd{M}, and @kbd{C} to display
6603 Sunrise/Sunset times, show lunar phases and to convert to other
6604 calendars, respectively. @kbd{c} can be used to switch back and forth
6605 between calendar and agenda.
6607 If you are using the diary only for sexp entries and holidays, it is
6608 faster to not use the above setting, but instead to copy or even move
6609 the entries into an Org file. Org mode evaluates diary-style sexp
6610 entries, and does it faster because there is no overhead for first
6611 creating the diary display. Note that the sexp entries must start at
6612 the left margin, no whitespace is allowed before them. For example,
6613 the following segment of an Org file will be processed and entries
6614 will be made in the agenda:
6617 * Birthdays and similar stuff
6619 %%(org-calendar-holiday) ; special function for holiday names
6621 %%(diary-anniversary 14 5 1956) Arthur Dent is %d years old
6622 %%(diary-anniversary 2 10 1869) Mahatma Gandhi would be %d years old
6625 @subsubheading Anniversaries from BBDB
6626 @cindex BBDB, anniversaries
6627 @cindex anniversaries, from BBDB
6629 If you are using the Big Brothers Database to store your contacts, you will
6630 very likely prefer to store anniversaries in BBDB rather than in a
6631 separate Org or diary file. Org supports this and will show BBDB
6632 anniversaries as part of the agenda. All you need to do is to add the
6633 following to one your your agenda files:
6640 %%(org-bbdb-anniversaries)
6643 You can then go ahead and define anniversaries for a BBDB record. Basically,
6644 you need to press @kbd{C-o anniversary @key{RET}} with the cursor in a BBDB
6645 record and then add the date in the format @code{YYYY-MM-DD}, followed by a
6646 space and the class of the anniversary (@samp{birthday} or @samp{wedding}, or
6647 a format string). If you omit the class, it will default to @samp{birthday}.
6648 Here are a few examples, the header for the file @file{org-bbdb.el} contains
6649 more detailed information.
6654 2008-04-14 %s released version 6.01 of org-mode, %d years ago
6657 After a change to BBDB, or for the first agenda display during an Emacs
6658 session, the agenda display will suffer a short delay as Org updates its
6659 hash with anniversaries. However, from then on things will be very fast---much
6660 faster in fact than a long list of @samp{%%(diary-anniversary)} entries
6661 in an Org or Diary file.
6663 @subsubheading Appointment reminders
6664 @cindex @file{appt.el}
6665 @cindex appointment reminders
6667 Org can interact with Emacs appointments notification facility. To add all
6668 the appointments of your agenda files, use the command
6669 @code{org-agenda-to-appt}. This command also lets you filter through the
6670 list of your appointments and add only those belonging to a specific category
6671 or matching a regular expression. See the docstring for details.
6673 @node Global TODO list, Matching tags and properties, Weekly/daily agenda, Built-in agenda views
6674 @subsection The global TODO list
6675 @cindex global TODO list
6676 @cindex TODO list, global
6678 The global TODO list contains all unfinished TODO items formatted and
6679 collected into a single place.
6684 Show the global TODO list. This collects the TODO items from all
6685 agenda files (@pxref{Agenda Views}) into a single buffer. The buffer is in
6686 @code{agenda-mode}, so there are commands to examine and manipulate
6687 the TODO entries directly from that buffer (@pxref{Agenda commands}).
6690 @cindex TODO keyword matching
6691 @vindex org-todo-keywords
6692 Like the above, but allows selection of a specific TODO keyword. You
6693 can also do this by specifying a prefix argument to @kbd{C-c a t}. With
6694 a @kbd{C-u} prefix you are prompted for a keyword, and you may also
6695 specify several keywords by separating them with @samp{|} as the boolean OR
6696 operator. With a numeric prefix, the nth keyword in
6697 @code{org-todo-keywords} is selected.
6699 The @kbd{r} key in the agenda buffer regenerates it, and you can give
6700 a prefix argument to this command to change the selected TODO keyword,
6701 for example @kbd{3 r}. If you often need a search for a specific
6702 keyword, define a custom command for it (@pxref{Agenda dispatcher}).@*
6703 Matching specific TODO keywords can also be done as part of a tags
6704 search (@pxref{Tag searches}).
6707 Remote editing of TODO items means that you can change the state of a
6708 TODO entry with a single key press. The commands available in the
6709 TODO list are described in @ref{Agenda commands}.
6711 @cindex sublevels, inclusion into TODO list
6712 Normally the global TODO list simply shows all headlines with TODO
6713 keywords. This list can become very long. There are two ways to keep
6717 @vindex org-agenda-todo-ignore-scheduled
6718 @vindex org-agenda-todo-ignore-deadlines
6719 @vindex org-agenda-todo-ignore-with-date
6720 Some people view a TODO item that has been @emph{scheduled} for execution or
6721 have a @emph{deadline} (@pxref{Timestamps}) as no longer @emph{open}.
6722 Configure the variables @code{org-agenda-todo-ignore-scheduled},
6723 @code{org-agenda-todo-ignore-deadlines}, and/or
6724 @code{org-agenda-todo-ignore-with-date} to exclude such items from the
6727 @vindex org-agenda-todo-list-sublevels
6728 TODO items may have sublevels to break up the task into subtasks. In
6729 such cases it may be enough to list only the highest level TODO headline
6730 and omit the sublevels from the global list. Configure the variable
6731 @code{org-agenda-todo-list-sublevels} to get this behavior.
6734 @node Matching tags and properties, Timeline, Global TODO list, Built-in agenda views
6735 @subsection Matching tags and properties
6736 @cindex matching, of tags
6737 @cindex matching, of properties
6741 If headlines in the agenda files are marked with @emph{tags} (@pxref{Tags}),
6742 or have properties (@pxref{Properties and Columns}), you can select headlines
6743 based on this metadata and collect them into an agenda buffer. The match
6744 syntax described here also applies when creating sparse trees with @kbd{C-c /
6750 Produce a list of all headlines that match a given set of tags. The
6751 command prompts for a selection criterion, which is a boolean logic
6752 expression with tags, like @samp{+work+urgent-withboss} or
6753 @samp{work|home} (@pxref{Tags}). If you often need a specific search,
6754 define a custom command for it (@pxref{Agenda dispatcher}).
6757 @vindex org-tags-match-list-sublevels
6758 @vindex org-agenda-tags-todo-honor-ignore-options
6759 Like @kbd{C-c a m}, but only select headlines that are also TODO items and
6760 force checking subitems (see variable @code{org-tags-match-list-sublevels}).
6761 To exclude scheduled/deadline items, see the variable
6762 @code{org-agenda-tags-todo-honor-ignore-options}. Matching specific TODO
6763 keywords together with a tags match is also possible, see @ref{Tag searches}.
6766 The commands available in the tags list are described in @ref{Agenda
6769 @subsubheading Match syntax
6771 @cindex Boolean logic, for tag/property searches
6772 A search string can use Boolean operators @samp{&} for AND and @samp{|} for
6773 OR. @samp{&} binds more strongly than @samp{|}. Parentheses are currently
6774 not implemented. Each element in the search is either a tag, a regular
6775 expression matching tags, or an expression like @code{PROPERTY OPERATOR
6776 VALUE} with a comparison operator, accessing a property value. Each element
6777 may be preceded by @samp{-}, to select against it, and @samp{+} is syntactic
6778 sugar for positive selection. The AND operator @samp{&} is optional when
6779 @samp{+} or @samp{-} is present. Here are some examples, using only tags.
6783 Select headlines tagged @samp{:work:}, but discard those also tagged
6786 Selects lines tagged @samp{:work:} or @samp{:laptop:}.
6787 @item work|laptop+night
6788 Like before, but require the @samp{:laptop:} lines to be tagged also
6792 @cindex regular expressions, with tags search
6793 Instead of a tag, you may also specify a regular expression enclosed in curly
6794 braces. For example,
6795 @samp{work+@{^boss.*@}} matches headlines that contain the tag
6796 @samp{:work:} and any tag @i{starting} with @samp{boss}.
6798 @cindex TODO keyword matching, with tags search
6799 @cindex level, require for tags/property match
6800 @cindex category, require for tags/property match
6801 @vindex org-odd-levels-only
6802 You may also test for properties (@pxref{Properties and Columns}) at the same
6803 time as matching tags. The properties may be real properties, or special
6804 properties that represent other metadata (@pxref{Special properties}). For
6805 example, the ``property'' @code{TODO} represents the TODO keyword of the
6806 entry. Or, the ``property'' @code{LEVEL} represents the level of an entry.
6807 So a search @samp{+LEVEL=3+boss-TODO="DONE"} lists all level three headlines
6808 that have the tag @samp{boss} and are @emph{not} marked with the TODO keyword
6809 DONE. In buffers with @code{org-odd-levels-only} set, @samp{LEVEL} does not
6810 count the number of stars, but @samp{LEVEL=2} will correspond to 3 stars etc.
6812 Here are more examples:
6814 @item work+TODO="WAITING"
6815 Select @samp{:work:}-tagged TODO lines with the specific TODO
6816 keyword @samp{WAITING}.
6817 @item work+TODO="WAITING"|home+TODO="WAITING"
6818 Waiting tasks both at work and at home.
6821 When matching properties, a number of different operators can be used to test
6822 the value of a property. Here is a complex example:
6825 +work-boss+PRIORITY="A"+Coffee="unlimited"+Effort<2 \
6826 +With=@{Sarah\|Denny@}+SCHEDULED>="<2008-10-11>"
6830 The type of comparison will depend on how the comparison value is written:
6833 If the comparison value is a plain number, a numerical comparison is done,
6834 and the allowed operators are @samp{<}, @samp{=}, @samp{>}, @samp{<=},
6835 @samp{>=}, and @samp{<>}.
6837 If the comparison value is enclosed in double-quotes,
6838 a string comparison is done, and the same operators are allowed.
6840 If the comparison value is enclosed in double-quotes @emph{and} angular
6841 brackets (like @samp{DEADLINE<="<2008-12-24 18:30>"}), both values are
6842 assumed to be date/time specifications in the standard Org way, and the
6843 comparison will be done accordingly. Special values that will be recognized
6844 are @code{"<now>"} for now (including time), and @code{"<today>"}, and
6845 @code{"<tomorrow>"} for these days at 0:00 hours, i.e. without a time
6846 specification. Also strings like @code{"<+5d>"} or @code{"<-2m>"} with units
6847 @code{d}, @code{w}, @code{m}, and @code{y} for day, week, month, and year,
6848 respectively, can be used.
6850 If the comparison value is enclosed
6851 in curly braces, a regexp match is performed, with @samp{=} meaning that the
6852 regexp matches the property value, and @samp{<>} meaning that it does not
6856 So the search string in the example finds entries tagged @samp{:work:} but
6857 not @samp{:boss:}, which also have a priority value @samp{A}, a
6858 @samp{:Coffee:} property with the value @samp{unlimited}, an @samp{Effort}
6859 property that is numerically smaller than 2, a @samp{:With:} property that is
6860 matched by the regular expression @samp{Sarah\|Denny}, and that are scheduled
6861 on or after October 11, 2008.
6863 Accessing TODO, LEVEL, and CATEGORY during a search is fast. Accessing any
6864 other properties will slow down the search. However, once you have paid the
6865 price by accessing one property, testing additional properties is cheap
6868 You can configure Org mode to use property inheritance during a search, but
6869 beware that this can slow down searches considerably. See @ref{Property
6870 inheritance}, for details.
6872 For backward compatibility, and also for typing speed, there is also a
6873 different way to test TODO states in a search. For this, terminate the
6874 tags/property part of the search string (which may include several terms
6875 connected with @samp{|}) with a @samp{/} and then specify a Boolean
6876 expression just for TODO keywords. The syntax is then similar to that for
6877 tags, but should be applied with care: for example, a positive
6878 selection on several TODO keywords cannot meaningfully be combined with
6879 boolean AND. However, @emph{negative selection} combined with AND can be
6880 meaningful. To make sure that only lines are checked that actually have any
6881 TODO keyword (resulting in a speed-up), use @kbd{C-c a M}, or equivalently
6882 start the TODO part after the slash with @samp{!}. Examples:
6886 Same as @samp{work+TODO="WAITING"}
6887 @item work/!-WAITING-NEXT
6888 Select @samp{:work:}-tagged TODO lines that are neither @samp{WAITING}
6890 @item work/!+WAITING|+NEXT
6891 Select @samp{:work:}-tagged TODO lines that are either @samp{WAITING} or
6895 @node Timeline, Search view, Matching tags and properties, Built-in agenda views
6896 @subsection Timeline for a single file
6897 @cindex timeline, single file
6898 @cindex time-sorted view
6900 The timeline summarizes all time-stamped items from a single Org mode
6901 file in a @emph{time-sorted view}. The main purpose of this command is
6902 to give an overview over events in a project.
6907 Show a time-sorted view of the Org file, with all time-stamped items.
6908 When called with a @kbd{C-u} prefix, all unfinished TODO entries
6909 (scheduled or not) are also listed under the current date.
6913 The commands available in the timeline buffer are listed in
6914 @ref{Agenda commands}.
6916 @node Search view, Stuck projects, Timeline, Built-in agenda views
6917 @subsection Search view
6920 @cindex searching, for text
6922 This agenda view is a general text search facility for Org mode entries.
6923 It is particularly useful to find notes.
6928 This is a special search that lets you select entries by matching a substring
6929 or specific words using a boolean logic.
6931 For example, the search string @samp{computer equipment} will find entries
6932 that contain @samp{computer equipment} as a substring. If the two words are
6933 separated by more space or a line break, the search will still match.
6934 Search view can also search for specific keywords in the entry, using Boolean
6935 logic. The search string @samp{+computer +wifi -ethernet -@{8\.11[bg]@}}
6936 will search for note entries that contain the keywords @code{computer}
6937 and @code{wifi}, but not the keyword @code{ethernet}, and which are also
6938 not matched by the regular expression @code{8\.11[bg]}, meaning to
6939 exclude both 8.11b and 8.11g.
6941 @vindex org-agenda-text-search-extra-files
6942 Note that in addition to the agenda files, this command will also search
6943 the files listed in @code{org-agenda-text-search-extra-files}.
6945 @node Stuck projects, , Search view, Built-in agenda views
6946 @subsection Stuck projects
6948 If you are following a system like David Allen's GTD to organize your
6949 work, one of the ``duties'' you have is a regular review to make sure
6950 that all projects move along. A @emph{stuck} project is a project that
6951 has no defined next actions, so it will never show up in the TODO lists
6952 Org mode produces. During the review, you need to identify such
6953 projects and define next actions for them.
6958 List projects that are stuck.
6961 @vindex org-stuck-projects
6962 Customize the variable @code{org-stuck-projects} to define what a stuck
6963 project is and how to find it.
6966 You almost certainly will have to configure this view before it will
6967 work for you. The built-in default assumes that all your projects are
6968 level-2 headlines, and that a project is not stuck if it has at least
6969 one entry marked with a TODO keyword TODO or NEXT or NEXTACTION.
6971 Let's assume that you, in your own way of using Org mode, identify
6972 projects with a tag PROJECT, and that you use a TODO keyword MAYBE to
6973 indicate a project that should not be considered yet. Let's further
6974 assume that the TODO keyword DONE marks finished projects, and that NEXT
6975 and TODO indicate next actions. The tag @@SHOP indicates shopping and
6976 is a next action even without the NEXT tag. Finally, if the project
6977 contains the special word IGNORE anywhere, it should not be listed
6978 either. In this case you would start by identifying eligible projects
6979 with a tags/todo match@footnote{@xref{Tag searches}.}
6980 @samp{+PROJECT/-MAYBE-DONE}, and then check for TODO, NEXT, @@SHOP, and
6981 IGNORE in the subtree to identify projects that are not stuck. The
6982 correct customization for this is
6985 (setq org-stuck-projects
6986 '("+PROJECT/-MAYBE-DONE" ("NEXT" "TODO") ("@@SHOP")
6990 Note that if a project is identified as non-stuck, the subtree of this entry
6991 will still be searched for stuck projects.
6993 @node Presentation and sorting, Agenda commands, Built-in agenda views, Agenda Views
6994 @section Presentation and sorting
6995 @cindex presentation, of agenda items
6997 @vindex org-agenda-prefix-format
6998 Before displaying items in an agenda view, Org mode visually prepares
6999 the items and sorts them. Each item occupies a single line. The line
7000 starts with a @emph{prefix} that contains the @emph{category}
7001 (@pxref{Categories}) of the item and other important information. You can
7002 customize the prefix using the option @code{org-agenda-prefix-format}.
7003 The prefix is followed by a cleaned-up version of the outline headline
7004 associated with the item.
7007 * Categories:: Not all tasks are equal
7008 * Time-of-day specifications:: How the agenda knows the time
7009 * Sorting of agenda items:: The order of things
7012 @node Categories, Time-of-day specifications, Presentation and sorting, Presentation and sorting
7013 @subsection Categories
7016 The category is a broad label assigned to each agenda item. By default,
7017 the category is simply derived from the file name, but you can also
7018 specify it with a special line in the buffer, like this@footnote{For
7019 backward compatibility, the following also works: if there are several
7020 such lines in a file, each specifies the category for the text below it.
7021 The first category also applies to any text before the first CATEGORY
7022 line. However, using this method is @emph{strongly} deprecated as it is
7023 incompatible with the outline structure of the document. The correct
7024 method for setting multiple categories in a buffer is using a
7032 @cindex property, CATEGORY
7033 If you would like to have a special CATEGORY for a single entry or a
7034 (sub)tree, give the entry a @code{:CATEGORY:} property with the
7035 special category you want to apply as the value.
7038 The display in the agenda buffer looks best if the category is not
7039 longer than 10 characters.
7041 @node Time-of-day specifications, Sorting of agenda items, Categories, Presentation and sorting
7042 @subsection Time-of-day specifications
7043 @cindex time-of-day specification
7045 Org mode checks each agenda item for a time-of-day specification. The
7046 time can be part of the timestamp that triggered inclusion into the
7047 agenda, for example as in @w{@samp{<2005-05-10 Tue 19:00>}}. Time
7048 ranges can be specified with two timestamps, like
7050 @w{@samp{<2005-05-10 Tue 20:30>--<2005-05-10 Tue 22:15>}}.
7052 In the headline of the entry itself, a time(range) may also appear as
7053 plain text (like @samp{12:45} or a @samp{8:30-1pm}). If the agenda
7054 integrates the Emacs diary (@pxref{Weekly/daily agenda}), time
7055 specifications in diary entries are recognized as well.
7057 For agenda display, Org mode extracts the time and displays it in a
7058 standard 24 hour format as part of the prefix. The example times in
7059 the previous paragraphs would end up in the agenda like this:
7062 8:30-13:00 Arthur Dent lies in front of the bulldozer
7063 12:45...... Ford Prefect arrives and takes Arthur to the pub
7064 19:00...... The Vogon reads his poem
7065 20:30-22:15 Marvin escorts the Hitchhikers to the bridge
7069 If the agenda is in single-day mode, or for the display of today, the
7070 timed entries are embedded in a time grid, like
7073 8:00...... ------------------
7074 8:30-13:00 Arthur Dent lies in front of the bulldozer
7075 10:00...... ------------------
7076 12:00...... ------------------
7077 12:45...... Ford Prefect arrives and takes Arthur to the pub
7078 14:00...... ------------------
7079 16:00...... ------------------
7080 18:00...... ------------------
7081 19:00...... The Vogon reads his poem
7082 20:00...... ------------------
7083 20:30-22:15 Marvin escorts the Hitchhikers to the bridge
7086 @vindex org-agenda-use-time-grid
7087 @vindex org-agenda-time-grid
7088 The time grid can be turned on and off with the variable
7089 @code{org-agenda-use-time-grid}, and can be configured with
7090 @code{org-agenda-time-grid}.
7092 @node Sorting of agenda items, , Time-of-day specifications, Presentation and sorting
7093 @subsection Sorting of agenda items
7094 @cindex sorting, of agenda items
7095 @cindex priorities, of agenda items
7096 Before being inserted into a view, the items are sorted. How this is
7097 done depends on the type of view.
7100 @vindex org-agenda-files
7101 For the daily/weekly agenda, the items for each day are sorted. The
7102 default order is to first collect all items containing an explicit
7103 time-of-day specification. These entries will be shown at the beginning
7104 of the list, as a @emph{schedule} for the day. After that, items remain
7105 grouped in categories, in the sequence given by @code{org-agenda-files}.
7106 Within each category, items are sorted by priority (@pxref{Priorities}),
7107 which is composed of the base priority (2000 for priority @samp{A}, 1000
7108 for @samp{B}, and 0 for @samp{C}), plus additional increments for
7109 overdue scheduled or deadline items.
7111 For the TODO list, items remain in the order of categories, but within
7112 each category, sorting takes place according to priority
7113 (@pxref{Priorities}). The priority used for sorting derives from the
7114 priority cookie, with additions depending on how close an item is to its due
7117 For tags matches, items are not sorted at all, but just appear in the
7118 sequence in which they are found in the agenda files.
7121 @vindex org-agenda-sorting-strategy
7122 Sorting can be customized using the variable
7123 @code{org-agenda-sorting-strategy}, and may also include criteria based on
7124 the estimated effort of an entry (@pxref{Effort estimates}).
7126 @node Agenda commands, Custom agenda views, Presentation and sorting, Agenda Views
7127 @section Commands in the agenda buffer
7128 @cindex commands, in agenda buffer
7130 Entries in the agenda buffer are linked back to the Org file or diary
7131 file where they originate. You are not allowed to edit the agenda
7132 buffer itself, but commands are provided to show and jump to the
7133 original entry location, and to edit the Org files ``remotely'' from
7134 the agenda buffer. In this way, all information is stored only once,
7135 removing the risk that your agenda and note files may diverge.
7137 Some commands can be executed with mouse clicks on agenda lines. For
7138 the other commands, the cursor needs to be in the desired line.
7141 @tsubheading{Motion}
7142 @cindex motion commands in agenda
7145 Next line (same as @key{up} and @kbd{C-p}).
7148 Previous line (same as @key{down} and @kbd{C-n}).
7149 @tsubheading{View/Go to Org file}
7154 Display the original location of the item in another window.
7155 With prefix arg, make sure that the entire entry is made visible in the
7156 outline, not only the heading.
7160 Display original location and recenter that window.
7168 Go to the original location of the item in another window. Under Emacs
7169 22, @kbd{mouse-1} will also works for this.
7173 Go to the original location of the item and delete other windows.
7177 @vindex org-agenda-start-with-follow-mode
7178 Toggle Follow mode. In Follow mode, as you move the cursor through
7179 the agenda buffer, the other window always shows the corresponding
7180 location in the Org file. The initial setting for this mode in new
7181 agenda buffers can be set with the variable
7182 @code{org-agenda-start-with-follow-mode}.
7186 Display the entire subtree of the current item in an indirect buffer. With a
7187 numeric prefix argument N, go up to level N and then take that tree. If N is
7188 negative, go up that many levels. With a @kbd{C-u} prefix, do not remove the
7189 previously used indirect buffer.
7193 Follow a link in the entry. This will offer a selection of any links in the
7194 text belonging to the referenced Org node. If there is only one link, it
7195 will be followed without a selection prompt.
7197 @tsubheading{Change display}
7198 @cindex display changing, in agenda
7201 Delete other windows.
7209 @item v d @ @r{or short} @ d
7210 @itemx v w @ @r{or short} @ w
7213 Switch to day/week/month/year view. When switching to day or week view,
7214 this setting becomes the default for subsequent agenda commands. Since
7215 month and year views are slow to create, they do not become the default.
7216 A numeric prefix argument may be used to jump directly to a specific day
7217 of the year, ISO week, month, or year, respectively. For example,
7218 @kbd{32 d} jumps to February 1st, @kbd{9 w} to ISO week number 9. When
7219 setting day, week, or month view, a year may be encoded in the prefix
7220 argument as well. For example, @kbd{200712 w} will jump to week 12 in
7221 2007. If such a year specification has only one or two digits, it will
7222 be mapped to the interval 1938-2037.
7226 @vindex org-agenda-ndays
7227 Go forward in time to display the following @code{org-agenda-ndays} days.
7228 For example, if the display covers a week, switch to the following week.
7229 With prefix arg, go forward that many times @code{org-agenda-ndays} days.
7233 Go backward in time to display earlier dates.
7241 Prompt for a date and go there.
7245 Toggle the inclusion of diary entries. See @ref{Weekly/daily agenda}.
7249 @item v l @ @r{or short} @ l
7250 @vindex org-log-done
7251 @vindex org-agenda-log-mode-items
7252 Toggle Logbook mode. In Logbook mode, entries that were marked DONE while
7253 logging was on (variable @code{org-log-done}) are shown in the agenda, as are
7254 entries that have been clocked on that day. You can configure the entry
7255 types that should be included in log mode using the variable
7256 @code{org-agenda-log-mode-items}. When called with a @kbd{C-u} prefix, show
7257 all possible logbook entries, including state changes. When called with two
7258 prefix args @kbd{C-u C-u}, show only logging information, nothing else.
7262 @item v [ @ @r{or short} @ [
7263 Include inactive timestamps into the current view. Only for weekly/daily
7264 agenda and timeline views.
7270 Toggle Archives mode. In Archives mode, trees that are marked
7271 @code{ARCHIVED} are also scanned when producing the agenda. When you use the
7272 capital @kbd{A}, even all archive files are included. To exit archives mode,
7273 press @kbd{v a} again.
7277 @item v R @ @r{or short} @ R
7278 @vindex org-agenda-start-with-clockreport-mode
7279 Toggle Clockreport mode. In Clockreport mode, the daily/weekly agenda will
7280 always show a table with the clocked times for the timespan and file scope
7281 covered by the current agenda view. The initial setting for this mode in new
7282 agenda buffers can be set with the variable
7283 @code{org-agenda-start-with-clockreport-mode}.
7287 @item v E @ @r{or short} @ E
7288 @vindex org-agenda-start-with-entry-text-mode
7289 @vindex org-agenda-entry-text-maxlines
7290 Toggle entry text mode. In entry text mode, a number of lines from the Org
7291 outline node referenced by an agenda line will be displayed below the line.
7292 The maximum number of lines is given by the variable
7293 @code{org-agenda-entry-text-maxlines}. Calling this command with a numeric
7294 prefix argument will temporarily modify that number to the prefix value.
7298 @vindex org-agenda-use-time-grid
7299 @vindex org-agenda-time-grid
7300 Toggle the time grid on and off. See also the variables
7301 @code{org-agenda-use-time-grid} and @code{org-agenda-time-grid}.
7305 Recreate the agenda buffer, for example to reflect the changes after
7306 modification of the timestamps of items with @kbd{S-@key{left}} and
7307 @kbd{S-@key{right}}. When the buffer is the global TODO list, a prefix
7308 argument is interpreted to create a selective list for a specific TODO
7318 Save all Org buffers in the current Emacs session, and also the locations of
7323 @vindex org-columns-default-format
7324 Invoke column view (@pxref{Column view}) in the agenda buffer. The column
7325 view format is taken from the entry at point, or (if there is no entry at
7326 point), from the first entry in the agenda view. So whatever the format for
7327 that entry would be in the original buffer (taken from a property, from a
7328 @code{#+COLUMNS} line, or from the default variable
7329 @code{org-columns-default-format}), will be used in the agenda.
7333 Remove the restriction lock on the agenda, if it is currently restricted to a
7334 file or subtree (@pxref{Agenda files}).
7336 @tsubheading{Secondary filtering and query editing}
7337 @cindex filtering, by tag and effort, in agenda
7338 @cindex tag filtering, in agenda
7339 @cindex effort filtering, in agenda
7340 @cindex query editing, in agenda
7344 @vindex org-agenda-filter-preset
7345 Filter the current agenda view with respect to a tag and/or effort estimates.
7346 The difference between this and a custom agenda command is that filtering is
7347 very fast, so that you can switch quickly between different filters without
7348 having to recreate the agenda@footnote{Custom commands can preset a filter by
7349 binding the variable @code{org-agenda-filter-preset} as an option. This
7350 filter will then be applied to the view and persist as a basic filter through
7351 refreshes and more secondary filtering.}
7353 You will be prompted for a tag selection letter, SPC will mean any tag at
7354 all. Pressing @key{TAB} at that prompt will offer use completion to select a
7355 tag (including any tags that do not have a selection character). The command
7356 then hides all entries that do not contain or inherit this tag. When called
7357 with prefix arg, remove the entries that @emph{do} have the tag. A second
7358 @kbd{/} at the prompt will turn off the filter and unhide any hidden entries.
7359 If the first key you press is either @kbd{+} or @kbd{-}, the previous filter
7360 will be narrowed by requiring or forbidding the selected additional tag.
7361 Instead of pressing @kbd{+} or @kbd{-} after @kbd{/}, you can also
7362 immediately use the @kbd{\} command.
7364 @vindex org-sort-agenda-noeffort-is-high
7365 In order to filter for effort estimates, you should set-up allowed
7366 efforts globally, for example
7368 (setq org-global-properties
7369 '(("Effort_ALL". "0 0:10 0:30 1:00 2:00 3:00 4:00")))
7371 You can then filter for an effort by first typing an operator, one of
7372 @kbd{<}, @kbd{>}, and @kbd{=}, and then the one-digit index of an effort
7373 estimate in your array of allowed values, where @kbd{0} means the 10th value.
7374 The filter will then restrict to entries with effort smaller-or-equal, equal,
7375 or larger-or-equal than the selected value. If the digits 0-9 are not used
7376 as fast access keys to tags, you can also simply press the index digit
7377 directly without an operator. In this case, @kbd{<} will be assumed. For
7378 application of the operator, entries without a defined effort will be treated
7379 according to the value of @code{org-sort-agenda-noeffort-is-high}. To filter
7380 for tasks without effort definition, press @kbd{?} as the operator.
7382 Org also supports automatic, context-aware tag filtering. If the variable
7383 @code{org-agenda-auto-exclude-function} is set to a user-defined function,
7384 that function can decide which tags should be excluded from the agenda
7385 automatically. Once this is set, the @kbd{/} command then accepts @kbd{RET}
7386 as a sub-option key and runs the auto exclusion logic. For example, let's
7387 say you use a @code{Net} tag to identify tasks which need network access, an
7388 @code{Errand} tag for errands in town, and a @code{Call} tag for making phone
7389 calls. You could auto-exclude these tags based on the availability of the
7390 Internet, and outside of business hours, with something like this:
7394 (defun org-my-auto-exclude-function (tag)
7396 ((string= tag "Net")
7397 (/= 0 (call-process "/sbin/ping" nil nil nil
7398 "-c1" "-q" "-t1" "mail.gnu.org")))
7399 ((or (string= tag "Errand") (string= tag "Call"))
7400 (let ((hour (nth 2 (decode-time))))
7401 (or (< hour 8) (> hour 21)))))
7404 (setq org-agenda-auto-exclude-function 'org-my-auto-exclude-function)
7410 Narrow the current agenda filter by an additional condition. When called with
7411 prefix arg, remove the entries that @emph{do} have the tag, or that do match
7412 the effort criterion. You can achieve the same effect by pressing @kbd{+} or
7413 @kbd{-} as the first key after the @kbd{/} command.
7421 @item @r{in} search view
7422 add new search words (@kbd{[} and @kbd{]}) or new regular expressions
7423 (@kbd{@{} and @kbd{@}}) to the query string. The opening bracket/brace will
7424 add a positive search term prefixed by @samp{+}, indicating that this search
7425 term @i{must} occur/match in the entry. The closing bracket/brace will add a
7426 negative search term which @i{must not} occur/match in the entry for it to be
7431 @tsubheading{Remote editing}
7432 @cindex remote editing, from agenda
7437 @cindex undoing remote-editing events
7438 @cindex remote editing, undo
7441 Undo a change due to a remote editing command. The change is undone
7442 both in the agenda buffer and in the remote buffer.
7446 Change the TODO state of the item, both in the agenda and in the
7449 @kindex C-S-@key{right}
7450 @kindex C-S-@key{left}
7451 @item C-S-@key{right}@r{/}@key{left}
7452 Switch to the next/previous set of TODO keywords.
7456 @vindex org-agenda-confirm-kill
7457 Delete the current agenda item along with the entire subtree belonging
7458 to it in the original Org file. If the text to be deleted remotely
7459 is longer than one line, the kill needs to be confirmed by the user. See
7460 variable @code{org-agenda-confirm-kill}.
7464 Refile the entry at point.
7468 @item C-c C-x C-a @ @r{or short} @ a
7469 @vindex org-archive-default-command
7470 Archive the subtree corresponding to the entry at point using the default
7471 archiving command set in @code{org-archive-default-command}. When using the
7472 @code{a} key, confirmation will be required.
7476 Toggle the ARCHIVE tag for the current headline.
7480 Move the subtree corresponding to the current entry to its @emph{archive
7485 @item C-c C-x C-s @ @r{or short} @ $
7486 Archive the subtree corresponding to the current headline. This means the
7487 entry will be moved to the configured archive location, most likely a
7492 @vindex org-agenda-show-inherited-tags
7493 Show all tags associated with the current item. This is useful if you have
7494 turned off @code{org-agenda-show-inherited-tags}, but still want to see all
7495 tags of a headline occasionally.
7499 Set tags for the current headline. If there is an active region in the
7500 agenda, change a tag for all headings in the region.
7504 Set the priority for the current item. Org mode prompts for the
7505 priority character. If you reply with @key{SPC}, the priority cookie
7506 is removed from the entry.
7510 Display weighted priority of current item.
7516 Increase the priority of the current item. The priority is changed in
7517 the original buffer, but the agenda is not resorted. Use the @kbd{r}
7521 @kindex S-@key{down}
7524 Decrease the priority of the current item.
7528 @vindex org-log-into-drawer
7529 Add a note to the entry. This note will be recorded, and then files to the
7530 same location where state change notes are put. Depending on
7531 @code{org-log-into-drawer}, this maybe inside a drawer.
7535 Dispatcher for all command related to attachments.
7543 Set a deadline for this item.
7547 Agenda actions, to set dates for selected items to the cursor date.
7548 This command also works in the calendar! The command prompts for an
7551 m @r{Mark the entry at point for action. You can also make entries}
7552 @r{in Org files with @kbd{C-c C-x C-k}.}
7553 d @r{Set the deadline of the marked entry to the date at point.}
7554 s @r{Schedule the marked entry at the date at point.}
7555 r @r{Call @code{org-remember} with the cursor date as default date.}
7558 Press @kbd{r} afterward to refresh the agenda and see the effect of the
7561 @kindex S-@key{right}
7563 Change the timestamp associated with the current line by one day into the
7564 future. With a numeric prefix argument, change it by that many days. For
7565 example, @kbd{3 6 5 S-@key{right}} will change it by a year. With a
7566 @kbd{C-u} prefix, change the time by one hour. If you immediately repeat the
7567 command, it will continue to change hours even without the prefix arg. With
7568 a double @kbd{C-u C-u} prefix, do the same for changing minutes. The stamp
7569 is changed in the original Org file, but the change is not directly reflected
7570 in the agenda buffer. Use @kbd{r} or @kbd{g} to update the buffer.
7572 @kindex S-@key{left}
7574 Change the timestamp associated with the current line by one day
7579 Change the timestamp associated with the current line to today.
7580 The key @kbd{>} has been chosen, because it is the same as @kbd{S-.}
7585 Start the clock on the current item. If a clock is running already, it
7590 Stop the previously started clock.
7594 Cancel the currently running clock.
7598 Jump to the running clock in another window.
7600 @tsubheading{Bulk remote editing selected entries}
7601 @cindex remote editing, bulk, from agenda
7605 Mark the entry at point for bulk action.
7609 Unmark entry for bulk action.
7613 Unmark all marked entries for bulk action.
7617 Bulk action: act on all marked entries in the agenda. This will prompt for
7618 another key to select the action to be applied:
7620 r @r{Prompt for a single refile target and move all entries. The entries}
7621 @r{will no longer be in the agenda, refresh (@kbd{g}) to bring them back.}
7622 $ @r{Archive all selected entries.}
7623 A @r{Archive entries by moving them to their respective archive siblings.}
7624 t @r{Change TODO state. This prompts for a single TODO keyword and}
7625 @r{changes the state of all selected entries, bypassing blocking and}
7626 @r{suppressing logging notes (but not time stamps).}
7627 + @r{Add a tag to all selected entries.}
7628 - @r{Remove a tag from all selected entries.}
7629 s @r{Schedule all items to a new date. To shift existing schedule dates}
7630 @r{by a fixed number of days, use something starting with double plus}
7631 @r{at the prompt, for example @samp{++8d} or @samp{++2w}.}
7632 d @r{Set deadline to a specific date.}
7636 @tsubheading{Calendar commands}
7637 @cindex calendar commands, from agenda
7640 Open the Emacs calendar and move to the date at the agenda cursor.
7643 When in the calendar, compute and show the Org mode agenda for the
7646 @cindex diary entries, creating from agenda
7649 @vindex org-agenda-diary-file
7650 Insert a new entry into the diary, using the date at the cursor and (for
7651 block entries) the date at the mark. This will add to the Emacs diary
7652 file@footnote{This file is parsed for the agenda when
7653 @code{org-agenda-include-diary} is set.}, in a way similar to the @kbd{i}
7654 command in the calendar. The diary file will pop up in another window, where
7655 you can add the entry.
7657 If you configure @code{org-agenda-diary-file} to point to an Org-mode file,
7658 Org will create entries (in org-mode syntax) in that file instead. Most
7659 entries will be stored in a date-based outline tree that will later make it
7660 easy to archive appointments from previous months/years. The tree will be
7661 build under an entry with a @code{DATE_TREE} property, or else with years as
7662 top-level entries. Emacs will prompt you for the entry text - if you specify
7663 it, the entry will be created in @code{org-agenda-diary-file} without further
7664 interaction. If you directly press @key{RET} at the prompt without typing
7665 text, the target file will be shown in another window for you to finish the
7666 entry there. See also the @kbd{k r} command.
7670 Show the phases of the moon for the three months around current date.
7674 Show sunrise and sunset times. The geographical location must be set
7675 with calendar variables, see the documentation for the Emacs calendar.
7679 Convert the date at cursor into many other cultural and historic
7684 Show holidays for three months around the cursor date.
7686 @item M-x org-export-icalendar-combine-agenda-files
7687 Export a single iCalendar file containing entries from all agenda files.
7688 This is a globally available command, and also available in the agenda menu.
7690 @tsubheading{Exporting to a file}
7693 @cindex exporting agenda views
7694 @cindex agenda views, exporting
7695 @vindex org-agenda-exporter-settings
7696 Write the agenda view to a file. Depending on the extension of the selected
7697 file name, the view will be exported as HTML (extension @file{.html} or
7698 @file{.htm}), Postscript (extension @file{.ps}), PDF (extension @file{.pdf}),
7699 and plain text (any other extension). When called with a @kbd{C-u} prefix
7700 argument, immediately open the newly created file. Use the variable
7701 @code{org-agenda-exporter-settings} to set options for @file{ps-print} and
7702 for @file{htmlize} to be used during export.
7704 @tsubheading{Quit and Exit}
7707 Quit agenda, remove the agenda buffer.
7710 @cindex agenda files, removing buffers
7712 Exit agenda, remove the agenda buffer and all buffers loaded by Emacs
7713 for the compilation of the agenda. Buffers created by the user to
7714 visit Org files will not be removed.
7718 @node Custom agenda views, Exporting Agenda Views, Agenda commands, Agenda Views
7719 @section Custom agenda views
7720 @cindex custom agenda views
7721 @cindex agenda views, custom
7723 Custom agenda commands serve two purposes: to store and quickly access
7724 frequently used TODO and tags searches, and to create special composite
7725 agenda buffers. Custom agenda commands will be accessible through the
7726 dispatcher (@pxref{Agenda dispatcher}), just like the default commands.
7729 * Storing searches:: Type once, use often
7730 * Block agenda:: All the stuff you need in a single buffer
7731 * Setting Options:: Changing the rules
7734 @node Storing searches, Block agenda, Custom agenda views, Custom agenda views
7735 @subsection Storing searches
7737 The first application of custom searches is the definition of keyboard
7738 shortcuts for frequently used searches, either creating an agenda
7739 buffer, or a sparse tree (the latter covering of course only the current
7742 @vindex org-agenda-custom-commands
7743 Custom commands are configured in the variable
7744 @code{org-agenda-custom-commands}. You can customize this variable, for
7745 example by pressing @kbd{C-c a C}. You can also directly set it with
7746 Emacs Lisp in @file{.emacs}. The following example contains all valid
7751 (setq org-agenda-custom-commands
7752 '(("w" todo "WAITING")
7753 ("W" todo-tree "WAITING")
7754 ("u" tags "+boss-urgent")
7755 ("v" tags-todo "+boss-urgent")
7756 ("U" tags-tree "+boss-urgent")
7757 ("f" occur-tree "\\<FIXME\\>")
7758 ("h" . "HOME+Name tags searches") ; description for "h" prefix
7759 ("hl" tags "+home+Lisa")
7760 ("hp" tags "+home+Peter")
7761 ("hk" tags "+home+Kim")))
7766 The initial string in each entry defines the keys you have to press
7767 after the dispatcher command @kbd{C-c a} in order to access the command.
7768 Usually this will be just a single character, but if you have many
7769 similar commands, you can also define two-letter combinations where the
7770 first character is the same in several combinations and serves as a
7771 prefix key@footnote{You can provide a description for a prefix key by
7772 inserting a cons cell with the prefix and the description.}. The second
7773 parameter is the search type, followed by the string or regular
7774 expression to be used for the matching. The example above will
7779 as a global search for TODO entries with @samp{WAITING} as the TODO
7782 as the same search, but only in the current buffer and displaying the
7783 results as a sparse tree
7785 as a global tags search for headlines marked @samp{:boss:} but not
7788 as the same search as @kbd{C-c a u}, but limiting the search to
7789 headlines that are also TODO items
7791 as the same search as @kbd{C-c a u}, but only in the current buffer and
7792 displaying the result as a sparse tree
7794 to create a sparse tree (again: current buffer only) with all entries
7795 containing the word @samp{FIXME}
7797 as a prefix command for a HOME tags search where you have to press an
7798 additional key (@kbd{l}, @kbd{p} or @kbd{k}) to select a name (Lisa,
7799 Peter, or Kim) as additional tag to match.
7802 @node Block agenda, Setting Options, Storing searches, Custom agenda views
7803 @subsection Block agenda
7804 @cindex block agenda
7805 @cindex agenda, with block views
7807 Another possibility is the construction of agenda views that comprise
7808 the results of @emph{several} commands, each of which creates a block in
7809 the agenda buffer. The available commands include @code{agenda} for the
7810 daily or weekly agenda (as created with @kbd{C-c a a}), @code{alltodo}
7811 for the global TODO list (as constructed with @kbd{C-c a t}), and the
7812 matching commands discussed above: @code{todo}, @code{tags}, and
7813 @code{tags-todo}. Here are two examples:
7817 (setq org-agenda-custom-commands
7818 '(("h" "Agenda and Home-related tasks"
7822 ("o" "Agenda and Office-related tasks"
7830 This will define @kbd{C-c a h} to create a multi-block view for stuff
7831 you need to attend to at home. The resulting agenda buffer will contain
7832 your agenda for the current week, all TODO items that carry the tag
7833 @samp{home}, and also all lines tagged with @samp{garden}. Finally the
7834 command @kbd{C-c a o} provides a similar view for office tasks.
7836 @node Setting Options, , Block agenda, Custom agenda views
7837 @subsection Setting options for custom commands
7838 @cindex options, for custom agenda views
7840 @vindex org-agenda-custom-commands
7841 Org mode contains a number of variables regulating agenda construction
7842 and display. The global variables define the behavior for all agenda
7843 commands, including the custom commands. However, if you want to change
7844 some settings just for a single custom view, you can do so. Setting
7845 options requires inserting a list of variable names and values at the
7846 right spot in @code{org-agenda-custom-commands}. For example:
7850 (setq org-agenda-custom-commands
7851 '(("w" todo "WAITING"
7852 ((org-agenda-sorting-strategy '(priority-down))
7853 (org-agenda-prefix-format " Mixed: ")))
7854 ("U" tags-tree "+boss-urgent"
7855 ((org-show-following-heading nil)
7856 (org-show-hierarchy-above nil)))
7858 ((org-agenda-files '("~org/notes.org"))
7859 (org-agenda-text-search-extra-files nil)))))
7864 Now the @kbd{C-c a w} command will sort the collected entries only by
7865 priority, and the prefix format is modified to just say @samp{ Mixed: }
7866 instead of giving the category of the entry. The sparse tags tree of
7867 @kbd{C-c a U} will now turn out ultra-compact, because neither the
7868 headline hierarchy above the match, nor the headline following the match
7869 will be shown. The command @kbd{C-c a N} will do a text search limited
7870 to only a single file.
7872 @vindex org-agenda-custom-commands
7873 For command sets creating a block agenda,
7874 @code{org-agenda-custom-commands} has two separate spots for setting
7875 options. You can add options that should be valid for just a single
7876 command in the set, and options that should be valid for all commands in
7877 the set. The former are just added to the command entry, the latter
7878 must come after the list of command entries. Going back to the block
7879 agenda example (@pxref{Block agenda}), let's change the sorting strategy
7880 for the @kbd{C-c a h} commands to @code{priority-down}, but let's sort
7881 the results for GARDEN tags query in the opposite order,
7882 @code{priority-up}. This would look like this:
7886 (setq org-agenda-custom-commands
7887 '(("h" "Agenda and Home-related tasks"
7891 ((org-agenda-sorting-strategy '(priority-up)))))
7892 ((org-agenda-sorting-strategy '(priority-down))))
7893 ("o" "Agenda and Office-related tasks"
7900 As you see, the values and parentheses setting is a little complex.
7901 When in doubt, use the customize interface to set this variable---it
7902 fully supports its structure. Just one caveat: when setting options in
7903 this interface, the @emph{values} are just Lisp expressions. So if the
7904 value is a string, you need to add the double-quotes around the value
7908 @node Exporting Agenda Views, Agenda column view, Custom agenda views, Agenda Views
7909 @section Exporting Agenda Views
7910 @cindex agenda views, exporting
7912 If you are away from your computer, it can be very useful to have a printed
7913 version of some agenda views to carry around. Org mode can export custom
7914 agenda views as plain text, HTML@footnote{You need to install Hrvoje Niksic's
7915 @file{htmlize.el}.}, Postscript, PDF@footnote{To create PDF output, the
7916 ghostscript @file{ps2pdf} utility must be installed on the system. Selecting
7917 a PDF file with also create the postscript file.}, and iCalendar files. If
7918 you want to do this only occasionally, use the command
7923 @cindex exporting agenda views
7924 @cindex agenda views, exporting
7925 @vindex org-agenda-exporter-settings
7926 Write the agenda view to a file. Depending on the extension of the selected
7927 file name, the view will be exported as HTML (extension @file{.html} or
7928 @file{.htm}), Postscript (extension @file{.ps}), iCalendar (extension
7929 @file{.ics}), or plain text (any other extension). Use the variable
7930 @code{org-agenda-exporter-settings} to set options for @file{ps-print} and
7931 for @file{htmlize} to be used during export, for example
7933 @vindex org-agenda-add-entry-text-maxlines
7934 @vindex htmlize-output-type
7935 @vindex ps-number-of-columns
7936 @vindex ps-landscape-mode
7938 (setq org-agenda-exporter-settings
7939 '((ps-number-of-columns 2)
7940 (ps-landscape-mode t)
7941 (org-agenda-add-entry-text-maxlines 5)
7942 (htmlize-output-type 'css)))
7946 If you need to export certain agenda views frequently, you can associate
7947 any custom agenda command with a list of output file names
7948 @footnote{If you want to store standard views like the weekly agenda
7949 or the global TODO list as well, you need to define custom commands for
7950 them in order to be able to specify file names.}. Here is an example
7951 that first defines custom commands for the agenda and the global
7952 TODO list, together with a number of files to which to export them.
7953 Then we define two block agenda commands and specify file names for them
7954 as well. File names can be relative to the current working directory,
7959 (setq org-agenda-custom-commands
7960 '(("X" agenda "" nil ("agenda.html" "agenda.ps"))
7961 ("Y" alltodo "" nil ("todo.html" "todo.txt" "todo.ps"))
7962 ("h" "Agenda and Home-related tasks"
7967 ("~/views/home.html"))
7968 ("o" "Agenda and Office-related tasks"
7973 ("~/views/office.ps" "~/calendars/office.ics"))))
7977 The extension of the file name determines the type of export. If it is
7978 @file{.html}, Org mode will use the @file{htmlize.el} package to convert
7979 the buffer to HTML and save it to this file name. If the extension is
7980 @file{.ps}, @code{ps-print-buffer-with-faces} is used to produce
7981 Postscript output. If the extension is @file{.ics}, iCalendar export is
7982 run export over all files that were used to construct the agenda, and
7983 limit the export to entries listed in the agenda. Any other
7984 extension produces a plain ASCII file.
7986 The export files are @emph{not} created when you use one of those
7987 commands interactively because this might use too much overhead.
7988 Instead, there is a special command to produce @emph{all} specified
7994 Export all agenda views that have export file names associated with
7998 You can use the options section of the custom agenda commands to also
7999 set options for the export commands. For example:
8002 (setq org-agenda-custom-commands
8004 ((ps-number-of-columns 2)
8005 (ps-landscape-mode t)
8006 (org-agenda-prefix-format " [ ] ")
8007 (org-agenda-with-colors nil)
8008 (org-agenda-remove-tags t))
8013 This command sets two options for the Postscript exporter, to make it
8014 print in two columns in landscape format---the resulting page can be cut
8015 in two and then used in a paper agenda. The remaining settings modify
8016 the agenda prefix to omit category and scheduling information, and
8017 instead include a checkbox to check off items. We also remove the tags
8018 to make the lines compact, and we don't want to use colors for the
8019 black-and-white printer. Settings specified in
8020 @code{org-agenda-exporter-settings} will also apply, but the settings
8021 in @code{org-agenda-custom-commands} take precedence.
8024 From the command line you may also use
8026 emacs -f org-batch-store-agenda-views -kill
8029 or, if you need to modify some parameters@footnote{Quoting depends on the
8030 system you use, please check the FAQ for examples.}
8032 emacs -eval '(org-batch-store-agenda-views \
8033 org-agenda-ndays 30 \
8034 org-agenda-start-day "2007-11-01" \
8035 org-agenda-include-diary nil \
8036 org-agenda-files (quote ("~/org/project.org")))' \
8040 which will create the agenda views restricted to the file
8041 @file{~/org/project.org}, without diary entries and with a 30-day
8044 You can also extract agenda information in a way that allows further
8045 processing by other programs. See @ref{Extracting agenda information}, for
8049 @node Agenda column view, , Exporting Agenda Views, Agenda Views
8050 @section Using column view in the agenda
8051 @cindex column view, in agenda
8052 @cindex agenda, column view
8054 Column view (@pxref{Column view}) is normally used to view and edit
8055 properties embedded in the hierarchical structure of an Org file. It can be
8056 quite useful to use column view also from the agenda, where entries are
8057 collected by certain criteria.
8062 Turn on column view in the agenda.
8065 To understand how to use this properly, it is important to realize that the
8066 entries in the agenda are no longer in their proper outline environment.
8067 This causes the following issues:
8071 @vindex org-columns-default-format
8072 @vindex org-overriding-columns-format
8073 Org needs to make a decision which @code{COLUMNS} format to use. Since the
8074 entries in the agenda are collected from different files, and different files
8075 may have different @code{COLUMNS} formats, this is a non-trivial problem.
8076 Org first checks if the variable @code{org-overriding-columns-format} is
8077 currently set, and if so, takes the format from there. Otherwise it takes
8078 the format associated with the first item in the agenda, or, if that item
8079 does not have a specific format (defined in a property, or in its file), it
8080 uses @code{org-columns-default-format}.
8082 @cindex property, special, CLOCKSUM
8083 If any of the columns has a summary type defined (@pxref{Column attributes}),
8084 turning on column view in the agenda will visit all relevant agenda files and
8085 make sure that the computations of this property are up to date. This is
8086 also true for the special @code{CLOCKSUM} property. Org will then sum the
8087 values displayed in the agenda. In the daily/weekly agenda, the sums will
8088 cover a single day, in all other views they cover the entire block. It is
8089 vital to realize that the agenda may show the same entry @emph{twice} (for
8090 example as scheduled and as a deadline), and it may show two entries from the
8091 same hierarchy (for example a @emph{parent} and its @emph{child}). In these
8092 cases, the summation in the agenda will lead to incorrect results because
8093 some values will count double.
8095 When the column view in the agenda shows the @code{CLOCKSUM}, that is always
8096 the entire clocked time for this item. So even in the daily/weekly agenda,
8097 the clocksum listed in column view may originate from times outside the
8098 current view. This has the advantage that you can compare these values with
8099 a column listing the planned total effort for a task---one of the major
8100 applications for column view in the agenda. If you want information about
8101 clocked time in the displayed period use clock table mode (press @kbd{R} in
8106 @node Markup, Exporting, Agenda Views, Top
8107 @chapter Markup for rich export
8109 When exporting Org-mode documents, the exporter tries to reflect the
8110 structure of the document as accurately as possible in the backend. Since
8111 export targets like HTML, La@TeX{}, or DocBook allow much richer formatting,
8112 Org mode has rules on how to prepare text for rich export. This section
8113 summarizes the markup rules used in an Org-mode buffer.
8116 * Structural markup elements:: The basic structure as seen by the exporter
8117 * Images and tables:: Tables and Images will be included
8118 * Literal examples:: Source code examples with special formatting
8119 * Include files:: Include additional files into a document
8120 * Macro replacement:: Use macros to create complex output
8121 * Embedded LaTeX:: LaTeX can be freely used inside Org documents
8124 @node Structural markup elements, Images and tables, Markup, Markup
8125 @section Structural markup elements
8128 * Document title:: Where the title is taken from
8129 * Headings and sections:: The document structure as seen by the exporter
8130 * Table of contents:: The if and where of the table of contents
8131 * Initial text:: Text before the first heading?
8133 * Paragraphs:: Paragraphs
8134 * Footnote markup:: Footnotes
8135 * Emphasis and monospace:: Bold, italic, etc.
8136 * Horizontal rules:: Make a line
8137 * Comment lines:: What will *not* be exported
8140 @node Document title, Headings and sections, Structural markup elements, Structural markup elements
8141 @subheading Document title
8142 @cindex document title, markup rules
8145 The title of the exported document is taken from the special line
8149 #+TITLE: This is the title of the document
8153 If this line does not exist, the title is derived from the first non-empty,
8154 non-comment line in the buffer. If no such line exists, or if you have
8155 turned off exporting of the text before the first headline (see below), the
8156 title will be the file name without extension.
8158 @cindex property, EXPORT_TITLE
8159 If you are exporting only a subtree by marking is as the region, the heading
8160 of the subtree will become the title of the document. If the subtree has a
8161 property @code{EXPORT_TITLE}, that will take precedence.
8163 @node Headings and sections, Table of contents, Document title, Structural markup elements
8164 @subheading Headings and sections
8165 @cindex headings and sections, markup rules
8167 @vindex org-export-headline-levels
8168 The outline structure of the document as described in @ref{Document
8169 Structure}, forms the basis for defining sections of the exported document.
8170 However, since the outline structure is also used for (for example) lists of
8171 tasks, only the first three outline levels will be used as headings. Deeper
8172 levels will become itemized lists. You can change the location of this
8173 switch globally by setting the variable @code{org-export-headline-levels}, or on a
8174 per-file basis with a line
8181 @node Table of contents, Initial text, Headings and sections, Structural markup elements
8182 @subheading Table of contents
8183 @cindex table of contents, markup rules
8185 @vindex org-export-with-toc
8186 The table of contents is normally inserted directly before the first headline
8187 of the file. If you would like to get it to a different location, insert the
8188 string @code{[TABLE-OF-CONTENTS]} on a line by itself at the desired
8189 location. The depth of the table of contents is by default the same as the
8190 number of headline levels, but you can choose a smaller number, or turn off
8191 the table of contents entirely, by configuring the variable
8192 @code{org-export-with-toc}, or on a per-file basis with a line like
8195 #+OPTIONS: toc:2 (only to two levels in TOC)
8196 #+OPTIONS: toc:nil (no TOC at all)
8199 @node Initial text, Lists, Table of contents, Structural markup elements
8200 @subheading Text before the first headline
8201 @cindex text before first headline, markup rules
8204 Org mode normally exports the text before the first headline, and even uses
8205 the first line as the document title. The text will be fully marked up. If
8206 you need to include literal HTML, La@TeX{}, or DocBook code, use the special
8207 constructs described below in the sections for the individual exporters.
8209 @vindex org-export-skip-text-before-1st-heading
8210 Some people like to use the space before the first headline for setup and
8211 internal links and therefore would like to control the exported text before
8212 the first headline in a different way. You can do so by setting the variable
8213 @code{org-export-skip-text-before-1st-heading} to @code{t}. On a per-file
8214 basis, you can get the same effect with @samp{#+OPTIONS: skip:t}.
8217 If you still want to have some text before the first headline, use the
8218 @code{#+TEXT} construct:
8222 #+TEXT: This text will go before the *first* headline.
8223 #+TEXT: [TABLE-OF-CONTENTS]
8224 #+TEXT: This goes between the table of contents and the first headline
8227 @node Lists, Paragraphs, Initial text, Structural markup elements
8229 @cindex lists, markup rules
8231 Plain lists as described in @ref{Plain lists}, are translated to the backend's
8232 syntax for such lists. Most backends support unordered, ordered, and
8235 @node Paragraphs, Footnote markup, Lists, Structural markup elements
8236 @subheading Paragraphs, line breaks, and quoting
8237 @cindex paragraphs, markup rules
8239 Paragraphs are separated by at least one empty line. If you need to enforce
8240 a line break within a paragraph, use @samp{\\} at the end of a line.
8242 To keep the line breaks in a region, but otherwise use normal formatting, you
8243 can use this construct, which can also be used to format poetry.
8245 @cindex #+BEGIN_VERSE
8248 Great clouds overhead
8249 Tiny black birds rise and fall
8256 When quoting a passage from another document, it is customary to format this
8257 as a paragraph that is indented on both the left and the right margin. You
8258 can include quotations in Org-mode documents like this:
8260 @cindex #+BEGIN_QUOTE
8263 Everything should be made as simple as possible,
8264 but not any simpler -- Albert Einstein
8268 If you would like to center some text, do it like this:
8269 @cindex #+BEGIN_CENTER
8272 Everything should be made as simple as possible, \\
8278 @node Footnote markup, Emphasis and monospace, Paragraphs, Structural markup elements
8279 @subheading Footnote markup
8280 @cindex footnotes, markup rules
8281 @cindex @file{footnote.el}
8283 Footnotes defined in the way described in @ref{Footnotes}, will be exported by
8284 all backends. Org allows multiple references to the same note, and
8285 different backends support this to varying degrees.
8287 @node Emphasis and monospace, Horizontal rules, Footnote markup, Structural markup elements
8288 @subheading Emphasis and monospace
8290 @cindex underlined text, markup rules
8291 @cindex bold text, markup rules
8292 @cindex italic text, markup rules
8293 @cindex verbatim text, markup rules
8294 @cindex code text, markup rules
8295 @cindex strike-through text, markup rules
8296 You can make words @b{*bold*}, @i{/italic/}, _underlined_, @code{=code=}
8297 and @code{~verbatim~}, and, if you must, @samp{+strike-through+}. Text
8298 in the code and verbatim string is not processed for Org-mode specific
8299 syntax, it is exported verbatim.
8301 @node Horizontal rules, Comment lines, Emphasis and monospace, Structural markup elements
8302 @subheading Horizontal rules
8303 @cindex horizontal rules, markup rules
8304 A line consisting of only dashes, and at least 5 of them, will be
8305 exported as a horizontal line (@samp{<hr/>} in HTML).
8307 @node Comment lines, , Horizontal rules, Structural markup elements
8308 @subheading Comment lines
8309 @cindex comment lines
8310 @cindex exporting, not
8311 @cindex #+BEGIN_COMMENT
8313 Lines starting with @samp{#} in column zero are treated as comments and will
8314 never be exported. If you want an indented line to be treated as a comment,
8315 start it with @samp{#+ }. Also entire subtrees starting with the word
8316 @samp{COMMENT} will never be exported. Finally, regions surrounded by
8317 @samp{#+BEGIN_COMMENT} ... @samp{#+END_COMMENT} will not be exported.
8322 Toggle the COMMENT keyword at the beginning of an entry.
8326 @node Images and tables, Literal examples, Structural markup elements, Markup
8327 @section Images and Tables
8329 @cindex tables, markup rules
8332 Both the native Org mode tables (@pxref{Tables}) and tables formatted with
8333 the @file{table.el} package will be exported properly. For Org mode tables,
8334 the lines before the first horizontal separator line will become table header
8335 lines. You can use the following lines somewhere before the table to assign
8336 a caption and a label for cross references:
8339 #+CAPTION: This is the caption for the next table (or link)
8340 #+LABEL: tbl:basic-data
8345 @cindex inlined images, markup rules
8346 Some backends (HTML, La@TeX{}, and DocBook) allow you to directly include
8347 images into the exported document. Org does this, if a link to an image
8348 files does not have a description part, for example @code{[[./img/a.jpg]]}.
8349 If you wish to define a caption for the image and maybe a label for internal
8350 cross references, you sure that the link is on a line by itself precede it
8354 #+CAPTION: This is the caption for the next figure link (or table)
8355 #+LABEL: fig:SED-HR4049
8359 You may also define additional attributes for the figure. As this is
8360 backend-specific, see the sections about the individual backends for more
8364 @node Literal examples, Include files, Images and tables, Markup
8365 @section Literal examples
8366 @cindex literal examples, markup rules
8367 @cindex code line references, markup rules
8369 You can include literal examples that should not be subjected to
8370 markup. Such examples will be typeset in monospace, so this is well suited
8371 for source code and similar examples.
8372 @cindex #+BEGIN_EXAMPLE
8376 Some example from a text file.
8380 Note that such blocks may be @i{indented} in order to align nicely with
8381 indented text and in particular with plain list structure (@pxref{Plain
8382 lists}). For simplicity when using small examples, you can also start the
8383 example lines with a colon followed by a space. There may also be additional
8384 whitespace before the colon:
8388 : Some example from a text file.
8391 @cindex formatting source code, markup rules
8392 If the example is source code from a programming language, or any other text
8393 that can be marked up by font-lock in Emacs, you can ask for the example to
8394 look like the fontified Emacs buffer@footnote{Currently this works for the
8395 HTML backend, and requires the @file{htmlize.el} package version 1.34 or
8396 later. It also works for LaTeX with the listings package, if you turn on the
8397 option @code{org-export-latex-listings} and make sure that the listings
8398 package is included by the LaTeX header.}. This is done with the @samp{src}
8399 block, where you also need to specify the name of the major mode that should
8400 be used to fontify the example:
8404 #+BEGIN_SRC emacs-lisp
8405 (defun org-xor (a b)
8411 Both in @code{example} and in @code{src} snippets, you can add a @code{-n}
8412 switch to the end of the @code{BEGIN} line, to get the lines of the example
8413 numbered. If you use a @code{+n} switch, the numbering from the previous
8414 numbered snippet will be continued in the current one. In literal examples,
8415 Org will interpret strings like @samp{(ref:name)} as labels, and use them as
8416 targets for special hyperlinks like @code{[[(name)]]} (i.e. the reference name
8417 enclosed in single parenthesis). In HTML, hovering the mouse over such a
8418 link will remote-highlight the corresponding code line, which is kind of
8421 You can also add a @code{-r} switch which @i{removes} the labels from the
8422 source code@footnote{Adding @code{-k} to @code{-n -r} will @i{keep} the
8423 labels in the source code while using line numbers for the links, which might
8424 be useful to explain those in an org-mode example code.}. With the @code{-n}
8425 switch, links to these references will be labeled by the line numbers from
8426 the code listing, otherwise links will use the labels with no parentheses.
8430 #+BEGIN_SRC emacs-lisp -n -r
8431 (save-excursion (ref:sc)
8432 (goto-char (point-min)) (ref:jump)
8434 In line [[(sc)]] we remember the current position. [[(jump)][Line (jump)]]
8438 @vindex org-coderef-label-format
8439 If the syntax for the label format conflicts with the language syntax, use a
8440 @code{-l} switch to change the format, for example @samp{#+BEGIN_SRC pascal
8441 -n -r -l "((%s))"}. See also the variable @code{org-coderef-label-format}.
8443 HTML export also allows examples to be published as text areas, @xref{Text
8444 areas in HTML export}.
8449 Edit the source code example at point in its native mode. This works by
8450 switching to a temporary buffer with the source code. You need to exit by
8451 pressing @kbd{C-c '} again@footnote{Upon exit, lines starting with @samp{*}
8452 or @samp{#} will get a comma prepended, to keep them from being interpreted
8453 by Org as outline nodes or special comments. These commas will be striped
8454 for editing with @kbd{C-c '}, and also for export.}, the edited version will
8455 then replace the old version in the Org buffer. Fixed-width regions
8456 (where each line starts with a colon followed by a space) will be edited
8457 using @code{artist-mode}@footnote{You may select a different-mode with the
8458 variable @code{org-edit-fixed-width-region-mode}.} to allow creating ASCII
8459 drawings easily. Using this command in an empty line will create a new
8463 Calling @code{org-store-link} while editing a source code example in a
8464 temporary buffer created with @kbd{C-c '} will prompt for a label, make sure
8465 that it is unique in the current buffer, and insert it with the proper
8466 formatting like @samp{(ref:label)} at the end of the current line. Then the
8467 label is stored as a link @samp{(label)}, for retrieval with @kbd{C-c C-l}.
8471 @node Include files, Macro replacement, Literal examples, Markup
8472 @section Include files
8473 @cindex include files, markup rules
8475 During export, you can include the content of another file. For example, to
8476 include your @file{.emacs} file, you could use:
8480 #+INCLUDE: "~/.emacs" src emacs-lisp
8483 The optional second and third parameter are the markup (e.g. @samp{quote},
8484 @samp{example}, or @samp{src}), and, if the markup is @samp{src}, the
8485 language for formatting the contents. The markup is optional, if it is not
8486 given, the text will be assumed to be in Org mode format and will be
8487 processed normally. The include line will also allow additional keyword
8488 parameters @code{:prefix1} and @code{:prefix} to specify prefixes for the
8489 first line and for each following line, as well as any options accepted by
8490 the selected markup. For example, to include a file as an item, use
8493 #+INCLUDE: "~/snippets/xx" :prefix1 " + " :prefix " "
8499 Visit the include file at point.
8503 @node Macro replacement, Embedded LaTeX, Include files, Markup
8504 @section Macro replacement
8505 @cindex macro replacement, during export
8508 You can define text snippets with
8511 #+MACRO: name replacement text $1, $2 are arguments
8514 @noindent which can be referenced anywhere in the document (even in
8515 code examples) with @code{@{@{@{name(arg1,arg2)@}@}@}}. In addition to
8516 defined macros, @code{@{@{@{title@}@}@}}, @code{@{@{@{author@}@}@}}, etc.,
8517 will reference information set by the @code{#+TITLE:}, @code{#+AUTHOR:}, and
8518 similar lines. Also, @code{@{@{@{date(@var{FORMAT})@}@}@}} and
8519 @code{@{@{@{modification-time(@var{FORMAT})@}@}@}} refer to current date time
8520 and to the modification time of the file being exported, respectively.
8521 @var{FORMAT} should be a format string understood by
8522 @code{format-time-string}.
8524 Macro expansion takes place during export, and some people use it to
8525 construct complex HTML code.
8528 @node Embedded LaTeX, , Macro replacement, Markup
8529 @section Embedded La@TeX{}
8530 @cindex @TeX{} interpretation
8531 @cindex La@TeX{} interpretation
8533 Plain ASCII is normally sufficient for almost all note taking. One
8534 exception, however, are scientific notes which need to be able to contain
8535 mathematical symbols and the occasional formula. La@TeX{}@footnote{La@TeX{}
8536 is a macro system based on Donald E. Knuth's @TeX{} system. Many of the
8537 features described here as ``La@TeX{}'' are really from @TeX{}, but for
8538 simplicity I am blurring this distinction.} is widely used to typeset
8539 scientific documents. Org mode supports embedding La@TeX{} code into its
8540 files, because many academics are used to reading La@TeX{} source code, and
8541 because it can be readily processed into images for HTML production.
8543 It is not necessary to mark La@TeX{} macros and code in any special way.
8544 If you observe a few conventions, Org mode knows how to find it and what
8548 * Special symbols:: Greek letters and other symbols
8549 * Subscripts and superscripts:: Simple syntax for raising/lowering text
8550 * LaTeX fragments:: Complex formulas made easy
8551 * Previewing LaTeX fragments:: What will this snippet look like?
8552 * CDLaTeX mode:: Speed up entering of formulas
8555 @node Special symbols, Subscripts and superscripts, Embedded LaTeX, Embedded LaTeX
8556 @subsection Special symbols
8557 @cindex math symbols
8558 @cindex special symbols
8559 @cindex @TeX{} macros
8560 @cindex La@TeX{} fragments, markup rules
8561 @cindex HTML entities
8562 @cindex La@TeX{} entities
8564 You can use La@TeX{} macros to insert special symbols like @samp{\alpha} to
8565 indicate the Greek letter, or @samp{\to} to indicate an arrow. Completion
8566 for these macros is available, just type @samp{\} and maybe a few letters,
8567 and press @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} to see possible completions. Unlike La@TeX{}
8568 code, Org mode allows these macros to be present without surrounding math
8569 delimiters, for example:
8572 Angles are written as Greek letters \alpha, \beta and \gamma.
8575 @vindex org-html-entities
8576 During export, these symbols will be transformed into the native format of
8577 the exporter backend. Strings like @code{\alpha} will be exported as
8578 @code{α} in the HTML output, and as @code{$\alpha$} in the La@TeX{}
8579 output. Similarly, @code{\nbsp} will become @code{ } in HTML and
8580 @code{~} in La@TeX{}. If you need such a symbol inside a word, terminate it
8581 like this: @samp{\Aacute@{@}stor}.
8583 A large number of entities is provided, with names taken from both HTML and
8584 La@TeX{}, see the variable @code{org-html-entities} for the complete list.
8585 @samp{\-} is treated as a shy hyphen, and @samp{--}, @samp{---}, and
8586 @samp{...} are all converted into special commands creating hyphens of
8587 different lengths or a compact set of dots.
8589 @node Subscripts and superscripts, LaTeX fragments, Special symbols, Embedded LaTeX
8590 @subsection Subscripts and superscripts
8594 Just like in La@TeX{}, @samp{^} and @samp{_} are used to indicate super-
8595 and subscripts. Again, these can be used without embedding them in
8596 math-mode delimiters. To increase the readability of ASCII text, it is
8597 not necessary (but OK) to surround multi-character sub- and superscripts
8598 with curly braces. For example
8601 The mass if the sun is M_sun = 1.989 x 10^30 kg. The radius of
8602 the sun is R_@{sun@} = 6.96 x 10^8 m.
8605 @vindex org-export-with-sub-superscripts
8606 To avoid interpretation as raised or lowered text, you can quote @samp{^} and
8607 @samp{_} with a backslash: @samp{\^} and @samp{\_}. If you write a text
8608 where the underscore is often used in a different context, Org's convention
8609 to always interpret these as subscripts can get in your way. Configure the
8610 variable @code{org-export-with-sub-superscripts} to globally change this
8611 convention, or use, on a per-file basis:
8618 @node LaTeX fragments, Previewing LaTeX fragments, Subscripts and superscripts, Embedded LaTeX
8619 @subsection La@TeX{} fragments
8620 @cindex La@TeX{} fragments
8622 @vindex org-format-latex-header
8623 With symbols, sub- and superscripts, HTML is pretty much at its end when
8624 it comes to representing mathematical formulas@footnote{Yes, there is
8625 MathML, but that is not yet fully supported by many browsers, and there
8626 is no decent converter for turning La@TeX{} or ASCII representations of
8627 formulas into MathML. So for the time being, converting formulas into
8628 images seems the way to go.}. More complex expressions need a dedicated
8629 formula processor. To this end, Org mode can contain arbitrary La@TeX{}
8630 fragments. It provides commands to preview the typeset result of these
8631 fragments, and upon export to HTML, all fragments will be converted to
8632 images and inlined into the HTML document@footnote{The La@TeX{} export
8633 will not use images for displaying La@TeX{} fragments but include these
8634 fragments directly into the La@TeX{} code.}. For this to work you
8635 need to be on a system with a working La@TeX{} installation. You also
8636 need the @file{dvipng} program, available at
8637 @url{http://sourceforge.net/projects/dvipng/}. The La@TeX{} header that
8638 will be used when processing a fragment can be configured with the
8639 variable @code{org-format-latex-header}.
8641 La@TeX{} fragments don't need any special marking at all. The following
8642 snippets will be identified as La@TeX{} source code:
8645 Environments of any kind. The only requirement is that the
8646 @code{\begin} statement appears on a new line, preceded by only
8649 Text within the usual La@TeX{} math delimiters. To avoid conflicts with
8650 currency specifications, single @samp{$} characters are only recognized as
8651 math delimiters if the enclosed text contains at most two line breaks, is
8652 directly attached to the @samp{$} characters with no whitespace in between,
8653 and if the closing @samp{$} is followed by whitespace, punctuation or a dash.
8654 For the other delimiters, there is no such restriction, so when in doubt, use
8655 @samp{\(...\)} as inline math delimiters.
8658 @noindent For example:
8661 \begin@{equation@} % arbitrary environments,
8662 x=\sqrt@{b@} % even tables, figures
8663 \end@{equation@} % etc
8665 If $a^2=b$ and \( b=2 \), then the solution must be
8666 either $$ a=+\sqrt@{2@} $$ or \[ a=-\sqrt@{2@} \].
8670 @vindex org-format-latex-options
8671 If you need any of the delimiter ASCII sequences for other purposes, you
8672 can configure the option @code{org-format-latex-options} to deselect the
8673 ones you do not wish to have interpreted by the La@TeX{} converter.
8675 @node Previewing LaTeX fragments, CDLaTeX mode, LaTeX fragments, Embedded LaTeX
8676 @subsection Previewing LaTeX fragments
8677 @cindex LaTeX fragments, preview
8679 La@TeX{} fragments can be processed to produce preview images of the
8680 typeset expressions:
8685 Produce a preview image of the La@TeX{} fragment at point and overlay it
8686 over the source code. If there is no fragment at point, process all
8687 fragments in the current entry (between two headlines). When called
8688 with a prefix argument, process the entire subtree. When called with
8689 two prefix arguments, or when the cursor is before the first headline,
8690 process the entire buffer.
8693 Remove the overlay preview images.
8696 @vindex org-format-latex-options
8697 You can customize the variable @code{org-format-latex-options} to influence
8698 some aspects of the preview. In particular, the @code{:scale} (and for HTML
8699 export, @code{:html-scale}) property can be used to adjust the size of the
8702 During HTML export (@pxref{HTML export}), all La@TeX{} fragments are
8703 converted into images and inlined into the document if the following
8707 (setq org-export-with-LaTeX-fragments t)
8710 @node CDLaTeX mode, , Previewing LaTeX fragments, Embedded LaTeX
8711 @subsection Using CDLa@TeX{} to enter math
8714 CDLa@TeX{} mode is a minor mode that is normally used in combination with a
8715 major La@TeX{} mode like AUC@TeX{} in order to speed-up insertion of
8716 environments and math templates. Inside Org mode, you can make use of
8717 some of the features of CDLa@TeX{} mode. You need to install
8718 @file{cdlatex.el} and @file{texmathp.el} (the latter comes also with
8719 AUC@TeX{}) from @url{http://www.astro.uva.nl/~dominik/Tools/cdlatex}.
8720 Don't use CDLa@TeX{} mode itself under Org mode, but use the light
8721 version @code{org-cdlatex-mode} that comes as part of Org mode. Turn it
8722 on for the current buffer with @code{M-x org-cdlatex-mode}, or for all
8726 (add-hook 'org-mode-hook 'turn-on-org-cdlatex)
8729 When this mode is enabled, the following features are present (for more
8730 details see the documentation of CDLa@TeX{} mode):
8734 Environment templates can be inserted with @kbd{C-c @{}.
8737 The @key{TAB} key will do template expansion if the cursor is inside a
8738 La@TeX{} fragment@footnote{Org mode has a method to test if the cursor is
8739 inside such a fragment, see the documentation of the function
8740 @code{org-inside-LaTeX-fragment-p}.}. For example, @key{TAB} will
8741 expand @code{fr} to @code{\frac@{@}@{@}} and position the cursor
8742 correctly inside the first brace. Another @key{TAB} will get you into
8743 the second brace. Even outside fragments, @key{TAB} will expand
8744 environment abbreviations at the beginning of a line. For example, if
8745 you write @samp{equ} at the beginning of a line and press @key{TAB},
8746 this abbreviation will be expanded to an @code{equation} environment.
8747 To get a list of all abbreviations, type @kbd{M-x cdlatex-command-help}.
8751 @vindex cdlatex-simplify-sub-super-scripts
8752 Pressing @kbd{_} and @kbd{^} inside a La@TeX{} fragment will insert these
8753 characters together with a pair of braces. If you use @key{TAB} to move
8754 out of the braces, and if the braces surround only a single character or
8755 macro, they are removed again (depending on the variable
8756 @code{cdlatex-simplify-sub-super-scripts}).
8759 Pressing the backquote @kbd{`} followed by a character inserts math
8760 macros, also outside La@TeX{} fragments. If you wait more than 1.5 seconds
8761 after the backquote, a help window will pop up.
8764 Pressing the single-quote @kbd{'} followed by another character modifies
8765 the symbol before point with an accent or a font. If you wait more than
8766 1.5 seconds after the backquote, a help window will pop up. Character
8767 modification will work only inside La@TeX{} fragments, outside the quote
8771 @node Exporting, Publishing, Markup, Top
8775 Org-mode documents can be exported into a variety of other formats. For
8776 printing and sharing of notes, ASCII export produces a readable and simple
8777 version of an Org file. HTML export allows you to publish a notes file on
8778 the web, while the XOXO format provides a solid base for exchange with a
8779 broad range of other applications. La@TeX{} export lets you use Org mode and
8780 its structured editing functions to easily create La@TeX{} files. DocBook
8781 export makes it possible to convert Org files to many other formats using
8782 DocBook tools. To incorporate entries with associated times like deadlines
8783 or appointments into a desktop calendar program like iCal, Org mode can also
8784 produce extracts in the iCalendar format. Currently Org mode only supports
8785 export, not import of these different formats.
8787 Org supports export of selected regions when @code{transient-mark-mode} is
8788 enabled (default in Emacs 23).
8791 * Selective export:: Using tags to select and exclude trees
8792 * Export options:: Per-file export settings
8793 * The export dispatcher:: How to access exporter commands
8794 * ASCII export:: Exporting to plain ASCII
8795 * HTML export:: Exporting to HTML
8796 * LaTeX and PDF export:: Exporting to La@TeX{}, and processing to PDF
8797 * DocBook export:: Exporting to DocBook
8798 * Freemind export:: Exporting to Freemind mind maps
8799 * XOXO export:: Exporting to XOXO
8800 * iCalendar export:: Exporting in iCalendar format
8803 @node Selective export, Export options, Exporting, Exporting
8804 @section Selective export
8805 @cindex export, selective by tags
8807 @vindex org-export-select-tags
8808 @vindex org-export-exclude-tags
8809 You may use tags to select the parts of a document that should be exported,
8810 or to exclude parts from export. This behavior is governed by two variables:
8811 @code{org-export-select-tags} and @code{org-export-exclude-tags}.
8813 Org first checks if any of the @emph{select} tags is present in the buffer.
8814 If yes, all trees that do not carry one of these tags will be excluded. If a
8815 selected tree is a subtree, the heading hierarchy above it will also be
8816 selected for export, but not the text below those headings.
8819 If none of the select tags is found, the whole buffer will be selected for
8823 Finally, all subtrees that are marked by any of the @emph{exclude} tags will
8824 be removed from the export buffer.
8826 @node Export options, The export dispatcher, Selective export, Exporting
8827 @section Export options
8828 @cindex options, for export
8830 @cindex completion, of option keywords
8831 The exporter recognizes special lines in the buffer which provide
8832 additional information. These lines may be put anywhere in the file.
8833 The whole set of lines can be inserted into the buffer with @kbd{C-c
8834 C-e t}. For individual lines, a good way to make sure the keyword is
8835 correct is to type @samp{#+} and then use @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} completion
8836 (@pxref{Completion}). For a summary of other in-buffer settings not
8837 specifically related to export, see @ref{In-buffer settings}.
8838 In particular, note that you can place commonly-used (export) options in
8839 a separate file which can be included using @code{#+SETUPFILE}.
8844 Insert template with export options, see example below.
8851 @cindex #+DESCRIPTION
8859 @cindex #+EXPORT_SELECT_TAGS
8860 @cindex #+EXPORT_EXCLUDE_TAGS
8861 @cindex #+LATEX_HEADER
8862 @vindex user-full-name
8863 @vindex user-mail-address
8864 @vindex org-export-default-language
8866 #+TITLE: the title to be shown (default is the buffer name)
8867 #+AUTHOR: the author (default taken from @code{user-full-name})
8868 #+DATE: a date, fixed, of a format string for @code{format-time-string}
8869 #+EMAIL: his/her email address (default from @code{user-mail-address})
8870 #+DESCRIPTION: the page description, e.g. for the XHTML meta tag
8871 #+KEYWORDS: the page keywords, e.g. for the XHTML meta tag
8872 #+LANGUAGE: language for HTML, e.g. @samp{en} (@code{org-export-default-language})
8873 #+TEXT: Some descriptive text to be inserted at the beginning.
8874 #+TEXT: Several lines may be given.
8875 #+OPTIONS: H:2 num:t toc:t \n:nil @@:t ::t |:t ^:t f:t TeX:t ...
8876 #+BIND: lisp-var lisp-val, e.g.: org-export-latex-low-levels itemize
8877 @r{You need to confirm using these, or configure @code{org-export-allow-BIND}}
8878 #+LINK_UP: the ``up'' link of an exported page
8879 #+LINK_HOME: the ``home'' link of an exported page
8880 #+LATEX_HEADER: extra line(s) for the LaTeX header, like \usepackage@{xyz@}
8881 #+EXPORT_SELECT_TAGS: Tags that select a tree for export
8882 #+EXPORT_EXCLUDE_TAGS: Tags that exclude a tree from export
8886 The OPTIONS line is a compact@footnote{If you want to configure many options
8887 this way, you can use several OPTIONS lines.} form to specify export settings. Here
8889 @cindex headline levels
8890 @cindex section-numbers
8891 @cindex table of contents
8892 @cindex line-break preservation
8893 @cindex quoted HTML tags
8894 @cindex fixed-width sections
8896 @cindex @TeX{}-like syntax for sub- and superscripts
8898 @cindex special strings
8899 @cindex emphasized text
8900 @cindex @TeX{} macros
8901 @cindex La@TeX{} fragments
8902 @cindex author info, in export
8903 @cindex time info, in export
8905 H: @r{set the number of headline levels for export}
8906 num: @r{turn on/off section-numbers}
8907 toc: @r{turn on/off table of contents, or set level limit (integer)}
8908 \n: @r{turn on/off line-break-preservation}
8909 @@: @r{turn on/off quoted HTML tags}
8910 :: @r{turn on/off fixed-width sections}
8911 |: @r{turn on/off tables}
8912 ^: @r{turn on/off @TeX{}-like syntax for sub- and superscripts. If}
8913 @r{you write "^:@{@}", @code{a_@{b@}} will be interpreted, but}
8914 @r{the simple @code{a_b} will be left as it is.}
8915 -: @r{turn on/off conversion of special strings.}
8916 f: @r{turn on/off footnotes like this[1].}
8917 todo: @r{turn on/off inclusion of TODO keywords into exported text}
8918 pri: @r{turn on/off priority cookies}
8919 tags: @r{turn on/off inclusion of tags, may also be @code{not-in-toc}}
8920 <: @r{turn on/off inclusion of any time/date stamps like DEADLINES}
8921 *: @r{turn on/off emphasized text (bold, italic, underlined)}
8922 TeX: @r{turn on/off simple @TeX{} macros in plain text}
8923 LaTeX: @r{turn on/off La@TeX{} fragments}
8924 skip: @r{turn on/off skipping the text before the first heading}
8925 author: @r{turn on/off inclusion of author name/email into exported file}
8926 creator: @r{turn on/off inclusion of creator info into exported file}
8927 timestamp: @r{turn on/off inclusion creation time into exported file}
8928 d: @r{turn on/off inclusion of drawers}
8931 These options take effect in both the HTML and La@TeX{} export, except
8932 for @code{TeX} and @code{LaTeX}, which are respectively @code{t} and
8933 @code{nil} for the La@TeX{} export.
8935 When exporting only a single subtree by selecting it with @kbd{C-c @@} before
8936 calling an export command, the subtree can overrule some of the file's export
8937 settings with properties @code{EXPORT_FILE_NAME}, @code{EXPORT_TITLE},
8938 @code{EXPORT_TEXT}, @code{EXPORT_AUTHOR}, @code{EXPORT_DATE}, and
8939 @code{EXPORT_OPTIONS}.
8941 @node The export dispatcher, ASCII export, Export options, Exporting
8942 @section The export dispatcher
8943 @cindex dispatcher, for export commands
8945 All export commands can be reached using the export dispatcher, which is a
8946 prefix key that prompts for an additional key specifying the command.
8947 Normally the entire file is exported, but if there is an active region that
8948 contains one outline tree, the first heading is used as document title and
8949 the subtrees are exported.
8954 @vindex org-export-run-in-background
8955 Dispatcher for export and publishing commands. Displays a help-window
8956 listing the additional key(s) needed to launch an export or publishing
8957 command. The prefix arg is passed through to the exporter. A double prefix
8958 @kbd{C-u C-u} causes most commands to be executed in the background, in a
8959 separate Emacs process@footnote{To make this behavior the default, customize
8960 the variable @code{org-export-run-in-background}.}.
8963 Like @kbd{C-c C-e}, but only export the text that is currently visible
8964 (i.e. not hidden by outline visibility).
8965 @kindex C-u C-u C-c C-e
8966 @item C-u C-u C-c C-e
8967 @vindex org-export-run-in-background
8968 Call an the exporter, but reverse the setting of
8969 @code{org-export-run-in-background}, i.e. request background processing if
8970 not set, or force processing in the current Emacs process if set.
8973 @node ASCII export, HTML export, The export dispatcher, Exporting
8974 @section ASCII export
8975 @cindex ASCII export
8977 ASCII export produces a simple and very readable version of an Org-mode
8980 @cindex region, active
8981 @cindex active region
8982 @cindex transient-mark-mode
8986 @cindex property, EXPORT_FILE_NAME
8987 Export as ASCII file. For an Org file, @file{myfile.org}, the ASCII file
8988 will be @file{myfile.txt}. The file will be overwritten without
8989 warning. If there is an active region@footnote{This requires
8990 @code{transient-mark-mode} be turned on.}, only the region will be
8991 exported. If the selected region is a single tree@footnote{To select the
8992 current subtree, use @kbd{C-c @@}.}, the tree head will
8993 become the document title. If the tree head entry has or inherits an
8994 @code{EXPORT_FILE_NAME} property, that name will be used for the
8998 Export to a temporary buffer, do not create a file.
9001 Export only the visible part of the document.
9004 @cindex headline levels, for exporting
9005 In the exported version, the first 3 outline levels will become
9006 headlines, defining a general document structure. Additional levels
9007 will be exported as itemized lists. If you want that transition to occur
9008 at a different level, specify it with a prefix argument. For example,
9015 creates only top level headlines and does the rest as items. When
9016 headlines are converted to items, the indentation of the text following
9017 the headline is changed to fit nicely under the item. This is done with
9018 the assumption that the first body line indicates the base indentation of
9019 the body text. Any indentation larger than this is adjusted to preserve
9020 the layout relative to the first line. Should there be lines with less
9021 indentation than the first, these are left alone.
9023 @vindex org-export-ascii-links-to-notes
9024 Links will be exported in a footnote-like style, with the descriptive part in
9025 the text and the link in a note before the next heading. See the variable
9026 @code{org-export-ascii-links-to-notes} for details and other options.
9028 @node HTML export, LaTeX and PDF export, ASCII export, Exporting
9029 @section HTML export
9032 Org mode contains an HTML (XHTML 1.0 strict) exporter with extensive
9033 HTML formatting, in ways similar to John Gruber's @emph{markdown}
9034 language, but with additional support for tables.
9037 * HTML Export commands:: How to invoke HTML export
9038 * Quoting HTML tags:: Using direct HTML in Org mode
9039 * Links in HTML export:: How links will be interpreted and formatted
9040 * Tables in HTML export:: How to modify the formatting of tables
9041 * Images in HTML export:: How to insert figures into HTML output
9042 * Text areas in HTML export:: An alternative way to show an example
9043 * CSS support:: Changing the appearance of the output
9044 * Javascript support:: Info and Folding in a web browser
9047 @node HTML Export commands, Quoting HTML tags, HTML export, HTML export
9048 @subsection HTML export commands
9050 @cindex region, active
9051 @cindex active region
9052 @cindex transient-mark-mode
9056 @cindex property, EXPORT_FILE_NAME
9057 Export as HTML file @file{myfile.html}. For an Org file @file{myfile.org},
9058 the ASCII file will be @file{myfile.html}. The file will be overwritten
9059 without warning. If there is an active region@footnote{This requires
9060 @code{transient-mark-mode} be turned on.}, only the region will be
9061 exported. If the selected region is a single tree@footnote{To select the
9062 current subtree, use @kbd{C-c @@}.}, the tree head will become the document
9063 title. If the tree head entry has, or inherits, an @code{EXPORT_FILE_NAME}
9064 property, that name will be used for the export.
9067 Export as HTML file and immediately open it with a browser.
9070 Export to a temporary buffer, do not create a file.
9073 Export the active region to a temporary buffer. With a prefix argument, do
9074 not produce the file header and footer, but just the plain HTML section for
9075 the region. This is good for cut-and-paste operations.
9084 Export only the visible part of the document.
9085 @item M-x org-export-region-as-html
9086 Convert the region to HTML under the assumption that it was Org-mode
9087 syntax before. This is a global command that can be invoked in any
9089 @item M-x org-replace-region-by-HTML
9090 Replace the active region (assumed to be in Org-mode syntax) by HTML
9094 @cindex headline levels, for exporting
9095 In the exported version, the first 3 outline levels will become headlines,
9096 defining a general document structure. Additional levels will be exported as
9097 itemized lists. If you want that transition to occur at a different level,
9098 specify it with a numeric prefix argument. For example,
9105 creates two levels of headings and does the rest as items.
9107 @node Quoting HTML tags, Links in HTML export, HTML Export commands, HTML export
9108 @subsection Quoting HTML tags
9110 Plain @samp{<} and @samp{>} are always transformed to @samp{<} and
9111 @samp{>} in HTML export. If you want to include simple HTML tags
9112 which should be interpreted as such, mark them with @samp{@@} as in
9113 @samp{@@<b>bold text@@</b>}. Note that this really works only for
9114 simple tags. For more extensive HTML that should be copied verbatim to
9115 the exported file use either
9118 @cindex #+BEGIN_HTML
9120 #+HTML: Literal HTML code for export
9124 @cindex #+BEGIN_HTML
9128 All lines between these markers are exported literally
9133 @node Links in HTML export, Tables in HTML export, Quoting HTML tags, HTML export
9134 @subsection Links in HTML export
9136 @cindex links, in HTML export
9137 @cindex internal links, in HTML export
9138 @cindex external links, in HTML export
9139 Internal links (@pxref{Internal links}) will continue to work in HTML. This
9140 includes automatic links created by radio targets (@pxref{Radio
9141 targets}). Links to external files will still work if the target file is on
9142 the same @i{relative} path as the published Org file. Links to other
9143 @file{.org} files will be translated into HTML links under the assumption
9144 that an HTML version also exists of the linked file, at the same relative
9145 path. @samp{id:} links can then be used to jump to specific entries across
9146 files. For information related to linking files while publishing them to a
9147 publishing directory see @ref{Publishing links}.
9149 If you want to specify attributes for links, you can do so using a special
9150 @code{#+ATTR_HTML} line to define attributes that will be added to the
9151 @code{<a>} or @code{<img>} tags. Here is an example that sets @code{title}
9152 and @code{style} attributes for a link:
9156 #+ATTR_HTML: title="The Org-mode homepage" style="color:red;"
9157 [[http://orgmode.org]]
9160 @node Tables in HTML export, Images in HTML export, Links in HTML export, HTML export
9162 @cindex tables, in HTML
9163 @vindex org-export-html-table-tag
9165 Org-mode tables are exported to HTML using the table tag defined in
9166 @code{org-export-html-table-tag}. The default setting makes tables without
9167 cell borders and frame. If you would like to change this for individual
9168 tables, place something like the following before the table:
9173 #+CAPTION: This is a table with lines around and between cells
9174 #+ATTR_HTML: border="2" rules="all" frame="all"
9177 @node Images in HTML export, Text areas in HTML export, Tables in HTML export, HTML export
9178 @subsection Images in HTML export
9180 @cindex images, inline in HTML
9181 @cindex inlining images in HTML
9182 @vindex org-export-html-inline-images
9183 HTML export can inline images given as links in the Org file, and
9184 it can make an image the clickable part of a link. By
9185 default@footnote{But see the variable
9186 @code{org-export-html-inline-images}.}, images are inlined if a link does
9187 not have a description. So @samp{[[file:myimg.jpg]]} will be inlined,
9188 while @samp{[[file:myimg.jpg][the image]]} will just produce a link
9189 @samp{the image} that points to the image. If the description part
9190 itself is a @code{file:} link or a @code{http:} URL pointing to an
9191 image, this image will be inlined and activated so that clicking on the
9192 image will activate the link. For example, to include a thumbnail that
9193 will link to a high resolution version of the image, you could use:
9196 [[file:highres.jpg][file:thumb.jpg]]
9199 If you need to add attributes to an inlines image, use a @code{#+ATTR_HTML}.
9200 In the example below we specify the @code{alt} and @code{title} attributes to
9201 support text viewers and accessibility, and align it to the right.
9206 #+CAPTION: A black cat stalking a spider
9207 #+ATTR_HTML: alt="cat/spider image" title="Action!" align="right"
9212 and you could use @code{http} addresses just as well.
9214 @node Text areas in HTML export, CSS support, Images in HTML export, HTML export
9215 @subsection Text areas in HTML export
9217 @cindex text areas, in HTML
9218 An alternative way to publish literal code examples in HTML is to use text
9219 areas, where the example can even be edited before pasting it into an
9220 application. It is triggered by a @code{-t} switch at an @code{example} or
9221 @code{src} block. Using this switch disables any options for syntax and
9222 label highlighting, and line numbering, which may be present. You may also
9223 use @code{-h} and @code{-w} switches to specify the height and width of the
9224 text area, which default to the number of lines in the example, and 80,
9225 respectively. For example
9228 #+BEGIN_EXAMPLE -t -w 40
9229 (defun org-xor (a b)
9236 @node CSS support, Javascript support, Text areas in HTML export, HTML export
9237 @subsection CSS support
9238 @cindex CSS, for HTML export
9239 @cindex HTML export, CSS
9241 @vindex org-export-html-todo-kwd-class-prefix
9242 @vindex org-export-html-tag-class-prefix
9243 You can also give style information for the exported file. The HTML exporter
9244 assigns the following special CSS classes@footnote{If the classes on TODO
9245 keywords and tags lead to conflicts, use the variables
9246 @code{org-export-html-todo-kwd-class-prefix} and
9247 @code{org-export-html-tag-class-prefix} to make them unique.} to appropriate
9248 parts of the document---your style specifications may change these, in
9249 addition to any of the standard classes like for headlines, tables, etc.
9251 p.author @r{author information, including email}
9252 p.date @r{publishing date}
9253 p.creator @r{creator info, about org-mode version}
9254 .title @r{document title}
9255 .todo @r{TODO keywords, all not-done states}
9256 .done @r{the DONE keywords, all stated the count as done}
9257 .WAITING @r{each TODO keyword also uses a class named after itself}
9258 .timestamp @r{timestamp}
9259 .timestamp-kwd @r{keyword associated with a timestamp, like SCHEDULED}
9260 .timestamp-wrapper @r{span around keyword plus timestamp}
9261 .tag @r{tag in a headline}
9262 ._HOME @r{each tag uses itself as a class, "@@" replaced by "_"}
9263 .target @r{target for links}
9264 .linenr @r{the line number in a code example}
9265 .code-highlighted @r{for highlighting referenced code lines}
9266 div.outline-N @r{div for outline level N (headline plus text))}
9267 div.outline-text-N @r{extra div for text at outline level N}
9268 .section-number-N @r{section number in headlines, different for each level}
9269 div.figure @r{how to format an inlined image}
9270 pre.src @r{formatted source code}
9271 pre.example @r{normal example}
9272 p.verse @r{verse paragraph}
9273 div.footnotes @r{footnote section headline}
9274 p.footnote @r{footnote definition paragraph, containing a footnote}
9275 .footref @r{a footnote reference number (always a <sup>)}
9276 .footnum @r{footnote number in footnote definition (always <sup>)}
9279 @vindex org-export-html-style-default
9280 @vindex org-export-html-style-include-default
9281 @vindex org-export-html-style
9282 @vindex org-export-html-extra
9283 @vindex org-export-html-style-default
9284 Each exported file contains a compact default style that defines these
9285 classes in a basic way@footnote{This style is defined in the constant
9286 @code{org-export-html-style-default}, which you should not modify. To turn
9287 inclusion of these defaults off, customize
9288 @code{org-export-html-style-include-default}}. You may overwrite these
9289 settings, or add to them by using the variables @code{org-export-html-style}
9290 (for Org-wide settings) and @code{org-export-html-style-extra} (for more
9291 granular settings, like file-local settings). To set the latter variable
9292 individually for each file, you can use
9296 #+STYLE: <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="stylesheet.css" />
9300 For longer style definitions, you can use several such lines. You could also
9301 directly write a @code{<style>} @code{</style>} section in this way, without
9302 referring to an external file.
9304 @c FIXME: More about header and footer styles
9305 @c FIXME: Talk about links and targets.
9307 @node Javascript support, , CSS support, HTML export
9308 @subsection Javascript supported display of web pages
9310 @cindex Rose, Sebastian
9311 Sebastian Rose has written a JavaScript program especially designed to
9312 enhance the web viewing experience of HTML files created with Org. This
9313 program allows you to view large files in two different ways. The first one
9314 is an @emph{Info}-like mode where each section is displayed separately and
9315 navigation can be done with the @kbd{n} and @kbd{p} keys (and some other keys
9316 as well, press @kbd{?} for an overview of the available keys). The second
9317 view type is a @emph{folding} view much like Org provides inside Emacs. The
9318 script is available at @url{http://orgmode.org/org-info.js} and you can find
9319 the documentation for it at @url{http://orgmode.org/worg/code/org-info-js/}.
9320 We host the script at our site, but if you use it a lot, you might
9321 not want to be dependent on @url{orgmode.org} and prefer to install a local
9322 copy on your own web server.
9324 To use the script, you need to make sure that the @file{org-jsinfo.el} module
9325 gets loaded. It should be loaded by default, but you can try @kbd{M-x
9326 customize-variable @key{RET} org-modules @key{RET}} to convince yourself that
9327 this is indeed the case. All it then takes to make use of the program is
9328 adding a single line to the Org file:
9330 @cindex #+INFOJS_OPT
9332 #+INFOJS_OPT: view:info toc:nil
9336 If this line is found, the HTML header will automatically contain the code
9337 needed to invoke the script. Using the line above, you can set the following
9341 path: @r{The path to the script. The default is to grab the script from}
9342 @r{@url{http://orgmode.org/org-info.js}, but you might want to have}
9343 @r{a local copy and use a path like @samp{../scripts/org-info.js}.}
9344 view: @r{Initial view when website is first shown. Possible values are:}
9345 info @r{Info-like interface with one section per page.}
9346 overview @r{Folding interface, initially showing only top-level.}
9347 content @r{Folding interface, starting with all headlines visible.}
9348 showall @r{Folding interface, all headlines and text visible.}
9349 sdepth: @r{Maximum headline level that will still become an independent}
9350 @r{section for info and folding modes. The default is taken from}
9351 @r{@code{org-export-headline-levels} (= the @code{H} switch in @code{#+OPTIONS}).}
9352 @r{If this is smaller than in @code{org-export-headline-levels}, each}
9353 @r{info/folding section can still contain child headlines.}
9354 toc: @r{Should the table of content @emph{initially} be visible?}
9355 @r{Even when @code{nil}, you can always get to the "toc" with @kbd{i}.}
9356 tdepth: @r{The depth of the table of contents. The defaults are taken from}
9357 @r{the variables @code{org-export-headline-levels} and @code{org-export-with-toc}.}
9358 ftoc: @r{Does the css of the page specify a fixed position for the "toc"?}
9359 @r{If yes, the toc will never be displayed as a section.}
9360 ltoc: @r{Should there be short contents (children) in each section?}
9361 @r{Make this @code{above} if the section should be above initial text.}
9362 mouse: @r{Headings are highlighted when the mouse is over them. Should be}
9363 @r{@samp{underline} (default) or a background color like @samp{#cccccc}.}
9364 buttons: @r{Should view-toggle buttons be everywhere? When @code{nil} (the}
9365 @r{default), only one such button will be present.}
9368 @vindex org-infojs-options
9369 @vindex org-export-html-use-infojs
9370 You can choose default values for these options by customizing the variable
9371 @code{org-infojs-options}. If you always want to apply the script to your
9372 pages, configure the variable @code{org-export-html-use-infojs}.
9374 @node LaTeX and PDF export, DocBook export, HTML export, Exporting
9375 @section La@TeX{} and PDF export
9376 @cindex La@TeX{} export
9378 @cindex Guerry, Bastien
9380 Org mode contains a La@TeX{} exporter written by Bastien Guerry. With
9381 further processing, this backend is also used to produce PDF output. Since
9382 the La@TeX{} output uses @file{hyperref} to implement links and cross
9383 references, the PDF output file will be fully linked.
9386 * LaTeX/PDF export commands:: Which key invokes which commands
9387 * Quoting LaTeX code:: Incorporating literal La@TeX{} code
9388 * Sectioning structure:: Changing sectioning in La@TeX{} output
9389 * Tables in LaTeX export:: Options for exporting tables to La@TeX{}
9390 * Images in LaTeX export:: How to insert figures into La@TeX{} output
9393 @node LaTeX/PDF export commands, Quoting LaTeX code, LaTeX and PDF export, LaTeX and PDF export
9394 @subsection La@TeX{} export commands
9396 @cindex region, active
9397 @cindex active region
9398 @cindex transient-mark-mode
9402 @cindex property EXPORT_FILE_NAME
9403 Export as La@TeX{} file @file{myfile.tex}. For an Org file
9404 @file{myfile.org}, the ASCII file will be @file{myfile.tex}. The file will
9405 be overwritten without warning. If there is an active region@footnote{This
9406 requires @code{transient-mark-mode} be turned on.}, only the region will be
9407 exported. If the selected region is a single tree@footnote{To select the
9408 current subtree, use @kbd{C-c @@}.}, the tree head will become the document
9409 title. If the tree head entry has or inherits an @code{EXPORT_FILE_NAME}
9410 property, that name will be used for the export.
9413 Export to a temporary buffer, do not create a file.
9418 Export only the visible part of the document.
9419 @item M-x org-export-region-as-latex
9420 Convert the region to La@TeX{} under the assumption that it was Org mode
9421 syntax before. This is a global command that can be invoked in any
9423 @item M-x org-replace-region-by-latex
9424 Replace the active region (assumed to be in Org mode syntax) by La@TeX{}
9428 Export as La@TeX{} and then process to PDF.
9431 Export as La@TeX{} and then process to PDF, then open the resulting PDF file.
9434 @cindex headline levels, for exporting
9435 @vindex org-latex-low-levels
9436 In the exported version, the first 3 outline levels will become
9437 headlines, defining a general document structure. Additional levels
9438 will be exported as description lists. The exporter can ignore them or
9439 convert them to a custom string depending on
9440 @code{org-latex-low-levels}.
9442 If you want that transition to occur at a different level, specify it
9443 with a numeric prefix argument. For example,
9450 creates two levels of headings and does the rest as items.
9452 @node Quoting LaTeX code, Sectioning structure, LaTeX/PDF export commands, LaTeX and PDF export
9453 @subsection Quoting La@TeX{} code
9455 Embedded La@TeX{} as described in @ref{Embedded LaTeX}, will be correctly
9456 inserted into the La@TeX{} file. This includes simple macros like
9457 @samp{\ref@{LABEL@}} to create a cross reference to a figure. Furthermore,
9458 you can add special code that should only be present in La@TeX{} export with
9459 the following constructs:
9462 @cindex #+BEGIN_LaTeX
9464 #+LaTeX: Literal LaTeX code for export
9468 @cindex #+BEGIN_LaTeX
9472 All lines between these markers are exported literally
9476 @node Sectioning structure, Tables in LaTeX export, Quoting LaTeX code, LaTeX and PDF export
9477 @subsection Sectioning structure
9478 @cindex La@TeX{} class
9479 @cindex La@TeX{} sectioning structure
9481 By default, the La@TeX{} output uses the class @code{article}.
9483 @vindex org-export-latex-default-class
9484 @vindex org-export-latex-classes
9485 @cindex #+LATEX_HEADER
9486 @cindex #+LATEX_CLASS
9487 @cindex property, LATEX_CLASS
9488 You can change this globally by setting a different value for
9489 @code{org-export-latex-default-class} or locally by adding an option like
9490 @code{#+LaTeX_CLASS: myclass} in your file, or with a @code{:LaTeX_CLASS:}
9491 property that applies when exporting a region containing only this (sub)tree.
9492 The class should be listed in @code{org-export-latex-classes}, where you can
9493 also define the sectioning structure for each class, as well as defining
9494 additional classes. You can also use @code{#+LATEX_HEADER:
9495 \usepackage@{xyz@}} to add lines to the header.
9497 @node Tables in LaTeX export, Images in LaTeX export, Sectioning structure, LaTeX and PDF export
9498 @subsection Tables in La@TeX{} export
9499 @cindex tables, in La@TeX{} export
9501 For La@TeX{} export of a table, you can specify a label and a caption
9502 (@pxref{Images and tables}). You can also use the @code{ATTR_LaTeX} line to
9503 request a longtable environment for the table, so that it may span several
9504 pages. Finally, you can set the alignment string:
9508 @cindex #+ATTR_LaTeX
9510 #+CAPTION: A long table
9512 #+ATTR_LaTeX: longtable align=l|lp@{3cm@}r|l
9518 @node Images in LaTeX export, , Tables in LaTeX export, LaTeX and PDF export
9519 @subsection Images in La@TeX{} export
9520 @cindex images, inline in La@TeX{}
9521 @cindex inlining images in La@TeX{}
9523 Images that are linked to without a description part in the link, like
9524 @samp{[[file:img.jpg]]} or @samp{[[./img.jpg]]} will be inserted into the PDF
9525 output file resulting from La@TeX{} processing. Org will use an
9526 @code{\includegraphics} macro to insert the image. If you have specified a
9527 caption and/or a label as described in @ref{Images and tables}, the figure
9528 will be wrapped into a @code{figure} environment and thus become a floating
9529 element. You can use an @code{#+ATTR_LaTeX:} line to specify the various
9530 options that can be used in the optional argument of the
9531 @code{\includegraphics} macro. To modify the placement option of the
9532 @code{figure} environment, add something like @samp{placement=[h!]} to the
9535 If you'd like to let text flow around the image, add the word @samp{wrap} to
9536 the @code{#+ATTR_LaTeX:} line, which will make the figure occupy the left
9537 half of the page. To fine-tune, the @code{placement} field will be the
9538 set of additional arguments needed by the @code{wrapfigure} environment.
9539 Note that if you change the size of the image, you need to use compatible
9540 settings for @code{\includegraphics} and @code{wrapfigure}.
9544 @cindex #+ATTR_LaTeX
9546 #+CAPTION: The black-body emission of the disk around HR 4049
9547 #+LABEL: fig:SED-HR4049
9548 #+ATTR_LaTeX: width=5cm,angle=90
9549 [[./img/sed-hr4049.pdf]]
9551 #+ATTR_LaTeX: width=0.38\textwidth wrap placement=@{r@}@{0.4\textwidth@}
9555 If you need references to a label created in this way, write
9556 @samp{\ref@{fig:SED-HR4049@}} just like in La@TeX{}.
9558 @node DocBook export, Freemind export, LaTeX and PDF export, Exporting
9559 @section DocBook export
9560 @cindex DocBook export
9564 Org contains a DocBook exporter written by Baoqiu Cui. Once an Org file is
9565 exported to DocBook format, it can be further processed to produce other
9566 formats, including PDF, HTML, man pages, etc., using many available DocBook
9567 tools and stylesheets.
9569 Currently DocBook exporter only supports DocBook V5.0.
9572 * DocBook export commands:: How to invoke DocBook export
9573 * Quoting DocBook code:: Incorporating DocBook code in Org files
9574 * Recursive sections:: Recursive sections in DocBook
9575 * Tables in DocBook export:: Tables are exported as HTML tables
9576 * Images in DocBook export:: How to insert figures into DocBook output
9577 * Special characters:: How to handle special characters
9580 @node DocBook export commands, Quoting DocBook code, DocBook export, DocBook export
9581 @subsection DocBook export commands
9583 @cindex region, active
9584 @cindex active region
9585 @cindex transient-mark-mode
9589 @cindex property EXPORT_FILE_NAME
9590 Export as DocBook file. For an Org file, @file{myfile.org}, the DocBook XML
9591 file will be @file{myfile.xml}. The file will be overwritten without
9592 warning. If there is an active region@footnote{This requires
9593 @code{transient-mark-mode} to be turned on}, only the region will be
9594 exported. If the selected region is a single tree@footnote{To select the
9595 current subtree, use @kbd{C-c @@}.}, the tree head will become the document
9596 title. If the tree head entry has, or inherits, an @code{EXPORT_FILE_NAME}
9597 property, that name will be used for the export.
9600 Export as DocBook file, process to PDF, then open the resulting PDF file.
9602 @vindex org-export-docbook-xslt-proc-command
9603 @vindex org-export-docbook-xsl-fo-proc-command
9604 Note that, in order to produce PDF output based on exported DocBook file, you
9605 need to have XSLT processor and XSL-FO processor software installed on your
9606 system. Check variables @code{org-export-docbook-xslt-proc-command} and
9607 @code{org-export-docbook-xsl-fo-proc-command}.
9611 Export only the visible part of the document.
9614 @node Quoting DocBook code, Recursive sections, DocBook export commands, DocBook export
9615 @subsection Quoting DocBook code
9617 You can quote DocBook code in Org files and copy it verbatim into exported
9618 DocBook file with the following constructs:
9621 @cindex #+BEGIN_DOCBOOK
9623 #+DOCBOOK: Literal DocBook code for export
9627 @cindex #+BEGIN_DOCBOOK
9631 All lines between these markers are exported by DocBook exporter
9636 For example, you can use the following lines to include a DocBook warning
9637 admonition. As to what this warning says, you should pay attention to the
9638 document context when quoting DocBook code in Org files. You may make
9639 exported DocBook XML files invalid by not quoting DocBook code correctly.
9644 <para>You should know what you are doing when quoting DocBook XML code
9645 in your Org file. Invalid DocBook XML file may be generated by
9646 DocBook exporter if you are not careful!</para>
9651 @node Recursive sections, Tables in DocBook export, Quoting DocBook code, DocBook export
9652 @subsection Recursive sections
9653 @cindex DocBook recursive sections
9655 DocBook exporter exports Org files as articles using the @code{article}
9656 element in DocBook. Recursive sections, i.e. @code{section} elements, are
9657 used in exported articles. Top level headlines in Org files are exported as
9658 top level sections, and lower level headlines are exported as nested
9659 sections. The entire structure of Org files will be exported completely, no
9660 matter how many nested levels of headlines there are.
9662 Using recursive sections makes it easy to port and reuse exported DocBook
9663 code in other DocBook document types like @code{book} or @code{set}.
9665 @node Tables in DocBook export, Images in DocBook export, Recursive sections, DocBook export
9666 @subsection Tables in DocBook export
9667 @cindex tables, in DocBook export
9669 Tables in Org files are exported as HTML tables, which have been supported since
9672 If a table does not have a caption, an informal table is generated using the
9673 @code{informaltable} element; otherwise, a formal table will be generated
9674 using the @code{table} element.
9676 @node Images in DocBook export, Special characters, Tables in DocBook export, DocBook export
9677 @subsection Images in DocBook export
9678 @cindex images, inline in DocBook
9679 @cindex inlining images in DocBook
9681 Images that are linked to without a description part in the link, like
9682 @samp{[[file:img.jpg]]} or @samp{[[./img.jpg]]}, will be exported to DocBook
9683 using @code{mediaobject} elements. Each @code{mediaobject} element contains
9684 an @code{imageobject} that wraps an @code{imagedata} element. If you have
9685 specified a caption for an image as described in @ref{Images and tables}, a
9686 @code{caption} element will be added in @code{mediaobject}. If a label is
9687 also specified, it will be exported as an @code{xml:id} attribute of the
9688 @code{mediaobject} element.
9690 @vindex org-export-docbook-default-image-attributes
9691 Image attributes supported by the @code{imagedata} element, like @code{align}
9692 or @code{width}, can be specified in two ways: you can either customize
9693 variable @code{org-export-docbook-default-image-attributes} or use the
9694 @code{#+ATTR_DOCBOOK:} line. Attributes specified in variable
9695 @code{org-export-docbook-default-image-attributes} are applied to all inline
9696 images in the Org file to be exported (unless they are overwritten by image
9697 attributes specified in @code{#+ATTR_DOCBOOK:} lines).
9699 The @code{#+ATTR_DOCBOOK:} line can be used to specify additional image
9700 attributes or overwrite default image attributes for individual images. If
9701 the same attribute appears in both the @code{#+ATTR_DOCBOOK:} line and
9702 variable @code{org-export-docbook-default-image-attributes}, the former
9703 overwrites the latter. Here is an example about how image attributes can be
9708 @cindex #+ATTR_DOCBOOK
9710 #+CAPTION: The logo of Org mode
9711 #+LABEL: unicorn-svg
9712 #+ATTR_DOCBOOK: scalefit="1" width="100%" depth="100%"
9713 [[./img/org-mode-unicorn.svg]]
9716 @vindex org-export-docbook-inline-image-extensions
9717 By default, DocBook exporter recognizes the following image file types:
9718 @file{jpeg}, @file{jpg}, @file{png}, @file{gif}, and @file{svg}. You can
9719 customize variable @code{org-export-docbook-inline-image-extensions} to add
9720 more types to this list as long as DocBook supports them.
9722 @node Special characters, , Images in DocBook export, DocBook export
9723 @subsection Special characters in DocBook export
9724 @cindex Special characters in DocBook export
9726 @vindex org-export-docbook-doctype
9727 @vindex org-html-entities
9728 Special characters that are written in @TeX{}-like syntax, such as @code{\alpha},
9729 @code{\Gamma}, and @code{\Zeta}, are supported by DocBook exporter. These
9730 characters are rewritten to XML entities, like @code{α},
9731 @code{Γ}, and @code{Ζ}, based on the list saved in variable
9732 @code{org-html-entities}. As long as the generated DocBook file includes the
9733 corresponding entities, these special characters are recognized.
9735 You can customize variable @code{org-export-docbook-doctype} to include the
9736 entities you need. For example, you can set variable
9737 @code{org-export-docbook-doctype} to the following value to recognize all
9738 special characters included in XHTML entities:
9741 "<!DOCTYPE article [
9742 <!ENTITY % xhtml1-symbol PUBLIC
9743 \"-//W3C//ENTITIES Symbol for HTML//EN//XML\"
9744 \"http://www.w3.org/2003/entities/2007/xhtml1-symbol.ent\"
9751 @node Freemind export, XOXO export, DocBook export, Exporting
9752 @section Freemind export
9753 @cindex Freemind export
9756 The freemind exporter was written by Lennart Borgman.
9761 Export as Freemind mind map @file{myfile.mm}.
9764 @node XOXO export, iCalendar export, Freemind export, Exporting
9765 @section XOXO export
9768 Org mode contains an exporter that produces XOXO-style output.
9769 Currently, this exporter only handles the general outline structure and
9770 does not interpret any additional Org-mode features.
9775 Export as XOXO file @file{myfile.html}.
9778 Export only the visible part of the document.
9781 @node iCalendar export, , XOXO export, Exporting
9782 @section iCalendar export
9783 @cindex iCalendar export
9785 @vindex org-icalendar-include-todo
9786 @vindex org-icalendar-use-deadline
9787 @vindex org-icalendar-use-scheduled
9788 @vindex org-icalendar-categories
9789 Some people use Org mode for keeping track of projects, but still prefer a
9790 standard calendar application for anniversaries and appointments. In this
9791 case it can be useful to show deadlines and other time-stamped items in Org
9792 files in the calendar application. Org mode can export calendar information
9793 in the standard iCalendar format. If you also want to have TODO entries
9794 included in the export, configure the variable
9795 @code{org-icalendar-include-todo}. Plain timestamps are exported as VEVENT,
9796 and TODO items as VTODO. It will also create events from deadlines that are
9797 in non-TODO items. Deadlines and scheduling dates in TODO items will be used
9798 to set the start and due dates for the TODO entry@footnote{See the variables
9799 @code{org-icalendar-use-deadline} and @code{org-icalendar-use-scheduled}.}.
9800 As categories, it will use the tags locally defined in the heading, and the
9801 file/tree category@footnote{To add inherited tags or the TODO state,
9802 configure the variable @code{org-icalendar-categories}.}.
9804 @vindex org-icalendar-store-UID
9805 @cindex property, ID
9806 The iCalendar standard requires each entry to have a globally unique
9807 identifier (UID). Org creates these identifiers during export. If you set
9808 the variable @code{org-icalendar-store-UID}, the UID will be stored in the
9809 @code{:ID:} property of the entry and re-used next time you report this
9810 entry. Since a single entry can give rise to multiple iCalendar entries (as
9811 a timestamp, a deadline, a scheduled item, and as a TODO item), Org adds
9812 prefixes to the UID, depending on what triggered the inclusion of the entry.
9813 In this way the UID remains unique, but a synchronization program can still
9814 figure out from which entry all the different instances originate.
9819 Create iCalendar entries for the current file and store them in the same
9820 directory, using a file extension @file{.ics}.
9823 @vindex org-agenda-files
9824 Like @kbd{C-c C-e i}, but do this for all files in
9825 @code{org-agenda-files}. For each of these files, a separate iCalendar
9826 file will be written.
9829 @vindex org-combined-agenda-icalendar-file
9830 Create a single large iCalendar file from all files in
9831 @code{org-agenda-files} and write it to the file given by
9832 @code{org-combined-agenda-icalendar-file}.
9835 @vindex org-use-property-inheritance
9836 @vindex org-icalendar-include-body
9837 @cindex property, SUMMARY
9838 @cindex property, DESCRIPTION
9839 @cindex property, LOCATION
9840 The export will honor SUMMARY, DESCRIPTION and LOCATION@footnote{The LOCATION
9841 property can be inherited from higher in the hierarchy if you configure
9842 @code{org-use-property-inheritance} accordingly.} properties if the selected
9843 entries have them. If not, the summary will be derived from the headline,
9844 and the description from the body (limited to
9845 @code{org-icalendar-include-body} characters).
9847 How this calendar is best read and updated, depends on the application
9848 you are using. The FAQ covers this issue.
9850 @node Publishing, Miscellaneous, Exporting, Top
9853 @cindex O'Toole, David
9855 Org includes a publishing management system that allows you to configure
9856 automatic HTML conversion of @emph{projects} composed of interlinked org
9857 files. You can also configure Org to automatically upload your exported HTML
9858 pages and related attachments, such as images and source code files, to a web
9861 You can also use Org to convert files into PDF, or even combine HTML and PDF
9862 conversion so that files are available in both formats on the server.
9864 Publishing has been contributed to Org by David O'Toole.
9867 * Configuration:: Defining projects
9868 * Uploading files:: How to get files up on the server
9869 * Sample configuration:: Example projects
9870 * Triggering publication:: Publication commands
9873 @node Configuration, Uploading files, Publishing, Publishing
9874 @section Configuration
9876 Publishing needs significant configuration to specify files, destination
9877 and many other properties of a project.
9880 * Project alist:: The central configuration variable
9881 * Sources and destinations:: From here to there
9882 * Selecting files:: What files are part of the project?
9883 * Publishing action:: Setting the function doing the publishing
9884 * Publishing options:: Tweaking HTML export
9885 * Publishing links:: Which links keep working after publishing?
9886 * Project page index:: Publishing a list of project files
9889 @node Project alist, Sources and destinations, Configuration, Configuration
9890 @subsection The variable @code{org-publish-project-alist}
9891 @cindex org-publish-project-alist
9892 @cindex projects, for publishing
9894 @vindex org-publish-project-alist
9895 Publishing is configured almost entirely through setting the value of one
9896 variable, called @code{org-publish-project-alist}. Each element of the list
9897 configures one project, and may be in one of the two following forms:
9900 ("project-name" :property value :property value ...)
9902 ("project-name" :components ("project-name" "project-name" ...))
9906 In both cases, projects are configured by specifying property values. A
9907 project defines the set of files that will be published, as well as the
9908 publishing configuration to use when publishing those files. When a project
9909 takes the second form listed above, the individual members of the
9910 @code{:components} property are taken to be sub-projects, which group
9911 together files requiring different publishing options. When you publish such
9912 a ``meta-project'', all the components will also be published, in the
9915 @node Sources and destinations, Selecting files, Project alist, Configuration
9916 @subsection Sources and destinations for files
9917 @cindex directories, for publishing
9919 Most properties are optional, but some should always be set. In
9920 particular, Org needs to know where to look for source files,
9921 and where to put published files.
9923 @multitable @columnfractions 0.3 0.7
9924 @item @code{:base-directory}
9925 @tab Directory containing publishing source files
9926 @item @code{:publishing-directory}
9927 @tab Directory where output files will be published. You can directly
9928 publish to a webserver using a file name syntax appropriate for
9929 the Emacs @file{tramp} package. Or you can publish to a local directory and
9930 use external tools to upload your website (@pxref{Uploading files}).
9931 @item @code{:preparation-function}
9932 @tab Function called before starting the publishing process, for example, to
9933 run @code{make} for updating files to be published.
9934 @item @code{:completion-function}
9935 @tab Function called after finishing the publishing process, for example, to
9936 change permissions of the resulting files.
9940 @node Selecting files, Publishing action, Sources and destinations, Configuration
9941 @subsection Selecting files
9942 @cindex files, selecting for publishing
9944 By default, all files with extension @file{.org} in the base directory
9945 are considered part of the project. This can be modified by setting the
9947 @multitable @columnfractions 0.25 0.75
9948 @item @code{:base-extension}
9949 @tab Extension (without the dot!) of source files. This actually is a
9950 regular expression. Set this to the symbol @code{any} if you want to get all
9951 files in @code{:base-directory}, even without extension.
9953 @item @code{:exclude}
9954 @tab Regular expression to match file names that should not be
9955 published, even though they have been selected on the basis of their
9958 @item @code{:include}
9959 @tab List of files to be included regardless of @code{:base-extension}
9960 and @code{:exclude}.
9963 @node Publishing action, Publishing options, Selecting files, Configuration
9964 @subsection Publishing action
9965 @cindex action, for publishing
9967 Publishing means that a file is copied to the destination directory and
9968 possibly transformed in the process. The default transformation is to export
9969 Org files as HTML files, and this is done by the function
9970 @code{org-publish-org-to-html} which calls the HTML exporter (@pxref{HTML
9971 export}). But you also can publish your content as PDF files using
9972 @code{org-publish-org-to-pdf}. If you want to publish the Org file itself,
9973 but with @i{archived}, @i{commented}, and @i{tag-excluded} trees removed, use
9974 @code{org-publish-org-to-org} and set the parameters @code{:plain-source}
9975 and/or @code{:htmlized-source}. This will produce @file{file.org} and
9976 @file{file.org.html} in the publishing
9977 directory@footnote{@file{file-source.org} and @file{file-source.org.html} if
9978 source and publishing directories are equal. Note that with this kind of
9979 setup, you need to add @code{:exclude "-source\\.org"} to the project
9980 definition in @code{org-publish-project-alist} to avoid that the published
9981 source files will be considered as new org files the next time the project is
9982 published.}. Other files like images only
9983 need to be copied to the publishing destination, for this you may use
9984 @code{org-publish-attachment}. For non-Org files, you always need to
9985 specify the publishing function:
9987 @multitable @columnfractions 0.3 0.7
9988 @item @code{:publishing-function}
9989 @tab Function executing the publication of a file. This may also be a
9990 list of functions, which will all be called in turn.
9991 @item @code{:plain-source}
9992 @tab Non-nil means, publish plain source.
9993 @item @code{:htmlized-source}
9994 @tab Non-nil means, publish htmlized source.
9997 The function must accept two arguments: a property list containing at least a
9998 @code{:publishing-directory} property, and the name of the file to be
9999 published. It should take the specified file, make the necessary
10000 transformation (if any) and place the result into the destination folder.
10002 @node Publishing options, Publishing links, Publishing action, Configuration
10003 @subsection Options for the HTML/La@TeX{} exporters
10004 @cindex options, for publishing
10006 The property list can be used to set many export options for the HTML
10007 and La@TeX{} exporters. In most cases, these properties correspond to user
10008 variables in Org. The table below lists these properties along
10009 with the variable they belong to. See the documentation string for the
10010 respective variable for details.
10012 @vindex org-export-html-link-up
10013 @vindex org-export-html-link-home
10014 @vindex org-export-default-language
10015 @vindex org-display-custom-times
10016 @vindex org-export-headline-levels
10017 @vindex org-export-with-section-numbers
10018 @vindex org-export-section-number-format
10019 @vindex org-export-with-toc
10020 @vindex org-export-preserve-breaks
10021 @vindex org-export-with-archived-trees
10022 @vindex org-export-with-emphasize
10023 @vindex org-export-with-sub-superscripts
10024 @vindex org-export-with-special-strings
10025 @vindex org-export-with-footnotes
10026 @vindex org-export-with-drawers
10027 @vindex org-export-with-tags
10028 @vindex org-export-with-todo-keywords
10029 @vindex org-export-with-priority
10030 @vindex org-export-with-TeX-macros
10031 @vindex org-export-with-LaTeX-fragments
10032 @vindex org-export-skip-text-before-1st-heading
10033 @vindex org-export-with-fixed-width
10034 @vindex org-export-with-timestamps
10035 @vindex org-export-author-info
10036 @vindex org-export-creator-info
10037 @vindex org-export-with-tables
10038 @vindex org-export-highlight-first-table-line
10039 @vindex org-export-html-style-include-default
10040 @vindex org-export-html-style
10041 @vindex org-export-html-style-extra
10042 @vindex org-export-html-link-org-files-as-html
10043 @vindex org-export-html-inline-images
10044 @vindex org-export-html-extension
10045 @vindex org-export-html-table-tag
10046 @vindex org-export-html-expand
10047 @vindex org-export-html-with-timestamp
10048 @vindex org-export-publishing-directory
10049 @vindex org-export-html-preamble
10050 @vindex org-export-html-postamble
10051 @vindex org-export-html-auto-preamble
10052 @vindex org-export-html-auto-postamble
10053 @vindex user-full-name
10054 @vindex user-mail-address
10055 @vindex org-export-select-tags
10056 @vindex org-export-exclude-tags
10058 @multitable @columnfractions 0.32 0.68
10059 @item @code{:link-up} @tab @code{org-export-html-link-up}
10060 @item @code{:link-home} @tab @code{org-export-html-link-home}
10061 @item @code{:language} @tab @code{org-export-default-language}
10062 @item @code{:customtime} @tab @code{org-display-custom-times}
10063 @item @code{:headline-levels} @tab @code{org-export-headline-levels}
10064 @item @code{:section-numbers} @tab @code{org-export-with-section-numbers}
10065 @item @code{:section-number-format} @tab @code{org-export-section-number-format}
10066 @item @code{:table-of-contents} @tab @code{org-export-with-toc}
10067 @item @code{:preserve-breaks} @tab @code{org-export-preserve-breaks}
10068 @item @code{:archived-trees} @tab @code{org-export-with-archived-trees}
10069 @item @code{:emphasize} @tab @code{org-export-with-emphasize}
10070 @item @code{:sub-superscript} @tab @code{org-export-with-sub-superscripts}
10071 @item @code{:special-strings} @tab @code{org-export-with-special-strings}
10072 @item @code{:footnotes} @tab @code{org-export-with-footnotes}
10073 @item @code{:drawers} @tab @code{org-export-with-drawers}
10074 @item @code{:tags} @tab @code{org-export-with-tags}
10075 @item @code{:todo-keywords} @tab @code{org-export-with-todo-keywords}
10076 @item @code{:priority} @tab @code{org-export-with-priority}
10077 @item @code{:TeX-macros} @tab @code{org-export-with-TeX-macros}
10078 @item @code{:LaTeX-fragments} @tab @code{org-export-with-LaTeX-fragments}
10079 @item @code{:latex-listings} @tab @code{org-export-latex-listings}
10080 @item @code{:skip-before-1st-heading} @tab @code{org-export-skip-text-before-1st-heading}
10081 @item @code{:fixed-width} @tab @code{org-export-with-fixed-width}
10082 @item @code{:timestamps} @tab @code{org-export-with-timestamps}
10083 @item @code{:author-info} @tab @code{org-export-author-info}
10084 @item @code{:creator-info} @tab @code{org-export-creator-info}
10085 @item @code{:tables} @tab @code{org-export-with-tables}
10086 @item @code{:table-auto-headline} @tab @code{org-export-highlight-first-table-line}
10087 @item @code{:style-include-default} @tab @code{org-export-html-style-include-default}
10088 @item @code{:style} @tab @code{org-export-html-style}
10089 @item @code{:style-extra} @tab @code{org-export-html-style-extra}
10090 @item @code{:convert-org-links} @tab @code{org-export-html-link-org-files-as-html}
10091 @item @code{:inline-images} @tab @code{org-export-html-inline-images}
10092 @item @code{:html-extension} @tab @code{org-export-html-extension}
10093 @item @code{:xml-declaration} @tab @code{org-export-html-xml-declaration}
10094 @item @code{:html-table-tag} @tab @code{org-export-html-table-tag}
10095 @item @code{:expand-quoted-html} @tab @code{org-export-html-expand}
10096 @item @code{:timestamp} @tab @code{org-export-html-with-timestamp}
10097 @item @code{:publishing-directory} @tab @code{org-export-publishing-directory}
10098 @item @code{:preamble} @tab @code{org-export-html-preamble}
10099 @item @code{:postamble} @tab @code{org-export-html-postamble}
10100 @item @code{:auto-preamble} @tab @code{org-export-html-auto-preamble}
10101 @item @code{:auto-postamble} @tab @code{org-export-html-auto-postamble}
10102 @item @code{:author} @tab @code{user-full-name}
10103 @item @code{:email} @tab @code{user-mail-address} : @code{addr;addr;..}
10104 @item @code{:select-tags} @tab @code{org-export-select-tags}
10105 @item @code{:exclude-tags} @tab @code{org-export-exclude-tags}
10106 @item @code{:latex-image-options} @tab @code{org-export-latex-image-default-option}
10109 Most of the @code{org-export-with-*} variables have the same effect in
10110 both HTML and La@TeX{} exporters, except for @code{:TeX-macros} and
10111 @code{:LaTeX-fragments}, respectively @code{nil} and @code{t} in the
10114 @vindex org-publish-project-alist
10115 When a property is given a value in @code{org-publish-project-alist},
10116 its setting overrides the value of the corresponding user variable (if
10117 any) during publishing. Options set within a file (@pxref{Export
10118 options}), however, override everything.
10120 @node Publishing links, Project page index, Publishing options, Configuration
10121 @subsection Links between published files
10122 @cindex links, publishing
10124 To create a link from one Org file to another, you would use
10125 something like @samp{[[file:foo.org][The foo]]} or simply
10126 @samp{file:foo.org.} (@pxref{Hyperlinks}). When published, this link
10127 becomes a link to @file{foo.html}. In this way, you can interlink the
10128 pages of your "org web" project and the links will work as expected when
10129 you publish them to HTML. If you also publish the Org source file and want
10130 to link to that, use an @code{http:} link instead of a @code{file:} link,
10131 because @code{file:} links are converted to link to the corresponding
10134 You may also link to related files, such as images. Provided you are careful
10135 with relative file names, and provided you have also configured Org to upload
10136 the related files, these links will work too. See @ref{Complex example}, for
10137 an example of this usage.
10139 Sometimes an Org file to be published may contain links that are
10140 only valid in your production environment, but not in the publishing
10141 location. In this case, use the property
10143 @multitable @columnfractions 0.4 0.6
10144 @item @code{:link-validation-function}
10145 @tab Function to validate links
10149 to define a function for checking link validity. This function must
10150 accept two arguments, the file name and a directory relative to which
10151 the file name is interpreted in the production environment. If this
10152 function returns @code{nil}, then the HTML generator will only insert a
10153 description into the HTML file, but no link. One option for this
10154 function is @code{org-publish-validate-link} which checks if the given
10155 file is part of any project in @code{org-publish-project-alist}.
10157 @node Project page index, , Publishing links, Configuration
10158 @subsection Project page index
10159 @cindex index, of published pages
10161 The following properties may be used to control publishing of an
10162 index of files or a summary page for a given project.
10164 @multitable @columnfractions 0.25 0.75
10165 @item @code{:auto-index}
10166 @tab When non-nil, publish an index during @code{org-publish-current-project}
10167 or @code{org-publish-all}.
10169 @item @code{:index-filename}
10170 @tab Filename for output of index. Defaults to @file{sitemap.org} (which
10171 becomes @file{sitemap.html}).
10173 @item @code{:index-title}
10174 @tab Title of index page. Defaults to name of file.
10176 @item @code{:index-function}
10177 @tab Plug-in function to use for generation of index.
10178 Defaults to @code{org-publish-org-index}, which generates a plain list
10179 of links to all files in the project.
10182 @node Uploading files, Sample configuration, Configuration, Publishing
10183 @section Uploading files
10187 For those people already utilizing third party sync tools such as
10188 @command{rsync} or @command{unison}, it might be preferable not to use the built in
10189 @i{remote} publishing facilities of Org mode which rely heavily on
10190 Tramp. Tramp, while very useful and powerful, tends not to be
10191 so efficient for multiple file transfer and has been known to cause problems
10194 Specialized synchronization utilities offer several advantages. In addition
10195 to timestamp comparison, they also do content and permissions/attribute
10196 checks. For this reason you might prefer to publish your web to a local
10197 directory (possibly even @i{in place} with your Org files) and then use
10198 @file{unison} or @file{rsync} to do the synchronization with the remote host.
10200 Since Unison (for example) can be configured as to which files to transfer to
10201 a certain remote destination, it can greatly simplify the project publishing
10202 definition. Simply keep all files in the correct location, process your Org
10203 files with @code{org-publish} and let the synchronization tool do the rest.
10204 You do not need, in this scenario, to include attachments such as @file{jpg},
10205 @file{css} or @file{gif} files in the project definition since the 3rd party
10208 Publishing to a local directory is also much faster than to a remote one, so
10209 that you can afford more easily to republish entire projects. If you set
10210 @code{org-publish-use-timestamps-flag} to @code{nil}, you gain the main
10211 benefit of re-including any changed external files such as source example
10212 files you might include with @code{#+INCLUDE}. The timestamp mechanism in
10213 Org is not smart enough to detect if included files have been modified.
10215 @node Sample configuration, Triggering publication, Uploading files, Publishing
10216 @section Sample configuration
10218 Below we provide two example configurations. The first one is a simple
10219 project publishing only a set of Org files. The second example is
10220 more complex, with a multi-component project.
10223 * Simple example:: One-component publishing
10224 * Complex example:: A multi-component publishing example
10227 @node Simple example, Complex example, Sample configuration, Sample configuration
10228 @subsection Example: simple publishing configuration
10230 This example publishes a set of Org files to the @file{public_html}
10231 directory on the local machine.
10234 (setq org-publish-project-alist
10236 :base-directory "~/org/"
10237 :publishing-directory "~/public_html"
10238 :section-numbers nil
10239 :table-of-contents nil
10240 :style "<link rel=\"stylesheet\"
10241 href=\"../other/mystyle.css\"
10242 type=\"text/css\"/>")))
10245 @node Complex example, , Simple example, Sample configuration
10246 @subsection Example: complex publishing configuration
10248 This more complicated example publishes an entire website, including
10249 Org files converted to HTML, image files, Emacs Lisp source code, and
10250 style sheets. The publishing directory is remote and private files are
10253 To ensure that links are preserved, care should be taken to replicate
10254 your directory structure on the web server, and to use relative file
10255 paths. For example, if your Org files are kept in @file{~/org} and your
10256 publishable images in @file{~/images}, you'd link to an image with
10259 file:../images/myimage.png
10262 On the web server, the relative path to the image should be the
10263 same. You can accomplish this by setting up an "images" folder in the
10264 right place on the web server, and publishing images to it.
10267 (setq org-publish-project-alist
10269 :base-directory "~/org/"
10270 :base-extension "org"
10271 :publishing-directory "/ssh:user@@host:~/html/notebook/"
10272 :publishing-function org-publish-org-to-html
10273 :exclude "PrivatePage.org" ;; regexp
10275 :section-numbers nil
10276 :table-of-contents nil
10277 :style "<link rel=\"stylesheet\"
10278 href=\"../other/mystyle.css\" type=\"text/css\"/>"
10280 :auto-postamble nil)
10283 :base-directory "~/images/"
10284 :base-extension "jpg\\|gif\\|png"
10285 :publishing-directory "/ssh:user@@host:~/html/images/"
10286 :publishing-function org-publish-attachment)
10289 :base-directory "~/other/"
10290 :base-extension "css\\|el"
10291 :publishing-directory "/ssh:user@@host:~/html/other/"
10292 :publishing-function org-publish-attachment)
10293 ("website" :components ("orgfiles" "images" "other"))))
10296 @node Triggering publication, , Sample configuration, Publishing
10297 @section Triggering publication
10299 Once properly configured, Org can publish with the following commands:
10304 Prompt for a specific project and publish all files that belong to it.
10307 Publish the project containing the current file.
10310 Publish only the current file.
10313 Publish every project.
10316 @vindex org-publish-use-timestamps-flag
10317 Org uses timestamps to track when a file has changed. The above functions
10318 normally only publish changed files. You can override this and force
10319 publishing of all files by giving a prefix argument to any of the commands
10320 above, or by customizing the variable @code{org-publish-use-timestamps-flag}.
10321 This may be necessary in particular if files include other files via
10322 @code{#+SETUPFILE:} or @code{#+INCLUDE:}.
10324 @node Miscellaneous, Hacking, Publishing, Top
10325 @chapter Miscellaneous
10328 * Completion:: M-TAB knows what you need
10329 * Speed keys:: Electic commands at the beginning of a headline
10330 * Customization:: Adapting Org to your taste
10331 * In-buffer settings:: Overview of the #+KEYWORDS
10332 * The very busy C-c C-c key:: When in doubt, press C-c C-c
10333 * Clean view:: Getting rid of leading stars in the outline
10334 * TTY keys:: Using Org on a tty
10335 * Interaction:: Other Emacs packages
10339 @node Completion, Speed keys, Miscellaneous, Miscellaneous
10340 @section Completion
10341 @cindex completion, of @TeX{} symbols
10342 @cindex completion, of TODO keywords
10343 @cindex completion, of dictionary words
10344 @cindex completion, of option keywords
10345 @cindex completion, of tags
10346 @cindex completion, of property keys
10347 @cindex completion, of link abbreviations
10348 @cindex @TeX{} symbol completion
10349 @cindex TODO keywords completion
10350 @cindex dictionary word completion
10351 @cindex option keyword completion
10352 @cindex tag completion
10353 @cindex link abbreviations, completion of
10355 Emacs would not be Emacs without completion, and Org-mode uses it whenever it
10356 makes sense. If you prefer an @i{iswitchb}- or @i{ido}-like interface for
10357 some of the completion prompts, you can specify your preference by setting at
10358 most one of the variables @code{org-completion-use-iswitchb}
10359 @code{org-completion-use-ido}.
10361 Org supports in-buffer completion. This type of completion does
10362 not make use of the minibuffer. You simply type a few letters into
10363 the buffer and use the key to complete text right there.
10366 @kindex M-@key{TAB}
10368 Complete word at point
10371 At the beginning of a headline, complete TODO keywords.
10373 After @samp{\}, complete @TeX{} symbols supported by the exporter.
10375 After @samp{*}, complete headlines in the current buffer so that they
10376 can be used in search links like @samp{[[*find this headline]]}.
10378 After @samp{:} in a headline, complete tags. The list of tags is taken
10379 from the variable @code{org-tag-alist} (possibly set through the
10380 @samp{#+TAGS} in-buffer option, @pxref{Setting tags}), or it is created
10381 dynamically from all tags used in the current buffer.
10383 After @samp{:} and not in a headline, complete property keys. The list
10384 of keys is constructed dynamically from all keys used in the current
10387 After @samp{[}, complete link abbreviations (@pxref{Link abbreviations}).
10389 After @samp{#+}, complete the special keywords like @samp{TYP_TODO} or
10390 @samp{OPTIONS} which set file-specific options for Org mode. When the
10391 option keyword is already complete, pressing @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} again
10392 will insert example settings for this keyword.
10394 In the line after @samp{#+STARTUP: }, complete startup keywords,
10395 i.e. valid keys for this line.
10397 Elsewhere, complete dictionary words using Ispell.
10401 @node Speed keys, Customization, Completion, Miscellaneous
10402 @section Speed keys
10404 @vindex org-use-speed-commands
10405 @vindex org-speed-commands-user
10407 Single keys can be made to execute commands when the cursor is at the
10408 beginning of a headline, i.e. before the first star. Configure the variable
10409 @code{org-use-speed-commands} to activate this feature. There is a
10410 pre-defined list of commands, and you can add more such commands using the
10411 variable @code{org-speed-commands-user}. Speed keys do not only speed up
10412 navigation and other commands, but they also provide an alternative way to
10413 execute commands bound to keys that are not or not easily available on a tty,
10414 or on a small mobile device with a limited keyboard.
10416 To see which commands are available, activate the feature and press @kbd{?}
10417 with the cursor at the beginning of a headline.
10419 @node Customization, In-buffer settings, Speed keys, Miscellaneous
10420 @section Customization
10421 @cindex customization
10422 @cindex options, for customization
10423 @cindex variables, for customization
10425 There are more than 180 variables that can be used to customize
10426 Org. For the sake of compactness of the manual, I am not
10427 describing the variables here. A structured overview of customization
10428 variables is available with @kbd{M-x org-customize}. Or select
10429 @code{Browse Org Group} from the @code{Org->Customization} menu. Many
10430 settings can also be activated on a per-file basis, by putting special
10431 lines into the buffer (@pxref{In-buffer settings}).
10433 @node In-buffer settings, The very busy C-c C-c key, Customization, Miscellaneous
10434 @section Summary of in-buffer settings
10435 @cindex in-buffer settings
10436 @cindex special keywords
10438 Org mode uses special lines in the buffer to define settings on a
10439 per-file basis. These lines start with a @samp{#+} followed by a
10440 keyword, a colon, and then individual words defining a setting. Several
10441 setting words can be in the same line, but you can also have multiple
10442 lines for the keyword. While these settings are described throughout
10443 the manual, here is a summary. After changing any of those lines in the
10444 buffer, press @kbd{C-c C-c} with the cursor still in the line to
10445 activate the changes immediately. Otherwise they become effective only
10446 when the file is visited again in a new Emacs session.
10448 @vindex org-archive-location
10450 @item #+ARCHIVE: %s_done::
10451 This line sets the archive location for the agenda file. It applies for
10452 all subsequent lines until the next @samp{#+ARCHIVE} line, or the end
10453 of the file. The first such line also applies to any entries before it.
10454 The corresponding variable is @code{org-archive-location}.
10456 This line sets the category for the agenda file. The category applies
10457 for all subsequent lines until the next @samp{#+CATEGORY} line, or the
10458 end of the file. The first such line also applies to any entries before it.
10459 @item #+COLUMNS: %25ITEM .....
10460 @cindex property, COLUMNS
10461 Set the default format for columns view. This format applies when
10462 columns view is invoked in locations where no @code{COLUMNS} property
10464 @item #+CONSTANTS: name1=value1 ...
10465 @vindex org-table-formula-constants
10466 @vindex org-table-formula
10467 Set file-local values for constants to be used in table formulas. This
10468 line set the local variable @code{org-table-formula-constants-local}.
10469 The global version of this variable is
10470 @code{org-table-formula-constants}.
10471 @item #+FILETAGS: :tag1:tag2:tag3:
10472 Set tags that can be inherited by any entry in the file, including the
10474 @item #+DRAWERS: NAME1 .....
10475 @vindex org-drawers
10476 Set the file-local set of drawers. The corresponding global variable is
10477 @code{org-drawers}.
10478 @item #+LINK: linkword replace
10479 @vindex org-link-abbrev-alist
10480 These lines (several are allowed) specify link abbreviations.
10481 @xref{Link abbreviations}. The corresponding variable is
10482 @code{org-link-abbrev-alist}.
10483 @item #+PRIORITIES: highest lowest default
10484 @vindex org-highest-priority
10485 @vindex org-lowest-priority
10486 @vindex org-default-priority
10487 This line sets the limits and the default for the priorities. All three
10488 must be either letters A-Z or numbers 0-9. The highest priority must
10489 have a lower ASCII number that the lowest priority.
10490 @item #+PROPERTY: Property_Name Value
10491 This line sets a default inheritance value for entries in the current
10492 buffer, most useful for specifying the allowed values of a property.
10493 @cindex #+SETUPFILE
10494 @item #+SETUPFILE: file
10495 This line defines a file that holds more in-buffer setup. Normally this is
10496 entirely ignored. Only when the buffer is parsed for option-setting lines
10497 (i.e. when starting Org mode for a file, when pressing @kbd{C-c C-c} in a
10498 settings line, or when exporting), then the contents of this file are parsed
10499 as if they had been included in the buffer. In particular, the file can be
10500 any other Org mode file with internal setup. You can visit the file the
10501 cursor is in the line with @kbd{C-c '}.
10504 This line sets options to be used at startup of Org mode, when an
10505 Org file is being visited.
10507 The first set of options deals with the initial visibility of the outline
10508 tree. The corresponding variable for global default settings is
10509 @code{org-startup-folded}, with a default value @code{t}, which means
10511 @vindex org-startup-folded
10512 @cindex @code{overview}, STARTUP keyword
10513 @cindex @code{content}, STARTUP keyword
10514 @cindex @code{showall}, STARTUP keyword
10515 @cindex @code{showeverything}, STARTUP keyword
10517 overview @r{top-level headlines only}
10518 content @r{all headlines}
10519 showall @r{no folding of any entries}
10520 showeverything @r{show even drawer contents}
10523 @vindex org-startup-indented
10524 @cindex @code{indent}, STARTUP keyword
10525 @cindex @code{noindent}, STARTUP keyword
10526 Dynamic virtual indentation is controlled by the variable
10527 @code{org-startup-indented}@footnote{Emacs 23 and Org-mode 6.29 are required}
10529 indent @r{start with @code{org-indent-mode} turned on}
10530 noindent @r{start with @code{org-indent-mode} turned off}
10533 @vindex org-startup-align-all-tables
10534 Then there are options for aligning tables upon visiting a file. This
10535 is useful in files containing narrowed table columns. The corresponding
10536 variable is @code{org-startup-align-all-tables}, with a default value
10538 @cindex @code{align}, STARTUP keyword
10539 @cindex @code{noalign}, STARTUP keyword
10541 align @r{align all tables}
10542 noalign @r{don't align tables on startup}
10544 @vindex org-log-done
10545 @vindex org-log-note-clock-out
10546 @vindex org-log-repeat
10547 Logging the closing and reopening of TODO items and clock intervals can be
10548 configured using these options (see variables @code{org-log-done},
10549 @code{org-log-note-clock-out} and @code{org-log-repeat})
10550 @cindex @code{logdone}, STARTUP keyword
10551 @cindex @code{lognotedone}, STARTUP keyword
10552 @cindex @code{nologdone}, STARTUP keyword
10553 @cindex @code{lognoteclock-out}, STARTUP keyword
10554 @cindex @code{nolognoteclock-out}, STARTUP keyword
10555 @cindex @code{logrepeat}, STARTUP keyword
10556 @cindex @code{lognoterepeat}, STARTUP keyword
10557 @cindex @code{nologrepeat}, STARTUP keyword
10558 @cindex @code{logreschedule}, STARTUP keyword
10559 @cindex @code{lognotereschedule}, STARTUP keyword
10560 @cindex @code{nologreschedule}, STARTUP keyword
10561 @cindex @code{logredeadline}, STARTUP keyword
10562 @cindex @code{lognoteredeadline}, STARTUP keyword
10563 @cindex @code{nologredeadline}, STARTUP keyword
10565 logdone @r{record a timestamp when an item is marked DONE}
10566 lognotedone @r{record timestamp and a note when DONE}
10567 nologdone @r{don't record when items are marked DONE}
10568 logrepeat @r{record a time when reinstating a repeating item}
10569 lognoterepeat @r{record a note when reinstating a repeating item}
10570 nologrepeat @r{do not record when reinstating repeating item}
10571 lognoteclock-out @r{record a note when clocking out}
10572 nolognoteclock-out @r{don't record a note when clocking out}
10573 logreschedule @r{record a timestamp when scheduling time changes}
10574 lognotereschedule @r{record a note when scheduling time changes}
10575 nologreschedule @r{do not record when a scheduling date changes}
10576 logredeadline @r{record a timestamp when deadline changes}
10577 lognoteredeadline @r{record a note when deadline changes}
10578 nologredeadline @r{do not record when a deadline date changes}
10580 @vindex org-hide-leading-stars
10581 @vindex org-odd-levels-only
10582 Here are the options for hiding leading stars in outline headings, and for
10583 indenting outlines. The corresponding variables are
10584 @code{org-hide-leading-stars} and @code{org-odd-levels-only}, both with a
10585 default setting @code{nil} (meaning @code{showstars} and @code{oddeven}).
10586 @cindex @code{hidestars}, STARTUP keyword
10587 @cindex @code{showstars}, STARTUP keyword
10588 @cindex @code{odd}, STARTUP keyword
10589 @cindex @code{even}, STARTUP keyword
10591 hidestars @r{make all but one of the stars starting a headline invisible.}
10592 showstars @r{show all stars starting a headline}
10593 indent @r{virtual indentation according to outline level}
10594 noindent @r{no virtual indentation according to outline level}
10595 odd @r{allow only odd outline levels (1,3,...)}
10596 oddeven @r{allow all outline levels}
10598 @vindex org-put-time-stamp-overlays
10599 @vindex org-time-stamp-overlay-formats
10600 To turn on custom format overlays over timestamps (variables
10601 @code{org-put-time-stamp-overlays} and
10602 @code{org-time-stamp-overlay-formats}), use
10603 @cindex @code{customtime}, STARTUP keyword
10605 customtime @r{overlay custom time format}
10607 @vindex constants-unit-system
10608 The following options influence the table spreadsheet (variable
10609 @code{constants-unit-system}).
10610 @cindex @code{constcgs}, STARTUP keyword
10611 @cindex @code{constSI}, STARTUP keyword
10613 constcgs @r{@file{constants.el} should use the c-g-s unit system}
10614 constSI @r{@file{constants.el} should use the SI unit system}
10616 @vindex org-footnote-define-inline
10617 @vindex org-footnote-auto-label
10618 @vindex org-footnote-auto-adjust
10619 To influence footnote settings, use the following keywords. The
10620 corresponding variables are @code{org-footnote-define-inline},
10621 @code{org-footnote-auto-label}, and @code{org-footnote-auto-adjust}.
10622 @cindex @code{fninline}, STARTUP keyword
10623 @cindex @code{nofninline}, STARTUP keyword
10624 @cindex @code{fnlocal}, STARTUP keyword
10625 @cindex @code{fnprompt}, STARTUP keyword
10626 @cindex @code{fnauto}, STARTUP keyword
10627 @cindex @code{fnconfirm}, STARTUP keyword
10628 @cindex @code{fnplain}, STARTUP keyword
10629 @cindex @code{fnadjust}, STARTUP keyword
10630 @cindex @code{nofnadjust}, STARTUP keyword
10632 fninline @r{define footnotes inline}
10633 fnnoinline @r{define footnotes in separate section}
10634 fnlocal @r{define footnotes near first reference, but not inline}
10635 fnprompt @r{prompt for footnote labels}
10636 fnauto @r{create [fn:1]-like labels automatically (default)}
10637 fnconfirm @r{offer automatic label for editing or confirmation}
10638 fnplain @r{create [1]-like labels automatically}
10639 fnadjust @r{automatically renumber and sort footnotes}
10640 nofnadjust @r{do not renumber and sort automatically}
10642 @cindex org-hide-block-startup
10643 To hide blocks on startup, use these keywords. The corresponding variable is
10644 @code{org-hide-block-startup}.
10645 @cindex @code{hideblocks}, STARTUP keyword
10646 @cindex @code{nohideblocks}, STARTUP keyword
10648 hideblocks @r{Hide all begin/end blocks on startup}
10649 nohideblocks @r{Do not hide blocks on startup}
10651 @item #+TAGS: TAG1(c1) TAG2(c2)
10652 @vindex org-tag-alist
10653 These lines (several such lines are allowed) specify the valid tags in
10654 this file, and (potentially) the corresponding @emph{fast tag selection}
10655 keys. The corresponding variable is @code{org-tag-alist}.
10657 This line contains the formulas for the table directly above the line.
10658 @item #+TITLE:, #+AUTHOR:, #+EMAIL:, #+LANGUAGE:, #+TEXT:, #+DATE:,
10659 @itemx #+OPTIONS:, #+BIND:
10660 @itemx #+DESCRIPTION:, #+KEYWORDS:
10661 @itemx #+LATEX_HEADER:, #+STYLE:, #+LINK_UP:, #+LINK_HOME:,
10662 @itemx #+EXPORT_SELECT_TAGS:, #+EXPORT_EXCLUDE_TAGS:
10663 These lines provide settings for exporting files. For more details see
10664 @ref{Export options}.
10665 @item #+TODO: #+SEQ_TODO: #+TYP_TODO:
10666 @vindex org-todo-keywords
10667 These lines set the TODO keywords and their interpretation in the
10668 current file. The corresponding variable is @code{org-todo-keywords}.
10671 @node The very busy C-c C-c key, Clean view, In-buffer settings, Miscellaneous
10672 @section The very busy C-c C-c key
10674 @cindex C-c C-c, overview
10676 The key @kbd{C-c C-c} has many purposes in Org, which are all
10677 mentioned scattered throughout this manual. One specific function of
10678 this key is to add @emph{tags} to a headline (@pxref{Tags}). In many
10679 other circumstances it means something like @emph{``Hey Org, look
10680 here and update according to what you see here''}. Here is a summary of
10681 what this means in different contexts.
10685 If there are highlights in the buffer from the creation of a sparse
10686 tree, or from clock display, remove these highlights.
10688 If the cursor is in one of the special @code{#+KEYWORD} lines, this
10689 triggers scanning the buffer for these lines and updating the
10692 If the cursor is inside a table, realign the table. This command
10693 works even if the automatic table editor has been turned off.
10695 If the cursor is on a @code{#+TBLFM} line, re-apply the formulas to
10698 If the cursor is inside a table created by the @file{table.el} package,
10699 activate that table.
10701 If the current buffer is a Remember buffer, close the note and file it.
10702 With a prefix argument, file it, without further interaction, to the
10705 If the cursor is on a @code{<<<target>>>}, update radio targets and
10706 corresponding links in this buffer.
10708 If the cursor is in a property line or at the start or end of a property
10709 drawer, offer property commands.
10711 If the cursor is at a footnote reference, go to the corresponding
10712 definition, and vice versa.
10714 If the cursor is on a statistics cookie, update it.
10716 If the cursor is in a plain list item with a checkbox, toggle the status
10719 If the cursor is on a numbered item in a plain list, renumber the
10722 If the cursor is on the @code{#+BEGIN} line of a dynamic block, the
10726 @node Clean view, TTY keys, The very busy C-c C-c key, Miscellaneous
10727 @section A cleaner outline view
10728 @cindex hiding leading stars
10729 @cindex dynamic indentation
10730 @cindex odd-levels-only outlines
10731 @cindex clean outline view
10733 Some people find it noisy and distracting that the Org headlines start with a
10734 potentially large number of stars, and that text below the headlines is not
10735 indented. While this is no problem when writing a @emph{book-like} document
10736 where the outline headings are really section headings, in a more
10737 @emph{list-oriented} outline, indented structure is a lot cleaner:
10741 * Top level headline | * Top level headline
10742 ** Second level | * Second level
10743 *** 3rd level | * 3rd level
10744 some text | some text
10745 *** 3rd level | * 3rd level
10746 more text | more text
10747 * Another top level headline | * Another top level headline
10752 If you are using at least Emacs 23.1.50.3 and version 6.29 of Org, this kind
10753 of view can be achieved dynamically at display time using
10754 @code{org-indent-mode}. In this minor mode, all lines are prefixed for
10755 display with the necessary amount of space. Also headlines are prefixed with
10756 additional stars, so that the amount of indentation shifts by
10757 two@footnote{See the variable @code{org-indent-indentation-per-level}.}
10758 spaces per level. All headline stars but the last one are made invisible
10759 using the @code{org-hide} face@footnote{Turning on @code{org-indent-mode}
10760 sets @code{org-hide-leading-stars} to @code{t} and
10761 @code{org-adapt-indentation} to @code{nil}.} - see below under @samp{2.} for
10762 more information on how this works. You can turn on @code{org-indent-mode}
10763 for all files by customizing the variable @code{org-startup-indented}, or you
10764 can turn it on for individual files using
10770 If you want a similar effect in earlier version of Emacs and/or Org, or if
10771 you want the indentation to be hard space characters so that the plain text
10772 file looks as similar as possible to the Emacs display, Org supports you in
10777 @emph{Indentation of text below headlines}@*
10778 You may indent text below each headline to make the left boundary line up
10779 with the headline, like
10783 more text, now indented
10786 @vindex org-adapt-indentation
10787 Org supports this with paragraph filling, line wrapping, and structure
10788 editing@footnote{See also the variable @code{org-adapt-indentation}.},
10789 preserving or adapting the indentation as appropriate.
10792 @vindex org-hide-leading-stars
10793 @emph{Hiding leading stars}@* You can modify the display in such a way that
10794 all leading stars become invisible. To do this in a global way, configure
10795 the variable @code{org-hide-leading-stars} or change this on a per-file basis
10799 #+STARTUP: hidestars
10800 #+STARTUP: showstars
10803 With hidden stars, the tree becomes:
10807 * Top level headline
10815 @vindex org-hide @r{(face)}
10816 The leading stars are not truly replaced by whitespace, they are only
10817 fontified with the face @code{org-hide} that uses the background color as
10818 font color. If you are not using either white or black background, you may
10819 have to customize this face to get the wanted effect. Another possibility is
10820 to set this font such that the extra stars are @i{almost} invisible, for
10821 example using the color @code{grey90} on a white background.
10824 @vindex org-odd-levels-only
10825 Things become cleaner still if you skip all the even levels and use only odd
10826 levels 1, 3, 5..., effectively adding two stars to go from one outline level
10827 to the next@footnote{When you need to specify a level for a property search
10828 or refile targets, @samp{LEVEL=2} will correspond to 3 stars, etc@.}. In this
10829 way we get the outline view shown at the beginning of this section. In order
10830 to make the structure editing and export commands handle this convention
10831 correctly, configure the variable @code{org-odd-levels-only}, or set this on
10832 a per-file basis with one of the following lines:
10839 You can convert an Org file from single-star-per-level to the
10840 double-star-per-level convention with @kbd{M-x org-convert-to-odd-levels
10841 RET} in that file. The reverse operation is @kbd{M-x
10842 org-convert-to-oddeven-levels}.
10845 @node TTY keys, Interaction, Clean view, Miscellaneous
10846 @section Using Org on a tty
10847 @cindex tty key bindings
10849 Because Org contains a large number of commands, by default many of
10850 Org's core commands are bound to keys that are generally not
10851 accessible on a tty, such as the cursor keys (@key{left}, @key{right},
10852 @key{up}, @key{down}), @key{TAB} and @key{RET}, in particular when used
10853 together with modifiers like @key{Meta} and/or @key{Shift}. To access
10854 these commands on a tty when special keys are unavailable, the following
10855 alternative bindings can be used. The tty bindings below will likely be
10856 more cumbersome; you may find for some of the bindings below that a
10857 customized workaround suits you better. For example, changing a timestamp
10858 is really only fun with @kbd{S-@key{cursor}} keys, whereas on a
10859 tty you would rather use @kbd{C-c .} to re-insert the timestamp.
10861 @multitable @columnfractions 0.15 0.2 0.1 0.2
10862 @item @b{Default} @tab @b{Alternative 1} @tab @b{Speed key} @tab @b{Alternative 2}
10863 @item @kbd{S-@key{TAB}} @tab @kbd{C-u @key{TAB}} @tab @kbd{C} @tab
10864 @item @kbd{M-@key{left}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x l} @tab @kbd{l} @tab @kbd{@key{Esc} @key{left}}
10865 @item @kbd{M-S-@key{left}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x L} @tab @kbd{L} @tab
10866 @item @kbd{M-@key{right}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x r} @tab @kbd{r} @tab @kbd{@key{Esc} @key{right}}
10867 @item @kbd{M-S-@key{right}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x R} @tab @kbd{R} @tab
10868 @item @kbd{M-@key{up}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x u} @tab @kbd{ } @tab @kbd{@key{Esc} @key{up}}
10869 @item @kbd{M-S-@key{up}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x U} @tab @kbd{U} @tab
10870 @item @kbd{M-@key{down}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x d} @tab @kbd{ } @tab @kbd{@key{Esc} @key{down}}
10871 @item @kbd{M-S-@key{down}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x D} @tab @kbd{D} @tab
10872 @item @kbd{S-@key{RET}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x c} @tab @kbd{ } @tab
10873 @item @kbd{M-@key{RET}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x m} @tab @kbd{ } @tab @kbd{@key{Esc} @key{RET}}
10874 @item @kbd{M-S-@key{RET}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x M} @tab @kbd{ } @tab
10875 @item @kbd{S-@key{left}} @tab @kbd{C-c @key{left}} @tab @kbd{ } @tab
10876 @item @kbd{S-@key{right}} @tab @kbd{C-c @key{right}} @tab @kbd{ } @tab
10877 @item @kbd{S-@key{up}} @tab @kbd{C-c @key{up}} @tab @kbd{ } @tab
10878 @item @kbd{S-@key{down}} @tab @kbd{C-c @key{down}} @tab @kbd{ } @tab
10879 @item @kbd{C-S-@key{left}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x @key{left}} @tab @kbd{ } @tab
10880 @item @kbd{C-S-@key{right}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x @key{right}} @tab @kbd{ } @tab
10884 @node Interaction, , TTY keys, Miscellaneous
10885 @section Interaction with other packages
10886 @cindex packages, interaction with other
10887 Org lives in the world of GNU Emacs and interacts in various ways
10888 with other code out there.
10891 * Cooperation:: Packages Org cooperates with
10892 * Conflicts:: Packages that lead to conflicts
10895 @node Cooperation, Conflicts, Interaction, Interaction
10896 @subsection Packages that Org cooperates with
10899 @cindex @file{calc.el}
10900 @cindex Gillespie, Dave
10901 @item @file{calc.el} by Dave Gillespie
10902 Org uses the Calc package for implementing spreadsheet
10903 functionality in its tables (@pxref{The spreadsheet}). Org
10904 checks for the availability of Calc by looking for the function
10905 @code{calc-eval} which will have been autoloaded during setup if Calc has
10906 been installed properly. As of Emacs 22, Calc is part of the Emacs
10907 distribution. Another possibility for interaction between the two
10908 packages is using Calc for embedded calculations. @xref{Embedded Mode,
10909 , Embedded Mode, Calc, GNU Emacs Calc Manual}.
10910 @item @file{constants.el} by Carsten Dominik
10911 @cindex @file{constants.el}
10912 @cindex Dominik, Carsten
10913 @vindex org-table-formula-constants
10914 In a table formula (@pxref{The spreadsheet}), it is possible to use
10915 names for natural constants or units. Instead of defining your own
10916 constants in the variable @code{org-table-formula-constants}, install
10917 the @file{constants} package which defines a large number of constants
10918 and units, and lets you use unit prefixes like @samp{M} for
10919 @samp{Mega}, etc@. You will need version 2.0 of this package, available
10920 at @url{http://www.astro.uva.nl/~dominik/Tools}. Org checks for
10921 the function @code{constants-get}, which has to be autoloaded in your
10922 setup. See the installation instructions in the file
10923 @file{constants.el}.
10924 @item @file{cdlatex.el} by Carsten Dominik
10925 @cindex @file{cdlatex.el}
10926 @cindex Dominik, Carsten
10927 Org mode can make use of the CDLa@TeX{} package to efficiently enter
10928 La@TeX{} fragments into Org files. See @ref{CDLaTeX mode}.
10929 @item @file{imenu.el} by Ake Stenhoff and Lars Lindberg
10930 @cindex @file{imenu.el}
10931 Imenu allows menu access to an index of items in a file. Org mode
10932 supports Imenu---all you need to do to get the index is the following:
10934 (add-hook 'org-mode-hook
10935 (lambda () (imenu-add-to-menubar "Imenu")))
10937 @vindex org-imenu-depth
10938 By default the index is two levels deep---you can modify the depth using
10939 the option @code{org-imenu-depth}.
10940 @item @file{remember.el} by John Wiegley
10941 @cindex @file{remember.el}
10942 @cindex Wiegley, John
10943 Org cooperates with remember, see @ref{Remember}.
10944 @file{Remember.el} is not part of Emacs, find it on the web.
10945 @item @file{speedbar.el} by Eric M. Ludlam
10946 @cindex @file{speedbar.el}
10947 @cindex Ludlam, Eric M.
10948 Speedbar is a package that creates a special frame displaying files and
10949 index items in files. Org mode supports Speedbar and allows you to
10950 drill into Org files directly from the Speedbar. It also allows you to
10951 restrict the scope of agenda commands to a file or a subtree by using
10952 the command @kbd{<} in the Speedbar frame.
10953 @cindex @file{table.el}
10954 @item @file{table.el} by Takaaki Ota
10956 @cindex table editor, @file{table.el}
10957 @cindex @file{table.el}
10958 @cindex Ota, Takaaki
10960 Complex ASCII tables with automatic line wrapping, column- and
10961 row-spanning, and alignment can be created using the Emacs table
10962 package by Takaaki Ota (@uref{http://sourceforge.net/projects/table},
10963 and also part of Emacs 22).
10964 When @key{TAB} or @kbd{C-c C-c} is pressed in such a table, Org mode
10965 will call @command{table-recognize-table} and move the cursor into the
10966 table. Inside a table, the keymap of Org mode is inactive. In order
10967 to execute Org mode-related commands, leave the table.
10972 Recognize @file{table.el} table. Works when the cursor is in a
10977 Insert a @file{table.el} table. If there is already a table at point, this
10978 command converts it between the @file{table.el} format and the Org-mode
10979 format. See the documentation string of the command
10980 @code{org-convert-table} for the restrictions under which this is
10983 @file{table.el} is part of Emacs 22.
10984 @item @file{footnote.el} by Steven L. Baur
10985 @cindex @file{footnote.el}
10986 @cindex Baur, Steven L.
10987 Org mode recognizes numerical footnotes as provided by this package.
10988 However, Org mode also has its own footnote support (@pxref{Footnotes}),
10989 which makes using @file{footnote.el} unnecessary.
10992 @node Conflicts, , Cooperation, Interaction
10993 @subsection Packages that lead to conflicts with Org mode
10997 @cindex @code{shift-selection-mode}
10998 @vindex org-support-shift-select
10999 In Emacs 23, @code{shift-selection-mode} is on by default, meaning that
11000 cursor motions combined with the shift key should start or enlarge regions.
11001 This conflicts with the use of @kbd{S-@key{cursor}} commands in Org to change
11002 timestamps, TODO keywords, priorities, and item bullet types if the cursor is
11003 at such a location. By default, @kbd{S-@key{cursor}} commands outside
11004 special contexts don't do anything, but you can customize the variable
11005 @code{org-support-shift-select}. Org mode then tries to accommodate shift
11006 selection by (i) using it outside of the special contexts where special
11007 commands apply, and by (ii) extending an existing active region even if the
11008 cursor moves across a special context.
11010 @item @file{CUA.el} by Kim. F. Storm
11011 @cindex @file{CUA.el}
11012 @cindex Storm, Kim. F.
11013 @vindex org-replace-disputed-keys
11014 Key bindings in Org conflict with the @kbd{S-<cursor>} keys used by CUA mode
11015 (as well as @code{pc-select-mode} and @code{s-region-mode}) to select and extend the
11016 region. In fact, Emacs 23 has this built-in in the form of
11017 @code{shift-selection-mode}, see previous paragraph. If you are using Emacs
11018 23, you probably don't want to use another package for this purpose. However,
11019 if you prefer to leave these keys to a different package while working in
11020 Org mode, configure the variable @code{org-replace-disputed-keys}. When set,
11021 Org will move the following key bindings in Org files, and in the agenda
11022 buffer (but not during date selection).
11025 S-UP -> M-p S-DOWN -> M-n
11026 S-LEFT -> M-- S-RIGHT -> M-+
11027 C-S-LEFT -> M-S-- C-S-RIGHT -> M-S-+
11030 @vindex org-disputed-keys
11031 Yes, these are unfortunately more difficult to remember. If you want
11032 to have other replacement keys, look at the variable
11033 @code{org-disputed-keys}.
11035 @item @file{yasnippet.el}
11036 @cindex @file{yasnippet.el}
11037 The way Org-mode binds the TAB key (binding to @code{[tab]} instead of
11038 @code{"\t"}) overrules yasnippets' access to this key. The following code
11039 fixed this problem:
11042 (add-hook 'org-mode-hook
11044 (org-set-local 'yas/trigger-key [tab])
11045 (define-key yas/keymap [tab] 'yas/next-field-group)))
11048 @item @file{windmove.el} by Hovav Shacham
11049 @cindex @file{windmove.el}
11050 This package also uses the @kbd{S-<cursor>} keys, so everything written
11051 in the paragraph above about CUA mode also applies here.
11053 @item @file{viper.el} by Michael Kifer
11054 @cindex @file{viper.el}
11056 Viper uses @kbd{C-c /} and therefore makes this key not access the
11057 corresponding Org-mode command @code{org-sparse-tree}. You need to find
11058 another key for this command, or override the key in
11059 @code{viper-vi-global-user-map} with
11062 (define-key viper-vi-global-user-map "C-c /" 'org-sparse-tree)
11068 @node Hacking, MobileOrg, Miscellaneous, Top
11072 This appendix covers some aspects where users can extend the functionality of
11076 * Hooks:: Who to reach into Org's internals
11077 * Add-on packages:: Available extensions
11078 * Adding hyperlink types:: New custom link types
11079 * Context-sensitive commands:: How to add functionality to such commands
11080 * Tables in arbitrary syntax:: Orgtbl for La@TeX{} and other programs
11081 * Dynamic blocks:: Automatically filled blocks
11082 * Special agenda views:: Customized views
11083 * Extracting agenda information:: Postprocessing of agenda information
11084 * Using the property API:: Writing programs that use entry properties
11085 * Using the mapping API:: Mapping over all or selected entries
11088 @node Hooks, Add-on packages, Hacking, Hacking
11092 Org has a large number of hook variables that can be used to add
11093 functionality. This appendix about hacking is going to illustrate the
11094 use of some of them. A complete list of all hooks with documentation is
11095 maintained by the Worg project and can be found at
11096 @uref{http://orgmode.org/worg/org-configs/org-hooks.php}.
11098 @node Add-on packages, Adding hyperlink types, Hooks, Hacking
11099 @section Add-on packages
11100 @cindex add-on packages
11102 A large number of add-on packages have been written by various authors.
11103 These packages are not part of Emacs, but they are distributed as contributed
11104 packages with the separate release available at the Org mode home page at
11105 @uref{http://orgmode.org}. The list of contributed packages, along with
11106 documentation about each package, is maintained by the Worg project at
11107 @uref{http://orgmode.org/worg/org-contrib/}.
11111 @node Adding hyperlink types, Context-sensitive commands, Add-on packages, Hacking
11112 @section Adding hyperlink types
11113 @cindex hyperlinks, adding new types
11115 Org has a large number of hyperlink types built-in
11116 (@pxref{Hyperlinks}). If you would like to add new link types, Org
11117 provides an interface for doing so. Let's look at an example file,
11118 @file{org-man.el}, that will add support for creating links like
11119 @samp{[[man:printf][The printf manpage]]} to show Unix manual pages inside
11123 ;;; org-man.el - Support for links to manpages in Org
11127 (org-add-link-type "man" 'org-man-open)
11128 (add-hook 'org-store-link-functions 'org-man-store-link)
11130 (defcustom org-man-command 'man
11131 "The Emacs command to be used to display a man page."
11133 :type '(choice (const man) (const woman)))
11135 (defun org-man-open (path)
11136 "Visit the manpage on PATH.
11137 PATH should be a topic that can be thrown at the man command."
11138 (funcall org-man-command path))
11140 (defun org-man-store-link ()
11141 "Store a link to a manpage."
11142 (when (memq major-mode '(Man-mode woman-mode))
11143 ;; This is a man page, we do make this link
11144 (let* ((page (org-man-get-page-name))
11145 (link (concat "man:" page))
11146 (description (format "Manpage for %s" page)))
11147 (org-store-link-props
11150 :description description))))
11152 (defun org-man-get-page-name ()
11153 "Extract the page name from the buffer name."
11154 ;; This works for both `Man-mode' and `woman-mode'.
11155 (if (string-match " \\(\\S-+\\)\\*" (buffer-name))
11156 (match-string 1 (buffer-name))
11157 (error "Cannot create link to this man page")))
11161 ;;; org-man.el ends here
11165 You would activate this new link type in @file{.emacs} with
11172 Let's go through the file and see what it does.
11175 It does @code{(require 'org)} to make sure that @file{org.el} has been
11178 The next line calls @code{org-add-link-type} to define a new link type
11179 with prefix @samp{man}. The call also contains the name of a function
11180 that will be called to follow such a link.
11182 @vindex org-store-link-functions
11183 The next line adds a function to @code{org-store-link-functions}, in
11184 order to allow the command @kbd{C-c l} to record a useful link in a
11185 buffer displaying a man page.
11188 The rest of the file defines the necessary variables and functions.
11189 First there is a customization variable that determines which Emacs
11190 command should be used to display man pages. There are two options,
11191 @code{man} and @code{woman}. Then the function to follow a link is
11192 defined. It gets the link path as an argument---in this case the link
11193 path is just a topic for the manual command. The function calls the
11194 value of @code{org-man-command} to display the man page.
11196 Finally the function @code{org-man-store-link} is defined. When you try
11197 to store a link with @kbd{C-c l}, this function will be called to
11198 try to make a link. The function must first decide if it is supposed to
11199 create the link for this buffer type; we do this by checking the value
11200 of the variable @code{major-mode}. If not, the function must exit and
11201 return the value @code{nil}. If yes, the link is created by getting the
11202 manual topic from the buffer name and prefixing it with the string
11203 @samp{man:}. Then it must call the command @code{org-store-link-props}
11204 and set the @code{:type} and @code{:link} properties. Optionally you
11205 can also set the @code{:description} property to provide a default for
11206 the link description when the link is later inserted into an Org
11207 buffer with @kbd{C-c C-l}.
11209 When is makes sense for your new link type, you may also define a function
11210 @code{org-PREFIX-complete-link} that implements special (e.g. completion)
11211 support for inserting such a link with @kbd{C-c C-l}. Such a function should
11212 not accept any arguments, and return the full link with prefix.
11214 @node Context-sensitive commands, Tables in arbitrary syntax, Adding hyperlink types, Hacking
11215 @section Context-sensitive commands
11216 @cindex context-sensitive commands, hooks
11217 @cindex add-ons, context-sensitive commands
11218 @vindex org-ctrl-c-ctrl-c-hook
11220 Org has several commands that act differently depending on context. The most
11221 important example it the @kbd{C-c C-c} (@pxref{The very busy C-c C-c key}).
11222 Also the @kbd{M-cursor} and @kbd{M-S-cursor} keys have this property.
11224 Add-ons can tap into this functionality by providing a function that detects
11225 special context for that add-on and executes functionality appropriate for
11226 the context. Here is an example from Dan Davison's @file{org-R.el} which
11227 allows you to evaluate commands based on the @file{R} programming language. For
11228 this package, special contexts are lines that start with @code{#+R:} or
11232 (defun org-R-apply-maybe ()
11233 "Detect if this is context for org-R and execute R commands."
11234 (if (save-excursion
11235 (beginning-of-line 1)
11236 (looking-at "#\\+RR?:"))
11237 (progn (call-interactively 'org-R-apply)
11238 t) ;; to signal that we took action
11239 nil)) ;; to signal that we did not
11241 (add-hook 'org-ctrl-c-ctrl-c-hook 'org-R-apply-maybe)
11244 The function first checks if the cursor is in such a line. If that is the
11245 case, @code{org-R-apply} is called and the function returns @code{t} to
11246 signal that action was taken, and @kbd{C-c C-c} will stop looking for other
11247 contexts. If the function finds it should do nothing locally, it returns @code{nil} so that other, similar functions can have a try.
11250 @node Tables in arbitrary syntax, Dynamic blocks, Context-sensitive commands, Hacking
11251 @section Tables and lists in arbitrary syntax
11252 @cindex tables, in other modes
11253 @cindex lists, in other modes
11254 @cindex Orgtbl mode
11256 Since Orgtbl mode can be used as a minor mode in arbitrary buffers, a
11257 frequent feature request has been to make it work with native tables in
11258 specific languages, for example La@TeX{}. However, this is extremely
11259 hard to do in a general way, would lead to a customization nightmare,
11260 and would take away much of the simplicity of the Orgtbl-mode table
11264 This appendix describes a different approach. We keep the Orgtbl mode
11265 table in its native format (the @i{source table}), and use a custom
11266 function to @i{translate} the table to the correct syntax, and to
11267 @i{install} it in the right location (the @i{target table}). This puts
11268 the burden of writing conversion functions on the user, but it allows
11269 for a very flexible system.
11271 Bastien added the ability to do the same with lists. You can use Org's
11272 facilities to edit and structure lists by turning @code{orgstruct-mode}
11273 on, then locally exporting such lists in another format (HTML, La@TeX{}
11278 * Radio tables:: Sending and receiving radio tables
11279 * A LaTeX example:: Step by step, almost a tutorial
11280 * Translator functions:: Copy and modify
11281 * Radio lists:: Doing the same for lists
11284 @node Radio tables, A LaTeX example, Tables in arbitrary syntax, Tables in arbitrary syntax
11285 @subsection Radio tables
11286 @cindex radio tables
11288 To define the location of the target table, you first need to create two
11289 lines that are comments in the current mode, but contain magic words for
11290 Orgtbl mode to find. Orgtbl mode will insert the translated table
11291 between these lines, replacing whatever was there before. For example:
11294 /* BEGIN RECEIVE ORGTBL table_name */
11295 /* END RECEIVE ORGTBL table_name */
11299 Just above the source table, we put a special line that tells
11300 Orgtbl mode how to translate this table and where to install it. For
11304 #+ORGTBL: SEND table_name translation_function arguments....
11308 @code{table_name} is the reference name for the table that is also used
11309 in the receiver lines. @code{translation_function} is the Lisp function
11310 that does the translation. Furthermore, the line can contain a list of
11311 arguments (alternating key and value) at the end. The arguments will be
11312 passed as a property list to the translation function for
11313 interpretation. A few standard parameters are already recognized and
11314 acted upon before the translation function is called:
11318 Skip the first N lines of the table. Hlines do count as separate lines for
11321 @item :skipcols (n1 n2 ...)
11322 List of columns that should be skipped. If the table has a column with
11323 calculation marks, that column is automatically discarded as well.
11324 Please note that the translator function sees the table @emph{after} the
11325 removal of these columns, the function never knows that there have been
11326 additional columns.
11330 The one problem remaining is how to keep the source table in the buffer
11331 without disturbing the normal workings of the file, for example during
11332 compilation of a C file or processing of a La@TeX{} file. There are a
11333 number of different solutions:
11337 The table could be placed in a block comment if that is supported by the
11338 language. For example, in C mode you could wrap the table between
11339 @samp{/*} and @samp{*/} lines.
11341 Sometimes it is possible to put the table after some kind of @i{END}
11342 statement, for example @samp{\bye} in @TeX{} and @samp{\end@{document@}}
11345 You can just comment the table line-by-line whenever you want to process
11346 the file, and uncomment it whenever you need to edit the table. This
11347 only sounds tedious---the command @kbd{M-x orgtbl-toggle-comment}
11348 makes this comment-toggling very easy, in particular if you bind it to a
11352 @node A LaTeX example, Translator functions, Radio tables, Tables in arbitrary syntax
11353 @subsection A La@TeX{} example of radio tables
11354 @cindex La@TeX{}, and Orgtbl mode
11356 The best way to wrap the source table in La@TeX{} is to use the
11357 @code{comment} environment provided by @file{comment.sty}. It has to be
11358 activated by placing @code{\usepackage@{comment@}} into the document
11359 header. Orgtbl mode can insert a radio table skeleton@footnote{By
11360 default this works only for La@TeX{}, HTML, and Texinfo. Configure the
11361 variable @code{orgtbl-radio-tables} to install templates for other
11362 modes.} with the command @kbd{M-x orgtbl-insert-radio-table}. You will
11363 be prompted for a table name, let's say we use @samp{salesfigures}. You
11364 will then get the following template:
11366 @cindex #+ORGTBL, SEND
11368 % BEGIN RECEIVE ORGTBL salesfigures
11369 % END RECEIVE ORGTBL salesfigures
11371 #+ORGTBL: SEND salesfigures orgtbl-to-latex
11377 @vindex La@TeX{}-verbatim-environments
11378 The @code{#+ORGTBL: SEND} line tells Orgtbl mode to use the function
11379 @code{orgtbl-to-latex} to convert the table into La@TeX{} and to put it
11380 into the receiver location with name @code{salesfigures}. You may now
11381 fill in the table, feel free to use the spreadsheet features@footnote{If
11382 the @samp{#+TBLFM} line contains an odd number of dollar characters,
11383 this may cause problems with font-lock in La@TeX{} mode. As shown in the
11384 example you can fix this by adding an extra line inside the
11385 @code{comment} environment that is used to balance the dollar
11386 expressions. If you are using AUC@TeX{} with the font-latex library, a
11387 much better solution is to add the @code{comment} environment to the
11388 variable @code{LaTeX-verbatim-environments}.}:
11391 % BEGIN RECEIVE ORGTBL salesfigures
11392 % END RECEIVE ORGTBL salesfigures
11394 #+ORGTBL: SEND salesfigures orgtbl-to-latex
11395 | Month | Days | Nr sold | per day |
11396 |-------+------+---------+---------|
11397 | Jan | 23 | 55 | 2.4 |
11398 | Feb | 21 | 16 | 0.8 |
11399 | March | 22 | 278 | 12.6 |
11400 #+TBLFM: $4=$3/$2;%.1f
11401 % $ (optional extra dollar to keep font-lock happy, see footnote)
11406 When you are done, press @kbd{C-c C-c} in the table to get the converted
11407 table inserted between the two marker lines.
11409 Now let's assume you want to make the table header by hand, because you
11410 want to control how columns are aligned, etc@. In this case we make sure
11411 that the table translator skips the first 2 lines of the source
11412 table, and tell the command to work as a @i{splice}, i.e. to not produce
11413 header and footer commands of the target table:
11416 \begin@{tabular@}@{lrrr@}
11417 Month & \multicolumn@{1@}@{c@}@{Days@} & Nr.\ sold & per day\\
11418 % BEGIN RECEIVE ORGTBL salesfigures
11419 % END RECEIVE ORGTBL salesfigures
11423 #+ORGTBL: SEND salesfigures orgtbl-to-latex :splice t :skip 2
11424 | Month | Days | Nr sold | per day |
11425 |-------+------+---------+---------|
11426 | Jan | 23 | 55 | 2.4 |
11427 | Feb | 21 | 16 | 0.8 |
11428 | March | 22 | 278 | 12.6 |
11429 #+TBLFM: $4=$3/$2;%.1f
11433 The La@TeX{} translator function @code{orgtbl-to-latex} is already part of
11434 Orgtbl mode. It uses a @code{tabular} environment to typeset the table
11435 and marks horizontal lines with @code{\hline}. Furthermore, it
11436 interprets the following parameters (see also @pxref{Translator functions}):
11439 @item :splice nil/t
11440 When set to t, return only table body lines, don't wrap them into a
11441 tabular environment. Default is nil.
11444 A format to be used to wrap each field, it should contain @code{%s} for the
11445 original field value. For example, to wrap each field value in dollars,
11446 you could use @code{:fmt "$%s$"}. This may also be a property list with
11447 column numbers and formats. for example @code{:fmt (2 "$%s$" 4 "%s\\%%")}.
11448 A function of one argument can be used in place of the strings; the
11449 function must return a formatted string.
11452 Use this format to print numbers with exponentials. The format should
11453 have @code{%s} twice for inserting mantissa and exponent, for example
11454 @code{"%s\\times10^@{%s@}"}. The default is @code{"%s\\,(%s)"}. This
11455 may also be a property list with column numbers and formats, for example
11456 @code{:efmt (2 "$%s\\times10^@{%s@}$" 4 "$%s\\cdot10^@{%s@}$")}. After
11457 @code{efmt} has been applied to a value, @code{fmt} will also be
11458 applied. Similar to @code{fmt}, functions of two arguments can be
11459 supplied instead of strings.
11462 @node Translator functions, Radio lists, A LaTeX example, Tables in arbitrary syntax
11463 @subsection Translator functions
11464 @cindex HTML, and Orgtbl mode
11465 @cindex translator function
11467 Orgtbl mode has several translator functions built-in: @code{orgtbl-to-csv}
11468 (comma-separated values), @code{orgtbl-to-tsv} (TAB-separated values)
11469 @code{orgtbl-to-latex}, @code{orgtbl-to-html}, and @code{orgtbl-to-texinfo}.
11470 Except for @code{orgtbl-to-html}@footnote{The HTML translator uses the same
11471 code that produces tables during HTML export.}, these all use a generic
11472 translator, @code{orgtbl-to-generic}. For example, @code{orgtbl-to-latex}
11473 itself is a very short function that computes the column definitions for the
11474 @code{tabular} environment, defines a few field and line separators and then
11475 hands processing over to the generic translator. Here is the entire code:
11479 (defun orgtbl-to-latex (table params)
11480 "Convert the Orgtbl mode TABLE to LaTeX."
11481 (let* ((alignment (mapconcat (lambda (x) (if x "r" "l"))
11482 org-table-last-alignment ""))
11485 :tstart (concat "\\begin@{tabular@}@{" alignment "@}")
11486 :tend "\\end@{tabular@}"
11487 :lstart "" :lend " \\\\" :sep " & "
11488 :efmt "%s\\,(%s)" :hline "\\hline")))
11489 (orgtbl-to-generic table (org-combine-plists params2 params))))
11493 As you can see, the properties passed into the function (variable
11494 @var{PARAMS}) are combined with the ones newly defined in the function
11495 (variable @var{PARAMS2}). The ones passed into the function (i.e. the
11496 ones set by the @samp{ORGTBL SEND} line) take precedence. So if you
11497 would like to use the La@TeX{} translator, but wanted the line endings to
11498 be @samp{\\[2mm]} instead of the default @samp{\\}, you could just
11499 overrule the default with
11502 #+ORGTBL: SEND test orgtbl-to-latex :lend " \\\\[2mm]"
11505 For a new language, you can either write your own converter function in
11506 analogy with the La@TeX{} translator, or you can use the generic function
11507 directly. For example, if you have a language where a table is started
11508 with @samp{!BTBL!}, ended with @samp{!ETBL!}, and where table lines are
11509 started with @samp{!BL!}, ended with @samp{!EL!}, and where the field
11510 separator is a TAB, you could call the generic translator like this (on
11514 #+ORGTBL: SEND test orgtbl-to-generic :tstart "!BTBL!" :tend "!ETBL!"
11515 :lstart "!BL! " :lend " !EL!" :sep "\t"
11519 Please check the documentation string of the function
11520 @code{orgtbl-to-generic} for a full list of parameters understood by
11521 that function, and remember that you can pass each of them into
11522 @code{orgtbl-to-latex}, @code{orgtbl-to-texinfo}, and any other function
11523 using the generic function.
11525 Of course you can also write a completely new function doing complicated
11526 things the generic translator cannot do. A translator function takes
11527 two arguments. The first argument is the table, a list of lines, each
11528 line either the symbol @code{hline} or a list of fields. The second
11529 argument is the property list containing all parameters specified in the
11530 @samp{#+ORGTBL: SEND} line. The function must return a single string
11531 containing the formatted table. If you write a generally useful
11532 translator, please post it on @email{emacs-orgmode@@gnu.org} so that
11533 others can benefit from your work.
11535 @node Radio lists, , Translator functions, Tables in arbitrary syntax
11536 @subsection Radio lists
11537 @cindex radio lists
11538 @cindex org-list-insert-radio-list
11540 Sending and receiving radio lists works exactly the same way than sending and
11541 receiving radio tables (@pxref{Radio tables}). As for radio tables, you can
11542 insert radio lists templates in HTML, La@TeX{} and Texinfo modes by calling
11543 @code{org-list-insert-radio-list}.
11545 Here are the differences with radio tables:
11549 Use @code{ORGLST} instead of @code{ORGTBL}.
11551 The available translation functions for radio lists don't take
11554 @kbd{C-c C-c} will work when pressed on the first item of the list.
11557 Here is a La@TeX{} example. Let's say that you have this in your
11562 % BEGIN RECEIVE ORGLST to-buy
11563 % END RECEIVE ORGLST to-buy
11565 #+ORGLIST: SEND to-buy orgtbl-to-latex
11574 Pressing `C-c C-c' on @code{a new house} and will insert the converted
11575 La@TeX{} list between the two marker lines.
11577 @node Dynamic blocks, Special agenda views, Tables in arbitrary syntax, Hacking
11578 @section Dynamic blocks
11579 @cindex dynamic blocks
11581 Org documents can contain @emph{dynamic blocks}. These are
11582 specially marked regions that are updated by some user-written function.
11583 A good example for such a block is the clock table inserted by the
11584 command @kbd{C-c C-x C-r} (@pxref{Clocking work time}).
11586 Dynamic block are enclosed by a BEGIN-END structure that assigns a name
11587 to the block and can also specify parameters for the function producing
11588 the content of the block.
11590 #+BEGIN:dynamic block
11592 #+BEGIN: myblock :parameter1 value1 :parameter2 value2 ...
11597 Dynamic blocks are updated with the following commands
11600 @kindex C-c C-x C-u
11602 Update dynamic block at point.
11603 @kindex C-u C-c C-x C-u
11604 @item C-u C-c C-x C-u
11605 Update all dynamic blocks in the current file.
11608 Updating a dynamic block means to remove all the text between BEGIN and
11609 END, parse the BEGIN line for parameters and then call the specific
11610 writer function for this block to insert the new content. If you want
11611 to use the original content in the writer function, you can use the
11612 extra parameter @code{:content}.
11614 For a block with name @code{myblock}, the writer function is
11615 @code{org-dblock-write:myblock} with as only parameter a property list
11616 with the parameters given in the begin line. Here is a trivial example
11617 of a block that keeps track of when the block update function was last
11621 #+BEGIN: block-update-time :format "on %m/%d/%Y at %H:%M"
11627 The corresponding block writer function could look like this:
11630 (defun org-dblock-write:block-update-time (params)
11631 (let ((fmt (or (plist-get params :format) "%d. %m. %Y")))
11632 (insert "Last block update at: "
11633 (format-time-string fmt (current-time)))))
11636 If you want to make sure that all dynamic blocks are always up-to-date,
11637 you could add the function @code{org-update-all-dblocks} to a hook, for
11638 example @code{before-save-hook}. @code{org-update-all-dblocks} is
11639 written in a way such that it does nothing in buffers that are not in
11642 @node Special agenda views, Extracting agenda information, Dynamic blocks, Hacking
11643 @section Special agenda views
11644 @cindex agenda views, user-defined
11646 Org provides a special hook that can be used to narrow down the
11647 selection made by any of the agenda views. You may specify a function
11648 that is used at each match to verify if the match should indeed be part
11649 of the agenda view, and if not, how much should be skipped.
11651 Let's say you want to produce a list of projects that contain a WAITING
11652 tag anywhere in the project tree. Let's further assume that you have
11653 marked all tree headings that define a project with the TODO keyword
11654 PROJECT. In this case you would run a TODO search for the keyword
11655 PROJECT, but skip the match unless there is a WAITING tag anywhere in
11656 the subtree belonging to the project line.
11658 To achieve this, you must write a function that searches the subtree for
11659 the tag. If the tag is found, the function must return @code{nil} to
11660 indicate that this match should not be skipped. If there is no such
11661 tag, return the location of the end of the subtree, to indicate that
11662 search should continue from there.
11665 (defun my-skip-unless-waiting ()
11666 "Skip trees that are not waiting"
11667 (let ((subtree-end (save-excursion (org-end-of-subtree t))))
11668 (if (re-search-forward ":waiting:" subtree-end t)
11669 nil ; tag found, do not skip
11670 subtree-end))) ; tag not found, continue after end of subtree
11673 Now you may use this function in an agenda custom command, for example
11677 (org-add-agenda-custom-command
11678 '("b" todo "PROJECT"
11679 ((org-agenda-skip-function 'my-skip-unless-waiting)
11680 (org-agenda-overriding-header "Projects waiting for something: "))))
11683 @vindex org-agenda-overriding-header
11684 Note that this also binds @code{org-agenda-overriding-header} to get a
11685 meaningful header in the agenda view.
11687 @vindex org-odd-levels-only
11688 @vindex org-agenda-skip-function
11689 A general way to create custom searches is to base them on a search for
11690 entries with a certain level limit. If you want to study all entries with
11691 your custom search function, simply do a search for
11692 @samp{LEVEL>0}@footnote{Note that, when using @code{org-odd-levels-only}, a
11693 level number corresponds to order in the hierarchy, not to the number of
11694 stars.}, and then use @code{org-agenda-skip-function} to select the entries
11695 you really want to have.
11697 You may also put a Lisp form into @code{org-agenda-skip-function}. In
11698 particular, you may use the functions @code{org-agenda-skip-entry-if}
11699 and @code{org-agenda-skip-subtree-if} in this form, for example:
11702 @item '(org-agenda-skip-entry-if 'scheduled)
11703 Skip current entry if it has been scheduled.
11704 @item '(org-agenda-skip-entry-if 'notscheduled)
11705 Skip current entry if it has not been scheduled.
11706 @item '(org-agenda-skip-entry-if 'deadline)
11707 Skip current entry if it has a deadline.
11708 @item '(org-agenda-skip-entry-if 'scheduled 'deadline)
11709 Skip current entry if it has a deadline, or if it is scheduled.
11710 @item '(org-agenda-skip-entry-if 'timestamp)
11711 Skip current entry if it has any timestamp, may also be deadline or scheduled.
11712 @item '(org-agenda-skip-entry 'regexp "regular expression")
11713 Skip current entry if the regular expression matches in the entry.
11714 @item '(org-agenda-skip-entry 'notregexp "regular expression")
11715 Skip current entry unless the regular expression matches.
11716 @item '(org-agenda-skip-subtree-if 'regexp "regular expression")
11717 Same as above, but check and skip the entire subtree.
11720 Therefore we could also have written the search for WAITING projects
11721 like this, even without defining a special function:
11724 (org-add-agenda-custom-command
11725 '("b" todo "PROJECT"
11726 ((org-agenda-skip-function '(org-agenda-skip-subtree-if
11727 'regexp ":waiting:"))
11728 (org-agenda-overriding-header "Projects waiting for something: "))))
11731 @node Extracting agenda information, Using the property API, Special agenda views, Hacking
11732 @section Extracting agenda information
11733 @cindex agenda, pipe
11734 @cindex Scripts, for agenda processing
11736 @vindex org-agenda-custom-commands
11737 Org provides commands to access agenda information for the command
11738 line in Emacs batch mode. This extracted information can be sent
11739 directly to a printer, or it can be read by a program that does further
11740 processing of the data. The first of these commands is the function
11741 @code{org-batch-agenda}, that produces an agenda view and sends it as
11742 ASCII text to STDOUT. The command takes a single string as parameter.
11743 If the string has length 1, it is used as a key to one of the commands
11744 you have configured in @code{org-agenda-custom-commands}, basically any
11745 key you can use after @kbd{C-c a}. For example, to directly print the
11746 current TODO list, you could use
11749 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -eval '(org-batch-agenda "t")' | lpr
11752 If the parameter is a string with 2 or more characters, it is used as a
11753 tags/TODO match string. For example, to print your local shopping list
11754 (all items with the tag @samp{shop}, but excluding the tag
11755 @samp{NewYork}), you could use
11758 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs \
11759 -eval '(org-batch-agenda "+shop-NewYork")' | lpr
11763 You may also modify parameters on the fly like this:
11766 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs \
11767 -eval '(org-batch-agenda "a" \
11768 org-agenda-ndays 30 \
11769 org-agenda-include-diary nil \
11770 org-agenda-files (quote ("~/org/project.org")))' \
11775 which will produce a 30-day agenda, fully restricted to the Org file
11776 @file{~/org/projects.org}, not even including the diary.
11778 If you want to process the agenda data in more sophisticated ways, you
11779 can use the command @code{org-batch-agenda-csv} to get a comma-separated
11780 list of values for each agenda item. Each line in the output will
11781 contain a number of fields separated by commas. The fields in a line
11785 category @r{The category of the item}
11786 head @r{The headline, without TODO keyword, TAGS and PRIORITY}
11787 type @r{The type of the agenda entry, can be}
11788 todo @r{selected in TODO match}
11789 tagsmatch @r{selected in tags match}
11790 diary @r{imported from diary}
11791 deadline @r{a deadline}
11792 scheduled @r{scheduled}
11793 timestamp @r{appointment, selected by timestamp}
11794 closed @r{entry was closed on date}
11795 upcoming-deadline @r{warning about nearing deadline}
11796 past-scheduled @r{forwarded scheduled item}
11797 block @r{entry has date block including date}
11798 todo @r{The TODO keyword, if any}
11799 tags @r{All tags including inherited ones, separated by colons}
11800 date @r{The relevant date, like 2007-2-14}
11801 time @r{The time, like 15:00-16:50}
11802 extra @r{String with extra planning info}
11803 priority-l @r{The priority letter if any was given}
11804 priority-n @r{The computed numerical priority}
11808 Time and date will only be given if a timestamp (or deadline/scheduled)
11809 led to the selection of the item.
11811 A CSV list like this is very easy to use in a post-processing script.
11812 For example, here is a Perl program that gets the TODO list from
11813 Emacs/Org and prints all the items, preceded by a checkbox:
11818 # define the Emacs command to run
11819 $cmd = "emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -eval '(org-batch-agenda-csv \"t\")'";
11821 # run it and capture the output
11822 $agenda = qx@{$cmd 2>/dev/null@};
11824 # loop over all lines
11825 foreach $line (split(/\n/,$agenda)) @{
11826 # get the individual values
11827 ($category,$head,$type,$todo,$tags,$date,$time,$extra,
11828 $priority_l,$priority_n) = split(/,/,$line);
11829 # process and print
11830 print "[ ] $head\n";
11834 @node Using the property API, Using the mapping API, Extracting agenda information, Hacking
11835 @section Using the property API
11836 @cindex API, for properties
11837 @cindex properties, API
11839 Here is a description of the functions that can be used to work with
11842 @defun org-entry-properties &optional pom which
11843 Get all properties of the entry at point-or-marker POM.@*
11844 This includes the TODO keyword, the tags, time strings for deadline,
11845 scheduled, and clocking, and any additional properties defined in the
11846 entry. The return value is an alist, keys may occur multiple times
11847 if the property key was used several times.@*
11848 POM may also be nil, in which case the current entry is used.
11849 If WHICH is nil or `all', get all properties. If WHICH is
11850 `special' or `standard', only get that subclass.
11852 @vindex org-use-property-inheritance
11853 @defun org-entry-get pom property &optional inherit
11854 Get value of PROPERTY for entry at point-or-marker POM. By default,
11855 this only looks at properties defined locally in the entry. If INHERIT
11856 is non-nil and the entry does not have the property, then also check
11857 higher levels of the hierarchy. If INHERIT is the symbol
11858 @code{selective}, use inheritance if and only if the setting of
11859 @code{org-use-property-inheritance} selects PROPERTY for inheritance.
11862 @defun org-entry-delete pom property
11863 Delete the property PROPERTY from entry at point-or-marker POM.
11866 @defun org-entry-put pom property value
11867 Set PROPERTY to VALUE for entry at point-or-marker POM.
11870 @defun org-buffer-property-keys &optional include-specials
11871 Get all property keys in the current buffer.
11874 @defun org-insert-property-drawer
11875 Insert a property drawer at point.
11878 @defun org-entry-put-multivalued-property pom property &rest values
11879 Set PROPERTY at point-or-marker POM to VALUES. VALUES should be a list of
11880 strings. They will be concatenated, with spaces as separators.
11883 @defun org-entry-get-multivalued-property pom property
11884 Treat the value of the property PROPERTY as a whitespace-separated list of
11885 values and return the values as a list of strings.
11888 @defun org-entry-add-to-multivalued-property pom property value
11889 Treat the value of the property PROPERTY as a whitespace-separated list of
11890 values and make sure that VALUE is in this list.
11893 @defun org-entry-remove-from-multivalued-property pom property value
11894 Treat the value of the property PROPERTY as a whitespace-separated list of
11895 values and make sure that VALUE is @emph{not} in this list.
11898 @defun org-entry-member-in-multivalued-property pom property value
11899 Treat the value of the property PROPERTY as a whitespace-separated list of
11900 values and check if VALUE is in this list.
11903 @node Using the mapping API, , Using the property API, Hacking
11904 @section Using the mapping API
11905 @cindex API, for mapping
11906 @cindex mapping entries, API
11908 Org has sophisticated mapping capabilities to find all entries satisfying
11909 certain criteria. Internally, this functionality is used to produce agenda
11910 views, but there is also an API that can be used to execute arbitrary
11911 functions for each or selected entries. The main entry point for this API
11914 @defun org-map-entries func &optional match scope &rest skip
11915 Call FUNC at each headline selected by MATCH in SCOPE.
11917 FUNC is a function or a Lisp form. The function will be called without
11918 arguments, with the cursor positioned at the beginning of the headline.
11919 The return values of all calls to the function will be collected and
11920 returned as a list.
11922 The call to FUNC will be wrapped into a save-excursion form, so FUNC
11923 does not need to preserve point. After evaluation, the cursor will be
11924 moved to the end of the line (presumably of the headline of the
11925 processed entry) and search continues from there. Under some
11926 circumstances, this may not produce the wanted results. For example,
11927 if you have removed (e.g. archived) the current (sub)tree it could
11928 mean that the next entry will be skipped entirely. In such cases, you
11929 can specify the position from where search should continue by making
11930 FUNC set the variable `org-map-continue-from' to the desired buffer
11933 MATCH is a tags/property/todo match as it is used in the agenda match view.
11934 Only headlines that are matched by this query will be considered during
11935 the iteration. When MATCH is nil or t, all headlines will be
11936 visited by the iteration.
11938 SCOPE determines the scope of this command. It can be any of:
11941 nil @r{the current buffer, respecting the restriction if any}
11942 tree @r{the subtree started with the entry at point}
11943 file @r{the current buffer, without restriction}
11945 @r{the current buffer, and any archives associated with it}
11946 agenda @r{all agenda files}
11947 agenda-with-archives
11948 @r{all agenda files with any archive files associated with them}
11950 @r{if this is a list, all files in the list will be scanned}
11953 The remaining args are treated as settings for the skipping facilities of
11954 the scanner. The following items can be given here:
11956 @vindex org-agenda-skip-function
11958 archive @r{skip trees with the archive tag}
11959 comment @r{skip trees with the COMMENT keyword}
11960 function or Lisp form
11961 @r{will be used as value for @code{org-agenda-skip-function},}
11962 @r{so whenever the function returns t, FUNC}
11963 @r{will not be called for that entry and search will}
11964 @r{continue from the point where the function leaves it}
11968 The function given to that mapping routine can really do anything you like.
11969 It can use the property API (@pxref{Using the property API}) to gather more
11970 information about the entry, or in order to change metadata in the entry.
11971 Here are a couple of functions that might be handy:
11973 @defun org-todo &optional arg
11974 Change the TODO state of the entry, see the docstring of the functions for
11975 the many possible values for the argument ARG.
11978 @defun org-priority &optional action
11979 Change the priority of the entry, see the docstring of this function for the
11980 possible values for ACTION.
11983 @defun org-toggle-tag tag &optional onoff
11984 Toggle the tag TAG in the current entry. Setting ONOFF to either @code{on}
11985 or @code{off} will not toggle tag, but ensure that it is either on or off.
11989 Promote the current entry.
11993 Demote the current entry.
11996 Here is a simple example that will turn all entries in the current file with
11997 a tag @code{TOMORROW} into TODO entries with the keyword @code{UPCOMING}.
11998 Entries in comment trees and in archive trees will be ignored.
12002 '(org-todo "UPCOMING")
12003 "+TOMORROW" 'file 'archive 'comment)
12006 The following example counts the number of entries with TODO keyword
12007 @code{WAITING}, in all agenda files.
12010 (length (org-map-entries t "/+WAITING" 'agenda))
12013 @node MobileOrg, History and Acknowledgments, Hacking, Top
12014 @appendix MobileOrg
12018 @i{MobileOrg} is an application for the @i{iPhone/iPod Touch} series of
12019 devices, developed by Richard Moreland. @i{MobileOrg} offers offline viewing
12020 and capture support for an Org-mode system rooted on a ``real'' computer. It
12021 does also allow you to record changes to existing entries. For information
12022 about @i{MobileOrg}, see @uref{http://mobileorg.ncogni.to/}).
12024 This appendix describes the support Org has for creating agenda views in a
12025 format that can be displayed by @i{MobileOrg}, and for integrating notes
12026 captured and changes made by @i{MobileOrg} into the main system.
12028 For changing tags and TODO states in MobileOrg, you should have set up the
12029 customization variables @code{org-todo-keywords} and @code{org-tags-alist} to
12030 cover all important tags and todo keywords, even if individual files use only
12031 part of these. MobileOrg will also offer you states and tags set up with
12032 in-buffer settings, but it will understand the logistics of todo state
12033 @i{sets} (@pxref{Per-file keywords}) and @i{mutually exclusive} tags
12034 (@pxref{Setting tags}) only for those set in these variables.
12037 * Setting up the staging area:: Where to interact with the mobile device
12038 * Pushing to MobileOrg:: Uploading Org files and agendas
12039 * Pulling from MobileOrg:: Integrating captured and flagged items
12042 @node Setting up the staging area, Pushing to MobileOrg, MobileOrg, MobileOrg
12043 @section Setting up the staging area
12045 Org-mode has commands to prepare a directory with files for @i{MobileOrg},
12046 and to read captured notes from there. If Emacs can directly write to the
12047 WebDAV directory accessed by @i{MobileOrg}, just point to this directory
12048 using the variable @code{org-mobile-directory}. Using the @file{tramp}
12049 method, @code{org-mobile-directory} may point to a remote directory
12050 accessible through, for example,
12054 (setq org-mobile-directory "/scpc:user@@remote.host:org/webdav/")
12057 If Emacs cannot access the WebDAV directory directly using a @file{tramp}
12058 method, or you prefer to maintain a local copy, you can use a local directory
12059 for staging. Other means must then be used to keep this directory in sync
12060 with the WebDAV directory. In the following example, files are staged in
12061 @file{~/stage}, and Org-mode hooks take care of moving files to and from the
12062 WebDAV directory using @file{scp}.
12065 (setq org-mobile-directory "~/stage/")
12066 (add-hook 'org-mobile-post-push-hook
12067 (lambda () (shell-command "scp -r ~/stage/* user@@wdhost:mobile/")))
12068 (add-hook 'org-mobile-pre-pull-hook
12069 (lambda () (shell-command "scp user@@wdhost:mobile/mobileorg.org ~/stage/ ")))
12070 (add-hook 'org-mobile-post-pull-hook
12071 (lambda () (shell-command "scp ~/stage/mobileorg.org user@@wdhost:mobile/")))
12074 @node Pushing to MobileOrg, Pulling from MobileOrg, Setting up the staging area, MobileOrg
12075 @section Pushing to MobileOrg
12077 This operation copies all files currently listed in @code{org-mobile-files}
12078 to the directory @code{org-mobile-directory}. By default this list contains
12079 all agenda files (as listed in @code{org-agenda-files}), but additional files
12080 can be included by customizing @code{org-mobiles-files}. File names will be
12081 staged with path relative to @code{org-directory}, so all files should be
12082 inside this directory. The push operation also creates (in the same
12083 directory) a special Org file @file{agendas.org}. This file is an Org-mode
12084 style outline, containing every custom agenda view defined by the user.
12085 While creating the agendas, Org-mode will force@footnote{See the variable
12086 @code{org-mobile-force-id-on-agenda-items}.} an ID property on all entries
12087 referenced by the agendas, so that these entries can be uniquely identified
12088 if @i{MobileOrg} flags them for further action. Finally, Org writes the file
12089 @file{index.org}, containing links to all other files. If @i{MobileOrg} is
12090 configured to request this file from the WebDAV server, all agendas and Org
12091 files will be downloaded to the device. To speed up the download, MobileOrg
12092 will only read files whose checksums@footnote{stored automatically in the
12093 file @file{checksums.dat}} have changed.
12095 @node Pulling from MobileOrg, , Pushing to MobileOrg, MobileOrg
12096 @section Pulling from MobileOrg
12098 When @i{MobileOrg} synchronizes with the WebDAV server, it not only pulls the
12099 Org files for viewing. It also appends captured entries and pointers to
12100 flagged and changed entries to the file @file{mobileorg.org} on the server.
12101 Org has a @emph{pull} operation that integrates this information into an
12102 inbox file and operates on the pointers to flagged entries. Here is how it
12107 Org moves all entries found in
12108 @file{mobileorg.org}@footnote{@file{mobileorg.org} will be empty after this
12109 operation.} and appends them to the file pointed to by the variable
12110 @code{org-mobile-inbox-for-pull}. Each captured entry and each editing event
12111 will be a top-level entry in the inbox file.
12113 After moving the entries, Org will attempt to implement the changes made in
12114 @i{MobileOrg}. Some changes are applied directly and without user
12115 interaction. Examples are all changes to tags, TODO state, headline and body
12116 text that can be cleanly applied. Entries that have been flagged for further
12117 action will receive a tag @code{:FLAGGED:}, so that they can be easily found
12118 again. When there is a problem finding an entry or applying the change, the
12119 pointer entry will remain in the inbox and will be marked with an error
12120 message. You need to later resolve these issues by hand.
12122 Org will then generate an agenda view with all flagged entries. The user
12123 should then go through these entries and do whatever actions are necessary.
12124 If a note has been stored while flagging an entry in @i{MobileOrg}, that note
12125 will be displayed in the echo area when the cursor is on the corresponding
12130 Pressing @kbd{?} in that special agenda will display the full flagging note in
12131 another window and also push it onto the kill ring. So you could use @kbd{?
12132 z C-y C-c C-c} to store that flagging note as a normal note in the entry.
12133 Pressing @kbd{?} twice in succession will offer to remove the
12134 @code{:FLAGGED:} tag along with the recorded flagging note (which is stored
12135 in a property). In this way you indicate, that the intended processing for
12136 this flagged entry is finished.
12141 If you are not able to process all flagged entries directly, you can always
12142 return to this agenda view using @kbd{C-c a ?}. Note, however, that there is
12143 a subtle difference. The view created automatically by @kbd{M-x
12144 org-mobile-pull RET} is guaranteed to search all files that have been
12145 addressed by the last pull. This might include a file that is not currently
12146 in your list of agenda files. If you later use @kbd{C-c a ?} to regenerate
12147 the view, only the current agenda files will be searched.
12149 @node History and Acknowledgments, Main Index, MobileOrg, Top
12150 @appendix History and Acknowledgments
12151 @cindex acknowledgements
12155 Org was born in 2003, out of frustration over the user interface
12156 of the Emacs Outline mode. I was trying to organize my notes and
12157 projects, and using Emacs seemed to be the natural way to go. However,
12158 having to remember eleven different commands with two or three keys per
12159 command, only to hide and show parts of the outline tree, that seemed
12160 entirely unacceptable to me. Also, when using outlines to take notes, I
12161 constantly wanted to restructure the tree, organizing it parallel to my
12162 thoughts and plans. @emph{Visibility cycling} and @emph{structure
12163 editing} were originally implemented in the package
12164 @file{outline-magic.el}, but quickly moved to the more general
12165 @file{org.el}. As this environment became comfortable for project
12166 planning, the next step was adding @emph{TODO entries}, basic
12167 @emph{timestamps}, and @emph{table support}. These areas highlighted the two main
12168 goals that Org still has today: to be a new, outline-based,
12169 plain text mode with innovative and intuitive editing features, and to
12170 incorporate project planning functionality directly into a notes file.
12172 A special thanks goes to @i{Bastien Guerry} who has not only written a large
12173 number of extensions to Org (most of them integrated into the core by now),
12174 but who has also helped in the development and maintenance of Org so much that he
12175 should be considered the main co-contributor to this package.
12177 Since the first release, literally thousands of emails to me or to
12178 @email{emacs-orgmode@@gnu.org} have provided a constant stream of bug
12179 reports, feedback, new ideas, and sometimes patches and add-on code.
12180 Many thanks to everyone who has helped to improve this package. I am
12181 trying to keep here a list of the people who had significant influence
12182 in shaping one or more aspects of Org. The list may not be
12183 complete, if I have forgotten someone, please accept my apologies and
12189 @i{Russel Adams} came up with the idea for drawers.
12191 @i{Thomas Baumann} wrote @file{org-bbdb.el} and @file{org-mhe.el}.
12193 @i{Christophe Bataillon} created the great unicorn logo that we use on the
12196 @i{Alex Bochannek} provided a patch for rounding timestamps.
12198 @i{Brad Bozarth} showed how to pull RSS feed data into Org-mode files.
12200 @i{Tom Breton} wrote @file{org-choose.el}.
12202 @i{Charles Cave}'s suggestion sparked the implementation of templates
12205 @i{Pavel Chalmoviansky} influenced the agenda treatment of items with
12208 @i{Gregory Chernov} patched support for Lisp forms into table
12209 calculations and improved XEmacs compatibility, in particular by porting
12210 @file{nouline.el} to XEmacs.
12212 @i{Sacha Chua} suggested copying some linking code from Planner.
12214 @i{Baoqiu Cui} contributed the DocBook exporter.
12216 @i{Dan Davison} wrote (together with @i{Eric Schulte}) Org Babel.
12218 @i{Eddward DeVilla} proposed and tested checkbox statistics. He also
12219 came up with the idea of properties, and that there should be an API for
12222 @i{Nick Dokos} tracked down several nasty bugs.
12224 @i{Kees Dullemond} used to edit projects lists directly in HTML and so
12225 inspired some of the early development, including HTML export. He also
12226 asked for a way to narrow wide table columns.
12228 @i{Christian Egli} converted the documentation into Texinfo format,
12229 patched CSS formatting into the HTML exporter, and inspired the agenda.
12231 @i{David Emery} provided a patch for custom CSS support in exported
12234 @i{Nic Ferrier} contributed mailcap and XOXO support.
12236 @i{Miguel A. Figueroa-Villanueva} implemented hierarchical checkboxes.
12238 @i{John Foerch} figured out how to make incremental search show context
12239 around a match in a hidden outline tree.
12241 @i{Raimar Finken} wrote @file{org-git-line.el}.
12243 @i{Mikael Fornius} works as a mailing list moderator.
12245 @i{Austin Frank} works as a mailing list moderator.
12247 @i{Niels Giesen} had the idea to automatically archive DONE trees.
12249 @i{Bastien Guerry} wrote the La@TeX{} exporter and @file{org-bibtex.el}, and
12250 has been prolific with patches, ideas, and bug reports.
12252 @i{Kai Grossjohann} pointed out key-binding conflicts with other packages.
12254 @i{Bernt Hansen} has driven much of the support for auto-repeating tasks,
12255 task state change logging, and the clocktable. His clear explanations have
12256 been critical when we started to adopt the Git version control system.
12258 @i{Manuel Hermenegildo} has contributed various ideas, small fixes and
12261 @i{Phil Jackson} wrote @file{org-irc.el}.
12263 @i{Scott Jaderholm} proposed footnotes, control over whitespace between
12264 folded entries, and column view for properties.
12266 @i{Tokuya Kameshima} wrote @file{org-wl.el} and @file{org-mew.el}.
12268 @i{Shidai Liu} ("Leo") asked for embedded La@TeX{} and tested it. He also
12269 provided frequent feedback and some patches.
12271 @i{Matt Lundin} has proposed last-row references for table formulas and named
12272 invisible anchors. He has also worked a lot on the FAQ.
12274 @i{Jason F. McBrayer} suggested agenda export to CSV format.
12276 @i{Max Mikhanosha} came up with the idea of refiling.
12278 @i{Dmitri Minaev} sent a patch to set priority limits on a per-file
12281 @i{Stefan Monnier} provided a patch to keep the Emacs-Lisp compiler
12284 @i{Richard Moreland} wrote @i{MobileOrg} for the iPhone.
12286 @i{Rick Moynihan} proposed allowing multiple TODO sequences in a file
12287 and being able to quickly restrict the agenda to a subtree.
12289 @i{Todd Neal} provided patches for links to Info files and Elisp forms.
12291 @i{Greg Newman} refreshed the unicorn logo into its current form.
12293 @i{Tim O'Callaghan} suggested in-file links, search options for general
12294 file links, and TAGS.
12296 @i{Takeshi Okano} translated the manual and David O'Toole's tutorial
12299 @i{Oliver Oppitz} suggested multi-state TODO items.
12301 @i{Scott Otterson} sparked the introduction of descriptive text for
12302 links, among other things.
12304 @i{Pete Phillips} helped during the development of the TAGS feature, and
12305 provided frequent feedback.
12307 @i{Martin Pohlack} provided the code snippet to bundle character insertion
12308 into bundles of 20 for undo.
12310 @i{T.V. Raman} reported bugs and suggested improvements.
12312 @i{Matthias Rempe} (Oelde) provided ideas, Windows support, and quality
12315 @i{Paul Rivier} provided the basic implementation of named footnotes. He
12316 also acted as mailing list moderator for some time.
12318 @i{Kevin Rogers} contributed code to access VM files on remote hosts.
12320 @i{Sebastian Rose} wrote @file{org-info.js}, a Java script for displaying
12321 webpages derived from Org using an Info-like or a folding interface with
12322 single-key navigation.
12324 @i{Frank Ruell} solved the mystery of the @code{keymapp nil} bug, a
12325 conflict with @file{allout.el}.
12327 @i{Jason Riedy} generalized the send-receive mechanism for Orgtbl tables with
12330 @i{Philip Rooke} created the Org reference card, provided lots
12331 of feedback, developed and applied standards to the Org documentation.
12333 @i{Christian Schlauer} proposed angular brackets around links, among
12336 @i{Eric Schulte} wrote @file{org-plot.el} and (together with @i{Dan Davison})
12337 Org Babel, and contributed various patches, small features and modules.
12339 Linking to VM/BBDB/Gnus was first inspired by @i{Tom Shannon}'s
12340 @file{organizer-mode.el}.
12342 @i{Ilya Shlyakhter} proposed the Archive Sibling, line numbering in literal
12343 examples, and remote highlighting for referenced code lines.
12345 @i{Stathis Sideris} wrote the @file{ditaa.jar} ASCII to PNG converter that is
12346 now packaged into Org's @file{contrib} directory.
12348 @i{Daniel Sinder} came up with the idea of internal archiving by locking
12351 @i{Dale Smith} proposed link abbreviations.
12353 @i{James TD Smith} has contributed a large number of patches for useful
12354 tweaks and features.
12356 @i{Adam Spiers} asked for global linking commands, inspired the link
12357 extension system, added support for mairix, and proposed the mapping API.
12359 @i{Andy Stewart} contributed code to @file{org-w3m.el}, to copy HTML content
12360 with links transformation to Org syntax.
12362 @i{David O'Toole} wrote @file{org-publish.el} and drafted the manual
12363 chapter about publishing.
12365 @i{J@"urgen Vollmer} contributed code generating the table of contents
12368 @i{Chris Wallace} provided a patch implementing the @samp{QUOTE}
12371 @i{David Wainberg} suggested archiving, and improvements to the linking
12374 @i{John Wiegley} wrote @file{emacs-wiki.el}, @file{planner.el}, and
12375 @file{muse.el}, which have some overlap with Org. Initially the development
12376 of Org was fully independent because I was not aware of the existence of
12377 these packages. But with time I have occasionally looked at John's code and
12378 learned a lot from it. John has also contributed a number of great ideas and
12379 patches directly to Org, including the attachment system
12380 (@file{org-attach.el}), integration with Apple Mail
12381 (@file{org-mac-message.el}), hierarchical dependencies of TODO items, habit
12382 tracking (@file{org-habits.el}) and support for pcomplete.
12384 @i{Carsten Wimmer} suggested some changes and helped fix a bug in
12387 @i{Roland Winkler} requested additional key bindings to make Org
12390 @i{Piotr Zielinski} wrote @file{org-mouse.el}, proposed agenda blocks
12391 and contributed various ideas and code snippets.
12395 @node Main Index, Key Index, History and Acknowledgments, Top
12396 @unnumbered Concept Index
12400 @node Key Index, Variable Index, Main Index, Top
12401 @unnumbered Key Index
12405 @node Variable Index, , Key Index, Top
12406 @unnumbered Variable Index
12408 This is not a complete index of variables and faces, only the ones that are
12409 mentioned in the manual. For a more complete list, use @kbd{M-x
12410 org-customize @key{RET}} and then click yourself through the tree.
12417 arch-tag: 7893d1Fe-cc57-4d13-b5e5-f494a1CBC7ac
12420 @c Local variables:
12421 @c ispell-local-dictionary: "en_US-w_accents"
12422 @c ispell-local-pdict: "./.aspell.org.pws"
12427 @c LocalWords: webdavhost pre