3 @setfilename ../../info/org
4 @settitle Org Mode Manual
11 * Org Mode: (org). Outline-based notes management and organizer
14 @c Version and Contact Info
15 @set MAINTAINERSITE @uref{http://orgmode.org,maintainers webpage}
16 @set AUTHOR Carsten Dominik
17 @set MAINTAINER Carsten Dominik
18 @set MAINTAINEREMAIL @email{carsten at orgmode dot org}
19 @set MAINTAINERCONTACT @uref{mailto:carsten at orgmode dot org,contact the maintainer}
25 @c Subheadings inside a table.
26 @macro tsubheading{text}
36 This manual is for Org-mode (version @value{VERSION}).
38 Copyright @copyright{} 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 Free Software Foundation
41 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
42 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
43 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
44 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU Manual,''
45 and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
46 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
49 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
50 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
51 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
56 @title Org Mode Manual
58 @subtitle Release @value{VERSION}
59 @author by Carsten Dominik
61 @c The following two commands start the copyright page.
63 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
67 @c Output the table of contents at the beginning.
71 @node Top, Introduction, (dir), (dir)
78 * Introduction:: Getting started
79 * Document structure:: A tree works like your brain
80 * Tables:: Pure magic for quick formatting
81 * Hyperlinks:: Notes in context
82 * TODO items:: Every tree branch can be a TODO item
83 * Tags:: Tagging headlines and matching sets of tags
84 * Properties and columns:: Storing information about an entry
85 * Dates and times:: Making items useful for planning
86 * Remember:: Quickly adding nodes to the outline tree
87 * Agenda views:: Collecting information into views
88 * Embedded LaTeX:: LaTeX fragments and formulas
89 * Exporting:: Sharing and publishing of notes
90 * Publishing:: Create a web site of linked Org-mode files
91 * Miscellaneous:: All the rest which did not fit elsewhere
92 * Extensions and Hacking:: It is possible to write add-on code
93 * History and Acknowledgments:: How Org-mode came into being
95 * Key Index:: Key bindings and where they are described
98 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
102 * Summary:: Brief summary of what Org-mode does
103 * Installation:: How to install a downloaded version of Org-mode
104 * Activation:: How to activate Org-mode for certain buffers.
105 * Feedback:: Bug reports, ideas, patches etc.
106 * Conventions:: Type-setting conventions in the manual
110 * Outlines:: Org-mode is based on outline-mode
111 * Headlines:: How to typeset org-tree headlines
112 * Visibility cycling:: Show and hide, much simplified
113 * Motion:: Jumping to other headlines
114 * Structure editing:: Changing sequence and level of headlines
115 * Archiving:: Move done task trees to a different place
116 * Sparse trees:: Matches embedded in context
117 * Plain lists:: Additional structure within an entry
118 * Drawers:: Tucking stuff away
119 * orgstruct-mode:: Structure editing outside Org-mode
123 * ARCHIVE tag:: Marking a tree as inactive
124 * Moving subtrees:: Moving a tree to an archive file
128 * Built-in table editor:: Simple tables
129 * Narrow columns:: Stop wasting space in tables
130 * Column groups:: Grouping to trigger vertical lines
131 * orgtbl-mode:: The table editor as minor mode
132 * The spreadsheet:: The table editor has spreadsheet capabilities.
136 * References:: How to refer to another field or range
137 * Formula syntax for Calc:: Using Calc to compute stuff
138 * Formula syntax for Lisp:: Writing formulas in Emacs Lisp
139 * Field formulas:: Formulas valid for a single field
140 * Column formulas:: Formulas valid for an entire column
141 * Editing and debugging formulas:: Fixing formulas
142 * Updating the table:: Recomputing all dependent fields
143 * Advanced features:: Field names, parameters and automatic recalc
147 * Link format:: How links in Org-mode are formatted
148 * Internal links:: Links to other places in the current file
149 * External links:: URL-like links to the world
150 * Handling links:: Creating, inserting and following
151 * Using links outside Org-mode:: Linking from my C source code?
152 * Link abbreviations:: Shortcuts for writing complex links
153 * Search options:: Linking to a specific location
154 * Custom searches:: When the default search is not enough
158 * Radio targets:: Make targets trigger links in plain text.
162 * TODO basics:: Marking and displaying TODO entries
163 * TODO extensions:: Workflow and assignments
164 * Progress logging:: Dates and notes for progress
165 * Priorities:: Some things are more important than others
166 * Breaking down tasks:: Splitting a task into manageable pieces
167 * Checkboxes:: Tick-off lists
169 Extended use of TODO keywords
171 * Workflow states:: From TODO to DONE in steps
172 * TODO types:: I do this, Fred does the rest
173 * Multiple sets in one file:: Mixing it all, and still finding your way
174 * Fast access to TODO states:: Single letter selection of a state
175 * Per-file keywords:: Different files, different requirements
176 * Faces for TODO keywords:: Highlighting states
180 * Closing items:: When was this entry marked DONE?
181 * Tracking TODO state changes:: When did the status change?
185 * Tag inheritance:: Tags use the tree structure of the outline
186 * Setting tags:: How to assign tags to a headline
187 * Tag searches:: Searching for combinations of tags
189 Properties and Columns
191 * Property syntax:: How properties are spelled out
192 * Special properties:: Access to other Org-mode features
193 * Property searches:: Matching property values
194 * Property inheritance:: Passing values down the tree
195 * Column view:: Tabular viewing and editing
196 * Property API:: Properties for Lisp programmers
200 * Defining columns:: The COLUMNS format property
201 * Using column view:: How to create and use column view
202 * Capturing Column View:: A dynamic block for column view
206 * Scope of column definitions:: Where defined, where valid?
207 * Column attributes:: Appearance and content of a column
211 * Time stamps:: Assigning a time to a tree entry
212 * Creating timestamps:: Commands which insert timestamps
213 * Deadlines and scheduling:: Planning your work
214 * Clocking work time::
218 * The date/time prompt:: How org-mode helps you entering date and time
219 * Custom time format:: Making dates look differently
221 Deadlines and Scheduling
223 * Inserting deadline/schedule:: Planning items
224 * Repeated tasks:: Items that show up again and again
228 * Setting up remember:: Some code for .emacs to get things going
229 * Remember templates:: Define the outline of different note types
230 * Storing notes:: Directly get the note to where it belongs
231 * Refiling notes:: Moving a note or task to a project
235 * Agenda files:: Files being searched for agenda information
236 * Agenda dispatcher:: Keyboard access to agenda views
237 * Built-in agenda views:: What is available out of the box?
238 * Presentation and sorting:: How agenda items are prepared for display
239 * Agenda commands:: Remote editing of org trees
240 * Custom agenda views:: Defining special searches and views
242 The built-in agenda views
244 * Weekly/Daily agenda:: The calendar page with current tasks
245 * Global TODO list:: All unfinished action items
246 * Matching tags and properties:: Structured information with fine-tuned search
247 * Timeline:: Time-sorted view for single file
248 * Stuck projects:: Find projects you need to review
250 Presentation and sorting
252 * Categories:: Not all tasks are equal
253 * Time-of-day specifications:: How the agenda knows the time
254 * Sorting of agenda items:: The order of things
258 * Storing searches:: Type once, use often
259 * Block agenda:: All the stuff you need in a single buffer
260 * Setting Options:: Changing the rules
261 * Exporting Agenda Views:: Writing agendas to files.
262 * Extracting Agenda Information for other programs::
266 * Math symbols:: TeX macros for symbols and Greek letters
267 * Subscripts and Superscripts:: Simple syntax for raising/lowering text
268 * LaTeX fragments:: Complex formulas made easy
269 * Processing LaTeX fragments:: Previewing LaTeX processing
270 * CDLaTeX mode:: Speed up entering of formulas
274 * ASCII export:: Exporting to plain ASCII
275 * HTML export:: Exporting to HTML
276 * LaTeX export:: Exporting to LaTeX
277 * XOXO export:: Exporting to XOXO
278 * iCalendar export:: Exporting in iCalendar format
279 * Text interpretation:: How the exporter looks at the file
283 * HTML Export commands:: How to invoke LaTeX export
284 * Quoting HTML tags:: Using direct HTML in Org-mode
285 * Links:: Transformation of links for HTML
286 * Images:: How to include images
287 * CSS support:: Changing the appearence of the output
291 * LaTeX export commands:: How to invoke LaTeX export
292 * Quoting LaTeX code:: Incorporating literal LaTeX code
293 * Sectioning structure::
295 Text interpretation by the exporter
297 * Comment lines:: Some lines will not be exported
298 * Initial text:: Text before the first headline
299 * Footnotes:: Numbers like [1]
300 * Quoted examples:: Inserting quoted chnuks of text
301 * Enhancing text:: Subscripts, symbols and more
302 * Export options:: How to influence the export settings
306 * Configuration:: Defining projects
307 * Sample configuration:: Example projects
308 * Triggering publication:: Publication commands
312 * Project alist:: The central configuration variable
313 * Sources and destinations:: From here to there
314 * Selecting files:: What files are part of the project?
315 * Publishing action:: Setting the function doing the publishing
316 * Publishing options:: Tweaking HTML export
317 * Publishing links:: Which links keep working after publishing?
318 * Project page index:: Publishing a list of project files
322 * Simple example:: One-component publishing
323 * Complex example:: A multi-component publishing example
327 * Completion:: M-TAB knows what you need
328 * Customization:: Adapting Org-mode to your taste
329 * In-buffer settings:: Overview of the #+KEYWORDS
330 * The very busy C-c C-c key:: When in doubt, press C-c C-c
331 * Clean view:: Getting rid of leading stars in the outline
332 * TTY keys:: Using Org-mode on a tty
333 * Interaction:: Other Emacs packages
334 * Bugs:: Things which do not work perfectly
336 Interaction with other packages
338 * Cooperation:: Packages Org-mode cooperates with
339 * Conflicts:: Packages that lead to conflicts
341 Extensions, Hooks and Hacking
343 * Extensions:: Existing 3rd-part extensions
344 * Adding hyperlink types:: New custom link types
345 * Tables in arbitrary syntax:: Orgtbl for LaTeX and other programs
346 * Dynamic blocks:: Automatically filled blocks
347 * Special agenda views:: Customized views
348 * Using the property API:: Writing programs that use entry properties
350 Tables and Lists in arbitrary syntax
352 * Radio tables:: Sending and receiving
353 * A LaTeX example:: Step by step, almost a tutorial
354 * Translator functions:: Copy and modify
355 * Radio lists:: Doing the same for lists.
360 @node Introduction, Document structure, Top, Top
361 @chapter Introduction
365 * Summary:: Brief summary of what Org-mode does
366 * Installation:: How to install a downloaded version of Org-mode
367 * Activation:: How to activate Org-mode for certain buffers.
368 * Feedback:: Bug reports, ideas, patches etc.
369 * Conventions:: Type-setting conventions in the manual
372 @node Summary, Installation, Introduction, Introduction
376 Org-mode is a mode for keeping notes, maintaining TODO lists, and doing
377 project planning with a fast and effective plain-text system.
379 Org-mode develops organizational tasks around NOTES files that contain
380 lists or information about projects as plain text. Org-mode is
381 implemented on top of outline-mode, which makes it possible to keep the
382 content of large files well structured. Visibility cycling and
383 structure editing help to work with the tree. Tables are easily created
384 with a built-in table editor. Org-mode supports TODO items, deadlines,
385 time stamps, and scheduling. It dynamically compiles entries into an
386 agenda that utilizes and smoothly integrates much of the Emacs calendar
387 and diary. Plain text URL-like links connect to websites, emails,
388 Usenet messages, BBDB entries, and any files related to the projects.
389 For printing and sharing of notes, an Org-mode file can be exported as a
390 structured ASCII file, as HTML, or (TODO and agenda items only) as an
391 iCalendar file. It can also serve as a publishing tool for a set of
394 An important design aspect that distinguishes Org-mode from for example
395 Planner/Muse is that it encourages to store every piece of information
396 only once. In Planner, you have project pages, day pages and possibly
397 other files, duplicating some information such as tasks. In Org-mode,
398 you only have notes files. In your notes you mark entries as tasks,
399 label them with tags and timestamps. All necessary lists like a
400 schedule for the day, the agenda for a meeting, tasks lists selected by
401 tags etc are created dynamically when you need them.
403 Org-mode keeps simple things simple. When first fired up, it should
404 feel like a straightforward, easy to use outliner. Complexity is not
405 imposed, but a large amount of functionality is available when you need
406 it. Org-mode is a toolbox and can be used in different ways, for
410 @r{@bullet{} outline extension with visibility cycling and structure editing}
411 @r{@bullet{} ASCII system and table editor for taking structured notes}
412 @r{@bullet{} ASCII table editor with spreadsheet-like capabilities}
413 @r{@bullet{} TODO list editor}
414 @r{@bullet{} full agenda and planner with deadlines and work scheduling}
415 @r{@bullet{} environment to implement David Allen's GTD system}
416 @r{@bullet{} a basic database application}
417 @r{@bullet{} simple hypertext system, with HTML and LaTeX export}
418 @r{@bullet{} publishing tool to create a set of interlinked webpages}
421 Org-mode's automatic, context sensitive table editor with spreadsheet
422 capabilities can be integrated into any major mode by activating the
423 minor Orgtbl-mode. Using a translation step, it can be used to maintain
424 tables in arbitrary file types, for example in La@TeX{}. The structure
425 editing and list creation capabilities can be used outside Org-mode with
426 the minor Orgstruct-mode.
429 There is a website for Org-mode which provides links to the newest
430 version of Org-mode, as well as additional information, frequently asked
431 questions (FAQ), links to tutorials etc. This page is located at
432 @uref{http://orgmode.org}.
437 @node Installation, Activation, Summary, Introduction
438 @section Installation
442 @b{Important:} @i{If Org-mode is part of the Emacs distribution or an
443 XEmacs package, please skip this section and go directly to
446 If you have downloaded Org-mode from the Web, you must take the
447 following steps to install it: Go into the Org-mode distribution
448 directory and edit the top section of the file @file{Makefile}. You
449 must set the name of the Emacs binary (likely either @file{emacs} or
450 @file{xemacs}), and the paths to the directories where local Lisp and
451 Info files are kept. If you don't have access to the system-wide
452 directories, create your own two directories for these files, enter them
453 into the Makefile, and make sure Emacs finds the Lisp files by adding
454 the following line to @file{.emacs}:
457 (setq load-path (cons "~/path/to/lispdir" load-path))
460 @b{XEmacs users now need to install the file @file{noutline.el} from
461 the @file{xemacs} subdirectory of the Org-mode distribution. Use the
465 @b{make install-noutline}
468 @noindent Now byte-compile and install the Lisp files with the shell
476 @noindent If you want to install the info documentation, use this command:
482 @noindent Then add to @file{.emacs}:
485 ;; This line only if org-mode is not part of the X/Emacs distribution.
486 (require 'org-install)
489 @node Activation, Feedback, Installation, Introduction
493 @cindex global keybindings
494 @cindex keybindings, global
497 @b{Important:} @i{If you use copy-and-paste to copy lisp code from the
498 PDF documentation as viewed by Acrobat reader to your .emacs file, the
499 single quote character comes out incorrectly and the code will not work.
500 You need to fix the single quotes by hand, or copy from Info
504 Add the following lines to your @file{.emacs} file. The last two lines
505 define @emph{global} keys for the commands @command{org-store-link} and
506 @command{org-agenda} - please choose suitable keys yourself.
509 ;; The following lines are always needed. Choose your own keys.
510 (add-to-list 'auto-mode-alist '("\\.org\\'" . org-mode))
511 (global-set-key "\C-cl" 'org-store-link)
512 (global-set-key "\C-ca" 'org-agenda)
515 Furthermore, you must activate @code{font-lock-mode} in org-mode
516 buffers, because significant functionality depends on font-locking being
517 active. You can do this with either one of the following two lines
518 (XEmacs user must use the second option):
520 (global-font-lock-mode 1) ; for all buffers
521 (add-hook 'org-mode-hook 'turn-on-font-lock) ; org-mode buffers only
524 @cindex org-mode, turning on
525 With this setup, all files with extension @samp{.org} will be put
526 into Org-mode. As an alternative, make the first line of a file look
530 MY PROJECTS -*- mode: org; -*-
533 @noindent which will select Org-mode for this buffer no matter what
534 the file's name is. See also the variable
535 @code{org-insert-mode-line-in-empty-file}.
537 @node Feedback, Conventions, Activation, Introduction
544 If you find problems with Org-mode, or if you have questions, remarks,
545 or ideas about it, please contact the maintainer @value{MAINTAINER} at
546 @value{MAINTAINEREMAIL}.
548 For bug reports, please provide as much information as possible,
549 including the version information of Emacs (@kbd{C-h v emacs-version
550 @key{RET}}) and Org-mode (@kbd{C-h v org-version @key{RET}}), as well as
551 the Org-mode related setup in @file{.emacs}. If an error occurs, a
552 backtrace can be very useful (see below on how to create one). Often a
553 small example file helps, along with clear information about:
556 @item What exactly did you do?
557 @item What did you expect to happen?
558 @item What happened instead?
560 @noindent Thank you for helping to improve this mode.
562 @subsubheading How to create a useful backtrace
564 @cindex backtrace of an error
565 If working with Org-mode produces an error with a message you don't
566 understand, you may have hit a bug. The best way to report this is by
567 providing, in addition to what was mentioned above, a @emph{Backtrace}.
568 This is information from the built-in debugger about where and how the
569 error occurred. Here is how to produce a useful backtrace:
573 Start a fresh Emacs or XEmacs, and make sure that it will load the
574 original Lisp code in @file{org.el} instead of the compiled version in
575 @file{org.elc}. The backtrace contains much more information if it is
576 produced with uncompiled code. To do this, either rename @file{org.elc}
577 to something else before starting Emacs, or ask Emacs explicitly to load
578 @file{org.el} by using the command line
580 emacs -l /path/to/org.el
583 Go to the @code{Options} menu and select @code{Enter Debugger on Error}
584 (XEmacs has this option in the @code{Troubleshooting} sub-menu).
586 Do whatever you have to do to hit the error. Don't forget to
587 document the steps you take.
589 When you hit the error, a @file{*Backtrace*} buffer will appear on the
590 screen. Save this buffer to a file (for example using @kbd{C-x C-w}) and
591 attach it to your bug report.
594 @node Conventions, , Feedback, Introduction
595 @section Typesetting conventions used in this manual
597 Org-mode uses three types of keywords: TODO keywords, tags, and property
598 names. In this manual we use the following conventions:
603 TODO keywords are written with all capitals, even if they are
607 User-defined tags are written in lowercase; built-in tags with special
608 meaning are written with all capitals.
611 User-defined properties are capitalized; built-in properties with
612 special meaning are written with all capitals.
615 @node Document structure, Tables, Introduction, Top
616 @chapter Document Structure
617 @cindex document structure
618 @cindex structure of document
620 Org-mode is based on outline mode and provides flexible commands to
621 edit the structure of the document.
624 * Outlines:: Org-mode is based on outline-mode
625 * Headlines:: How to typeset org-tree headlines
626 * Visibility cycling:: Show and hide, much simplified
627 * Motion:: Jumping to other headlines
628 * Structure editing:: Changing sequence and level of headlines
629 * Archiving:: Move done task trees to a different place
630 * Sparse trees:: Matches embedded in context
631 * Plain lists:: Additional structure within an entry
632 * Drawers:: Tucking stuff away
633 * orgstruct-mode:: Structure editing outside Org-mode
636 @node Outlines, Headlines, Document structure, Document structure
641 Org-mode is implemented on top of outline-mode. Outlines allow a
642 document to be organized in a hierarchical structure, which (at least
643 for me) is the best representation of notes and thoughts. An overview
644 of this structure is achieved by folding (hiding) large parts of the
645 document to show only the general document structure and the parts
646 currently being worked on. Org-mode greatly simplifies the use of
647 outlines by compressing the entire show/hide functionality into a single
648 command @command{org-cycle}, which is bound to the @key{TAB} key.
650 @node Headlines, Visibility cycling, Outlines, Document structure
655 Headlines define the structure of an outline tree. The headlines in
656 Org-mode start with one or more stars, on the left margin@footnote{See
657 the variable @code{org-special-ctrl-a/e} to configure special behavior
658 of @kbd{C-a} and @kbd{C-e} in headlines.}. For example:
668 * Another top level headline
671 @noindent Some people find the many stars too noisy and would prefer an
672 outline that has whitespace followed by a single star as headline
673 starters. @ref{Clean view} describes a setup to realize this.
675 An empty line after the end of a subtree is considered part of it and
676 will be hidden when the subtree is folded. However, if you leave at
677 least two empty lines, one empty line will remain visible after folding
678 the subtree, in order to structure the collapsed view. See the
679 variable @code{org-cycle-separator-lines} to modify this behavior.
681 @node Visibility cycling, Motion, Headlines, Document structure
682 @section Visibility cycling
683 @cindex cycling, visibility
684 @cindex visibility cycling
685 @cindex trees, visibility
686 @cindex show hidden text
689 Outlines make it possible to hide parts of the text in the buffer.
690 Org-mode uses just two commands, bound to @key{TAB} and
691 @kbd{S-@key{TAB}} to change the visibility in the buffer.
693 @cindex subtree visibility states
694 @cindex subtree cycling
695 @cindex folded, subtree visibility state
696 @cindex children, subtree visibility state
697 @cindex subtree, subtree visibility state
701 @emph{Subtree cycling}: Rotate current subtree among the states
704 ,-> FOLDED -> CHILDREN -> SUBTREE --.
705 '-----------------------------------'
708 The cursor must be on a headline for this to work@footnote{see, however,
709 the option @code{org-cycle-emulate-tab}.}. When the cursor is at the
710 beginning of the buffer and the first line is not a headline, then
711 @key{TAB} actually runs global cycling (see below)@footnote{see the
712 option @code{org-cycle-global-at-bob}.}. Also when called with a prefix
713 argument (@kbd{C-u @key{TAB}}), global cycling is invoked.
715 @cindex global visibility states
716 @cindex global cycling
717 @cindex overview, global visibility state
718 @cindex contents, global visibility state
719 @cindex show all, global visibility state
723 @emph{Global cycling}: Rotate the entire buffer among the states
726 ,-> OVERVIEW -> CONTENTS -> SHOW ALL --.
727 '--------------------------------------'
730 When @kbd{S-@key{TAB}} is called with a numerical prefix N, the CONTENTS
731 view up to headlines of level N will be shown.
732 Note that inside tables, @kbd{S-@key{TAB}} jumps to the previous field.
734 @cindex show all, command
740 Reveal context around point, showing the current entry, the following
741 heading and the hierarchy above. Useful for working near a location
742 that has been exposed by a sparse tree command (@pxref{Sparse trees}) or
743 an agenda command (@pxref{Agenda commands}). With prefix arg show, on
746 level, all sibling headings.
749 Show the current subtree in an indirect buffer@footnote{The indirect
752 (@pxref{Indirect Buffers,,,emacs,GNU Emacs Manual})
755 (see the Emacs manual for more information about indirect buffers)
757 will contain the entire buffer, but will be narrowed to the current
758 tree. Editing the indirect buffer will also change the original buffer,
759 but without affecting visibility in that buffer.}. With numerical
760 prefix ARG, go up to this level and then take that tree. If ARG is
761 negative, go up that many levels. With @kbd{C-u} prefix, do not remove
762 the previously used indirect buffer.
765 When Emacs first visits an Org-mode file, the global state is set to
766 OVERVIEW, i.e. only the top level headlines are visible. This can be
767 configured through the variable @code{org-startup-folded}, or on a
768 per-file basis by adding one of the following lines anywhere in the
777 @node Motion, Structure editing, Visibility cycling, Document structure
779 @cindex motion, between headlines
780 @cindex jumping, to headlines
781 @cindex headline navigation
782 The following commands jump to other headlines in the buffer.
793 Next heading same level.
796 Previous heading same level.
799 Backward to higher level heading.
802 Jump to a different place without changing the current outline
803 visibility. Shows the document structure in a temporary buffer, where
804 you can use the following keys to find your destination:
806 @key{TAB} @r{Cycle visibility.}
807 @key{down} / @key{up} @r{Next/previous visible headline.}
808 n / p @r{Next/previous visible headline.}
809 f / b @r{Next/previous headline same level.}
811 0-9 @r{Digit argument.}
812 @key{RET} @r{Select this location.}
816 @node Structure editing, Archiving, Motion, Document structure
817 @section Structure editing
818 @cindex structure editing
819 @cindex headline, promotion and demotion
820 @cindex promotion, of subtrees
821 @cindex demotion, of subtrees
822 @cindex subtree, cut and paste
823 @cindex pasting, of subtrees
824 @cindex cutting, of subtrees
825 @cindex copying, of subtrees
826 @cindex subtrees, cut and paste
831 Insert new heading with same level as current. If the cursor is in a
832 plain list item, a new item is created (@pxref{Plain lists}). To force
833 creation of a new headline, use a prefix arg, or first press @key{RET}
834 to get to the beginning of the next line. When this command is used in
835 the middle of a line, the line is split and the rest of the line becomes
836 the new headline. If the command is used at the beginning of a
837 headline, the new headline is created before the current line. If at
838 the beginning of any other line, the content of that line is made the
839 new heading. If the command is used at the end of a folded subtree
840 (i.e. behind the ellipses at the end of a headline), then a headline
841 like the current one will be inserted after the end of the subtree.
844 Insert a new heading after the current subtree, same level as the
845 current headline. This command works from anywhere in the entry.
846 @kindex M-S-@key{RET}
848 Insert new TODO entry with same level as current heading.
851 Promote current heading by one level.
852 @kindex M-@key{right}
854 Demote current heading by one level.
855 @kindex M-S-@key{left}
857 Promote the current subtree by one level.
858 @kindex M-S-@key{right}
859 @item M-S-@key{right}
860 Demote the current subtree by one level.
863 Move subtree up (swap with previous subtree of same
865 @kindex M-S-@key{down}
867 Move subtree down (swap with next subtree of same level).
872 Kill subtree, i.e. remove it from buffer but save in kill ring.
873 With prefix arg, kill N sequential subtrees.
876 Copy subtree to kill ring. With prefix arg, copy N sequential subtrees.
879 Yank subtree from kill ring. This does modify the level of the subtree to
880 make sure the tree fits in nicely at the yank position. The yank
881 level can also be specified with a prefix arg, or by yanking after a
882 headline marker like @samp{****}.
885 Refile entry to a different location. @xref{Refiling notes}.
888 Sort same-level entries. When there is an active region, all entries in
889 the region will be sorted. Otherwise the children of the current
890 headline are sorted. The command prompts for the sorting method, which
891 can be alphabetically, numerically, by time (using the first time stamp
892 in each entry), by priority, and each of these in reverse order. You
893 can also supply your own function to extract the sorting key. With a
894 @kbd{C-u} prefix, sorting will be case-sensitive. With two @kbd{C-u
895 C-u} prefixes, duplicate entries will also be removed.
898 @cindex region, active
899 @cindex active region
900 @cindex transient-mark-mode
901 When there is an active region (transient-mark-mode), promotion and
902 demotion work on all headlines in the region. To select a region of
903 headlines, it is best to place both point and mark at the beginning of a
904 line, mark at the beginning of the first headline, and point at the line
905 just after the last headline to change. Note that when the cursor is
906 inside a table (@pxref{Tables}), the Meta-Cursor keys have different
909 @node Archiving, Sparse trees, Structure editing, Document structure
913 When a project represented by a (sub)tree is finished, you may want
914 to move the tree out of the way and to stop it from contributing to the
915 agenda. Org-mode knows two ways of archiving. You can mark a tree with
916 the ARCHIVE tag, or you can move an entire (sub)tree to a different
920 * ARCHIVE tag:: Marking a tree as inactive
921 * Moving subtrees:: Moving a tree to an archive file
924 @node ARCHIVE tag, Moving subtrees, Archiving, Archiving
925 @subsection The ARCHIVE tag
926 @cindex internal archiving
928 A headline that is marked with the ARCHIVE tag (@pxref{Tags}) stays at
929 its location in the outline tree, but behaves in the following way:
932 It does not open when you attempt to do so with a visibility cycling
933 command (@pxref{Visibility cycling}). You can force cycling archived
934 subtrees with @kbd{C-@key{TAB}}, or by setting the option
935 @code{org-cycle-open-archived-trees}. Also normal outline commands like
936 @code{show-all} will open archived subtrees.
938 During sparse tree construction (@pxref{Sparse trees}), matches in
939 archived subtrees are not exposed, unless you configure the option
940 @code{org-sparse-tree-open-archived-trees}.
942 During agenda view construction (@pxref{Agenda views}), the content of
943 archived trees is ignored unless you configure the option
944 @code{org-agenda-skip-archived-trees}.
946 Archived trees are not exported (@pxref{Exporting}), only the headline
947 is. Configure the details using the variable
948 @code{org-export-with-archived-trees}.
951 The following commands help managing the ARCHIVE tag:
956 Toggle the ARCHIVE tag for the current headline. When the tag is set,
957 the headline changes to a shadowish face, and the subtree below it is
959 @kindex C-u C-c C-x C-a
960 @item C-u C-c C-x C-a
961 Check if any direct children of the current headline should be archived.
962 To do this, each subtree is checked for open TODO entries. If none are
963 found, the command offers to set the ARCHIVE tag for the child. If the
964 cursor is @emph{not} on a headline when this command is invoked, the
965 level 1 trees will be checked.
968 Cycle a tree even if it is tagged with ARCHIVE.
971 @node Moving subtrees, , ARCHIVE tag, Archiving
972 @subsection Moving subtrees
973 @cindex external archiving
975 Once an entire project is finished, you may want to move it to a
976 different location, either in the current file, or even in a different
977 file, the archive file.
982 Archive the subtree starting at the cursor position to the location
983 given by @code{org-archive-location}. Context information that could be
984 lost like the file name, the category, inherited tags, and the todo
985 state will be store as properties in the entry.
986 @kindex C-u C-c C-x C-s
987 @item C-u C-c C-x C-s
988 Check if any direct children of the current headline could be moved to
989 the archive. To do this, each subtree is checked for open TODO entries.
990 If none are found, the command offers to move it to the archive
991 location. If the cursor is @emph{not} on a headline when this command
992 is invoked, the level 1 trees will be checked.
995 @cindex archive locations
996 The default archive location is a file in the same directory as the
997 current file, with the name derived by appending @file{_archive} to the
998 current file name. For information and examples on how to change this,
999 see the documentation string of the variable
1000 @code{org-archive-location}. There is also an in-buffer option for
1001 setting this variable, for example@footnote{For backward compatibility,
1002 the following also works: If there are several such lines in a file,
1003 each specifies the archive location for the text below it. The first
1004 such line also applies to any text before its definition. However,
1005 using this method is @emph{strongly} deprecated as it is incompatible
1006 with the outline structure of the document. The correct method for
1007 setting multiple archive locations in a buffer is using a property.}:
1010 #+ARCHIVE: %s_done::
1014 If you would like to have a special ARCHIVE location for a single entry
1015 or a (sub)tree, give the entry an @code{:ARCHIVE:} property with the
1016 location as the value (@pxref{Properties and columns}).
1018 @node Sparse trees, Plain lists, Archiving, Document structure
1019 @section Sparse trees
1020 @cindex sparse trees
1021 @cindex trees, sparse
1022 @cindex folding, sparse trees
1023 @cindex occur, command
1025 An important feature of Org-mode is the ability to construct
1026 @emph{sparse trees} for selected information in an outline tree, so that
1027 the entire document is folded as much as possible, but the selected
1028 information is made visible along with the headline structure above
1029 it@footnote{See also the variables @code{org-show-hierarchy-above},
1030 @code{org-show-following-heading}, and @code{org-show-siblings} for
1031 detailed control on how much context is shown around each match.}. Just
1032 try it out and you will see immediately how it works.
1034 Org-mode contains several commands creating such trees, all these
1035 commands can be accessed through a dispatcher:
1040 This prompts for an extra key to select a sparse-tree creating command.
1043 Occur. Prompts for a regexp and shows a sparse tree with all matches.
1044 If the match is in a headline, the headline is made visible. If the
1045 match is in the body of an entry, headline and body are made visible.
1046 In order to provide minimal context, also the full hierarchy of
1047 headlines above the match is shown, as well as the headline following
1048 the match. Each match is also highlighted; the highlights disappear
1049 when the buffer is changed by an editing command, or by pressing
1050 @kbd{C-c C-c}. When called with a @kbd{C-u} prefix argument, previous
1051 highlights are kept, so several calls to this command can be stacked.
1055 For frequently used sparse trees of specific search strings, you can
1056 use the variable @code{org-agenda-custom-commands} to define fast
1057 keyboard access to specific sparse trees. These commands will then be
1058 accessible through the agenda dispatcher (@pxref{Agenda dispatcher}).
1062 (setq org-agenda-custom-commands
1063 '(("f" occur-tree "FIXME")))
1066 @noindent will define the key @kbd{C-c a f} as a shortcut for creating
1067 a sparse tree matching the string @samp{FIXME}.
1069 The other sparse tree commands select headings based on TODO keywords,
1070 tags, or properties and will be discussed later in this manual.
1073 @cindex printing sparse trees
1074 @cindex visible text, printing
1075 To print a sparse tree, you can use the Emacs command
1076 @code{ps-print-buffer-with-faces} which does not print invisible parts
1077 of the document @footnote{This does not work under XEmacs, because
1078 XEmacs uses selective display for outlining, not text properties.}.
1079 Or you can use the command @kbd{C-c C-e v} to export only the visible
1080 part of the document and print the resulting file.
1082 @node Plain lists, Drawers, Sparse trees, Document structure
1083 @section Plain lists
1085 @cindex lists, plain
1086 @cindex lists, ordered
1087 @cindex ordered lists
1089 Within an entry of the outline tree, hand-formatted lists can provide
1090 additional structure. They also provide a way to create lists of
1091 checkboxes (@pxref{Checkboxes}). Org-mode supports editing such lists,
1092 and the HTML exporter (@pxref{Exporting}) parses and formats them.
1094 Org-mode knows ordered and unordered lists. Unordered list items start
1095 with @samp{-}, @samp{+}, or @samp{*}@footnote{When using @samp{*} as a
1096 bullet, lines must be indented or they will be seen as top-level
1097 headlines. Also, when you are hiding leading stars to get a clean
1098 outline view, plain list items starting with a star are visually
1099 indistinguishable from true headlines. In short: even though @samp{*}
1100 is supported, it may be better to not use it for plain list items.} as
1101 bullets. Ordered list items start with a numeral followed by either a
1102 period or a right parenthesis, such as @samp{1.} or @samp{1)}. Items
1103 belonging to the same list must have the same indentation on the first
1104 line. In particular, if an ordered list reaches number @samp{10.}, then
1105 the 2--digit numbers must be written left-aligned with the other numbers
1106 in the list. Indentation also determines the end of a list item. It
1107 ends before the next line that is indented like the bullet/number, or
1108 less. Empty lines are part of the previous item, so you can have
1109 several paragraphs in one item. If you would like an empty line to
1110 terminate all currently open plain lists, configure the variable
1111 @code{org-empty-line-terminates-plain-lists}. Here is an example:
1115 ** Lord of the Rings
1116 My favorite scenes are (in this order)
1117 1. The attack of the Rohirrim
1118 2. Eowyns fight with the witch king
1119 + this was already my favorite scene in the book
1120 + I really like Miranda Otto.
1121 3. Peter Jackson being shot by Legolas
1123 He makes a really funny face when it happens.
1124 But in the end, not individual scenes matter but the film as a whole.
1128 Org-mode supports these lists by tuning filling and wrapping commands to
1129 deal with them correctly@footnote{Org-mode only changes the filling
1130 settings for Emacs. For XEmacs, you should use Kyle E. Jones'
1131 @file{filladapt.el}. To turn this on, put into @file{.emacs}:
1132 @code{(require 'filladapt)}}.
1134 The following commands act on items when the cursor is in the first line
1135 of an item (the line with the bullet or number).
1140 Items can be folded just like headline levels if you set the variable
1141 @code{org-cycle-include-plain-lists}. The level of an item is then
1142 given by the indentation of the bullet/number. Items are always
1143 subordinate to real headlines, however; the hierarchies remain
1144 completely separated.
1146 If @code{org-cycle-include-plain-lists} has not been set, @key{TAB}
1147 fixes the indentation of the curent line in a heuristic way.
1150 Insert new item at current level. With prefix arg, force a new heading
1151 (@pxref{Structure editing}). If this command is used in the middle of a
1152 line, the line is @emph{split} and the rest of the line becomes the new
1153 item. If this command is executed in the @emph{whitespace before a bullet or
1154 number}, the new item is created @emph{before} the current item. If the
1155 command is executed in the white space before the text that is part of
1156 an item but does not contain the bullet, a bullet is added to the
1158 @kindex M-S-@key{RET}
1160 Insert a new item with a checkbox (@pxref{Checkboxes}).
1162 @kindex S-@key{down}
1165 Jump to the previous/next item in the current list.
1166 @kindex M-S-@key{up}
1167 @kindex M-S-@key{down}
1169 @itemx M-S-@key{down}
1170 Move the item including subitems up/down (swap with previous/next item
1171 of same indentation). If the list is ordered, renumbering is
1173 @kindex M-S-@key{left}
1174 @kindex M-S-@key{right}
1175 @item M-S-@key{left}
1176 @itemx M-S-@key{right}
1177 Decrease/increase the indentation of the item, including subitems.
1178 Initially, the item tree is selected based on current indentation.
1179 When these commands are executed several times in direct succession,
1180 the initially selected region is used, even if the new indentation
1181 would imply a different hierarchy. To use the new hierarchy, break
1182 the command chain with a cursor motion or so.
1185 If there is a checkbox (@pxref{Checkboxes}) in the item line, toggle the
1186 state of the checkbox. If not, this command makes sure that all the
1187 items on this list level use the same bullet. Furthermore, if this is
1188 an ordered list, make sure the numbering is ok.
1191 Cycle the entire list level through the different itemize/enumerate
1192 bullets (@samp{-}, @samp{+}, @samp{*}, @samp{1.}, @samp{1)}).
1193 With prefix arg, select the nth bullet from this list.
1196 @node Drawers, orgstruct-mode, Plain lists, Document structure
1199 @cindex visibility cycling, drawers
1201 Sometimes you want to keep information associated with an entry, but you
1202 normally don't want to see it. For this, Org-mode has @emph{drawers}.
1203 Drawers need to be configured with the variable
1204 @code{org-drawers}@footnote{You can define drawers on a per-file basis
1205 with a line like @code{#+DRAWERS: HIDDEN PROPERTIES STATE}}. Drawers
1209 ** This is a headline
1210 Still outside the drawer
1212 This is inside the drawer.
1217 Visibility cycling (@pxref{Visibility cycling}) on the headline will
1218 hide and show the entry, but keep the drawer collapsed to a single line.
1219 In order to look inside the drawer, you need to move the cursor to the
1220 drawer line and press @key{TAB} there. Org-mode uses a drawer for
1221 storing properties (@pxref{Properties and columns}).
1223 @node orgstruct-mode, , Drawers, Document structure
1224 @section The Orgstruct minor mode
1225 @cindex orgstruct-mode
1226 @cindex minor mode for structure editing
1228 If you like the intuitive way the Org-mode structure editing and list
1229 formatting works, you might want to use these commands in other modes
1230 like text-mode or mail-mode as well. The minor mode Orgstruct-mode
1231 makes this possible. You can always toggle the mode with @kbd{M-x
1232 orgstruct-mode}. To turn it on by default, for example in mail mode,
1236 (add-hook 'mail-mode-hook 'turn-on-orgstruct)
1239 When this mode is active and the cursor is on a line that looks to
1240 Org-mode like a headline of the first line of a list item, most
1241 structure editing commands will work, even if the same keys normally
1242 have different functionality in the major mode you are using. If the
1243 cursor is not in one of those special lines, Orgstruct-mode lurks
1244 silently in the shadow.
1246 @node Tables, Hyperlinks, Document structure, Top
1249 @cindex editing tables
1251 Org-mode comes with a fast and intuitive table editor. Spreadsheet-like
1252 calculations are supported in connection with the Emacs @file{calc}
1255 (@pxref{Calc,,,calc,Gnu Emacs Calculator Manual}).
1258 (see the Emacs Calculator manual for more information about the Emacs
1263 * Built-in table editor:: Simple tables
1264 * Narrow columns:: Stop wasting space in tables
1265 * Column groups:: Grouping to trigger vertical lines
1266 * orgtbl-mode:: The table editor as minor mode
1267 * The spreadsheet:: The table editor has spreadsheet capabilities.
1270 @node Built-in table editor, Narrow columns, Tables, Tables
1271 @section The built-in table editor
1272 @cindex table editor, built-in
1274 Org-mode makes it easy to format tables in plain ASCII. Any line with
1275 @samp{|} as the first non-whitespace character is considered part of a
1276 table. @samp{|} is also the column separator. A table might look like
1280 | Name | Phone | Age |
1281 |-------+-------+-----|
1282 | Peter | 1234 | 17 |
1283 | Anna | 4321 | 25 |
1286 A table is re-aligned automatically each time you press @key{TAB} or
1287 @key{RET} or @kbd{C-c C-c} inside the table. @key{TAB} also moves to
1288 the next field (@key{RET} to the next row) and creates new table rows
1289 at the end of the table or before horizontal lines. The indentation
1290 of the table is set by the first line. Any line starting with
1291 @samp{|-} is considered as a horizontal separator line and will be
1292 expanded on the next re-align to span the whole table width. So, to
1293 create the above table, you would only type
1300 @noindent and then press @key{TAB} to align the table and start filling in
1303 When typing text into a field, Org-mode treats @key{DEL},
1304 @key{Backspace}, and all character keys in a special way, so that
1305 inserting and deleting avoids shifting other fields. Also, when
1306 typing @emph{immediately after the cursor was moved into a new field
1307 with @kbd{@key{TAB}}, @kbd{S-@key{TAB}} or @kbd{@key{RET}}}, the
1308 field is automatically made blank. If this behavior is too
1309 unpredictable for you, configure the variables
1310 @code{org-enable-table-editor} and @code{org-table-auto-blank-field}.
1313 @tsubheading{Creation and conversion}
1316 Convert the active region to table. If every line contains at least one
1317 TAB character, the function assumes that the material is tab separated.
1318 If every line contains a comma, comma-separated values (CSV) are assumed.
1319 If not, lines are split at whitespace into fields. You can use a prefix
1320 argument to force a specific separator: @kbd{C-u} forces CSV, @kbd{C-u
1321 C-u} forces TAB, and a numeric argument N indicates that at least N
1322 consequtive spaces, or alternatively a TAB will be the separator.
1324 If there is no active region, this command creates an empty Org-mode
1325 table. But it's easier just to start typing, like
1326 @kbd{|Name|Phone|Age @key{RET} |- @key{TAB}}.
1328 @tsubheading{Re-aligning and field motion}
1331 Re-align the table without moving the cursor.
1335 Re-align the table, move to the next field. Creates a new row if
1340 Re-align, move to previous field.
1344 Re-align the table and move down to next row. Creates a new row if
1345 necessary. At the beginning or end of a line, @key{RET} still does
1346 NEWLINE, so it can be used to split a table.
1348 @tsubheading{Column and row editing}
1349 @kindex M-@key{left}
1350 @kindex M-@key{right}
1352 @itemx M-@key{right}
1353 Move the current column left/right.
1355 @kindex M-S-@key{left}
1356 @item M-S-@key{left}
1357 Kill the current column.
1359 @kindex M-S-@key{right}
1360 @item M-S-@key{right}
1361 Insert a new column to the left of the cursor position.
1364 @kindex M-@key{down}
1367 Move the current row up/down.
1369 @kindex M-S-@key{up}
1371 Kill the current row or horizontal line.
1373 @kindex M-S-@key{down}
1374 @item M-S-@key{down}
1375 Insert a new row above (with arg: below) the current row.
1379 Insert a horizontal line below current row. With prefix arg, the line
1380 is created above the current line.
1384 Sort the table lines in the region. The position of point indicates the
1385 column to be used for sorting, and the range of lines is the range
1386 between the nearest horizontal separator lines, or the entire table. If
1387 point is before the first column, you will be prompted for the sorting
1388 column. If there is an active region, the mark specifies the first line
1389 and the sorting column, while point should be in the last line to be
1390 included into the sorting. The command prompts for the sorting type
1391 (alphabetically, numerically, or by time). When called with a prefix
1392 argument, alphabetic sorting will be case-sensitive.
1394 @tsubheading{Regions}
1397 Copy a rectangular region from a table to a special clipboard. Point
1398 and mark determine edge fields of the rectangle. The process ignores
1399 horizontal separator lines.
1403 Copy a rectangular region from a table to a special clipboard, and
1404 blank all fields in the rectangle. So this is the ``cut'' operation.
1408 Paste a rectangular region into a table.
1409 The upper right corner ends up in the current field. All involved fields
1410 will be overwritten. If the rectangle does not fit into the present table,
1411 the table is enlarged as needed. The process ignores horizontal separator
1416 Wrap several fields in a column like a paragraph. If there is an active
1417 region, and both point and mark are in the same column, the text in the
1418 column is wrapped to minimum width for the given number of lines. A
1419 prefix ARG may be used to change the number of desired lines. If there
1420 is no region, the current field is split at the cursor position and the
1421 text fragment to the right of the cursor is prepended to the field one
1422 line down. If there is no region, but you specify a prefix ARG, the
1423 current field is made blank, and the content is appended to the field
1426 @tsubheading{Calculations}
1427 @cindex formula, in tables
1428 @cindex calculations, in tables
1429 @cindex region, active
1430 @cindex active region
1431 @cindex transient-mark-mode
1434 Sum the numbers in the current column, or in the rectangle defined by
1435 the active region. The result is shown in the echo area and can
1436 be inserted with @kbd{C-y}.
1440 When current field is empty, copy from first non-empty field above.
1441 When not empty, copy current field down to next row and move cursor
1442 along with it. Depending on the variable
1443 @code{org-table-copy-increment}, integer field values will be
1444 incremented during copy. This key is also used by CUA-mode
1445 (@pxref{Cooperation}).
1447 @tsubheading{Miscellaneous}
1450 Edit the current field in a separate window. This is useful for fields
1451 that are not fully visible (@pxref{Narrow columns}). When called with a
1452 @kbd{C-u} prefix, just make the full field visible, so that it can be
1455 @item M-x org-table-import
1456 Import a file as a table. The table should be TAB- or whitespace
1457 separated. Useful, for example, to import a spreadsheet table or data
1458 from a database, because these programs generally can write
1459 TAB-separated text files. This command works by inserting the file into
1460 the buffer and then converting the region to a table. Any prefix
1461 argument is passed on to the converter, which uses it to determine the
1464 Tables can also be imported by pasting tabular text into the org-mode
1465 buffer, selecting the pasted text with @kbd{C-x C-x} and then using the
1466 @kbd{C-c |} command (see above under @i{Creation and conversion}.
1468 @item M-x org-table-export
1469 Export the table as a TAB-separated file. Useful for data exchange with,
1470 for example, spreadsheet or database programs.
1473 If you don't like the automatic table editor because it gets in your
1474 way on lines which you would like to start with @samp{|}, you can turn
1478 (setq org-enable-table-editor nil)
1481 @noindent Then the only table command that still works is
1482 @kbd{C-c C-c} to do a manual re-align.
1484 @node Narrow columns, Column groups, Built-in table editor, Tables
1485 @section Narrow columns
1486 @cindex narrow columns in tables
1488 The width of columns is automatically determined by the table editor.
1489 Sometimes a single field or a few fields need to carry more text,
1490 leading to inconveniently wide columns. To limit@footnote{This feature
1491 does not work on XEmacs.} the width of a column, one field anywhere in
1492 the column may contain just the string @samp{<N>} where @samp{N} is an
1493 integer specifying the width of the column in characters. The next
1494 re-align will then set the width of this column to no more than this
1499 |---+------------------------------| |---+--------|
1501 | 1 | one | | 1 | one |
1502 | 2 | two | ----\ | 2 | two |
1503 | 3 | This is a long chunk of text | ----/ | 3 | This=> |
1504 | 4 | four | | 4 | four |
1505 |---+------------------------------| |---+--------|
1510 Fields that are wider become clipped and end in the string @samp{=>}.
1511 Note that the full text is still in the buffer, it is only invisible.
1512 To see the full text, hold the mouse over the field - a tool-tip window
1513 will show the full content. To edit such a field, use the command
1514 @kbd{C-c `} (that is @kbd{C-c} followed by the backquote). This will
1515 open a new window with the full field. Edit it and finish with @kbd{C-c
1518 When visiting a file containing a table with narrowed columns, the
1519 necessary character hiding has not yet happened, and the table needs to
1520 be aligned before it looks nice. Setting the option
1521 @code{org-startup-align-all-tables} will realign all tables in a file
1522 upon visiting, but also slow down startup. You can also set this option
1523 on a per-file basis with:
1530 @node Column groups, orgtbl-mode, Narrow columns, Tables
1531 @section Column groups
1532 @cindex grouping columns in tables
1534 When Org-mode exports tables, it does so by default without vertical
1535 lines because that is visually more satisfying in general. Occasionally
1536 however, vertical lines can be useful to structure a table into groups
1537 of columns, much like horizontal lines can do for groups of rows. In
1538 order to specify column groups, you can use a special row where the
1539 first field contains only @samp{/}. The further fields can either
1540 contain @samp{<} to indicate that this column should start a group,
1541 @samp{>} to indicate the end of a column, or @samp{<>} to make a column
1542 a group of its own. Boundaries between colum groups will upon export be
1543 marked with vertical lines. Here is an example:
1546 | | N | N^2 | N^3 | N^4 | sqrt(n) | sqrt[4](N) |
1547 |---+----+-----+-----+-----+---------+------------|
1548 | / | <> | < | | > | < | > |
1549 | # | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
1550 | # | 2 | 4 | 8 | 16 | 1.4142 | 1.1892 |
1551 | # | 3 | 9 | 27 | 81 | 1.7321 | 1.3161 |
1552 |---+----+-----+-----+-----+---------+------------|
1553 #+TBLFM: $3=$2^2::$4=$2^3::$5=$2^4::$6=sqrt($2)::$7=sqrt(sqrt(($2))
1556 It is also sufficient to just insert the colum group starters after
1557 every vertical line you'd like to have:
1560 | N | N^2 | N^3 | N^4 | sqrt(n) | sqrt[4](N) |
1561 |----+-----+-----+-----+---------+------------|
1565 @node orgtbl-mode, The spreadsheet, Column groups, Tables
1566 @section The Orgtbl minor mode
1568 @cindex minor mode for tables
1570 If you like the intuitive way the Org-mode table editor works, you
1571 might also want to use it in other modes like text-mode or mail-mode.
1572 The minor mode Orgtbl-mode makes this possible. You can always toggle
1573 the mode with @kbd{M-x orgtbl-mode}. To turn it on by default, for
1574 example in mail mode, use
1577 (add-hook 'mail-mode-hook 'turn-on-orgtbl)
1580 Furthermore, with some special setup, it is possible to maintain tables
1581 in arbitrary syntax with Orgtbl-mode. For example, it is possible to
1582 construct La@TeX{} tables with the underlying ease and power of
1583 Orgtbl-mode, including spreadsheet capabilities. For details, see
1584 @ref{Tables in arbitrary syntax}.
1586 @node The spreadsheet, , orgtbl-mode, Tables
1587 @section The spreadsheet
1588 @cindex calculations, in tables
1589 @cindex spreadsheet capabilities
1590 @cindex @file{calc} package
1592 The table editor makes use of the Emacs @file{calc} package to implement
1593 spreadsheet-like capabilities. It can also evaluate Emacs Lisp forms to
1594 derive fields from other fields. While fully featured, Org-mode's
1595 implementation is not identical to other spreadsheets. For example,
1596 Org-mode knows the concept of a @emph{column formula} that will be
1597 applied to all non-header fields in a column without having to copy the
1598 formula to each relevant field.
1601 * References:: How to refer to another field or range
1602 * Formula syntax for Calc:: Using Calc to compute stuff
1603 * Formula syntax for Lisp:: Writing formulas in Emacs Lisp
1604 * Field formulas:: Formulas valid for a single field
1605 * Column formulas:: Formulas valid for an entire column
1606 * Editing and debugging formulas:: Fixing formulas
1607 * Updating the table:: Recomputing all dependent fields
1608 * Advanced features:: Field names, parameters and automatic recalc
1611 @node References, Formula syntax for Calc, The spreadsheet, The spreadsheet
1612 @subsection References
1615 To compute fields in the table from other fields, formulas must
1616 reference other fields or ranges. In Org-mode, fields can be referenced
1617 by name, by absolute coordinates, and by relative coordinates. To find
1618 out what the coordinates of a field are, press @kbd{C-c ?} in that
1619 field, or press @kbd{C-c @}} to toggle the display of a grid.
1621 @subsubheading Field references
1622 @cindex field references
1623 @cindex references, to fields
1625 Formulas can reference the value of another field in two ways. Like in
1626 any other spreadsheet, you may reference fields with a letter/number
1627 combination like @code{B3}, meaning the 2nd field in the 3rd row.
1628 @c Such references are always fixed to that field, they don't change
1629 @c when you copy and paste a formula to a different field. So
1630 @c Org-mode's @code{B3} behaves like @code{$B$3} in other spreadsheets.
1633 Org-mode also uses another, more general operator that looks like this:
1639 Column references can be absolute like @samp{1}, @samp{2},...@samp{N},
1640 or relative to the current column like @samp{+1} or @samp{-2}.
1642 The row specification only counts data lines and ignores horizontal
1643 separator lines (hlines). You can use absolute row numbers
1644 @samp{1}...@samp{N}, and row numbers relative to the current row like
1645 @samp{+3} or @samp{-1}. Or specify the row relative to one of the
1646 hlines: @samp{I} refers to the first hline@footnote{Note that only
1647 hlines are counted that @emph{separate} table lines. If the table
1648 starts with a hline above the header, it does not count.}, @samp{II} to
1649 the second etc. @samp{-I} refers to the first such line above the
1650 current line, @samp{+I} to the first such line below the current line.
1651 You can also write @samp{III+2} which is the second data line after the
1652 third hline in the table. Relative row numbers like @samp{-3} will not
1653 cross hlines if the current line is too close to the hline. Instead,
1654 the value directly at the hline is used.
1656 @samp{0} refers to the current row and column. Also, if you omit
1657 either the column or the row part of the reference, the current
1658 row/column is implied.
1660 Org-mode's references with @emph{unsigned} numbers are fixed references
1661 in the sense that if you use the same reference in the formula for two
1662 different fields, the same field will be referenced each time.
1663 Org-mode's references with @emph{signed} numbers are floating
1664 references because the same reference operator can reference different
1665 fields depending on the field being calculated by the formula.
1667 Here are a few examples:
1670 @@2$3 @r{2nd row, 3rd column}
1671 C2 @r{same as previous}
1672 $5 @r{column 5 in the current row}
1673 E& @r{same as previous}
1674 @@2 @r{current column, row 2}
1675 @@-1$-3 @r{the field one row up, three columns to the left}
1676 @@-I$2 @r{field just under hline above current row, column 2}
1679 @subsubheading Range references
1680 @cindex range references
1681 @cindex references, to ranges
1683 You may reference a rectangular range of fields by specifying two field
1684 references connected by two dots @samp{..}. If both fields are in the
1685 current row, you may simply use @samp{$2..$7}, but if at least one field
1686 is in a different row, you need to use the general @code{@@row$column}
1687 format at least for the first field (i.e the reference must start with
1688 @samp{@@} in order to be interpreted correctly). Examples:
1691 $1..$3 @r{First three fields in the current row.}
1692 $P..$Q @r{Range, using column names (see under Advanced)}
1693 @@2$1..@@4$3 @r{6 fields between these two fields.}
1694 A2..C4 @r{Same as above.}
1695 @@-1$-2..@@-1 @r{3 numbers from the column to the left, 2 up to current row}
1698 @noindent Range references return a vector of values that can be fed
1699 into Calc vector functions. Empty fields in ranges are normally
1700 suppressed, so that the vector contains only the non-empty fields (but
1701 see the @samp{E} mode switch below). If there are no non-empty fields,
1702 @samp{[0]} is returned to avoid syntax errors in formulas.
1704 @subsubheading Named references
1705 @cindex named references
1706 @cindex references, named
1707 @cindex name, of column or field
1708 @cindex constants, in calculations
1710 @samp{$name} is interpreted as the name of a column, parameter or
1711 constant. Constants are defined globally through the variable
1712 @code{org-table-formula-constants}, and locally (for the file) through a
1716 #+CONSTANTS: c=299792458. pi=3.14 eps=2.4e-6
1720 Also properties (@pxref{Properties and columns}) can be used as
1721 constants in table formulas: For a property @samp{:Xyz:} use the name
1722 @samp{$PROP_Xyz}, and the property will be searched in the current
1723 outline entry and in the hierarchy above it. If you have the
1724 @file{constants.el} package, it will also be used to resolve constants,
1725 including natural constants like @samp{$h} for Planck's constant, and
1726 units like @samp{$km} for kilometers@footnote{@file{Constant.el} can
1727 supply the values of constants in two different unit systems, @code{SI}
1728 and @code{cgs}. Which one is used depends on the value of the variable
1729 @code{constants-unit-system}. You can use the @code{#+STARTUP} options
1730 @code{constSI} and @code{constcgs} to set this value for the current
1731 buffer.}. Column names and parameters can be specified in special table
1732 lines. These are described below, see @ref{Advanced features}. All
1733 names must start with a letter, and further consist of letters and
1736 @node Formula syntax for Calc, Formula syntax for Lisp, References, The spreadsheet
1737 @subsection Formula syntax for Calc
1738 @cindex formula syntax, Calc
1739 @cindex syntax, of formulas
1741 A formula can be any algebraic expression understood by the Emacs
1742 @file{Calc} package. @b{Note that @file{calc} has the
1743 non-standard convention that @samp{/} has lower precedence than
1744 @samp{*}, so that @samp{a/b*c} is interpreted as @samp{a/(b*c)}.} Before
1745 evaluation by @code{calc-eval} (@pxref{Calling Calc from
1746 Your Programs,calc-eval,Calling calc from Your Lisp Programs,calc,GNU
1747 Emacs Calc Manual}),
1748 @c FIXME: The link to the calc manual in HTML does not work.
1749 variable substitution takes place according to the rules described above.
1750 @cindex vectors, in table calculations
1751 The range vectors can be directly fed into the calc vector functions
1752 like @samp{vmean} and @samp{vsum}.
1754 @cindex format specifier
1755 @cindex mode, for @file{calc}
1756 A formula can contain an optional mode string after a semicolon. This
1757 string consists of flags to influence Calc and other modes during
1758 execution. By default, Org-mode uses the standard calc modes (precision
1759 12, angular units degrees, fraction and symbolic modes off. The display
1760 format, however, has been changed to @code{(float 5)} to keep tables
1761 compact. The default settings can be configured using the variable
1762 @code{org-calc-default-modes}.
1765 p20 @r{switch the internal precision to 20 digits}
1766 n3 s3 e2 f4 @r{normal, scientific, engineering, or fixed display format}
1767 D R @r{angle modes: degrees, radians}
1768 F S @r{fraction and symbolic modes}
1769 N @r{interpret all fields as numbers, use 0 for non-numbers}
1770 T @r{force text interpretation}
1771 E @r{keep empty fields in ranges}
1775 In addition, you may provide a @code{printf} format specifier to
1776 reformat the final result. A few examples:
1779 $1+$2 @r{Sum of first and second field}
1780 $1+$2;%.2f @r{Same, format result to two decimals}
1781 exp($2)+exp($1) @r{Math functions can be used}
1782 $0;%.1f @r{Reformat current cell to 1 decimal}
1783 ($3-32)*5/9 @r{Degrees F -> C conversion}
1784 $c/$1/$cm @r{Hz -> cm conversion, using @file{constants.el}}
1785 tan($1);Dp3s1 @r{Compute in degrees, precision 3, display SCI 1}
1786 sin($1);Dp3%.1e @r{Same, but use printf specifier for display}
1787 vmean($2..$7) @r{Compute column range mean, using vector function}
1788 vmean($2..$7);EN @r{Same, but treat empty fields as 0}
1789 taylor($3,x=7,2) @r{taylor series of $3, at x=7, second degree}
1792 Calc also contains a complete set of logical operations. For example
1795 if($1<20,teen,string("")) @r{``teen'' if age $1 less than 20, else empty}
1798 @node Formula syntax for Lisp, Field formulas, Formula syntax for Calc, The spreadsheet
1799 @subsection Emacs Lisp forms as formulas
1800 @cindex Lisp forms, as table formulas
1802 It is also possible to write a formula in Emacs Lisp; this can be useful
1803 for string manipulation and control structures, if the Calc's
1804 functionality is not enough. If a formula starts with a single quote
1805 followed by an opening parenthesis, then it is evaluated as a lisp form.
1806 The evaluation should return either a string or a number. Just as with
1807 @file{calc} formulas, you can specify modes and a printf format after a
1808 semicolon. With Emacs Lisp forms, you need to be concious about the way
1809 field references are interpolated into the form. By default, a
1810 reference will be interpolated as a Lisp string (in double quotes)
1811 containing the field. If you provide the @samp{N} mode switch, all
1812 referenced elements will be numbers (non-number fields will be zero) and
1813 interpolated as Lisp numbers, without quotes. If you provide the
1814 @samp{L} flag, all fields will be interpolated literally, without quotes.
1815 I.e., if you want a reference to be interpreted as a string by the Lisp
1816 form, enclode the reference operator itself in double quotes, like
1817 @code{"$3"}. Ranges are inserted as space-separated fields, so you can
1818 embed them in list or vector syntax. A few examples, note how the
1819 @samp{N} mode is used when we do computations in lisp.
1822 @r{Swap the first two characters of the content of column 1}
1823 '(concat (substring $1 1 2) (substring $1 0 1) (substring $1 2))
1824 @r{Add columns 1 and 2, equivalent to the Calc's @code{$1+$2}}
1826 @r{Compute the sum of columns 1-4, like Calc's @code{vsum($1..$4)}}
1827 '(apply '+ '($1..$4));N
1830 @node Field formulas, Column formulas, Formula syntax for Lisp, The spreadsheet
1831 @subsection Field formulas
1832 @cindex field formula
1833 @cindex formula, for individual table field
1835 To assign a formula to a particular field, type it directly into the
1836 field, preceded by @samp{:=}, for example @samp{:=$1+$2}. When you
1837 press @key{TAB} or @key{RET} or @kbd{C-c C-c} with the cursor still in
1838 the field, the formula will be stored as the formula for this field,
1839 evaluated, and the current field replaced with the result.
1841 Formulas are stored in a special line starting with @samp{#+TBLFM:}
1842 directly below the table. If you typed the equation in the 4th field of
1843 the 3rd data line in the table, the formula will look like
1844 @samp{@@3$4=$1+$2}. When inserting/deleting/swapping column and rows
1845 with the appropriate commands, @i{absolute references} (but not relative
1846 ones) in stored formulas are modified in order to still reference the
1847 same field. Of cause this is not true if you edit the table structure
1848 with normal editing commands - then you must fix the equations yourself.
1850 Instead of typing an equation into the field, you may also use the
1856 Install a new formula for the current field. The command prompts for a
1857 formula, with default taken from the @samp{#+TBLFM:} line, applies
1858 it to the current field and stores it.
1861 @node Column formulas, Editing and debugging formulas, Field formulas, The spreadsheet
1862 @subsection Column formulas
1863 @cindex column formula
1864 @cindex formula, for table column
1866 Often in a table, the same formula should be used for all fields in a
1867 particular column. Instead of having to copy the formula to all fields
1868 in that column, org-mode allows to assign a single formula to an entire
1869 column. If the table contains horizontal separator hlines, everything
1870 before the first such line is considered part of the table @emph{header}
1871 and will not be modified by column formulas.
1873 To assign a formula to a column, type it directly into any field in the
1874 column, preceded by an equal sign, like @samp{=$1+$2}. When you press
1875 @key{TAB} or @key{RET} or @kbd{C-c C-c} with the cursor still in the
1876 field, the formula will be stored as the formula for the current column,
1877 evaluated and the current field replaced with the result. If the field
1878 contains only @samp{=}, the previously stored formula for this column is
1879 used. For each column, Org-mode will only remember the most recently
1880 used formula. In the @samp{TBLFM:} line, column formulas will look like
1883 Instead of typing an equation into the field, you may also use the
1889 Install a new formula for the current column and replace current field
1890 with the result of the formula. The command prompts for a formula, with
1891 default taken from the @samp{#+TBLFM} line, applies it to the current
1892 field and stores it. With a numerical prefix (e.g. @kbd{C-5 C-c =})
1893 will apply it to that many consecutive fields in the current column.
1897 @node Editing and debugging formulas, Updating the table, Column formulas, The spreadsheet
1898 @subsection Editing and Debugging formulas
1899 @cindex formula editing
1900 @cindex editing, of table formulas
1902 You can edit individual formulas in the minibuffer or directly in the
1903 field. Org-mode can also prepare a special buffer with all active
1904 formulas of a table. When offering a formula for editing, Org-mode
1905 converts references to the standard format (like @code{B3} or @code{D&})
1906 if possible. If you prefer to only work with the internal format (like
1907 @code{@@3$2} or @code{$4}), configure the variable
1908 @code{org-table-use-standard-references}.
1915 Edit the formula associated with the current column/field in the
1916 minibuffer. See @ref{Column formulas} and @ref{Field formulas}.
1917 @kindex C-u C-u C-c =
1919 Re-insert the active formula (either a
1920 field formula, or a column formula) into the current field, so that you
1921 can edit it directly in the field. The advantage over editing in the
1922 minibuffer is that you can use the command @kbd{C-c ?}.
1925 While editing a formula in a table field, highlight the field(s)
1926 referenced by the reference at the cursor position in the formula.
1929 Toggle the display of row and column numbers for a table, using
1930 overlays. These are updated each time the table is aligned, you can
1931 force it with @kbd{C-c C-c}.
1934 Toggle the formula debugger on and off. See below.
1937 Edit all formulas for the current table in a special buffer, where the
1938 formulas will be displayed one per line. If the current field has an
1939 active formula, the cursor in the formula editor will mark it.
1940 While inside the special buffer, Org-mode will automatically highlight
1941 any field or range reference at the cursor position. You may edit,
1942 remove and add formulas, and use the following commands:
1948 Exit the formula editor and store the modified formulas. With @kbd{C-u}
1949 prefix, also apply the new formulas to the entire table.
1952 Exit the formula editor without installing changes.
1955 Toggle all references in the formula editor between standard (like
1956 @code{B3}) and internal (like @code{@@3$2}).
1959 Pretty-print or indent lisp formula at point. When in a line containing
1960 a lisp formula, format the formula according to Emacs Lisp rules.
1961 Another @key{TAB} collapses the formula back again. In the open
1962 formula, @key{TAB} re-indents just like in Emacs-lisp-mode.
1965 Complete Lisp symbols, just like in Emacs-lisp-mode.
1967 @kindex S-@key{down}
1968 @kindex S-@key{left}
1969 @kindex S-@key{right}
1970 @item S-@key{up}/@key{down}/@key{left}/@key{right}
1971 Shift the reference at point. For example, if the reference is
1972 @code{B3} and you press @kbd{S-@key{right}}, it will become @code{C3}.
1973 This also works for relative references, and for hline references.
1974 @kindex M-S-@key{up}
1975 @kindex M-S-@key{down}
1976 @item M-S-@key{up}/@key{down}
1977 Move the test line for column formulas in the Org-mode buffer up and
1980 @kindex M-@key{down}
1981 @item M-@key{up}/@key{down}
1982 Scroll the window displaying the table.
1985 Turn the coordinate grid in the table on and off.
1989 Making a table field blank does not remove the formula associated with
1990 the field, because that is stored in a different line (the @samp{TBLFM}
1991 line) - during the next recalculation the field will be filled again.
1992 To remove a formula from a field, you have to give an empty reply when
1993 prompted for the formula, or to edit the @samp{#+TBLFM} line.
1996 You may edit the @samp{#+TBLFM} directly and re-apply the changed
1997 equations with @kbd{C-c C-c} in that line, or with the normal
1998 recalculation commands in the table.
2000 @subsubheading Debugging formulas
2001 @cindex formula debugging
2002 @cindex debugging, of table formulas
2003 When the evaluation of a formula leads to an error, the field content
2004 becomes the string @samp{#ERROR}. If you would like see what is going
2005 on during variable substitution and calculation in order to find a bug,
2006 turn on formula debugging in the @code{Tbl} menu and repeat the
2007 calculation, for example by pressing @kbd{C-u C-u C-c = @key{RET}} in a
2008 field. Detailed information will be displayed.
2010 @node Updating the table, Advanced features, Editing and debugging formulas, The spreadsheet
2011 @subsection Updating the Table
2012 @cindex recomputing table fields
2013 @cindex updating, table
2015 Recalculation of a table is normally not automatic, but needs to be
2016 triggered by a command. See @ref{Advanced features} for a way to make
2017 recalculation at least semi-automatically.
2019 In order to recalculate a line of a table or the entire table, use the
2025 Recalculate the current row by first applying the stored column formulas
2026 from left to right, and all field formulas in the current row.
2032 Recompute the entire table, line by line. Any lines before the first
2033 hline are left alone, assuming that these are part of the table header.
2035 @kindex C-u C-u C-c *
2036 @kindex C-u C-u C-c C-c
2038 @itemx C-u C-u C-c C-c
2039 Iterate the table by recomputing it until no further changes occur.
2040 This may be necessary if some computed fields use the value of other
2041 fields that are computed @i{later} in the calculation sequence.
2044 @node Advanced features, , Updating the table, The spreadsheet
2045 @subsection Advanced features
2047 If you want the recalculation of fields to happen automatically, or if
2048 you want to be able to assign @i{names} to fields and columns, you need
2049 to reserve the first column of the table for special marking characters.
2053 Rotate the calculation mark in first column through the states @samp{},
2054 @samp{#}, @samp{*}, @samp{!}, @samp{$}. The meaning of these characters
2055 is discussed below. When there is an active region, change all marks in
2059 Here is an example of a table that collects exam results of students and
2060 makes use of these features:
2064 |---+---------+--------+--------+--------+-------+------|
2065 | | Student | Prob 1 | Prob 2 | Prob 3 | Total | Note |
2066 |---+---------+--------+--------+--------+-------+------|
2067 | ! | | P1 | P2 | P3 | Tot | |
2068 | # | Maximum | 10 | 15 | 25 | 50 | 10.0 |
2069 | ^ | | m1 | m2 | m3 | mt | |
2070 |---+---------+--------+--------+--------+-------+------|
2071 | # | Peter | 10 | 8 | 23 | 41 | 8.2 |
2072 | # | Sara | 6 | 14 | 19 | 39 | 7.8 |
2073 | # | Sam | 2 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 1.8 |
2074 |---+---------+--------+--------+--------+-------+------|
2075 | | Average | | | | 29.7 | |
2076 | ^ | | | | | at | |
2077 | $ | max=50 | | | | | |
2078 |---+---------+--------+--------+--------+-------+------|
2079 #+TBLFM: $6=vsum($P1..$P3)::$7=10*$Tot/$max;%.1f::$at=vmean(@@-II..@@-I);%.1f
2083 @noindent @b{Important}: Please note that for these special tables,
2084 recalculating the table with @kbd{C-u C-c *} will only affect rows that
2085 are marked @samp{#} or @samp{*}, and fields that have a formula assigned
2086 to the field itself. The column formulas are not applied in rows with
2089 @cindex marking characters, tables
2090 The marking characters have the following meaning:
2093 The fields in this line define names for the columns, so that you may
2094 refer to a column as @samp{$Tot} instead of @samp{$6}.
2096 This row defines names for the fields @emph{above} the row. With such
2097 a definition, any formula in the table may use @samp{$m1} to refer to
2098 the value @samp{10}. Also, if you assign a formula to a names field, it
2099 will be stored as @samp{$name=...}.
2101 Similar to @samp{^}, but defines names for the fields in the row
2104 Fields in this row can define @emph{parameters} for formulas. For
2105 example, if a field in a @samp{$} row contains @samp{max=50}, then
2106 formulas in this table can refer to the value 50 using @samp{$max}.
2107 Parameters work exactly like constants, only that they can be defined on
2110 Fields in this row are automatically recalculated when pressing
2111 @key{TAB} or @key{RET} or @kbd{S-@key{TAB}} in this row. Also, this row
2112 is selected for a global recalculation with @kbd{C-u C-c *}. Unmarked
2113 lines will be left alone by this command.
2115 Selects this line for global recalculation with @kbd{C-u C-c *}, but
2116 not for automatic recalculation. Use this when automatic
2117 recalculation slows down editing too much.
2119 Unmarked lines are exempt from recalculation with @kbd{C-u C-c *}.
2120 All lines that should be recalculated should be marked with @samp{#}
2123 Do not export this line. Useful for lines that contain the narrowing
2127 Finally, just to whet your appetite on what can be done with the
2128 fantastic @file{calc} package, here is a table that computes the Taylor
2129 series of degree @code{n} at location @code{x} for a couple of functions
2130 (homework: try that with Excel :-)
2134 |---+-------------+---+-----+--------------------------------------|
2135 | | Func | n | x | Result |
2136 |---+-------------+---+-----+--------------------------------------|
2137 | # | exp(x) | 1 | x | 1 + x |
2138 | # | exp(x) | 2 | x | 1 + x + x^2 / 2 |
2139 | # | exp(x) | 3 | x | 1 + x + x^2 / 2 + x^3 / 6 |
2140 | # | x^2+sqrt(x) | 2 | x=0 | x*(0.5 / 0) + x^2 (2 - 0.25 / 0) / 2 |
2141 | # | x^2+sqrt(x) | 2 | x=1 | 2 + 2.5 x - 2.5 + 0.875 (x - 1)^2 |
2142 | * | tan(x) | 3 | x | 0.0175 x + 1.77e-6 x^3 |
2143 |---+-------------+---+-----+--------------------------------------|
2144 #+TBLFM: $5=taylor($2,$4,$3);n3
2148 @node Hyperlinks, TODO items, Tables, Top
2152 Like HTML, Org-mode provides links inside a file, external links to
2153 other files, Usenet articles, emails, and much more.
2156 * Link format:: How links in Org-mode are formatted
2157 * Internal links:: Links to other places in the current file
2158 * External links:: URL-like links to the world
2159 * Handling links:: Creating, inserting and following
2160 * Using links outside Org-mode:: Linking from my C source code?
2161 * Link abbreviations:: Shortcuts for writing complex links
2162 * Search options:: Linking to a specific location
2163 * Custom searches:: When the default search is not enough
2166 @node Link format, Internal links, Hyperlinks, Hyperlinks
2167 @section Link format
2169 @cindex format, of links
2171 Org-mode will recognize plain URL-like links and activate them as
2172 clickable links. The general link format, however, looks like this:
2175 [[link][description]] @r{or alternatively} [[link]]
2178 Once a link in the buffer is complete (all brackets present), Org-mode
2179 will change the display so that @samp{description} is displayed instead
2180 of @samp{[[link][description]]} and @samp{link} is displayed instead of
2181 @samp{[[link]]}. Links will be highlighted in the face @code{org-link},
2182 which by default is an underlined face. You can directly edit the
2183 visible part of a link. Note that this can be either the @samp{link}
2184 part (if there is no description) or the @samp{description} part. To
2185 edit also the invisible @samp{link} part, use @kbd{C-c C-l} with the
2188 If you place the cursor at the beginning or just behind the end of the
2189 displayed text and press @key{BACKSPACE}, you will remove the
2190 (invisible) bracket at that location. This makes the link incomplete
2191 and the internals are again displayed as plain text. Inserting the
2192 missing bracket hides the link internals again. To show the
2193 internal structure of all links, use the menu entry
2194 @code{Org->Hyperlinks->Literal links}.
2196 @node Internal links, External links, Link format, Hyperlinks
2197 @section Internal links
2198 @cindex internal links
2199 @cindex links, internal
2200 @cindex targets, for links
2202 If the link does not look like a URL, it is considered to be internal in
2203 the current file. Links such as @samp{[[My Target]]} or @samp{[[My
2204 Target][Find my target]]} lead to a text search in the current file.
2205 The link can be followed with @kbd{C-c C-o} when the cursor is on the
2206 link, or with a mouse click (@pxref{Handling links}). The preferred
2207 match for such a link is a dedicated target: the same string in double
2208 angular brackets. Targets may be located anywhere; sometimes it is
2209 convenient to put them into a comment line. For example
2215 @noindent In HTML export (@pxref{HTML export}), such targets will become
2216 named anchors for direct access through @samp{http} links@footnote{Note
2217 that text before the first headline is usually not exported, so the
2218 first such target should be after the first headline.}.
2220 If no dedicated target exists, Org-mode will search for the words in the
2221 link. In the above example the search would be for @samp{my target}.
2222 Links starting with a star like @samp{*My Target} restrict the search to
2223 headlines. When searching, Org-mode will first try an exact match, but
2224 then move on to more and more lenient searches. For example, the link
2225 @samp{[[*My Targets]]} will find any of the following:
2229 ** TODO my targets are bright
2230 ** my 20 targets are
2233 To insert a link targeting a headline, in-buffer completion can be used.
2234 Just type a star followed by a few optional letters into the buffer and
2235 press @kbd{M-@key{TAB}}. All headlines in the current buffer will be
2236 offered as completions. @xref{Handling links}, for more commands
2239 Following a link pushes a mark onto Org-mode's own mark ring. You can
2240 return to the previous position with @kbd{C-c &}. Using this command
2241 several times in direct succession goes back to positions recorded
2245 * Radio targets:: Make targets trigger links in plain text.
2248 @node Radio targets, , Internal links, Internal links
2249 @subsection Radio targets
2250 @cindex radio targets
2251 @cindex targets, radio
2252 @cindex links, radio targets
2254 Org-mode can automatically turn any occurrences of certain target names
2255 in normal text into a link. So without explicitly creating a link, the
2256 text connects to the target radioing its position. Radio targets are
2257 enclosed by triple angular brackets. For example, a target @samp{<<<My
2258 Target>>>} causes each occurrence of @samp{my target} in normal text to
2259 become activated as a link. The Org-mode file is scanned automatically
2260 for radio targets only when the file is first loaded into Emacs. To
2261 update the target list during editing, press @kbd{C-c C-c} with the
2262 cursor on or at a target.
2264 @node External links, Handling links, Internal links, Hyperlinks
2265 @section External links
2266 @cindex links, external
2267 @cindex external links
2268 @cindex links, external
2275 @cindex WANDERLUST links
2277 @cindex USENET links
2282 Org-mode supports links to files, websites, Usenet and email messages,
2283 and BBDB database entries. External links are URL-like locators. They
2284 start with a short identifying string followed by a colon. There can be
2285 no space after the colon. The following list shows examples for each
2289 http://www.astro.uva.nl/~dominik @r{on the web}
2290 file:/home/dominik/images/jupiter.jpg @r{file, absolute path}
2291 file:papers/last.pdf @r{file, relative path}
2292 news:comp.emacs @r{Usenet link}
2293 mailto:adent@@galaxy.net @r{Mail link}
2294 vm:folder @r{VM folder link}
2295 vm:folder#id @r{VM message link}
2296 vm://myself@@some.where.org/folder#id @r{VM on remote machine}
2297 wl:folder @r{WANDERLUST folder link}
2298 wl:folder#id @r{WANDERLUST message link}
2299 mhe:folder @r{MH-E folder link}
2300 mhe:folder#id @r{MH-E message link}
2301 rmail:folder @r{RMAIL folder link}
2302 rmail:folder#id @r{RMAIL message link}
2303 gnus:group @r{GNUS group link}
2304 gnus:group#id @r{GNUS article link}
2305 bbdb:Richard Stallman @r{BBDB link}
2306 shell:ls *.org @r{A shell command}
2307 elisp:(find-file-other-frame "Elisp.org") @r{An elisp form to evaluate}
2310 A link should be enclosed in double brackets and may contain a
2311 descriptive text to be displayed instead of the url (@pxref{Link
2312 format}), for example:
2315 [[http://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/][GNU Emacs]]
2319 If the description is a file name or URL that points to an image, HTML
2320 export (@pxref{HTML export}) will inline the image as a clickable
2321 button. If there is no description at all and the link points to an
2323 that image will be inlined into the exported HTML file.
2325 @cindex angular brackets, around links
2326 @cindex plain text external links
2327 Org-mode also finds external links in the normal text and activates them
2328 as links. If spaces must be part of the link (for example in
2329 @samp{bbdb:Richard Stallman}), or if you need to remove ambiguities
2330 about the end of the link, enclose them in angular brackets.
2332 @node Handling links, Using links outside Org-mode, External links, Hyperlinks
2333 @section Handling links
2334 @cindex links, handling
2336 Org-mode provides methods to create a link in the correct syntax, to
2337 insert it into an org-mode file, and to follow the link.
2341 @cindex storing links
2343 Store a link to the current location. This is a @emph{global} command
2344 which can be used in any buffer to create a link. The link will be
2345 stored for later insertion into an Org-mode buffer (see below). For
2346 Org-mode files, if there is a @samp{<<target>>} at the cursor, the link
2347 points to the target. Otherwise it points to the current headline. For
2348 VM, RMAIL, WANDERLUST, MH-E, GNUS and BBDB buffers, the link will
2349 indicate the current article/entry. For W3 and W3M buffers, the link
2350 goes to the current URL. For any other files, the link will point to
2351 the file, with a search string (@pxref{Search options}) pointing to the
2352 contents of the current line. If there is an active region, the
2353 selected words will form the basis of the search string. If the
2354 automatically created link is not working correctly or accurately
2355 enough, you can write custom functions to select the search string and
2356 to do the search for particular file types - see @ref{Custom searches}.
2357 The key binding @kbd{C-c l} is only a suggestion - see @ref{Installation}.
2360 @cindex link completion
2361 @cindex completion, of links
2362 @cindex inserting links
2364 Insert a link. This prompts for a link to be inserted into the buffer.
2365 You can just type a link, using text for an internal link, or one of the
2366 link type prefixes mentioned in the examples above. All links stored
2367 during the current session are part of the history for this prompt, so
2368 you can access them with @key{up} and @key{down} (or @kbd{M-p/n}).
2369 Completion, on the other hand, will help you to insert valid link
2370 prefixes like @samp{http:} or @samp{ftp:}, including the prefixes
2371 defined through link abbreviations (@pxref{Link abbreviations}). The
2372 link will be inserted into the buffer@footnote{After insertion of a
2373 stored link, the link will be removed from the list of stored links. To
2374 keep it in the list later use, use a triple @kbd{C-u} prefix to @kbd{C-c
2375 C-l}, or configure the option
2376 @code{org-keep-stored-link-after-insertion}.}, along with a descriptive
2377 text. If some text was selected when this command is called, the
2378 selected text becomes the default description.@* Note that you don't
2379 have to use this command to insert a link. Links in Org-mode are plain
2380 text, and you can type or paste them straight into the buffer. By using
2381 this command, the links are automatically enclosed in double brackets,
2382 and you will be asked for the optional descriptive text.
2384 @c If the link is a @samp{file:} link and
2385 @c the linked file is located in the same directory as the current file or
2386 @c a subdirectory of it, the path of the file will be inserted relative to
2387 @c the current directory.
2390 @cindex file name completion
2391 @cindex completion, of file names
2393 When @kbd{C-c C-l} is called with a @kbd{C-u} prefix argument, a link to
2394 a file will be inserted and you may use file name completion to select
2395 the name of the file. The path to the file is inserted relative to the
2396 directory of the current org file, if the linked file is in the current
2397 directory or in a subdirectory of it, or if the path is written relative
2398 to the current directory using @samp{../}. Otherwise an absolute path
2399 is used, if possible with @samp{~/} for your home directory. You can
2400 force an absolute path with two @kbd{C-u} prefixes.
2402 @item C-c C-l @r{(with cursor on existing link)}
2403 When the cursor is on an existing link, @kbd{C-c C-l} allows you to edit the
2404 link and description parts of the link.
2406 @cindex following links
2409 Open link at point. This will launch a web browser for URLs (using
2410 @command{browse-url-at-point}), run vm/mh-e/wanderlust/rmail/gnus/bbdb
2411 for the corresponding links, and execute the command in a shell link.
2412 When the cursor is on an internal link, this commands runs the
2413 corresponding search. When the cursor is on a TAG list in a headline,
2414 it creates the corresponding TAGS view. If the cursor is on a time
2415 stamp, it compiles the agenda for that date. Furthermore, it will visit
2416 text and remote files in @samp{file:} links with Emacs and select a
2417 suitable application for local non-text files. Classification of files
2418 is based on file extension only. See option @code{org-file-apps}. If
2419 you want to override the default application and visit the file with
2420 Emacs, use a @kbd{C-u} prefix.
2426 On links, @kbd{mouse-2} will open the link just as @kbd{C-c C-o}
2427 would. Under Emacs 22, also @kbd{mouse-1} will follow a link.
2431 Like @kbd{mouse-2}, but force file links to be opened with Emacs, and
2432 internal links to be displayed in another window@footnote{See the
2433 variable @code{org-display-internal-link-with-indirect-buffer}}.
2438 Push the current position onto the mark ring, to be able to return
2439 easily. Commands following an internal link do this automatically.
2441 @cindex links, returning to
2444 Jump back to a recorded position. A position is recorded by the
2445 commands following internal links, and by @kbd{C-c %}. Using this
2446 command several times in direct succession moves through a ring of
2447 previously recorded positions.
2451 @cindex links, finding next/previous
2454 Move forward/backward to the next link in the buffer. At the limit of
2455 the buffer, the search fails once, and then wraps around. The key
2456 bindings for this are really too long, you might want to bind this also
2457 to @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p}
2459 (add-hook 'org-load-hook
2461 (define-key 'org-mode-map "\C-n" 'org-next-link)
2462 (define-key 'org-mode-map "\C-p" 'org-previous-link)))
2466 @node Using links outside Org-mode, Link abbreviations, Handling links, Hyperlinks
2467 @section Using links outside Org-mode
2469 You can insert and follow links that have Org-mode syntax not only in
2470 Org-mode, but in any Emacs buffer. For this, you should create two
2471 global commands, like this (please select suitable global keys
2475 (global-set-key "\C-c L" 'org-insert-link-global)
2476 (global-set-key "\C-c o" 'org-open-at-point-global)
2479 @node Link abbreviations, Search options, Using links outside Org-mode, Hyperlinks
2480 @section Link abbreviations
2481 @cindex link abbreviations
2482 @cindex abbreviation, links
2484 Long URLs can be cumbersome to type, and often many similar links are
2485 needed in a document. For this you can use link abbreviations. An
2486 abbreviated link looks like this
2489 [[linkword:tag][description]]
2493 where the tag is optional. Such abbreviations are resolved according to
2494 the information in the variable @code{org-link-abbrev-alist} that
2495 relates the linkwords to replacement text. Here is an example:
2499 (setq org-link-abbrev-alist
2500 '(("bugzilla" . "http://10.1.2.9/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=")
2501 ("google" . "http://www.google.com/search?q=")
2502 ("ads" . "http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/
2503 nph-abs_connect?author=%s&db_key=AST")))
2507 If the replacement text contains the string @samp{%s}, it will be
2508 replaced with the tag. Otherwise the tag will be appended to the string
2509 in order to create the link. You may also specify a function that will
2510 be called with the tag as the only argument to create the link.
2512 With the above setting, you could link to a specific bug with
2513 @code{[[bugzilla:129]]}, search the web for @samp{OrgMode} with
2514 @code{[[google:OrgMode]]} and find out what the Org-mode author is
2515 doing besides Emacs hacking with @code{[[ads:Dominik,C]]}.
2517 If you need special abbreviations just for a single Org-mode buffer, you
2518 can define them in the file with
2521 #+LINK: bugzilla http://10.1.2.9/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=
2522 #+LINK: google http://www.google.com/search?q=%s
2526 In-buffer completion @pxref{Completion} can be used after @samp{[} to
2527 complete link abbreviations.
2529 @node Search options, Custom searches, Link abbreviations, Hyperlinks
2530 @section Search options in file links
2531 @cindex search option in file links
2532 @cindex file links, searching
2534 File links can contain additional information to make Emacs jump to a
2535 particular location in the file when following a link. This can be a
2536 line number or a search option after a double@footnote{For backward
2537 compatibility, line numbers can also follow a single colon.} colon. For
2538 example, when the command @kbd{C-c l} creates a link (@pxref{Handling
2539 links}) to a file, it encodes the words in the current line as a search
2540 string that can be used to find this line back later when following the
2541 link with @kbd{C-c C-o}.
2543 Here is the syntax of the different ways to attach a search to a file
2544 link, together with an explanation:
2547 [[file:~/code/main.c::255]]
2548 [[file:~/xx.org::My Target]]
2549 [[file:~/xx.org::*My Target]]
2550 [[file:~/xx.org::/regexp/]]
2557 Search for a link target @samp{<<My Target>>}, or do a text search for
2558 @samp{my target}, similar to the search in internal links, see
2559 @ref{Internal links}. In HTML export (@pxref{HTML export}), such a file
2560 link will become an HTML reference to the corresponding named anchor in
2563 In an Org-mode file, restrict search to headlines.
2565 Do a regular expression search for @code{regexp}. This uses the Emacs
2566 command @code{occur} to list all matches in a separate window. If the
2567 target file is in Org-mode, @code{org-occur} is used to create a
2568 sparse tree with the matches.
2569 @c If the target file is a directory,
2570 @c @code{grep} will be used to search all files in the directory.
2573 As a degenerate case, a file link with an empty file name can be used
2574 to search the current file. For example, @code{[[file:::find me]]} does
2575 a search for @samp{find me} in the current file, just as
2576 @samp{[[find me]]} would.
2578 @node Custom searches, , Search options, Hyperlinks
2579 @section Custom Searches
2580 @cindex custom search strings
2581 @cindex search strings, custom
2583 The default mechanism for creating search strings and for doing the
2584 actual search related to a file link may not work correctly in all
2585 cases. For example, BibTeX database files have many entries like
2586 @samp{year="1993"} which would not result in good search strings,
2587 because the only unique identification for a BibTeX entry is the
2590 If you come across such a problem, you can write custom functions to set
2591 the right search string for a particular file type, and to do the search
2592 for the string in the file. Using @code{add-hook}, these functions need
2593 to be added to the hook variables
2594 @code{org-create-file-search-functions} and
2595 @code{org-execute-file-search-functions}. See the docstring for these
2596 variables for more information. Org-mode actually uses this mechanism
2597 for Bib@TeX{} database files, and you can use the corresponding code as
2598 an implementation example. Search for @samp{BibTeX links} in the source
2603 @node TODO items, Tags, Hyperlinks, Top
2607 Org-mode does not maintain TODO lists as separate documents. Instead,
2608 TODO items are an integral part of the notes file, because TODO items
2609 usually come up while taking notes! With Org-mode, simply mark any
2610 entry in a tree as being a TODO item. In this way, information is not
2611 duplicated, and the entire context from which the TODO item emerged is
2614 Of course, this technique for managing TODO items scatters them
2615 throughout your notes file. Org-mode compensates for this by providing
2616 methods to give you an overview of all the things that you have to do.
2619 * TODO basics:: Marking and displaying TODO entries
2620 * TODO extensions:: Workflow and assignments
2621 * Progress logging:: Dates and notes for progress
2622 * Priorities:: Some things are more important than others
2623 * Breaking down tasks:: Splitting a task into manageable pieces
2624 * Checkboxes:: Tick-off lists
2627 @node TODO basics, TODO extensions, TODO items, TODO items
2628 @section Basic TODO functionality
2630 Any headline becomes a TODO item when it starts with the word
2631 @samp{TODO}, for example:
2634 *** TODO Write letter to Sam Fortune
2638 The most important commands to work with TODO entries are:
2642 @cindex cycling, of TODO states
2644 Rotate the TODO state of the current item among
2647 ,-> (unmarked) -> TODO -> DONE --.
2648 '--------------------------------'
2651 The same rotation can also be done ``remotely'' from the timeline and
2652 agenda buffers with the @kbd{t} command key (@pxref{Agenda commands}).
2656 Select a specific keyword using completion or (if it has been set up)
2657 the fast selection interface.
2659 @kindex S-@key{right}
2660 @kindex S-@key{left}
2663 Select the following/preceding TODO state, similar to cycling. Useful
2664 mostly if more than two TODO states are possible (@pxref{TODO
2668 Use the fast tag interface to directly select a specific TODO state.
2669 For this you need to assign keys to TODO states, like this:
2671 #+SEQ_TODO: TODO(t) STARTED(s) WAITING(w) | DONE(d)
2673 @noindent See @ref{Per-file keywords} and @ref{Setting tags} for more
2677 @cindex sparse tree, for TODO
2680 View TODO items in a @emph{sparse tree} (@pxref{Sparse trees}). Folds
2681 the entire buffer, but shows all TODO items and the headings hierarchy
2682 above them. With prefix arg, search for a specific TODO. You will be
2683 prompted for the keyword, and you can also give a list of keywords like
2684 @code{KWD1|KWD2|...}. With numerical prefix N, show the tree for the
2685 Nth keyword in the variable @code{org-todo-keywords}. With two prefix
2686 args, find all TODO and DONE entries.
2689 Show the global TODO list. Collects the TODO items from all agenda
2690 files (@pxref{Agenda views}) into a single buffer. The new buffer will
2691 be in @code{agenda-mode}, which provides commands to examine and
2692 manipulate the TODO entries from the new buffer (@pxref{Agenda
2693 commands}). @xref{Global TODO list}, for more information.
2694 @kindex S-M-@key{RET}
2696 Insert a new TODO entry below the current one.
2699 @node TODO extensions, Progress logging, TODO basics, TODO items
2700 @section Extended use of TODO keywords
2701 @cindex extended TODO keywords
2703 By default, marked TODO entries have one of only two states: TODO and
2704 DONE. Org-mode allows you to classify TODO items in more complex ways
2705 with @emph{TODO keywords} (stored in @code{org-todo-keywords}). With
2706 special setup, the TODO keyword system can work differently in different
2709 Note that @i{tags} are another way to classify headlines in general and
2710 TODO items in particular (@pxref{Tags}).
2713 * Workflow states:: From TODO to DONE in steps
2714 * TODO types:: I do this, Fred does the rest
2715 * Multiple sets in one file:: Mixing it all, and still finding your way
2716 * Fast access to TODO states:: Single letter selection of a state
2717 * Per-file keywords:: Different files, different requirements
2718 * Faces for TODO keywords:: Highlighting states
2721 @node Workflow states, TODO types, TODO extensions, TODO extensions
2722 @subsection TODO keywords as workflow states
2723 @cindex TODO workflow
2724 @cindex workflow states as TODO keywords
2726 You can use TODO keywords to indicate different @emph{sequential} states
2727 in the process of working on an item, for example@footnote{Changing
2728 this variable only becomes effective after restarting Org-mode in a
2732 (setq org-todo-keywords
2733 '((sequence "TODO" "FEEDBACK" "VERIFY" "|" "DONE" "DELEGATED")))
2736 The vertical bar separates the TODO keywords (states that @emph{need
2737 action}) from the DONE states (which need @emph{no further action}. If
2738 you don't provide the separator bar, the last state is used as the DONE
2740 @cindex completion, of TODO keywords
2741 With this setup, the command @kbd{C-c C-t} will cycle an entry from TODO
2742 to FEEDBACK, then to VERIFY, and finally to DONE and DELEGATED. You may
2743 also use a prefix argument to quickly select a specific state. For
2744 example @kbd{C-3 C-c C-t} will change the state immediately to VERIFY.
2745 If you define many keywords, you can use in-buffer completion (see
2746 @ref{Completion}) to insert these words into the buffer. Changing a
2747 todo state can be logged with a timestamp, see @ref{Tracking TODO state
2748 changes} for more information.
2750 @node TODO types, Multiple sets in one file, Workflow states, TODO extensions
2751 @subsection TODO keywords as types
2753 @cindex names as TODO keywords
2754 @cindex types as TODO keywords
2756 The second possibility is to use TODO keywords to indicate different
2757 @emph{types} of action items. For example, you might want to indicate
2758 that items are for ``work'' or ``home''. Or, when you work with several
2759 people on a single project, you might want to assign action items
2760 directly to persons, by using their names as TODO keywords. This would
2761 be set up like this:
2764 (setq org-todo-keywords '((type "Fred" "Sara" "Lucy" "|" "DONE")))
2767 In this case, different keywords do not indicate a sequence, but rather
2768 different types. So the normal work flow would be to assign a task to a
2769 person, and later to mark it DONE. Org-mode supports this style by
2770 adapting the workings of the command @kbd{C-c C-t}@footnote{This is also
2771 true for the @kbd{t} command in the timeline and agenda buffers.}. When
2772 used several times in succession, it will still cycle through all names,
2773 in order to first select the right type for a task. But when you return
2774 to the item after some time and execute @kbd{C-c C-t} again, it will
2775 switch from any name directly to DONE. Use prefix arguments or
2776 completion to quickly select a specific name. You can also review the
2777 items of a specific TODO type in a sparse tree by using a numeric prefix
2778 to @kbd{C-c C-v}. For example, to see all things Lucy has to do, you
2779 would use @kbd{C-3 C-c C-v}. To collect Lucy's items from all agenda
2780 files into a single buffer, you would use the prefix arg as well when
2781 creating the global todo list: @kbd{C-3 C-c t}.
2783 @node Multiple sets in one file, Fast access to TODO states, TODO types, TODO extensions
2784 @subsection Multiple keyword sets in one file
2785 @cindex todo keyword sets
2787 Sometimes you may want to use different sets of TODO keywords in
2788 parallel. For example, you may want to have the basic
2789 @code{TODO}/@code{DONE}, but also a workflow for bug fixing, and a
2790 separate state indicating that an item has been canceled (so it is not
2791 DONE, but also does not require action). Your setup would then look
2795 (setq org-todo-keywords
2796 '((sequence "TODO" "|" "DONE")
2797 (sequence "REPORT" "BUG" "KNOWNCAUSE" "|" "FIXED")
2798 (sequence "|" "CANCELED")))
2801 The keywords should all be different, this helps Org-mode to keep track
2802 of which subsequence should be used for a given entry. In this setup,
2803 @kbd{C-c C-t} only operates within a subsequence, so it switches from
2804 @code{DONE} to (nothing) to @code{TODO}, and from @code{FIXED} to
2805 (nothing) to @code{REPORT}. Therefore you need a mechanism to initially
2806 select the correct sequence. Besides the obvious ways like typing a
2807 keyword or using completion, you may also apply the following commands:
2810 @kindex C-S-@key{right}
2811 @kindex C-S-@key{left}
2812 @item C-S-@key{right}
2813 @itemx C-S-@key{left}
2814 These keys jump from one TODO subset to the next. In the above example,
2815 @kbd{C-S-@key{right}} would jump from @code{TODO} or @code{DONE} to
2816 @code{REPORT}, and any of the words in the second row to @code{CANCELED}.
2817 @kindex S-@key{right}
2818 @kindex S-@key{left}
2821 @kbd{S-@key{<left>}} and @kbd{S-@key{<right>}} and walk through
2822 @emph{all} keywords from all sets, so for example @kbd{S-@key{<right>}}
2823 would switch from @code{DONE} to @code{REPORT} in the example above.
2826 @node Fast access to TODO states, Per-file keywords, Multiple sets in one file, TODO extensions
2827 @subsection Fast access to TODO states
2829 If you would like to quickly change an entry to an arbitrary TODO state
2830 instead of cycling through the states, you can set up keys for
2831 single-letter access to the states. This is done by adding the section
2832 key after each keyword, in parenthesis. For example:
2835 (setq org-todo-keywords
2836 '((sequence "TODO(t)" "|" "DONE(d)")
2837 (sequence "REPORT(r)" "BUG(b)" "KNOWNCAUSE(k)" "|" "FIXED(f)")
2838 (sequence "|" "CANCELED(c)")))
2841 If you then press @code{C-u C-c C-t} followed by the selection key, the
2842 entry will be switched to this state. @key{SPC} can be used to remove
2843 any TODO keyword from an entry. Should you like this way of selecting
2844 TODO states a lot, you might want to set the variable
2845 @code{org-use-fast-todo-selection} to @code{t} and make this behavior
2846 the default. Check also the variable
2847 @code{org-fast-tag-selection-include-todo}, it allows to change the TODO
2848 state through the tags interface (@pxref{Setting tags}).
2850 @node Per-file keywords, Faces for TODO keywords, Fast access to TODO states, TODO extensions
2851 @subsection Setting up keywords for individual files
2852 @cindex keyword options
2853 @cindex per-file keywords
2855 It can be very useful to use different aspects of the TODO mechanism in
2856 different files. For file-local settings, you need to add special lines
2857 to the file which set the keywords and interpretation for that file
2858 only. For example, to set one of the two examples discussed above, you
2859 need one of the following lines, starting in column zero anywhere in the
2863 #+SEQ_TODO: TODO FEEDBACK VERIFY | DONE CANCELED
2867 #+TYP_TODO: Fred Sara Lucy Mike | DONE
2870 A setup for using several sets in parallel would be:
2873 #+SEQ_TODO: TODO | DONE
2874 #+SEQ_TODO: REPORT BUG KNOWNCAUSE | FIXED
2875 #+SEQ_TODO: | CANCELED
2878 @cindex completion, of option keywords
2880 @noindent To make sure you are using the correct keyword, type
2881 @samp{#+} into the buffer and then use @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} completion.
2883 @cindex DONE, final TODO keyword
2884 Remember that the keywords after the vertical bar (or the last keyword
2885 if no bar is there) must always mean that the item is DONE (although you
2886 may use a different word). After changing one of these lines, use
2887 @kbd{C-c C-c} with the cursor still in the line to make the changes
2888 known to Org-mode@footnote{Org-mode parses these lines only when
2889 Org-mode is activated after visiting a file. @kbd{C-c C-c} with the
2890 cursor in a line starting with @samp{#+} is simply restarting Org-mode
2891 for the current buffer.}.
2893 @node Faces for TODO keywords, , Per-file keywords, TODO extensions
2894 @subsection Faces for TODO keywords
2895 @cindex faces, for TODO keywords
2897 Org-mode highlights TODO keywords with special faces: @code{org-todo}
2898 for keywords indicating that an item still has to be acted upon, and
2899 @code{org-done} for keywords indicating that an item is finished. If
2900 you are using more than 2 different states, you might want to use
2901 special faces for some of them. This can be done using the variable
2902 @code{org-todo-keyword-faces}. For example:
2905 (setq org-todo-keyword-faces
2906 '(("TODO" . org-warning)
2907 ("DEFERRED" . shadow)
2908 ("CANCELED" . (:foreground "blue" :weight bold))))
2912 @node Progress logging, Priorities, TODO extensions, TODO items
2913 @section Progress Logging
2914 @cindex progress logging
2915 @cindex logging, of progress
2917 Org-mode can automatically record a time stamp and even a note when you
2918 mark a TODO item as DONE, or even each time you change the state of
2922 * Closing items:: When was this entry marked DONE?
2923 * Tracking TODO state changes:: When did the status change?
2926 @node Closing items, Tracking TODO state changes, Progress logging, Progress logging
2927 @subsection Closing items
2929 If you want to keep track of @emph{when} a certain TODO item was
2930 finished, turn on logging with@footnote{The corresponding in-buffer
2931 setting is: @code{#+STARTUP: logdone}. You may also set this for the
2932 scope of a subtree by adding a @code{:LOGGING:} property with one or more
2933 of the logging keywords in the value.}
2936 (setq org-log-done t)
2940 Then each time you turn a TODO entry into DONE using either @kbd{C-c
2941 C-t} in the Org-mode buffer or @kbd{t} in the agenda buffer, a line
2942 @samp{CLOSED: [timestamp]} will be inserted just after the headline. If
2943 you turn the entry back into a TODO item through further state cycling,
2944 that line will be removed again. In the timeline (@pxref{Timeline}) and
2945 in the agenda (@pxref{Weekly/Daily agenda}), you can then use the
2946 @kbd{l} key to display the TODO items closed on each day, giving you an
2947 overview of what has been done on a day. If you want to record a note
2948 along with the timestamp, use@footnote{The corresponding in-buffer
2949 setting is: @code{#+STARTUP: lognotedone}}
2952 (setq org-log-done '(done))
2955 @node Tracking TODO state changes, , Closing items, Progress logging
2956 @subsection Tracking TODO state changes
2958 When TODO keywords are used as workflow states (@pxref{Workflow
2959 states}), you might want to keep track of when a state change occurred
2960 and record a note about this change. With the setting@footnote{The
2961 corresponding in-buffer setting is: @code{#+STARTUP: lognotestate}.}
2964 (setq org-log-done '(state))
2968 each state change will prompt you for a note that will be attached to
2969 the current headline. If you press @kbd{C-c C-c} without typing
2970 anything into the note buffer, only the time of the state change will be
2971 noted. Very likely you do not want this verbose tracking all the time,
2972 so it is probably better to configure this behavior with in-buffer
2973 options. For example, if you are tracking purchases, put these into a
2974 separate file that contains:
2977 #+SEQ_TODO: TODO(t) ORDERED(o) INVOICE(i) PAYED(p) | RECEIVED(r)
2978 #+STARTUP: lognotestate
2981 If you only need to take a note for some of the states, mark those
2982 states with an additional @samp{@@}, like this:
2985 #+SEQ_TODO: TODO(t) ORDERED(o@@) INVOICE(i@@) PAYED(p) | RECEIVED(r)
2986 #+STARTUP: lognotestate
2989 @node Priorities, Breaking down tasks, Progress logging, TODO items
2993 If you use Org-mode extensively, you may end up enough TODO items that
2994 it starts to make sense to prioritize them. Prioritizing can be done by
2995 placing a @emph{priority cookie} into the headline of a TODO item, like
2999 *** TODO [#A] Write letter to Sam Fortune
3003 By default, Org-mode supports three priorities: @samp{A}, @samp{B}, and
3004 @samp{C}. @samp{A} is the highest priority. An entry without a cookie
3005 is treated as priority @samp{B}. Priorities make a difference only in
3006 the agenda (@pxref{Weekly/Daily agenda}); outside the agenda, they have
3007 no inherent meaning to Org-mode.
3009 Priorities can be attached to any outline tree entries; they do not need
3015 Set the priority of the current headline. The command prompts for a
3016 priority character @samp{A}, @samp{B} or @samp{C}. When you press
3017 @key{SPC} instead, the priority cookie is removed from the headline.
3018 The priorities can also be changed ``remotely'' from the timeline and
3019 agenda buffer with the @kbd{,} command (@pxref{Agenda commands}).
3022 @kindex S-@key{down}
3025 Increase/decrease priority of current headline@footnote{See also the
3026 option @code{org-priority-start-cycle-with-default'}.}. Note that these
3027 keys are also used to modify time stamps (@pxref{Creating timestamps}).
3028 Furthermore, these keys are also used by CUA-mode (@pxref{Conflicts}).
3031 You can change the range of allowed priorities by setting the variables
3032 @code{org-highest-priority}, @code{org-lowest-priority}, and
3033 @code{org-default-priority}. For an individual buffer, you may set
3034 these values (highest, lowest, default) like this (please make sure that
3035 the highest priority is earlier in the alphabet than the lowest
3042 @node Breaking down tasks, Checkboxes, Priorities, TODO items
3043 @section Breaking tasks down into subtasks
3044 @cindex tasks, breaking down
3046 It is often advisable to break down large tasks into smaller, manageable
3047 subtasks. You can do this by creating an outline tree below a TODO
3048 item, with detailed subtasks on the tree@footnote{To keep subtasks out
3049 of the global TODO list, see the
3050 @code{org-agenda-todo-list-sublevels}.}. Another possibility is the use
3051 of checkboxes to identify (a hierarchy of) a large number of subtasks
3052 (@pxref{Checkboxes}).
3055 @node Checkboxes, , Breaking down tasks, TODO items
3059 Every item in a plain list (@pxref{Plain lists}) can be made into a
3060 checkbox by starting it with the string @samp{[ ]}. This feature is
3061 similar to TODO items (@pxref{TODO items}), but is more lightweight.
3062 Checkboxes are not included into the global TODO list, so they are often
3063 great to split a task into a number of simple steps. Or you can use
3064 them in a shopping list. To toggle a checkbox, use @kbd{C-c C-c}, or
3065 use the mouse (thanks to Piotr Zielinski's @file{org-mouse.el}).
3067 Here is an example of a checkbox list.
3070 * TODO Organize party [3/6]
3076 - [ ] think about what music to play
3077 - [X] talk to the neighbors
3080 @cindex statistics, for checkboxes
3081 @cindex checkbox statistics
3082 The @samp{[3/6]} and @samp{[1/3]} in the first and second line are
3083 cookies indicating how many checkboxes present in this entry have been
3084 checked off, and the total number of checkboxes are present. This can
3085 give you an idea on how many checkboxes remain, even without opening a
3086 folded entry. The cookies can be placed into a headline or into (the
3087 first line of) a plain list item. Each cookie covers all checkboxes
3088 structurally below the headline/item on which the cookie appear. You
3089 have to insert the cookie yourself by typing either @samp{[/]} or
3090 @samp{[%]}. With @samp{[/]} you get an @samp{n out of m} result, as in
3091 the examples above. With @samp{[%]} you get information about the
3092 percentage of checkboxes checked (in the above example, this would be
3093 @samp{[50%]} and @samp{[33%]}, respectively).
3095 @noindent The following commands work with checkboxes:
3100 Toggle checkbox at point. With prefix argument, set it to @samp{[-]},
3101 which is considered to be an intermediate state.
3104 Toggle checkbox at point.
3107 If there is an active region, toggle the first checkbox in the region
3108 and set all remaining boxes to the same status as the first. If you
3109 want to toggle all boxes in the region independently, use a prefix
3112 If the cursor is in a headline, toggle checkboxes in the region between
3113 this headline and the next (so @emph{not} the entire subtree).
3115 If there is no active region, just toggle the checkbox at point.
3117 @kindex M-S-@key{RET}
3119 Insert a new item with a checkbox.
3120 This works only if the cursor is already in a plain list item
3121 (@pxref{Plain lists}).
3124 Update the checkbox statistics in the current outline entry. When
3125 called with a @kbd{C-u} prefix, update the entire file. Checkbox
3126 statistic cookies are updated automatically if you toggle checkboxes
3127 with @kbd{C-c C-c} and make new ones with @kbd{M-S-@key{RET}}. If you
3128 delete boxes or add/change them by hand, use this command to get things
3129 back into synch. Or simply toggle any checkbox twice with @kbd{C-c C-c}.
3132 @node Tags, Properties and columns, TODO items, Top
3135 @cindex headline tagging
3136 @cindex matching, tags
3137 @cindex sparse tree, tag based
3139 An excellent way to implement labels and contexts for cross-correlating
3140 information is to assign @i{tags} to headlines. Org-mode has extensive
3143 Every headline can contain a list of tags; they occur at the end of the
3144 headline. Tags are normal words containing letters, numbers, @samp{_},
3145 and @samp{@@}. Tags must be preceded and followed by a single colon,
3146 e.g., @samp{:WORK:}. Several tags can be specified, as in
3147 @samp{:work:URGENT:}.
3150 * Tag inheritance:: Tags use the tree structure of the outline
3151 * Setting tags:: How to assign tags to a headline
3152 * Tag searches:: Searching for combinations of tags
3155 @node Tag inheritance, Setting tags, Tags, Tags
3156 @section Tag inheritance
3157 @cindex tag inheritance
3158 @cindex inheritance, of tags
3159 @cindex sublevels, inclusion into tags match
3161 @i{Tags} make use of the hierarchical structure of outline trees. If a
3162 heading has a certain tag, all subheadings will inherit the tag as
3163 well. For example, in the list
3166 * Meeting with the French group :work:
3167 ** Summary by Frank :boss:notes:
3168 *** TODO Prepare slides for him :action:
3172 the final heading will have the tags @samp{:work:}, @samp{:boss:},
3173 @samp{:notes:}, and @samp{:action:} even though the final heading is not
3174 explicitly marked with those tags. When executing tag searches and
3175 Org-mode finds that a certain headline matches the search criterion, it
3176 will not check any sublevel headline, assuming that these also match and
3177 that the list of matches could become very long because of that. If you
3178 do want the subevels be tested and listed as well, you may set the
3179 variable @code{org-tags-match-list-sublevels}. To turn off tag
3180 inheritance entirely, use the variable @code{org-use-tag-inheritance}.
3182 @node Setting tags, Tag searches, Tag inheritance, Tags
3183 @section Setting tags
3184 @cindex setting tags
3185 @cindex tags, setting
3188 Tags can simply be typed into the buffer at the end of a headline.
3189 After a colon, @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} offers completion on tags. There is
3190 also a special command for inserting tags:
3195 @cindex completion, of tags
3196 Enter new tags for the current headline. Org-mode will either offer
3197 completion or a special single-key interface for setting tags, see
3198 below. After pressing @key{RET}, the tags will be inserted and aligned
3199 to @code{org-tags-column}. When called with a @kbd{C-u} prefix, all
3200 tags in the current buffer will be aligned to that column, just to make
3201 things look nice. TAGS are automatically realigned after promotion,
3202 demotion, and TODO state changes (@pxref{TODO basics}).
3205 Org will support tag insertion based on a @emph{list of tags}. By
3206 default this list is constructed dynamically, containing all tags
3207 currently used in the buffer. You may also globally specify a hard list
3208 of tags with the variable @code{org-tag-alist}. Finally you can set
3209 the default tags for a given file with lines like
3212 #+TAGS: @@work @@home @@tennisclub
3213 #+TAGS: laptop car pc sailboat
3216 If you have globally defined your preferred set of tags using the
3217 variable @code{org-tag-alist}, but would like to use a dynamic tag list
3218 in a specific file, add an empty TAGS option line to that file:
3224 The default support method for entering tags is minibuffer completion.
3225 However, Org-mode also implements a much better method: @emph{fast tag
3226 selection}. This method allows to select and deselect tags with a
3227 single key per tag. To function efficiently, you should assign unique
3228 keys to most tags. This can be done globally with
3231 (setq org-tag-alist '(("@@work" . ?w) ("@@home" . ?h) ("laptop" . ?l)))
3234 @noindent or on a per-file basis with
3237 #+TAGS: @@work(w) @@home(h) @@tennisclub(t) laptop(l) pc(p)
3241 You can also group together tags that are mutually exclusive. With
3242 curly braces@footnote{In @code{org-mode-alist} use
3243 @code{'(:startgroup)} and @code{'(:endgroup)}, respectively. Several
3244 groups are allowed.}
3247 #+TAGS: @{ @@work(w) @@home(h) @@tennisclub(t) @} laptop(l) pc(p)
3250 @noindent you indicate that at most one of @samp{@@work}, @samp{@@home},
3251 and @samp{@@tennisclub} should be selected.
3253 @noindent Don't forget to press @kbd{C-c C-c} with the cursor in one of
3254 these lines to activate any changes.
3256 If at least one tag has a selection key, pressing @kbd{C-c C-c} will
3257 automatically present you with a special interface, listing inherited
3258 tags, the tags of the current headline, and a list of all valid tags
3259 with corresponding keys@footnote{Keys will automatically be assigned to
3260 tags which have no configured keys.}. In this interface, you can use
3265 Pressing keys assigned to tags will add or remove them from the list of
3266 tags in the current line. Selecting a tag in a group of mutually
3267 exclusive tags will turn off any other tags from that group.
3270 Enter a tag in the minibuffer, even if the tag is not in the predefined
3271 list. You will be able to complete on all tags present in the buffer.
3274 Clear all tags for this line.
3277 Accept the modified set.
3279 Abort without installing changes.
3281 If @kbd{q} is not assigned to a tag, it aborts like @kbd{C-g}.
3283 Turn off groups of mutually exclusive tags. Use this to (as an
3284 exception) assign several tags from such a group.
3286 Toggle auto-exit after the next change (see below).
3287 If you are using expert mode, the first @kbd{C-c} will display the
3292 This method lets you assign tags to a headline with very few keys. With
3293 the above setup, you could clear the current tags and set @samp{@@home},
3294 @samp{laptop} and @samp{pc} tags with just the following keys: @kbd{C-c
3295 C-c @key{SPC} h l p @key{RET}}. Switching from @samp{@@home} to
3296 @samp{@@work} would be done with @kbd{C-c C-c w @key{RET}} or
3297 alternatively with @kbd{C-c C-c C-c w}. Adding the non-predefined tag
3298 @samp{Sarah} could be done with @kbd{C-c C-c @key{TAB} S a r a h
3299 @key{RET} @key{RET}}.
3301 If you find that most of the time, you need only a single keypress to
3302 modify your list of tags, set the variable
3303 @code{org-fast-tag-selection-single-key}. Then you no longer have to
3304 press @key{RET} to exit fast tag selection - it will immediately exit
3305 after the first change. If you then occasionally need more keys, press
3306 @kbd{C-c} to turn off auto-exit for the current tag selection process
3307 (in effect: start selection with @kbd{C-c C-c C-c} instead of @kbd{C-c
3308 C-c}). If you set the variable to the value @code{expert}, the special
3309 window is not even shown for single-key tag selection, it comes up only
3310 when you press an extra @kbd{C-c}.
3312 @node Tag searches, , Setting tags, Tags
3313 @section Tag searches
3314 @cindex tag searches
3315 @cindex searching for tags
3317 Once a system of tags has been set up, it can be used to collect related
3318 information into special lists.
3325 Create a sparse tree with all headlines matching a tags search. With a
3326 @kbd{C-u} prefix argument, ignore headlines that are not a TODO line.
3329 Create a global list of tag matches from all agenda files.
3330 @xref{Matching tags and properties}.
3333 Create a global list of tag matches from all agenda files, but check
3334 only TODO items and force checking subitems (see variable
3335 @code{org-tags-match-list-sublevels}).
3338 @cindex Boolean logic, for tag searches
3339 A @i{tags} search string can use Boolean operators @samp{&} for AND and
3340 @samp{|} for OR. @samp{&} binds more strongly than @samp{|}.
3341 Parenthesis are currently not implemented. A tag may also be preceded
3342 by @samp{-}, to select against it, and @samp{+} is syntactic sugar for
3343 positive selection. The AND operator @samp{&} is optional when @samp{+}
3344 or @samp{-} is present. Examples:
3348 Select headlines tagged @samp{:work:}, but discard those also tagged
3351 Selects lines tagged @samp{:work:} or @samp{:laptop:}.
3352 @item work|laptop&night
3353 Like before, but require the @samp{:laptop:} lines to be tagged also
3357 @cindex TODO keyword matching, with tags search
3358 If you are using multi-state TODO keywords (@pxref{TODO extensions}), it
3359 can be useful to also match on the TODO keyword. This can be done by
3360 adding a condition after a slash to a tags match. The syntax is similar
3361 to the tag matches, but should be applied with consideration: For
3362 example, a positive selection on several TODO keywords can not
3363 meaningfully be combined with boolean AND. However, @emph{negative
3364 selection} combined with AND can be meaningful. To make sure that only
3365 lines are checked that actually have any TODO keyword, use @kbd{C-c a
3366 M}, or equivalently start the todo part after the slash with @samp{!}.
3371 Select @samp{:work:}-tagged TODO lines with the specific TODO
3372 keyword @samp{WAITING}.
3373 @item work/!-WAITING-NEXT
3374 Select @samp{:work:}-tagged TODO lines that are neither @samp{WAITING}
3376 @item work/+WAITING|+NEXT
3377 Select @samp{:work:}-tagged TODO lines that are either @samp{WAITING} or
3381 @cindex regular expressions, with tags search
3382 Any element of the tag/todo match can be a regular expression - in this
3383 case it must be enclosed in curly braces. For example,
3384 @samp{work+@{^boss.*@}} matches headlines that contain the tag
3385 @samp{:work:} and any tag @i{starting} with @samp{boss}.
3387 @cindex level, require for tags/property match
3388 @cindex category, require for tags/property match
3389 You can also require a headline to be of a certain level or category, by
3390 writing instead of any TAG an expression like @samp{LEVEL=3} or
3391 @samp{CATEGORY="work"}, respectively. For example, a search
3392 @samp{+LEVEL=3+boss/-DONE} lists all level three headlines that have the
3393 tag @samp{boss} and are @emph{not} marked with the todo keyword DONE.
3395 @node Properties and columns, Dates and times, Tags, Top
3396 @chapter Properties and Columns
3399 Properties are a set of key-value pairs associated with an entry. There
3400 are two main applications for properties in Org-mode. First, properties
3401 are like tags, but with a value. Second, you can use properties to
3402 implement (very basic) database capabilities in an Org-mode buffer. For
3403 an example of the first application, imagine maintaining a file where
3404 you document bugs and plan releases of a piece of software. Instead of
3405 using tags like @code{:release_1:}, @code{:release_2:}, one can use a
3406 property, say @code{:Release:}, that in different subtrees has different
3407 values, such as @code{1.0} or @code{2.0}. For an example of the second
3408 application of properties, imagine keeping track of one's music CD's,
3409 where properties could be things such as the album artist, date of
3410 release, number of tracks, and so on.
3412 Properties can be conveiently edited and viewed in column view
3413 (@pxref{Column view}).
3415 Properties are like tags, but with a value. For example, in a file
3416 where you document bugs and plan releases of a piece of software,
3417 instead of using tags like @code{:release_1:}, @code{:release_2:}, it
3418 can be more efficient to use a property @code{:Release:} with a value
3419 @code{1.0} or @code{2.0}. Second, you can use properties to implement
3420 (very basic) database capabilities in an Org-mode buffer, for example to
3421 create a list of Music CD's you own. You can edit and view properties
3422 conveniently in column view (@pxref{Column view}).
3425 * Property syntax:: How properties are spelled out
3426 * Special properties:: Access to other Org-mode features
3427 * Property searches:: Matching property values
3428 * Property inheritance:: Passing values down the tree
3429 * Column view:: Tabular viewing and editing
3430 * Property API:: Properties for Lisp programmers
3433 @node Property syntax, Special properties, Properties and columns, Properties and columns
3434 @section Property Syntax
3435 @cindex property syntax
3436 @cindex drawer, for properties
3438 Properties are key-value pairs. They need to be inserted into a special
3439 drawer (@pxref{Drawers}) with the name @code{PROPERTIES}. Each property
3440 is specified on a single line, with the key (surrounded by colons)
3441 first, and the value after it. Here is an example:
3446 *** Goldberg Variations
3448 :Title: Goldberg Variations
3449 :Composer: J.S. Bach
3451 :Publisher: Deutsche Grammphon
3456 You may define the allowed values for a particular property @samp{:Xyz:}
3457 by setting a property @samp{:Xyz_ALL:}. This special property is
3458 @emph{inherited}, so if you set it in a level 1 entry, it will apply to
3459 the entire tree. When allowed values are defined, setting the
3460 corresponding property becomes easier and is less prone to typing
3461 errors. For the example with the CD collection, we can predefine
3462 publishers and the number of disks in a box like this:
3467 :NDisks_ALL: 1 2 3 4
3468 :Publisher_ALL: "Deutsche Grammophon" Phillips EMI
3472 If you want to set properties that can be inherited by any entry in a
3473 file, use a line like
3476 #+PROPERTY: NDisks_ALL 1 2 3 4
3479 Property values set with the global variable
3480 @code{org-global-properties} can be inherited by all entries in all
3484 The following commands help to work with properties:
3489 After an initial colon in a line, complete property keys. All keys used
3490 in the current file will be offered as possible completions.
3493 Set a property. This prompts for a property name and a value. If
3494 necessary, the property drawer is created as well.
3495 @item M-x org-insert-property-drawer
3496 Insert a property drawer into the current entry. The drawer will be
3497 inserted early in the entry, but after the lines with planning
3498 information like deadlines.
3501 With the cursor in a property drawer, this executes property commands.
3503 Set a property in the current entry. Both the property and the value
3504 can be inserted using completion.
3505 @kindex S-@key{right}
3506 @kindex S-@key{left}
3507 @item S-@key{left}/@key{right}
3508 Switch property at point to the next/previous allowed value.
3510 Remove a property from the current entry.
3512 Globally remove a property, from all entries in the current file.
3514 Compute the property at point, using the operator and scope from the
3515 nearest column format definition.
3518 @node Special properties, Property searches, Property syntax, Properties and columns
3519 @section Special Properties
3520 @cindex properties, special
3522 Special properties provide alternative access method to Org-mode
3523 features discussed in the previous chapters, like the TODO state or the
3524 priority of an entry. This interface exists so that you can include
3525 these states into columns view (@pxref{Column view}), or to use them in
3526 queries. The following property names are special and should not be
3527 used as keys in the properties drawer:
3530 TODO @r{The TODO keyword of the entry.}
3531 TAGS @r{The tags defined directly in the headline.}
3532 ALLTAGS @r{All tags, including inherited ones.}
3533 PRIORITY @r{The priority of the entry, a string with a single letter.}
3534 DEADLINE @r{The deadline time string, without the angular brackets.}
3535 SCHEDULED @r{The scheduling time stamp, without the angular brackets.}
3536 TIMESTAMP @r{The first keyword-less time stamp in the entry.}
3537 TIMESTAMP_IA @r{The first inactive time stamp in the entry.}
3538 CLOCKSUM @r{The sum of CLOCK intervals in the subtree. @code{org-clock-sum}}
3539 @r{must be run first to compute the values.}
3542 @node Property searches, Property inheritance, Special properties, Properties and columns
3543 @section Property searches
3544 @cindex properties, searching
3545 @cindex properties, inheritance
3546 @cindex searching, of properties
3547 @cindex inheritance, of properties
3549 To create sparse trees and special lists with selection based on
3550 properties, the same commands are used as for tag searches (@pxref{Tag
3551 searches}), and the same logic applies. For example, a search string
3554 +work-boss+PRIORITY="A"+Coffee="unlimited"+With=@{Sarah\|Denny@}
3558 finds entries tagged @samp{:work:} but not @samp{:boss:}, which
3559 also have a priority value @samp{A}, a @samp{:Coffee:} property with the
3560 value @samp{unlimited}, and a @samp{:With:} property that is matched by
3561 the regular expression @samp{Sarah\|Denny}.
3563 You can configure Org-mode to use property inheritance during a search,
3564 see @ref{Property inheritance} for details.
3566 There is also a special command for creating sparse trees based on a
3572 Create a sparse tree based on the value of a property. This first
3573 prompts for the name of a property, and then for a value. A sparse tree
3574 is created with all entries that define this property with the given
3575 value. If you enclose the value into curly braces, it is interpreted as
3576 a regular expression and matched against the property values.
3579 @node Property inheritance, Column view, Property searches, Properties and columns
3580 @section Property Inheritance
3582 The outline structure of Org-mode documents lends itself for an
3583 inheritance model of properties: If the parent in a tree has a certain
3584 property, the children can inherit this property. Org-mode does not
3585 turn this on by default, because it can slow down property searches
3586 significantly and is often not needed. However, if you find inheritance
3587 useful, you can turn it on by setting the variable
3588 @code{org-use-property-inheritance}. It may be set to @code{t}, to make
3589 all properties inherited from the parent, or to a list of properties
3590 that should be inherited.
3592 Org-mode has a few properties for which inheritance is hard-coded, at
3593 least for the special applications for which they are used:
3597 The @code{:COLUMNS:} property defines the format of column view
3598 (@pxref{Column view}). It is inherited in the sense that the level
3599 where a @code{:COLUMNS:} property is defined is used as the starting
3600 point for a column view table, independently of the location in the
3601 subtree from where columns view is turned on.
3603 For agenda view, a category set through a @code{:CATEGORY:} property
3604 applies to the entire subtree.
3606 For archiving, the @code{:ARCHIVE:} property may define the archive
3607 location for the entire subtree (@pxref{Moving subtrees}).
3610 @node Column view, Property API, Property inheritance, Properties and columns
3611 @section Column View
3613 A great way to view and edit properties in an outline tree is
3614 @emph{column view}. In column view, each outline item is turned into a
3615 table row. Columns in this table provide access to properties of the
3616 entries. Org-mode implements columns by overlaying a tabular structure
3617 over the headline of each item. While the headlines have been turned
3618 into a table row, you can still change the visibility of the outline
3619 tree. For example, you get a compact table by switching to CONTENTS
3620 view (@kbd{S-@key{TAB} S-@key{TAB}}, or simply @kbd{c} while column view
3621 is active), but you can still open, read, and edit the entry below each
3622 headline. Or, you can switch to column view after executing a sparse
3623 tree command and in this way get a table only for the selected items.
3624 Column view also works in agenda buffers (@pxref{Agenda views}) where
3625 queries have collected selected items, possibly from a number of files.
3628 * Defining columns:: The COLUMNS format property
3629 * Using column view:: How to create and use column view
3630 * Capturing Column View:: A dynamic block for column view
3633 @node Defining columns, Using column view, Column view, Column view
3634 @subsection Defining Columns
3635 @cindex column view, for properties
3636 @cindex properties, column view
3638 Setting up a column view first requires defining the columns. This is
3639 done by defining a column format line.
3642 * Scope of column definitions:: Where defined, where valid?
3643 * Column attributes:: Appearance and content of a column
3646 @node Scope of column definitions, Column attributes, Defining columns, Defining columns
3647 @subsubsection Scope of column definitions
3649 To define a column format for an entire file, use a line like
3652 #+COLUMNS: %25ITEM %TAGS %PRIORITY %TODO
3655 To specify a format that only applies to a specific tree, add a
3656 @code{:COLUMNS:} property to the top node of that tree, for example:
3659 ** Top node for columns view
3661 :COLUMNS: %25ITEM %TAGS %PRIORITY %TODO
3665 If a @code{:COLUMNS:} property is present in an entry, it defines columns
3666 for the entry itself, and for the entire subtree below it. Since the
3667 column definition is part of the hierarchical structure of the document,
3668 you can define columns on level 1 that are general enough for all
3669 sublevels, and more specific columns further down, when you edit a
3670 deeper part of the tree.
3672 @node Column attributes, , Scope of column definitions, Defining columns
3673 @subsubsection Column attributes
3674 A column definition sets the attributes of a column. The general
3675 definition looks like this:
3678 %[width]property[(title)][@{summary-type@}]
3682 Except for the percent sign and the property name, all items are
3683 optional. The individual parts have the following meaning:
3686 width @r{An integer specifying the width of the column in characters.}
3687 @r{If omitted, the width will be determined automatically.}
3688 property @r{The property that should be edited in this column.}
3689 (title) @r{The header text for the column. If omitted, the}
3690 @r{property name is used.}
3691 @{summary-type@} @r{The summary type. If specified, the column values for}
3692 @r{parent nodes are computed from the children.}
3693 @r{Supported summary types are:}
3694 @{+@} @r{Sum numbers in this column.}
3695 @{+;%.1f@} @r{Like @samp{+}, but format result with @samp{%.1f}.}
3696 @{$@} @r{Currency, short for @samp{+;%.2f}.}
3697 @{:@} @r{Sum times, HH:MM:SS, plain numbers are hours.}
3698 @{X@} @r{Checkbox status, [X] if all children are [X].}
3702 Here is an example for a complete columns definition, along with allowed
3706 :COLUMNS: %20ITEM %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.}
3707 %10Time_Estimate@{:@} %CLOCKSUM
3708 :Owner_ALL: Tammy Mark Karl Lisa Don
3709 :Status_ALL: "In progress" "Not started yet" "Finished" ""
3710 :Approved_ALL: "[ ]" "[X]"
3713 The first column, @samp{%25ITEM}, means the first 25 characters of the
3714 item itself, i.e. of the headline. You probably always should start the
3715 column definition with the ITEM specifier. The other specifiers create
3716 columns @samp{Owner} with a list of names as allowed values, for
3717 @samp{Status} with four different possible values, and for a checkbox
3718 field @samp{Approved}. When no width is given after the @samp{%}
3719 character, the column will be exactly as wide as it needs to be in order
3720 to fully display all values. The @samp{Approved} column does have a
3721 modified title (@samp{Approved?}, with a question mark). Summaries will
3722 be created for the @samp{Time_Estimate} column by adding time duration
3723 expressions like HH:MM, and for the @samp{Approved} column, by providing
3724 an @samp{[X]} status if all children have been checked. The
3725 @samp{CLOCKSUM} column is special, it lists the sum of CLOCK intervals
3728 @node Using column view, Capturing Column View, Defining columns, Column view
3729 @subsection Using Column View
3732 @tsubheading{Turning column view on and off}
3735 Create the column view for the local environment. This command searches
3736 the hierarchy, up from point, for a @code{:COLUMNS:} property that defines
3737 a format. When one is found, the column view table is established for
3738 the entire tree, starting from the entry that contains the @code{:COLUMNS:}
3739 property. If none is found, the format is taken from the @code{#+COLUMNS}
3740 line or from the variable @code{org-columns-default-format}, and column
3741 view is established for the current entry and its subtree.
3745 @tsubheading{Editing values}
3746 @item @key{left} @key{right} @key{up} @key{down}
3747 Move through the column view from field to field.
3748 @kindex S-@key{left}
3749 @kindex S-@key{right}
3750 @item S-@key{left}/@key{right}
3751 Switch to the next/previous allowed value of the field. For this, you
3752 have to have specified allowed values for a property.
3756 Same as @kbd{S-@key{left}/@key{right}}
3759 Edit the property at point. For the special properties, this will
3760 invoke the same interface that you normally use to change that
3761 property. For example, when editing a TAGS property, the tag completion
3762 or fast selection interface will pop up.
3765 When there is a checkbox at point, toggle it.
3768 View the full value of this property. This is useful if the width of
3769 the column is smaller than that of the value.
3772 Edit the list of allowed values for this property. If the list is found
3773 in the hierarchy, the modified values is stored there. If no list is
3774 found, the new value is stored in the first entry that is part of the
3775 current column view.
3776 @tsubheading{Modifying the table structure}
3780 Make the column narrower/wider by one character.
3781 @kindex S-M-@key{right}
3782 @item S-M-@key{right}
3783 Insert a new column, to the right of the current column.
3784 @kindex S-M-@key{left}
3785 @item S-M-@key{left}
3786 Delete the current column.
3789 @node Capturing Column View, , Using column view, Column view
3790 @subsection Capturing Column View
3792 Since column view is just an overlay over a buffer, it cannot be
3793 exported or printed directly. If you want to capture a column view, use
3794 the dynamic block (@pxref{Dynamic blocks}). The frame of this block
3799 #+BEGIN: columnview :hlines 1 :id "label"
3804 @noindent This dynamic block has the following parameters:
3808 This is most important parameter. Column view is a feature that is
3809 often localized to a certain (sub)tree, and the capture block might be
3810 in a different location in the file. To identify the tree whose view to
3811 capture, you can use 3 values:
3813 local @r{use the tree in which the capture block is located}
3814 global @r{make a global view, including all headings in the file}
3815 "label" @r{call column view in the tree that has and @code{:ID:}}
3816 @r{property with the value @i{label}}
3819 When @code{t}, insert a hline after every line. When a number N, insert
3820 a hline before each headline with level @code{<= N}.
3822 When set to @code{t}, enforce column groups to get vertical lines.
3826 The following commands insert or update the dynamic block:
3831 Insert a dynamic block capturing a column view. You will be prompted
3832 for the scope or id of the view.
3837 Update dynamical block at point. The cursor needs to be in the
3838 @code{#+BEGIN} line of the dynamic block.
3839 @kindex C-u C-c C-x C-u
3840 @item C-u C-c C-x C-u
3841 Update all dynamic blocks (@pxref{Dynamic blocks}). This is useful if
3842 you have several clocktable blocks in a buffer.
3845 @node Property API, , Column view, Properties and columns
3846 @section The Property API
3847 @cindex properties, API
3848 @cindex API, for properties
3850 There is a full API for accessing and changing properties. This API can
3851 be used by Emacs Lisp programs to work with properties and to implement
3852 features based on them. For more information see @ref{Using the
3855 @node Dates and times, Remember, Properties and columns, Top
3856 @chapter Dates and Times
3862 To assist project planning, TODO items can be labeled with a date and/or
3863 a time. The specially formatted string carrying the date and time
3864 information is called a @emph{timestamp} in Org-mode. This may be a
3865 little confusing because timestamp is often used as indicating when
3866 something was created or last changed. However, in Org-mode this term
3867 is used in a much wider sense.
3870 * Time stamps:: Assigning a time to a tree entry
3871 * Creating timestamps:: Commands which insert timestamps
3872 * Deadlines and scheduling:: Planning your work
3873 * Clocking work time::
3877 @node Time stamps, Creating timestamps, Dates and times, Dates and times
3878 @section Time stamps, deadlines and scheduling
3880 @cindex ranges, time
3885 A time stamp is a specification of a date (possibly with time or a range
3886 of times) in a special format, either @samp{<2003-09-16 Tue>} or
3887 @samp{<2003-09-16 Tue 09:39>} or @samp{<2003-09-16 Tue
3888 12:00-12:30>}@footnote{This is the standard ISO date/time format. To
3889 use an alternative format, see @ref{Custom time format}.}. A time stamp
3890 can appear anywhere in the headline or body of an org-tree entry. Its
3891 presence causes entries to be shown on specific dates in the agenda
3892 (@pxref{Weekly/Daily agenda}). We distinguish:
3895 @item Plain time stamp; Event; Appointment
3897 A simple time stamp just assigns a date/time to an item. This is just
3898 like writing down an appointment or event in a paper agenda. In the
3899 timeline and agenda displays, the headline of an entry associated with a
3900 plain time stamp will be shown exactly on that date.
3903 * Meet Peter at the movies <2006-11-01 Wed 19:15>
3904 * Discussion on climate change <2006-11-02 Thu 20:00-22:00>
3907 @item Time stamp with repeater interval
3908 @cindex timestamp, with repeater interval
3909 A time stamp may contain a @emph{repeater interval}, indicating that it
3910 applies not only on the given date, but again and again after a certain
3911 interval of N days (d), weeks (w), months(m), or years(y). The
3912 following will show up in the agenda every Wednesday:
3915 * Pick up Sam at school <2007-05-16 Wed 12:30 +1w>
3918 @item Diary-style sexp entries
3919 For more complex date specifications, Org-mode supports using the
3920 special sexp diary entries implemented in the Emacs calendar/diary
3921 package. For example
3924 * The nerd meeting on every 2nd Thursday of the month
3925 <%%(diary-float t 4 2)>
3928 @item Time/Date range
3931 Two time stamps connected by @samp{--} denote a range. The headline
3932 will be shown on the first and last day of the range, and on any dates
3933 that are displayed and fall in the range. Here is an example:
3936 ** Meeting in Amsterdam
3937 <2004-08-23 Mon>--<2004-08-26 Thu>
3940 @item Inactive time stamp
3941 @cindex timestamp, inactive
3942 @cindex inactive timestamp
3943 Just like a plain time stamp, but with square brackets instead of
3944 angular ones. These time stamps are inactive in the sense that they do
3945 @emph{not} trigger an entry to show up in the agenda.
3948 * Gillian comes late for the fifth time [2006-11-01 Wed]
3953 @node Creating timestamps, Deadlines and scheduling, Time stamps, Dates and times
3954 @section Creating timestamps
3955 @cindex creating timestamps
3956 @cindex timestamps, creating
3958 For Org-mode to recognize time stamps, they need to be in the specific
3959 format. All commands listed below produce time stamps in the correct
3965 Prompt for a date and insert a corresponding time stamp. When the
3966 cursor is at a previously used time stamp, it is updated to NOW. When
3967 this command is used twice in succession, a time range is inserted.
3971 Like @kbd{C-c .}, but use the alternative format which contains date
3972 and time. The default time can be rounded to multiples of 5 minutes,
3973 see the option @code{org-time-stamp-rounding-minutes}.
3977 Like @kbd{C-c .}, but insert an inactive time stamp that will not cause
3982 Insert a time stamp corresponding to the cursor date in the Calendar.
3986 Access the Emacs calendar for the current date. If there is a
3987 timestamp in the current line, goto the corresponding date
3992 Access the agenda for the date given by the time stamp or -range at
3993 point (@pxref{Weekly/Daily agenda}).
3995 @kindex S-@key{left}
3996 @kindex S-@key{right}
3998 @itemx S-@key{right}
3999 Change date at cursor by one day. These key bindings conflict with
4000 CUA-mode (@pxref{Conflicts}).
4003 @kindex S-@key{down}
4006 Change the item under the cursor in a timestamp. The cursor can be on a
4007 year, month, day, hour or minute. Note that if the cursor is in a
4008 headline and not at a time stamp, these same keys modify the priority of
4009 an item. (@pxref{Priorities}). The key bindings also conflict with
4010 CUA-mode (@pxref{Conflicts}).
4013 @cindex evaluate time range
4015 Evaluate a time range by computing the difference between start and
4016 end. With prefix arg, insert result after the time range (in a table:
4017 into the following column).
4022 * The date/time prompt:: How org-mode helps you entering date and time
4023 * Custom time format:: Making dates look differently
4026 @node The date/time prompt, Custom time format, Creating timestamps, Creating timestamps
4027 @subsection The date/time prompt
4028 @cindex date, reading in minibuffer
4029 @cindex time, reading in minibuffer
4031 When Org-mode prompts for a date/time, the default is shown as an ISO
4032 date, and the prompt therefore seems to ask for an ISO date. But it
4033 will in fact accept any string containing some date and/or time
4034 information, and it is really smart about interpreting your input. You
4035 can, for example, use @kbd{C-y} to paste a (possibly multi-line) string
4036 copied from an email message. Org-mode will find whatever information
4037 is in there and derive anything you have not specified from the
4038 @emph{default date and time}. The default is usually the current date
4039 and time, but when modifying an existing time stamp, or when entering
4040 the second stamp of a range, it is taken from the stamp in the buffer.
4041 When filling in information, Org-mode assumes that most of the time you
4042 will want to enter a date in the future: If you omit the month/year and
4043 the given day/month is @i{before} today, it will assume that you mean a
4044 future date@footnote{See the variable
4045 @code{org-read-date-prefer-future}.}.
4047 For example, lets assume that today is @b{June 13, 2006}. Here is how
4048 various inputs will be interpreted, the items filled in by Org-mode are
4052 3-2-5 --> 2003-02-05
4053 14 --> @b{2006}-@b{06}-14
4054 12 --> @b{2006}-@b{07}-12
4055 Fri --> nearest Friday (defaultdate or later)
4056 sep 15 --> @b{2006}-11-15
4057 feb 15 --> @b{2007}-02-15
4058 sep 12 9 --> 2009-09-12
4059 12:45 --> @b{2006}-@b{06}-@b{13} 12:45
4060 22 sept 0:34 --> @b{2006}-09-22 0:34
4063 Furthermore you can specify a relative date by giving, as the
4064 @emph{first} thing in the input: a plus/minus sign, a number and a
4065 letter [dwmy] to indicate change in days weeks, months, years. With a
4066 single plus or minus, the date is always relative to today. With a
4067 double plus or minus, it is relative to the default date. If instead of
4068 a single letter, you use the abbreviation of day name, the date will be
4069 the nth such day. E.g.
4072 +4d --> four days from today
4073 +4 --> same as above
4074 +2w --> two weeks from today
4075 ++5 --> five days from default date
4076 +2tue --> second tuesday from now.
4079 The function understands English month and weekday abbreviations. If
4080 you want to use unabbreviated names and/or other languages, configure
4081 the variables @code{parse-time-months} and @code{parse-time-weekdays}.
4083 @cindex calendar, for selecting date
4084 Parallel to the minibuffer prompt, a calendar is popped up@footnote{If
4085 you don't need/want the calendar, configure the variable
4086 @code{org-popup-calendar-for-date-prompt}.}. When you exit the date
4087 prompt, either by clicking on a date in the calendar, or by pressing
4088 @key{RET}, the date selected in the calendar will be combined with the
4089 information entered at the prompt. You can control the calendar fully
4090 from the minibuffer:
4095 @kindex S-@key{right}
4096 @kindex S-@key{left}
4097 @kindex S-@key{down}
4099 @kindex M-S-@key{right}
4100 @kindex M-S-@key{left}
4103 > / < @r{Scroll calendar forward/backward by one month.}
4104 mouse-1 @r{Select date by clicking on it.}
4105 S-@key{right}/@key{left} @r{One day forward/backward.}
4106 S-@key{down}/@key{up} @r{One week forward/backward.}
4107 M-S-@key{right}/@key{left} @r{One month forward/backward.}
4108 @key{RET} @r{Choose date in calendar.}
4111 The actions of the date/time prompt may seem complex, but I asure you
4112 they will grow on you. To help you understand what is going on, the
4113 current interpretation of your input will be displayed live in the
4114 minibuffer@footnote{If you find this distracting, turn the display of
4115 with @code{org-read-date-display-live}.}.
4117 @node Custom time format, , The date/time prompt, Creating timestamps
4118 @subsection Custom time format
4119 @cindex custom date/time format
4120 @cindex time format, custom
4121 @cindex date format, custom
4123 Org-mode uses the standard ISO notation for dates and times as it is
4124 defined in ISO 8601. If you cannot get used to this and require another
4125 representation of date and time to keep you happy, you can get it by
4126 customizing the variables @code{org-display-custom-times} and
4127 @code{org-time-stamp-custom-formats}.
4132 Toggle the display of custom formats for dates and times.
4136 Org-mode needs the default format for scanning, so the custom date/time
4137 format does not @emph{replace} the default format - instead it is put
4138 @emph{over} the default format using text properties. This has the
4139 following consequences:
4142 You cannot place the cursor onto a time stamp anymore, only before or
4145 The @kbd{S-@key{up}/@key{down}} keys can no longer be used to adjust
4146 each component of a time stamp. If the cursor is at the beginning of
4147 the stamp, @kbd{S-@key{up}/@key{down}} will change the stamp by one day,
4148 just like @kbd{S-@key{left}/@key{right}}. At the end of the stamp, the
4149 time will be changed by one minute.
4151 If the time stamp contains a range of clock times or a repeater, these
4152 will not be overlayed, but remain in the buffer as they were.
4154 When you delete a time stamp character-by-character, it will only
4155 disappear from the buffer after @emph{all} (invisible) characters
4156 belonging to the ISO timestamp have been removed.
4158 If the custom time stamp format is longer than the default and you are
4159 using dates in tables, table alignment will be messed up. If the custom
4160 format is shorter, things do work as expected.
4164 @node Deadlines and scheduling, Clocking work time, Creating timestamps, Dates and times
4165 @section Deadlines and Scheduling
4167 A time stamp may be preceded by special keywords to facilitate planning:
4171 @cindex DEADLINE keyword
4173 Meaning: the task (most likely a TODO item, though not necessarily) is supposed
4174 to be finished on that date.
4176 On the deadline date, the task will be listed in the agenda. In
4177 addition, the agenda for @emph{today} will carry a warning about the
4178 approaching or missed deadline, starting
4179 @code{org-deadline-warning-days} before the due date, and continuing
4180 until the entry is marked DONE. An example:
4183 *** TODO write article about the Earth for the Guide
4184 The editor in charge is [[bbdb:Ford Prefect]]
4185 DEADLINE: <2004-02-29 Sun>
4188 You can specify a different lead time for warnings for a specific
4189 deadlines using the following syntax. Here is an example with a warning
4190 period of 5 days @code{DEADLINE: <2004-02-29 Sun -5d>}.
4193 @cindex SCHEDULED keyword
4195 Meaning: you are planning to start working on that task on the given
4198 The headline will be listed under the given date@footnote{It will still
4199 be listed on that date after it has been marked DONE. If you don't like
4200 this, set the variable @code{org-agenda-skip-scheduled-if-done}.}. In
4201 addition, a reminder that the scheduled date has passed will be present
4202 in the compilation for @emph{today}, until the entry is marked DONE.
4203 I.e., the task will automatically be forwarded until completed.
4206 *** TODO Call Trillian for a date on New Years Eve.
4207 SCHEDULED: <2004-12-25 Sat>
4211 @b{Important:} Scheduling an item in Org-mode should @i{not} be
4212 understood in the same way that we understand @i{scheduling a meeting}.
4213 Setting a date for a meeting is just a simple appointment, you should
4214 mark this entry with a simple plain time stamp, to get this item shown
4215 on the date where it applies. This is a frequent mis-understanding from
4216 Org-users. In Org-mode, @i{scheduling} means setting a date when you
4217 want to start working on an action item.
4220 You may use time stamps with repeaters in scheduling and deadline
4221 entries. Org-mode will issue early and late warnings based on the
4222 assumption that the time stamp represents the @i{nearest instance} of
4223 the repeater. However, the use of diary sexp entries like
4225 @code{<%%(diary-float t 42)>}
4227 in scheduling and deadline timestamps is limited. Org-mode does not
4228 know enough about the internals of each sexp function to issue early and
4229 late warnings. However, it will show the item on each day where the
4233 * Inserting deadline/schedule:: Planning items
4234 * Repeated tasks:: Items that show up again and again
4237 @node Inserting deadline/schedule, Repeated tasks, Deadlines and scheduling, Deadlines and scheduling
4238 @subsection Inserting deadline/schedule
4240 The following commands allow to quickly insert a deadline or to schedule
4247 Insert @samp{DEADLINE} keyword along with a stamp. The insertion will
4248 happen in the line directly following the headline. When called with a
4249 prefix arg, an existing deadline will be removed from the entry.
4250 @c FIXME Any CLOSED timestamp will be removed.????????
4253 @cindex sparse tree, for deadlines
4255 Create a sparse tree with all deadlines that are either past-due, or
4256 which will become due within @code{org-deadline-warning-days}.
4257 With @kbd{C-u} prefix, show all deadlines in the file. With a numeric
4258 prefix, check that many days. For example, @kbd{C-1 C-c / d} shows
4259 all deadlines due tomorrow.
4263 Insert @samp{SCHEDULED} keyword along with a stamp. The insertion will
4264 happen in the line directly following the headline. Any CLOSED
4265 timestamp will be removed. When called with a prefix argument, remove
4266 the scheduling date from the entry.
4269 @node Repeated tasks, , Inserting deadline/schedule, Deadlines and scheduling
4270 @subsection Repeated Tasks
4272 Some tasks need to be repeated again and again. Org-mode helps to
4273 organize such tasks using a so-called repeater in a DEADLINE or
4274 SCHEDULED time stamp. In the following example
4276 ** TODO Pay the rent
4277 DEADLINE: <2005-10-01 Sat +1m>
4279 the @code{+1m} is a repeater; the intended interpretation is that the
4280 task has a deadline on <2005-10-01> and repeats itself every (one) month
4281 starting from that time.
4283 Deadlines and scheduled items produce entries in the agenda when they
4284 are over-due, so it is important to be able to mark such an entry as
4285 completed once you have done so. When you mark a DEADLINE or a SCHEDULE
4286 with the todo keyword DONE, it will no longer produce entries in the
4287 agenda. The problem with this is, however, that then also the
4288 @emph{next} instance of the repeated entry will not be active. Org-mode
4289 deals with this in the following way: When you try to mark such an entry
4290 DONE (using @kbd{C-c C-t}), it will shift the base date of the repeating
4291 time stamp by the repeater interval, and immediately set the entry state
4292 back to TODO. In the example above, setting the state to DONE would
4293 actually switch the date like this:
4296 ** TODO Pay the rent
4297 DEADLINE: <2005-11-01 Tue +1m>
4300 You will also be prompted for a note@footnote{You can change this using
4301 the option @code{org-log-repeat}, or the @code{#+STARTUP} options
4302 @code{logrepeat} and @code{nologrepeat}.} that will be put under the
4303 DEADLINE line to keep a record that you actually acted on the previous
4304 instance of this deadline.
4306 As a consequence of shifting the base date, this entry will no longer be
4307 visible in the agenda when checking past dates, but all future instances
4310 You may have both scheduling and deadline information for a specific
4311 task - just make sure that the repeater intervals on both are the same.
4313 @node Clocking work time, , Deadlines and scheduling, Dates and times
4314 @section Clocking work time
4316 Org-mode allows you to clock the time you spent on specific tasks in a
4317 project. When you start working on an item, you can start the clock.
4318 When you stop working on that task, or when you mark the task done, the
4319 clock is stopped and the corresponding time interval is recorded. It
4320 also computes the total time spent on each subtree of a project.
4325 Start the clock on the current item (clock-in). This inserts the CLOCK
4326 keyword together with a timestamp. If this is not the first clocking of
4327 this item, the multiple CLOCK lines will be wrapped into a
4328 @code{:CLOCK:} drawer (see also the variable
4329 @code{org-clock-into-drawer}.
4332 Stop the clock (clock-out). The inserts another timestamp at the same
4333 location where the clock was last started. It also directly computes
4334 the resulting time in inserts it after the time range as @samp{=>
4335 HH:MM}. See the variable @code{org-log-done} for the possibility to
4336 record an additional note together with the clock-out time
4337 stamp@footnote{The corresponding in-buffer setting is: @code{#+STARTUP:
4341 Recompute the time interval after changing one of the time stamps. This
4342 is only necessary if you edit the time stamps directly. If you change
4343 them with @kbd{S-@key{cursor}} keys, the update is automatic.
4346 Changing the TODO state of an item to DONE automatically stops the clock
4347 if it is running in this same item.
4350 Cancel the current clock. This is useful if a clock was started by
4351 mistake, or if you ended up working on something else.
4354 Jump to the entry that contains the currently running clock, an another
4358 Display time summaries for each subtree in the current buffer. This
4359 puts overlays at the end of each headline, showing the total time
4360 recorded under that heading, including the time of any subheadings. You
4361 can use visibility cycling to study the tree, but the overlays disappear
4362 when you change the buffer (see variable
4363 @code{org-remove-highlights-with-change}) or press @kbd{C-c C-c}.
4366 Insert a dynamic block (@pxref{Dynamic blocks}) containing a clock
4367 report as an org-mode table into the current file. When the cursor is
4368 at an existing clock table, just update it. When called with a prefix
4369 argument, jump to the first clock report in the current document and
4372 #+BEGIN: clocktable :maxlevel 2 :emphasize nil :scope file
4377 If such a block already exists at point, its content is replaced by the
4378 new table. The @samp{BEGIN} line can specify options:
4380 :maxlevel @r{Maximum level depth to which times are listed in the table.}
4381 :emphasize @r{When @code{t}, emphasize level one and level two items}
4382 :scope @r{The scope to consider. This can be any of the following:}
4383 nil @r{the current buffer or narrowed region}
4384 file @r{the full current buffer}
4385 subtree @r{the subtree where the clocktable is located}
4386 treeN @r{the surrounding level N tree, for example @code{tree3}}
4387 tree @r{the surrounding level 1 tree}
4388 agenda @r{all agenda files}
4389 ("file"..) @r{scan these files}
4390 :block @r{The time block to consider. This block is specified relative}
4391 @r{to the current time and may be any of these keywords:}
4392 @r{@code{today}, @code{yesterday}, @code{thisweek}, @code{lastweek},}
4393 @r{@code{thismonth}, @code{lastmonth}, @code{thisyear}, or @code{lastyear}}.
4394 :tstart @r{A time string specifying when to start considering times}
4395 :tend @r{A time string specifying when to stop considering times}
4397 So to get a clock summary of the current level 1 tree, for the current
4398 day, you could write
4400 #+BEGIN: clocktable :maxlevel 2 :block today :scope tree1
4404 and to use a specific time range you could write@footnote{Note that all
4405 parameters must be specified in a single line - the line is broken here
4406 only to fit it onto the manual.}
4408 #+BEGIN: clocktable :tstart "<2006-08-10 Thu 10:00>"
4409 :tend "<2006-08-10 Thu 12:00>"
4417 Update dynamical block at point. The cursor needs to be in the
4418 @code{#+BEGIN} line of the dynamic block.
4419 @kindex C-u C-c C-x C-u
4420 @item C-u C-c C-x C-u
4421 Update all dynamic blocks (@pxref{Dynamic blocks}). This is useful if
4422 you have several clocktable blocks in a buffer.
4425 The @kbd{l} key may be used in the timeline (@pxref{Timeline}) and in
4426 the agenda (@pxref{Weekly/Daily agenda}) to show which tasks have been
4427 worked on or closed during a day.
4429 @node Remember, Agenda views, Dates and times, Top
4431 @cindex @file{remember.el}
4433 The @i{Remember} package by John Wiegley lets you store quick notes with
4434 little interruption of your work flow. See
4435 @uref{http://www.emacswiki.org/cgi-bin/wiki/RememberMode} for more
4436 information. It is an excellent way to add new notes and tasks to
4437 Org-mode files. Org-mode significantly expands the possibilities of
4438 @i{remember}: You may define templates for different note types, and
4439 associate target files and headlines with specific templates. It also
4440 allows you to select the location where a note should be stored
4441 interactively, on the fly.
4444 * Setting up remember:: Some code for .emacs to get things going
4445 * Remember templates:: Define the outline of different note types
4446 * Storing notes:: Directly get the note to where it belongs
4447 * Refiling notes:: Moving a note or task to a project
4450 @node Setting up remember, Remember templates, Remember, Remember
4451 @section Setting up remember
4453 The following customization will tell @i{remember} to use org files as
4454 target, and to create annotations compatible with Org-mode links.
4457 (org-remember-insinuate)
4458 (setq org-directory "~/path/to/my/orgfiles/")
4459 (setq org-default-notes-file (concat org-directory "/notes.org"))
4460 (define-key global-map "\C-cr" 'org-remember)
4463 The last line binds the command @code{org-remember} to a global
4464 key@footnote{Please select your own key, @kbd{C-c r} is only a
4465 suggestion.}. @code{org-remember} basically just calls @code{remember},
4466 but it makes a few things easier: If there is an active region, it will
4467 automatically copy the region into the remember buffer. It also allows
4468 to jump to the buffer and location where remember notes are being
4469 stored: Just call @code{org-remember} with a prefix argument.
4471 @node Remember templates, Storing notes, Setting up remember, Remember
4472 @section Remember templates
4473 @cindex templates, for remember
4475 In combination with Org-mode, you can use templates to generate
4476 different types of @i{remember} notes. For example, if you would like
4477 to use one template to create general TODO entries, another one for
4478 journal entries, and a third one for collecting random ideas, you could
4482 (setq org-remember-templates
4483 '(("Todo" ?t "* TODO %?\n %i\n %a" "~/org/TODO.org" "Tasks")
4484 ("Journal" ?j "* %U %?\n\n %i\n %a" "~/org/JOURNAL.org")
4485 ("Idea" ?i "* %^@{Title@}\n %i\n %a" "~/org/JOURNAL.org" "New Ideas")))
4488 @noindent In these entries, the first string is just a name, and the
4489 character specifies how to select the template. It is useful if the
4490 character is also the first letter of the name. The next string
4491 specifies the template. Two more (optional) strings give the file in
4492 which, and the headline under which the new note should be stored. The
4493 file (if not present or @code{nil}) defaults to
4494 @code{org-default-notes-file}, the heading to
4495 @code{org-remember-default-headline}.
4497 When you call @kbd{M-x remember} (or @kbd{M-x org-remember}) to remember
4498 something, org will prompt for a key to select the template (if you have
4499 more than one template) and then prepare the buffer like
4502 [[file:link to where you called remember]]
4506 During expansion of the template, special @kbd{%}-escapes allow dynamic
4507 insertion of content:
4509 %^@{prompt@} @r{prompt the user for a string and replace this sequence with it.}
4510 @r{You may specify a default value and a completion table with}
4511 @r{%^@{prompt|default|completion2|completion3...@}}
4512 @r{The arrow keys access a prompt-specific history.}
4513 %t @r{time stamp, date only}
4514 %T @r{time stamp with date and time}
4515 %u, %U @r{like the above, but inactive time stamps}
4516 %^t @r{like @code{%t}, but prompt for date. Similarly @code{%^T}, @code{%^u}, @code{%^U}}
4517 @r{You may define a prompt like @code{%^@{Birthday@}t}}
4518 %n @r{user name (taken from @code{user-full-name})}
4519 %a @r{annotation, normally the link created with @code{org-store-link}}
4520 %A @r{like @code{%a}, but prompt for the description part}
4521 %i @r{initial content, the region when remember is called with C-u.}
4522 @r{The entire text will be indented like @code{%i} itself.}
4523 %c @r{Content of the clipboard, or current kill ring head.}
4524 %^g @r{prompt for tags, with completion on tags in target file.}
4525 %^G @r{prompt for tags, with completion all tags in all agenda files.}
4526 %:keyword @r{specific information for certain link types, see below}
4527 %[pathname] @r{insert the contents of the file given by @code{pathname}}
4528 %(sexp) @r{evaluate elisp @code{(sexp)} and replace with the result}
4529 %! @r{immediately store note after completing the template}
4530 @r{(skipping the @kbd{C-c C-c} that normally triggers storing)}
4534 For specific link types, the following keywords will be
4535 defined@footnote{If you define your own link types (@pxref{Adding
4536 hyperlink types}), any property you store with
4537 @code{org-store-link-props} can be accessed in remember templates in a
4541 Link type | Available keywords
4542 -------------------+----------------------------------------------
4543 bbdb | %:name %:company
4544 vm, wl, mh, rmail | %:type %:subject %:message-id
4545 | %:from %:fromname %:fromaddress
4546 | %:to %:toname %:toaddress
4547 | %: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}.}}
4548 gnus | %:group, @r{for messages also all email fields}
4550 info | %:file %:node
4555 To place the cursor after template expansion use:
4558 %? @r{After completing the template, position cursor here.}
4562 If you change you mind about which template to use, call
4563 @code{org-remember} in the remember buffer. You may then select a new
4564 template that will be filled with the previous context information.
4566 @node Storing notes, Refiling notes, Remember templates, Remember
4567 @section Storing notes
4569 When you are finished preparing a note with @i{remember}, you have to
4570 press @kbd{C-c C-c} to file the note away. The handler will store the
4571 note in the file and under the headline specified in the template, or it
4572 will use the default file and headlines. The window configuration will
4573 be restored, sending you back to the working context before the call to
4574 @code{remember}. To re-use the location found during the last call to
4575 @code{remember}, exit the remember buffer with @kbd{C-u C-u C-c C-c},
4576 i.e. specify a double prefix argument to @kbd{C-c C-c}.
4578 If you want to store the note directly to a different place, use
4579 @kbd{C-u C-c C-c} instead to exit remember@footnote{Configure the
4580 variable @code{org-remember-store-without-prompt} to make this behavior
4581 the default.}. The handler will then first prompt for a target file -
4582 if you press @key{RET}, the value specified for the template is used.
4583 Then the command offers the headings tree of the selected file, with the
4584 cursor position at the default headline (if you had specified one in the
4585 template). You can either immediately press @key{RET} to get the note
4586 placed there. Or you can use the following keys to find a different
4589 @key{TAB} @r{Cycle visibility.}
4590 @key{down} / @key{up} @r{Next/previous visible headline.}
4591 n / p @r{Next/previous visible headline.}
4592 f / b @r{Next/previous headline same level.}
4594 @c 0-9 @r{Digit argument.}
4597 Pressing @key{RET} or @key{left} or @key{right}
4598 then leads to the following result.
4600 @multitable @columnfractions 0.2 0.15 0.65
4601 @item @b{Cursor position} @tab @b{Key} @tab @b{Note gets inserted}
4602 @item on headline @tab @key{RET} @tab as sublevel of the heading at cursor, first or last
4603 @item @tab @tab depending on @code{org-reverse-note-order}.
4604 @item @tab @key{left}/@key{right} @tab as same level, before/after current heading
4605 @item buffer-start @tab @key{RET} @tab as level 2 heading at end of file or level 1 at beginning
4606 @item @tab @tab depending on @code{org-reverse-note-order}.
4607 @item not on headline @tab @key{RET}
4608 @tab at cursor position, level taken from context.
4611 Before inserting the text into a tree, the function ensures that the
4612 text has a headline, i.e. a first line that starts with a @samp{*}. If
4613 not, a headline is constructed from the current date and some additional
4614 data. If you have indented the text of the note below the headline, the
4615 indentation will be adapted if inserting the note into the tree requires
4616 demotion from level 1.
4618 @node Refiling notes, , Storing notes, Remember
4619 @section Refiling notes
4620 @cindex refiling notes
4622 Remember is usually used to quickly capture notes and tasks into one or
4623 a few capture lists. When reviewing the captured data, you may want to
4624 refile some of the entries into a different list, for example into a
4625 project. Cutting, finding the right location and then pasting the note
4626 is cumbersome. To simplify this process, you can use the following
4632 Refile the entry at point. This command offers possible locations for
4633 refiling the entry and lets you select one with completion. The item is
4634 filed below the target heading as a subitem. Depending on
4635 @code{org-reverse-note-order}, it will be either the first of last
4636 subitem, and you can toggle the value of this variable for the duration
4637 of the command by using a @kbd{C-u} prefix.@* By default, all level 1
4638 headlines in the current buffer are considered to be targets, but you
4639 can have more complex definitions across a number of files. See the
4640 variable @code{org-refile-targets} for details. The list of targets is
4641 compiled upon first use, you can update it by using a double prefix
4642 argument (@kbd{C-u C-u}) to this command.
4645 @node Agenda views, Embedded LaTeX, Remember, Top
4646 @chapter Agenda Views
4647 @cindex agenda views
4649 Due to the way Org-mode works, TODO items, time-stamped items, and
4650 tagged headlines can be scattered throughout a file or even a number of
4651 files. To get an overview of open action items, or of events that are
4652 important for a particular date, this information must be collected,
4653 sorted and displayed in an organized way.
4655 Org-mode can select items based on various criteria, and display them
4656 in a separate buffer. Six different view types are provided:
4660 an @emph{agenda} that is like a calendar and shows information
4663 a @emph{TODO list} that covers all unfinished
4666 a @emph{tags view}, showings headlines based on
4667 the tags associated with them,
4669 a @emph{timeline view} that shows all events in a single Org-mode file,
4670 in time-sorted view,
4672 a @emph{stuck projects view} showing projects that currently don't move
4675 @emph{custom views} that are special tag/keyword searches and
4676 combinations of different views.
4680 The extracted information is displayed in a special @emph{agenda
4681 buffer}. This buffer is read-only, but provides commands to visit the
4682 corresponding locations in the original Org-mode files, and even to
4683 edit these files remotely.
4685 Two variables control how the agenda buffer is displayed and whether the
4686 window configuration is restored when the agenda exits:
4687 @code{org-agenda-window-setup} and
4688 @code{org-agenda-restore-windows-after-quit}.
4691 * Agenda files:: Files being searched for agenda information
4692 * Agenda dispatcher:: Keyboard access to agenda views
4693 * Built-in agenda views:: What is available out of the box?
4694 * Presentation and sorting:: How agenda items are prepared for display
4695 * Agenda commands:: Remote editing of org trees
4696 * Custom agenda views:: Defining special searches and views
4699 @node Agenda files, Agenda dispatcher, Agenda views, Agenda views
4700 @section Agenda files
4701 @cindex agenda files
4702 @cindex files for agenda
4704 The information to be shown is normally collected from all @emph{agenda
4705 files}, the files listed in the variable
4706 @code{org-agenda-files}@footnote{If the value of that variable is not a
4707 list, but a single file name, then the list of agenda files will be
4708 maintained in that external file.}. If a directory is part of this list,
4709 all files with the extension @file{.org} in this directory will be part
4712 Thus even if you only work with a single Org-mode file, this file should
4713 be put into that list@footnote{When using the dispatcher, pressing
4714 @kbd{<} before selecting a command will actually limit the command to
4715 the current file, and ignore @code{org-agenda-files} until the next
4716 dispatcher command.}. You can customize @code{org-agenda-files}, but
4717 the easiest way to maintain it is through the following commands
4719 @cindex files, adding to agenda list
4723 Add current file to the list of agenda files. The file is added to
4724 the front of the list. If it was already in the list, it is moved to
4725 the front. With prefix arg, file is added/moved to the end.
4728 Remove current file from the list of agenda files.
4733 Cycle through agenda file list, visiting one file after the other.
4737 The Org menu contains the current list of files and can be used
4738 to visit any of them.
4740 If you would like to focus the agenda temporarily onto a file not in
4741 this list, or onto just one file in the list or even only a subtree in a
4742 file, this can be done in different ways. For a single agenda command,
4743 you may press @kbd{<} once or several times in the dispatcher
4744 (@pxref{Agenda dispatcher}). To restrict the agenda scope for an
4745 extended period, use the following commands:
4750 Permanently restrict the agenda to the current subtree. When with a
4751 prefix argument, or with the cursor before the first headline in a file,
4752 the agenda scope is set to the entire file. This restriction remains in
4753 effect until removed with @kbd{C-c C-x >}, or by typing either @kbd{<}
4754 or @kbd{>} in the agenda dispatcher. If there is a window displaying an
4755 agenda view, the new restriction takes effect immediately.
4758 Remove the permanent restriction created by @kbd{C-c C-x <}.
4762 When working with @file{Speedbar}, you can use the following commands in
4766 @item < @r{in the speedbar frame}
4767 Permanently restrict the agenda to the item at the cursor in the
4768 speedbar frame, either an Org-mode file or a subtree in such a file.
4769 If there is a window displaying an agenda view, the new restriction takes
4772 @item > @r{in the speedbar frame}
4773 Lift the restriction again.
4776 @node Agenda dispatcher, Built-in agenda views, Agenda files, Agenda views
4777 @section The agenda dispatcher
4778 @cindex agenda dispatcher
4779 @cindex dispatching agenda commands
4780 The views are created through a dispatcher that should be bound to a
4781 global key, for example @kbd{C-c a} (@pxref{Installation}). In the
4782 following we will assume that @kbd{C-c a} is indeed how the dispatcher
4783 is accessed and list keyboard access to commands accordingly. After
4784 pressing @kbd{C-c a}, an additional letter is required to execute a
4785 command. The dispatcher offers the following default commands:
4788 Create the calendar-like agenda (@pxref{Weekly/Daily agenda}).
4790 Create a list of all TODO items (@pxref{Global TODO list}).
4792 Create a list of headlines matching a TAGS expression (@pxref{Matching
4793 tags and properties}).
4795 Create the timeline view for the current buffer (@pxref{Timeline}).
4797 Create a list of stuck projects (@pxref{Stuck projects}).
4799 Search for a regular expression in all agenda files and additionally in
4800 the files listed in @code{org-agenda-multi-occur-extra-files}. This
4801 uses the Emacs command @code{multi-occur}. A prefix argument can be
4802 used to specify the number of context lines for each match, default is
4805 Restrict an agenda command to the current buffer@footnote{For backward
4806 compatibility, you can also press @kbd{1} to restrict to the current
4807 buffer.}. After pressing @kbd{<}, you still need to press the character
4808 selecting the command.
4810 If there is an active region, restrict the following agenda command to
4811 the region. Otherwise, restrict it to the current subtree@footnote{For
4812 backward compatibility, you can also press @kbd{0} to restrict to the
4813 current buffer.}. After pressing @kbd{< <}, you still need to press the
4814 character selecting the command.
4817 You can also define custom commands that will be accessible through the
4818 dispatcher, just like the default commands. This includes the
4819 possibility to create extended agenda buffers that contain several
4820 blocks together, for example the weekly agenda, the global TODO list and
4821 a number of special tags matches. @xref{Custom agenda views}.
4823 @node Built-in agenda views, Presentation and sorting, Agenda dispatcher, Agenda views
4824 @section The built-in agenda views
4826 In this section we describe the built-in views.
4829 * Weekly/Daily agenda:: The calendar page with current tasks
4830 * Global TODO list:: All unfinished action items
4831 * Matching tags and properties:: Structured information with fine-tuned search
4832 * Timeline:: Time-sorted view for single file
4833 * Stuck projects:: Find projects you need to review
4836 @node Weekly/Daily agenda, Global TODO list, Built-in agenda views, Built-in agenda views
4837 @subsection The weekly/daily agenda
4839 @cindex weekly agenda
4840 @cindex daily agenda
4842 The purpose of the weekly/daily @emph{agenda} is to act like a page of a
4843 paper agenda, showing all the tasks for the current week or day.
4846 @cindex org-agenda, command
4849 Compile an agenda for the current week from a list of org files. The
4850 agenda shows the entries for each day. With a numeric
4851 prefix@footnote{For backward compatibility, the universal prefix
4852 @kbd{C-u} causes all TODO entries to be listed before the agenda. This
4853 feature is deprecated, use the dedicated TODO list, or a block agenda
4854 instead.} (like @kbd{C-u 2 1 C-c a a}) you may set the number of days
4855 to be displayed (see also the variable @code{org-agenda-ndays})
4858 Remote editing from the agenda buffer means, for example, that you can
4859 change the dates of deadlines and appointments from the agenda buffer.
4860 The commands available in the Agenda buffer are listed in @ref{Agenda
4863 @subsubheading Calendar/Diary integration
4864 @cindex calendar integration
4865 @cindex diary integration
4867 Emacs contains the calendar and diary by Edward M. Reingold. The
4868 calendar displays a three-month calendar with holidays from different
4869 countries and cultures. The diary allows you to keep track of
4870 anniversaries, lunar phases, sunrise/set, recurrent appointments
4871 (weekly, monthly) and more. In this way, it is quite complementary to
4872 Org-mode. It can be very useful to combine output from Org-mode with
4875 In order to include entries from the Emacs diary into Org-mode's
4876 agenda, you only need to customize the variable
4879 (setq org-agenda-include-diary t)
4882 @noindent After that, everything will happen automatically. All diary
4883 entries including holidays, anniversaries etc will be included in the
4884 agenda buffer created by Org-mode. @key{SPC}, @key{TAB}, and
4885 @key{RET} can be used from the agenda buffer to jump to the diary
4886 file in order to edit existing diary entries. The @kbd{i} command to
4887 insert new entries for the current date works in the agenda buffer, as
4888 well as the commands @kbd{S}, @kbd{M}, and @kbd{C} to display
4889 Sunrise/Sunset times, show lunar phases and to convert to other
4890 calendars, respectively. @kbd{c} can be used to switch back and forth
4891 between calendar and agenda.
4893 If you are using the diary only for sexp entries and holidays, it is
4894 faster to not use the above setting, but instead to copy or even move
4895 the entries into an Org-mode file. Org-mode evaluates diary-style sexp
4896 entries, and does it faster because there is no overhead for first
4897 creating the diary display. Note that the sexp entries must start at
4898 the left margin, no white space is allowed before them. For example,
4899 the following segment of an Org-mode file will be processed and entries
4900 will be made in the agenda:
4903 * Birthdays and similar stuff
4905 %%(org-calendar-holiday) ; special function for holiday names
4907 %%(diary-anniversary 14 5 1956) Arthur Dent is %d years old
4908 %%(diary-anniversary 2 10 1869) Mahatma Gandhi would be %d years old
4911 @subsubheading Appointment reminders
4912 @cindex @file{appt.el}
4913 @cindex appointment reminders
4915 Org can interact with Emacs appointments notification facility.
4917 To add all the appointments of your agenda files, use the command
4918 @code{org-agenda-to-appt}. This commands also lets you filter through
4919 the list of your appointments and add only those belonging to a specific
4920 category or matching a regular expression. See the docstring for
4923 @node Global TODO list, Matching tags and properties, Weekly/Daily agenda, Built-in agenda views
4924 @subsection The global TODO list
4925 @cindex global TODO list
4926 @cindex TODO list, global
4928 The global TODO list contains all unfinished TODO items, formatted and
4929 collected into a single place.
4934 Show the global TODO list. This collects the TODO items from all
4935 agenda files (@pxref{Agenda views}) into a single buffer. The buffer is in
4936 @code{agenda-mode}, so there are commands to examine and manipulate
4937 the TODO entries directly from that buffer (@pxref{Agenda commands}).
4940 @cindex TODO keyword matching
4941 Like the above, but allows selection of a specific TODO keyword. You
4942 can also do this by specifying a prefix argument to @kbd{C-c a t}. With
4943 a @kbd{C-u} prefix you are prompted for a keyword, and you may also
4944 specify several keywords by separating them with @samp{|} as boolean OR
4945 operator. With a numeric prefix, the Nth keyword in
4946 @code{org-todo-keywords} is selected.
4948 The @kbd{r} key in the agenda buffer regenerates it, and you can give
4949 a prefix argument to this command to change the selected TODO keyword,
4950 for example @kbd{3 r}. If you often need a search for a specific
4951 keyword, define a custom command for it (@pxref{Agenda dispatcher}).@*
4952 Matching specific TODO keywords can also be done as part of a tags
4953 search (@pxref{Tag searches}).
4956 Remote editing of TODO items means that you can change the state of a
4957 TODO entry with a single key press. The commands available in the
4958 TODO list are described in @ref{Agenda commands}.
4960 @cindex sublevels, inclusion into todo list
4961 Normally the global todo list simply shows all headlines with TODO
4962 keywords. This list can become very long. There are two ways to keep
4966 Some people view a TODO item that has been @emph{scheduled} for
4967 execution (@pxref{Time stamps}) as no longer @emph{open}. Configure the
4968 variable @code{org-agenda-todo-ignore-scheduled} to exclude scheduled
4969 items from the global TODO list.
4971 TODO items may have sublevels to break up the task into subtasks. In
4972 such cases it may be enough to list only the highest level TODO headline
4973 and omit the sublevels from the global list. Configure the variable
4974 @code{org-agenda-todo-list-sublevels} to get this behavior.
4977 @node Matching tags and properties, Timeline, Global TODO list, Built-in agenda views
4978 @subsection Matching Tags and Properties
4979 @cindex matching, of tags
4980 @cindex matching, of properties
4983 If headlines in the agenda files are marked with @emph{tags}
4984 (@pxref{Tags}), you can select headlines based on the tags that apply
4985 to them and collect them into an agenda buffer.
4990 Produce a list of all headlines that match a given set of tags. The
4991 command prompts for a selection criterion, which is a boolean logic
4992 expression with tags, like @samp{+work+urgent-withboss} or
4993 @samp{work|home} (@pxref{Tags}). If you often need a specific search,
4994 define a custom command for it (@pxref{Agenda dispatcher}).
4997 Like @kbd{C-c a m}, but only select headlines that are also TODO items
4998 and force checking subitems (see variable
4999 @code{org-tags-match-list-sublevels}). Matching specific todo keywords
5000 together with a tags match is also possible, see @ref{Tag searches}.
5003 The commands available in the tags list are described in @ref{Agenda
5006 @node Timeline, Stuck projects, Matching tags and properties, Built-in agenda views
5007 @subsection Timeline for a single file
5008 @cindex timeline, single file
5009 @cindex time-sorted view
5011 The timeline summarizes all time-stamped items from a single Org-mode
5012 file in a @emph{time-sorted view}. The main purpose of this command is
5013 to give an overview over events in a project.
5018 Show a time-sorted view of the org file, with all time-stamped items.
5019 When called with a @kbd{C-u} prefix, all unfinished TODO entries
5020 (scheduled or not) are also listed under the current date.
5024 The commands available in the timeline buffer are listed in
5025 @ref{Agenda commands}.
5028 @node Stuck projects, , Timeline, Built-in agenda views
5029 @subsection Stuck projects
5031 If you are following a system like David Allen's GTD to organize your
5032 work, one of the ``duties'' you have is a regular review to make sure
5033 that all projects move along. A @emph{stuck} project is a project that
5034 has no defined next actions, so it will never show up in the TODO lists
5035 Org-mode produces. During the review, you need to identify such
5036 projects and define next actions for them.
5041 List projects that are stuck.
5044 Customize the variable @code{org-stuck-projects} to define what a stuck
5045 project is and how to find it.
5048 You almost certainly will have to configure this view before it will
5049 work for you. The built-in default assumes that all your projects are
5050 level-2 headlines, and that a project is not stuck if it has at least
5051 one entry marked with a todo keyword TODO or NEXT or NEXTACTION.
5053 Lets assume that you, in your own way of using Org-mode, identify
5054 projects with a tag PROJECT, and that you use a todo keyword MAYBE to
5055 indicate a project that should not be considered yet. Lets further
5056 assume that the todo keyword DONE marks finished projects, and that NEXT
5057 and TODO indicate next actions. The tag @@SHOP indicates shopping and
5058 is a next action even without the NEXT tag. Finally, if the project
5059 contains the special word IGNORE anywhere, it should not be listed
5060 either. In this case you would start by identifying eligible projects
5061 with a tags/todo match @samp{+PROJECT/-MAYBE-DONE}, and then check for
5062 TODO, NEXT, @@SHOP, and IGNORE in the subtree to identify projects that
5063 are not stuck. The correct customization for this is
5066 (setq org-stuck-projects
5067 '("+PROJECT/-MAYBE-DONE" ("NEXT" "TODO") ("@@SHOP")
5072 @node Presentation and sorting, Agenda commands, Built-in agenda views, Agenda views
5073 @section Presentation and sorting
5074 @cindex presentation, of agenda items
5076 Before displaying items in an agenda view, Org-mode visually prepares
5077 the items and sorts them. Each item occupies a single line. The line
5078 starts with a @emph{prefix} that contains the @emph{category}
5079 (@pxref{Categories}) of the item and other important information. You can
5080 customize the prefix using the option @code{org-agenda-prefix-format}.
5081 The prefix is followed by a cleaned-up version of the outline headline
5082 associated with the item.
5085 * Categories:: Not all tasks are equal
5086 * Time-of-day specifications:: How the agenda knows the time
5087 * Sorting of agenda items:: The order of things
5090 @node Categories, Time-of-day specifications, Presentation and sorting, Presentation and sorting
5091 @subsection Categories
5094 The category is a broad label assigned to each agenda item. By default,
5095 the category is simply derived from the file name, but you can also
5096 specify it with a special line in the buffer, like this@footnote{For
5097 backward compatibility, the following also works: If there are several
5098 such lines in a file, each specifies the category for the text below it.
5099 The first category also applies to any text before the first CATEGORY
5100 line. However, using this method is @emph{strongly} deprecated as it is
5101 incompatible with the outline structure of the document. The correct
5102 method for setting multiple categories in a buffer is using a
5110 If you would like to have a special CATEGORY for a single entry or a
5111 (sub)tree, give the entry a @code{:CATEGORY:} property with the location
5112 as the value (@pxref{Properties and columns}).
5115 The display in the agenda buffer looks best if the category is not
5116 longer than 10 characters.
5118 @node Time-of-day specifications, Sorting of agenda items, Categories, Presentation and sorting
5119 @subsection Time-of-Day Specifications
5120 @cindex time-of-day specification
5122 Org-mode checks each agenda item for a time-of-day specification. The
5123 time can be part of the time stamp that triggered inclusion into the
5124 agenda, for example as in @w{@samp{<2005-05-10 Tue 19:00>}}. Time
5125 ranges can be specified with two time stamps, like
5127 @w{@samp{<2005-05-10 Tue 20:30>--<2005-05-10 Tue 22:15>}}.
5129 In the headline of the entry itself, a time(range) may also appear as
5130 plain text (like @samp{12:45} or a @samp{8:30-1pm}. If the agenda
5131 integrates the Emacs diary (@pxref{Weekly/Daily agenda}), time
5132 specifications in diary entries are recognized as well.
5134 For agenda display, Org-mode extracts the time and displays it in a
5135 standard 24 hour format as part of the prefix. The example times in
5136 the previous paragraphs would end up in the agenda like this:
5139 8:30-13:00 Arthur Dent lies in front of the bulldozer
5140 12:45...... Ford Prefect arrives and takes Arthur to the pub
5141 19:00...... The Vogon reads his poem
5142 20:30-22:15 Marwin escorts the Hitchhikers to the bridge
5146 If the agenda is in single-day mode, or for the display of today, the
5147 timed entries are embedded in a time grid, like
5150 8:00...... ------------------
5151 8:30-13:00 Arthur Dent lies in front of the bulldozer
5152 10:00...... ------------------
5153 12:00...... ------------------
5154 12:45...... Ford Prefect arrives and takes Arthur to the pub
5155 14:00...... ------------------
5156 16:00...... ------------------
5157 18:00...... ------------------
5158 19:00...... The Vogon reads his poem
5159 20:00...... ------------------
5160 20:30-22:15 Marwin escorts the Hitchhikers to the bridge
5163 The time grid can be turned on and off with the variable
5164 @code{org-agenda-use-time-grid}, and can be configured with
5165 @code{org-agenda-time-grid}.
5167 @node Sorting of agenda items, , Time-of-day specifications, Presentation and sorting
5168 @subsection Sorting of agenda items
5169 @cindex sorting, of agenda items
5170 @cindex priorities, of agenda items
5171 Before being inserted into a view, the items are sorted. How this is
5172 done depends on the type of view.
5175 For the daily/weekly agenda, the items for each day are sorted. The
5176 default order is to first collect all items containing an explicit
5177 time-of-day specification. These entries will be shown at the beginning
5178 of the list, as a @emph{schedule} for the day. After that, items remain
5179 grouped in categories, in the sequence given by @code{org-agenda-files}.
5180 Within each category, items are sorted by priority (@pxref{Priorities}),
5181 which is composed of the base priority (2000 for priority @samp{A}, 1000
5182 for @samp{B}, and 0 for @samp{C}), plus additional increments for
5183 overdue scheduled or deadline items.
5185 For the TODO list, items remain in the order of categories, but within
5186 each category, sorting takes place according to priority
5187 (@pxref{Priorities}).
5189 For tags matches, items are not sorted at all, but just appear in the
5190 sequence in which they are found in the agenda files.
5193 Sorting can be customized using the variable
5194 @code{org-agenda-sorting-strategy}.
5197 @node Agenda commands, Custom agenda views, Presentation and sorting, Agenda views
5198 @section Commands in the agenda buffer
5199 @cindex commands, in agenda buffer
5201 Entries in the agenda buffer are linked back to the org file or diary
5202 file where they originate. You are not allowed to edit the agenda
5203 buffer itself, but commands are provided to show and jump to the
5204 original entry location, and to edit the org-files ``remotely'' from
5205 the agenda buffer. In this way, all information is stored only once,
5206 removing the risk that your agenda and note files may diverge.
5208 Some commands can be executed with mouse clicks on agenda lines. For
5209 the other commands, the cursor needs to be in the desired line.
5212 @tsubheading{Motion}
5213 @cindex motion commands in agenda
5216 Next line (same as @key{up} and @kbd{C-p}).
5219 Previous line (same as @key{down} and @kbd{C-n}).
5220 @tsubheading{View/GoTo org file}
5225 Display the original location of the item in another window.
5229 Display original location and recenter that window.
5237 Go to the original location of the item in another window. Under Emacs
5238 22, @kbd{mouse-1} will also works for this.
5242 Go to the original location of the item and delete other windows.
5246 Toggle Follow mode. In Follow mode, as you move the cursor through
5247 the agenda buffer, the other window always shows the corresponding
5248 location in the org file. The initial setting for this mode in new
5249 agenda buffers can be set with the variable
5250 @code{org-agenda-start-with-follow-mode}.
5254 Display the entire subtree of the current item in an indirect buffer.
5255 With numerical prefix ARG, go up to this level and then take that tree.
5256 If ARG is negative, go up that many levels. With @kbd{C-u} prefix, do
5257 not remove the previously used indirect buffer.
5261 Toggle Logbook mode. In Logbook mode, entries that where marked DONE while
5262 logging was on (variable @code{org-log-done}) are shown in the agenda,
5263 as are entries that have been clocked on that day.
5265 @tsubheading{Change display}
5266 @cindex display changing, in agenda
5269 Delete other windows.
5276 Switch to day/week/month/year view. When switching to day or week view,
5277 this setting becomes the default for subseqent agenda commands. Since
5278 month and year views are slow to create, the do not become the default.
5282 Toggle the inclusion of diary entries. See @ref{Weekly/Daily agenda}.
5286 Toggle the time grid on and off. See also the variables
5287 @code{org-agenda-use-time-grid} and @code{org-agenda-time-grid}.
5291 Recreate the agenda buffer, for example to reflect the changes
5292 after modification of the time stamps of items with S-@key{left} and
5293 S-@key{right}. When the buffer is the global todo list, a prefix
5294 argument is interpreted to create a selective list for a specific TODO
5301 Save all Org-mode buffers in the current Emacs session.
5305 Display the following @code{org-agenda-ndays} days. For example, if
5306 the display covers a week, switch to the following week. With prefix
5307 arg, go forward that many times @code{org-agenda-ndays} days.
5311 Display the previous dates.
5317 @tsubheading{Remote editing}
5318 @cindex remote editing, from agenda
5323 @cindex undoing remote-editing events
5324 @cindex remote editing, undo
5327 Undo a change due to a remote editing command. The change is undone
5328 both in the agenda buffer and in the remote buffer.
5332 Change the TODO state of the item, both in the agenda and in the
5337 Delete the current agenda item along with the entire subtree belonging
5338 to it in the original Org-mode file. If the text to be deleted remotely
5339 is longer than one line, the kill needs to be confirmed by the user. See
5340 variable @code{org-agenda-confirm-kill}.
5344 Archive the subtree corresponding to the current headline.
5348 Show all tags associated with the current item. Because of
5349 inheritance, this may be more than the tags listed in the line itself.
5353 Set tags for the current headline. If there is an active region in the
5354 agenda, change a tag for all headings in the region.
5358 Toggle the ARCHIVE tag for the current headline.
5362 Set the priority for the current item. Org-mode prompts for the
5363 priority character. If you reply with @key{SPC}, the priority cookie
5364 is removed from the entry.
5368 Display weighted priority of current item.
5374 Increase the priority of the current item. The priority is changed in
5375 the original buffer, but the agenda is not resorted. Use the @kbd{r}
5379 @kindex S-@key{down}
5382 Decrease the priority of the current item.
5390 Set a deadline for this item.
5392 @kindex S-@key{right}
5394 Change the time stamp associated with the current line by one day into
5395 the future. With prefix argument, change it by that many days. For
5396 example, @kbd{3 6 5 S-@key{right}} will change it by a year. The
5397 stamp is changed in the original org file, but the change is not
5398 directly reflected in the agenda buffer. Use the
5399 @kbd{r} key to update the buffer.
5401 @kindex S-@key{left}
5403 Change the time stamp associated with the current line by one day
5408 Change the time stamp associated with the current line to today.
5409 The key @kbd{>} has been chosen, because it is the same as @kbd{S-.}
5414 Start the clock on the current item. If a clock is running already, it
5419 Stop the previously started clock.
5423 Cancel the currently running clock.
5427 Jump to the running clock in another window.
5429 @tsubheading{Calendar commands}
5430 @cindex calendar commands, from agenda
5433 Open the Emacs calendar and move to the date at the agenda cursor.
5436 When in the calendar, compute and show the Org-mode agenda for the
5439 @cindex diary entries, creating from agenda
5442 Insert a new entry into the diary. Prompts for the type of entry
5443 (day, weekly, monthly, yearly, anniversary, cyclic) and creates a new
5444 entry in the diary, just as @kbd{i d} etc. would do in the calendar.
5445 The date is taken from the cursor position.
5449 Show the phases of the moon for the three months around current date.
5453 Show sunrise and sunset times. The geographical location must be set
5454 with calendar variables, see documentation of the Emacs calendar.
5458 Convert the date at cursor into many other cultural and historic
5463 Show holidays for three month around the cursor date.
5465 @c FIXME: This should be a different key.
5468 Export a single iCalendar file containing entries from all agenda files.
5470 @tsubheading{Exporting to a file}
5473 @cindex exporting agenda views
5474 @cindex agenda views, exporting
5475 Write the agenda view to a file. Depending on the extension of the
5476 selected file name, the view will be exported as HTML (extension
5477 @file{.html} or @file{.htm}), Postscript (extension @file{.ps}), or
5478 plain text (any other extension). Use the variable
5479 @code{org-agenda-exporter-settings} to set options for @file{ps-print}
5480 and for @file{htmlize} to be used during export.
5482 @tsubheading{Quit and Exit}
5485 Quit agenda, remove the agenda buffer.
5488 @cindex agenda files, removing buffers
5490 Exit agenda, remove the agenda buffer and all buffers loaded by Emacs
5491 for the compilation of the agenda. Buffers created by the user to
5492 visit org files will not be removed.
5496 @node Custom agenda views, , Agenda commands, Agenda views
5497 @section Custom agenda views
5498 @cindex custom agenda views
5499 @cindex agenda views, custom
5501 Custom agenda commands serve two purposes: to store and quickly access
5502 frequently used TODO and tags searches, and to create special composite
5503 agenda buffers. Custom agenda commands will be accessible through the
5504 dispatcher (@pxref{Agenda dispatcher}), just like the default commands.
5507 * Storing searches:: Type once, use often
5508 * Block agenda:: All the stuff you need in a single buffer
5509 * Setting Options:: Changing the rules
5510 * Exporting Agenda Views:: Writing agendas to files.
5511 * Extracting Agenda Information for other programs::
5514 @node Storing searches, Block agenda, Custom agenda views, Custom agenda views
5515 @subsection Storing searches
5517 The first application of custom searches is the definition of keyboard
5518 shortcuts for frequently used searches, either creating an agenda
5519 buffer, or a sparse tree (the latter covering of course only the current
5522 Custom commands are configured in the variable
5523 @code{org-agenda-custom-commands}. You can customize this variable, for
5524 example by pressing @kbd{C-c a C}. You can also directly set it with
5525 Emacs Lisp in @file{.emacs}. The following example contains all valid
5530 (setq org-agenda-custom-commands
5531 '(("w" todo "WAITING")
5532 ("W" todo-tree "WAITING")
5533 ("u" tags "+boss-urgent")
5534 ("v" tags-todo "+boss-urgent")
5535 ("U" tags-tree "+boss-urgent")
5536 ("f" occur-tree "\\<FIXME\\>")
5537 ("h" . "HOME+Name tags searches") ; description for "h" prefix
5538 ("hl" tags "+home+Lisa")
5539 ("hp" tags "+home+Peter")
5540 ("hk" tags "+home+Kim")))
5545 The initial string in each entry defines the keys you have to press
5546 after the dispatcher command @kbd{C-c a} in order to access the command.
5547 Usually this will be just a single character, but if you have many
5548 similar commands, you can also define two-letter combinations where the
5549 first character is the same in several combinations and serves as a
5550 prefix key@footnote{You can provide a description for a prefix key by
5551 inserting a cons cell with the prefix and the description.}. The second
5552 parameter is the search type, followed by the string or regular
5553 expression to be used for the matching. The example above will
5558 as a global search for TODO entries with @samp{WAITING} as the TODO
5561 as the same search, but only in the current buffer and displaying the
5562 results as a sparse tree
5564 as a global tags search for headlines marked @samp{:boss:} but not
5567 as the same search as @kbd{C-c a u}, but limiting the search to
5568 headlines that are also TODO items
5570 as the same search as @kbd{C-c a u}, but only in the current buffer and
5571 displaying the result as a sparse tree
5573 to create a sparse tree (again: current buffer only) with all entries
5574 containing the word @samp{FIXME}
5576 as a prefix command for a HOME tags search where you have to press an
5577 additional key (@kbd{l}, @kbd{p} or @kbd{k}) to select a name (Lisa,
5578 Peter, or Kim) as additional tag to match.
5581 @node Block agenda, Setting Options, Storing searches, Custom agenda views
5582 @subsection Block agenda
5583 @cindex block agenda
5584 @cindex agenda, with block views
5586 Another possibility is the construction of agenda views that comprise
5587 the results of @emph{several} commands, each of which creates a block in
5588 the agenda buffer. The available commands include @code{agenda} for the
5589 daily or weekly agenda (as created with @kbd{C-c a a}), @code{alltodo}
5590 for the global todo list (as constructed with @kbd{C-c a t}), and the
5591 matching commands discussed above: @code{todo}, @code{tags}, and
5592 @code{tags-todo}. Here are two examples:
5596 (setq org-agenda-custom-commands
5597 '(("h" "Agenda and Home-related tasks"
5601 ("o" "Agenda and Office-related tasks"
5609 This will define @kbd{C-c a h} to create a multi-block view for stuff
5610 you need to attend to at home. The resulting agenda buffer will contain
5611 your agenda for the current week, all TODO items that carry the tag
5612 @samp{home}, and also all lines tagged with @samp{garden}. Finally the
5613 command @kbd{C-c a o} provides a similar view for office tasks.
5616 @node Setting Options, Exporting Agenda Views, Block agenda, Custom agenda views
5617 @subsection Setting Options for custom commands
5618 @cindex options, for custom agenda views
5620 Org-mode contains a number of variables regulating agenda construction
5621 and display. The global variables define the behavior for all agenda
5622 commands, including the custom commands. However, if you want to change
5623 some settings just for a single custom view, you can do so. Setting
5624 options requires inserting a list of variable names and values at the
5625 right spot in @code{org-agenda-custom-commands}. For example:
5629 (setq org-agenda-custom-commands
5630 '(("w" todo "WAITING"
5631 ((org-agenda-sorting-strategy '(priority-down))
5632 (org-agenda-prefix-format " Mixed: ")))
5633 ("U" tags-tree "+boss-urgent"
5634 ((org-show-following-heading nil)
5635 (org-show-hierarchy-above nil)))))
5640 Now the @kbd{C-c a w} command will sort the collected entries only by
5641 priority, and the prefix format is modified to just say @samp{ Mixed: }
5642 instead of giving the category of the entry. The sparse tags tree of
5643 @kbd{C-c a U} will now turn out ultra-compact, because neither the
5644 headline hierarchy above the match, nor the headline following the match
5647 For command sets creating a block agenda,
5648 @code{org-agenda-custom-commands} has two separate spots for setting
5649 options. You can add options that should be valid for just a single
5650 command in the set, and options that should be valid for all commands in
5651 the set. The former are just added to the command entry, the latter
5652 must come after the list of command entries. Going back to the block
5653 agenda example (@pxref{Block agenda}), let's change the sorting strategy
5654 for the @kbd{C-c a h} commands to @code{priority-down}, but let's sort
5655 the results for GARDEN tags query in the opposite order,
5656 @code{priority-up}. This would look like this:
5660 (setq org-agenda-custom-commands
5661 '(("h" "Agenda and Home-related tasks"
5665 ((org-agenda-sorting-strategy '(priority-up)))))
5666 ((org-agenda-sorting-strategy '(priority-down))))
5667 ("o" "Agenda and Office-related tasks"
5674 As you see, the values and parenthesis setting is a little complex.
5675 When in doubt, use the customize interface to set this variable - it
5676 fully supports its structure. Just one caveat: When setting options in
5677 this interface, the @emph{values} are just lisp expressions. So if the
5678 value is a string, you need to add the double quotes around the value
5682 @node Exporting Agenda Views, Extracting Agenda Information for other programs, Setting Options, Custom agenda views
5683 @subsection Exporting Agenda Views
5684 @cindex agenda views, exporting
5686 If you are away from your computer, it can be very useful to have a
5687 printed version of some agenda views to carry around. Org-mode can
5688 export custom agenda views as plain text, HTML@footnote{You need to
5689 install Hrvoje Niksic' @file{htmlize.el}.} and postscript. If you want
5690 to do this only occasionally, use the command
5695 @cindex exporting agenda views
5696 @cindex agenda views, exporting
5697 Write the agenda view to a file. Depending on the extension of the
5698 selected file name, the view will be exported as HTML (extension
5699 @file{.html} or @file{.htm}), Postscript (extension @file{.ps}), or
5700 plain text (any other extension). Use the variable
5701 @code{org-agenda-exporter-settings} to set options for @file{ps-print}
5702 and for @file{htmlize} to be used during export, for example
5704 (setq org-agenda-exporter-settings
5705 '((ps-number-of-columns 2)
5706 (ps-landscape-mode t)
5707 (htmlize-output-type 'css)))
5711 If you need to export certain agenda views frequently, you can associate
5712 any custom agenda command with a list of output file names
5713 @footnote{If you want to store standard views like the weekly agenda
5714 or the global TODO list as well, you need to define custom commands for
5715 them in order to be able to specify filenames.}. Here is an example
5716 that first does define custom commands for the agenda and the global
5717 todo list, together with a number of files to which to export them.
5718 Then we define two block agenda commands and specify filenames for them
5719 as well. File names can be relative to the current working directory,
5724 (setq org-agenda-custom-commands
5725 '(("X" agenda "" nil ("agenda.html" "agenda.ps"))
5726 ("Y" alltodo "" nil ("todo.html" "todo.txt" "todo.ps"))
5727 ("h" "Agenda and Home-related tasks"
5732 ("~/views/home.html"))
5733 ("o" "Agenda and Office-related tasks"
5738 ("~/views/office.ps"))))
5742 The extension of the file name determines the type of export. If it is
5743 @file{.html}, Org-mode will use the @file{htmlize.el} package to convert
5744 the buffer to HTML and save it to this file name. If the extension is
5745 @file{.ps}, @code{ps-print-buffer-with-faces} is used to produce
5746 postscript output. Any other extension produces a plain ASCII file.
5748 The export files are @emph{not} created when you use one of those
5749 commands interactively. Instead, there is a special command to produce
5750 @emph{all} specified files in one step:
5755 Export all agenda views that have export filenames associated with
5759 You can use the options section of the custom agenda commands to also
5760 set options for the export commands. For example:
5763 (setq org-agenda-custom-commands
5765 ((ps-number-of-columns 2)
5766 (ps-landscape-mode t)
5767 (org-agenda-prefix-format " [ ] ")
5768 (org-agenda-with-colors nil)
5769 (org-agenda-remove-tags t))
5774 This command sets two options for the postscript exporter, to make it
5775 print in two columns in landscape format - the resulting page can be cut
5776 in two and then used in a paper agenda. The remaining settings modify
5777 the agenda prefix to omit category and scheduling information, and
5778 instead include a checkbox to check off items. We also remove the tags
5779 to make the lines compact, and we don't want to use colors for the
5780 black-and-white printer. Settings specified in
5781 @code{org-agenda-exporter-settings} will also apply, but the settings
5782 in @code{org-agenda-custom-commands} take precedence.
5785 From the command line you may also use
5787 emacs -f org-batch-store-agenda-views -kill
5790 or, if you need to modify some parameters
5792 emacs -eval '(org-batch-store-agenda-views \
5793 org-agenda-ndays 30 \
5794 org-agenda-start-day "2007-11-01" \
5795 org-agenda-include-diary nil \
5796 org-agenda-files (quote ("~/org/project.org")))' \
5800 which will create the agenda views restricted to the file
5801 @file{~/org/project.org}, without diary entries and with 30 days
5804 @node Extracting Agenda Information for other programs, , Exporting Agenda Views, Custom agenda views
5805 @subsection Extracting Agenda Information for other programs
5806 @cindex agenda, pipe
5807 @cindex Scripts, for agenda processing
5809 Org-mode provides commands to access agenda information for the command
5810 line in emacs batch mode. This extracted information can be sent
5811 directly to a printer, or it can be read by a program that does further
5812 processing of the data. The first of these commands is the function
5813 @code{org-batch-agenda}, that produces an agenda view and sends it as
5814 ASCII text to STDOUT. The command takes a single string as parameter.
5815 If the string has length 1, it is used as a key to one of the commands
5816 you have configured in @code{org-agenda-custom-commands}, basically any
5817 key you can use after @kbd{C-c a}. For example, to directly print the
5818 current TODO list, you could use
5821 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -eval '(org-batch-agenda "t")' | lpr
5824 If the parameter is a string with 2 or more characters, it is used as a
5825 tags/todo match string. For example, to print your local shopping list
5826 (all items with the tag @samp{shop}, but excluding the tag
5827 @samp{NewYork}), you could use
5830 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs \
5831 -eval '(org-batch-agenda "+shop-NewYork")' | lpr
5835 You may also modify parameters on the fly like this:
5838 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs \
5839 -eval '(org-batch-agenda "a" \
5840 org-agenda-ndays 30 \
5841 org-agenda-include-diary nil \
5842 org-agenda-files (quote ("~/org/project.org")))' \
5847 which will produce a 30 day agenda, fully restricted to the Org file
5848 @file{~/org/projects.org}, not even including the diary.
5850 If you want to process the agenda data in more sophisticated ways, you
5851 can use the command @code{org-batch-agenda-csv} to get a comma-separated
5852 list of values for each agenda item. Each line in the output will
5853 contain a number of fields separated by commas. The fields in a line
5857 category @r{The category of the item}
5858 head @r{The headline, without TODO kwd, TAGS and PRIORITY}
5859 type @r{The type of the agenda entry, can be}
5860 todo @r{selected in TODO match}
5861 tagsmatch @r{selected in tags match}
5862 diary @r{imported from diary}
5863 deadline @r{a deadline}
5864 scheduled @r{scheduled}
5865 timestamp @r{appointment, selected by timestamp}
5866 closed @r{entry was closed on date}
5867 upcoming-deadline @r{warning about nearing deadline}
5868 past-scheduled @r{forwarded scheduled item}
5869 block @r{entry has date block including date}
5870 todo @r{The todo keyword, if any}
5871 tags @r{All tags including inherited ones, separated by colons}
5872 date @r{The relevant date, like 2007-2-14}
5873 time @r{The time, like 15:00-16:50}
5874 extra @r{String with extra planning info}
5875 priority-l @r{The priority letter if any was given}
5876 priority-n @r{The computed numerical priority}
5880 Time and date will only be given if a timestamp (or deadline/scheduled)
5881 lead to the selection of the item.
5883 A CSV list like this is very easy to use in a post processing script.
5884 For example, here is a Perl program that gets the TODO list from
5885 Emacs/org-mode and prints all the items, preceded by a checkbox:
5891 # define the Emacs command to run
5892 $cmd = "emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -eval '(org-batch-agenda-csv \"t\")'";
5894 # run it and capture the output
5895 $agenda = qx@{$cmd 2>/dev/null@};
5897 # loop over all lines
5898 foreach $line (split(/\n/,$agenda)) @{
5900 # get the individual values
5901 ($category,$head,$type,$todo,$tags,$date,$time,$extra,
5902 $priority_l,$priority_n) = split(/,/,$line);
5904 # proccess and print
5905 print "[ ] $head\n";
5910 @node Embedded LaTeX, Exporting, Agenda views, Top
5911 @chapter Embedded LaTeX
5912 @cindex @TeX{} interpretation
5913 @cindex La@TeX{} interpretation
5915 Plain ASCII is normally sufficient for almost all note taking. One
5916 exception, however, are scientific notes which need to be able to
5917 contain mathematical symbols and the occasional formula.
5918 La@TeX{}@footnote{La@TeX{} is a macro system based on Donald E. Knuth's
5919 @TeX{} system. Many of the features described here as ``La@TeX{}'' are
5920 really from @TeX{}, but for simplicity I am blurring this distinction.}
5921 is widely used to typeset scientific documents. Org-mode supports
5922 embedding La@TeX{} code into its files, because many academics are used
5923 to read La@TeX{} source code, and because it can be readily processed
5924 into images for HTML production.
5926 It is not necessary to mark La@TeX{} macros and code in any special way.
5927 If you observe a few conventions, Org-mode knows how to find it and what
5931 * Math symbols:: TeX macros for symbols and Greek letters
5932 * Subscripts and Superscripts:: Simple syntax for raising/lowering text
5933 * LaTeX fragments:: Complex formulas made easy
5934 * Processing LaTeX fragments:: Previewing LaTeX processing
5935 * CDLaTeX mode:: Speed up entering of formulas
5938 @node Math symbols, Subscripts and Superscripts, Embedded LaTeX, Embedded LaTeX
5939 @section Math symbols
5940 @cindex math symbols
5943 You can use La@TeX{} macros to insert special symbols like @samp{\alpha}
5944 to indicate the Greek letter, or @samp{\to} to indicate an arrow.
5945 Completion for these macros is available, just type @samp{\} and maybe a
5946 few letters, and press @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} to see possible completions.
5947 Unlike La@TeX{} code, Org-mode allows these macros to be present
5948 without surrounding math delimiters, for example:
5951 Angles are written as Greek letters \alpha, \beta and \gamma.
5954 During HTML export (@pxref{HTML export}), these symbols are translated
5955 into the proper syntax for HTML, for the above examples this is
5956 @samp{α} and @samp{→}, respectively.
5958 @node Subscripts and Superscripts, LaTeX fragments, Math symbols, Embedded LaTeX
5959 @section Subscripts and Superscripts
5963 Just like in La@TeX{}, @samp{^} and @samp{_} are used to indicate super-
5964 and subscripts. Again, these can be used without embedding them in
5965 math-mode delimiters. To increase the readability of ASCII text, it is
5966 not necessary (but OK) to surround multi-character sub- and superscripts
5967 with curly braces. For example
5970 The mass if the sun is M_sun = 1.989 x 10^30 kg. The radius of
5971 the sun is R_@{sun@} = 6.96 x 10^8 m.
5974 To avoid interpretation as raised or lowered text, you can quote
5975 @samp{^} and @samp{_} with a backslash: @samp{\_} and @samp{\^}.
5977 During HTML export (@pxref{HTML export}), subscript and superscripts
5978 are surrounded with @code{<sub>} and @code{<sup>} tags, respectively.
5980 @node LaTeX fragments, Processing LaTeX fragments, Subscripts and Superscripts, Embedded LaTeX
5981 @section LaTeX fragments
5982 @cindex LaTeX fragments
5984 With symbols, sub- and superscripts, HTML is pretty much at its end when
5985 it comes to representing mathematical formulas@footnote{Yes, there is
5986 MathML, but that is not yet fully supported by many browsers, and there
5987 is no decent converter for turning La@TeX{} or ASCII representations of
5988 formulas into MathML. So for the time being, converting formulas into
5989 images seems the way to go.}. More complex expressions need a dedicated
5990 formula processor. To this end, Org-mode can contain arbitrary La@TeX{}
5991 fragments. It provides commands to preview the typeset result of these
5992 fragments, and upon export to HTML, all fragments will be converted to
5993 images and inlined into the HTML document@footnote{The La@TeX{} export
5994 will not use images for displaying La@TeX{} fragments but include these
5995 fragments directly into the La@TeX{} code.}. For this to work you
5996 need to be on a system with a working La@TeX{} installation. You also
5997 need the @file{dvipng} program, available at
5998 @url{http://sourceforge.net/projects/dvipng/}. The La@TeX{} header that
5999 will be used when processing a fragment can be configured with the
6000 variable @code{org-format-latex-header}.
6002 La@TeX{} fragments don't need any special marking at all. The following
6003 snippets will be identified as La@TeX{} source code:
6006 Environments of any kind. The only requirement is that the
6007 @code{\begin} statement appears on a new line, preceded by only
6010 Text within the usual La@TeX{} math delimiters. To avoid conflicts with
6011 currency specifications, single @samp{$} characters are only recognized
6012 as math delimiters if the enclosed text contains at most two line breaks,
6013 is directly attached to the @samp{$} characters with no whitespace in
6014 between, and if the closing @samp{$} is followed by whitespace or
6015 punctuation. For the other delimiters, there is no such restriction, so
6016 when in doubt, use @samp{\(...\)} as inline math delimiters.
6019 @noindent For example:
6022 \begin@{equation@} % arbitrary environments,
6023 x=\sqrt@{b@} % even tables, figures
6024 \end@{equation@} % etc
6026 If $a^2=b$ and \( b=2 \), then the solution must be
6027 either $$ a=+\sqrt@{2@} $$ or \[ a=-\sqrt@{2@} \].
6031 If you need any of the delimiter ASCII sequences for other purposes, you
6032 can configure the option @code{org-format-latex-options} to deselect the
6033 ones you do not wish to have interpreted by the La@TeX{} converter.
6035 @node Processing LaTeX fragments, CDLaTeX mode, LaTeX fragments, Embedded LaTeX
6036 @section Processing LaTeX fragments
6037 @cindex LaTeX fragments, preview
6039 La@TeX{} fragments can be processed to produce a preview images of the
6040 typeset expressions:
6045 Produce a preview image of the La@TeX{} fragment at point and overlay it
6046 over the source code. If there is no fragment at point, process all
6047 fragments in the current entry (between two headlines). When called
6048 with a prefix argument, process the entire subtree. When called with
6049 two prefix arguments, or when the cursor is before the first headline,
6050 process the entire buffer.
6053 Remove the overlay preview images.
6056 During HTML export (@pxref{HTML export}), all La@TeX{} fragments are
6057 converted into images and inlined into the document if the following
6061 (setq org-export-with-LaTeX-fragments t)
6064 @node CDLaTeX mode, , Processing LaTeX fragments, Embedded LaTeX
6065 @section Using CDLaTeX to enter math
6068 CDLaTeX-mode is a minor mode that is normally used in combination with a
6069 major La@TeX{} mode like AUCTeX in order to speed-up insertion of
6070 environments and math templates. Inside Org-mode, you can make use of
6071 some of the features of cdlatex-mode. You need to install
6072 @file{cdlatex.el} and @file{texmathp.el} (the latter comes also with
6073 AUCTeX) from @url{http://www.astro.uva.nl/~dominik/Tools/cdlatex}.
6074 Don't turn cdlatex-mode itself under Org-mode, but use the light
6075 version @code{org-cdlatex-mode} that comes as part of Org-mode. Turn it
6076 on for the current buffer with @code{M-x org-cdlatex-mode}, or for all
6080 (add-hook 'org-mode-hook 'turn-on-org-cdlatex)
6083 When this mode is enabled, the following features are present (for more
6084 details see the documentation of cdlatex-mode):
6088 Environment templates can be inserted with @kbd{C-c @{}.
6091 The @key{TAB} key will do template expansion if the cursor is inside a
6092 La@TeX{} fragment@footnote{Org-mode has a method to test if the cursor is
6093 inside such a fragment, see the documentation of the function
6094 @code{org-inside-LaTeX-fragment-p}.}. For example, @key{TAB} will
6095 expand @code{fr} to @code{\frac@{@}@{@}} and position the cursor
6096 correctly inside the first brace. Another @key{TAB} will get you into
6097 the second brace. Even outside fragments, @key{TAB} will expand
6098 environment abbreviations at the beginning of a line. For example, if
6099 you write @samp{equ} at the beginning of a line and press @key{TAB},
6100 this abbreviation will be expanded to an @code{equation} environment.
6101 To get a list of all abbreviations, type @kbd{M-x cdlatex-command-help}.
6105 Pressing @kbd{_} and @kbd{^} inside a La@TeX{} fragment will insert these
6106 characters together with a pair of braces. If you use @key{TAB} to move
6107 out of the braces, and if the braces surround only a single character or
6108 macro, they are removed again (depending on the variable
6109 @code{cdlatex-simplify-sub-super-scripts}).
6112 Pressing the backquote @kbd{`} followed by a character inserts math
6113 macros, also outside La@TeX{} fragments. If you wait more than 1.5 seconds
6114 after the backquote, a help window will pop up.
6117 Pressing the normal quote @kbd{'} followed by another character modifies
6118 the symbol before point with an accent or a font. If you wait more than
6119 1.5 seconds after the backquote, a help window will pop up. Character
6120 modification will work only inside La@TeX{} fragments, outside the quote
6124 @node Exporting, Publishing, Embedded LaTeX, Top
6128 Org-mode documents can be exported into a variety of other formats. For
6129 printing and sharing of notes, ASCII export produces a readable and
6130 simple version of an Org-mode file. HTML export allows you to publish a
6131 notes file on the web, while the XOXO format provides a solid base for
6132 exchange with a broad range of other applications. La@TeX{} export lets
6133 you use Org-mode and its structured editing functions to easily create
6134 La@TeX{} files. To incorporate entries with associated times like
6135 deadlines or appointments into a desktop calendar program like iCal,
6136 Org-mode can also produce extracts in the iCalendar format. Currently
6137 Org-mode only supports export, not import of these different formats.
6139 When exporting, Org-mode uses special conventions to enrich the output
6140 produced. @xref{Text interpretation}, for more details.
6145 Dispatcher for export and publishing commands. Displays a help-window
6146 listing the additional key(s) needed to launch an export or publishing
6151 * ASCII export:: Exporting to plain ASCII
6152 * HTML export:: Exporting to HTML
6153 * LaTeX export:: Exporting to LaTeX
6154 * XOXO export:: Exporting to XOXO
6155 * iCalendar export:: Exporting in iCalendar format
6156 * Text interpretation:: How the exporter looks at the file
6159 @node ASCII export, HTML export, Exporting, Exporting
6160 @section ASCII export
6161 @cindex ASCII export
6163 ASCII export produces a simple and very readable version of an Org-mode
6166 @cindex region, active
6167 @cindex active region
6168 @cindex transient-mark-mode
6172 Export as ASCII file. For an org file @file{myfile.org}, the ASCII file
6173 will be @file{myfile.txt}. The file will be overwritten without
6174 warning. If there is an active region, only the region will be
6175 exported. If the selected region is a single tree, the tree head will
6176 become the document title. If the tree head entry has or inherits an
6177 @code{:EXPORT_FILE_NAME:} property, that name will be used for the
6181 Export only the visible part of the document.
6184 @cindex headline levels, for exporting
6185 In the exported version, the first 3 outline levels will become
6186 headlines, defining a general document structure. Additional levels
6187 will be exported as itemized lists. If you want that transition to occur
6188 at a different level, specify it with a prefix argument. For example,
6195 creates only top level headlines and does the rest as items. When
6196 headlines are converted to items, the indentation of the text following
6197 the headline is changed to fit nicely under the item. This is done with
6198 the assumption that the first bodyline indicates the base indentation of
6199 the body text. Any indentation larger than this is adjusted to preserve
6200 the layout relative to the first line. Should there be lines with less
6201 indentation than the first, these are left alone.
6203 @node HTML export, LaTeX export, ASCII export, Exporting
6204 @section HTML export
6207 Org-mode contains an HTML (XHTML 1.0 strict) exporter with extensive
6208 HTML formatting, in ways similar to John Grubers @emph{markdown}
6209 language, but with additional support for tables.
6212 * HTML Export commands:: How to invoke LaTeX export
6213 * Quoting HTML tags:: Using direct HTML in Org-mode
6214 * Links:: Transformation of links for HTML
6215 * Images:: How to include images
6216 * CSS support:: Changing the appearence of the output
6219 @node HTML Export commands, Quoting HTML tags, HTML export, HTML export
6220 @subsection HTML export commands
6222 @cindex region, active
6223 @cindex active region
6224 @cindex transient-mark-mode
6228 Export as HTML file @file{myfile.html}. For an org file
6229 @file{myfile.org}, the ASCII file will be @file{myfile.html}. The file
6230 will be overwritten without warning. If there is an active region, only
6231 the region will be exported. If the selected region is a single tree,
6232 the tree head will become the document title. If the tree head entry
6233 has or inherits an @code{:EXPORT_FILE_NAME:} property, that name will be
6234 used for the export.
6237 Export as HTML file and immediately open it with a browser.
6240 Export to a temporary buffer, do not create a file.
6243 Export the active region to a temporary buffer. With prefix arg, do not
6244 produce file header and foot, but just the plain HTML section for the
6245 region. This is good for cut-and-paste operations.
6254 Export only the visible part of the document.
6255 @item M-x org-export-region-as-html
6256 Convert the region to HTML under the assumption that it was org-mode
6257 syntax before. This is a global command that can be invoked in any
6259 @item M-x org-replace-region-by-HTML
6260 Replace the active region (assumed to be in Org-mode syntax) by HTML
6264 @cindex headline levels, for exporting
6265 In the exported version, the first 3 outline levels will become
6266 headlines, defining a general document structure. Additional levels
6267 will be exported as itemized lists. If you want that transition to occur
6268 at a different level, specify it with a prefix argument. For example,
6275 creates two levels of headings and does the rest as items.
6277 @node Quoting HTML tags, Links, HTML Export commands, HTML export
6278 @subsection Quoting HTML tags
6280 Plain @samp{<} and @samp{>} are always transformed to @samp{<} and
6281 @samp{>} in HTML export. If you want to include simple HTML tags
6282 which should be interpreted as such, mark them with @samp{@@} as in
6283 @samp{@@<b>bold text@@</b>}. Note that this really works only for
6284 simple tags. For more extensive HTML that should be copied verbatim to
6285 the exported file use either
6288 #+HTML: Literal HTML code for export
6295 All lines between these markers are exported literally
6300 @node Links, Images, Quoting HTML tags, HTML export
6303 @cindex links, in HTML export
6304 @cindex internal links, in HTML export
6305 @cindex external links, in HTML export
6306 Internal links (@pxref{Internal links}) will continue to work in HTML
6307 files only if they match a dedicated @samp{<<target>>}. Automatic links
6308 created by radio targets (@pxref{Radio targets}) will also work in the
6309 HTML file. Links to external files will still work if the HTML file is
6310 in the same directory as the Org-mode file. Links to other @file{.org}
6311 files will be translated into HTML links under the assumption that an
6312 HTML version also exists of the linked file. For information related to
6313 linking files while publishing them to a publishing directory see
6314 @ref{Publishing links}.
6316 @node Images, CSS support, Links, HTML export
6319 @cindex images, inline in HTML
6320 @cindex inlining images in HTML
6321 HTML export can inline images given as links in the Org-mode file, and
6322 it can make an image the clickable part of a link. By
6323 default@footnote{but see the variable
6324 @code{org-export-html-inline-images}}, images are inlined if a link does
6325 not have a description. So @samp{[[file:myimg.jpg]]} will be inlined,
6326 while @samp{[[file:myimg.jpg][the image]]} will just produce a link
6327 @samp{the image} that points to the image. If the description part
6328 itself is a @code{file:} link or a @code{http:} URL pointing to an
6329 image, this image will be inlined and activated so that clicking on the
6330 image will activate the link. For example, to include a thumbnail that
6331 will link to a high resolution version of the image, you could use:
6334 [[file:highres.jpg][file:thumb.jpg]]
6338 and you could use @code{http} addresses just as well.
6340 @node CSS support, , Images, HTML export
6341 @subsection CSS support
6343 You can also give style information for the exported file. The HTML
6344 exporter assigns the following CSS classes to appropriate parts of the
6345 document - your style specifications may change these:
6347 .todo @r{TODO keywords}
6348 .done @r{the DONE keyword}
6349 .timestamp @r{time stamp}
6350 .timestamp-kwd @r{keyword associated with a time stamp, like SCHEDULED}
6351 .tag @r{tag in a headline}
6352 .target @r{target for links}
6355 The default style specification can be configured through the option
6356 @code{org-export-html-style}. If you want to use a file-local style,
6357 you may use file variables, best wrapped into a COMMENT section at the
6358 end of the outline tree. For example@footnote{Under Emacs 21, the
6359 continuation lines for a variable value should have no @samp{#} at the
6360 start of the line.}:
6363 * COMMENT html style specifications
6366 # org-export-html-style: " <style type=\"text/css\">
6367 # p @{font-weight: normal; color: gray; @}
6368 # h1 @{color: black; @}
6373 Remember to execute @kbd{M-x normal-mode} after changing this to make
6374 the new style visible to Emacs. This command restarts org-mode for the
6375 current buffer and forces Emacs to re-evaluate the local variables
6376 section in the buffer.
6378 @c FIXME: More about header and footer styles
6379 @c FIXME: Talk about links and targets.
6381 @node LaTeX export, XOXO export, HTML export, Exporting
6382 @section LaTeX export
6383 @cindex LaTeX export
6385 Org-mode contains a La@TeX{} exporter written by Bastien Guerry.
6388 * LaTeX export commands:: How to invoke LaTeX export
6389 * Quoting LaTeX code:: Incorporating literal LaTeX code
6390 * Sectioning structure::
6393 @node LaTeX export commands, Quoting LaTeX code, LaTeX export, LaTeX export
6394 @subsection LaTeX export commands
6399 Export as La@TeX{} file @file{myfile.tex}.
6402 Export to a temporary buffer, do not create a file.
6407 Export only the visible part of the document.
6408 @item M-x org-export-region-as-latex
6409 Convert the region to La@TeX{} under the assumption that it was org-mode
6410 syntax before. This is a global command that can be invoked in any
6412 @item M-x org-replace-region-by-latex
6413 Replace the active region (assumed to be in Org-mode syntax) by La@TeX{}
6417 @cindex headline levels, for exporting
6418 In the exported version, the first 3 outline levels will become
6419 headlines, defining a general document structure. Additional levels
6420 will be exported as description lists. The exporter can ignore them or
6421 convert them to a custom string depending on
6422 @code{org-latex-low-levels}.
6424 If you want that transition to occur at a different level, specify it
6425 with a prefix argument. For example,
6432 creates two levels of headings and does the rest as items.
6434 @node Quoting LaTeX code, Sectioning structure, LaTeX export commands, LaTeX export
6435 @subsection Quoting LaTeX code
6437 Embedded La@TeX{} as described in @ref{Embedded LaTeX} will be correctly
6438 inserted into the La@TeX{} file. Forthermore, you can add special code
6439 that should only be present in La@TeX{} export with the following
6443 #+LaTeX: Literal LaTeX code for export
6450 All lines between these markers are exported literally
6456 @node Sectioning structure, , Quoting LaTeX code, LaTeX export
6457 @subsection Sectioning structure
6459 @cindex LaTeX sectioning structure
6461 By default, the La@TeX{} output uses the class @code{article}.
6463 You can change this globally by setting a different value for
6464 @code{org-export-latex-default-class} or locally by adding an option
6465 like @code{#+LaTeX_CLASS: myclass} in your file. The class should be
6466 listed in @code{org-export-latex-classes}, where you can also define the
6467 sectioning structure for each class.
6470 @node XOXO export, iCalendar export, LaTeX export, Exporting
6471 @section XOXO export
6474 Org-mode contains an exporter that produces XOXO-style output.
6475 Currently, this exporter only handles the general outline structure and
6476 does not interpret any additional Org-mode features.
6481 Export as XOXO file @file{myfile.html}.
6484 Export only the visible part of the document.
6487 @node iCalendar export, Text interpretation, XOXO export, Exporting
6488 @section iCalendar export
6489 @cindex iCalendar export
6491 Some people like to use Org-mode for keeping track of projects, but
6492 still prefer a standard calendar application for anniversaries and
6493 appointments. In this case it can be useful to have deadlines and
6494 other time-stamped items in Org-mode files show up in the calendar
6495 application. Org-mode can export calendar information in the standard
6496 iCalendar format. If you also want to have TODO entries included in the
6497 export, configure the variable @code{org-icalendar-include-todo}.
6502 Create iCalendar entries for the current file and store them in the same
6503 directory, using a file extension @file{.ics}.
6506 Like @kbd{C-c C-e i}, but do this for all files in
6507 @code{org-agenda-files}. For each of these files, a separate iCalendar
6508 file will be written.
6511 Create a single large iCalendar file from all files in
6512 @code{org-agenda-files} and write it to the file given by
6513 @code{org-combined-agenda-icalendar-file}.
6516 The export will honor SUMMARY, DESCRIPTION and LOCATION properties if
6517 the selected entries have them. If not, the summary will be derived
6518 from the headline, and the description from the body (limited to
6519 @code{org-icalendar-include-body} characters).
6521 How this calendar is best read and updated, depends on the application
6522 you are using. The FAQ covers this issue.
6525 @node Text interpretation, , iCalendar export, Exporting
6526 @section Text interpretation by the exporter
6528 The exporter backends interpret additional structure in the Org-mode file
6529 in order to produce better output.
6532 * Comment lines:: Some lines will not be exported
6533 * Initial text:: Text before the first headline
6534 * Footnotes:: Numbers like [1]
6535 * Quoted examples:: Inserting quoted chnuks of text
6536 * Enhancing text:: Subscripts, symbols and more
6537 * Export options:: How to influence the export settings
6540 @node Comment lines, Initial text, Text interpretation, Text interpretation
6541 @subsection Comment lines
6542 @cindex comment lines
6543 @cindex exporting, not
6545 Lines starting with @samp{#} in column zero are treated as comments
6546 and will never be exported. Also entire subtrees starting with the
6547 word @samp{COMMENT} will never be exported.
6552 Toggle the COMMENT keyword at the beginning of an entry.
6555 @node Initial text, Footnotes, Comment lines, Text interpretation
6556 @subsection Text before the first headline
6558 Org-mode normally ignores any text before the first headline when
6559 exporting, leaving this region for internal links to speed up navigation
6560 etc. However, in publishing-oriented files, you might want to have some
6561 text before the first headline, like a small introduction, special HTML
6562 code with a navigation bar, etc. You can ask to have this part of the
6563 file exported as well by setting the variable
6564 @code{org-export-skip-text-before-1st-heading} to @code{nil}. On a
6565 per-file basis, you can get the same effect with
6571 The text before the first headline will be fully processed
6572 (@pxref{Enhancing text}), and the first non-comment line becomes the
6573 title of the exported document. If you need to include literal HTML,
6574 use the special constructs described in @ref{Quoting HTML tags}. The
6575 table of contents is normally inserted directly before the first
6576 headline of the file. If you would like to get it to a different
6577 location, insert the string @code{[TABLE-OF-CONTENTS]} on a line by
6578 itself at the desired location.
6580 Finally, if you want to use the space before the first headline for
6581 internal purposes, but @emph{still} want to place something before the
6582 first headline when exporting the file, you can use the @code{#+TEXT}
6587 #+TEXT: This text will go before the *first* headline.
6588 #+TEXT: We place the table of contents here:
6589 #+TEXT: [TABLE-OF-CONTENTS]
6590 #+TEXT: This goes between the table of contents and the first headline
6593 @node Footnotes, Quoted examples, Initial text, Text interpretation
6594 @subsection Footnotes
6596 @cindex @file{footnote.el}
6598 Numbers in square brackets are treated as footnotes, so that you can use
6599 the Emacs package @file{footnote.el} to create footnotes. For example:
6602 The org-mode homepage[1] clearly needs help from
6603 a good web designer.
6605 [1] The link is: http://orgmode.org
6610 Note that the @file{footnote} package uses @kbd{C-c !} to invoke its
6611 commands. This binding conflicts with the org-mode command for
6612 inserting inactive time stamps. You could use the variable
6613 @code{footnote-prefix} to switch footnotes commands to another key. Or,
6614 if you are too used to this binding, you could use
6615 @code{org-replace-disputed-keys} and @code{org-disputed-keys} to change
6616 the settings in Org-mode.
6618 @node Quoted examples, Enhancing text, Footnotes, Text interpretation
6619 @subsection Quoted examples
6620 @cindex quoted examples
6621 @cindex examples, quoted
6622 @cindex text, fixed width
6623 @cindex fixed width text
6625 When writing technical documents, you often need to insert examples that
6626 are not further interpreted by Org-mode. For historical reasons, there
6627 are several ways to do this:
6631 If a headline starts with the word @samp{QUOTE}, the text below the
6632 headline will be typeset as fixed-width, to allow quoting of computer
6635 Lines starting with @samp{:} are also typeset in fixed-width font.
6639 Toggle fixed-width for entry (QUOTE) or region, see below.
6642 Finally, text between
6648 will also be exported in this way.
6652 @node Enhancing text, Export options, Quoted examples, Text interpretation
6653 @subsection Enhancing text for export
6654 @cindex enhancing text
6657 Some of the export backends of Org-mode allow for sophisticated text
6658 formatting, this is true in particular for the HTML and La@TeX{}
6659 backends. Org-mode has a number of typing conventions that allow to
6660 produce a richly formatted output.
6664 @cindex hand-formatted lists
6665 @cindex lists, hand-formatted
6667 Plain lists @samp{-}, @samp{*} or @samp{+} as bullet, or with @samp{1.}
6668 or @samp{2)} as enumerator will be recognized and transformed if the
6669 backend supports lists. See @xref{Plain lists}.
6671 @cindex underlined text
6674 @cindex verbatim text
6676 You can make words @b{*bold*}, @i{/italic/}, _underlined_, @code{=code=}
6677 and @code{~verbatim~}, and, if you must, @samp{+strikethrough+}. Text
6678 in the code and verbatim string is not processed for org-mode specific
6679 syntax, it is exported verbatim.
6681 @cindex horizontal rules, in exported files
6683 A line consisting of only dashes, and at least 5 of them, will be
6684 exported as a horizontal line (@samp{<hr/>} in HTML).
6686 @cindex LaTeX fragments, export
6687 @cindex TeX macros, export
6689 Many @TeX{} macros and entire La@TeX{} fragments are converted into HTML
6690 entities or images (@pxref{Embedded LaTeX}).
6692 @cindex tables, export
6694 Tables are transformed into native tables under the exporter, if the
6695 export backend supports this. Data fields before the first horizontal
6696 separator line will be formatted as table header fields.
6700 If a headline starts with the word @samp{QUOTE}, the text below the
6701 headline will be typeset as fixed-width, to allow quoting of computer
6702 codes etc. Lines starting with @samp{:} are also typeset in fixed-width
6707 Toggle fixed-width for entry (QUOTE) or region, see below.
6709 Finally, text between
6715 will also be exported in this way.
6717 @cindex linebreak, forced
6719 A double backslash @emph{at the end of a line} enforces a line break at
6722 @cindex HTML entities, LaTeX entities
6724 Strings like @code{\alpha} will be exported as @code{α}, in the
6725 HTML output. These strings are exported as @code{$\alpha$} in the
6726 La@TeX{} output. Similarly, @code{\nbsp} will become @code{ } in
6727 HTML and in La@TeX{}. This applies for a long list of entities, see
6728 the variable @code{org-html-entities} for the complete list.
6732 If these conversions conflict with your habits of typing ASCII text,
6733 they can all be turned off with corresponding variables. See the
6734 customization group @code{org-export-general}, and the following section
6735 which explains how to set export options with special lines in a
6739 @node Export options, , Enhancing text, Text interpretation
6740 @subsection Export options
6741 @cindex options, for export
6743 @cindex completion, of option keywords
6744 The exporter recognizes special lines in the buffer which provide
6745 additional information. These lines may be put anywhere in the file.
6746 The whole set of lines can be inserted into the buffer with @kbd{C-c
6747 C-e t}. For individual lines, a good way to make sure the keyword is
6748 correct is to type @samp{#+} and then use @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} completion
6749 (@pxref{Completion}).
6754 Insert template with export options, see example below.
6758 #+TITLE: the title to be shown (default is the buffer name)
6759 #+AUTHOR: the author (default taken from @code{user-full-name})
6760 #+DATE: A date, fixed, of a format string for @code{format-time-string}
6761 #+EMAIL: his/her email address (default from @code{user-mail-address})
6762 #+LANGUAGE: language for HTML, e.g. @samp{en} (@code{org-export-default-language})
6763 #+TEXT: Some descriptive text to be inserted at the beginning.
6764 #+TEXT: Several lines may be given.
6765 #+OPTIONS: H:2 num:t toc:t \n:nil @@:t ::t |:t ^:t f:t TeX:t ...
6769 The OPTIONS line is a compact form to specify export settings. Here
6771 @cindex headline levels
6772 @cindex section-numbers
6773 @cindex table of contents
6774 @cindex linebreak preservation
6775 @cindex quoted HTML tags
6776 @cindex fixed-width sections
6778 @cindex @TeX{}-like syntax for sub- and superscripts
6780 @cindex special strings
6781 @cindex emphasized text
6782 @cindex @TeX{} macros
6783 @cindex La@TeX{} fragments
6784 @cindex author info, in export
6785 @cindex time info, in export
6787 H: @r{set the number of headline levels for export}
6788 num: @r{turn on/off section-numbers}
6789 toc: @r{turn on/off table of contents, or set level limit (integer)}
6790 \n: @r{turn on/off linebreak-preservation}
6791 @@: @r{turn on/off quoted HTML tags}
6792 :: @r{turn on/off fixed-width sections}
6793 |: @r{turn on/off tables}
6794 ^: @r{turn on/off @TeX{}-like syntax for sub- and superscripts. If}
6795 @r{you write "^:@{@}", @code{a_@{b@}} will be interpreted, but}
6796 @r{the simple @code{a_b} will be left as it is.}
6797 -: @r{turn on/off conversion of special strings.}
6798 f: @r{turn on/off foototes like this[1].}
6799 *: @r{turn on/off emphasized text (bold, italic, underlined)}
6800 TeX: @r{turn on/off simple @TeX{} macros in plain text}
6801 LaTeX: @r{turn on/off La@TeX{} fragments}
6802 skip: @r{turn on/off skipping the text before the first heading}
6803 author: @r{turn on/off inclusion of author name/email into exported file}
6804 timestamp: @r{turn on/off inclusion creation time into exported file}
6805 d: @r{turn on/off inclusion of drawers}
6808 These options take effect in both the HTML and La@TeX{} export, except
6809 for @code{TeX} and @code{LaTeX}, which are respectively @code{t} and
6810 @code{nil} for the La@TeX{} export.
6812 @node Publishing, Miscellaneous, Exporting, Top
6816 Org-mode includes@footnote{@file{org-publish.el} is not distributed with
6817 Emacs 21, if you are still using Emacs 21, you need you need to download
6818 this file separately.} a publishing management system that allows you to
6819 configure automatic HTML conversion of @emph{projects} composed of
6820 interlinked org files. This system is called @emph{org-publish}. You can
6821 also configure org-publish to automatically upload your exported HTML
6822 pages and related attachments, such as images and source code files, to
6823 a web server. Org-publish turns org-mode into a web-site authoring tool.
6825 You can also use Org-publish to convert files into La@TeX{}, or even
6826 combine HTML and La@TeX{} conversion so that files are available in both
6827 formats on the server@footnote{Since La@TeX{} files on a server are not
6828 that helpful, you surely want to perform further conversion on them --
6829 e.g. convert them to @code{PDF} format.}.
6831 Org-publish has been contributed to Org-mode by David O'Toole.
6834 * Configuration:: Defining projects
6835 * Sample configuration:: Example projects
6836 * Triggering publication:: Publication commands
6839 @node Configuration, Sample configuration, Publishing, Publishing
6840 @section Configuration
6842 Publishing needs significant configuration to specify files, destination
6843 and many other properties of a project.
6846 * Project alist:: The central configuration variable
6847 * Sources and destinations:: From here to there
6848 * Selecting files:: What files are part of the project?
6849 * Publishing action:: Setting the function doing the publishing
6850 * Publishing options:: Tweaking HTML export
6851 * Publishing links:: Which links keep working after publishing?
6852 * Project page index:: Publishing a list of project files
6855 @node Project alist, Sources and destinations, Configuration, Configuration
6856 @subsection The variable @code{org-publish-project-alist}
6857 @cindex org-publish-project-alist
6858 @cindex projects, for publishing
6860 Org-publish is configured almost entirely through setting the value of
6861 one variable, called @code{org-publish-project-alist}.
6862 Each element of the list configures one project, and may be in one of
6863 the two following forms:
6866 ("project-name" :property value :property value ...)
6870 ("project-name" :components ("project-name" "project-name" ...))
6874 In both cases, projects are configured by specifying property values.
6875 A project defines the set of files that will be published, as well as
6876 the publishing configuration to use when publishing those files. When
6877 a project takes the second form listed above, the individual members
6878 of the ``components'' property are taken to be components of the
6879 project, which group together files requiring different publishing
6880 options. When you publish such a ``meta-project'' all the components
6883 @node Sources and destinations, Selecting files, Project alist, Configuration
6884 @subsection Sources and destinations for files
6885 @cindex directories, for publishing
6887 Most properties are optional, but some should always be set. In
6888 particular, org-publish needs to know where to look for source files,
6889 and where to put published files.
6891 @multitable @columnfractions 0.3 0.7
6892 @item @code{:base-directory}
6893 @tab Directory containing publishing source files
6894 @item @code{:publishing-directory}
6895 @tab Directory (possibly remote) where output files will be published.
6896 @item @code{:preparation-function}
6897 @tab Function called before starting publishing process, for example to
6898 run @code{make} for updating files to be published.
6902 @node Selecting files, Publishing action, Sources and destinations, Configuration
6903 @subsection Selecting files
6904 @cindex files, selecting for publishing
6906 By default, all files with extension @file{.org} in the base directory
6907 are considered part of the project. This can be modified by setting the
6909 @multitable @columnfractions 0.25 0.75
6910 @item @code{:base-extension}
6911 @tab Extension (without the dot!) of source files. This actually is a
6914 @item @code{:exclude}
6915 @tab Regular expression to match file names that should not be
6916 published, even though they have been selected on the basis of their
6919 @item @code{:include}
6920 @tab List of files to be included regardless of @code{:base-extension}
6921 and @code{:exclude}.
6924 @node Publishing action, Publishing options, Selecting files, Configuration
6925 @subsection Publishing Action
6926 @cindex action, for publishing
6928 Publishing means that a file is copied to the destination directory and
6929 possibly transformed in the process. The default transformation is to
6930 export Org-mode files as HTML files, and this is done by the function
6931 @code{org-publish-org-to-html} which calls the HTML exporter
6932 (@pxref{HTML export}). But you also can publish your files in La@TeX{} by
6933 using the function @code{org-publish-org-to-latex} instead. Other files
6934 like images only need to be copied to the publishing destination. For
6935 non-Org-mode files, you need to specify the publishing function.
6938 @multitable @columnfractions 0.3 0.7
6939 @item @code{:publishing-function}
6940 @tab Function executing the publication of a file. This may also be a
6941 list of functions, which will all be called in turn.
6944 The function must accept two arguments: a property list containing at
6945 least a @code{:publishing-directory} property, and the name of the file
6946 to be published. It should take the specified file, make the necessary
6947 transformation (if any) and place the result into the destination folder.
6948 You can write your own publishing function, but @code{org-publish}
6949 provides one for attachments (files that only need to be copied):
6950 @code{org-publish-attachment}.
6952 @node Publishing options, Publishing links, Publishing action, Configuration
6953 @subsection Options for the HTML/LaTeX exporters
6954 @cindex options, for publishing
6956 The property list can be used to set many export options for the HTML
6957 and La@TeX{} exporters. In most cases, these properties correspond to user
6958 variables in Org-mode. The table below lists these properties along
6959 with the variable they belong to. See the documentation string for the
6960 respective variable for details.
6962 @multitable @columnfractions 0.3 0.7
6963 @item @code{:language} @tab @code{org-export-default-language}
6964 @item @code{:headline-levels} @tab @code{org-export-headline-levels}
6965 @item @code{:section-numbers} @tab @code{org-export-with-section-numbers}
6966 @item @code{:table-of-contents} @tab @code{org-export-with-toc}
6967 @item @code{:archived-trees} @tab @code{org-export-with-archived-trees}
6968 @item @code{:emphasize} @tab @code{org-export-with-emphasize}
6969 @item @code{:sub-superscript} @tab @code{org-export-with-sub-superscripts}
6970 @item @code{:special-strings} @tab @code{org-export-with-special-strings}
6971 @item @code{:TeX-macros} @tab @code{org-export-with-TeX-macros}
6972 @item @code{:LaTeX-fragments} @tab @code{org-export-with-LaTeX-fragments}
6973 @item @code{:fixed-width} @tab @code{org-export-with-fixed-width}
6974 @item @code{:timestamps} .@tab @code{org-export-with-timestamps}
6975 @item @code{:tags} .@tab @code{org-export-with-tags}
6976 @item @code{:tables} @tab @code{org-export-with-tables}
6977 @item @code{:table-auto-headline} @tab @code{org-export-highlight-first-table-line}
6978 @item @code{:style} @tab @code{org-export-html-style}
6979 @item @code{:convert-org-links} @tab @code{org-export-html-link-org-files-as-html}
6980 @item @code{:inline-images} @tab @code{org-export-html-inline-images}
6981 @item @code{:expand-quoted-html} @tab @code{org-export-html-expand}
6982 @item @code{:timestamp} @tab @code{org-export-html-with-timestamp}
6983 @item @code{:publishing-directory} @tab @code{org-export-publishing-directory}
6984 @item @code{:preamble} @tab @code{org-export-html-preamble}
6985 @item @code{:postamble} @tab @code{org-export-html-postamble}
6986 @item @code{:auto-preamble} @tab @code{org-export-html-auto-preamble}
6987 @item @code{:auto-postamble} @tab @code{org-export-html-auto-postamble}
6988 @item @code{:author} @tab @code{user-full-name}
6989 @item @code{:email} @tab @code{user-mail-address}
6992 If you use several email addresses, separate them by a semi-column.
6994 Most of the @code{org-export-with-*} variables have the same effect in
6995 both HTML and La@TeX{} exporters, except for @code{:TeX-macros} and
6996 @code{:LaTeX-fragments}, respectively @code{nil} and @code{t} in the
6999 When a property is given a value in @code{org-publish-project-alist},
7000 its setting overrides the value of the corresponding user variable (if
7001 any) during publishing. Options set within a file (@pxref{Export
7002 options}), however, override everything.
7004 @node Publishing links, Project page index, Publishing options, Configuration
7005 @subsection Links between published files
7006 @cindex links, publishing
7008 To create a link from one Org-mode file to another, you would use
7009 something like @samp{[[file:foo.org][The foo]]} or simply
7010 @samp{file:foo.org.} (@pxref{Hyperlinks}). Upon publishing this link
7011 becomes a link to @file{foo.html}. In this way, you can interlink the
7012 pages of your "org web" project and the links will work as expected when
7013 you publish them to HTML.
7015 You may also link to related files, such as images. Provided you are
7016 careful with relative pathnames, and provided you have also configured
7017 @code{org-publish} to upload the related files, these links will work
7018 too. @ref{Complex example} for an example of this usage.
7020 Sometime an Org-mode file to be published may contain links that are
7021 only valid in your production environment, but not in the publishing
7022 location. In this case, use the property
7024 @multitable @columnfractions 0.4 0.6
7025 @item @code{:link-validation-function}
7026 @tab Function to validate links
7030 to define a function for checking link validity. This function must
7031 accept two arguments, the file name and a directory relative to which
7032 the file name is interpreted in the production environment. If this
7033 function returns @code{nil}, then the HTML generator will only insert a
7034 description into the HTML file, but no link. One option for this
7035 function is @code{org-publish-validate-link} which checks if the given
7036 file is part of any project in @code{org-publish-project-alist}.
7038 @node Project page index, , Publishing links, Configuration
7039 @subsection Project page index
7040 @cindex index, of published pages
7042 The following properties may be used to control publishing of an
7043 index of files or summary page for a given project.
7045 @multitable @columnfractions 0.25 0.75
7046 @item @code{:auto-index}
7047 @tab When non-nil, publish an index during org-publish-current-project or
7050 @item @code{:index-filename}
7051 @tab Filename for output of index. Defaults to @file{index.org} (which
7052 becomes @file{index.html}).
7054 @item @code{:index-title}
7055 @tab Title of index page. Defaults to name of file.
7057 @item @code{:index-function}
7058 @tab Plugin function to use for generation of index.
7059 Defaults to @code{org-publish-org-index}, which generates a plain list
7060 of links to all files in the project.
7063 @node Sample configuration, Triggering publication, Configuration, Publishing
7064 @section Sample configuration
7066 Below we provide two example configurations. The first one is a simple
7067 project publishing only a set of Org-mode files. The second example is
7068 more complex, with a multi-component project.
7071 * Simple example:: One-component publishing
7072 * Complex example:: A multi-component publishing example
7075 @node Simple example, Complex example, Sample configuration, Sample configuration
7076 @subsection Example: simple publishing configuration
7078 This example publishes a set of Org-mode files to the @file{public_html}
7079 directory on the local machine.
7082 (setq org-publish-project-alist
7084 :base-directory "~/org/"
7085 :publishing-directory "~/public_html"
7086 :section-numbers nil
7087 :table-of-contents nil
7088 :style "<link rel=stylesheet
7089 href=\"../other/mystyle.css\"
7090 type=\"text/css\">")))
7093 @node Complex example, , Simple example, Sample configuration
7094 @subsection Example: complex publishing configuration
7096 This more complicated example publishes an entire website, including
7097 org files converted to HTML, image files, emacs lisp source code, and
7098 stylesheets. The publishing-directory is remote and private files are
7101 To ensure that links are preserved, care should be taken to replicate
7102 your directory structure on the web server, and to use relative file
7103 paths. For example, if your org files are kept in @file{~/org} and your
7104 publishable images in @file{~/images}, you'd link to an image with
7107 file:../images/myimage.png
7110 On the web server, the relative path to the image should be the
7111 same. You can accomplish this by setting up an "images" folder in the
7112 right place on the webserver, and publishing images to it.
7115 (setq org-publish-project-alist
7117 :base-directory "~/org/"
7118 :base-extension "org"
7119 :publishing-directory "/ssh:user@@host:~/html/notebook/"
7120 :publishing-function org-publish-org-to-html
7121 :exclude "PrivatePage.org" ;; regexp
7123 :section-numbers nil
7124 :table-of-contents nil
7125 :style "<link rel=stylesheet
7126 href=\"../other/mystyle.css\" type=\"text/css\">"
7128 :auto-postamble nil)
7131 :base-directory "~/images/"
7132 :base-extension "jpg\\|gif\\|png"
7133 :publishing-directory "/ssh:user@@host:~/html/images/"
7134 :publishing-function org-publish-attachment)
7137 :base-directory "~/other/"
7138 :base-extension "css\\|el"
7139 :publishing-directory "/ssh:user@@host:~/html/other/"
7140 :publishing-function org-publish-attachment)
7141 ("website" :components ("orgfiles" "images" "other"))))
7144 @node Triggering publication, , Sample configuration, Publishing
7145 @section Triggering publication
7147 Once org-publish is properly configured, you can publish with the
7148 following functions:
7152 Prompt for a specific project and publish all files that belong to it.
7154 Publish the project containing the current file.
7156 Publish only the current file.
7158 Publish all projects.
7161 Org uses timestamps to track when a file has changed. The above
7162 functions normally only publish changed files. You can override this and
7163 force publishing of all files by giving a prefix argument.
7165 @node Miscellaneous, Extensions and Hacking, Publishing, Top
7166 @chapter Miscellaneous
7169 * Completion:: M-TAB knows what you need
7170 * Customization:: Adapting Org-mode to your taste
7171 * In-buffer settings:: Overview of the #+KEYWORDS
7172 * The very busy C-c C-c key:: When in doubt, press C-c C-c
7173 * Clean view:: Getting rid of leading stars in the outline
7174 * TTY keys:: Using Org-mode on a tty
7175 * Interaction:: Other Emacs packages
7176 * Bugs:: Things which do not work perfectly
7179 @node Completion, Customization, Miscellaneous, Miscellaneous
7181 @cindex completion, of @TeX{} symbols
7182 @cindex completion, of TODO keywords
7183 @cindex completion, of dictionary words
7184 @cindex completion, of option keywords
7185 @cindex completion, of tags
7186 @cindex completion, of property keys
7187 @cindex completion, of link abbreviations
7188 @cindex @TeX{} symbol completion
7189 @cindex TODO keywords completion
7190 @cindex dictionary word completion
7191 @cindex option keyword completion
7192 @cindex tag completion
7193 @cindex link abbreviations, completion of
7195 Org-mode supports in-buffer completion. This type of completion does
7196 not make use of the minibuffer. You simply type a few letters into
7197 the buffer and use the key to complete text right there.
7202 Complete word at point
7205 At the beginning of a headline, complete TODO keywords.
7207 After @samp{\}, complete @TeX{} symbols supported by the exporter.
7209 After @samp{*}, complete headlines in the current buffer so that they
7210 can be used in search links like @samp{[[*find this headline]]}.
7212 After @samp{:} in a headline, complete tags. The list of tags is taken
7213 from the variable @code{org-tag-alist} (possibly set through the
7214 @samp{#+TAGS} in-buffer option, @pxref{Setting tags}), or it is created
7215 dynamically from all tags used in the current buffer.
7217 After @samp{:} and not in a headline, complete property keys. The list
7218 of keys is constructed dynamically from all keys used in the current
7221 After @samp{[}, complete link abbreviations (@pxref{Link abbreviations}).
7223 After @samp{#+}, complete the special keywords like @samp{TYP_TODO} or
7224 @samp{OPTIONS} which set file-specific options for Org-mode. When the
7225 option keyword is already complete, pressing @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} again
7226 will insert example settings for this keyword.
7228 In the line after @samp{#+STARTUP: }, complete startup keywords,
7229 i.e. valid keys for this line.
7231 Elsewhere, complete dictionary words using ispell.
7235 @node Customization, In-buffer settings, Completion, Miscellaneous
7236 @section Customization
7237 @cindex customization
7238 @cindex options, for customization
7239 @cindex variables, for customization
7241 There are more than 180 variables that can be used to customize
7242 Org-mode. For the sake of compactness of the manual, I am not
7243 describing the variables here. A structured overview of customization
7244 variables is available with @kbd{M-x org-customize}. Or select
7245 @code{Browse Org Group} from the @code{Org->Customization} menu. Many
7246 settings can also be activated on a per-file basis, by putting special
7247 lines into the buffer (@pxref{In-buffer settings}).
7249 @node In-buffer settings, The very busy C-c C-c key, Customization, Miscellaneous
7250 @section Summary of in-buffer settings
7251 @cindex in-buffer settings
7252 @cindex special keywords
7254 Org-mode uses special lines in the buffer to define settings on a
7255 per-file basis. These lines start with a @samp{#+} followed by a
7256 keyword, a colon, and then individual words defining a setting. Several
7257 setting words can be in the same line, but you can also have multiple
7258 lines for the keyword. While these settings are described throughout
7259 the manual, here is a summary. After changing any of those lines in the
7260 buffer, press @kbd{C-c C-c} with the cursor still in the line to
7261 activate the changes immediately. Otherwise they become effective only
7262 when the file is visited again in a new Emacs session.
7265 @item #+ARCHIVE: %s_done::
7266 This line sets the archive location for the agenda file. It applies for
7267 all subsequent lines until the next @samp{#+ARCHIVE} line, or the end
7268 of the file. The first such line also applies to any entries before it.
7269 The corresponding variable is @code{org-archive-location}.
7271 This line sets the category for the agenda file. The category applies
7272 for all subsequent lines until the next @samp{#+CATEGORY} line, or the
7273 end of the file. The first such line also applies to any entries before it.
7274 @item #+COLUMNS: %25ITEM .....
7275 Set the default format for columns view. This format applies when
7276 columns view is invoked in location where no @code{COLUMNS} property
7278 @item #+CONSTANTS: name1=value1 ...
7279 Set file-local values for constants to be used in table formulas. This
7280 line set the local variable @code{org-table-formula-constants-local}.
7281 The global version of this variable is
7282 @code{org-table-formula-constants}.
7283 @item #+DRAWERS: NAME1 .....
7284 Set the file-local set of drawers. The corresponding global variable is
7286 @item #+LINK: linkword replace
7287 These lines (several are allowed) specify link abbreviations.
7288 @xref{Link abbreviations}. The corresponding variable is
7289 @code{org-link-abbrev-alist}.
7290 @item #+PRIORITIES: highest lowest default
7291 This line sets the limits and the default for the priorities. All three
7292 must be either letters A-Z or numbers 0-9. The highest priority must
7293 have a lower ASCII number that the lowest priority.
7294 @item #+PROPERTY: Property_Name Value
7295 This line sets a default inheritance value for entries in the current
7296 buffer, most useful for specifying the allowed values of a property.
7298 This line sets options to be used at startup of Org-mode, when an
7299 Org-mode file is being visited. The first set of options deals with the
7300 initial visibility of the outline tree. The corresponding variable for
7301 global default settings is @code{org-startup-folded}, with a default
7302 value @code{t}, which means @code{overview}.
7303 @cindex @code{overview}, STARTUP keyword
7304 @cindex @code{content}, STARTUP keyword
7305 @cindex @code{showall}, STARTUP keyword
7307 overview @r{top-level headlines only}
7308 content @r{all headlines}
7309 showall @r{no folding at all, show everything}
7311 Then there are options for aligning tables upon visiting a file. This
7312 is useful in files containing narrowed table columns. The corresponding
7313 variable is @code{org-startup-align-all-tables}, with a default value
7315 @cindex @code{align}, STARTUP keyword
7316 @cindex @code{noalign}, STARTUP keyword
7318 align @r{align all tables}
7319 noalign @r{don't align tables on startup}
7321 Logging TODO state changes and clock intervals (variables
7322 @code{org-log-done} and @code{org-log-repeat}) can be configured using
7324 @cindex @code{logdone}, STARTUP keyword
7325 @cindex @code{nologging}, STARTUP keyword
7326 @cindex @code{lognotedone}, STARTUP keyword
7327 @cindex @code{lognoteclock-out}, STARTUP keyword
7328 @cindex @code{lognotestate}, STARTUP keyword
7329 @cindex @code{logrepeat}, STARTUP keyword
7330 @cindex @code{nologrepeat}, STARTUP keyword
7332 logging @r{record a timestamp when an item is marked DONE}
7333 nologging @r{don't record when items are marked DONE}
7334 lognotedone @r{record timestamp and a note when DONE}
7335 lognotestate @r{record timestamp and a note when TODO state changes}
7336 logrepeat @r{record a note when re-instating a repeating item}
7337 nologrepeat @r{do not record when re-instating repeating item}
7338 lognoteclock-out @r{record timestamp and a note when clocking out}
7340 Here are the options for hiding leading stars in outline headings. The
7341 corresponding variables are @code{org-hide-leading-stars} and
7342 @code{org-odd-levels-only}, both with a default setting @code{nil}
7343 (meaning @code{showstars} and @code{oddeven}).
7344 @cindex @code{hidestars}, STARTUP keyword
7345 @cindex @code{showstars}, STARTUP keyword
7346 @cindex @code{odd}, STARTUP keyword
7347 @cindex @code{even}, STARTUP keyword
7349 hidestars @r{make all but one of the stars starting a headline invisible.}
7350 showstars @r{show all stars starting a headline}
7351 odd @r{allow only odd outline levels (1,3,...)}
7352 oddeven @r{allow all outline levels}
7354 To turn on custom format overlays over time stamps (variables
7355 @code{org-put-time-stamp-overlays} and
7356 @code{org-time-stamp-overlay-formats}), use
7357 @cindex @code{customtime}, STARTUP keyword
7359 customtime @r{overlay custom time format}
7361 The following options influence the table spreadsheet (variable
7362 @code{constants-unit-system}).
7363 @cindex @code{constcgs}, STARTUP keyword
7364 @cindex @code{constSI}, STARTUP keyword
7366 constcgs @r{@file{constants.el} should use the c-g-s unit system}
7367 constSI @r{@file{constants.el} should use the SI unit system}
7369 @item #+TAGS: TAG1(c1) TAG2(c2)
7370 These lines (several such lines are allowed) specify the valid tags in
7371 this file, and (potentially) the corresponding @emph{fast tag selection}
7372 keys. The corresponding variable is @code{org-tag-alist}.
7374 This line contains the formulas for the table directly above the line.
7375 @item #+TITLE:, #+AUTHOR:, #+EMAIL:, #+LANGUAGE:, #+TEXT:, #+OPTIONS, #+DATE:
7376 These lines provide settings for exporting files. For more details see
7377 @ref{Export options}.
7378 @item #+SEQ_TODO: #+TYP_TODO:
7379 These lines set the TODO keywords and their interpretation in the
7380 current file. The corresponding variables are @code{org-todo-keywords}
7381 and @code{org-todo-interpretation}.
7384 @node The very busy C-c C-c key, Clean view, In-buffer settings, Miscellaneous
7385 @section The very busy C-c C-c key
7387 @cindex C-c C-c, overview
7389 The key @kbd{C-c C-c} has many purposes in org-mode, which are all
7390 mentioned scattered throughout this manual. One specific function of
7391 this key is to add @emph{tags} to a headline (@pxref{Tags}). In many
7392 other circumstances it means something like @emph{Hey Org-mode, look
7393 here and update according to what you see here}. Here is a summary of
7394 what this means in different contexts.
7398 If there are highlights in the buffer from the creation of a sparse
7399 tree, or from clock display, remove these highlights.
7401 If the cursor is in one of the special @code{#+KEYWORD} lines, this
7402 triggers scanning the buffer for these lines and updating the
7405 If the cursor is inside a table, realign the table. This command
7406 works even if the automatic table editor has been turned off.
7408 If the cursor is on a @code{#+TBLFM} line, re-apply the formulas to
7411 If the cursor is inside a table created by the @file{table.el} package,
7412 activate that table.
7414 If the current buffer is a remember buffer, close the note and file it.
7415 With a prefix argument, file it, without further interaction, to the
7418 If the cursor is on a @code{<<<target>>>}, update radio targets and
7419 corresponding links in this buffer.
7421 If the cursor is in a property line or at the start or end of a property
7422 drawer, offer property commands.
7424 If the cursor is in a plain list item with a checkbox, toggle the status
7427 If the cursor is on a numbered item in a plain list, renumber the
7430 If the cursor is on the @code{#+BEGIN} line of a dynamical block, the
7434 @node Clean view, TTY keys, The very busy C-c C-c key, Miscellaneous
7435 @section A cleaner outline view
7436 @cindex hiding leading stars
7437 @cindex clean outline view
7439 Some people find it noisy and distracting that the Org-mode headlines
7440 are starting with a potentially large number of stars. For example
7441 the tree from @ref{Headlines}:
7444 * Top level headline
7450 * Another top level headline
7454 Unfortunately this is deeply ingrained into the code of Org-mode and
7455 cannot be easily changed. You can, however, modify the display in such
7456 a way that all leading stars become invisible and the outline more easy
7457 to read. To do this, customize the variable
7458 @code{org-hide-leading-stars} like this:
7461 (setq org-hide-leading-stars t)
7465 or change this on a per-file basis with one of the lines (anywhere in
7469 #+STARTUP: showstars
7470 #+STARTUP: hidestars
7474 Press @kbd{C-c C-c} with the cursor in a @samp{STARTUP} line to activate
7477 With stars hidden, the tree becomes:
7480 * Top level headline
7486 * Another top level headline
7490 Note that the leading stars are not truly replaced by whitespace, they
7491 are only fontified with the face @code{org-hide} that uses the
7492 background color as font color. If you are not using either white or
7493 black background, you may have to customize this face to get the wanted
7494 effect. Another possibility is to set this font such that the extra
7495 stars are @i{almost} invisible, for example using the color
7496 @code{grey90} on a white background.
7498 Things become cleaner still if you skip all the even levels and use only
7499 odd levels 1, 3, 5..., effectively adding two stars to go from one
7500 outline level to the next:
7503 * Top level headline
7509 * Another top level headline
7513 In order to make the structure editing and export commands handle this
7514 convention correctly, use
7517 (setq org-odd-levels-only t)
7521 or set this on a per-file basis with one of the following lines (don't
7522 forget to press @kbd{C-c C-c} with the cursor in the startup line to
7523 activate changes immediately).
7530 You can convert an Org-mode file from single-star-per-level to the
7531 double-star-per-level convention with @kbd{M-x org-convert-to-odd-levels
7532 RET} in that file. The reverse operation is @kbd{M-x
7533 org-convert-to-oddeven-levels}.
7535 @node TTY keys, Interaction, Clean view, Miscellaneous
7536 @section Using org-mode on a tty
7537 @cindex tty keybindings
7539 Because Org-mode contains a large number of commands, by default much of
7540 Org-mode's core commands are bound to keys that are generally not
7541 accessible on a tty, such as the cursor keys (@key{left}, @key{right},
7542 @key{up}, @key{down}), @key{TAB} and @key{RET}, in particular when used
7543 together with modifiers like @key{Meta} and/or @key{Shift}. To access
7544 these commands on a tty when special keys are unavailable, the following
7545 alternative bindings can be used. The tty bindings below will likely be
7546 more cumbersome; you may find for some of the bindings below that a
7547 customized work-around suits you better. For example, changing a time
7548 stamp is really only fun with @kbd{S-@key{cursor}} keys, whereas on a
7549 tty you would rather use @kbd{C-c .} to re-insert the timestamp.
7551 @multitable @columnfractions 0.15 0.2 0.2
7552 @item @b{Default} @tab @b{Alternative 1} @tab @b{Alternative 2}
7553 @item @kbd{S-@key{TAB}} @tab @kbd{C-u @key{TAB}} @tab
7554 @item @kbd{M-@key{left}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x l} @tab @kbd{@key{Esc} @key{left}}
7555 @item @kbd{M-S-@key{left}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x L} @tab
7556 @item @kbd{M-@key{right}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x r} @tab @kbd{@key{Esc} @key{right}}
7557 @item @kbd{M-S-@key{right}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x R} @tab
7558 @item @kbd{M-@key{up}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x u} @tab @kbd{@key{Esc} @key{up}}
7559 @item @kbd{M-S-@key{up}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x U} @tab
7560 @item @kbd{M-@key{down}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x d} @tab @kbd{@key{Esc} @key{down}}
7561 @item @kbd{M-S-@key{down}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x D} @tab
7562 @item @kbd{S-@key{RET}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x c} @tab
7563 @item @kbd{M-@key{RET}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x m} @tab @kbd{@key{Esc} @key{RET}}
7564 @item @kbd{M-S-@key{RET}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x M} @tab
7565 @item @kbd{S-@key{left}} @tab @kbd{C-c @key{left}} @tab
7566 @item @kbd{S-@key{right}} @tab @kbd{C-c @key{right}} @tab
7567 @item @kbd{S-@key{up}} @tab @kbd{C-c @key{up}} @tab
7568 @item @kbd{S-@key{down}} @tab @kbd{C-c @key{down}} @tab
7569 @item @kbd{C-S-@key{left}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x @key{left}} @tab
7570 @item @kbd{C-S-@key{right}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x @key{right}} @tab
7573 @node Interaction, Bugs, TTY keys, Miscellaneous
7574 @section Interaction with other packages
7575 @cindex packages, interaction with other
7576 Org-mode lives in the world of GNU Emacs and interacts in various ways
7577 with other code out there.
7580 * Cooperation:: Packages Org-mode cooperates with
7581 * Conflicts:: Packages that lead to conflicts
7584 @node Cooperation, Conflicts, Interaction, Interaction
7585 @subsection Packages that Org-mode cooperates with
7588 @cindex @file{calc.el}
7589 @item @file{calc.el} by Dave Gillespie
7590 Org-mode uses the calc package for implementing spreadsheet
7591 functionality in its tables (@pxref{The spreadsheet}). Org-mode
7592 checks for the availability of calc by looking for the function
7593 @code{calc-eval} which should be autoloaded in your setup if calc has
7594 been installed properly. As of Emacs 22, calc is part of the Emacs
7595 distribution. Another possibility for interaction between the two
7596 packages is using calc for embedded calculations. @xref{Embedded Mode,
7597 , Embedded Mode, calc, GNU Emacs Calc Manual}.
7598 @cindex @file{constants.el}
7599 @item @file{constants.el} by Carsten Dominik
7600 In a table formula (@pxref{The spreadsheet}), it is possible to use
7601 names for natural constants or units. Instead of defining your own
7602 constants in the variable @code{org-table-formula-constants}, install
7603 the @file{constants} package which defines a large number of constants
7604 and units, and lets you use unit prefixes like @samp{M} for
7605 @samp{Mega} etc. You will need version 2.0 of this package, available
7606 at @url{http://www.astro.uva.nl/~dominik/Tools}. Org-mode checks for
7607 the function @code{constants-get}, which has to be autoloaded in your
7608 setup. See the installation instructions in the file
7609 @file{constants.el}.
7610 @item @file{cdlatex.el} by Carsten Dominik
7611 @cindex @file{cdlatex.el}
7612 Org-mode can make use of the cdlatex package to efficiently enter
7613 La@TeX{} fragments into Org-mode files. See @ref{CDLaTeX mode}.
7614 @item @file{imenu.el} by Ake Stenhoff and Lars Lindberg
7615 @cindex @file{imenu.el}
7616 Imenu allows menu access to an index of items in a file. Org-mode
7617 supports imenu - all you need to do to get the index is the following:
7619 (add-hook 'org-mode-hook
7620 (lambda () 'imenu-add-to-menubar "Imenu"))
7622 By default the index is two levels deep - you can modify the depth using
7623 the option @code{org-imenu-depth}.
7624 @item @file{remember.el} by John Wiegley
7625 @cindex @file{remember.el}
7626 Org mode cooperates with remember, see @ref{Remember}.
7627 @file{Remember.el} is not part of Emacs, find it on the web.
7628 @item @file{speedbar.el} by Eric M. Ludlam
7629 @cindex @file{speedbar.el}
7630 Speedbar is a package that creates a special frame displaying files and
7631 index items in files. Org-mode supports speedbar and allows you to
7632 drill into Org-mode files directly from the speedbar. It also allows to
7633 restrict the scope of agenda commands to a file or a subtree by using
7634 the command @kbd{<} in the speedbar frame.
7635 @cindex @file{table.el}
7636 @item @file{table.el} by Takaaki Ota
7638 @cindex table editor, @file{table.el}
7639 @cindex @file{table.el}
7641 Complex ASCII tables with automatic line wrapping, column- and
7642 row-spanning, and alignment can be created using the Emacs table
7643 package by Takaaki Ota (@uref{http://sourceforge.net/projects/table},
7644 and also part of Emacs 22).
7645 When @key{TAB} or @kbd{C-c C-c} is pressed in such a table, Org-mode
7646 will call @command{table-recognize-table} and move the cursor into the
7647 table. Inside a table, the keymap of Org-mode is inactive. In order
7648 to execute Org-mode-related commands, leave the table.
7653 Recognize @file{table.el} table. Works when the cursor is in a
7658 Insert a table.el table. If there is already a table at point, this
7659 command converts it between the table.el format and the Org-mode
7660 format. See the documentation string of the command
7661 @code{org-convert-table} for the restrictions under which this is
7664 @file{table.el} is part of Emacs 22.
7665 @cindex @file{footnote.el}
7666 @item @file{footnote.el} by Steven L. Baur
7667 Org-mode recognizes numerical footnotes as provided by this package
7668 (@pxref{Footnotes}).
7671 @node Conflicts, , Cooperation, Interaction
7672 @subsection Packages that lead to conflicts with Org-mode
7676 @cindex @file{allout.el}
7677 @item @file{allout.el} by Ken Manheimer
7678 Startup of Org-mode may fail with the error message
7679 @code{(wrong-type-argument keymapp nil)} when there is an outdated
7680 version @file{allout.el} on the load path, for example the version
7681 distributed with Emacs 21.x. Upgrade to Emacs 22 and this problem will
7682 disappear. If for some reason you cannot do this, make sure that org.el
7683 is loaded @emph{before} @file{allout.el}, for example by putting
7684 @code{(require 'org)} early enough into your @file{.emacs} file.
7686 @cindex @file{CUA.el}
7687 @item @file{CUA.el} by Kim. F. Storm
7688 Keybindings in Org-mode conflict with the @kbd{S-<cursor>} keys used by
7689 CUA-mode (as well as pc-select-mode and s-region-mode) to select and
7690 extend the region. If you want to use one of these packages along with
7691 Org-mode, configure the variable @code{org-replace-disputed-keys}. When
7692 set, Org-mode will move the following keybindings in Org-mode files, and
7693 in the agenda buffer (but not during date selection).
7696 S-UP -> M-p S-DOWN -> M-n
7697 S-LEFT -> M-- S-RIGHT -> M-+
7700 Yes, these are unfortunately more difficult to remember. If you want
7701 to have other replacement keys, look at the variable
7702 @code{org-disputed-keys}.
7703 @item @file{windmove.el} by Hovav Shacham
7704 @cindex @file{windmove.el}
7705 Also this package uses the @kbd{S-<cursor>} keys, so everything written
7706 in the paragraph above about CUA mode also applies here.
7708 @cindex @file{footnote.el}
7709 @item @file{footnote.el} by Steven L. Baur
7710 Org-mode supports the syntax of the footnote package, but only the
7711 numerical footnote markers. Also, the default key for footnote
7712 commands, @kbd{C-c !} is already used by Org-mode. You could use the
7713 variable @code{footnote-prefix} to switch footnotes commands to another
7714 key. Or, you could use @code{org-replace-disputed-keys} and
7715 @code{org-disputed-keys} to change the settings in Org-mode.
7720 @node Bugs, , Interaction, Miscellaneous
7724 Here is a list of things that should work differently, but which I
7725 have found too hard to fix.
7729 If a table field starts with a link, and if the corresponding table
7730 column is narrowed (@pxref{Narrow columns}) to a width too small to
7731 display the link, the field would look entirely empty even though it is
7732 not. To prevent this, Org-mode throws an error. The work-around is to
7733 make the column wide enough to fit the link, or to add some text (at
7734 least 2 characters) before the link in the same field.
7736 Narrowing table columns does not work on XEmacs, because the
7737 @code{format} function does not transport text properties.
7739 Text in an entry protected with the @samp{QUOTE} keyword should not
7742 When the application called by @kbd{C-c C-o} to open a file link fails
7743 (for example because the application does not exist or refuses to open
7744 the file), it does so silently. No error message is displayed.
7746 Recalculating a table line applies the formulas from left to right.
7747 If a formula uses @emph{calculated} fields further down the row,
7748 multiple recalculation may be needed to get all fields consistent. You
7749 may use the command @code{org-table-iterate} (@kbd{C-u C-c *}) to
7750 recalculate until convergence.
7752 A single letter cannot be made bold, for example @samp{*a*}.
7754 The exporters work well, but could be made more efficient.
7758 @node Extensions and Hacking, History and Acknowledgments, Miscellaneous, Top
7759 @appendix Extensions, Hooks and Hacking
7761 This appendix lists extensions for Org-mode written by other authors.
7762 It also covers some aspects where users can extend the functionality of
7766 * Extensions:: Existing 3rd-part extensions
7767 * Adding hyperlink types:: New custom link types
7768 * Tables in arbitrary syntax:: Orgtbl for LaTeX and other programs
7769 * Dynamic blocks:: Automatically filled blocks
7770 * Special agenda views:: Customized views
7771 * Using the property API:: Writing programs that use entry properties
7774 @node Extensions, Adding hyperlink types, Extensions and Hacking, Extensions and Hacking
7775 @section Third-party extensions for Org-mode
7776 @cindex extension, third-party
7778 The following extensions for Org-mode have been written by other people:
7781 @cindex @file{org-publish.el}
7782 @item @file{org-publish.el} by David O'Toole
7783 This package provides facilities for publishing related sets of Org-mode
7784 files together with linked files like images as webpages. It is
7785 highly configurable and can be used for other publishing purposes as
7786 well. As of Org-mode version 4.30, @file{org-publish.el} is part of the
7787 Org-mode distribution. It is not yet part of Emacs, however, a delay
7788 caused by the preparations for the 22.1 release. In the mean time,
7789 @file{org-publish.el} can be downloaded from David's site:
7790 @url{http://dto.freeshell.org/e/org-publish.el}.
7791 @cindex @file{org-mouse.el}
7792 @item @file{org-mouse.el} by Piotr Zielinski
7793 This package implements extended mouse functionality for Org-mode. It
7794 allows you to cycle visibility and to edit the document structure with
7795 the mouse. Best of all, it provides a context-sensitive menu on
7796 @key{mouse-3} that changes depending on the context of a mouse-click.
7797 As of Org-mode version 4.53, @file{org-mouse.el} is part of the
7798 Org-mode distribution. It is not yet part of Emacs, however, a delay
7799 caused by the preparations for the 22.1 release. In the mean time,
7800 @file{org-mouse.el} can be downloaded from Piotr's site:
7801 @url{http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~pz215/files/org-mouse.el}.
7802 @cindex @file{org-blog.el}
7803 @item @file{org-blog.el} by David O'Toole
7804 A blogging plug-in for @file{org-publish.el}.@*
7805 @url{http://dto.freeshell.org/notebook/OrgMode.html}.
7806 @cindex @file{blorg.el}
7807 @item @file{blorg.el} by Bastien Guerry
7808 Publish Org-mode files as
7809 blogs. @url{http://www.cognition.ens.fr/~guerry/blorg.html}.
7810 @cindex @file{org2rem.el}
7811 @item @file{org2rem.el} by Bastien Guerry
7812 Translates Org-mode files into something readable by
7813 Remind. @url{http://www.cognition.ens.fr/~guerry/u/org2rem.el}.
7814 @item @file{org-toc.el} by Bastien Guerry
7815 Produces a simple table of contents of an Org-mode file, for easy
7816 navigation. @url{http://www.cognition.ens.fr/~guerry/u/org-registry.el}.
7817 @item @file{org-registry.el} by Bastien Guerry
7818 Find which Org-file link to a certain document.
7819 @url{http://www.cognition.ens.fr/~guerry/u/org2rem.el}.
7824 @node Adding hyperlink types, Tables in arbitrary syntax, Extensions, Extensions and Hacking
7825 @section Adding hyperlink types
7826 @cindex hyperlinks, adding new types
7828 Org-mode has a large number of hyperlink types built-in
7829 (@pxref{Hyperlinks}). If you would like to add new link types, it
7830 provides an interface for doing so. Lets look at an example file
7831 @file{org-man.el} that will add support for creating links like
7832 @samp{[[man:printf][The printf manpage]]} to show unix manual pages inside
7836 ;;; org-man.el - Support for links to manpages in Org-mode
7840 (org-add-link-type "man" 'org-man-open)
7841 (add-hook 'org-store-link-functions 'org-man-store-link)
7843 (defcustom org-man-command 'man
7844 "The Emacs command to be used to display a man page."
7846 :type '(choice (const man) (const woman)))
7848 (defun org-man-open (path)
7849 "Visit the manpage on PATH.
7850 PATH should be a topic that can be thrown at the man command."
7851 (funcall org-man-command path))
7853 (defun org-man-store-link ()
7854 "Store a link to a manpage."
7855 (when (memq major-mode '(Man-mode woman-mode))
7856 ;; This is a man page, we do make this link
7857 (let* ((page (org-man-get-page-name))
7858 (link (concat "man:" page))
7859 (description (format "Manpage for %s" page)))
7860 (org-store-link-props
7863 :description description))))
7865 (defun org-man-get-page-name ()
7866 "Extract the page name from the buffer name."
7867 ;; This works for both `Man-mode' and `woman-mode'.
7868 (if (string-match " \\(\\S-+\\)\\*" (buffer-name))
7869 (match-string 1 (buffer-name))
7870 (error "Cannot create link to this man page")))
7874 ;;; org-man.el ends here
7878 You would activate this new link type in @file{.emacs} with
7885 Lets go through the file and see what it does.
7888 It does @code{(require 'org)} to make sure that @file{org.el} has been
7891 The next line calls @code{org-add-link-type} to define a new link type
7892 with prefix @samp{man}. The call also contains the name of a function
7893 that will be called to follow such a link.
7895 The next line adds a function to @code{org-store-link-functions}, in
7896 order to allow the command @kbd{C-c l} to record a useful link in a
7897 buffer displaying a man page.
7900 The rest of the file defines the necessary variables and functions.
7901 First there is a customization variable that determines which emacs
7902 command should be used to display manpages. There are two options,
7903 @code{man} and @code{woman}. Then the function to follow a link is
7904 defined. It gets the link path as an argument - in this case the link
7905 path is just a topic for the manual command. The function calls the
7906 value of @code{org-man-command} to display the man page.
7908 Finally the function @code{org-man-store-link} is defined. When you try
7909 to store a link with @kbd{C-c l}, also this function will be called to
7910 try to make a link. The function must first decide if it is supposed to
7911 create the link for this buffer type, we do this by checking the value
7912 of the variable @code{major-mode}. If not, the function must exit and
7913 retunr the value @code{nil}. If yes, the link is created by getting the
7914 manual tpoic from the buffer name and prefixing it with the string
7915 @samp{man:}. Then it must call the command @code{org-store-link-props}
7916 and set the @code{:type} and @code{:link} properties. Optionally you
7917 can also set the @code{:description} property to provide a default for
7918 the link description when the link is later inserted into tan Org-mode
7919 buffer with @kbd{C-c C-l}.
7921 @node Tables in arbitrary syntax, Dynamic blocks, Adding hyperlink types, Extensions and Hacking
7922 @section Tables and Lists in arbitrary syntax
7923 @cindex tables, in other modes
7924 @cindex lists, in other modes
7927 Since Orgtbl-mode can be used as a minor mode in arbitrary buffers, a
7928 frequent feature request has been to make it work with native tables in
7929 specific languages, for example La@TeX{}. However, this is extremely
7930 hard to do in a general way, would lead to a customization nightmare,
7931 and would take away much of the simplicity of the Orgtbl-mode table
7935 This appendix describes a different approach. We keep the Orgtbl-mode
7936 table in its native format (the @i{source table}), and use a custom
7937 function to @i{translate} the table to the correct syntax, and to
7938 @i{install} it in the right location (the @i{target table}). This puts
7939 the burden of writing conversion functions on the user, but it allows
7940 for a very flexible system.
7942 Bastien added the ability to do the same with lists. You can use Org's
7943 facilities to edit and structure lists by turning @code{orgstruct-mode}
7944 on, then locally exporting such lists in another format (HTML, La@TeX{}
7949 * Radio tables:: Sending and receiving
7950 * A LaTeX example:: Step by step, almost a tutorial
7951 * Translator functions:: Copy and modify
7952 * Radio lists:: Doing the same for lists.
7955 @node Radio tables, A LaTeX example, Tables in arbitrary syntax, Tables in arbitrary syntax
7956 @subsection Radio tables
7957 @cindex radio tables
7959 To define the location of the target table, you first need to create two
7960 lines that are comments in the current mode, but contain magic words for
7961 Orgtbl-mode to find. Orgtbl-mode will insert the translated table
7962 between these lines, replacing whatever was there before. For example:
7965 /* BEGIN RECEIVE ORGTBL table_name */
7966 /* END RECEIVE ORGTBL table_name */
7970 Just above the source table, we put a special line that tells
7971 Orgtbl-mode how to translate this table and where to install it. For
7974 #+ORGTBL: SEND table_name translation_function arguments....
7978 @code{table_name} is the reference name for the table that is also used
7979 in the receiver lines. @code{translation_function} is the Lisp function
7980 that does the translation. Furthermore, the line can contain a list of
7981 arguments (alternating key and value) at the end. The arguments will be
7982 passed as a property list to the translation function for
7983 interpretation. A few standard parameters are already recognized and
7984 acted upon before the translation function is called:
7988 Skip the first N lines of the table. Hlines do count!
7989 @item :skipcols (n1 n2 ...)
7990 List of columns that should be skipped. If the table has a column with
7991 calculation marks, that column is automatically discarded as well.
7992 Please note that the translator function sees the table @emph{after} the
7993 removal of these columns, the function never knows that there have been
7998 The one problem remaining is how to keep the source table in the buffer
7999 without disturbing the normal workings of the file, for example during
8000 compilation of a C file or processing of a La@TeX{} file. There are a
8001 number of different solutions:
8005 The table could be placed in a block comment if that is supported by the
8006 language. For example, in C-mode you could wrap the table between
8007 @samp{/*} and @samp{*/} lines.
8009 Sometimes it is possible to put the table after some kind of @i{END}
8010 statement, for example @samp{\bye} in TeX and @samp{\end@{document@}}
8013 You can just comment the table line by line whenever you want to process
8014 the file, and uncomment it whenever you need to edit the table. This
8015 only sounds tedious - the command @kbd{M-x orgtbl-toggle-comment} does
8016 make this comment-toggling very easy, in particular if you bind it to a
8020 @node A LaTeX example, Translator functions, Radio tables, Tables in arbitrary syntax
8021 @subsection A LaTeX example of radio tables
8022 @cindex LaTeX, and orgtbl-mode
8024 The best way to wrap the source table in La@TeX{} is to use the
8025 @code{comment} environment provided by @file{comment.sty}. It has to be
8026 activated by placing @code{\usepackage@{comment@}} into the document
8027 header. Orgtbl-mode can insert a radio table skeleton@footnote{By
8028 default this works only for La@TeX{}, HTML, and TeXInfo. Configure the
8029 variable @code{orgtbl-radio-tables} to install templates for other
8030 modes.} with the command @kbd{M-x orgtbl-insert-radio-table}. You will
8031 be prompted for a table name, lets say we use @samp{salesfigures}. You
8032 will then get the following template:
8035 % BEGIN RECEIVE ORGTBL salesfigures
8036 % END RECEIVE ORGTBL salesfigures
8038 #+ORGTBL: SEND salesfigures orgtbl-to-latex
8044 The @code{#+ORGTBL: SEND} line tells orgtbl-mode to use the function
8045 @code{orgtbl-to-latex} to convert the table into La@TeX{} and to put it
8046 into the receiver location with name @code{salesfigures}. You may now
8047 fill in the table, feel free to use the spreadsheet features@footnote{If
8048 the @samp{#+TBLFM} line contains an odd number of dollar characters,
8049 this may cause problems with font-lock in latex-mode. As shown in the
8050 example you can fix this by adding an extra line inside the
8051 @code{comment} environment that is used to balance the dollar
8052 expressions. If you are using AUCTeX with the font-latex library, a
8053 much better solution is to add the @code{comment} environment to the
8054 variable @code{LaTeX-verbatim-environments}.}:
8057 % BEGIN RECEIVE ORGTBL salesfigures
8058 % END RECEIVE ORGTBL salesfigures
8060 #+ORGTBL: SEND salesfigures orgtbl-to-latex
8061 | Month | Days | Nr sold | per day |
8062 |-------+------+---------+---------|
8063 | Jan | 23 | 55 | 2.4 |
8064 | Feb | 21 | 16 | 0.8 |
8065 | March | 22 | 278 | 12.6 |
8066 #+TBLFM: $4=$3/$2;%.1f
8067 % $ (optional extra dollar to keep font-lock happy, see footnote)
8072 When you are done, press @kbd{C-c C-c} in the table to get the converted
8073 table inserted between the two marker lines.
8075 Now lets assume you want to make the table header by hand, because you
8076 want to control how columns are aligned etc. In this case we make sure
8077 that the table translator does skip the first 2 lines of the source
8078 table, and tell the command to work as a @i{splice}, i.e. to not produce
8079 header and footer commands of the target table:
8082 \begin@{tabular@}@{lrrr@}
8083 Month & \multicolumn@{1@}@{c@}@{Days@} & Nr.\ sold & per day\\
8084 % BEGIN RECEIVE ORGTBL salesfigures
8085 % END RECEIVE ORGTBL salesfigures
8089 #+ORGTBL: SEND salesfigures orgtbl-to-latex :splice t :skip 2
8090 | Month | Days | Nr sold | per day |
8091 |-------+------+---------+---------|
8092 | Jan | 23 | 55 | 2.4 |
8093 | Feb | 21 | 16 | 0.8 |
8094 | March | 22 | 278 | 12.6 |
8095 #+TBLFM: $4=$3/$2;%.1f
8099 The La@TeX{} translator function @code{orgtbl-to-latex} is already part of
8100 Orgtbl-mode. It uses a @code{tabular} environment to typeset the table
8101 and marks horizontal lines with @code{\hline}. Furthermore, it
8102 interprets the following parameters:
8106 When set to t, return only table body lines, don't wrap them into a
8107 tabular environment. Default is nil.
8110 A format to be used to wrap each field, should contain @code{%s} for the
8111 original field value. For example, to wrap each field value in dollars,
8112 you could use @code{:fmt "$%s$"}. This may also be a property list with
8113 column numbers and formats. for example @code{:fmt (2 "$%s$" 4 "%s\\%%")}.
8116 Use this format to print numbers with exponentials. The format should
8117 have @code{%s} twice for inserting mantissa and exponent, for example
8118 @code{"%s\\times10^@{%s@}"}. The default is @code{"%s\\,(%s)"}. This
8119 may also be a property list with column numbers and formats, for example
8120 @code{:efmt (2 "$%s\\times10^@{%s@}$" 4 "$%s\\cdot10^@{%s@}$")}. After
8121 @code{efmt} has been applied to a value, @code{fmt} will also be
8125 @node Translator functions, Radio lists, A LaTeX example, Tables in arbitrary syntax
8126 @subsection Translator functions
8127 @cindex HTML, and orgtbl-mode
8128 @cindex translator function
8130 Orgtbl-mode has several translator functions built-in:
8131 @code{orgtbl-to-latex}, @code{orgtbl-to-html}, and
8132 @code{orgtbl-to-texinfo}. Except for @code{orgtbl-to-html}@footnote{The
8133 HTML translator uses the same code that produces tables during HTML
8134 export.}, these all use a generic translator, @code{orgtbl-to-generic}.
8135 For example, @code{orgtbl-to-latex} itself is a very short function that
8136 computes the column definitions for the @code{tabular} environment,
8137 defines a few field and line separators and then hands over to the
8138 generic translator. Here is the entire code:
8142 (defun orgtbl-to-latex (table params)
8143 "Convert the orgtbl-mode TABLE to LaTeX."
8144 (let* ((alignment (mapconcat (lambda (x) (if x "r" "l"))
8145 org-table-last-alignment ""))
8148 :tstart (concat "\\begin@{tabular@}@{" alignment "@}")
8149 :tend "\\end@{tabular@}"
8150 :lstart "" :lend " \\\\" :sep " & "
8151 :efmt "%s\\,(%s)" :hline "\\hline")))
8152 (orgtbl-to-generic table (org-combine-plists params2 params))))
8156 As you can see, the properties passed into the function (variable
8157 @var{PARAMS}) are combined with the ones newly defined in the function
8158 (variable @var{PARAMS2}). The ones passed into the function (i.e. the
8159 ones set by the @samp{ORGTBL SEND} line) take precedence. So if you
8160 would like to use the La@TeX{} translator, but wanted the line endings to
8161 be @samp{\\[2mm]} instead of the default @samp{\\}, you could just
8162 overrule the default with
8165 #+ORGTBL: SEND test orgtbl-to-latex :lend " \\\\[2mm]"
8168 For a new language, you can either write your own converter function in
8169 analogy with the La@TeX{} translator, or you can use the generic function
8170 directly. For example, if you have a language where a table is started
8171 with @samp{!BTBL!}, ended with @samp{!ETBL!}, and where table lines are
8172 started with @samp{!BL!}, ended with @samp{!EL!} and where the field
8173 separator is a TAB, you could call the generic translator like this (on
8177 #+ORGTBL: SEND test orgtbl-to-generic :tstart "!BTBL!" :tend "!ETBL!"
8178 :lstart "!BL! " :lend " !EL!" :sep "\t"
8182 Please check the documentation string of the function
8183 @code{orgtbl-to-generic} for a full list of parameters understood by
8184 that function and remember that you can pass each of them into
8185 @code{orgtbl-to-latex}, @code{orgtbl-to-texinfo}, and any other function
8186 using the generic function.
8188 Of course you can also write a completely new function doing complicated
8189 things the generic translator cannot do. A translator function takes
8190 two arguments. The first argument is the table, a list of lines, each
8191 line either the symbol @code{hline} or a list of fields. The second
8192 argument is the property list containing all parameters specified in the
8193 @samp{#+ORGTBL: SEND} line. The function must return a single string
8194 containing the formatted table. If you write a generally useful
8195 translator, please post it on @code{emacs-orgmode@@gnu.org} so that
8196 others can benefit from your work.
8198 @node Radio lists, , Translator functions, Tables in arbitrary syntax
8199 @subsection Radio lists
8201 @cindex org-list-insert-radio-list
8203 Sending and receiving radio lists works exactly the same way than
8204 sending and receiving radio tables (@pxref{Radio tables}) @footnote{You
8205 need to load the @code{org-export-latex.el} package to use radio lists
8206 since the relevant code is there for now.}. As for radio tables, you
8207 can insert radio lists templates in HTML, La@TeX{} and TeXInfo modes by
8208 calling @code{org-list-insert-radio-list}.
8210 Here are the differences with radio tables:
8214 Use @code{ORGLST} instead of @code{ORGTBL}.
8216 The available translation functions for radio lists don't take
8219 `C-c C-c' will work when pressed on the first item of the list.
8222 Here is a La@TeX{} example. Let's say that you have this in your
8226 % BEGIN RECEIVE ORGLST to-buy
8227 % END RECEIVE ORGLST to-buy
8229 #+ORGLIST: SEND to-buy orgtbl-to-latex
8238 Pressing `C-c C-c' on @code{a new house} and will insert the converted
8239 La@TeX{} list between the two marker lines.
8241 @node Dynamic blocks, Special agenda views, Tables in arbitrary syntax, Extensions and Hacking
8242 @section Dynamic blocks
8243 @cindex dynamic blocks
8245 Org-mode documents can contain @emph{dynamic blocks}. These are
8246 specially marked regions that are updated by some user-written function.
8247 A good example for such a block is the clock table inserted by the
8248 command @kbd{C-c C-x C-r} (@pxref{Clocking work time}).
8250 Dynamic block are enclosed by a BEGIN-END structure that assigns a name
8251 to the block and can also specify parameters for the function producing
8252 the content of the block.
8255 #+BEGIN: myblock :parameter1 value1 :parameter2 value2 ...
8260 Dynamic blocks are updated with the following commands
8265 Update dynamic block at point.
8266 @kindex C-u C-c C-x C-u
8267 @item C-u C-c C-x C-u
8268 Update all dynamic blocks in the current file.
8271 Updating a dynamic block means to remove all the text between BEGIN and
8272 END, parse the BEGIN line for parameters and then call the specific
8273 writer function for this block to insert the new content. For a block
8274 with name @code{myblock}, the writer function is
8275 @code{org-dblock-write:myblock} with as only parameter a property list
8276 with the parameters given in the begin line. Here is a trivial example
8277 of a block that keeps track of when the block update function was last
8281 #+BEGIN: block-update-time :format "on %m/%d/%Y at %H:%M"
8287 The corresponding block writer function could look like this:
8290 (defun org-dblock-write:block-update-time (params)
8291 (let ((fmt (or (plist-get params :format) "%d. %m. %Y")))
8292 (insert "Last block update at: "
8293 (format-time-string fmt (current-time)))))
8296 If you want to make sure that all dynamic blocks are always up-to-date,
8297 you could add the function @code{org-update-all-dblocks} to a hook, for
8298 example @code{before-save-hook}. @code{org-update-all-dblocks} is
8299 written in a way that is does nothing in buffers that are not in Org-mode.
8301 @node Special agenda views, Using the property API, Dynamic blocks, Extensions and Hacking
8302 @section Special Agenda Views
8303 @cindex agenda views, user-defined
8305 Org-mode provides a special hook that can be used to narrow down the
8306 selection made by any of the agenda views. You may specify a function
8307 that is used at each match to verify if the match should indeed be part
8308 of the agenda view, and if not, how much should be skipped.
8310 Let's say you want to produce a list of projects that contain a WAITING
8311 tag anywhere in the project tree. Let's further assume that you have
8312 marked all tree headings that define a project with the todo keyword
8313 PROJECT. In this case you would run a todo search for the keyword
8314 PROJECT, but skip the match unless there is a WAITING tag anywhere in
8315 the subtree belonging to the project line.
8317 To achieve this, you must write a function that searches the subtree for
8318 the tag. If the tag is found, the function must return @code{nil} to
8319 indicate that this match should not be skipped. If there is no such
8320 tag, return the location of the end of the subtree, to indicate that
8321 search should continue from there.
8324 (defun my-skip-unless-waiting ()
8325 "Skip trees that are not waiting"
8326 (let ((subtree-end (save-excursion (org-end-of-subtree t))))
8327 (if (re-search-forward ":waiting:" subtree-end t)
8328 nil ; tag found, do not skip
8329 subtree-end))) ; tag not found, continue after end of subtree
8332 Now you may use this function in an agenda custom command, for example
8336 (org-add-agenda-custom-command
8337 '("b" todo "PROJECT"
8338 ((org-agenda-skip-function 'my-org-waiting-projects)
8339 (org-agenda-overriding-header "Projects waiting for something: "))))
8342 Note that this also binds @code{org-agenda-overriding-header} to get a
8343 meaningful header in the agenda view.
8345 You may also put a Lisp form into @code{org-agenda-skip-function}. In
8346 particular, you may use the functions @code{org-agenda-skip-entry-if}
8347 and @code{org-agenda-skip-subtree-if} in this form, for example:
8350 @item '(org-agenda-skip-entry-if 'scheduled)
8351 Skip current entry if it has been scheduled.
8352 @item '(org-agenda-skip-entry-if 'notscheduled)
8353 Skip current entry if it has not been scheduled.
8354 @item '(org-agenda-skip-entry-if 'deadline)
8355 Skip current entry if it has a deadline.
8356 @item '(org-agenda-skip-entry-if 'scheduled 'deadline)
8357 Skip current entry if it has a deadline, or if it is scheduled.
8358 @item '(org-agenda-skip-entry 'regexp "regular expression")
8359 Skip current entry if the regular expression matches in the entry.
8360 @item '(org-agenda-skip-entry 'notregexp "regular expression")
8361 Skip current entry unless the regular expression matches.
8362 @item '(org-agenda-skip-subtree-if 'regexp "regular expression")
8363 Same as above, but check and skip the entire subtree.
8366 Therefore we could also have written the search for WAITING projects
8367 like this, even without defining a special function:
8370 (org-add-agenda-custom-command
8371 '("b" todo "PROJECT"
8372 ((org-agenda-skip-function '(org-agenda-skip-subtree-if
8373 'regexp ":waiting:"))
8374 (org-agenda-overriding-header "Projects waiting for something: "))))
8378 @node Using the property API, , Special agenda views, Extensions and Hacking
8379 @section Using the property API
8380 @cindex API, for properties
8381 @cindex properties, API
8383 Here is a description of the functions that can be used to work with
8386 @defun org-entry-properties &optional pom which
8387 Get all properties of the entry at point-or-marker POM.
8388 This includes the TODO keyword, the tags, time strings for deadline,
8389 scheduled, and clocking, and any additional properties defined in the
8390 entry. The return value is an alist, keys may occur multiple times
8391 if the property key was used several times.
8392 POM may also be nil, in which case the current entry is used.
8393 If WHICH is nil or `all', get all properties. If WHICH is
8394 `special' or `standard', only get that subclass.
8396 @defun org-entry-get pom property &optional inherit
8397 Get value of PROPERTY for entry at point-or-marker POM.
8398 If INHERIT is non-nil and the entry does not have the property,
8399 then also check higher levels of the hierarchy. This function ignores
8400 the value of @code{org-use-property-inheritance} and requires the
8401 explicit INHERIT flag.
8404 @defun org-entry-delete pom property
8405 Delete the property PROPERTY from entry at point-or-marker POM.
8408 @defun org-entry-put pom property value
8409 Set PROPERTY to VALUE for entry at point-or-marker POM.
8412 @defun org-buffer-property-keys &optional include-specials
8413 Get all property keys in the current buffer.
8416 @defun org-insert-property-drawer
8417 Insert a property drawer at point.
8420 @node History and Acknowledgments, Main Index, Extensions and Hacking, Top
8421 @appendix History and Acknowledgments
8422 @cindex acknowledgments
8426 Org-mode was borne in 2003, out of frustration over the user interface
8427 of the Emacs outline-mode. I was trying to organize my notes and
8428 projects, and using Emacs seemed to be the natural way to go. However,
8429 having to remember eleven different commands with two or three keys per
8430 command, only to hide and unhide parts of the outline tree, that seemed
8431 entirely unacceptable to me. Also, when using outlines to take notes, I
8432 constantly want to restructure the tree, organizing it parallel to my
8433 thoughts and plans. @emph{Visibility cycling} and @emph{structure
8434 editing} were originally implemented in the package
8435 @file{outline-magic.el}, but quickly moved to the more general
8436 @file{org.el}. As this environment became comfortable for project
8437 planning, the next step was adding @emph{TODO entries}, basic @emph{time
8438 stamps}, and @emph{table support}. These areas highlight the two main
8439 goals that Org-mode still has today: To create a new, outline-based,
8440 plain text mode with innovative and intuitive editing features, and to
8441 incorporate project planning functionality directly into a notes file.
8443 Since the first release, literally thousands of emails to me or on
8444 @code{emacs-orgmode@@gnu.org} have provided a constant stream of bug
8445 reports, feedback, new ideas, and sometimes patches and add-on code.
8446 Many thanks to everyone who has helped to improve this package. I am
8447 trying to keep here a list of the people who had significant influence
8448 in shaping one or more aspects of Org-mode. The list may not be
8449 complete, if I have forgotten someone, please accept my apologies and
8455 @i{Russel Adams} came up with the idea for drawers.
8457 @i{Thomas Baumann} contributed the code for links to the MH-E email
8460 @i{Alex Bochannek} provided a patch for rounding time stamps.
8462 @i{Charles Cave}'s suggestion sparked the implementation of templates
8465 @i{Pavel Chalmoviansky} influenced the agenda treatment of items with
8468 @i{Gregory Chernov} patched support for lisp forms into table
8469 calculations and improved XEmacs compatibility, in particular by porting
8470 @file{nouline.el} to XEmacs.
8472 @i{Sacha Chua} suggested to copy some linking code from Planner.
8474 @i{Eddward DeVilla} proposed and tested checkbox statistics. He also
8475 came up with the idea of properties, and that there should be an API for
8478 @i{Kees Dullemond} used to edit projects lists directly in HTML and so
8479 inspired some of the early development, including HTML export. He also
8480 asked for a way to narrow wide table columns.
8482 @i{Christian Egli} converted the documentation into TeXInfo format,
8483 patched CSS formatting into the HTML exporter, and inspired the agenda.
8485 @i{David Emery} provided a patch for custom CSS support in exported
8488 @i{Nic Ferrier} contributed mailcap and XOXO support.
8490 @i{John Foerch} figured out how to make incremental search show context
8491 around a match in a hidden outline tree.
8493 @i{Niels Giesen} had the idea to automatically archive DONE trees.
8495 @i{Bastien Guerry} wrote the La@TeX{} exporter and has been prolific
8496 with patches, ideas, and bug reports.
8498 @i{Kai Grossjohann} pointed out key-binding conflicts with other packages.
8500 @i{Scott Jaderholm} proposed footnotes, control over whitespace between
8501 folded entries, and column view for properties.
8503 @i{Shidai Liu} ("Leo") asked for embedded La@TeX{} and tested it. He also
8504 provided frequent feedback and some patches.
8506 @i{Jason F. McBrayer} suggested agenda export to CSV format.
8508 @i{Max Mikhanosha} came up with the idea of refiling.
8510 @i{Dmitri Minaev} sent a patch to set priority limits on a per-file
8513 @i{Stefan Monnier} provided a patch to keep the Emacs-Lisp compiler
8516 @i{Rick Moynihan} proposed to allow multiple TODO sequences in a file
8517 and to be able to quickly restrict the agenda to a subtree.
8519 @i{Todd Neal} provided patches for links to Info files and elisp forms.
8521 @i{Tim O'Callaghan} suggested in-file links, search options for general
8522 file links, and TAGS.
8524 @i{Takeshi Okano} translated the manual and David O'Toole's tutorial
8527 @i{Oliver Oppitz} suggested multi-state TODO items.
8529 @i{Scott Otterson} sparked the introduction of descriptive text for
8530 links, among other things.
8532 @i{Pete Phillips} helped during the development of the TAGS feature, and
8533 provided frequent feedback.
8535 @i{T.V. Raman} reported bugs and suggested improvements.
8537 @i{Matthias Rempe} (Oelde) provided ideas, Windows support, and quality
8540 @i{Kevin Rogers} contributed code to access VM files on remote hosts.
8542 @i{Frank Ruell} solved the mystery of the @code{keymapp nil} bug, a
8543 conflict with @file{allout.el}.
8545 @i{Jason Riedy} sent a patch to fix a bug with export of TODO keywords.
8547 @i{Philip Rooke} created the Org-mode reference card and provided lots
8550 @i{Christian Schlauer} proposed angular brackets around links, among
8553 Linking to VM/BBDB/GNUS was inspired by @i{Tom Shannon}'s
8554 @file{organizer-mode.el}.
8556 @i{Daniel Sinder} came up with the idea of internal archiving by locking
8559 @i{Dale Smith} proposed link abbreviations.
8561 @i{Adam Spiers} asked for global linking commands and inspired the link
8562 extension system. support mairix.
8564 @i{David O'Toole} wrote @file{org-publish.el} and drafted the manual
8565 chapter about publishing.
8567 @i{J@"urgen Vollmer} contributed code generating the table of contents
8570 @i{Chris Wallace} provided a patch implementing the @samp{QUOTE}
8573 @i{David Wainberg} suggested archiving, and improvements to the linking
8576 @i{John Wiegley} wrote @file{emacs-wiki.el} and @file{planner.el}. The
8577 development of Org-mode was fully independent, and both systems are
8578 really different beasts in their basic ideas and implementation details.
8579 I later looked at John's code, however, and learned from his
8580 implementation of (i) links where the link itself is hidden and only a
8581 description is shown, and (ii) popping up a calendar to select a date.
8582 John has also contributed a number of great ideas directly to Org-mode.
8584 @i{Carsten Wimmer} suggested some changes and helped fix a bug in
8587 @i{Roland Winkler} requested additional keybindings to make Org-mode
8590 @i{Piotr Zielinski} wrote @file{org-mouse.el}, proposed agenda blocks
8591 and contributed various ideas and code snippets.
8595 @node Main Index, Key Index, History and Acknowledgments, Top
8596 @unnumbered The Main Index
8600 @node Key Index, , Main Index, Top
8601 @unnumbered Key Index
8608 arch-tag: 7893d1fe-cc57-4d13-b5e5-f494a1bcc7ac