4 @setfilename ../../info/org
5 @settitle The Org Manual
10 @c Use proper quote and backtick for code sections in PDF output
11 @c Cf. Texinfo manual 14.2
12 @set txicodequoteundirected
13 @set txicodequotebacktick
15 @c Version and Contact Info
16 @set MAINTAINERSITE @uref{http://orgmode.org,maintainers webpage}
17 @set AUTHOR Carsten Dominik
18 @set MAINTAINER Carsten Dominik
19 @set MAINTAINEREMAIL @email{carsten at orgmode dot org}
20 @set MAINTAINERCONTACT @uref{mailto:carsten at orgmode dot org,contact the maintainer}
25 @c -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
27 @c Macro definitions for commands and keys
28 @c =======================================
30 @c The behavior of the key/command macros will depend on the flag cmdnames
31 @c When set, commands names are shown. When clear, they are not shown.
35 @c Below we define the following macros for Org key tables:
37 @c orgkey{key} A key item
38 @c orgcmd{key,cmd} Key with command name
39 @c xorgcmd{key,cmmand} Key with command name as @itemx
40 @c orgcmdnki{key,cmd} Like orgcmd, but do not index the key
41 @c orgcmdtkc{text,key,cmd} Like orgcmd,special text instead of key
42 @c orgcmdkkc{key1,key2,cmd} Two keys with one command name, use "or"
43 @c orgcmdkxkc{key1,key2,cmd} Two keys with one command name, but
44 @c different functions, so format as @itemx
45 @c orgcmdkskc{key1,key2,cmd} Same as orgcmdkkc, but use "or short"
46 @c xorgcmdkskc{key1,key2,cmd} Same as previous, but use @itemx
47 @c orgcmdkkcc{key1,key2,cmd1,cmd2} Two keys and two commands
49 @c a key but no command
61 @c one key with a command
62 @c Inserts: @item KEY COMMAND
63 @macro orgcmd{key,command}
68 @item @kbd{\key\} @hskip 0pt plus 1filll @code{\command\}
71 @item @kbd{\key\} @tie{}@tie{}@tie{}@tie{}(@code{\command\})
80 @c One key with one command, formatted using @itemx
81 @c Inserts: @itemx KEY COMMAND
82 @macro xorgcmd{key,command}
87 @itemx @kbd{\key\} @hskip 0pt plus 1filll @code{\command\}
90 @itemx @kbd{\key\} @tie{}@tie{}@tie{}@tie{}(@code{\command\})
99 @c one key with a command, bit do not index the key
100 @c Inserts: @item KEY COMMAND
101 @macro orgcmdnki{key,command}
105 @item @kbd{\key\} @hskip 0pt plus 1filll @code{\command\}
108 @item @kbd{\key\} @tie{}@tie{}@tie{}@tie{}(@code{\command\})
116 @c one key with a command, and special text to replace key in item
117 @c Inserts: @item TEXT COMMAND
118 @macro orgcmdtkc{text,key,command}
123 @item @kbd{\text\} @hskip 0pt plus 1filll @code{\command\}
126 @item @kbd{\text\} @tie{}@tie{}@tie{}@tie{}(@code{\command\})
135 @c two keys with one command
136 @c Inserts: @item KEY1 or KEY2 COMMAND
137 @macro orgcmdkkc{key1,key2,command}
143 @item @kbd{\key1\} @ @r{or} @ @kbd{\key2\} @hskip 0pt plus 1filll @code{\command\}
146 @item @kbd{\key1\} @ @r{or} @ @kbd{\key2\} @tie{}@tie{}@tie{}@tie{}(@code{\command\})
152 @item @kbd{\key1\} @ @r{or} @ @kbd{\key2\}
156 @c Two keys with one command name, but different functions, so format as
158 @c Inserts: @item KEY1
159 @c @itemx KEY2 COMMAND
160 @macro orgcmdkxkc{key1,key2,command}
167 @itemx @kbd{\key2\} @hskip 0pt plus 1filll @code{\command\}
171 @itemx @kbd{\key2\} @tie{}@tie{}@tie{}@tie{}(@code{\command\})
182 @c Same as previous, but use "or short"
183 @c Inserts: @item KEY1 or short KEY2 COMMAND
184 @macro orgcmdkskc{key1,key2,command}
190 @item @kbd{\key1\} @ @r{or short} @ @kbd{\key2\} @hskip 0pt plus 1filll @code{\command\}
193 @item @kbd{\key1\} @ @r{or short} @ @kbd{\key2\} @tie{}@tie{}@tie{}@tie{}(@code{\command\})
199 @item @kbd{\key1\} @ @r{or short} @ @kbd{\key2\}
203 @c Same as previous, but use @itemx
204 @c Inserts: @itemx KEY1 or short KEY2 COMMAND
205 @macro xorgcmdkskc{key1,key2,command}
211 @itemx @kbd{\key1\} @ @r{or short} @ @kbd{\key2\} @hskip 0pt plus 1filll @code{\command\}
214 @itemx @kbd{\key1\} @ @r{or short} @ @kbd{\key2\} @tie{}@tie{}@tie{}@tie{}(@code{\command\})
220 @itemx @kbd{\key1\} @ @r{or short} @ @kbd{\key2\}
224 @c two keys with two commands
225 @c Inserts: @item KEY1 COMMAND1
226 @c @itemx KEY2 COMMAND2
227 @macro orgcmdkkcc{key1,key2,command1,command2}
234 @item @kbd{\key1\} @hskip 0pt plus 1filll @code{\command1\}
235 @itemx @kbd{\key2\} @hskip 0pt plus 1filll @code{\command2\}
238 @item @kbd{\key1\} @tie{}@tie{}@tie{}@tie{}(@code{\command1\})
239 @itemx @kbd{\key2\} @tie{}@tie{}@tie{}@tie{}(@code{\command2\})
249 @c -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
252 @c @hyphenation{time-stamp time-stamps time-stamp-ing time-stamp-ed}
255 @c Subheadings inside a table.
256 @macro tsubheading{text}
258 @subsubheading \text\
266 This manual is for Org version @value{VERSION}.
268 Copyright @copyright{} 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
269 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
272 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
273 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.3 or
274 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
275 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU Manual,''
276 and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the license
277 is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation License.''
279 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have the freedom to copy and
280 modify this GNU manual. Buying copies from the FSF supports it in
281 developing GNU and promoting software freedom.''
283 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
284 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
285 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
286 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
292 * Org Mode: (org). Outline-based notes management and organizer
296 @title The Org Manual
298 @subtitle Release @value{VERSION}
299 @author by Carsten Dominik
300 with contributions by David O'Toole, Bastien Guerry, Philip Rooke, Dan Davison, Eric Schulte, and Thomas Dye
302 @c The following two commands start the copyright page.
304 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
308 @c Output the table of contents at the beginning.
312 @node Top, Introduction, (dir), (dir)
319 * Introduction:: Getting started
320 * Document Structure:: A tree works like your brain
321 * Tables:: Pure magic for quick formatting
322 * Hyperlinks:: Notes in context
323 * TODO Items:: Every tree branch can be a TODO item
324 * Tags:: Tagging headlines and matching sets of tags
325 * Properties and Columns:: Storing information about an entry
326 * Dates and Times:: Making items useful for planning
327 * Capture - Refile - Archive:: The ins and outs for projects
328 * Agenda Views:: Collecting information into views
329 * Markup:: Prepare text for rich export
330 * Exporting:: Sharing and publishing of notes
331 * Publishing:: Create a web site of linked Org files
332 * Working With Source Code:: Export, evaluate, and tangle code blocks
333 * Miscellaneous:: All the rest which did not fit elsewhere
334 * Hacking:: How to hack your way around
335 * MobileOrg:: Viewing and capture on a mobile device
336 * History and Acknowledgments:: How Org came into being
337 * Main Index:: An index of Org's concepts and features
338 * Key Index:: Key bindings and where they are described
339 * Command and Function Index:: Command names and some internal functions
340 * Variable Index:: Variables mentioned in the manual
343 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
347 * Summary:: Brief summary of what Org does
348 * Installation:: How to install a downloaded version of Org
349 * Activation:: How to activate Org for certain buffers
350 * Feedback:: Bug reports, ideas, patches etc.
351 * Conventions:: Type-setting conventions in the manual
355 * Outlines:: Org is based on Outline mode
356 * Headlines:: How to typeset Org tree headlines
357 * Visibility cycling:: Show and hide, much simplified
358 * Motion:: Jumping to other headlines
359 * Structure editing:: Changing sequence and level of headlines
360 * Sparse trees:: Matches embedded in context
361 * Plain lists:: Additional structure within an entry
362 * Drawers:: Tucking stuff away
363 * Blocks:: Folding blocks
364 * Footnotes:: How footnotes are defined in Org's syntax
365 * Orgstruct mode:: Structure editing outside Org
369 * Built-in table editor:: Simple tables
370 * Column width and alignment:: Overrule the automatic settings
371 * Column groups:: Grouping to trigger vertical lines
372 * Orgtbl mode:: The table editor as minor mode
373 * The spreadsheet:: The table editor has spreadsheet capabilities
374 * Org-Plot:: Plotting from org tables
378 * References:: How to refer to another field or range
379 * Formula syntax for Calc:: Using Calc to compute stuff
380 * Formula syntax for Lisp:: Writing formulas in Emacs Lisp
381 * Field and range formulas:: Formula for specific (ranges of) fields
382 * Column formulas:: Formulas valid for an entire column
383 * Editing and debugging formulas:: Fixing formulas
384 * Updating the table:: Recomputing all dependent fields
385 * Advanced features:: Field names, parameters and automatic recalc
389 * Link format:: How links in Org are formatted
390 * Internal links:: Links to other places in the current file
391 * External links:: URL-like links to the world
392 * Handling links:: Creating, inserting and following
393 * Using links outside Org:: Linking from my C source code?
394 * Link abbreviations:: Shortcuts for writing complex links
395 * Search options:: Linking to a specific location
396 * Custom searches:: When the default search is not enough
400 * Radio targets:: Make targets trigger links in plain text
404 * TODO basics:: Marking and displaying TODO entries
405 * TODO extensions:: Workflow and assignments
406 * Progress logging:: Dates and notes for progress
407 * Priorities:: Some things are more important than others
408 * Breaking down tasks:: Splitting a task into manageable pieces
409 * Checkboxes:: Tick-off lists
411 Extended use of TODO keywords
413 * Workflow states:: From TODO to DONE in steps
414 * TODO types:: I do this, Fred does the rest
415 * Multiple sets in one file:: Mixing it all, and still finding your way
416 * Fast access to TODO states:: Single letter selection of a state
417 * Per-file keywords:: Different files, different requirements
418 * Faces for TODO keywords:: Highlighting states
419 * TODO dependencies:: When one task needs to wait for others
423 * Closing items:: When was this entry marked DONE?
424 * Tracking TODO state changes:: When did the status change?
425 * Tracking your habits:: How consistent have you been?
429 * Tag inheritance:: Tags use the tree structure of the outline
430 * Setting tags:: How to assign tags to a headline
431 * Tag searches:: Searching for combinations of tags
433 Properties and columns
435 * Property syntax:: How properties are spelled out
436 * Special properties:: Access to other Org-mode features
437 * Property searches:: Matching property values
438 * Property inheritance:: Passing values down the tree
439 * Column view:: Tabular viewing and editing
440 * Property API:: Properties for Lisp programmers
444 * Defining columns:: The COLUMNS format property
445 * Using column view:: How to create and use column view
446 * Capturing column view:: A dynamic block for column view
450 * Scope of column definitions:: Where defined, where valid?
451 * Column attributes:: Appearance and content of a column
455 * Timestamps:: Assigning a time to a tree entry
456 * Creating timestamps:: Commands which insert timestamps
457 * Deadlines and scheduling:: Planning your work
458 * Clocking work time:: Tracking how long you spend on a task
459 * Effort estimates:: Planning work effort in advance
460 * Relative timer:: Notes with a running timer
461 * Countdown timer:: Starting a countdown timer for a task
465 * The date/time prompt:: How Org-mode helps you entering date and time
466 * Custom time format:: Making dates look different
468 Deadlines and scheduling
470 * Inserting deadline/schedule:: Planning items
471 * Repeated tasks:: Items that show up again and again
475 * Clocking commands:: Starting and stopping a clock
476 * The clock table:: Detailed reports
477 * Resolving idle time:: Resolving time when you've been idle
479 Capture - Refile - Archive
481 * Capture:: Capturing new stuff
482 * Attachments:: Add files to tasks
483 * RSS Feeds:: Getting input from RSS feeds
484 * Protocols:: External (e.g.@: Browser) access to Emacs and Org
485 * Refiling notes:: Moving a tree from one place to another
486 * Archiving:: What to do with finished projects
490 * Setting up capture:: Where notes will be stored
491 * Using capture:: Commands to invoke and terminate capture
492 * Capture templates:: Define the outline of different note types
496 * Template elements:: What is needed for a complete template entry
497 * Template expansion:: Filling in information about time and context
501 * Moving subtrees:: Moving a tree to an archive file
502 * Internal archiving:: Switch off a tree but keep it in the file
506 * Agenda files:: Files being searched for agenda information
507 * Agenda dispatcher:: Keyboard access to agenda views
508 * Built-in agenda views:: What is available out of the box?
509 * Presentation and sorting:: How agenda items are prepared for display
510 * Agenda commands:: Remote editing of Org trees
511 * Custom agenda views:: Defining special searches and views
512 * Exporting Agenda Views:: Writing a view to a file
513 * Agenda column view:: Using column view for collected entries
515 The built-in agenda views
517 * Weekly/daily agenda:: The calendar page with current tasks
518 * Global TODO list:: All unfinished action items
519 * Matching tags and properties:: Structured information with fine-tuned search
520 * Timeline:: Time-sorted view for single file
521 * Search view:: Find entries by searching for text
522 * Stuck projects:: Find projects you need to review
524 Presentation and sorting
526 * Categories:: Not all tasks are equal
527 * Time-of-day specifications:: How the agenda knows the time
528 * Sorting of agenda items:: The order of things
532 * Storing searches:: Type once, use often
533 * Block agenda:: All the stuff you need in a single buffer
534 * Setting Options:: Changing the rules
536 Markup for rich export
538 * Structural markup elements:: The basic structure as seen by the exporter
539 * Images and tables:: Tables and Images will be included
540 * Literal examples:: Source code examples with special formatting
541 * Include files:: Include additional files into a document
542 * Index entries:: Making an index
543 * Macro replacement:: Use macros to create complex output
544 * Embedded LaTeX:: LaTeX can be freely used inside Org documents
546 Structural markup elements
548 * Document title:: Where the title is taken from
549 * Headings and sections:: The document structure as seen by the exporter
550 * Table of contents:: The if and where of the table of contents
551 * Initial text:: Text before the first heading?
553 * Paragraphs:: Paragraphs
554 * Footnote markup:: Footnotes
555 * Emphasis and monospace:: Bold, italic, etc.
556 * Horizontal rules:: Make a line
557 * Comment lines:: What will *not* be exported
561 * Special symbols:: Greek letters and other symbols
562 * Subscripts and superscripts:: Simple syntax for raising/lowering text
563 * LaTeX fragments:: Complex formulas made easy
564 * Previewing LaTeX fragments:: What will this snippet look like?
565 * CDLaTeX mode:: Speed up entering of formulas
569 * Selective export:: Using tags to select and exclude trees
570 * Export options:: Per-file export settings
571 * The export dispatcher:: How to access exporter commands
572 * ASCII/Latin-1/UTF-8 export:: Exporting to flat files with encoding
573 * HTML export:: Exporting to HTML
574 * LaTeX and PDF export:: Exporting to @LaTeX{}, and processing to PDF
575 * DocBook export:: Exporting to DocBook
576 * TaskJuggler export:: Exporting to TaskJuggler
577 * Freemind export:: Exporting to Freemind mind maps
578 * XOXO export:: Exporting to XOXO
579 * iCalendar export:: Exporting in iCalendar format
583 * HTML Export commands:: How to invoke HTML export
584 * HTML preamble and postamble:: How to insert a preamble and a postamble
585 * Quoting HTML tags:: Using direct HTML in Org-mode
586 * Links in HTML export:: How links will be interpreted and formatted
587 * Tables in HTML export:: How to modify the formatting of tables
588 * Images in HTML export:: How to insert figures into HTML output
589 * Math formatting in HTML export:: Beautiful math also on the web
590 * Text areas in HTML export:: An alternative way to show an example
591 * CSS support:: Changing the appearance of the output
592 * JavaScript support:: Info and Folding in a web browser
594 @LaTeX{} and PDF export
596 * LaTeX/PDF export commands:: Which key invokes which commands
597 * Header and sectioning:: Setting up the export file structure
598 * Quoting LaTeX code:: Incorporating literal @LaTeX{} code
599 * Tables in LaTeX export:: Options for exporting tables to @LaTeX{}
600 * Images in LaTeX export:: How to insert figures into @LaTeX{} output
601 * Beamer class export:: Turning the file into a presentation
605 * DocBook export commands:: How to invoke DocBook export
606 * Quoting DocBook code:: Incorporating DocBook code in Org files
607 * Recursive sections:: Recursive sections in DocBook
608 * Tables in DocBook export:: Tables are exported as HTML tables
609 * Images in DocBook export:: How to insert figures into DocBook output
610 * Special characters:: How to handle special characters
614 * Configuration:: Defining projects
615 * Uploading files:: How to get files up on the server
616 * Sample configuration:: Example projects
617 * Triggering publication:: Publication commands
621 * Project alist:: The central configuration variable
622 * Sources and destinations:: From here to there
623 * Selecting files:: What files are part of the project?
624 * Publishing action:: Setting the function doing the publishing
625 * Publishing options:: Tweaking HTML/@LaTeX{} export
626 * Publishing links:: Which links keep working after publishing?
627 * Sitemap:: Generating a list of all pages
628 * Generating an index:: An index that reaches across pages
632 * Simple example:: One-component publishing
633 * Complex example:: A multi-component publishing example
635 Working with source code
637 * Structure of code blocks:: Code block syntax described
638 * Editing source code:: Language major-mode editing
639 * Exporting code blocks:: Export contents and/or results
640 * Extracting source code:: Create pure source code files
641 * Evaluating code blocks:: Place results of evaluation in the Org-mode buffer
642 * Library of Babel:: Use and contribute to a library of useful code blocks
643 * Languages:: List of supported code block languages
644 * Header arguments:: Configure code block functionality
645 * Results of evaluation:: How evaluation results are handled
646 * Noweb reference syntax:: Literate programming in Org-mode
647 * Key bindings and useful functions:: Work quickly with code blocks
648 * Batch execution:: Call functions from the command line
652 * Using header arguments:: Different ways to set header arguments
653 * Specific header arguments:: List of header arguments
655 Using header arguments
657 * System-wide header arguments:: Set global default values
658 * Language-specific header arguments:: Set default values by language
659 * Buffer-wide header arguments:: Set default values for a specific buffer
660 * Header arguments in Org-mode properties:: Set default values for a buffer or heading
661 * Code block specific header arguments:: The most common way to set values
662 * Header arguments in function calls:: The most specific level
664 Specific header arguments
666 * var:: Pass arguments to code blocks
667 * results:: Specify the type of results and how they will
668 be collected and handled
669 * file:: Specify a path for file output
670 * dir:: Specify the default (possibly remote)
671 directory for code block execution
672 * exports:: Export code and/or results
673 * tangle:: Toggle tangling and specify file name
674 * mkdirp:: Toggle creation of parent directories of target
675 files during tangling
676 * comments:: Toggle insertion of comments in tangled
678 * padline:: Control insertion of padding lines in tangled
680 * no-expand:: Turn off variable assignment and noweb
681 expansion during tangling
682 * session:: Preserve the state of code evaluation
683 * noweb:: Toggle expansion of noweb references
684 * cache:: Avoid re-evaluating unchanged code blocks
685 * sep:: Delimiter for writing tabular results outside Org
686 * hlines:: Handle horizontal lines in tables
687 * colnames:: Handle column names in tables
688 * rownames:: Handle row names in tables
689 * shebang:: Make tangled files executable
690 * eval:: Limit evaluation of specific code blocks
694 * Completion:: M-TAB knows what you need
695 * Easy Templates:: Quick insertion of structural elements
696 * Speed keys:: Electric commands at the beginning of a headline
697 * Code evaluation security:: Org mode files evaluate inline code
698 * Customization:: Adapting Org to your taste
699 * In-buffer settings:: Overview of the #+KEYWORDS
700 * The very busy C-c C-c key:: When in doubt, press C-c C-c
701 * Clean view:: Getting rid of leading stars in the outline
702 * TTY keys:: Using Org on a tty
703 * Interaction:: Other Emacs packages
705 Interaction with other packages
707 * Cooperation:: Packages Org cooperates with
708 * Conflicts:: Packages that lead to conflicts
712 * Hooks:: Who to reach into Org's internals
713 * Add-on packages:: Available extensions
714 * Adding hyperlink types:: New custom link types
715 * Context-sensitive commands:: How to add functionality to such commands
716 * Tables in arbitrary syntax:: Orgtbl for @LaTeX{} and other programs
717 * Dynamic blocks:: Automatically filled blocks
718 * Special agenda views:: Customized views
719 * Extracting agenda information:: Postprocessing of agenda information
720 * Using the property API:: Writing programs that use entry properties
721 * Using the mapping API:: Mapping over all or selected entries
723 Tables and lists in arbitrary syntax
725 * Radio tables:: Sending and receiving radio tables
726 * A LaTeX example:: Step by step, almost a tutorial
727 * Translator functions:: Copy and modify
728 * Radio lists:: Doing the same for lists
732 * Setting up the staging area:: Where to interact with the mobile device
733 * Pushing to MobileOrg:: Uploading Org files and agendas
734 * Pulling from MobileOrg:: Integrating captured and flagged items
739 @node Introduction, Document Structure, Top, Top
740 @chapter Introduction
744 * Summary:: Brief summary of what Org does
745 * Installation:: How to install a downloaded version of Org
746 * Activation:: How to activate Org for certain buffers
747 * Feedback:: Bug reports, ideas, patches etc.
748 * Conventions:: Type-setting conventions in the manual
751 @node Summary, Installation, Introduction, Introduction
755 Org is a mode for keeping notes, maintaining TODO lists, and doing
756 project planning with a fast and effective plain-text system.
758 Org develops organizational tasks around NOTES files that contain
759 lists or information about projects as plain text. Org is
760 implemented on top of Outline mode, which makes it possible to keep the
761 content of large files well structured. Visibility cycling and
762 structure editing help to work with the tree. Tables are easily created
763 with a built-in table editor. Org supports TODO items, deadlines,
764 timestamps, and scheduling. It dynamically compiles entries into an
765 agenda that utilizes and smoothly integrates much of the Emacs calendar
766 and diary. Plain text URL-like links connect to websites, emails,
767 Usenet messages, BBDB entries, and any files related to the projects.
768 For printing and sharing of notes, an Org file can be exported as a
769 structured ASCII file, as HTML, or (TODO and agenda items only) as an
770 iCalendar file. It can also serve as a publishing tool for a set of
773 As a project planning environment, Org works by adding metadata to outline
774 nodes. Based on this data, specific entries can be extracted in queries and
775 create dynamic @i{agenda views}.
777 Org mode contains the Org Babel environment which allows you to work with
778 embedded source code blocks in a file, to facilitate code evaluation,
779 documentation, and literate programming techniques.
781 Org's automatic, context-sensitive table editor with spreadsheet
782 capabilities can be integrated into any major mode by activating the
783 minor Orgtbl mode. Using a translation step, it can be used to maintain
784 tables in arbitrary file types, for example in @LaTeX{}. The structure
785 editing and list creation capabilities can be used outside Org with
786 the minor Orgstruct mode.
788 Org keeps simple things simple. When first fired up, it should
789 feel like a straightforward, easy to use outliner. Complexity is not
790 imposed, but a large amount of functionality is available when you need
791 it. Org is a toolbox and can be used in different ways and for different
795 @r{@bullet{} an outline extension with visibility cycling and structure editing}
796 @r{@bullet{} an ASCII system and table editor for taking structured notes}
797 @r{@bullet{} a TODO list editor}
798 @r{@bullet{} a full agenda and planner with deadlines and work scheduling}
799 @pindex GTD, Getting Things Done
800 @r{@bullet{} an environment in which to implement David Allen's GTD system}
801 @r{@bullet{} a simple hypertext system, with HTML and @LaTeX{} export}
802 @r{@bullet{} a publishing tool to create a set of interlinked webpages}
803 @r{@bullet{} an environment for literate programming}
808 There is a website for Org which provides links to the newest
809 version of Org, as well as additional information, frequently asked
810 questions (FAQ), links to tutorials, etc@. This page is located at
811 @uref{http://orgmode.org}.
813 @cindex print edition
814 The version 7.3 of this manual is available as a
815 @uref{http://www.network-theory.co.uk/org/manual/, paperback book from Network
821 @node Installation, Activation, Summary, Introduction
822 @section Installation
826 @b{Important:} @i{If you are using a version of Org that is part of the Emacs
827 distribution or an XEmacs package, please skip this section and go directly
828 to @ref{Activation}. To see what version of Org (if any) is part of your
829 Emacs distribution, type @kbd{M-x load-library RET org} and then @kbd{M-x
832 If you have downloaded Org from the Web, either as a distribution @file{.zip}
833 or @file{.tar} file, or as a Git archive, you must take the following steps
834 to install it: go into the unpacked Org distribution directory and edit the
835 top section of the file @file{Makefile}. You must set the name of the Emacs
836 binary (likely either @file{emacs} or @file{xemacs}), and the paths to the
837 directories where local Lisp and Info files are kept. If you don't have
838 access to the system-wide directories, you can simply run Org directly from
839 the distribution directory by adding the @file{lisp} subdirectory to the
840 Emacs load path. To do this, add the following line to @file{.emacs}:
843 (setq load-path (cons "~/path/to/orgdir/lisp" load-path))
847 If you plan to use code from the @file{contrib} subdirectory, do a similar
848 step for this directory:
851 (setq load-path (cons "~/path/to/orgdir/contrib/lisp" load-path))
854 @noindent Now byte-compile the Lisp files with the shell command:
860 @noindent If you are running Org from the distribution directory, this is
861 all. If you want to install Org into the system directories, use (as
868 Installing Info files is system dependent, because of differences in the
869 @file{install-info} program. In Debian it copies the info files into the
870 correct directory and modifies the info directory file. In many other
871 systems, the files need to be copied to the correct directory separately, and
872 @file{install-info} then only modifies the directory file. Check your system
873 documentation to find out which of the following commands you need:
877 make install-info-debian
880 Then add the following line to @file{.emacs}. It is needed so that
881 Emacs can autoload functions that are located in files not immediately loaded
882 when Org-mode starts.
884 (require 'org-install)
887 Do not forget to activate Org as described in the following section.
890 @node Activation, Feedback, Installation, Introduction
894 @cindex global key bindings
895 @cindex key bindings, global
897 To make sure files with extension @file{.org} use Org mode, add the following
898 line to your @file{.emacs} file.
900 (add-to-list 'auto-mode-alist '("\\.org\\'" . org-mode))
902 @noindent Org mode buffers need font-lock to be turned on - this is the
903 default in Emacs@footnote{If you don't use font-lock globally, turn it on in
904 Org buffer with @code{(add-hook 'org-mode-hook 'turn-on-font-lock)}}.
906 The four Org commands @command{org-store-link}, @command{org-capture},
907 @command{org-agenda}, and @command{org-iswitchb} should be accessible through
908 global keys (i.e.@: anywhere in Emacs, not just in Org buffers). Here are
909 suggested bindings for these keys, please modify the keys to your own
912 (global-set-key "\C-cl" 'org-store-link)
913 (global-set-key "\C-cc" 'org-capture)
914 (global-set-key "\C-ca" 'org-agenda)
915 (global-set-key "\C-cb" 'org-iswitchb)
918 @cindex Org-mode, turning on
919 With this setup, all files with extension @samp{.org} will be put
920 into Org-mode. As an alternative, make the first line of a file look
924 MY PROJECTS -*- mode: org; -*-
927 @vindex org-insert-mode-line-in-empty-file
928 @noindent which will select Org-mode for this buffer no matter what
929 the file's name is. See also the variable
930 @code{org-insert-mode-line-in-empty-file}.
932 Many commands in Org work on the region if the region is @i{active}. To make
933 use of this, you need to have @code{transient-mark-mode}
934 (@code{zmacs-regions} in XEmacs) turned on. In Emacs 23 this is the default,
935 in Emacs 22 you need to do this yourself with
937 (transient-mark-mode 1)
939 @noindent If you do not like @code{transient-mark-mode}, you can create an
940 active region by using the mouse to select a region, or pressing
941 @kbd{C-@key{SPC}} twice before moving the cursor.
943 @node Feedback, Conventions, Activation, Introduction
950 If you find problems with Org, or if you have questions, remarks, or ideas
951 about it, please mail to the Org mailing list @email{emacs-orgmode@@gnu.org}.
952 If you are not a member of the mailing list, your mail will be passed to the
953 list after a moderator has approved it@footnote{Please consider subscribing
954 to the mailing list, in order to minimize the work the mailing list
955 moderators have to do.}.
957 For bug reports, please first try to reproduce the bug with the latest
958 version of Org available---if you are running an outdated version, it is
959 quite possible that the bug has been fixed already. If the bug persists,
960 prepare a report and provide as much information as possible, including the
961 version information of Emacs (@kbd{M-x emacs-version @key{RET}}) and Org
962 (@kbd{M-x org-version @key{RET}}), as well as the Org related setup in
963 @file{.emacs}. The easiest way to do this is to use the command
965 @kbd{M-x org-submit-bug-report}
967 @noindent which will put all this information into an Emacs mail buffer so
968 that you only need to add your description. If you re not sending the Email
969 from within Emacs, please copy and paste the content into your Email program.
971 If an error occurs, a backtrace can be very useful (see below on how to
972 create one). Often a small example file helps, along with clear information
976 @item What exactly did you do?
977 @item What did you expect to happen?
978 @item What happened instead?
980 @noindent Thank you for helping to improve this program.
982 @subsubheading How to create a useful backtrace
984 @cindex backtrace of an error
985 If working with Org produces an error with a message you don't
986 understand, you may have hit a bug. The best way to report this is by
987 providing, in addition to what was mentioned above, a @emph{backtrace}.
988 This is information from the built-in debugger about where and how the
989 error occurred. Here is how to produce a useful backtrace:
993 Reload uncompiled versions of all Org-mode Lisp files. The backtrace
994 contains much more information if it is produced with uncompiled code.
997 C-u M-x org-reload RET
1000 or select @code{Org -> Refresh/Reload -> Reload Org uncompiled} from the
1003 Go to the @code{Options} menu and select @code{Enter Debugger on Error}
1004 (XEmacs has this option in the @code{Troubleshooting} sub-menu).
1006 Do whatever you have to do to hit the error. Don't forget to
1007 document the steps you take.
1009 When you hit the error, a @file{*Backtrace*} buffer will appear on the
1010 screen. Save this buffer to a file (for example using @kbd{C-x C-w}) and
1011 attach it to your bug report.
1014 @node Conventions, , Feedback, Introduction
1015 @section Typesetting conventions used in this manual
1017 Org uses three types of keywords: TODO keywords, tags, and property
1018 names. In this manual we use the following conventions:
1023 TODO keywords are written with all capitals, even if they are
1027 User-defined tags are written in lowercase; built-in tags with special
1028 meaning are written with all capitals.
1031 User-defined properties are capitalized; built-in properties with
1032 special meaning are written with all capitals.
1035 The manual lists both the keys and the corresponding commands for accessing
1036 functionality. Org mode often uses the same key for different functions,
1037 depending on context. The command that is bound to such keys has a generic
1038 name, like @code{org-metaright}. In the manual we will, wherever possible,
1039 give the function that is internally called by the generic command. For
1040 example, in the chapter on document structure, @kbd{M-@key{right}} will be
1041 listed to call @code{org-do-demote}, while in the chapter on tables, it will
1042 be listed to call org-table-move-column-right.
1044 If you prefer, you can compile the manual without the command names by
1045 unsetting the flag @code{cmdnames} in @file{org.texi}.
1047 @node Document Structure, Tables, Introduction, Top
1048 @chapter Document structure
1049 @cindex document structure
1050 @cindex structure of document
1052 Org is based on Outline mode and provides flexible commands to
1053 edit the structure of the document.
1056 * Outlines:: Org is based on Outline mode
1057 * Headlines:: How to typeset Org tree headlines
1058 * Visibility cycling:: Show and hide, much simplified
1059 * Motion:: Jumping to other headlines
1060 * Structure editing:: Changing sequence and level of headlines
1061 * Sparse trees:: Matches embedded in context
1062 * Plain lists:: Additional structure within an entry
1063 * Drawers:: Tucking stuff away
1064 * Blocks:: Folding blocks
1065 * Footnotes:: How footnotes are defined in Org's syntax
1066 * Orgstruct mode:: Structure editing outside Org
1069 @node Outlines, Headlines, Document Structure, Document Structure
1072 @cindex Outline mode
1074 Org is implemented on top of Outline mode. Outlines allow a
1075 document to be organized in a hierarchical structure, which (at least
1076 for me) is the best representation of notes and thoughts. An overview
1077 of this structure is achieved by folding (hiding) large parts of the
1078 document to show only the general document structure and the parts
1079 currently being worked on. Org greatly simplifies the use of
1080 outlines by compressing the entire show/hide functionality into a single
1081 command, @command{org-cycle}, which is bound to the @key{TAB} key.
1083 @node Headlines, Visibility cycling, Outlines, Document Structure
1086 @cindex outline tree
1087 @vindex org-special-ctrl-a/e
1088 @vindex org-special-ctrl-k
1089 @vindex org-ctrl-k-protect-subtree
1091 Headlines define the structure of an outline tree. The headlines in Org
1092 start with one or more stars, on the left margin@footnote{See the variables
1093 @code{org-special-ctrl-a/e}, @code{org-special-ctrl-k}, and
1094 @code{org-ctrl-k-protect-subtree} to configure special behavior of @kbd{C-a},
1095 @kbd{C-e}, and @kbd{C-k} in headlines.}. For example:
1098 * Top level headline
1105 * Another top level headline
1108 @noindent Some people find the many stars too noisy and would prefer an
1109 outline that has whitespace followed by a single star as headline
1110 starters. @ref{Clean view}, describes a setup to realize this.
1112 @vindex org-cycle-separator-lines
1113 An empty line after the end of a subtree is considered part of it and
1114 will be hidden when the subtree is folded. However, if you leave at
1115 least two empty lines, one empty line will remain visible after folding
1116 the subtree, in order to structure the collapsed view. See the
1117 variable @code{org-cycle-separator-lines} to modify this behavior.
1119 @node Visibility cycling, Motion, Headlines, Document Structure
1120 @section Visibility cycling
1121 @cindex cycling, visibility
1122 @cindex visibility cycling
1123 @cindex trees, visibility
1124 @cindex show hidden text
1127 Outlines make it possible to hide parts of the text in the buffer.
1128 Org uses just two commands, bound to @key{TAB} and
1129 @kbd{S-@key{TAB}} to change the visibility in the buffer.
1131 @cindex subtree visibility states
1132 @cindex subtree cycling
1133 @cindex folded, subtree visibility state
1134 @cindex children, subtree visibility state
1135 @cindex subtree, subtree visibility state
1137 @orgcmd{@key{TAB},org-cycle}
1138 @emph{Subtree cycling}: Rotate current subtree among the states
1141 ,-> FOLDED -> CHILDREN -> SUBTREE --.
1142 '-----------------------------------'
1145 @vindex org-cycle-emulate-tab
1146 @vindex org-cycle-global-at-bob
1147 The cursor must be on a headline for this to work@footnote{see, however,
1148 the option @code{org-cycle-emulate-tab}.}. When the cursor is at the
1149 beginning of the buffer and the first line is not a headline, then
1150 @key{TAB} actually runs global cycling (see below)@footnote{see the
1151 option @code{org-cycle-global-at-bob}.}. Also when called with a prefix
1152 argument (@kbd{C-u @key{TAB}}), global cycling is invoked.
1154 @cindex global visibility states
1155 @cindex global cycling
1156 @cindex overview, global visibility state
1157 @cindex contents, global visibility state
1158 @cindex show all, global visibility state
1159 @orgcmd{S-@key{TAB},org-global-cycle}
1160 @itemx C-u @key{TAB}
1161 @emph{Global cycling}: Rotate the entire buffer among the states
1164 ,-> OVERVIEW -> CONTENTS -> SHOW ALL --.
1165 '--------------------------------------'
1168 When @kbd{S-@key{TAB}} is called with a numeric prefix argument N, the
1169 CONTENTS view up to headlines of level N will be shown. Note that inside
1170 tables, @kbd{S-@key{TAB}} jumps to the previous field.
1172 @cindex show all, command
1173 @orgcmd{C-u C-u C-u @key{TAB},show-all}
1174 Show all, including drawers.
1175 @orgcmd{C-c C-r,org-reveal}
1176 Reveal context around point, showing the current entry, the following heading
1177 and the hierarchy above. Useful for working near a location that has been
1178 exposed by a sparse tree command (@pxref{Sparse trees}) or an agenda command
1179 (@pxref{Agenda commands}). With a prefix argument show, on each
1180 level, all sibling headings. With double prefix arg, also show the entire
1181 subtree of the parent.
1182 @orgcmd{C-c C-k,show-branches}
1183 Expose all the headings of the subtree, CONTENT view for just one subtree.
1184 @orgcmd{C-c C-x b,org-tree-to-indirect-buffer}
1185 Show the current subtree in an indirect buffer@footnote{The indirect
1188 (@pxref{Indirect Buffers,,,emacs,GNU Emacs Manual})
1191 (see the Emacs manual for more information about indirect buffers)
1193 will contain the entire buffer, but will be narrowed to the current
1194 tree. Editing the indirect buffer will also change the original buffer,
1195 but without affecting visibility in that buffer.}. With a numeric
1196 prefix argument N, go up to level N and then take that tree. If N is
1197 negative then go up that many levels. With a @kbd{C-u} prefix, do not remove
1198 the previously used indirect buffer.
1201 @vindex org-startup-folded
1202 @cindex @code{overview}, STARTUP keyword
1203 @cindex @code{content}, STARTUP keyword
1204 @cindex @code{showall}, STARTUP keyword
1205 @cindex @code{showeverything}, STARTUP keyword
1207 When Emacs first visits an Org file, the global state is set to
1208 OVERVIEW, i.e.@: only the top level headlines are visible. This can be
1209 configured through the variable @code{org-startup-folded}, or on a
1210 per-file basis by adding one of the following lines anywhere in the
1217 #+STARTUP: showeverything
1220 @cindex property, VISIBILITY
1222 Furthermore, any entries with a @samp{VISIBILITY} property (@pxref{Properties
1223 and Columns}) will get their visibility adapted accordingly. Allowed values
1224 for this property are @code{folded}, @code{children}, @code{content}, and
1227 @orgcmd{C-u C-u @key{TAB},org-set-startup-visibility}
1228 Switch back to the startup visibility of the buffer, i.e.@: whatever is
1229 requested by startup options and @samp{VISIBILITY} properties in individual
1233 @node Motion, Structure editing, Visibility cycling, Document Structure
1235 @cindex motion, between headlines
1236 @cindex jumping, to headlines
1237 @cindex headline navigation
1238 The following commands jump to other headlines in the buffer.
1241 @orgcmd{C-c C-n,outline-next-visible-heading}
1243 @orgcmd{C-c C-p,outline-previous-visible-heading}
1245 @orgcmd{C-c C-f,org-forward-same-level}
1246 Next heading same level.
1247 @orgcmd{C-c C-b,org-backward-same-level}
1248 Previous heading same level.
1249 @orgcmd{C-c C-u,outline-up-heading}
1250 Backward to higher level heading.
1251 @orgcmd{C-c C-j,org-goto}
1252 Jump to a different place without changing the current outline
1253 visibility. Shows the document structure in a temporary buffer, where
1254 you can use the following keys to find your destination:
1255 @vindex org-goto-auto-isearch
1257 @key{TAB} @r{Cycle visibility.}
1258 @key{down} / @key{up} @r{Next/previous visible headline.}
1259 @key{RET} @r{Select this location.}
1260 @kbd{/} @r{Do a Sparse-tree search}
1261 @r{The following keys work if you turn off @code{org-goto-auto-isearch}}
1262 n / p @r{Next/previous visible headline.}
1263 f / b @r{Next/previous headline same level.}
1265 0-9 @r{Digit argument.}
1268 @vindex org-goto-interface
1270 See also the variable @code{org-goto-interface}.
1273 @node Structure editing, Sparse trees, Motion, Document Structure
1274 @section Structure editing
1275 @cindex structure editing
1276 @cindex headline, promotion and demotion
1277 @cindex promotion, of subtrees
1278 @cindex demotion, of subtrees
1279 @cindex subtree, cut and paste
1280 @cindex pasting, of subtrees
1281 @cindex cutting, of subtrees
1282 @cindex copying, of subtrees
1283 @cindex sorting, of subtrees
1284 @cindex subtrees, cut and paste
1287 @orgcmd{M-@key{RET},org-insert-heading}
1288 @vindex org-M-RET-may-split-line
1289 Insert new heading with same level as current. If the cursor is in a plain
1290 list item, a new item is created (@pxref{Plain lists}). To force creation of
1291 a new headline, use a prefix argument. When this command is used in the
1292 middle of a line, the line is split and the rest of the line becomes the new
1293 headline@footnote{If you do not want the line to be split, customize the
1294 variable @code{org-M-RET-may-split-line}.}. If the command is used at the
1295 beginning of a headline, the new headline is created before the current line.
1296 If at the beginning of any other line, the content of that line is made the
1297 new heading. If the command is used at the end of a folded subtree (i.e.@:
1298 behind the ellipses at the end of a headline), then a headline like the
1299 current one will be inserted after the end of the subtree.
1300 @orgcmd{C-@key{RET},org-insert-heading-respect-content}
1301 Just like @kbd{M-@key{RET}}, except when adding a new heading below the
1302 current heading, the new heading is placed after the body instead of before
1303 it. This command works from anywhere in the entry.
1304 @orgcmd{M-S-@key{RET},org-insert-todo-heading}
1305 @vindex org-treat-insert-todo-heading-as-state-change
1306 Insert new TODO entry with same level as current heading. See also the
1307 variable @code{org-treat-insert-todo-heading-as-state-change}.
1308 @orgcmd{C-S-@key{RET},org-insert-todo-heading-respect-content}
1309 Insert new TODO entry with same level as current heading. Like
1310 @kbd{C-@key{RET}}, the new headline will be inserted after the current
1312 @orgcmd{@key{TAB},org-cycle}
1313 In a new entry with no text yet, the first @key{TAB} demotes the entry to
1314 become a child of the previous one. The next @key{TAB} makes it a parent,
1315 and so on, all the way to top level. Yet another @key{TAB}, and you are back
1316 to the initial level.
1317 @orgcmd{M-@key{left},org-do-promote}
1318 Promote current heading by one level.
1319 @orgcmd{M-@key{right},org-do-demote}
1320 Demote current heading by one level.
1321 @orgcmd{M-S-@key{left},org-promote-subtree}
1322 Promote the current subtree by one level.
1323 @orgcmd{M-S-@key{right},org-demote-subtree}
1324 Demote the current subtree by one level.
1325 @orgcmd{M-S-@key{up},org-move-subtree-up}
1326 Move subtree up (swap with previous subtree of same
1328 @orgcmd{M-S-@key{down},org-move-subtree-down}
1329 Move subtree down (swap with next subtree of same level).
1330 @orgcmd{C-c C-x C-w,org-cut-subtree}
1331 Kill subtree, i.e.@: remove it from buffer but save in kill ring.
1332 With a numeric prefix argument N, kill N sequential subtrees.
1333 @orgcmd{C-c C-x M-w,org-copy-subtree}
1334 Copy subtree to kill ring. With a numeric prefix argument N, copy the N
1335 sequential subtrees.
1336 @orgcmd{C-c C-x C-y,org-paste-subtree}
1337 Yank subtree from kill ring. This does modify the level of the subtree to
1338 make sure the tree fits in nicely at the yank position. The yank level can
1339 also be specified with a numeric prefix argument, or by yanking after a
1340 headline marker like @samp{****}.
1341 @orgcmd{C-y,org-yank}
1342 @vindex org-yank-adjusted-subtrees
1343 @vindex org-yank-folded-subtrees
1344 Depending on the variables @code{org-yank-adjusted-subtrees} and
1345 @code{org-yank-folded-subtrees}, Org's internal @code{yank} command will
1346 paste subtrees folded and in a clever way, using the same command as @kbd{C-c
1347 C-x C-y}. With the default settings, no level adjustment will take place,
1348 but the yanked tree will be folded unless doing so would swallow text
1349 previously visible. Any prefix argument to this command will force a normal
1350 @code{yank} to be executed, with the prefix passed along. A good way to
1351 force a normal yank is @kbd{C-u C-y}. If you use @code{yank-pop} after a
1352 yank, it will yank previous kill items plainly, without adjustment and
1354 @orgcmd{C-c C-x c,org-clone-subtree-with-time-shift}
1355 Clone a subtree by making a number of sibling copies of it. You will be
1356 prompted for the number of copies to make, and you can also specify if any
1357 timestamps in the entry should be shifted. This can be useful, for example,
1358 to create a number of tasks related to a series of lectures to prepare. For
1359 more details, see the docstring of the command
1360 @code{org-clone-subtree-with-time-shift}.
1361 @orgcmd{C-c C-w,org-refile}
1362 Refile entry or region to a different location. @xref{Refiling notes}.
1363 @orgcmd{C-c ^,org-sort-entries-or-items}
1364 Sort same-level entries. When there is an active region, all entries in the
1365 region will be sorted. Otherwise the children of the current headline are
1366 sorted. The command prompts for the sorting method, which can be
1367 alphabetically, numerically, by time (first timestamp with active preferred,
1368 creation time, scheduled time, deadline time), by priority, by TODO keyword
1369 (in the sequence the keywords have been defined in the setup) or by the value
1370 of a property. Reverse sorting is possible as well. You can also supply
1371 your own function to extract the sorting key. With a @kbd{C-u} prefix,
1372 sorting will be case-sensitive. With two @kbd{C-u C-u} prefixes, duplicate
1373 entries will also be removed.
1374 @orgcmd{C-x n s,org-narrow-to-subtree}
1375 Narrow buffer to current subtree.
1376 @orgcmd{C-x n b,org-narrow-to-block}
1377 Narrow buffer to current block.
1378 @orgcmd{C-x n w,widen}
1379 Widen buffer to remove narrowing.
1380 @orgcmd{C-c *,org-toggle-heading}
1381 Turn a normal line or plain list item into a headline (so that it becomes a
1382 subheading at its location). Also turn a headline into a normal line by
1383 removing the stars. If there is an active region, turn all lines in the
1384 region into headlines. If the first line in the region was an item, turn
1385 only the item lines into headlines. Finally, if the first line is a
1386 headline, remove the stars from all headlines in the region.
1389 @cindex region, active
1390 @cindex active region
1391 @cindex transient mark mode
1392 When there is an active region (Transient Mark mode), promotion and
1393 demotion work on all headlines in the region. To select a region of
1394 headlines, it is best to place both point and mark at the beginning of a
1395 line, mark at the beginning of the first headline, and point at the line
1396 just after the last headline to change. Note that when the cursor is
1397 inside a table (@pxref{Tables}), the Meta-Cursor keys have different
1401 @node Sparse trees, Plain lists, Structure editing, Document Structure
1402 @section Sparse trees
1403 @cindex sparse trees
1404 @cindex trees, sparse
1405 @cindex folding, sparse trees
1406 @cindex occur, command
1408 @vindex org-show-hierarchy-above
1409 @vindex org-show-following-heading
1410 @vindex org-show-siblings
1411 @vindex org-show-entry-below
1412 An important feature of Org-mode is the ability to construct @emph{sparse
1413 trees} for selected information in an outline tree, so that the entire
1414 document is folded as much as possible, but the selected information is made
1415 visible along with the headline structure above it@footnote{See also the
1416 variables @code{org-show-hierarchy-above}, @code{org-show-following-heading},
1417 @code{org-show-siblings}, and @code{org-show-entry-below} for detailed
1418 control on how much context is shown around each match.}. Just try it out
1419 and you will see immediately how it works.
1421 Org-mode contains several commands creating such trees, all these
1422 commands can be accessed through a dispatcher:
1425 @orgcmd{C-c /,org-sparse-tree}
1426 This prompts for an extra key to select a sparse-tree creating command.
1427 @orgcmd{C-c / r,org-occur}
1428 @vindex org-remove-highlights-with-change
1429 Prompts for a regexp and shows a sparse tree with all matches. If
1430 the match is in a headline, the headline is made visible. If the match is in
1431 the body of an entry, headline and body are made visible. In order to
1432 provide minimal context, also the full hierarchy of headlines above the match
1433 is shown, as well as the headline following the match. Each match is also
1434 highlighted; the highlights disappear when the buffer is changed by an
1435 editing command@footnote{This depends on the option
1436 @code{org-remove-highlights-with-change}}, or by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}.
1437 When called with a @kbd{C-u} prefix argument, previous highlights are kept,
1438 so several calls to this command can be stacked.
1439 @orgcmdkkc{M-g n,M-g M-n,next-error}
1440 Jump to the next sparse tree match in this buffer.
1441 @orgcmdkkc{M-g p,M-g M-p,previous-error}
1442 Jump to the previous sparse tree match in this buffer.
1447 @vindex org-agenda-custom-commands
1448 For frequently used sparse trees of specific search strings, you can
1449 use the variable @code{org-agenda-custom-commands} to define fast
1450 keyboard access to specific sparse trees. These commands will then be
1451 accessible through the agenda dispatcher (@pxref{Agenda dispatcher}).
1455 (setq org-agenda-custom-commands
1456 '(("f" occur-tree "FIXME")))
1459 @noindent will define the key @kbd{C-c a f} as a shortcut for creating
1460 a sparse tree matching the string @samp{FIXME}.
1462 The other sparse tree commands select headings based on TODO keywords,
1463 tags, or properties and will be discussed later in this manual.
1466 @cindex printing sparse trees
1467 @cindex visible text, printing
1468 To print a sparse tree, you can use the Emacs command
1469 @code{ps-print-buffer-with-faces} which does not print invisible parts
1470 of the document @footnote{This does not work under XEmacs, because
1471 XEmacs uses selective display for outlining, not text properties.}.
1472 Or you can use the command @kbd{C-c C-e v} to export only the visible
1473 part of the document and print the resulting file.
1475 @node Plain lists, Drawers, Sparse trees, Document Structure
1476 @section Plain lists
1478 @cindex lists, plain
1479 @cindex lists, ordered
1480 @cindex ordered lists
1482 Within an entry of the outline tree, hand-formatted lists can provide
1483 additional structure. They also provide a way to create lists of checkboxes
1484 (@pxref{Checkboxes}). Org supports editing such lists, and every exporter
1485 (@pxref{Exporting}) can parse and format them.
1487 Org knows ordered lists, unordered lists, and description lists.
1490 @emph{Unordered} list items start with @samp{-}, @samp{+}, or
1491 @samp{*}@footnote{When using @samp{*} as a bullet, lines must be indented or
1492 they will be seen as top-level headlines. Also, when you are hiding leading
1493 stars to get a clean outline view, plain list items starting with a star may
1494 be hard to distinguish from true headlines. In short: even though @samp{*}
1495 is supported, it may be better to not use it for plain list items.} as
1498 @vindex org-plain-list-ordered-item-terminator
1499 @vindex org-alphabetical-lists
1500 @emph{Ordered} list items start with a numeral followed by either a period or
1501 a right parenthesis@footnote{You can filter out any of them by configuring
1502 @code{org-plain-list-ordered-item-terminator}.}, such as @samp{1.} or
1503 @samp{1)}@footnote{You can also get @samp{a.}, @samp{A.}, @samp{a)} and
1504 @samp{A)} by configuring @code{org-alphabetical-lists}. To minimize
1505 confusion with normal text, those are limited to one character only. Beyond
1506 that limit, bullets will automatically fallback to numbers.}. If you want a
1507 list to start with a different value (e.g.@: 20), start the text of the item
1508 with @code{[@@20]}@footnote{If there's a checkbox in the item, the cookie
1509 must be put @emph{before} the checkbox. If you have activated alphabetical
1510 lists, you can also use counters like @code{[@@b]}.}. Those constructs can
1511 be used in any item of the list in order to enforce a particular numbering.
1513 @emph{Description} list items are unordered list items, and contain the
1514 separator @samp{ :: } to distinguish the description @emph{term} from the
1518 Items belonging to the same list must have the same indentation on the first
1519 line. In particular, if an ordered list reaches number @samp{10.}, then the
1520 2--digit numbers must be written left-aligned with the other numbers in the
1521 list. An item ends before the next line that is less or equally indented
1522 than its bullet/number.
1524 @vindex org-list-ending-method
1525 @vindex org-list-end-regexp
1526 @vindex org-empty-line-terminates-plain-lists
1527 Two methods@footnote{To disable either of them, configure
1528 @code{org-list-ending-method}.} are provided to terminate lists. A list ends
1529 whenever every item has ended, which means before any line less or equally
1530 indented than items at top level. It also ends before two blank
1531 lines@footnote{See also @code{org-empty-line-terminates-plain-lists}.}. In
1532 that case, all items are closed. For finer control, you can end lists with
1533 any pattern set in @code{org-list-end-regexp}. Here is an example:
1537 ** Lord of the Rings
1538 My favorite scenes are (in this order)
1539 1. The attack of the Rohirrim
1540 2. Eowyn's fight with the witch king
1541 + this was already my favorite scene in the book
1542 + I really like Miranda Otto.
1543 3. Peter Jackson being shot by Legolas
1545 He makes a really funny face when it happens.
1546 But in the end, no individual scenes matter but the film as a whole.
1547 Important actors in this film are:
1548 - @b{Elijah Wood} :: He plays Frodo
1549 - @b{Sean Austin} :: He plays Sam, Frodo's friend. I still remember
1550 him very well from his role as Mikey Walsh in @i{The Goonies}.
1554 Org supports these lists by tuning filling and wrapping commands to deal with
1555 them correctly@footnote{Org only changes the filling settings for Emacs. For
1556 XEmacs, you should use Kyle E. Jones' @file{filladapt.el}. To turn this on,
1557 put into @file{.emacs}: @code{(require 'filladapt)}}, and by exporting them
1558 properly (@pxref{Exporting}). Since indentation is what governs the
1559 structure of these lists, many structural constructs like @code{#+BEGIN_...}
1560 blocks can be indented to signal that they belong to a particular item.
1562 @vindex org-list-demote-modify-bullet
1563 If you find that using a different bullet for a sub-list (than that used for
1564 the current list-level) improves readability, customize the variable
1565 @code{org-list-demote-modify-bullet}.
1567 @vindex org-list-automatic-rules
1568 The following commands act on items when the cursor is in the first line of
1569 an item (the line with the bullet or number). Some of them imply the
1570 application of automatic rules to keep list structure intact. If some of
1571 these actions get in your way, configure @code{org-list-automatic-rules}
1572 to disable them individually.
1575 @orgcmd{@key{TAB},org-cycle}
1576 @vindex org-cycle-include-plain-lists
1577 Items can be folded just like headline levels. Normally this works only if
1578 the cursor is on a plain list item. For more details, see the variable
1579 @code{org-cycle-include-plain-lists}. If this variable is set to
1580 @code{integrate}, plain list items will be treated like low-level
1581 headlines. The level of an item is then given by the
1582 indentation of the bullet/number. Items are always subordinate to real
1583 headlines, however; the hierarchies remain completely separated.
1584 @orgcmd{M-@key{RET},org-insert-heading}
1585 @vindex org-M-RET-may-split-line
1586 @vindex org-list-automatic-rules
1587 Insert new item at current level. With a prefix argument, force a new
1588 heading (@pxref{Structure editing}). If this command is used in the middle
1589 of an item, that item is @emph{split} in two, and the second part becomes the
1590 new item@footnote{If you do not want the item to be split, customize the
1591 variable @code{org-M-RET-may-split-line}.}. If this command is executed
1592 @emph{before item's body}, the new item is created @emph{before} the current
1594 @kindex M-S-@key{RET}
1596 Insert a new item with a checkbox (@pxref{Checkboxes}).
1597 @orgcmd{@key{TAB},org-cycle}
1598 In a new item with no text yet, the first @key{TAB} demotes the item to
1599 become a child of the previous one. Subsequent @key{TAB}s move the item to
1600 meaningful levels in the list and eventually get it back to its initial
1602 @kindex S-@key{down}
1605 @cindex shift-selection-mode
1606 @vindex org-support-shift-select
1607 Jump to the previous/next item in the current list, but only if
1608 @code{org-support-shift-select} is off. If not, you can still use paragraph
1609 jumping commands like @kbd{C-@key{up}} and @kbd{C-@key{down}} to quite
1611 @kindex M-S-@key{up}
1612 @kindex M-S-@key{down}
1614 @itemx M-S-@key{down}
1615 Move the item including subitems up/down (swap with previous/next item
1616 of same indentation). If the list is ordered, renumbering is
1618 @kindex M-@key{left}
1619 @kindex M-@key{right}
1621 @itemx M-@key{right}
1622 Decrease/increase the indentation of an item, leaving children alone.
1623 @kindex M-S-@key{left}
1624 @kindex M-S-@key{right}
1625 @item M-S-@key{left}
1626 @itemx M-S-@key{right}
1627 Decrease/increase the indentation of the item, including subitems.
1628 Initially, the item tree is selected based on current indentation. When
1629 these commands are executed several times in direct succession, the initially
1630 selected region is used, even if the new indentation would imply a different
1631 hierarchy. To use the new hierarchy, break the command chain with a cursor
1634 As a special case, using this command on the very first item of a list will
1635 move the whole list. This behavior can be disabled by configuring
1636 @code{org-list-automatic-rules}. The global indentation of a list has no
1637 influence on the text @emph{after} the list.
1640 If there is a checkbox (@pxref{Checkboxes}) in the item line, toggle the
1641 state of the checkbox. In any case, verify bullets and indentation
1642 consistency in the whole list.
1644 @vindex org-plain-list-ordered-item-terminator
1645 @vindex org-list-automatic-rules
1647 Cycle the entire list level through the different itemize/enumerate bullets
1648 (@samp{-}, @samp{+}, @samp{*}, @samp{1.}, @samp{1)}) or a subset of them,
1649 depending on @code{org-plain-list-ordered-item-terminator}, the type of list,
1650 and its position@footnote{See @code{bullet} rule in
1651 @code{org-list-automatic-rules} for more information.}. With a numeric
1652 prefix argument N, select the Nth bullet from this list. If there is an
1653 active region when calling this, selected text will be changed into an item.
1654 With a prefix argument, all lines will be converted to list items. If the
1655 first line already was a list item, any item marker will be removed from the
1656 list. Finally, even without an active region, a normal line will be
1657 converted into a list item.
1660 Turn a plain list item into a headline (so that it becomes a subheading at
1661 its location). @xref{Structure editing}, for a detailed explanation.
1664 Turn the whole plain list into a subtree of the current heading. Checkboxes
1665 (@pxref{Checkboxes}) will become TODO (resp. DONE) keywords when unchecked
1667 @kindex S-@key{left}
1668 @kindex S-@key{right}
1669 @item S-@key{left}/@key{right}
1670 @vindex org-support-shift-select
1671 This command also cycles bullet styles when the cursor in on the bullet or
1672 anywhere in an item line, details depending on
1673 @code{org-support-shift-select}.
1676 Sort the plain list. You will be prompted for the sorting method:
1677 numerically, alphabetically, by time, or by custom function.
1680 @node Drawers, Blocks, Plain lists, Document Structure
1684 @cindex visibility cycling, drawers
1687 Sometimes you want to keep information associated with an entry, but you
1688 normally don't want to see it. For this, Org-mode has @emph{drawers}.
1689 Drawers need to be configured with the variable
1690 @code{org-drawers}@footnote{You can define drawers on a per-file basis
1691 with a line like @code{#+DRAWERS: HIDDEN PROPERTIES STATE}}. Drawers
1695 ** This is a headline
1696 Still outside the drawer
1698 This is inside the drawer.
1703 Visibility cycling (@pxref{Visibility cycling}) on the headline will hide and
1704 show the entry, but keep the drawer collapsed to a single line. In order to
1705 look inside the drawer, you need to move the cursor to the drawer line and
1706 press @key{TAB} there. Org-mode uses the @code{PROPERTIES} drawer for
1707 storing properties (@pxref{Properties and Columns}), and you can also arrange
1708 for state change notes (@pxref{Tracking TODO state changes}) and clock times
1709 (@pxref{Clocking work time}) to be stored in a drawer @code{LOGBOOK}. If you
1710 want to store a quick note in the LOGBOOK drawer, in a similar way to state changes, use
1715 Add a time-stamped note to the LOGBOOK drawer.
1718 @node Blocks, Footnotes, Drawers, Document Structure
1721 @vindex org-hide-block-startup
1722 @cindex blocks, folding
1723 Org-mode uses begin...end blocks for various purposes from including source
1724 code examples (@pxref{Literal examples}) to capturing time logging
1725 information (@pxref{Clocking work time}). These blocks can be folded and
1726 unfolded by pressing TAB in the begin line. You can also get all blocks
1727 folded at startup by configuring the variable @code{org-hide-block-startup}
1728 or on a per-file basis by using
1730 @cindex @code{hideblocks}, STARTUP keyword
1731 @cindex @code{nohideblocks}, STARTUP keyword
1733 #+STARTUP: hideblocks
1734 #+STARTUP: nohideblocks
1737 @node Footnotes, Orgstruct mode, Blocks, Document Structure
1741 Org-mode supports the creation of footnotes. In contrast to the
1742 @file{footnote.el} package, Org-mode's footnotes are designed for work on a
1743 larger document, not only for one-off documents like emails. The basic
1744 syntax is similar to the one used by @file{footnote.el}, i.e.@: a footnote is
1745 defined in a paragraph that is started by a footnote marker in square
1746 brackets in column 0, no indentation allowed. If you need a paragraph break
1747 inside a footnote, use the @LaTeX{} idiom @samp{\par}. The footnote reference
1748 is simply the marker in square brackets, inside text. For example:
1751 The Org homepage[fn:1] now looks a lot better than it used to.
1753 [fn:1] The link is: http://orgmode.org
1756 Org-mode extends the number-based syntax to @emph{named} footnotes and
1757 optional inline definition. Using plain numbers as markers (as
1758 @file{footnote.el} does) is supported for backward compatibility, but not
1759 encouraged because of possible conflicts with @LaTeX{} snippets (@pxref{Embedded
1760 LaTeX}). Here are the valid references:
1764 A plain numeric footnote marker. Compatible with @file{footnote.el}, but not
1765 recommended because something like @samp{[1]} could easily be part of a code
1768 A named footnote reference, where @code{name} is a unique label word, or, for
1769 simplicity of automatic creation, a number.
1770 @item [fn:: This is the inline definition of this footnote]
1771 A @LaTeX{}-like anonymous footnote where the definition is given directly at the
1773 @item [fn:name: a definition]
1774 An inline definition of a footnote, which also specifies a name for the note.
1775 Since Org allows multiple references to the same note, you can then use
1776 @code{[fn:name]} to create additional references.
1779 @vindex org-footnote-auto-label
1780 Footnote labels can be created automatically, or you can create names yourself.
1781 This is handled by the variable @code{org-footnote-auto-label} and its
1782 corresponding @code{#+STARTUP} keywords. See the docstring of that variable
1785 @noindent The following command handles footnotes:
1790 The footnote action command.
1792 When the cursor is on a footnote reference, jump to the definition. When it
1793 is at a definition, jump to the (first) reference.
1795 @vindex org-footnote-define-inline
1796 @vindex org-footnote-section
1797 @vindex org-footnote-auto-adjust
1798 Otherwise, create a new footnote. Depending on the variable
1799 @code{org-footnote-define-inline}@footnote{The corresponding in-buffer
1800 setting is: @code{#+STARTUP: fninline} or @code{#+STARTUP: nofninline}}, the
1801 definition will be placed right into the text as part of the reference, or
1802 separately into the location determined by the variable
1803 @code{org-footnote-section}.
1805 When this command is called with a prefix argument, a menu of additional
1808 s @r{Sort the footnote definitions by reference sequence. During editing,}
1809 @r{Org makes no effort to sort footnote definitions into a particular}
1810 @r{sequence. If you want them sorted, use this command, which will}
1811 @r{also move entries according to @code{org-footnote-section}. Automatic}
1812 @r{sorting after each insertion/deletion can be configured using the}
1813 @r{variable @code{org-footnote-auto-adjust}.}
1814 r @r{Renumber the simple @code{fn:N} footnotes. Automatic renumbering}
1815 @r{after each insertion/deletion can be configured using the variable}
1816 @r{@code{org-footnote-auto-adjust}.}
1817 S @r{Short for first @code{r}, then @code{s} action.}
1818 n @r{Normalize the footnotes by collecting all definitions (including}
1819 @r{inline definitions) into a special section, and then numbering them}
1820 @r{in sequence. The references will then also be numbers. This is}
1821 @r{meant to be the final step before finishing a document (e.g.@: sending}
1822 @r{off an email). The exporters do this automatically, and so could}
1823 @r{something like @code{message-send-hook}.}
1824 d @r{Delete the footnote at point, and all definitions of and references}
1827 Depending on the variable @code{org-footnote-auto-adjust}@footnote{the
1828 corresponding in-buffer options are @code{fnadjust} and @code{nofnadjust}.},
1829 renumbering and sorting footnotes can be automatic after each insertion or
1834 If the cursor is on a footnote reference, jump to the definition. If it is a
1835 the definition, jump back to the reference. When called at a footnote
1836 location with a prefix argument, offer the same menu as @kbd{C-c C-x f}.
1840 @item C-c C-o @r{or} mouse-1/2
1841 Footnote labels are also links to the corresponding definition/reference, and
1842 you can use the usual commands to follow these links.
1845 @node Orgstruct mode, , Footnotes, Document Structure
1846 @section The Orgstruct minor mode
1847 @cindex Orgstruct mode
1848 @cindex minor mode for structure editing
1850 If you like the intuitive way the Org-mode structure editing and list
1851 formatting works, you might want to use these commands in other modes like
1852 Text mode or Mail mode as well. The minor mode @code{orgstruct-mode} makes
1853 this possible. Toggle the mode with @kbd{M-x orgstruct-mode}, or
1854 turn it on by default, for example in Message mode, with one of:
1857 (add-hook 'message-mode-hook 'turn-on-orgstruct)
1858 (add-hook 'message-mode-hook 'turn-on-orgstruct++)
1861 When this mode is active and the cursor is on a line that looks to Org like a
1862 headline or the first line of a list item, most structure editing commands
1863 will work, even if the same keys normally have different functionality in the
1864 major mode you are using. If the cursor is not in one of those special
1865 lines, Orgstruct mode lurks silently in the shadows. When you use
1866 @code{orgstruct++-mode}, Org will also export indentation and autofill
1867 settings into that mode, and detect item context after the first line of an
1870 @node Tables, Hyperlinks, Document Structure, Top
1873 @cindex editing tables
1875 Org comes with a fast and intuitive table editor. Spreadsheet-like
1876 calculations are supported using the Emacs @file{calc} package
1878 (@pxref{Top,Calc,,Calc,Gnu Emacs Calculator Manual}).
1881 (see the Emacs Calculator manual for more information about the Emacs
1886 * Built-in table editor:: Simple tables
1887 * Column width and alignment:: Overrule the automatic settings
1888 * Column groups:: Grouping to trigger vertical lines
1889 * Orgtbl mode:: The table editor as minor mode
1890 * The spreadsheet:: The table editor has spreadsheet capabilities
1891 * Org-Plot:: Plotting from org tables
1894 @node Built-in table editor, Column width and alignment, Tables, Tables
1895 @section The built-in table editor
1896 @cindex table editor, built-in
1898 Org makes it easy to format tables in plain ASCII. Any line with @samp{|} as
1899 the first non-whitespace character is considered part of a table. @samp{|}
1900 is also the column separator@footnote{To insert a vertical bar into a table
1901 field, use @code{\vert} or, inside a word @code{abc\vert@{@}def}.}. A table
1902 might look like this:
1905 | Name | Phone | Age |
1906 |-------+-------+-----|
1907 | Peter | 1234 | 17 |
1908 | Anna | 4321 | 25 |
1911 A table is re-aligned automatically each time you press @key{TAB} or
1912 @key{RET} or @kbd{C-c C-c} inside the table. @key{TAB} also moves to
1913 the next field (@key{RET} to the next row) and creates new table rows
1914 at the end of the table or before horizontal lines. The indentation
1915 of the table is set by the first line. Any line starting with
1916 @samp{|-} is considered as a horizontal separator line and will be
1917 expanded on the next re-align to span the whole table width. So, to
1918 create the above table, you would only type
1925 @noindent and then press @key{TAB} to align the table and start filling in
1926 fields. Even faster would be to type @code{|Name|Phone|Age} followed by
1927 @kbd{C-c @key{RET}}.
1929 @vindex org-enable-table-editor
1930 @vindex org-table-auto-blank-field
1931 When typing text into a field, Org treats @key{DEL},
1932 @key{Backspace}, and all character keys in a special way, so that
1933 inserting and deleting avoids shifting other fields. Also, when
1934 typing @emph{immediately after the cursor was moved into a new field
1935 with @kbd{@key{TAB}}, @kbd{S-@key{TAB}} or @kbd{@key{RET}}}, the
1936 field is automatically made blank. If this behavior is too
1937 unpredictable for you, configure the variables
1938 @code{org-enable-table-editor} and @code{org-table-auto-blank-field}.
1941 @tsubheading{Creation and conversion}
1942 @orgcmd{C-c |,org-table-create-or-convert-from-region}
1943 Convert the active region to table. If every line contains at least one
1944 TAB character, the function assumes that the material is tab separated.
1945 If every line contains a comma, comma-separated values (CSV) are assumed.
1946 If not, lines are split at whitespace into fields. You can use a prefix
1947 argument to force a specific separator: @kbd{C-u} forces CSV, @kbd{C-u
1948 C-u} forces TAB, and a numeric argument N indicates that at least N
1949 consecutive spaces, or alternatively a TAB will be the separator.
1951 If there is no active region, this command creates an empty Org
1952 table. But it is easier just to start typing, like
1953 @kbd{|Name|Phone|Age @key{RET} |- @key{TAB}}.
1955 @tsubheading{Re-aligning and field motion}
1956 @orgcmd{C-c C-c,org-table-align}
1957 Re-align the table without moving the cursor.
1959 @orgcmd{<TAB>,org-table-next-field}
1960 Re-align the table, move to the next field. Creates a new row if
1963 @orgcmd{S-@key{TAB},org-table-previous-field}
1964 Re-align, move to previous field.
1966 @orgcmd{@key{RET},org-table-next-row}
1967 Re-align the table and move down to next row. Creates a new row if
1968 necessary. At the beginning or end of a line, @key{RET} still does
1969 NEWLINE, so it can be used to split a table.
1971 @orgcmd{M-a,org-table-beginning-of-field}
1972 Move to beginning of the current table field, or on to the previous field.
1973 @orgcmd{M-e,org-table-end-of-field}
1974 Move to end of the current table field, or on to the next field.
1976 @tsubheading{Column and row editing}
1977 @orgcmdkkcc{M-@key{left},M-@key{right},org-table-move-column-left,org-table-move-column-right}
1978 Move the current column left/right.
1980 @orgcmd{M-S-@key{left},org-table-delete-column}
1981 Kill the current column.
1983 @orgcmd{M-S-@key{right},org-table-insert-column}
1984 Insert a new column to the left of the cursor position.
1986 @orgcmdkkcc{M-@key{up},M-@key{down},org-table-move-row-up,org-table-move-row-down}
1987 Move the current row up/down.
1989 @orgcmd{M-S-@key{up},org-table-kill-row}
1990 Kill the current row or horizontal line.
1992 @orgcmd{M-S-@key{down},org-table-insert-row}
1993 Insert a new row above the current row. With a prefix argument, the line is
1994 created below the current one.
1996 @orgcmd{C-c -,org-table-insert-hline}
1997 Insert a horizontal line below current row. With a prefix argument, the line
1998 is created above the current line.
2000 @orgcmd{C-c @key{RET},org-table-hline-and-move}
2001 Insert a horizontal line below current row, and move the cursor into the row
2004 @orgcmd{C-c ^,org-table-sort-lines}
2005 Sort the table lines in the region. The position of point indicates the
2006 column to be used for sorting, and the range of lines is the range
2007 between the nearest horizontal separator lines, or the entire table. If
2008 point is before the first column, you will be prompted for the sorting
2009 column. If there is an active region, the mark specifies the first line
2010 and the sorting column, while point should be in the last line to be
2011 included into the sorting. The command prompts for the sorting type
2012 (alphabetically, numerically, or by time). When called with a prefix
2013 argument, alphabetic sorting will be case-sensitive.
2015 @tsubheading{Regions}
2016 @orgcmd{C-c C-x M-w,org-table-copy-region}
2017 Copy a rectangular region from a table to a special clipboard. Point and
2018 mark determine edge fields of the rectangle. If there is no active region,
2019 copy just the current field. The process ignores horizontal separator lines.
2021 @orgcmd{C-c C-x C-w,org-table-cut-region}
2022 Copy a rectangular region from a table to a special clipboard, and
2023 blank all fields in the rectangle. So this is the ``cut'' operation.
2025 @orgcmd{C-c C-x C-y,org-table-paste-rectangle}
2026 Paste a rectangular region into a table.
2027 The upper left corner ends up in the current field. All involved fields
2028 will be overwritten. If the rectangle does not fit into the present table,
2029 the table is enlarged as needed. The process ignores horizontal separator
2032 @orgcmd{M-@key{RET},org-table-wrap-region}
2033 Split the current field at the cursor position and move the rest to the line
2034 below. If there is an active region, and both point and mark are in the same
2035 column, the text in the column is wrapped to minimum width for the given
2036 number of lines. A numeric prefix argument may be used to change the number
2037 of desired lines. If there is no region, but you specify a prefix argument,
2038 the current field is made blank, and the content is appended to the field
2041 @tsubheading{Calculations}
2042 @cindex formula, in tables
2043 @cindex calculations, in tables
2044 @cindex region, active
2045 @cindex active region
2046 @cindex transient mark mode
2047 @orgcmd{C-c +,org-table-sum}
2048 Sum the numbers in the current column, or in the rectangle defined by
2049 the active region. The result is shown in the echo area and can
2050 be inserted with @kbd{C-y}.
2052 @orgcmd{S-@key{RET},org-table-copy-down}
2053 @vindex org-table-copy-increment
2054 When current field is empty, copy from first non-empty field above. When not
2055 empty, copy current field down to next row and move cursor along with it.
2056 Depending on the variable @code{org-table-copy-increment}, integer field
2057 values will be incremented during copy. Integers that are too large will not
2058 be incremented. Also, a @code{0} prefix argument temporarily disables the
2059 increment. This key is also used by shift-selection and related modes
2060 (@pxref{Conflicts}).
2062 @tsubheading{Miscellaneous}
2063 @orgcmd{C-c `,org-table-edit-field}
2064 Edit the current field in a separate window. This is useful for fields that
2065 are not fully visible (@pxref{Column width and alignment}). When called with
2066 a @kbd{C-u} prefix, just make the full field visible, so that it can be
2067 edited in place. When called with two @kbd{C-u} prefixes, make the editor
2068 window follow the cursor through the table and always show the current
2069 field. The follow mode exits automatically when the cursor leaves the table,
2070 or when you repeat this command with @kbd{C-u C-u C-c `}.
2072 @item M-x org-table-import
2073 Import a file as a table. The table should be TAB or whitespace
2074 separated. Use, for example, to import a spreadsheet table or data
2075 from a database, because these programs generally can write
2076 TAB-separated text files. This command works by inserting the file into
2077 the buffer and then converting the region to a table. Any prefix
2078 argument is passed on to the converter, which uses it to determine the
2080 @orgcmd{C-c |,org-table-create-or-convert-from-region}
2081 Tables can also be imported by pasting tabular text into the Org
2082 buffer, selecting the pasted text with @kbd{C-x C-x} and then using the
2083 @kbd{C-c |} command (see above under @i{Creation and conversion}).
2085 @item M-x org-table-export
2086 @findex org-table-export
2087 @vindex org-table-export-default-format
2088 Export the table, by default as a TAB-separated file. Use for data
2089 exchange with, for example, spreadsheet or database programs. The format
2090 used to export the file can be configured in the variable
2091 @code{org-table-export-default-format}. You may also use properties
2092 @code{TABLE_EXPORT_FILE} and @code{TABLE_EXPORT_FORMAT} to specify the file
2093 name and the format for table export in a subtree. Org supports quite
2094 general formats for exported tables. The exporter format is the same as the
2095 format used by Orgtbl radio tables, see @ref{Translator functions}, for a
2096 detailed description.
2099 If you don't like the automatic table editor because it gets in your
2100 way on lines which you would like to start with @samp{|}, you can turn
2104 (setq org-enable-table-editor nil)
2107 @noindent Then the only table command that still works is
2108 @kbd{C-c C-c} to do a manual re-align.
2110 @node Column width and alignment, Column groups, Built-in table editor, Tables
2111 @section Column width and alignment
2112 @cindex narrow columns in tables
2113 @cindex alignment in tables
2115 The width of columns is automatically determined by the table editor. And
2116 also the alignment of a column is determined automatically from the fraction
2117 of number-like versus non-number fields in the column.
2119 Sometimes a single field or a few fields need to carry more text, leading to
2120 inconveniently wide columns. Or maybe you want to make a table with several
2121 columns having a fixed width, regardless of content. To set@footnote{This
2122 feature does not work on XEmacs.} the width of a column, one field anywhere
2123 in the column may contain just the string @samp{<N>} where @samp{N} is an
2124 integer specifying the width of the column in characters. The next re-align
2125 will then set the width of this column to this value.
2129 |---+------------------------------| |---+--------|
2131 | 1 | one | | 1 | one |
2132 | 2 | two | ----\ | 2 | two |
2133 | 3 | This is a long chunk of text | ----/ | 3 | This=> |
2134 | 4 | four | | 4 | four |
2135 |---+------------------------------| |---+--------|
2140 Fields that are wider become clipped and end in the string @samp{=>}.
2141 Note that the full text is still in the buffer but is hidden.
2142 To see the full text, hold the mouse over the field---a tool-tip window
2143 will show the full content. To edit such a field, use the command
2144 @kbd{C-c `} (that is @kbd{C-c} followed by the backquote). This will
2145 open a new window with the full field. Edit it and finish with @kbd{C-c
2148 @vindex org-startup-align-all-tables
2149 When visiting a file containing a table with narrowed columns, the
2150 necessary character hiding has not yet happened, and the table needs to
2151 be aligned before it looks nice. Setting the option
2152 @code{org-startup-align-all-tables} will realign all tables in a file
2153 upon visiting, but also slow down startup. You can also set this option
2154 on a per-file basis with:
2161 If you would like to overrule the automatic alignment of number-rich columns
2162 to the right and of string-rich column to the left, you can use @samp{<r>},
2163 @samp{c}@footnote{Centering does not work inside Emacs, but it does have an
2164 effect when exporting to HTML.} or @samp{<l>} in a similar fashion. You may
2165 also combine alignment and field width like this: @samp{<l10>}.
2167 Lines which only contain these formatting cookies will be removed
2168 automatically when exporting the document.
2170 @node Column groups, Orgtbl mode, Column width and alignment, Tables
2171 @section Column groups
2172 @cindex grouping columns in tables
2174 When Org exports tables, it does so by default without vertical
2175 lines because that is visually more satisfying in general. Occasionally
2176 however, vertical lines can be useful to structure a table into groups
2177 of columns, much like horizontal lines can do for groups of rows. In
2178 order to specify column groups, you can use a special row where the
2179 first field contains only @samp{/}. The further fields can either
2180 contain @samp{<} to indicate that this column should start a group,
2181 @samp{>} to indicate the end of a column, or @samp{<>} to make a column
2182 a group of its own. Boundaries between column groups will upon export be
2183 marked with vertical lines. Here is an example:
2186 | N | N^2 | N^3 | N^4 | sqrt(n) | sqrt[4](N) |
2187 |---+-----+-----+-----+---------+------------|
2188 | / | < | | > | < | > |
2189 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
2190 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 16 | 1.4142 | 1.1892 |
2191 | 3 | 9 | 27 | 81 | 1.7321 | 1.3161 |
2192 |---+-----+-----+-----+---------+------------|
2193 #+TBLFM: $2=$1^2::$3=$1^3::$4=$1^4::$5=sqrt($1)::$6=sqrt(sqrt(($1)))
2196 It is also sufficient to just insert the column group starters after
2197 every vertical line you would like to have:
2200 | N | N^2 | N^3 | N^4 | sqrt(n) | sqrt[4](N) |
2201 |----+-----+-----+-----+---------+------------|
2205 @node Orgtbl mode, The spreadsheet, Column groups, Tables
2206 @section The Orgtbl minor mode
2208 @cindex minor mode for tables
2210 If you like the intuitive way the Org table editor works, you
2211 might also want to use it in other modes like Text mode or Mail mode.
2212 The minor mode Orgtbl mode makes this possible. You can always toggle
2213 the mode with @kbd{M-x orgtbl-mode}. To turn it on by default, for
2214 example in Message mode, use
2217 (add-hook 'message-mode-hook 'turn-on-orgtbl)
2220 Furthermore, with some special setup, it is possible to maintain tables
2221 in arbitrary syntax with Orgtbl mode. For example, it is possible to
2222 construct @LaTeX{} tables with the underlying ease and power of
2223 Orgtbl mode, including spreadsheet capabilities. For details, see
2224 @ref{Tables in arbitrary syntax}.
2226 @node The spreadsheet, Org-Plot, Orgtbl mode, Tables
2227 @section The spreadsheet
2228 @cindex calculations, in tables
2229 @cindex spreadsheet capabilities
2230 @cindex @file{calc} package
2232 The table editor makes use of the Emacs @file{calc} package to implement
2233 spreadsheet-like capabilities. It can also evaluate Emacs Lisp forms to
2234 derive fields from other fields. While fully featured, Org's implementation
2235 is not identical to other spreadsheets. For example, Org knows the concept
2236 of a @emph{column formula} that will be applied to all non-header fields in a
2237 column without having to copy the formula to each relevant field. There is
2238 also a formula debugger, and a formula editor with features for highlighting
2239 fields in the table corresponding to the references at the point in the
2240 formula, moving these references by arrow keys
2243 * References:: How to refer to another field or range
2244 * Formula syntax for Calc:: Using Calc to compute stuff
2245 * Formula syntax for Lisp:: Writing formulas in Emacs Lisp
2246 * Field and range formulas:: Formula for specific (ranges of) fields
2247 * Column formulas:: Formulas valid for an entire column
2248 * Editing and debugging formulas:: Fixing formulas
2249 * Updating the table:: Recomputing all dependent fields
2250 * Advanced features:: Field names, parameters and automatic recalc
2253 @node References, Formula syntax for Calc, The spreadsheet, The spreadsheet
2254 @subsection References
2257 To compute fields in the table from other fields, formulas must
2258 reference other fields or ranges. In Org, fields can be referenced
2259 by name, by absolute coordinates, and by relative coordinates. To find
2260 out what the coordinates of a field are, press @kbd{C-c ?} in that
2261 field, or press @kbd{C-c @}} to toggle the display of a grid.
2263 @subsubheading Field references
2264 @cindex field references
2265 @cindex references, to fields
2267 Formulas can reference the value of another field in two ways. Like in
2268 any other spreadsheet, you may reference fields with a letter/number
2269 combination like @code{B3}, meaning the 2nd field in the 3rd row.
2270 @vindex org-table-use-standard-references
2271 However, Org prefers@footnote{Org will understand references typed by the
2272 user as @samp{B4}, but it will not use this syntax when offering a formula
2273 for editing. You can customize this behavior using the variable
2274 @code{org-table-use-standard-references}.} to use another, more general
2275 representation that looks like this:
2277 @@@var{row}$@var{column}
2280 Column specifications can be absolute like @code{$1},
2281 @code{$2},...@code{$@var{N}}, or relative to the current column (i.e.@: the
2282 column of the field which is being computed) like @code{$+1} or @code{$-2}.
2283 @code{$<} and @code{$>} are immutable references to the first and last
2284 column, respectively, and you can use @code{$>>>} to indicate the third
2285 column from the right.
2287 The row specification only counts data lines and ignores horizontal separator
2288 lines (hlines). Like with columns, you can use absolute row numbers
2289 @code{@@1}, @code{@@2},...@code{@@@var{N}}, and row numbers relative to the
2290 current row like @code{@@+3} or @code{@@-1}. @code{@@<} and @code{@@>} are
2291 immutable references the first and last@footnote{For backward compatibility
2292 you can also use special names like @code{$LR5} and @code{$LR12} to refer in
2293 a stable way to the 5th and 12th field in the last row of the table.
2294 However, this syntax is deprecated, it should not be used for new documents.
2295 Use @code{@@>$} instead.} row in the table, respectively. You may also
2296 specify the row relative to one of the hlines: @code{@@I} refers to the first
2297 hline, @code{@@II} to the second, etc@. @code{@@-I} refers to the first such
2298 line above the current line, @code{@@+I} to the first such line below the
2299 current line. You can also write @code{@@III+2} which is the second data line
2300 after the third hline in the table.
2302 @code{@@0} and @code{$0} refer to the current row and column, respectively,
2303 i.e. to the row/column for the field being computed. Also, if you omit
2304 either the column or the row part of the reference, the current row/column is
2307 Org's references with @emph{unsigned} numbers are fixed references
2308 in the sense that if you use the same reference in the formula for two
2309 different fields, the same field will be referenced each time.
2310 Org's references with @emph{signed} numbers are floating
2311 references because the same reference operator can reference different
2312 fields depending on the field being calculated by the formula.
2314 Here are a few examples:
2317 @@2$3 @r{2nd row, 3rd column (same as @code{C2})}
2318 $5 @r{column 5 in the current row (same as @code{E&})}
2319 @@2 @r{current column, row 2}
2320 @@-1$-3 @r{the field one row up, three columns to the left}
2321 @@-I$2 @r{field just under hline above current row, column 2}
2322 @@>$5 @r{field in the last row, in column 5}
2325 @subsubheading Range references
2326 @cindex range references
2327 @cindex references, to ranges
2329 You may reference a rectangular range of fields by specifying two field
2330 references connected by two dots @samp{..}. If both fields are in the
2331 current row, you may simply use @samp{$2..$7}, but if at least one field
2332 is in a different row, you need to use the general @code{@@row$column}
2333 format at least for the first field (i.e the reference must start with
2334 @samp{@@} in order to be interpreted correctly). Examples:
2337 $1..$3 @r{first three fields in the current row}
2338 $P..$Q @r{range, using column names (see under Advanced)}
2339 $<<<..$>> @r{start in third column, continue to the one but last}
2340 @@2$1..@@4$3 @r{6 fields between these two fields (same as @code{A2..C4})}
2341 @@-1$-2..@@-1 @r{3 numbers from the column to the left, 2 up to current row}
2342 @@I..II @r{between first and second hline, short for @code{@@I..@@II}}
2345 @noindent Range references return a vector of values that can be fed
2346 into Calc vector functions. Empty fields in ranges are normally
2347 suppressed, so that the vector contains only the non-empty fields (but
2348 see the @samp{E} mode switch below). If there are no non-empty fields,
2349 @samp{[0]} is returned to avoid syntax errors in formulas.
2351 @subsubheading Field coordinates in formulas
2352 @cindex field coordinates
2353 @cindex coordinates, of field
2354 @cindex row, of field coordinates
2355 @cindex column, of field coordinates
2357 For Calc formulas and Lisp formulas @code{@@#} and @code{$#} can be used to
2358 get the row or column number of the field where the formula result goes.
2359 The traditional Lisp formula equivalents are @code{org-table-current-dline}
2360 and @code{org-table-current-column}. Examples:
2363 if(@@# % 2, $#, string("")) @r{column number on odd lines only}
2364 $3 = remote(FOO, @@@@#$2) @r{copy column 2 from table FOO into}
2365 @r{column 3 of the current table}
2368 @noindent For the second example, table FOO must have at least as many rows
2369 as the current table. Note that this is inefficient@footnote{The computation time scales as
2370 O(N^2) because table FOO is parsed for each field to be copied.} for large
2373 @subsubheading Named references
2374 @cindex named references
2375 @cindex references, named
2376 @cindex name, of column or field
2377 @cindex constants, in calculations
2380 @vindex org-table-formula-constants
2381 @samp{$name} is interpreted as the name of a column, parameter or
2382 constant. Constants are defined globally through the variable
2383 @code{org-table-formula-constants}, and locally (for the file) through a
2387 #+CONSTANTS: c=299792458. pi=3.14 eps=2.4e-6
2391 @vindex constants-unit-system
2392 @pindex constants.el
2393 Also properties (@pxref{Properties and Columns}) can be used as
2394 constants in table formulas: for a property @samp{:Xyz:} use the name
2395 @samp{$PROP_Xyz}, and the property will be searched in the current
2396 outline entry and in the hierarchy above it. If you have the
2397 @file{constants.el} package, it will also be used to resolve constants,
2398 including natural constants like @samp{$h} for Planck's constant, and
2399 units like @samp{$km} for kilometers@footnote{@file{constants.el} can
2400 supply the values of constants in two different unit systems, @code{SI}
2401 and @code{cgs}. Which one is used depends on the value of the variable
2402 @code{constants-unit-system}. You can use the @code{#+STARTUP} options
2403 @code{constSI} and @code{constcgs} to set this value for the current
2404 buffer.}. Column names and parameters can be specified in special table
2405 lines. These are described below, see @ref{Advanced features}. All
2406 names must start with a letter, and further consist of letters and
2409 @subsubheading Remote references
2410 @cindex remote references
2411 @cindex references, remote
2412 @cindex references, to a different table
2413 @cindex name, of column or field
2414 @cindex constants, in calculations
2417 You may also reference constants, fields and ranges from a different table,
2418 either in the current file or even in a different file. The syntax is
2421 remote(NAME-OR-ID,REF)
2425 where NAME can be the name of a table in the current file as set by a
2426 @code{#+TBLNAME: NAME} line before the table. It can also be the ID of an
2427 entry, even in a different file, and the reference then refers to the first
2428 table in that entry. REF is an absolute field or range reference as
2429 described above for example @code{@@3$3} or @code{$somename}, valid in the
2432 @node Formula syntax for Calc, Formula syntax for Lisp, References, The spreadsheet
2433 @subsection Formula syntax for Calc
2434 @cindex formula syntax, Calc
2435 @cindex syntax, of formulas
2437 A formula can be any algebraic expression understood by the Emacs
2438 @file{Calc} package. @b{Note that @file{calc} has the
2439 non-standard convention that @samp{/} has lower precedence than
2440 @samp{*}, so that @samp{a/b*c} is interpreted as @samp{a/(b*c)}.} Before
2441 evaluation by @code{calc-eval} (@pxref{Calling Calc from
2442 Your Programs,calc-eval,Calling Calc from Your Lisp Programs,Calc,GNU
2443 Emacs Calc Manual}),
2444 @c FIXME: The link to the Calc manual in HTML does not work.
2445 variable substitution takes place according to the rules described above.
2446 @cindex vectors, in table calculations
2447 The range vectors can be directly fed into the Calc vector functions
2448 like @samp{vmean} and @samp{vsum}.
2450 @cindex format specifier
2451 @cindex mode, for @file{calc}
2452 @vindex org-calc-default-modes
2453 A formula can contain an optional mode string after a semicolon. This
2454 string consists of flags to influence Calc and other modes during
2455 execution. By default, Org uses the standard Calc modes (precision
2456 12, angular units degrees, fraction and symbolic modes off). The display
2457 format, however, has been changed to @code{(float 8)} to keep tables
2458 compact. The default settings can be configured using the variable
2459 @code{org-calc-default-modes}.
2462 p20 @r{set the internal Calc calculation precision to 20 digits}
2463 n3 s3 e2 f4 @r{Normal, scientific, engineering, or fixed}
2464 @r{format of the result of Calc passed back to Org.}
2465 @r{Calc formatting is unlimited in precision as}
2466 @r{long as the Calc calculation precision is greater.}
2467 D R @r{angle modes: degrees, radians}
2468 F S @r{fraction and symbolic modes}
2469 N @r{interpret all fields as numbers, use 0 for non-numbers}
2470 T @r{force text interpretation}
2471 E @r{keep empty fields in ranges}
2476 Unless you use large integer numbers or high-precision-calculation
2477 and -display for floating point numbers you may alternatively provide a
2478 @code{printf} format specifier to reformat the Calc result after it has been
2479 passed back to Org instead of letting Calc already do the
2480 formatting@footnote{The @code{printf} reformatting is limited in precision
2481 because the value passed to it is converted into an @code{integer} or
2482 @code{double}. The @code{integer} is limited in size by truncating the
2483 signed value to 32 bits. The @code{double} is limited in precision to 64
2484 bits overall which leaves approximately 16 significant decimal digits.}.
2488 $1+$2 @r{Sum of first and second field}
2489 $1+$2;%.2f @r{Same, format result to two decimals}
2490 exp($2)+exp($1) @r{Math functions can be used}
2491 $0;%.1f @r{Reformat current cell to 1 decimal}
2492 ($3-32)*5/9 @r{Degrees F -> C conversion}
2493 $c/$1/$cm @r{Hz -> cm conversion, using @file{constants.el}}
2494 tan($1);Dp3s1 @r{Compute in degrees, precision 3, display SCI 1}
2495 sin($1);Dp3%.1e @r{Same, but use printf specifier for display}
2496 vmean($2..$7) @r{Compute column range mean, using vector function}
2497 vmean($2..$7);EN @r{Same, but treat empty fields as 0}
2498 taylor($3,x=7,2) @r{Taylor series of $3, at x=7, second degree}
2501 Calc also contains a complete set of logical operations. For example
2504 if($1<20,teen,string("")) @r{"teen" if age $1 less than 20, else empty}
2507 @node Formula syntax for Lisp, Field and range formulas, Formula syntax for Calc, The spreadsheet
2508 @subsection Emacs Lisp forms as formulas
2509 @cindex Lisp forms, as table formulas
2511 It is also possible to write a formula in Emacs Lisp; this can be useful for
2512 string manipulation and control structures, if Calc's functionality is not
2513 enough. If a formula starts with a single-quote followed by an opening
2514 parenthesis, then it is evaluated as a Lisp form. The evaluation should
2515 return either a string or a number. Just as with @file{calc} formulas, you
2516 can specify modes and a printf format after a semicolon. With Emacs Lisp
2517 forms, you need to be conscious about the way field references are
2518 interpolated into the form. By default, a reference will be interpolated as
2519 a Lisp string (in double-quotes) containing the field. If you provide the
2520 @samp{N} mode switch, all referenced elements will be numbers (non-number
2521 fields will be zero) and interpolated as Lisp numbers, without quotes. If
2522 you provide the @samp{L} flag, all fields will be interpolated literally,
2523 without quotes. I.e., if you want a reference to be interpreted as a string
2524 by the Lisp form, enclose the reference operator itself in double-quotes,
2525 like @code{"$3"}. Ranges are inserted as space-separated fields, so you can
2526 embed them in list or vector syntax. Here are a few examples---note how the
2527 @samp{N} mode is used when we do computations in Lisp:
2530 @r{Swap the first two characters of the content of column 1}
2531 '(concat (substring $1 1 2) (substring $1 0 1) (substring $1 2))
2532 @r{Add columns 1 and 2, equivalent to Calc's @code{$1+$2}}
2534 @r{Compute the sum of columns 1-4, like Calc's @code{vsum($1..$4)}}
2535 '(apply '+ '($1..$4));N
2538 @node Field and range formulas, Column formulas, Formula syntax for Lisp, The spreadsheet
2539 @subsection Field and range formulas
2540 @cindex field formula
2541 @cindex range formula
2542 @cindex formula, for individual table field
2543 @cindex formula, for range of fields
2545 To assign a formula to a particular field, type it directly into the field,
2546 preceded by @samp{:=}, for example @samp{:=vsum(@@II..III)}. When you press
2547 @key{TAB} or @key{RET} or @kbd{C-c C-c} with the cursor still in the field,
2548 the formula will be stored as the formula for this field, evaluated, and the
2549 current field will be replaced with the result.
2552 Formulas are stored in a special line starting with @samp{#+TBLFM:} directly
2553 below the table. If you type the equation in the 4th field of the 3rd data
2554 line in the table, the formula will look like @samp{@@3$4=$1+$2}. When
2555 inserting/deleting/swapping column and rows with the appropriate commands,
2556 @i{absolute references} (but not relative ones) in stored formulas are
2557 modified in order to still reference the same field. To avoid this from
2558 happening, in particular in range references, anchor ranges at the table
2559 borders (using @code{@@<}, @code{@@>}, @code{$<}, @code{$>}), or at hlines
2560 using the @code{@@I} notation. Automatic adaptation of field references does
2561 of cause not happen if you edit the table structure with normal editing
2562 commands---then you must fix the equations yourself.
2564 Instead of typing an equation into the field, you may also use the following
2568 @orgcmd{C-u C-c =,org-table-eval-formula}
2569 Install a new formula for the current field. The command prompts for a
2570 formula with default taken from the @samp{#+TBLFM:} line, applies
2571 it to the current field, and stores it.
2574 The left-hand side of a formula can also be a special expression in order to
2575 assign the formula to a number of different fields. There is no keyboard
2576 shortcut to enter such range formulas. To add them, use the formula editor
2577 (@pxref{Editing and debugging formulas}) or edit the @code{#+TBLFM:} line
2582 Column formula, valid for the entire column. This is so common that Org
2583 treats these formulas in a special way, see @ref{Column formulas}.
2585 Row formula, applies to all fields in the specified row. @code{@@>=} means
2588 Range formula, applies to all fields in the given rectangular range. This
2589 can also be used to assign a formula to some but not all fields in a row.
2591 Named field, see @ref{Advanced features}.
2594 @node Column formulas, Editing and debugging formulas, Field and range formulas, The spreadsheet
2595 @subsection Column formulas
2596 @cindex column formula
2597 @cindex formula, for table column
2599 When you assign a formula to a simple column reference like @code{$3=}, the
2600 same formula will be used in all fields of that column, with the following
2601 very convenient exceptions: (i) If the table contains horizontal separator
2602 hlines, everything before the first such line is considered part of the table
2603 @emph{header} and will not be modified by column formulas. (ii) Fields that
2604 already get a value from a field/range formula will be left alone by column
2605 formulas. These conditions make column formulas very easy to use.
2607 To assign a formula to a column, type it directly into any field in the
2608 column, preceded by an equal sign, like @samp{=$1+$2}. When you press
2609 @key{TAB} or @key{RET} or @kbd{C-c C-c} with the cursor still in the field,
2610 the formula will be stored as the formula for the current column, evaluated
2611 and the current field replaced with the result. If the field contains only
2612 @samp{=}, the previously stored formula for this column is used. For each
2613 column, Org will only remember the most recently used formula. In the
2614 @samp{#+TBLFM:} line, column formulas will look like @samp{$4=$1+$2}. The
2615 left-hand side of a column formula can not be the name of column, it must be
2616 the numeric column reference or @code{$>}.
2618 Instead of typing an equation into the field, you may also use the
2622 @orgcmd{C-c =,org-table-eval-formula}
2623 Install a new formula for the current column and replace current field with
2624 the result of the formula. The command prompts for a formula, with default
2625 taken from the @samp{#+TBLFM} line, applies it to the current field and
2626 stores it. With a numeric prefix argument(e.g.@: @kbd{C-5 C-c =}) the command
2627 will apply it to that many consecutive fields in the current column.
2630 @node Editing and debugging formulas, Updating the table, Column formulas, The spreadsheet
2631 @subsection Editing and debugging formulas
2632 @cindex formula editing
2633 @cindex editing, of table formulas
2635 @vindex org-table-use-standard-references
2636 You can edit individual formulas in the minibuffer or directly in the
2637 field. Org can also prepare a special buffer with all active
2638 formulas of a table. When offering a formula for editing, Org
2639 converts references to the standard format (like @code{B3} or @code{D&})
2640 if possible. If you prefer to only work with the internal format (like
2641 @code{@@3$2} or @code{$4}), configure the variable
2642 @code{org-table-use-standard-references}.
2645 @orgcmdkkc{C-c =,C-u C-c =,org-table-eval-formula}
2646 Edit the formula associated with the current column/field in the
2647 minibuffer. See @ref{Column formulas}, and @ref{Field and range formulas}.
2648 @orgcmd{C-u C-u C-c =,org-table-eval-formula}
2649 Re-insert the active formula (either a
2650 field formula, or a column formula) into the current field, so that you
2651 can edit it directly in the field. The advantage over editing in the
2652 minibuffer is that you can use the command @kbd{C-c ?}.
2653 @orgcmd{C-c ?,org-table-field-info}
2654 While editing a formula in a table field, highlight the field(s)
2655 referenced by the reference at the cursor position in the formula.
2657 @findex org-table-toggle-coordinate-overlays
2659 Toggle the display of row and column numbers for a table, using overlays
2660 (@command{org-table-toggle-coordinate-overlays}). These are updated each
2661 time the table is aligned; you can force it with @kbd{C-c C-c}.
2663 @findex org-table-toggle-formula-debugger
2665 Toggle the formula debugger on and off
2666 (@command{org-table-toggle-formula-debugger}). See below.
2667 @orgcmd{C-c ',org-table-edit-formulas}
2668 Edit all formulas for the current table in a special buffer, where the
2669 formulas will be displayed one per line. If the current field has an
2670 active formula, the cursor in the formula editor will mark it.
2671 While inside the special buffer, Org will automatically highlight
2672 any field or range reference at the cursor position. You may edit,
2673 remove and add formulas, and use the following commands:
2675 @orgcmdkkc{C-c C-c,C-x C-s,org-table-fedit-finish}
2676 Exit the formula editor and store the modified formulas. With @kbd{C-u}
2677 prefix, also apply the new formulas to the entire table.
2678 @orgcmd{C-c C-q,org-table-fedit-abort}
2679 Exit the formula editor without installing changes.
2680 @orgcmd{C-c C-r,org-table-fedit-toggle-ref-type}
2681 Toggle all references in the formula editor between standard (like
2682 @code{B3}) and internal (like @code{@@3$2}).
2683 @orgcmd{@key{TAB},org-table-fedit-lisp-indent}
2684 Pretty-print or indent Lisp formula at point. When in a line containing
2685 a Lisp formula, format the formula according to Emacs Lisp rules.
2686 Another @key{TAB} collapses the formula back again. In the open
2687 formula, @key{TAB} re-indents just like in Emacs Lisp mode.
2688 @orgcmd{M-@key{TAB},lisp-complete-symbol}
2689 Complete Lisp symbols, just like in Emacs Lisp mode.
2691 @kindex S-@key{down}
2692 @kindex S-@key{left}
2693 @kindex S-@key{right}
2694 @findex org-table-fedit-ref-up
2695 @findex org-table-fedit-ref-down
2696 @findex org-table-fedit-ref-left
2697 @findex org-table-fedit-ref-right
2698 @item S-@key{up}/@key{down}/@key{left}/@key{right}
2699 Shift the reference at point. For example, if the reference is
2700 @code{B3} and you press @kbd{S-@key{right}}, it will become @code{C3}.
2701 This also works for relative references and for hline references.
2702 @orgcmdkkcc{M-S-@key{up},M-S-@key{down},org-table-fedit-line-up,org-table-fedit-line-down}
2703 Move the test line for column formulas in the Org buffer up and
2705 @orgcmdkkcc{M-@key{up},M-@key{down},org-table-fedit-scroll-down,org-table-fedit-scroll-up}
2706 Scroll the window displaying the table.
2708 @findex org-table-toggle-coordinate-overlays
2710 Turn the coordinate grid in the table on and off.
2714 Making a table field blank does not remove the formula associated with
2715 the field, because that is stored in a different line (the @samp{#+TBLFM}
2716 line)---during the next recalculation the field will be filled again.
2717 To remove a formula from a field, you have to give an empty reply when
2718 prompted for the formula, or to edit the @samp{#+TBLFM} line.
2721 You may edit the @samp{#+TBLFM} directly and re-apply the changed
2722 equations with @kbd{C-c C-c} in that line or with the normal
2723 recalculation commands in the table.
2725 @subsubheading Debugging formulas
2726 @cindex formula debugging
2727 @cindex debugging, of table formulas
2728 When the evaluation of a formula leads to an error, the field content
2729 becomes the string @samp{#ERROR}. If you would like see what is going
2730 on during variable substitution and calculation in order to find a bug,
2731 turn on formula debugging in the @code{Tbl} menu and repeat the
2732 calculation, for example by pressing @kbd{C-u C-u C-c = @key{RET}} in a
2733 field. Detailed information will be displayed.
2735 @node Updating the table, Advanced features, Editing and debugging formulas, The spreadsheet
2736 @subsection Updating the table
2737 @cindex recomputing table fields
2738 @cindex updating, table
2740 Recalculation of a table is normally not automatic, but needs to be
2741 triggered by a command. See @ref{Advanced features}, for a way to make
2742 recalculation at least semi-automatic.
2744 In order to recalculate a line of a table or the entire table, use the
2748 @orgcmd{C-c *,org-table-recalculate}
2749 Recalculate the current row by first applying the stored column formulas
2750 from left to right, and all field/range formulas in the current row.
2756 Recompute the entire table, line by line. Any lines before the first
2757 hline are left alone, assuming that these are part of the table header.
2759 @orgcmdkkc{C-u C-u C-c *,C-u C-u C-c C-c,org-table-iterate}
2760 Iterate the table by recomputing it until no further changes occur.
2761 This may be necessary if some computed fields use the value of other
2762 fields that are computed @i{later} in the calculation sequence.
2763 @item M-x org-table-recalculate-buffer-tables
2764 @findex org-table-recalculate-buffer-tables
2765 Recompute all tables in the current buffer.
2766 @item M-x org-table-iterate-buffer-tables
2767 @findex org-table-iterate-buffer-tables
2768 Iterate all tables in the current buffer, in order to converge table-to-table
2772 @node Advanced features, , Updating the table, The spreadsheet
2773 @subsection Advanced features
2775 If you want the recalculation of fields to happen automatically, or if
2776 you want to be able to assign @i{names} to fields and columns, you need
2777 to reserve the first column of the table for special marking characters.
2779 @orgcmd{C-#,org-table-rotate-recalc-marks}
2780 Rotate the calculation mark in first column through the states @samp{ },
2781 @samp{#}, @samp{*}, @samp{!}, @samp{$}. When there is an active region,
2782 change all marks in the region.
2785 Here is an example of a table that collects exam results of students and
2786 makes use of these features:
2790 |---+---------+--------+--------+--------+-------+------|
2791 | | Student | Prob 1 | Prob 2 | Prob 3 | Total | Note |
2792 |---+---------+--------+--------+--------+-------+------|
2793 | ! | | P1 | P2 | P3 | Tot | |
2794 | # | Maximum | 10 | 15 | 25 | 50 | 10.0 |
2795 | ^ | | m1 | m2 | m3 | mt | |
2796 |---+---------+--------+--------+--------+-------+------|
2797 | # | Peter | 10 | 8 | 23 | 41 | 8.2 |
2798 | # | Sam | 2 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 1.8 |
2799 |---+---------+--------+--------+--------+-------+------|
2800 | | Average | | | | 29.7 | |
2801 | ^ | | | | | at | |
2802 | $ | max=50 | | | | | |
2803 |---+---------+--------+--------+--------+-------+------|
2804 #+TBLFM: $6=vsum($P1..$P3)::$7=10*$Tot/$max;%.1f::$at=vmean(@@-II..@@-I);%.1f
2808 @noindent @b{Important}: please note that for these special tables,
2809 recalculating the table with @kbd{C-u C-c *} will only affect rows that
2810 are marked @samp{#} or @samp{*}, and fields that have a formula assigned
2811 to the field itself. The column formulas are not applied in rows with
2814 @cindex marking characters, tables
2815 The marking characters have the following meaning:
2818 The fields in this line define names for the columns, so that you may
2819 refer to a column as @samp{$Tot} instead of @samp{$6}.
2821 This row defines names for the fields @emph{above} the row. With such
2822 a definition, any formula in the table may use @samp{$m1} to refer to
2823 the value @samp{10}. Also, if you assign a formula to a names field, it
2824 will be stored as @samp{$name=...}.
2826 Similar to @samp{^}, but defines names for the fields in the row
2829 Fields in this row can define @emph{parameters} for formulas. For
2830 example, if a field in a @samp{$} row contains @samp{max=50}, then
2831 formulas in this table can refer to the value 50 using @samp{$max}.
2832 Parameters work exactly like constants, only that they can be defined on
2835 Fields in this row are automatically recalculated when pressing
2836 @key{TAB} or @key{RET} or @kbd{S-@key{TAB}} in this row. Also, this row
2837 is selected for a global recalculation with @kbd{C-u C-c *}. Unmarked
2838 lines will be left alone by this command.
2840 Selects this line for global recalculation with @kbd{C-u C-c *}, but
2841 not for automatic recalculation. Use this when automatic
2842 recalculation slows down editing too much.
2844 Unmarked lines are exempt from recalculation with @kbd{C-u C-c *}.
2845 All lines that should be recalculated should be marked with @samp{#}
2848 Do not export this line. Useful for lines that contain the narrowing
2849 @samp{<N>} markers or column group markers.
2852 Finally, just to whet your appetite for what can be done with the
2853 fantastic @file{calc.el} package, here is a table that computes the Taylor
2854 series of degree @code{n} at location @code{x} for a couple of
2859 |---+-------------+---+-----+--------------------------------------|
2860 | | Func | n | x | Result |
2861 |---+-------------+---+-----+--------------------------------------|
2862 | # | exp(x) | 1 | x | 1 + x |
2863 | # | exp(x) | 2 | x | 1 + x + x^2 / 2 |
2864 | # | exp(x) | 3 | x | 1 + x + x^2 / 2 + x^3 / 6 |
2865 | # | x^2+sqrt(x) | 2 | x=0 | x*(0.5 / 0) + x^2 (2 - 0.25 / 0) / 2 |
2866 | # | x^2+sqrt(x) | 2 | x=1 | 2 + 2.5 x - 2.5 + 0.875 (x - 1)^2 |
2867 | * | tan(x) | 3 | x | 0.0175 x + 1.77e-6 x^3 |
2868 |---+-------------+---+-----+--------------------------------------|
2869 #+TBLFM: $5=taylor($2,$4,$3);n3
2873 @node Org-Plot, , The spreadsheet, Tables
2875 @cindex graph, in tables
2876 @cindex plot tables using Gnuplot
2879 Org-Plot can produce 2D and 3D graphs of information stored in org tables
2880 using @file{Gnuplot} @uref{http://www.gnuplot.info/} and @file{gnuplot-mode}
2881 @uref{http://cars9.uchicago.edu/~ravel/software/gnuplot-mode.html}. To see
2882 this in action, ensure that you have both Gnuplot and Gnuplot mode installed
2883 on your system, then call @code{org-plot/gnuplot} on the following table.
2887 #+PLOT: title:"Citas" ind:1 deps:(3) type:2d with:histograms set:"yrange [0:]"
2888 | Sede | Max cites | H-index |
2889 |-----------+-----------+---------|
2890 | Chile | 257.72 | 21.39 |
2891 | Leeds | 165.77 | 19.68 |
2892 | Sao Paolo | 71.00 | 11.50 |
2893 | Stockholm | 134.19 | 14.33 |
2894 | Morelia | 257.56 | 17.67 |
2898 Notice that Org Plot is smart enough to apply the table's headers as labels.
2899 Further control over the labels, type, content, and appearance of plots can
2900 be exercised through the @code{#+PLOT:} lines preceding a table. See below
2901 for a complete list of Org-plot options. For more information and examples
2902 see the Org-plot tutorial at
2903 @uref{http://orgmode.org/worg/org-tutorials/org-plot.html}.
2905 @subsubheading Plot Options
2909 Specify any @command{gnuplot} option to be set when graphing.
2912 Specify the title of the plot.
2915 Specify which column of the table to use as the @code{x} axis.
2918 Specify the columns to graph as a Lisp style list, surrounded by parentheses
2919 and separated by spaces for example @code{dep:(3 4)} to graph the third and
2920 fourth columns (defaults to graphing all other columns aside from the @code{ind}
2924 Specify whether the plot will be @code{2d}, @code{3d}, or @code{grid}.
2927 Specify a @code{with} option to be inserted for every col being plotted
2928 (e.g.@: @code{lines}, @code{points}, @code{boxes}, @code{impulses}, etc...).
2929 Defaults to @code{lines}.
2932 If you want to plot to a file, specify @code{"@var{path/to/desired/output-file}"}.
2935 List of labels to be used for the @code{deps} (defaults to the column headers
2939 Specify an entire line to be inserted in the Gnuplot script.
2942 When plotting @code{3d} or @code{grid} types, set this to @code{t} to graph a
2943 flat mapping rather than a @code{3d} slope.
2946 Specify format of Org-mode timestamps as they will be parsed by Gnuplot.
2947 Defaults to @samp{%Y-%m-%d-%H:%M:%S}.
2950 If you want total control, you can specify a script file (place the file name
2951 between double-quotes) which will be used to plot. Before plotting, every
2952 instance of @code{$datafile} in the specified script will be replaced with
2953 the path to the generated data file. Note: even if you set this option, you
2954 may still want to specify the plot type, as that can impact the content of
2958 @node Hyperlinks, TODO Items, Tables, Top
2962 Like HTML, Org provides links inside a file, external links to
2963 other files, Usenet articles, emails, and much more.
2966 * Link format:: How links in Org are formatted
2967 * Internal links:: Links to other places in the current file
2968 * External links:: URL-like links to the world
2969 * Handling links:: Creating, inserting and following
2970 * Using links outside Org:: Linking from my C source code?
2971 * Link abbreviations:: Shortcuts for writing complex links
2972 * Search options:: Linking to a specific location
2973 * Custom searches:: When the default search is not enough
2976 @node Link format, Internal links, Hyperlinks, Hyperlinks
2977 @section Link format
2979 @cindex format, of links
2981 Org will recognize plain URL-like links and activate them as
2982 clickable links. The general link format, however, looks like this:
2985 [[link][description]] @r{or alternatively} [[link]]
2989 Once a link in the buffer is complete (all brackets present), Org
2990 will change the display so that @samp{description} is displayed instead
2991 of @samp{[[link][description]]} and @samp{link} is displayed instead of
2992 @samp{[[link]]}. Links will be highlighted in the face @code{org-link},
2993 which by default is an underlined face. You can directly edit the
2994 visible part of a link. Note that this can be either the @samp{link}
2995 part (if there is no description) or the @samp{description} part. To
2996 edit also the invisible @samp{link} part, use @kbd{C-c C-l} with the
2999 If you place the cursor at the beginning or just behind the end of the
3000 displayed text and press @key{BACKSPACE}, you will remove the
3001 (invisible) bracket at that location. This makes the link incomplete
3002 and the internals are again displayed as plain text. Inserting the
3003 missing bracket hides the link internals again. To show the
3004 internal structure of all links, use the menu entry
3005 @code{Org->Hyperlinks->Literal links}.
3007 @node Internal links, External links, Link format, Hyperlinks
3008 @section Internal links
3009 @cindex internal links
3010 @cindex links, internal
3011 @cindex targets, for links
3013 @cindex property, CUSTOM_ID
3014 If the link does not look like a URL, it is considered to be internal in the
3015 current file. The most important case is a link like
3016 @samp{[[#my-custom-id]]} which will link to the entry with the
3017 @code{CUSTOM_ID} property @samp{my-custom-id}. Such custom IDs are very good
3018 for HTML export (@pxref{HTML export}) where they produce pretty section
3019 links. You are responsible yourself to make sure these custom IDs are unique
3022 Links such as @samp{[[My Target]]} or @samp{[[My Target][Find my target]]}
3023 lead to a text search in the current file.
3025 The link can be followed with @kbd{C-c C-o} when the cursor is on the link,
3026 or with a mouse click (@pxref{Handling links}). Links to custom IDs will
3027 point to the corresponding headline. The preferred match for a text link is
3028 a @i{dedicated target}: the same string in double angular brackets. Targets
3029 may be located anywhere; sometimes it is convenient to put them into a
3030 comment line. For example
3036 @noindent In HTML export (@pxref{HTML export}), such targets will become
3037 named anchors for direct access through @samp{http} links@footnote{Note that
3038 text before the first headline is usually not exported, so the first such
3039 target should be after the first headline, or in the line directly before the
3042 If no dedicated target exists, Org will search for a headline that is exactly
3043 the link text but may also include a TODO keyword and tags@footnote{To insert
3044 a link targeting a headline, in-buffer completion can be used. Just type a
3045 star followed by a few optional letters into the buffer and press
3046 @kbd{M-@key{TAB}}. All headlines in the current buffer will be offered as
3047 completions.}. In non-Org files, the search will look for the words in the
3048 link text. In the above example the search would be for @samp{my target}.
3050 Following a link pushes a mark onto Org's own mark ring. You can
3051 return to the previous position with @kbd{C-c &}. Using this command
3052 several times in direct succession goes back to positions recorded
3056 * Radio targets:: Make targets trigger links in plain text
3059 @node Radio targets, , Internal links, Internal links
3060 @subsection Radio targets
3061 @cindex radio targets
3062 @cindex targets, radio
3063 @cindex links, radio targets
3065 Org can automatically turn any occurrences of certain target names
3066 in normal text into a link. So without explicitly creating a link, the
3067 text connects to the target radioing its position. Radio targets are
3068 enclosed by triple angular brackets. For example, a target @samp{<<<My
3069 Target>>>} causes each occurrence of @samp{my target} in normal text to
3070 become activated as a link. The Org file is scanned automatically
3071 for radio targets only when the file is first loaded into Emacs. To
3072 update the target list during editing, press @kbd{C-c C-c} with the
3073 cursor on or at a target.
3075 @node External links, Handling links, Internal links, Hyperlinks
3076 @section External links
3077 @cindex links, external
3078 @cindex external links
3079 @cindex links, external
3087 @cindex WANDERLUST links
3089 @cindex USENET links
3094 Org supports links to files, websites, Usenet and email messages,
3095 BBDB database entries and links to both IRC conversations and their
3096 logs. External links are URL-like locators. They start with a short
3097 identifying string followed by a colon. There can be no space after
3098 the colon. The following list shows examples for each link type.
3101 http://www.astro.uva.nl/~dominik @r{on the web}
3102 doi:10.1000/182 @r{DOI for an electronic resource}
3103 file:/home/dominik/images/jupiter.jpg @r{file, absolute path}
3104 /home/dominik/images/jupiter.jpg @r{same as above}
3105 file:papers/last.pdf @r{file, relative path}
3106 ./papers/last.pdf @r{same as above}
3107 file:/myself@@some.where:papers/last.pdf @r{file, path on remote machine}
3108 /myself@@some.where:papers/last.pdf @r{same as above}
3109 file:sometextfile::NNN @r{file with line number to jump to}
3110 file:projects.org @r{another Org file}
3111 file:projects.org::some words @r{text search in Org file}
3112 file:projects.org::*task title @r{heading search in Org file}
3113 docview:papers/last.pdf::NNN @r{open file in doc-view mode at page NNN}
3114 id:B7423F4D-2E8A-471B-8810-C40F074717E9 @r{Link to heading by ID}
3115 news:comp.emacs @r{Usenet link}
3116 mailto:adent@@galaxy.net @r{Mail link}
3117 vm:folder @r{VM folder link}
3118 vm:folder#id @r{VM message link}
3119 vm://myself@@some.where.org/folder#id @r{VM on remote machine}
3120 wl:folder @r{WANDERLUST folder link}
3121 wl:folder#id @r{WANDERLUST message link}
3122 mhe:folder @r{MH-E folder link}
3123 mhe:folder#id @r{MH-E message link}
3124 rmail:folder @r{RMAIL folder link}
3125 rmail:folder#id @r{RMAIL message link}
3126 gnus:group @r{Gnus group link}
3127 gnus:group#id @r{Gnus article link}
3128 bbdb:R.*Stallman @r{BBDB link (with regexp)}
3129 irc:/irc.com/#emacs/bob @r{IRC link}
3130 info:org#External%20links @r{Info node link (with encoded space)}
3131 shell:ls *.org @r{A shell command}
3132 elisp:org-agenda @r{Interactive Elisp command}
3133 elisp:(find-file-other-frame "Elisp.org") @r{Elisp form to evaluate}
3136 For customizing Org to add new link types @ref{Adding hyperlink types}.
3138 A link should be enclosed in double brackets and may contain a
3139 descriptive text to be displayed instead of the URL (@pxref{Link
3140 format}), for example:
3143 [[http://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/][GNU Emacs]]
3147 If the description is a file name or URL that points to an image, HTML
3148 export (@pxref{HTML export}) will inline the image as a clickable
3149 button. If there is no description at all and the link points to an
3151 that image will be inlined into the exported HTML file.
3153 @cindex square brackets, around links
3154 @cindex plain text external links
3155 Org also finds external links in the normal text and activates them
3156 as links. If spaces must be part of the link (for example in
3157 @samp{bbdb:Richard Stallman}), or if you need to remove ambiguities
3158 about the end of the link, enclose them in square brackets.
3160 @node Handling links, Using links outside Org, External links, Hyperlinks
3161 @section Handling links
3162 @cindex links, handling
3164 Org provides methods to create a link in the correct syntax, to
3165 insert it into an Org file, and to follow the link.
3168 @orgcmd{C-c l,org-store-link}
3169 @cindex storing links
3170 Store a link to the current location. This is a @emph{global} command (you
3171 must create the key binding yourself) which can be used in any buffer to
3172 create a link. The link will be stored for later insertion into an Org
3173 buffer (see below). What kind of link will be created depends on the current
3176 @b{Org-mode buffers}@*
3177 For Org files, if there is a @samp{<<target>>} at the cursor, the link points
3178 to the target. Otherwise it points to the current headline, which will also
3179 be the description@footnote{If the headline contains a timestamp, it will be
3180 removed from the link and result in a wrong link -- you should avoid putting
3181 timestamp in the headline.}.
3183 @vindex org-link-to-org-use-id
3184 @cindex property, CUSTOM_ID
3185 @cindex property, ID
3186 If the headline has a @code{CUSTOM_ID} property, a link to this custom ID
3187 will be stored. In addition or alternatively (depending on the value of
3188 @code{org-link-to-org-use-id}), a globally unique @code{ID} property will be
3189 created and/or used to construct a link. So using this command in Org
3190 buffers will potentially create two links: a human-readable from the custom
3191 ID, and one that is globally unique and works even if the entry is moved from
3192 file to file. Later, when inserting the link, you need to decide which one
3195 @b{Email/News clients: VM, Rmail, Wanderlust, MH-E, Gnus}@*
3196 Pretty much all Emacs mail clients are supported. The link will point to the
3197 current article, or, in some GNUS buffers, to the group. The description is
3198 constructed from the author and the subject.
3200 @b{Web browsers: W3 and W3M}@*
3201 Here the link will be the current URL, with the page title as description.
3203 @b{Contacts: BBDB}@*
3204 Links created in a BBDB buffer will point to the current entry.
3207 @vindex org-irc-link-to-logs
3208 For IRC links, if you set the variable @code{org-irc-link-to-logs} to
3209 @code{t}, a @samp{file:/} style link to the relevant point in the logs for
3210 the current conversation is created. Otherwise an @samp{irc:/} style link to
3211 the user/channel/server under the point will be stored.
3214 For any other files, the link will point to the file, with a search string
3215 (@pxref{Search options}) pointing to the contents of the current line. If
3216 there is an active region, the selected words will form the basis of the
3217 search string. If the automatically created link is not working correctly or
3218 accurately enough, you can write custom functions to select the search string
3219 and to do the search for particular file types---see @ref{Custom searches}.
3220 The key binding @kbd{C-c l} is only a suggestion---see @ref{Installation}.
3223 When the cursor is in an agenda view, the created link points to the
3224 entry referenced by the current line.
3227 @orgcmd{C-c C-l,org-insert-link}
3228 @cindex link completion
3229 @cindex completion, of links
3230 @cindex inserting links
3231 @vindex org-keep-stored-link-after-insertion
3232 Insert a link@footnote{ Note that you don't have to use this command to
3233 insert a link. Links in Org are plain text, and you can type or paste them
3234 straight into the buffer. By using this command, the links are automatically
3235 enclosed in double brackets, and you will be asked for the optional
3236 descriptive text.}. This prompts for a link to be inserted into the buffer.
3237 You can just type a link, using text for an internal link, or one of the link
3238 type prefixes mentioned in the examples above. The link will be inserted
3239 into the buffer@footnote{After insertion of a stored link, the link will be
3240 removed from the list of stored links. To keep it in the list later use, use
3241 a triple @kbd{C-u} prefix argument to @kbd{C-c C-l}, or configure the option
3242 @code{org-keep-stored-link-after-insertion}.}, along with a descriptive text.
3243 If some text was selected when this command is called, the selected text
3244 becomes the default description.
3246 @b{Inserting stored links}@*
3247 All links stored during the
3248 current session are part of the history for this prompt, so you can access
3249 them with @key{up} and @key{down} (or @kbd{M-p/n}).
3251 @b{Completion support}@* Completion with @key{TAB} will help you to insert
3252 valid link prefixes like @samp{http:} or @samp{ftp:}, including the prefixes
3253 defined through link abbreviations (@pxref{Link abbreviations}). If you
3254 press @key{RET} after inserting only the @var{prefix}, Org will offer
3255 specific completion support for some link types@footnote{This works by
3256 calling a special function @code{org-PREFIX-complete-link}.} For
3257 example, if you type @kbd{file @key{RET}}, file name completion (alternative
3258 access: @kbd{C-u C-c C-l}, see below) will be offered, and after @kbd{bbdb
3259 @key{RET}} you can complete contact names.
3261 @cindex file name completion
3262 @cindex completion, of file names
3263 When @kbd{C-c C-l} is called with a @kbd{C-u} prefix argument, a link to
3264 a file will be inserted and you may use file name completion to select
3265 the name of the file. The path to the file is inserted relative to the
3266 directory of the current Org file, if the linked file is in the current
3267 directory or in a sub-directory of it, or if the path is written relative
3268 to the current directory using @samp{../}. Otherwise an absolute path
3269 is used, if possible with @samp{~/} for your home directory. You can
3270 force an absolute path with two @kbd{C-u} prefixes.
3272 @item C-c C-l @ @r{(with cursor on existing link)}
3273 When the cursor is on an existing link, @kbd{C-c C-l} allows you to edit the
3274 link and description parts of the link.
3276 @cindex following links
3277 @orgcmd{C-c C-o,org-open-at-point}
3278 @vindex org-file-apps
3279 Open link at point. This will launch a web browser for URLs (using
3280 @command{browse-url-at-point}), run VM/MH-E/Wanderlust/Rmail/Gnus/BBDB for
3281 the corresponding links, and execute the command in a shell link. When the
3282 cursor is on an internal link, this command runs the corresponding search.
3283 When the cursor is on a TAG list in a headline, it creates the corresponding
3284 TAGS view. If the cursor is on a timestamp, it compiles the agenda for that
3285 date. Furthermore, it will visit text and remote files in @samp{file:} links
3286 with Emacs and select a suitable application for local non-text files.
3287 Classification of files is based on file extension only. See option
3288 @code{org-file-apps}. If you want to override the default application and
3289 visit the file with Emacs, use a @kbd{C-u} prefix. If you want to avoid
3290 opening in Emacs, use a @kbd{C-u C-u} prefix.@*
3291 If the cursor is on a headline, but not on a link, offer all links in the
3292 headline and entry text.
3294 @vindex org-return-follows-link
3295 When @code{org-return-follows-link} is set, @kbd{@key{RET}} will also follow
3302 On links, @kbd{mouse-2} will open the link just as @kbd{C-c C-o}
3303 would. Under Emacs 22 and later, @kbd{mouse-1} will also follow a link.
3307 @vindex org-display-internal-link-with-indirect-buffer
3308 Like @kbd{mouse-2}, but force file links to be opened with Emacs, and
3309 internal links to be displayed in another window@footnote{See the
3310 variable @code{org-display-internal-link-with-indirect-buffer}}.
3312 @orgcmd{C-c C-x C-v,org-toggle-inline-images}
3313 @cindex inlining images
3314 @cindex images, inlining
3315 @vindex org-startup-with-inline-images
3316 @cindex @code{inlineimages}, STARTUP keyword
3317 @cindex @code{noinlineimages}, STARTUP keyword
3318 Toggle the inline display of linked images. Normally this will only inline
3319 images that have no description part in the link, i.e.@: images that will also
3320 be inlined during export. When called with a prefix argument, also display
3321 images that do have a link description. You can ask for inline images to be
3322 displayed at startup by configuring the variable
3323 @code{org-startup-with-inline-images}@footnote{with corresponding
3324 @code{#+STARTUP} keywords @code{inlineimages} and @code{inlineimages}}.
3325 @orgcmd{C-c %,org-mark-ring-push}
3327 Push the current position onto the mark ring, to be able to return
3328 easily. Commands following an internal link do this automatically.
3330 @orgcmd{C-c &,org-mark-ring-goto}
3331 @cindex links, returning to
3332 Jump back to a recorded position. A position is recorded by the
3333 commands following internal links, and by @kbd{C-c %}. Using this
3334 command several times in direct succession moves through a ring of
3335 previously recorded positions.
3337 @orgcmdkkcc{C-c C-x C-n,C-c C-x C-p,org-next-link,org-previous-link}
3338 @cindex links, finding next/previous
3339 Move forward/backward to the next link in the buffer. At the limit of
3340 the buffer, the search fails once, and then wraps around. The key
3341 bindings for this are really too long; you might want to bind this also
3342 to @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p}
3344 (add-hook 'org-load-hook
3346 (define-key org-mode-map "\C-n" 'org-next-link)
3347 (define-key org-mode-map "\C-p" 'org-previous-link)))
3351 @node Using links outside Org, Link abbreviations, Handling links, Hyperlinks
3352 @section Using links outside Org
3354 You can insert and follow links that have Org syntax not only in
3355 Org, but in any Emacs buffer. For this, you should create two
3356 global commands, like this (please select suitable global keys
3360 (global-set-key "\C-c L" 'org-insert-link-global)
3361 (global-set-key "\C-c o" 'org-open-at-point-global)
3364 @node Link abbreviations, Search options, Using links outside Org, Hyperlinks
3365 @section Link abbreviations
3366 @cindex link abbreviations
3367 @cindex abbreviation, links
3369 Long URLs can be cumbersome to type, and often many similar links are
3370 needed in a document. For this you can use link abbreviations. An
3371 abbreviated link looks like this
3374 [[linkword:tag][description]]
3378 @vindex org-link-abbrev-alist
3379 where the tag is optional.
3380 The @i{linkword} must be a word, starting with a letter, followed by
3381 letters, numbers, @samp{-}, and @samp{_}. Abbreviations are resolved
3382 according to the information in the variable @code{org-link-abbrev-alist}
3383 that relates the linkwords to replacement text. Here is an example:
3387 (setq org-link-abbrev-alist
3388 '(("bugzilla" . "http://10.1.2.9/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=")
3389 ("google" . "http://www.google.com/search?q=")
3390 ("gmap" . "http://maps.google.com/maps?q=%s")
3391 ("omap" . "http://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/search?q=%s&polygon=1")
3392 ("ads" . "http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-abs_connect?author=%s&db_key=AST")))
3396 If the replacement text contains the string @samp{%s}, it will be
3397 replaced with the tag. Otherwise the tag will be appended to the string
3398 in order to create the link. You may also specify a function that will
3399 be called with the tag as the only argument to create the link.
3401 With the above setting, you could link to a specific bug with
3402 @code{[[bugzilla:129]]}, search the web for @samp{OrgMode} with
3403 @code{[[google:OrgMode]]}, show the map location of the Free Software
3404 Foundation @code{[[gmap:51 Franklin Street, Boston]]} or of Carsten office
3405 @code{[[omap:Science Park 904, Amsterdam, The Netherlands]]} and find out
3406 what the Org author is doing besides Emacs hacking with
3407 @code{[[ads:Dominik,C]]}.
3409 If you need special abbreviations just for a single Org buffer, you
3410 can define them in the file with
3414 #+LINK: bugzilla http://10.1.2.9/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=
3415 #+LINK: google http://www.google.com/search?q=%s
3419 In-buffer completion (@pxref{Completion}) can be used after @samp{[} to
3420 complete link abbreviations. You may also define a function
3421 @code{org-PREFIX-complete-link} that implements special (e.g.@: completion)
3422 support for inserting such a link with @kbd{C-c C-l}. Such a function should
3423 not accept any arguments, and return the full link with prefix.
3425 @node Search options, Custom searches, Link abbreviations, Hyperlinks
3426 @section Search options in file links
3427 @cindex search option in file links
3428 @cindex file links, searching
3430 File links can contain additional information to make Emacs jump to a
3431 particular location in the file when following a link. This can be a
3432 line number or a search option after a double@footnote{For backward
3433 compatibility, line numbers can also follow a single colon.} colon. For
3434 example, when the command @kbd{C-c l} creates a link (@pxref{Handling
3435 links}) to a file, it encodes the words in the current line as a search
3436 string that can be used to find this line back later when following the
3437 link with @kbd{C-c C-o}.
3439 Here is the syntax of the different ways to attach a search to a file
3440 link, together with an explanation:
3443 [[file:~/code/main.c::255]]
3444 [[file:~/xx.org::My Target]]
3445 [[file:~/xx.org::*My Target]]
3446 [[file:~/xx.org::#my-custom-id]]
3447 [[file:~/xx.org::/regexp/]]
3454 Search for a link target @samp{<<My Target>>}, or do a text search for
3455 @samp{my target}, similar to the search in internal links, see
3456 @ref{Internal links}. In HTML export (@pxref{HTML export}), such a file
3457 link will become an HTML reference to the corresponding named anchor in
3460 In an Org file, restrict search to headlines.
3462 Link to a heading with a @code{CUSTOM_ID} property
3464 Do a regular expression search for @code{regexp}. This uses the Emacs
3465 command @code{occur} to list all matches in a separate window. If the
3466 target file is in Org-mode, @code{org-occur} is used to create a
3467 sparse tree with the matches.
3468 @c If the target file is a directory,
3469 @c @code{grep} will be used to search all files in the directory.
3472 As a degenerate case, a file link with an empty file name can be used
3473 to search the current file. For example, @code{[[file:::find me]]} does
3474 a search for @samp{find me} in the current file, just as
3475 @samp{[[find me]]} would.
3477 @node Custom searches, , Search options, Hyperlinks
3478 @section Custom Searches
3479 @cindex custom search strings
3480 @cindex search strings, custom
3482 The default mechanism for creating search strings and for doing the
3483 actual search related to a file link may not work correctly in all
3484 cases. For example, Bib@TeX{} database files have many entries like
3485 @samp{year="1993"} which would not result in good search strings,
3486 because the only unique identification for a Bib@TeX{} entry is the
3489 @vindex org-create-file-search-functions
3490 @vindex org-execute-file-search-functions
3491 If you come across such a problem, you can write custom functions to set
3492 the right search string for a particular file type, and to do the search
3493 for the string in the file. Using @code{add-hook}, these functions need
3494 to be added to the hook variables
3495 @code{org-create-file-search-functions} and
3496 @code{org-execute-file-search-functions}. See the docstring for these
3497 variables for more information. Org actually uses this mechanism
3498 for Bib@TeX{} database files, and you can use the corresponding code as
3499 an implementation example. See the file @file{org-bibtex.el}.
3501 @node TODO Items, Tags, Hyperlinks, Top
3505 Org-mode does not maintain TODO lists as separate documents@footnote{Of
3506 course, you can make a document that contains only long lists of TODO items,
3507 but this is not required.}. Instead, TODO items are an integral part of the
3508 notes file, because TODO items usually come up while taking notes! With Org
3509 mode, simply mark any entry in a tree as being a TODO item. In this way,
3510 information is not duplicated, and the entire context from which the TODO
3511 item emerged is always present.
3513 Of course, this technique for managing TODO items scatters them
3514 throughout your notes file. Org-mode compensates for this by providing
3515 methods to give you an overview of all the things that you have to do.
3518 * TODO basics:: Marking and displaying TODO entries
3519 * TODO extensions:: Workflow and assignments
3520 * Progress logging:: Dates and notes for progress
3521 * Priorities:: Some things are more important than others
3522 * Breaking down tasks:: Splitting a task into manageable pieces
3523 * Checkboxes:: Tick-off lists
3526 @node TODO basics, TODO extensions, TODO Items, TODO Items
3527 @section Basic TODO functionality
3529 Any headline becomes a TODO item when it starts with the word
3530 @samp{TODO}, for example:
3533 *** TODO Write letter to Sam Fortune
3537 The most important commands to work with TODO entries are:
3540 @orgcmd{C-c C-t,org-todo}
3541 @cindex cycling, of TODO states
3542 Rotate the TODO state of the current item among
3545 ,-> (unmarked) -> TODO -> DONE --.
3546 '--------------------------------'
3549 The same rotation can also be done ``remotely'' from the timeline and
3550 agenda buffers with the @kbd{t} command key (@pxref{Agenda commands}).
3552 @orgkey{C-u C-c C-t}
3553 Select a specific keyword using completion or (if it has been set up)
3554 the fast selection interface. For the latter, you need to assign keys
3555 to TODO states, see @ref{Per-file keywords}, and @ref{Setting tags}, for
3558 @kindex S-@key{right}
3559 @kindex S-@key{left}
3560 @item S-@key{right} @ @r{/} @ S-@key{left}
3561 @vindex org-treat-S-cursor-todo-selection-as-state-change
3562 Select the following/preceding TODO state, similar to cycling. Useful
3563 mostly if more than two TODO states are possible (@pxref{TODO
3564 extensions}). See also @ref{Conflicts}, for a discussion of the interaction
3565 with @code{shift-selection-mode}. See also the variable
3566 @code{org-treat-S-cursor-todo-selection-as-state-change}.
3567 @orgcmd{C-c / t,org-show-todo-key}
3568 @cindex sparse tree, for TODO
3569 @vindex org-todo-keywords
3570 View TODO items in a @emph{sparse tree} (@pxref{Sparse trees}). Folds the
3571 entire buffer, but shows all TODO items (with not-DONE state) and the
3572 headings hierarchy above them. With a prefix argument (or by using @kbd{C-c
3573 / T}), search for a specific TODO. You will be prompted for the keyword, and
3574 you can also give a list of keywords like @code{KWD1|KWD2|...} to list
3575 entries that match any one of these keywords. With a numeric prefix argument
3576 N, show the tree for the Nth keyword in the variable
3577 @code{org-todo-keywords}. With two prefix arguments, find all TODO states,
3578 both un-done and done.
3579 @orgcmd{C-c a t,org-todo-list}
3580 Show the global TODO list. Collects the TODO items (with not-DONE states)
3581 from all agenda files (@pxref{Agenda Views}) into a single buffer. The new
3582 buffer will be in @code{agenda-mode}, which provides commands to examine and
3583 manipulate the TODO entries from the new buffer (@pxref{Agenda commands}).
3584 @xref{Global TODO list}, for more information.
3585 @orgcmd{S-M-@key{RET},org-insert-todo-heading}
3586 Insert a new TODO entry below the current one.
3590 @vindex org-todo-state-tags-triggers
3591 Changing a TODO state can also trigger tag changes. See the docstring of the
3592 option @code{org-todo-state-tags-triggers} for details.
3594 @node TODO extensions, Progress logging, TODO basics, TODO Items
3595 @section Extended use of TODO keywords
3596 @cindex extended TODO keywords
3598 @vindex org-todo-keywords
3599 By default, marked TODO entries have one of only two states: TODO and
3600 DONE. Org-mode allows you to classify TODO items in more complex ways
3601 with @emph{TODO keywords} (stored in @code{org-todo-keywords}). With
3602 special setup, the TODO keyword system can work differently in different
3605 Note that @i{tags} are another way to classify headlines in general and
3606 TODO items in particular (@pxref{Tags}).
3609 * Workflow states:: From TODO to DONE in steps
3610 * TODO types:: I do this, Fred does the rest
3611 * Multiple sets in one file:: Mixing it all, and still finding your way
3612 * Fast access to TODO states:: Single letter selection of a state
3613 * Per-file keywords:: Different files, different requirements
3614 * Faces for TODO keywords:: Highlighting states
3615 * TODO dependencies:: When one task needs to wait for others
3618 @node Workflow states, TODO types, TODO extensions, TODO extensions
3619 @subsection TODO keywords as workflow states
3620 @cindex TODO workflow
3621 @cindex workflow states as TODO keywords
3623 You can use TODO keywords to indicate different @emph{sequential} states
3624 in the process of working on an item, for example@footnote{Changing
3625 this variable only becomes effective after restarting Org-mode in a
3629 (setq org-todo-keywords
3630 '((sequence "TODO" "FEEDBACK" "VERIFY" "|" "DONE" "DELEGATED")))
3633 The vertical bar separates the TODO keywords (states that @emph{need
3634 action}) from the DONE states (which need @emph{no further action}). If
3635 you don't provide the separator bar, the last state is used as the DONE
3637 @cindex completion, of TODO keywords
3638 With this setup, the command @kbd{C-c C-t} will cycle an entry from TODO
3639 to FEEDBACK, then to VERIFY, and finally to DONE and DELEGATED. You may
3640 also use a numeric prefix argument to quickly select a specific state. For
3641 example @kbd{C-3 C-c C-t} will change the state immediately to VERIFY.
3642 Or you can use @kbd{S-@key{left}} to go backward through the sequence. If you
3643 define many keywords, you can use in-buffer completion
3644 (@pxref{Completion}) or even a special one-key selection scheme
3645 (@pxref{Fast access to TODO states}) to insert these words into the
3646 buffer. Changing a TODO state can be logged with a timestamp, see
3647 @ref{Tracking TODO state changes}, for more information.
3649 @node TODO types, Multiple sets in one file, Workflow states, TODO extensions
3650 @subsection TODO keywords as types
3652 @cindex names as TODO keywords
3653 @cindex types as TODO keywords
3655 The second possibility is to use TODO keywords to indicate different
3656 @emph{types} of action items. For example, you might want to indicate
3657 that items are for ``work'' or ``home''. Or, when you work with several
3658 people on a single project, you might want to assign action items
3659 directly to persons, by using their names as TODO keywords. This would
3660 be set up like this:
3663 (setq org-todo-keywords '((type "Fred" "Sara" "Lucy" "|" "DONE")))
3666 In this case, different keywords do not indicate a sequence, but rather
3667 different types. So the normal work flow would be to assign a task to a
3668 person, and later to mark it DONE. Org-mode supports this style by adapting
3669 the workings of the command @kbd{C-c C-t}@footnote{This is also true for the
3670 @kbd{t} command in the timeline and agenda buffers.}. When used several
3671 times in succession, it will still cycle through all names, in order to first
3672 select the right type for a task. But when you return to the item after some
3673 time and execute @kbd{C-c C-t} again, it will switch from any name directly
3674 to DONE. Use prefix arguments or completion to quickly select a specific
3675 name. You can also review the items of a specific TODO type in a sparse tree
3676 by using a numeric prefix to @kbd{C-c / t}. For example, to see all things
3677 Lucy has to do, you would use @kbd{C-3 C-c / t}. To collect Lucy's items
3678 from all agenda files into a single buffer, you would use the numeric prefix
3679 argument as well when creating the global TODO list: @kbd{C-3 C-c a t}.
3681 @node Multiple sets in one file, Fast access to TODO states, TODO types, TODO extensions
3682 @subsection Multiple keyword sets in one file
3683 @cindex TODO keyword sets
3685 Sometimes you may want to use different sets of TODO keywords in
3686 parallel. For example, you may want to have the basic
3687 @code{TODO}/@code{DONE}, but also a workflow for bug fixing, and a
3688 separate state indicating that an item has been canceled (so it is not
3689 DONE, but also does not require action). Your setup would then look
3693 (setq org-todo-keywords
3694 '((sequence "TODO" "|" "DONE")
3695 (sequence "REPORT" "BUG" "KNOWNCAUSE" "|" "FIXED")
3696 (sequence "|" "CANCELED")))
3699 The keywords should all be different, this helps Org-mode to keep track
3700 of which subsequence should be used for a given entry. In this setup,
3701 @kbd{C-c C-t} only operates within a subsequence, so it switches from
3702 @code{DONE} to (nothing) to @code{TODO}, and from @code{FIXED} to
3703 (nothing) to @code{REPORT}. Therefore you need a mechanism to initially
3704 select the correct sequence. Besides the obvious ways like typing a
3705 keyword or using completion, you may also apply the following commands:
3708 @kindex C-S-@key{right}
3709 @kindex C-S-@key{left}
3710 @kindex C-u C-u C-c C-t
3711 @item C-u C-u C-c C-t
3712 @itemx C-S-@key{right}
3713 @itemx C-S-@key{left}
3714 These keys jump from one TODO subset to the next. In the above example,
3715 @kbd{C-u C-u C-c C-t} or @kbd{C-S-@key{right}} would jump from @code{TODO} or
3716 @code{DONE} to @code{REPORT}, and any of the words in the second row to
3717 @code{CANCELED}. Note that the @kbd{C-S-} key binding conflict with
3718 @code{shift-selection-mode} (@pxref{Conflicts}).
3719 @kindex S-@key{right}
3720 @kindex S-@key{left}
3723 @kbd{S-@key{<left>}} and @kbd{S-@key{<right>}} and walk through @emph{all}
3724 keywords from all sets, so for example @kbd{S-@key{<right>}} would switch
3725 from @code{DONE} to @code{REPORT} in the example above. See also
3726 @ref{Conflicts}, for a discussion of the interaction with
3727 @code{shift-selection-mode}.
3730 @node Fast access to TODO states, Per-file keywords, Multiple sets in one file, TODO extensions
3731 @subsection Fast access to TODO states
3733 If you would like to quickly change an entry to an arbitrary TODO state
3734 instead of cycling through the states, you can set up keys for
3735 single-letter access to the states. This is done by adding the section
3736 key after each keyword, in parentheses. For example:
3739 (setq org-todo-keywords
3740 '((sequence "TODO(t)" "|" "DONE(d)")
3741 (sequence "REPORT(r)" "BUG(b)" "KNOWNCAUSE(k)" "|" "FIXED(f)")
3742 (sequence "|" "CANCELED(c)")))
3745 @vindex org-fast-tag-selection-include-todo
3746 If you then press @kbd{C-c C-t} followed by the selection key, the entry
3747 will be switched to this state. @kbd{SPC} can be used to remove any TODO
3748 keyword from an entry.@footnote{Check also the variable
3749 @code{org-fast-tag-selection-include-todo}, it allows you to change the TODO
3750 state through the tags interface (@pxref{Setting tags}), in case you like to
3751 mingle the two concepts. Note that this means you need to come up with
3752 unique keys across both sets of keywords.}
3754 @node Per-file keywords, Faces for TODO keywords, Fast access to TODO states, TODO extensions
3755 @subsection Setting up keywords for individual files
3756 @cindex keyword options
3757 @cindex per-file keywords
3762 It can be very useful to use different aspects of the TODO mechanism in
3763 different files. For file-local settings, you need to add special lines
3764 to the file which set the keywords and interpretation for that file
3765 only. For example, to set one of the two examples discussed above, you
3766 need one of the following lines, starting in column zero anywhere in the
3770 #+TODO: TODO FEEDBACK VERIFY | DONE CANCELED
3772 @noindent (you may also write @code{#+SEQ_TODO} to be explicit about the
3773 interpretation, but it means the same as @code{#+TODO}), or
3775 #+TYP_TODO: Fred Sara Lucy Mike | DONE
3778 A setup for using several sets in parallel would be:
3782 #+TODO: REPORT BUG KNOWNCAUSE | FIXED
3786 @cindex completion, of option keywords
3788 @noindent To make sure you are using the correct keyword, type
3789 @samp{#+} into the buffer and then use @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} completion.
3791 @cindex DONE, final TODO keyword
3792 Remember that the keywords after the vertical bar (or the last keyword
3793 if no bar is there) must always mean that the item is DONE (although you
3794 may use a different word). After changing one of these lines, use
3795 @kbd{C-c C-c} with the cursor still in the line to make the changes
3796 known to Org-mode@footnote{Org-mode parses these lines only when
3797 Org-mode is activated after visiting a file. @kbd{C-c C-c} with the
3798 cursor in a line starting with @samp{#+} is simply restarting Org-mode
3799 for the current buffer.}.
3801 @node Faces for TODO keywords, TODO dependencies, Per-file keywords, TODO extensions
3802 @subsection Faces for TODO keywords
3803 @cindex faces, for TODO keywords
3805 @vindex org-todo @r{(face)}
3806 @vindex org-done @r{(face)}
3807 @vindex org-todo-keyword-faces
3808 Org-mode highlights TODO keywords with special faces: @code{org-todo}
3809 for keywords indicating that an item still has to be acted upon, and
3810 @code{org-done} for keywords indicating that an item is finished. If
3811 you are using more than 2 different states, you might want to use
3812 special faces for some of them. This can be done using the variable
3813 @code{org-todo-keyword-faces}. For example:
3817 (setq org-todo-keyword-faces
3818 '(("TODO" . org-warning) ("STARTED" . "yellow")
3819 ("CANCELED" . (:foreground "blue" :weight bold))))
3823 While using a list with face properties as shown for CANCELED @emph{should}
3824 work, this does not aways seem to be the case. If necessary, define a
3825 special face and use that. A string is interpreted as a color. The variable
3826 @code{org-faces-easy-properties} determines if that color is interpreted as a
3827 foreground or a background color.
3829 @node TODO dependencies, , Faces for TODO keywords, TODO extensions
3830 @subsection TODO dependencies
3831 @cindex TODO dependencies
3832 @cindex dependencies, of TODO states
3834 @vindex org-enforce-todo-dependencies
3835 @cindex property, ORDERED
3836 The structure of Org files (hierarchy and lists) makes it easy to define TODO
3837 dependencies. Usually, a parent TODO task should not be marked DONE until
3838 all subtasks (defined as children tasks) are marked as DONE. And sometimes
3839 there is a logical sequence to a number of (sub)tasks, so that one task
3840 cannot be acted upon before all siblings above it are done. If you customize
3841 the variable @code{org-enforce-todo-dependencies}, Org will block entries
3842 from changing state to DONE while they have children that are not DONE.
3843 Furthermore, if an entry has a property @code{ORDERED}, each of its children
3844 will be blocked until all earlier siblings are marked DONE. Here is an
3848 * TODO Blocked until (two) is done
3857 ** TODO b, needs to wait for (a)
3858 ** TODO c, needs to wait for (a) and (b)
3862 @orgcmd{C-c C-x o,org-toggle-ordered-property}
3863 @vindex org-track-ordered-property-with-tag
3864 @cindex property, ORDERED
3865 Toggle the @code{ORDERED} property of the current entry. A property is used
3866 for this behavior because this should be local to the current entry, not
3867 inherited like a tag. However, if you would like to @i{track} the value of
3868 this property with a tag for better visibility, customize the variable
3869 @code{org-track-ordered-property-with-tag}.
3870 @orgkey{C-u C-u C-u C-c C-t}
3871 Change TODO state, circumventing any state blocking.
3874 @vindex org-agenda-dim-blocked-tasks
3875 If you set the variable @code{org-agenda-dim-blocked-tasks}, TODO entries
3876 that cannot be closed because of such dependencies will be shown in a dimmed
3877 font or even made invisible in agenda views (@pxref{Agenda Views}).
3879 @cindex checkboxes and TODO dependencies
3880 @vindex org-enforce-todo-dependencies
3881 You can also block changes of TODO states by looking at checkboxes
3882 (@pxref{Checkboxes}). If you set the variable
3883 @code{org-enforce-todo-checkbox-dependencies}, an entry that has unchecked
3884 checkboxes will be blocked from switching to DONE.
3886 If you need more complex dependency structures, for example dependencies
3887 between entries in different trees or files, check out the contributed
3888 module @file{org-depend.el}.
3891 @node Progress logging, Priorities, TODO extensions, TODO Items
3892 @section Progress logging
3893 @cindex progress logging
3894 @cindex logging, of progress
3896 Org-mode can automatically record a timestamp and possibly a note when
3897 you mark a TODO item as DONE, or even each time you change the state of
3898 a TODO item. This system is highly configurable, settings can be on a
3899 per-keyword basis and can be localized to a file or even a subtree. For
3900 information on how to clock working time for a task, see @ref{Clocking
3904 * Closing items:: When was this entry marked DONE?
3905 * Tracking TODO state changes:: When did the status change?
3906 * Tracking your habits:: How consistent have you been?
3909 @node Closing items, Tracking TODO state changes, Progress logging, Progress logging
3910 @subsection Closing items
3912 The most basic logging is to keep track of @emph{when} a certain TODO
3913 item was finished. This is achieved with@footnote{The corresponding
3914 in-buffer setting is: @code{#+STARTUP: logdone}}
3917 (setq org-log-done 'time)
3921 Then each time you turn an entry from a TODO (not-done) state into any
3922 of the DONE states, a line @samp{CLOSED: [timestamp]} will be inserted
3923 just after the headline. If you turn the entry back into a TODO item
3924 through further state cycling, that line will be removed again. If you
3925 want to record a note along with the timestamp, use@footnote{The
3926 corresponding in-buffer setting is: @code{#+STARTUP: lognotedone}}
3929 (setq org-log-done 'note)
3933 You will then be prompted for a note, and that note will be stored below
3934 the entry with a @samp{Closing Note} heading.
3936 In the timeline (@pxref{Timeline}) and in the agenda
3937 (@pxref{Weekly/daily agenda}), you can then use the @kbd{l} key to
3938 display the TODO items with a @samp{CLOSED} timestamp on each day,
3939 giving you an overview of what has been done.
3941 @node Tracking TODO state changes, Tracking your habits, Closing items, Progress logging
3942 @subsection Tracking TODO state changes
3943 @cindex drawer, for state change recording
3945 @vindex org-log-states-order-reversed
3946 @vindex org-log-into-drawer
3947 @cindex property, LOG_INTO_DRAWER
3948 When TODO keywords are used as workflow states (@pxref{Workflow states}), you
3949 might want to keep track of when a state change occurred and maybe take a
3950 note about this change. You can either record just a timestamp, or a
3951 time-stamped note for a change. These records will be inserted after the
3952 headline as an itemized list, newest first@footnote{See the variable
3953 @code{org-log-states-order-reversed}}. When taking a lot of notes, you might
3954 want to get the notes out of the way into a drawer (@pxref{Drawers}).
3955 Customize the variable @code{org-log-into-drawer} to get this
3956 behavior---the recommended drawer for this is called @code{LOGBOOK}. You can
3957 also overrule the setting of this variable for a subtree by setting a
3958 @code{LOG_INTO_DRAWER} property.
3960 Since it is normally too much to record a note for every state, Org-mode
3961 expects configuration on a per-keyword basis for this. This is achieved by
3962 adding special markers @samp{!} (for a timestamp) and @samp{@@} (for a note)
3963 in parentheses after each keyword. For example, with the setting
3966 (setq org-todo-keywords
3967 '((sequence "TODO(t)" "WAIT(w@@/!)" "|" "DONE(d!)" "CANCELED(c@@)")))
3971 @vindex org-log-done
3972 you not only define global TODO keywords and fast access keys, but also
3973 request that a time is recorded when the entry is set to
3974 DONE@footnote{It is possible that Org-mode will record two timestamps
3975 when you are using both @code{org-log-done} and state change logging.
3976 However, it will never prompt for two notes---if you have configured
3977 both, the state change recording note will take precedence and cancel
3978 the @samp{Closing Note}.}, and that a note is recorded when switching to
3979 WAIT or CANCELED. The setting for WAIT is even more special: the
3980 @samp{!} after the slash means that in addition to the note taken when
3981 entering the state, a timestamp should be recorded when @i{leaving} the
3982 WAIT state, if and only if the @i{target} state does not configure
3983 logging for entering it. So it has no effect when switching from WAIT
3984 to DONE, because DONE is configured to record a timestamp only. But
3985 when switching from WAIT back to TODO, the @samp{/!} in the WAIT
3986 setting now triggers a timestamp even though TODO has no logging
3989 You can use the exact same syntax for setting logging preferences local
3992 #+TODO: TODO(t) WAIT(w@@/!) | DONE(d!) CANCELED(c@@)
3995 @cindex property, LOGGING
3996 In order to define logging settings that are local to a subtree or a
3997 single item, define a LOGGING property in this entry. Any non-empty
3998 LOGGING property resets all logging settings to nil. You may then turn
3999 on logging for this specific tree using STARTUP keywords like
4000 @code{lognotedone} or @code{logrepeat}, as well as adding state specific
4001 settings like @code{TODO(!)}. For example
4004 * TODO Log each state with only a time
4006 :LOGGING: TODO(!) WAIT(!) DONE(!) CANCELED(!)
4008 * TODO Only log when switching to WAIT, and when repeating
4010 :LOGGING: WAIT(@@) logrepeat
4012 * TODO No logging at all
4018 @node Tracking your habits, , Tracking TODO state changes, Progress logging
4019 @subsection Tracking your habits
4022 Org has the ability to track the consistency of a special category of TODOs,
4023 called ``habits''. A habit has the following properties:
4027 You have enabled the @code{habits} module by customizing the variable
4030 The habit is a TODO item, with a TODO keyword representing an open state.
4032 The property @code{STYLE} is set to the value @code{habit}.
4034 The TODO has a scheduled date, usually with a @code{.+} style repeat
4035 interval. A @code{++} style may be appropriate for habits with time
4036 constraints, e.g., must be done on weekends, or a @code{+} style for an
4037 unusual habit that can have a backlog, e.g., weekly reports.
4039 The TODO may also have minimum and maximum ranges specified by using the
4040 syntax @samp{.+2d/3d}, which says that you want to do the task at least every
4041 three days, but at most every two days.
4043 You must also have state logging for the @code{DONE} state enabled, in order
4044 for historical data to be represented in the consistency graph. If it is not
4045 enabled it is not an error, but the consistency graphs will be largely
4049 To give you an idea of what the above rules look like in action, here's an
4050 actual habit with some history:
4054 SCHEDULED: <2009-10-17 Sat .+2d/4d>
4055 - State "DONE" from "TODO" [2009-10-15 Thu]
4056 - State "DONE" from "TODO" [2009-10-12 Mon]
4057 - State "DONE" from "TODO" [2009-10-10 Sat]
4058 - State "DONE" from "TODO" [2009-10-04 Sun]
4059 - State "DONE" from "TODO" [2009-10-02 Fri]
4060 - State "DONE" from "TODO" [2009-09-29 Tue]
4061 - State "DONE" from "TODO" [2009-09-25 Fri]
4062 - State "DONE" from "TODO" [2009-09-19 Sat]
4063 - State "DONE" from "TODO" [2009-09-16 Wed]
4064 - State "DONE" from "TODO" [2009-09-12 Sat]
4067 :LAST_REPEAT: [2009-10-19 Mon 00:36]
4071 What this habit says is: I want to shave at most every 2 days (given by the
4072 @code{SCHEDULED} date and repeat interval) and at least every 4 days. If
4073 today is the 15th, then the habit first appears in the agenda on Oct 17,
4074 after the minimum of 2 days has elapsed, and will appear overdue on Oct 19,
4075 after four days have elapsed.
4077 What's really useful about habits is that they are displayed along with a
4078 consistency graph, to show how consistent you've been at getting that task
4079 done in the past. This graph shows every day that the task was done over the
4080 past three weeks, with colors for each day. The colors used are:
4084 If the task wasn't to be done yet on that day.
4086 If the task could have been done on that day.
4088 If the task was going to be overdue the next day.
4090 If the task was overdue on that day.
4093 In addition to coloring each day, the day is also marked with an asterisk if
4094 the task was actually done that day, and an exclamation mark to show where
4095 the current day falls in the graph.
4097 There are several configuration variables that can be used to change the way
4098 habits are displayed in the agenda.
4101 @item org-habit-graph-column
4102 The buffer column at which the consistency graph should be drawn. This will
4103 overwrite any text in that column, so it is a good idea to keep your habits'
4104 titles brief and to the point.
4105 @item org-habit-preceding-days
4106 The amount of history, in days before today, to appear in consistency graphs.
4107 @item org-habit-following-days
4108 The number of days after today that will appear in consistency graphs.
4109 @item org-habit-show-habits-only-for-today
4110 If non-nil, only show habits in today's agenda view. This is set to true by
4114 Lastly, pressing @kbd{K} in the agenda buffer will cause habits to
4115 temporarily be disabled and they won't appear at all. Press @kbd{K} again to
4116 bring them back. They are also subject to tag filtering, if you have habits
4117 which should only be done in certain contexts, for example.
4119 @node Priorities, Breaking down tasks, Progress logging, TODO Items
4123 If you use Org-mode extensively, you may end up with enough TODO items that
4124 it starts to make sense to prioritize them. Prioritizing can be done by
4125 placing a @emph{priority cookie} into the headline of a TODO item, like this
4128 *** TODO [#A] Write letter to Sam Fortune
4132 @vindex org-priority-faces
4133 By default, Org-mode supports three priorities: @samp{A}, @samp{B}, and
4134 @samp{C}. @samp{A} is the highest priority. An entry without a cookie is
4135 treated just like priority @samp{B}. Priorities make a difference only for
4136 sorting in the agenda (@pxref{Weekly/daily agenda}); outside the agenda, they
4137 have no inherent meaning to Org-mode. The cookies can be highlighted with
4138 special faces by customizing the variable @code{org-priority-faces}.
4140 Priorities can be attached to any outline node; they do not need to be TODO
4146 @findex org-priority
4147 Set the priority of the current headline (@command{org-priority}). The
4148 command prompts for a priority character @samp{A}, @samp{B} or @samp{C}.
4149 When you press @key{SPC} instead, the priority cookie is removed from the
4150 headline. The priorities can also be changed ``remotely'' from the timeline
4151 and agenda buffer with the @kbd{,} command (@pxref{Agenda commands}).
4153 @orgcmdkkcc{S-@key{up},S-@key{down},org-priority-up,org-priority-down}
4154 @vindex org-priority-start-cycle-with-default
4155 Increase/decrease priority of current headline@footnote{See also the option
4156 @code{org-priority-start-cycle-with-default}.}. Note that these keys are
4157 also used to modify timestamps (@pxref{Creating timestamps}). See also
4158 @ref{Conflicts}, for a discussion of the interaction with
4159 @code{shift-selection-mode}.
4162 @vindex org-highest-priority
4163 @vindex org-lowest-priority
4164 @vindex org-default-priority
4165 You can change the range of allowed priorities by setting the variables
4166 @code{org-highest-priority}, @code{org-lowest-priority}, and
4167 @code{org-default-priority}. For an individual buffer, you may set
4168 these values (highest, lowest, default) like this (please make sure that
4169 the highest priority is earlier in the alphabet than the lowest
4172 @cindex #+PRIORITIES
4177 @node Breaking down tasks, Checkboxes, Priorities, TODO Items
4178 @section Breaking tasks down into subtasks
4179 @cindex tasks, breaking down
4180 @cindex statistics, for TODO items
4182 @vindex org-agenda-todo-list-sublevels
4183 It is often advisable to break down large tasks into smaller, manageable
4184 subtasks. You can do this by creating an outline tree below a TODO item,
4185 with detailed subtasks on the tree@footnote{To keep subtasks out of the
4186 global TODO list, see the @code{org-agenda-todo-list-sublevels}.}. To keep
4187 the overview over the fraction of subtasks that are already completed, insert
4188 either @samp{[/]} or @samp{[%]} anywhere in the headline. These cookies will
4189 be updated each time the TODO status of a child changes, or when pressing
4190 @kbd{C-c C-c} on the cookie. For example:
4193 * Organize Party [33%]
4194 ** TODO Call people [1/2]
4198 ** DONE Talk to neighbor
4201 @cindex property, COOKIE_DATA
4202 If a heading has both checkboxes and TODO children below it, the meaning of
4203 the statistics cookie become ambiguous. Set the property
4204 @code{COOKIE_DATA} to either @samp{checkbox} or @samp{todo} to resolve
4207 @vindex org-hierarchical-todo-statistics
4208 If you would like to have the statistics cookie count any TODO entries in the
4209 subtree (not just direct children), configure the variable
4210 @code{org-hierarchical-todo-statistics}. To do this for a single subtree,
4211 include the word @samp{recursive} into the value of the @code{COOKIE_DATA}
4215 * Parent capturing statistics [2/20]
4217 :COOKIE_DATA: todo recursive
4221 If you would like a TODO entry to automatically change to DONE
4222 when all children are done, you can use the following setup:
4225 (defun org-summary-todo (n-done n-not-done)
4226 "Switch entry to DONE when all subentries are done, to TODO otherwise."
4227 (let (org-log-done org-log-states) ; turn off logging
4228 (org-todo (if (= n-not-done 0) "DONE" "TODO"))))
4230 (add-hook 'org-after-todo-statistics-hook 'org-summary-todo)
4234 Another possibility is the use of checkboxes to identify (a hierarchy of) a
4235 large number of subtasks (@pxref{Checkboxes}).
4238 @node Checkboxes, , Breaking down tasks, TODO Items
4242 @vindex org-list-automatic-rules
4243 Every item in a plain list@footnote{With the exception of description
4244 lists. But you can allow it by modifying @code{org-list-automatic-rules}
4245 accordingly.} (@pxref{Plain lists}) can be made into a checkbox by starting
4246 it with the string @samp{[ ]}. This feature is similar to TODO items
4247 (@pxref{TODO Items}), but is more lightweight. Checkboxes are not included
4248 into the global TODO list, so they are often great to split a task into a
4249 number of simple steps. Or you can use them in a shopping list. To toggle a
4250 checkbox, use @kbd{C-c C-c}, or use the mouse (thanks to Piotr Zielinski's
4251 @file{org-mouse.el}).
4253 Here is an example of a checkbox list.
4256 * TODO Organize party [2/4]
4257 - [-] call people [1/3]
4262 - [ ] think about what music to play
4263 - [X] talk to the neighbors
4266 Checkboxes work hierarchically, so if a checkbox item has children that
4267 are checkboxes, toggling one of the children checkboxes will make the
4268 parent checkbox reflect if none, some, or all of the children are
4271 @cindex statistics, for checkboxes
4272 @cindex checkbox statistics
4273 @cindex property, COOKIE_DATA
4274 @vindex org-hierarchical-checkbox-statistics
4275 The @samp{[2/4]} and @samp{[1/3]} in the first and second line are cookies
4276 indicating how many checkboxes present in this entry have been checked off,
4277 and the total number of checkboxes present. This can give you an idea on how
4278 many checkboxes remain, even without opening a folded entry. The cookies can
4279 be placed into a headline or into (the first line of) a plain list item.
4280 Each cookie covers checkboxes of direct children structurally below the
4281 headline/item on which the cookie appears@footnote{Set the variable
4282 @code{org-hierarchical-checkbox-statistics} if you want such cookies to
4283 count all checkboxes below the cookie, not just those belonging to direct
4284 children.}. You have to insert the cookie yourself by typing either
4285 @samp{[/]} or @samp{[%]}. With @samp{[/]} you get an @samp{n out of m}
4286 result, as in the examples above. With @samp{[%]} you get information about
4287 the percentage of checkboxes checked (in the above example, this would be
4288 @samp{[50%]} and @samp{[33%]}, respectively). In a headline, a cookie can
4289 count either checkboxes below the heading or TODO states of children, and it
4290 will display whatever was changed last. Set the property @code{COOKIE_DATA}
4291 to either @samp{checkbox} or @samp{todo} to resolve this issue.
4293 @cindex blocking, of checkboxes
4294 @cindex checkbox blocking
4295 @cindex property, ORDERED
4296 If the current outline node has an @code{ORDERED} property, checkboxes must
4297 be checked off in sequence, and an error will be thrown if you try to check
4298 off a box while there are unchecked boxes above it.
4300 @noindent The following commands work with checkboxes:
4303 @orgcmd{C-c C-c,org-toggle-checkbox}
4304 Toggle checkbox status or (with prefix arg) checkbox presence at point. With
4305 double prefix argument, set it to @samp{[-]}, which is considered to be an
4307 @orgcmd{C-c C-x C-b,org-toggle-checkbox}
4308 Toggle checkbox status or (with prefix arg) checkbox presence at point. With
4309 double prefix argument, set it to @samp{[-]}, which is considered to be an
4313 If there is an active region, toggle the first checkbox in the region
4314 and set all remaining boxes to the same status as the first. With a prefix
4315 arg, add or remove the checkbox for all items in the region.
4317 If the cursor is in a headline, toggle checkboxes in the region between
4318 this headline and the next (so @emph{not} the entire subtree).
4320 If there is no active region, just toggle the checkbox at point.
4322 @orgcmd{M-S-@key{RET},org-insert-todo-heading}
4323 Insert a new item with a checkbox. This works only if the cursor is already
4324 in a plain list item (@pxref{Plain lists}).
4325 @orgcmd{C-c C-x o,org-toggle-ordered-property}
4326 @vindex org-track-ordered-property-with-tag
4327 @cindex property, ORDERED
4328 Toggle the @code{ORDERED} property of the entry, to toggle if checkboxes must
4329 be checked off in sequence. A property is used for this behavior because
4330 this should be local to the current entry, not inherited like a tag.
4331 However, if you would like to @i{track} the value of this property with a tag
4332 for better visibility, customize the variable
4333 @code{org-track-ordered-property-with-tag}.
4334 @orgcmd{C-c #,org-update-statistics-cookies}
4335 Update the statistics cookie in the current outline entry. When called with
4336 a @kbd{C-u} prefix, update the entire file. Checkbox statistic cookies are
4337 updated automatically if you toggle checkboxes with @kbd{C-c C-c} and make
4338 new ones with @kbd{M-S-@key{RET}}. TODO statistics cookies update when
4339 changing TODO states. If you delete boxes/entries or add/change them by
4340 hand, use this command to get things back into sync.
4343 @node Tags, Properties and Columns, TODO Items, Top
4346 @cindex headline tagging
4347 @cindex matching, tags
4348 @cindex sparse tree, tag based
4350 An excellent way to implement labels and contexts for cross-correlating
4351 information is to assign @i{tags} to headlines. Org-mode has extensive
4354 @vindex org-tag-faces
4355 Every headline can contain a list of tags; they occur at the end of the
4356 headline. Tags are normal words containing letters, numbers, @samp{_}, and
4357 @samp{@@}. Tags must be preceded and followed by a single colon, e.g.,
4358 @samp{:work:}. Several tags can be specified, as in @samp{:work:urgent:}.
4359 Tags will by default be in bold face with the same color as the headline.
4360 You may specify special faces for specific tags using the variable
4361 @code{org-tag-faces}, in much the same way as you can for TODO keywords
4362 (@pxref{Faces for TODO keywords}).
4365 * Tag inheritance:: Tags use the tree structure of the outline
4366 * Setting tags:: How to assign tags to a headline
4367 * Tag searches:: Searching for combinations of tags
4370 @node Tag inheritance, Setting tags, Tags, Tags
4371 @section Tag inheritance
4372 @cindex tag inheritance
4373 @cindex inheritance, of tags
4374 @cindex sublevels, inclusion into tags match
4376 @i{Tags} make use of the hierarchical structure of outline trees. If a
4377 heading has a certain tag, all subheadings will inherit the tag as
4378 well. For example, in the list
4381 * Meeting with the French group :work:
4382 ** Summary by Frank :boss:notes:
4383 *** TODO Prepare slides for him :action:
4387 the final heading will have the tags @samp{:work:}, @samp{:boss:},
4388 @samp{:notes:}, and @samp{:action:} even though the final heading is not
4389 explicitly marked with those tags. You can also set tags that all entries in
4390 a file should inherit just as if these tags were defined in a hypothetical
4391 level zero that surrounds the entire file. Use a line like this@footnote{As
4392 with all these in-buffer settings, pressing @kbd{C-c C-c} activates any
4393 changes in the line.}:
4397 #+FILETAGS: :Peter:Boss:Secret:
4401 @vindex org-use-tag-inheritance
4402 @vindex org-tags-exclude-from-inheritance
4403 To limit tag inheritance to specific tags, or to turn it off entirely, use
4404 the variables @code{org-use-tag-inheritance} and
4405 @code{org-tags-exclude-from-inheritance}.
4407 @vindex org-tags-match-list-sublevels
4408 When a headline matches during a tags search while tag inheritance is turned
4409 on, all the sublevels in the same tree will (for a simple match form) match
4410 as well@footnote{This is only true if the search does not involve more
4411 complex tests including properties (@pxref{Property searches}).}. The list
4412 of matches may then become very long. If you only want to see the first tags
4413 match in a subtree, configure the variable
4414 @code{org-tags-match-list-sublevels} (not recommended).
4416 @node Setting tags, Tag searches, Tag inheritance, Tags
4417 @section Setting tags
4418 @cindex setting tags
4419 @cindex tags, setting
4422 Tags can simply be typed into the buffer at the end of a headline.
4423 After a colon, @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} offers completion on tags. There is
4424 also a special command for inserting tags:
4427 @orgcmd{C-c C-q,org-set-tags-command}
4428 @cindex completion, of tags
4429 @vindex org-tags-column
4430 Enter new tags for the current headline. Org-mode will either offer
4431 completion or a special single-key interface for setting tags, see
4432 below. After pressing @key{RET}, the tags will be inserted and aligned
4433 to @code{org-tags-column}. When called with a @kbd{C-u} prefix, all
4434 tags in the current buffer will be aligned to that column, just to make
4435 things look nice. TAGS are automatically realigned after promotion,
4436 demotion, and TODO state changes (@pxref{TODO basics}).
4437 @orgcmd{C-c C-c,org-set-tags-command}
4438 When the cursor is in a headline, this does the same as @kbd{C-c C-q}.
4441 @vindex org-tag-alist
4442 Org supports tag insertion based on a @emph{list of tags}. By
4443 default this list is constructed dynamically, containing all tags
4444 currently used in the buffer. You may also globally specify a hard list
4445 of tags with the variable @code{org-tag-alist}. Finally you can set
4446 the default tags for a given file with lines like
4450 #+TAGS: @@work @@home @@tennisclub
4451 #+TAGS: laptop car pc sailboat
4454 If you have globally defined your preferred set of tags using the
4455 variable @code{org-tag-alist}, but would like to use a dynamic tag list
4456 in a specific file, add an empty TAGS option line to that file:
4462 @vindex org-tag-persistent-alist
4463 If you have a preferred set of tags that you would like to use in every file,
4464 in addition to those defined on a per-file basis by TAGS option lines, then
4465 you may specify a list of tags with the variable
4466 @code{org-tag-persistent-alist}. You may turn this off on a per-file basis
4467 by adding a STARTUP option line to that file:
4473 By default Org-mode uses the standard minibuffer completion facilities for
4474 entering tags. However, it also implements another, quicker, tag selection
4475 method called @emph{fast tag selection}. This allows you to select and
4476 deselect tags with just a single key press. For this to work well you should
4477 assign unique letters to most of your commonly used tags. You can do this
4478 globally by configuring the variable @code{org-tag-alist} in your
4479 @file{.emacs} file. For example, you may find the need to tag many items in
4480 different files with @samp{:@@home:}. In this case you can set something
4484 (setq org-tag-alist '(("@@work" . ?w) ("@@home" . ?h) ("laptop" . ?l)))
4487 @noindent If the tag is only relevant to the file you are working on, then you
4488 can instead set the TAGS option line as:
4491 #+TAGS: @@work(w) @@home(h) @@tennisclub(t) laptop(l) pc(p)
4494 @noindent The tags interface will show the available tags in a splash
4495 window. If you want to start a new line after a specific tag, insert
4496 @samp{\n} into the tag list
4499 #+TAGS: @@work(w) @@home(h) @@tennisclub(t) \n laptop(l) pc(p)
4502 @noindent or write them in two lines:
4505 #+TAGS: @@work(w) @@home(h) @@tennisclub(t)
4506 #+TAGS: laptop(l) pc(p)
4510 You can also group together tags that are mutually exclusive by using
4514 #+TAGS: @{ @@work(w) @@home(h) @@tennisclub(t) @} laptop(l) pc(p)
4517 @noindent you indicate that at most one of @samp{@@work}, @samp{@@home},
4518 and @samp{@@tennisclub} should be selected. Multiple such groups are allowed.
4520 @noindent Don't forget to press @kbd{C-c C-c} with the cursor in one of
4521 these lines to activate any changes.
4524 To set these mutually exclusive groups in the variable @code{org-tags-alist},
4525 you must use the dummy tags @code{:startgroup} and @code{:endgroup} instead
4526 of the braces. Similarly, you can use @code{:newline} to indicate a line
4527 break. The previous example would be set globally by the following
4531 (setq org-tag-alist '((:startgroup . nil)
4532 ("@@work" . ?w) ("@@home" . ?h)
4533 ("@@tennisclub" . ?t)
4535 ("laptop" . ?l) ("pc" . ?p)))
4538 If at least one tag has a selection key then pressing @kbd{C-c C-c} will
4539 automatically present you with a special interface, listing inherited tags,
4540 the tags of the current headline, and a list of all valid tags with
4541 corresponding keys@footnote{Keys will automatically be assigned to tags which
4542 have no configured keys.}. In this interface, you can use the following
4547 Pressing keys assigned to tags will add or remove them from the list of
4548 tags in the current line. Selecting a tag in a group of mutually
4549 exclusive tags will turn off any other tags from that group.
4552 Enter a tag in the minibuffer, even if the tag is not in the predefined
4553 list. You will be able to complete on all tags present in the buffer.
4554 You can also add several tags: just separate them with a comma.
4558 Clear all tags for this line.
4561 Accept the modified set.
4563 Abort without installing changes.
4565 If @kbd{q} is not assigned to a tag, it aborts like @kbd{C-g}.
4567 Turn off groups of mutually exclusive tags. Use this to (as an
4568 exception) assign several tags from such a group.
4570 Toggle auto-exit after the next change (see below).
4571 If you are using expert mode, the first @kbd{C-c} will display the
4576 This method lets you assign tags to a headline with very few keys. With
4577 the above setup, you could clear the current tags and set @samp{@@home},
4578 @samp{laptop} and @samp{pc} tags with just the following keys: @kbd{C-c
4579 C-c @key{SPC} h l p @key{RET}}. Switching from @samp{@@home} to
4580 @samp{@@work} would be done with @kbd{C-c C-c w @key{RET}} or
4581 alternatively with @kbd{C-c C-c C-c w}. Adding the non-predefined tag
4582 @samp{Sarah} could be done with @kbd{C-c C-c @key{TAB} S a r a h
4583 @key{RET} @key{RET}}.
4585 @vindex org-fast-tag-selection-single-key
4586 If you find that most of the time you need only a single key press to
4587 modify your list of tags, set the variable
4588 @code{org-fast-tag-selection-single-key}. Then you no longer have to
4589 press @key{RET} to exit fast tag selection---it will immediately exit
4590 after the first change. If you then occasionally need more keys, press
4591 @kbd{C-c} to turn off auto-exit for the current tag selection process
4592 (in effect: start selection with @kbd{C-c C-c C-c} instead of @kbd{C-c
4593 C-c}). If you set the variable to the value @code{expert}, the special
4594 window is not even shown for single-key tag selection, it comes up only
4595 when you press an extra @kbd{C-c}.
4597 @node Tag searches, , Setting tags, Tags
4598 @section Tag searches
4599 @cindex tag searches
4600 @cindex searching for tags
4602 Once a system of tags has been set up, it can be used to collect related
4603 information into special lists.
4606 @orgcmdkkc{C-c / m,C-c \\,org-match-sparse-tree}
4607 Create a sparse tree with all headlines matching a tags search. With a
4608 @kbd{C-u} prefix argument, ignore headlines that are not a TODO line.
4609 @orgcmd{C-c a m,org-tags-view}
4610 Create a global list of tag matches from all agenda files.
4611 @xref{Matching tags and properties}.
4612 @orgcmd{C-c a M,org-tags-view}
4613 @vindex org-tags-match-list-sublevels
4614 Create a global list of tag matches from all agenda files, but check
4615 only TODO items and force checking subitems (see variable
4616 @code{org-tags-match-list-sublevels}).
4619 These commands all prompt for a match string which allows basic Boolean logic
4620 like @samp{+boss+urgent-project1}, to find entries with tags @samp{boss} and
4621 @samp{urgent}, but not @samp{project1}, or @samp{Kathy|Sally} to find entries
4622 which are tagged, like @samp{Kathy} or @samp{Sally}. The full syntax of the search
4623 string is rich and allows also matching against TODO keywords, entry levels
4624 and properties. For a complete description with many examples, see
4625 @ref{Matching tags and properties}.
4628 @node Properties and Columns, Dates and Times, Tags, Top
4629 @chapter Properties and columns
4632 Properties are a set of key-value pairs associated with an entry. There
4633 are two main applications for properties in Org-mode. First, properties
4634 are like tags, but with a value. Second, you can use properties to
4635 implement (very basic) database capabilities in an Org buffer. For
4636 an example of the first application, imagine maintaining a file where
4637 you document bugs and plan releases for a piece of software. Instead of
4638 using tags like @code{:release_1:}, @code{:release_2:}, one can use a
4639 property, say @code{:Release:}, that in different subtrees has different
4640 values, such as @code{1.0} or @code{2.0}. For an example of the second
4641 application of properties, imagine keeping track of your music CDs,
4642 where properties could be things such as the album, artist, date of
4643 release, number of tracks, and so on.
4645 Properties can be conveniently edited and viewed in column view
4646 (@pxref{Column view}).
4649 * Property syntax:: How properties are spelled out
4650 * Special properties:: Access to other Org-mode features
4651 * Property searches:: Matching property values
4652 * Property inheritance:: Passing values down the tree
4653 * Column view:: Tabular viewing and editing
4654 * Property API:: Properties for Lisp programmers
4657 @node Property syntax, Special properties, Properties and Columns, Properties and Columns
4658 @section Property syntax
4659 @cindex property syntax
4660 @cindex drawer, for properties
4662 Properties are key-value pairs. They need to be inserted into a special
4663 drawer (@pxref{Drawers}) with the name @code{PROPERTIES}. Each property
4664 is specified on a single line, with the key (surrounded by colons)
4665 first, and the value after it. Here is an example:
4670 *** Goldberg Variations
4672 :Title: Goldberg Variations
4673 :Composer: J.S. Bach
4675 :Publisher: Deutsche Grammophon
4680 You may define the allowed values for a particular property @samp{:Xyz:}
4681 by setting a property @samp{:Xyz_ALL:}. This special property is
4682 @emph{inherited}, so if you set it in a level 1 entry, it will apply to
4683 the entire tree. When allowed values are defined, setting the
4684 corresponding property becomes easier and is less prone to typing
4685 errors. For the example with the CD collection, we can predefine
4686 publishers and the number of disks in a box like this:
4691 :NDisks_ALL: 1 2 3 4
4692 :Publisher_ALL: "Deutsche Grammophon" Philips EMI
4696 If you want to set properties that can be inherited by any entry in a
4697 file, use a line like
4698 @cindex property, _ALL
4701 #+PROPERTY: NDisks_ALL 1 2 3 4
4704 @vindex org-global-properties
4705 Property values set with the global variable
4706 @code{org-global-properties} can be inherited by all entries in all
4710 The following commands help to work with properties:
4713 @orgcmd{M-@key{TAB},pcomplete}
4714 After an initial colon in a line, complete property keys. All keys used
4715 in the current file will be offered as possible completions.
4716 @orgcmd{C-c C-x p,org-set-property}
4717 Set a property. This prompts for a property name and a value. If
4718 necessary, the property drawer is created as well.
4719 @item M-x org-insert-property-drawer
4720 @findex org-insert-property-drawer
4721 Insert a property drawer into the current entry. The drawer will be
4722 inserted early in the entry, but after the lines with planning
4723 information like deadlines.
4724 @orgcmd{C-c C-c,org-property-action}
4725 With the cursor in a property drawer, this executes property commands.
4726 @orgcmd{C-c C-c s,org-set-property}
4727 Set a property in the current entry. Both the property and the value
4728 can be inserted using completion.
4729 @orgcmdkkcc{S-@key{right},S-@key{left},org-property-next-allowed-value,org-property-previous-allowed-value}
4730 Switch property at point to the next/previous allowed value.
4731 @orgcmd{C-c C-c d,org-delete-property}
4732 Remove a property from the current entry.
4733 @orgcmd{C-c C-c D,org-delete-property-globally}
4734 Globally remove a property, from all entries in the current file.
4735 @orgcmd{C-c C-c c,org-compute-property-at-point}
4736 Compute the property at point, using the operator and scope from the
4737 nearest column format definition.
4740 @node Special properties, Property searches, Property syntax, Properties and Columns
4741 @section Special properties
4742 @cindex properties, special
4744 Special properties provide an alternative access method to Org-mode features,
4745 like the TODO state or the priority of an entry, discussed in the previous
4746 chapters. This interface exists so that you can include these states in a
4747 column view (@pxref{Column view}), or to use them in queries. The following
4748 property names are special and (except for @code{:CATEGORY:}) should not be
4749 used as keys in the properties drawer:
4751 @cindex property, special, TODO
4752 @cindex property, special, TAGS
4753 @cindex property, special, ALLTAGS
4754 @cindex property, special, CATEGORY
4755 @cindex property, special, PRIORITY
4756 @cindex property, special, DEADLINE
4757 @cindex property, special, SCHEDULED
4758 @cindex property, special, CLOSED
4759 @cindex property, special, TIMESTAMP
4760 @cindex property, special, TIMESTAMP_IA
4761 @cindex property, special, CLOCKSUM
4762 @cindex property, special, BLOCKED
4763 @c guessing that ITEM is needed in this area; also, should this list be sorted?
4764 @cindex property, special, ITEM
4765 @cindex property, special, FILE
4767 TODO @r{The TODO keyword of the entry.}
4768 TAGS @r{The tags defined directly in the headline.}
4769 ALLTAGS @r{All tags, including inherited ones.}
4770 CATEGORY @r{The category of an entry.}
4771 PRIORITY @r{The priority of the entry, a string with a single letter.}
4772 DEADLINE @r{The deadline time string, without the angular brackets.}
4773 SCHEDULED @r{The scheduling timestamp, without the angular brackets.}
4774 CLOSED @r{When was this entry closed?}
4775 TIMESTAMP @r{The first keyword-less timestamp in the entry.}
4776 TIMESTAMP_IA @r{The first inactive timestamp in the entry.}
4777 CLOCKSUM @r{The sum of CLOCK intervals in the subtree. @code{org-clock-sum}}
4778 @r{must be run first to compute the values in the current buffer.}
4779 BLOCKED @r{"t" if task is currently blocked by children or siblings}
4780 ITEM @r{The content of the entry.}
4781 FILE @r{The filename the entry is located in.}
4784 @node Property searches, Property inheritance, Special properties, Properties and Columns
4785 @section Property searches
4786 @cindex properties, searching
4787 @cindex searching, of properties
4789 To create sparse trees and special lists with selection based on properties,
4790 the same commands are used as for tag searches (@pxref{Tag searches}).
4792 @orgcmdkkc{C-c / m,C-c \,org-match-sparse-tree}
4793 Create a sparse tree with all matching entries. With a
4794 @kbd{C-u} prefix argument, ignore headlines that are not a TODO line.
4795 @orgcmd{C-c a m,org-tags-view}
4796 Create a global list of tag/property matches from all agenda files.
4797 @xref{Matching tags and properties}.
4798 @orgcmd{C-c a M,org-tags-view}
4799 @vindex org-tags-match-list-sublevels
4800 Create a global list of tag matches from all agenda files, but check
4801 only TODO items and force checking of subitems (see variable
4802 @code{org-tags-match-list-sublevels}).
4805 The syntax for the search string is described in @ref{Matching tags and
4808 There is also a special command for creating sparse trees based on a
4813 Create a sparse tree based on the value of a property. This first
4814 prompts for the name of a property, and then for a value. A sparse tree
4815 is created with all entries that define this property with the given
4816 value. If you enclose the value in curly braces, it is interpreted as
4817 a regular expression and matched against the property values.
4820 @node Property inheritance, Column view, Property searches, Properties and Columns
4821 @section Property Inheritance
4822 @cindex properties, inheritance
4823 @cindex inheritance, of properties
4825 @vindex org-use-property-inheritance
4826 The outline structure of Org-mode documents lends itself to an
4827 inheritance model of properties: if the parent in a tree has a certain
4828 property, the children can inherit this property. Org-mode does not
4829 turn this on by default, because it can slow down property searches
4830 significantly and is often not needed. However, if you find inheritance
4831 useful, you can turn it on by setting the variable
4832 @code{org-use-property-inheritance}. It may be set to @code{t} to make
4833 all properties inherited from the parent, to a list of properties
4834 that should be inherited, or to a regular expression that matches
4835 inherited properties. If a property has the value @samp{nil}, this is
4836 interpreted as an explicit undefine of the property, so that inheritance
4837 search will stop at this value and return @code{nil}.
4839 Org-mode has a few properties for which inheritance is hard-coded, at
4840 least for the special applications for which they are used:
4842 @cindex property, COLUMNS
4845 The @code{:COLUMNS:} property defines the format of column view
4846 (@pxref{Column view}). It is inherited in the sense that the level
4847 where a @code{:COLUMNS:} property is defined is used as the starting
4848 point for a column view table, independently of the location in the
4849 subtree from where columns view is turned on.
4851 @cindex property, CATEGORY
4852 For agenda view, a category set through a @code{:CATEGORY:} property
4853 applies to the entire subtree.
4855 @cindex property, ARCHIVE
4856 For archiving, the @code{:ARCHIVE:} property may define the archive
4857 location for the entire subtree (@pxref{Moving subtrees}).
4859 @cindex property, LOGGING
4860 The LOGGING property may define logging settings for an entry or a
4861 subtree (@pxref{Tracking TODO state changes}).
4864 @node Column view, Property API, Property inheritance, Properties and Columns
4865 @section Column view
4867 A great way to view and edit properties in an outline tree is
4868 @emph{column view}. In column view, each outline node is turned into a
4869 table row. Columns in this table provide access to properties of the
4870 entries. Org-mode implements columns by overlaying a tabular structure
4871 over the headline of each item. While the headlines have been turned
4872 into a table row, you can still change the visibility of the outline
4873 tree. For example, you get a compact table by switching to CONTENTS
4874 view (@kbd{S-@key{TAB} S-@key{TAB}}, or simply @kbd{c} while column view
4875 is active), but you can still open, read, and edit the entry below each
4876 headline. Or, you can switch to column view after executing a sparse
4877 tree command and in this way get a table only for the selected items.
4878 Column view also works in agenda buffers (@pxref{Agenda Views}) where
4879 queries have collected selected items, possibly from a number of files.
4882 * Defining columns:: The COLUMNS format property
4883 * Using column view:: How to create and use column view
4884 * Capturing column view:: A dynamic block for column view
4887 @node Defining columns, Using column view, Column view, Column view
4888 @subsection Defining columns
4889 @cindex column view, for properties
4890 @cindex properties, column view
4892 Setting up a column view first requires defining the columns. This is
4893 done by defining a column format line.
4896 * Scope of column definitions:: Where defined, where valid?
4897 * Column attributes:: Appearance and content of a column
4900 @node Scope of column definitions, Column attributes, Defining columns, Defining columns
4901 @subsubsection Scope of column definitions
4903 To define a column format for an entire file, use a line like
4907 #+COLUMNS: %25ITEM %TAGS %PRIORITY %TODO
4910 To specify a format that only applies to a specific tree, add a
4911 @code{:COLUMNS:} property to the top node of that tree, for example:
4914 ** Top node for columns view
4916 :COLUMNS: %25ITEM %TAGS %PRIORITY %TODO
4920 If a @code{:COLUMNS:} property is present in an entry, it defines columns
4921 for the entry itself, and for the entire subtree below it. Since the
4922 column definition is part of the hierarchical structure of the document,
4923 you can define columns on level 1 that are general enough for all
4924 sublevels, and more specific columns further down, when you edit a
4925 deeper part of the tree.
4927 @node Column attributes, , Scope of column definitions, Defining columns
4928 @subsubsection Column attributes
4929 A column definition sets the attributes of a column. The general
4930 definition looks like this:
4933 %[@var{width}]@var{property}[(@var{title})][@{@var{summary-type}@}]
4937 Except for the percent sign and the property name, all items are
4938 optional. The individual parts have the following meaning:
4941 @var{width} @r{An integer specifying the width of the column in characters.}
4942 @r{If omitted, the width will be determined automatically.}
4943 @var{property} @r{The property that should be edited in this column.}
4944 @r{Special properties representing meta data are allowed here}
4945 @r{as well (@pxref{Special properties})}
4946 @var{title} @r{The header text for the column. If omitted, the property}
4948 @{@var{summary-type}@} @r{The summary type. If specified, the column values for}
4949 @r{parent nodes are computed from the children.}
4950 @r{Supported summary types are:}
4951 @{+@} @r{Sum numbers in this column.}
4952 @{+;%.1f@} @r{Like @samp{+}, but format result with @samp{%.1f}.}
4953 @{$@} @r{Currency, short for @samp{+;%.2f}.}
4954 @{:@} @r{Sum times, HH:MM, plain numbers are hours.}
4955 @{X@} @r{Checkbox status, @samp{[X]} if all children are @samp{[X]}.}
4956 @{X/@} @r{Checkbox status, @samp{[n/m]}.}
4957 @{X%@} @r{Checkbox status, @samp{[n%]}.}
4958 @{min@} @r{Smallest number in column.}
4959 @{max@} @r{Largest number.}
4960 @{mean@} @r{Arithmetic mean of numbers.}
4961 @{:min@} @r{Smallest time value in column.}
4962 @{:max@} @r{Largest time value.}
4963 @{:mean@} @r{Arithmetic mean of time values.}
4964 @{@@min@} @r{Minimum age (in days/hours/mins/seconds).}
4965 @{@@max@} @r{Maximum age (in days/hours/mins/seconds).}
4966 @{@@mean@} @r{Arithmetic mean of ages (in days/hours/mins/seconds).}
4967 @{est+@} @r{Add low-high estimates.}
4971 Be aware that you can only have one summary type for any property you
4972 include. Subsequent columns referencing the same property will all display the
4973 same summary information.
4975 The @code{est+} summary type requires further explanation. It is used for
4976 combining estimates, expressed as low-high ranges. For example, instead
4977 of estimating a particular task will take 5 days, you might estimate it as
4978 5-6 days if you're fairly confident you know how much work is required, or
4979 1-10 days if you don't really know what needs to be done. Both ranges
4980 average at 5.5 days, but the first represents a more predictable delivery.
4982 When combining a set of such estimates, simply adding the lows and highs
4983 produces an unrealistically wide result. Instead, @code{est+} adds the
4984 statistical mean and variance of the sub-tasks, generating a final estimate
4985 from the sum. For example, suppose you had ten tasks, each of which was
4986 estimated at 0.5 to 2 days of work. Straight addition produces an estimate
4987 of 5 to 20 days, representing what to expect if everything goes either
4988 extremely well or extremely poorly. In contrast, @code{est+} estimates the
4989 full job more realistically, at 10-15 days.
4991 Here is an example for a complete columns definition, along with allowed
4995 :COLUMNS: %25ITEM %9Approved(Approved?)@{X@} %Owner %11Status \@footnote{Please note that the COLUMNS definition must be on a single line---it is wrapped here only because of formatting constraints.}
4996 %10Time_Estimate@{:@} %CLOCKSUM
4997 :Owner_ALL: Tammy Mark Karl Lisa Don
4998 :Status_ALL: "In progress" "Not started yet" "Finished" ""
4999 :Approved_ALL: "[ ]" "[X]"
5003 The first column, @samp{%25ITEM}, means the first 25 characters of the
5004 item itself, i.e.@: of the headline. You probably always should start the
5005 column definition with the @samp{ITEM} specifier. The other specifiers
5006 create columns @samp{Owner} with a list of names as allowed values, for
5007 @samp{Status} with four different possible values, and for a checkbox
5008 field @samp{Approved}. When no width is given after the @samp{%}
5009 character, the column will be exactly as wide as it needs to be in order
5010 to fully display all values. The @samp{Approved} column does have a
5011 modified title (@samp{Approved?}, with a question mark). Summaries will
5012 be created for the @samp{Time_Estimate} column by adding time duration
5013 expressions like HH:MM, and for the @samp{Approved} column, by providing
5014 an @samp{[X]} status if all children have been checked. The
5015 @samp{CLOCKSUM} column is special, it lists the sum of CLOCK intervals
5018 @node Using column view, Capturing column view, Defining columns, Column view
5019 @subsection Using column view
5022 @tsubheading{Turning column view on and off}
5023 @orgcmd{C-c C-x C-c,org-columns}
5024 @vindex org-columns-default-format
5025 Turn on column view. If the cursor is before the first headline in the file,
5026 column view is turned on for the entire file, using the @code{#+COLUMNS}
5027 definition. If the cursor is somewhere inside the outline, this command
5028 searches the hierarchy, up from point, for a @code{:COLUMNS:} property that
5029 defines a format. When one is found, the column view table is established
5030 for the tree starting at the entry that contains the @code{:COLUMNS:}
5031 property. If no such property is found, the format is taken from the
5032 @code{#+COLUMNS} line or from the variable @code{org-columns-default-format},
5033 and column view is established for the current entry and its subtree.
5034 @orgcmd{r,org-columns-redo}
5035 Recreate the column view, to include recent changes made in the buffer.
5036 @orgcmd{g,org-columns-redo}
5038 @orgcmd{q,org-columns-quit}
5040 @tsubheading{Editing values}
5041 @item @key{left} @key{right} @key{up} @key{down}
5042 Move through the column view from field to field.
5043 @kindex S-@key{left}
5044 @kindex S-@key{right}
5045 @item S-@key{left}/@key{right}
5046 Switch to the next/previous allowed value of the field. For this, you
5047 have to have specified allowed values for a property.
5049 Directly select the Nth allowed value, @kbd{0} selects the 10th value.
5050 @orgcmdkkcc{n,p,org-columns-next-allowed-value,org-columns-previous-allowed-value}
5051 Same as @kbd{S-@key{left}/@key{right}}
5052 @orgcmd{e,org-columns-edit-value}
5053 Edit the property at point. For the special properties, this will
5054 invoke the same interface that you normally use to change that
5055 property. For example, when editing a TAGS property, the tag completion
5056 or fast selection interface will pop up.
5057 @orgcmd{C-c C-c,org-columns-set-tags-or-toggle}
5058 When there is a checkbox at point, toggle it.
5059 @orgcmd{v,org-columns-show-value}
5060 View the full value of this property. This is useful if the width of
5061 the column is smaller than that of the value.
5062 @orgcmd{a,org-columns-edit-allowed}
5063 Edit the list of allowed values for this property. If the list is found
5064 in the hierarchy, the modified values is stored there. If no list is
5065 found, the new value is stored in the first entry that is part of the
5066 current column view.
5067 @tsubheading{Modifying the table structure}
5068 @orgcmdkkcc{<,>,org-columns-narrow,org-columns-widen}
5069 Make the column narrower/wider by one character.
5070 @orgcmd{S-M-@key{right},org-columns-new}
5071 Insert a new column, to the left of the current column.
5072 @orgcmd{S-M-@key{left},org-columns-delete}
5073 Delete the current column.
5076 @node Capturing column view, , Using column view, Column view
5077 @subsection Capturing column view
5079 Since column view is just an overlay over a buffer, it cannot be
5080 exported or printed directly. If you want to capture a column view, use
5081 a @code{columnview} dynamic block (@pxref{Dynamic blocks}). The frame
5082 of this block looks like this:
5084 @cindex #+BEGIN, columnview
5087 #+BEGIN: columnview :hlines 1 :id "label"
5092 @noindent This dynamic block has the following parameters:
5096 This is the most important parameter. Column view is a feature that is
5097 often localized to a certain (sub)tree, and the capture block might be
5098 at a different location in the file. To identify the tree whose view to
5099 capture, you can use 4 values:
5100 @cindex property, ID
5102 local @r{use the tree in which the capture block is located}
5103 global @r{make a global view, including all headings in the file}
5104 "file:@var{path-to-file}"
5105 @r{run column view at the top of this file}
5106 "@var{ID}" @r{call column view in the tree that has an @code{:ID:}}
5107 @r{property with the value @i{label}. You can use}
5108 @r{@kbd{M-x org-id-copy} to create a globally unique ID for}
5109 @r{the current entry and copy it to the kill-ring.}
5112 When @code{t}, insert an hline after every line. When a number @var{N}, insert
5113 an hline before each headline with level @code{<= @var{N}}.
5115 When set to @code{t}, force column groups to get vertical lines.
5117 When set to a number, don't capture entries below this level.
5118 @item :skip-empty-rows
5119 When set to @code{t}, skip rows where the only non-empty specifier of the
5120 column view is @code{ITEM}.
5125 The following commands insert or update the dynamic block:
5128 @orgcmd{C-c C-x i,org-insert-columns-dblock}
5129 Insert a dynamic block capturing a column view. You will be prompted
5130 for the scope or ID of the view.
5131 @orgcmdkkc{C-c C-c,C-c C-x C-u,org-dblock-update}
5132 Update dynamic block at point. The cursor needs to be in the
5133 @code{#+BEGIN} line of the dynamic block.
5134 @orgcmd{C-u C-c C-x C-u,org-update-all-dblocks}
5135 Update all dynamic blocks (@pxref{Dynamic blocks}). This is useful if
5136 you have several clock table blocks, column-capturing blocks or other dynamic
5140 You can add formulas to the column view table and you may add plotting
5141 instructions in front of the table---these will survive an update of the
5142 block. If there is a @code{#+TBLFM:} after the table, the table will
5143 actually be recalculated automatically after an update.
5145 An alternative way to capture and process property values into a table is
5146 provided by Eric Schulte's @file{org-collector.el} which is a contributed
5147 package@footnote{Contributed packages are not part of Emacs, but are
5148 distributed with the main distribution of Org (visit
5149 @uref{http://orgmode.org}).}. It provides a general API to collect
5150 properties from entries in a certain scope, and arbitrary Lisp expressions to
5151 process these values before inserting them into a table or a dynamic block.
5153 @node Property API, , Column view, Properties and Columns
5154 @section The Property API
5155 @cindex properties, API
5156 @cindex API, for properties
5158 There is a full API for accessing and changing properties. This API can
5159 be used by Emacs Lisp programs to work with properties and to implement
5160 features based on them. For more information see @ref{Using the
5163 @node Dates and Times, Capture - Refile - Archive, Properties and Columns, Top
5164 @chapter Dates and times
5170 To assist project planning, TODO items can be labeled with a date and/or
5171 a time. The specially formatted string carrying the date and time
5172 information is called a @emph{timestamp} in Org-mode. This may be a
5173 little confusing because timestamp is often used as indicating when
5174 something was created or last changed. However, in Org-mode this term
5175 is used in a much wider sense.
5178 * Timestamps:: Assigning a time to a tree entry
5179 * Creating timestamps:: Commands which insert timestamps
5180 * Deadlines and scheduling:: Planning your work
5181 * Clocking work time:: Tracking how long you spend on a task
5182 * Effort estimates:: Planning work effort in advance
5183 * Relative timer:: Notes with a running timer
5184 * Countdown timer:: Starting a countdown timer for a task
5188 @node Timestamps, Creating timestamps, Dates and Times, Dates and Times
5189 @section Timestamps, deadlines, and scheduling
5191 @cindex ranges, time
5196 A timestamp is a specification of a date (possibly with a time or a range of
5197 times) in a special format, either @samp{<2003-09-16 Tue>} or
5198 @samp{<2003-09-16 Tue 09:39>} or @samp{<2003-09-16 Tue
5199 12:00-12:30>}@footnote{This is inspired by the standard ISO 8601 date/time
5200 format. To use an alternative format, see @ref{Custom time format}.}. A
5201 timestamp can appear anywhere in the headline or body of an Org tree entry.
5202 Its presence causes entries to be shown on specific dates in the agenda
5203 (@pxref{Weekly/daily agenda}). We distinguish:
5206 @item Plain timestamp; Event; Appointment
5208 A simple timestamp just assigns a date/time to an item. This is just
5209 like writing down an appointment or event in a paper agenda. In the
5210 timeline and agenda displays, the headline of an entry associated with a
5211 plain timestamp will be shown exactly on that date.
5214 * Meet Peter at the movies <2006-11-01 Wed 19:15>
5215 * Discussion on climate change <2006-11-02 Thu 20:00-22:00>
5218 @item Timestamp with repeater interval
5219 @cindex timestamp, with repeater interval
5220 A timestamp may contain a @emph{repeater interval}, indicating that it
5221 applies not only on the given date, but again and again after a certain
5222 interval of N days (d), weeks (w), months (m), or years (y). The
5223 following will show up in the agenda every Wednesday:
5226 * Pick up Sam at school <2007-05-16 Wed 12:30 +1w>
5229 @item Diary-style sexp entries
5230 For more complex date specifications, Org-mode supports using the special
5231 sexp diary entries implemented in the Emacs calendar/diary
5232 package@footnote{When working with the standard diary sexp functions, you
5233 need to be very careful with the order of the arguments. That order depend
5234 evilly on the variable @code{calendar-date-style} (or, for older Emacs
5235 versions, @code{european-calendar-style}). For example, to specify a date
5236 December 12, 2005, the call might look like @code{(diary-date 12 1 2005)} or
5237 @code{(diary-date 1 12 2005)} or @code{(diary-date 2005 12 1)}, depending on
5238 the settings. This has been the source of much confusion. Org-mode users
5239 can resort to special versions of these functions like @code{org-date} or
5240 @code{org-anniversary}. These work just like the corresponding @code{diary-}
5241 functions, but with stable ISO order of arguments (year, month, day) wherever
5242 applicable, independent of the value of @code{calendar-date-style}.}. For example
5245 * The nerd meeting on every 2nd Thursday of the month
5246 <%%(org-float t 4 2)>
5249 @item Time/Date range
5252 Two timestamps connected by @samp{--} denote a range. The headline
5253 will be shown on the first and last day of the range, and on any dates
5254 that are displayed and fall in the range. Here is an example:
5257 ** Meeting in Amsterdam
5258 <2004-08-23 Mon>--<2004-08-26 Thu>
5261 @item Inactive timestamp
5262 @cindex timestamp, inactive
5263 @cindex inactive timestamp
5264 Just like a plain timestamp, but with square brackets instead of
5265 angular ones. These timestamps are inactive in the sense that they do
5266 @emph{not} trigger an entry to show up in the agenda.
5269 * Gillian comes late for the fifth time [2006-11-01 Wed]
5274 @node Creating timestamps, Deadlines and scheduling, Timestamps, Dates and Times
5275 @section Creating timestamps
5276 @cindex creating timestamps
5277 @cindex timestamps, creating
5279 For Org-mode to recognize timestamps, they need to be in the specific
5280 format. All commands listed below produce timestamps in the correct
5284 @orgcmd{C-c .,org-time-stamp}
5285 Prompt for a date and insert a corresponding timestamp. When the cursor is
5286 at an existing timestamp in the buffer, the command is used to modify this
5287 timestamp instead of inserting a new one. When this command is used twice in
5288 succession, a time range is inserted.
5290 @orgcmd{C-c !,org-time-stamp-inactive}
5291 Like @kbd{C-c .}, but insert an inactive timestamp that will not cause
5298 @vindex org-time-stamp-rounding-minutes
5299 Like @kbd{C-c .} and @kbd{C-c !}, but use the alternative format which
5300 contains date and time. The default time can be rounded to multiples of 5
5301 minutes, see the option @code{org-time-stamp-rounding-minutes}.
5303 @orgcmd{C-c <,org-date-from-calendar}
5304 Insert a timestamp corresponding to the cursor date in the Calendar.
5306 @orgcmd{C-c >,org-goto-calendar}
5307 Access the Emacs calendar for the current date. If there is a
5308 timestamp in the current line, go to the corresponding date
5311 @orgcmd{C-c C-o,org-open-at-point}
5312 Access the agenda for the date given by the timestamp or -range at
5313 point (@pxref{Weekly/daily agenda}).
5315 @orgcmdkkcc{S-@key{left},S-@key{right},org-timestamp-down-day,org-timestamp-up-day}
5316 Change date at cursor by one day. These key bindings conflict with
5317 shift-selection and related modes (@pxref{Conflicts}).
5319 @orgcmdkkcc{S-@key{up},S-@key{down},org-timestamp-up,org-timestamp-down-down}
5320 Change the item under the cursor in a timestamp. The cursor can be on a
5321 year, month, day, hour or minute. When the timestamp contains a time range
5322 like @samp{15:30-16:30}, modifying the first time will also shift the second,
5323 shifting the time block with constant length. To change the length, modify
5324 the second time. Note that if the cursor is in a headline and not at a
5325 timestamp, these same keys modify the priority of an item.
5326 (@pxref{Priorities}). The key bindings also conflict with shift-selection and
5327 related modes (@pxref{Conflicts}).
5329 @orgcmd{C-c C-y,org-evaluate-time-range}
5330 @cindex evaluate time range
5331 Evaluate a time range by computing the difference between start and end.
5332 With a prefix argument, insert result after the time range (in a table: into
5333 the following column).
5338 * The date/time prompt:: How Org-mode helps you entering date and time
5339 * Custom time format:: Making dates look different
5342 @node The date/time prompt, Custom time format, Creating timestamps, Creating timestamps
5343 @subsection The date/time prompt
5344 @cindex date, reading in minibuffer
5345 @cindex time, reading in minibuffer
5347 @vindex org-read-date-prefer-future
5348 When Org-mode prompts for a date/time, the default is shown in default
5349 date/time format, and the prompt therefore seems to ask for a specific
5350 format. But it will in fact accept any string containing some date and/or
5351 time information, and it is really smart about interpreting your input. You
5352 can, for example, use @kbd{C-y} to paste a (possibly multi-line) string
5353 copied from an email message. Org-mode will find whatever information is in
5354 there and derive anything you have not specified from the @emph{default date
5355 and time}. The default is usually the current date and time, but when
5356 modifying an existing timestamp, or when entering the second stamp of a
5357 range, it is taken from the stamp in the buffer. When filling in
5358 information, Org-mode assumes that most of the time you will want to enter a
5359 date in the future: if you omit the month/year and the given day/month is
5360 @i{before} today, it will assume that you mean a future date@footnote{See the
5361 variable @code{org-read-date-prefer-future}. You may set that variable to
5362 the symbol @code{time} to even make a time before now shift the date to
5363 tomorrow.}. If the date has been automatically shifted into the future, the
5364 time prompt will show this with @samp{(=>F).}
5366 For example, let's assume that today is @b{June 13, 2006}. Here is how
5367 various inputs will be interpreted, the items filled in by Org-mode are
5371 3-2-5 @result{} 2003-02-05
5372 2/5/3 @result{} 2003-02-05
5373 14 @result{} @b{2006}-@b{06}-14
5374 12 @result{} @b{2006}-@b{07}-12
5375 2/5 @result{} @b{2007}-02-05
5376 Fri @result{} nearest Friday (default date or later)
5377 sep 15 @result{} @b{2006}-09-15
5378 feb 15 @result{} @b{2007}-02-15
5379 sep 12 9 @result{} 2009-09-12
5380 12:45 @result{} @b{2006}-@b{06}-@b{13} 12:45
5381 22 sept 0:34 @result{} @b{2006}-09-22 0:34
5382 w4 @result{} ISO week for of the current year @b{2006}
5383 2012 w4 fri @result{} Friday of ISO week 4 in 2012
5384 2012-w04-5 @result{} Same as above
5387 Furthermore you can specify a relative date by giving, as the
5388 @emph{first} thing in the input: a plus/minus sign, a number and a
5389 letter ([dwmy]) to indicate change in days, weeks, months, or years. With a
5390 single plus or minus, the date is always relative to today. With a
5391 double plus or minus, it is relative to the default date. If instead of
5392 a single letter, you use the abbreviation of day name, the date will be
5393 the Nth such day, e.g.@:
5398 +4d @result{} four days from today
5399 +4 @result{} same as above
5400 +2w @result{} two weeks from today
5401 ++5 @result{} five days from default date
5402 +2tue @result{} second Tuesday from now.
5405 @vindex parse-time-months
5406 @vindex parse-time-weekdays
5407 The function understands English month and weekday abbreviations. If
5408 you want to use unabbreviated names and/or other languages, configure
5409 the variables @code{parse-time-months} and @code{parse-time-weekdays}.
5411 @vindex org-read-date-force-compatible-dates
5412 Not all dates can be represented in a given Emacs implementation. By default
5413 Org mode forces dates into the compatibility range 1970--2037 which works on
5414 all Emacs implementations. If you want to use dates outside of this range,
5415 read the docstring of the variable
5416 @code{org-read-date-force-compatible-dates}.
5418 You can specify a time range by giving start and end times or by giving a
5419 start time and a duration (in HH:MM format). Use `-' or `-@{@}-' as the
5420 separator in the former case and use '+' as the separator in the latter
5424 11am-1:15pm @result{} 11:00-13:15
5425 11am--1:15pm @result{} same as above
5426 11am+2:15 @result{} same as above
5429 @cindex calendar, for selecting date
5430 @vindex org-popup-calendar-for-date-prompt
5431 Parallel to the minibuffer prompt, a calendar is popped up@footnote{If
5432 you don't need/want the calendar, configure the variable
5433 @code{org-popup-calendar-for-date-prompt}.}. When you exit the date
5434 prompt, either by clicking on a date in the calendar, or by pressing
5435 @key{RET}, the date selected in the calendar will be combined with the
5436 information entered at the prompt. You can control the calendar fully
5437 from the minibuffer:
5444 @kindex S-@key{right}
5445 @kindex S-@key{left}
5446 @kindex S-@key{down}
5448 @kindex M-S-@key{right}
5449 @kindex M-S-@key{left}
5452 @key{RET} @r{Choose date at cursor in calendar.}
5453 mouse-1 @r{Select date by clicking on it.}
5454 S-@key{right}/@key{left} @r{One day forward/backward.}
5455 S-@key{down}/@key{up} @r{One week forward/backward.}
5456 M-S-@key{right}/@key{left} @r{One month forward/backward.}
5457 > / < @r{Scroll calendar forward/backward by one month.}
5458 M-v / C-v @r{Scroll calendar forward/backward by 3 months.}
5461 @vindex org-read-date-display-live
5462 The actions of the date/time prompt may seem complex, but I assure you they
5463 will grow on you, and you will start getting annoyed by pretty much any other
5464 way of entering a date/time out there. To help you understand what is going
5465 on, the current interpretation of your input will be displayed live in the
5466 minibuffer@footnote{If you find this distracting, turn the display of with
5467 @code{org-read-date-display-live}.}.
5469 @node Custom time format, , The date/time prompt, Creating timestamps
5470 @subsection Custom time format
5471 @cindex custom date/time format
5472 @cindex time format, custom
5473 @cindex date format, custom
5475 @vindex org-display-custom-times
5476 @vindex org-time-stamp-custom-formats
5477 Org-mode uses the standard ISO notation for dates and times as it is
5478 defined in ISO 8601. If you cannot get used to this and require another
5479 representation of date and time to keep you happy, you can get it by
5480 customizing the variables @code{org-display-custom-times} and
5481 @code{org-time-stamp-custom-formats}.
5484 @orgcmd{C-c C-x C-t,org-toggle-time-stamp-overlays}
5485 Toggle the display of custom formats for dates and times.
5489 Org-mode needs the default format for scanning, so the custom date/time
5490 format does not @emph{replace} the default format---instead it is put
5491 @emph{over} the default format using text properties. This has the
5492 following consequences:
5495 You cannot place the cursor onto a timestamp anymore, only before or
5498 The @kbd{S-@key{up}/@key{down}} keys can no longer be used to adjust
5499 each component of a timestamp. If the cursor is at the beginning of
5500 the stamp, @kbd{S-@key{up}/@key{down}} will change the stamp by one day,
5501 just like @kbd{S-@key{left}/@key{right}}. At the end of the stamp, the
5502 time will be changed by one minute.
5504 If the timestamp contains a range of clock times or a repeater, these
5505 will not be overlaid, but remain in the buffer as they were.
5507 When you delete a timestamp character-by-character, it will only
5508 disappear from the buffer after @emph{all} (invisible) characters
5509 belonging to the ISO timestamp have been removed.
5511 If the custom timestamp format is longer than the default and you are
5512 using dates in tables, table alignment will be messed up. If the custom
5513 format is shorter, things do work as expected.
5517 @node Deadlines and scheduling, Clocking work time, Creating timestamps, Dates and Times
5518 @section Deadlines and scheduling
5520 A timestamp may be preceded by special keywords to facilitate planning:
5524 @cindex DEADLINE keyword
5526 Meaning: the task (most likely a TODO item, though not necessarily) is supposed
5527 to be finished on that date.
5529 @vindex org-deadline-warning-days
5530 On the deadline date, the task will be listed in the agenda. In
5531 addition, the agenda for @emph{today} will carry a warning about the
5532 approaching or missed deadline, starting
5533 @code{org-deadline-warning-days} before the due date, and continuing
5534 until the entry is marked DONE. An example:
5537 *** TODO write article about the Earth for the Guide
5538 The editor in charge is [[bbdb:Ford Prefect]]
5539 DEADLINE: <2004-02-29 Sun>
5542 You can specify a different lead time for warnings for a specific
5543 deadlines using the following syntax. Here is an example with a warning
5544 period of 5 days @code{DEADLINE: <2004-02-29 Sun -5d>}.
5547 @cindex SCHEDULED keyword
5549 Meaning: you are planning to start working on that task on the given
5552 @vindex org-agenda-skip-scheduled-if-done
5553 The headline will be listed under the given date@footnote{It will still
5554 be listed on that date after it has been marked DONE. If you don't like
5555 this, set the variable @code{org-agenda-skip-scheduled-if-done}.}. In
5556 addition, a reminder that the scheduled date has passed will be present
5557 in the compilation for @emph{today}, until the entry is marked DONE, i.e.@:
5558 the task will automatically be forwarded until completed.
5561 *** TODO Call Trillian for a date on New Years Eve.
5562 SCHEDULED: <2004-12-25 Sat>
5566 @b{Important:} Scheduling an item in Org-mode should @i{not} be
5567 understood in the same way that we understand @i{scheduling a meeting}.
5568 Setting a date for a meeting is just a simple appointment, you should
5569 mark this entry with a simple plain timestamp, to get this item shown
5570 on the date where it applies. This is a frequent misunderstanding by
5571 Org users. In Org-mode, @i{scheduling} means setting a date when you
5572 want to start working on an action item.
5575 You may use timestamps with repeaters in scheduling and deadline
5576 entries. Org-mode will issue early and late warnings based on the
5577 assumption that the timestamp represents the @i{nearest instance} of
5578 the repeater. However, the use of diary sexp entries like
5580 @code{<%%(org-float t 42)>}
5582 in scheduling and deadline timestamps is limited. Org-mode does not
5583 know enough about the internals of each sexp function to issue early and
5584 late warnings. However, it will show the item on each day where the
5588 * Inserting deadline/schedule:: Planning items
5589 * Repeated tasks:: Items that show up again and again
5592 @node Inserting deadline/schedule, Repeated tasks, Deadlines and scheduling, Deadlines and scheduling
5593 @subsection Inserting deadlines or schedules
5595 The following commands allow you to quickly insert@footnote{The @samp{SCHEDULED} and
5596 @samp{DEADLINE} dates are inserted on the line right below the headline. Don't put
5597 any text between this line and the headline.} a deadline or to schedule
5602 @orgcmd{C-c C-d,org-deadline}
5603 Insert @samp{DEADLINE} keyword along with a stamp. The insertion will happen
5604 in the line directly following the headline. When called with a prefix arg,
5605 an existing deadline will be removed from the entry. Depending on the
5606 variable @code{org-log-redeadline}@footnote{with corresponding
5607 @code{#+STARTUP} keywords @code{logredeadline}, @code{lognoteredeadline},
5608 and @code{nologredeadline}}, a note will be taken when changing an existing
5610 @c FIXME Any CLOSED timestamp will be removed.????????
5612 @orgcmd{C-c C-s,org-schedule}
5613 Insert @samp{SCHEDULED} keyword along with a stamp. The insertion will
5614 happen in the line directly following the headline. Any CLOSED timestamp
5615 will be removed. When called with a prefix argument, remove the scheduling
5616 date from the entry. Depending on the variable
5617 @code{org-log-reschedule}@footnote{with corresponding @code{#+STARTUP}
5618 keywords @code{logreschedule}, @code{lognotereschedule}, and
5619 @code{nologreschedule}}, a note will be taken when changing an existing
5622 @orgcmd{C-c C-x C-k,org-mark-entry-for-agenda-action}
5625 Mark the current entry for agenda action. After you have marked the entry
5626 like this, you can open the agenda or the calendar to find an appropriate
5627 date. With the cursor on the selected date, press @kbd{k s} or @kbd{k d} to
5628 schedule the marked item.
5630 @orgcmd{C-c / d,org-check-deadlines}
5631 @cindex sparse tree, for deadlines
5632 @vindex org-deadline-warning-days
5633 Create a sparse tree with all deadlines that are either past-due, or
5634 which will become due within @code{org-deadline-warning-days}.
5635 With @kbd{C-u} prefix, show all deadlines in the file. With a numeric
5636 prefix, check that many days. For example, @kbd{C-1 C-c / d} shows
5637 all deadlines due tomorrow.
5639 @orgcmd{C-c / b,org-check-before-date}
5640 Sparse tree for deadlines and scheduled items before a given date.
5642 @orgcmd{C-c / a,org-check-after-date}
5643 Sparse tree for deadlines and scheduled items after a given date.
5646 @node Repeated tasks, , Inserting deadline/schedule, Deadlines and scheduling
5647 @subsection Repeated tasks
5648 @cindex tasks, repeated
5649 @cindex repeated tasks
5651 Some tasks need to be repeated again and again. Org-mode helps to
5652 organize such tasks using a so-called repeater in a DEADLINE, SCHEDULED,
5653 or plain timestamp. In the following example
5655 ** TODO Pay the rent
5656 DEADLINE: <2005-10-01 Sat +1m>
5659 the @code{+1m} is a repeater; the intended interpretation is that the task
5660 has a deadline on <2005-10-01> and repeats itself every (one) month starting
5661 from that time. If you need both a repeater and a special warning period in
5662 a deadline entry, the repeater should come first and the warning period last:
5663 @code{DEADLINE: <2005-10-01 Sat +1m -3d>}.
5665 @vindex org-todo-repeat-to-state
5666 Deadlines and scheduled items produce entries in the agenda when they are
5667 over-due, so it is important to be able to mark such an entry as completed
5668 once you have done so. When you mark a DEADLINE or a SCHEDULE with the TODO
5669 keyword DONE, it will no longer produce entries in the agenda. The problem
5670 with this is, however, that then also the @emph{next} instance of the
5671 repeated entry will not be active. Org-mode deals with this in the following
5672 way: When you try to mark such an entry DONE (using @kbd{C-c C-t}), it will
5673 shift the base date of the repeating timestamp by the repeater interval, and
5674 immediately set the entry state back to TODO@footnote{In fact, the target
5675 state is taken from, in this sequence, the @code{REPEAT_TO_STATE} property or
5676 the variable @code{org-todo-repeat-to-state}. If neither of these is
5677 specified, the target state defaults to the first state of the TODO state
5678 sequence.}. In the example above, setting the state to DONE would actually
5679 switch the date like this:
5682 ** TODO Pay the rent
5683 DEADLINE: <2005-11-01 Tue +1m>
5686 @vindex org-log-repeat
5687 A timestamp@footnote{You can change this using the option
5688 @code{org-log-repeat}, or the @code{#+STARTUP} options @code{logrepeat},
5689 @code{lognoterepeat}, and @code{nologrepeat}. With @code{lognoterepeat}, you
5690 will also be prompted for a note.} will be added under the deadline, to keep
5691 a record that you actually acted on the previous instance of this deadline.
5693 As a consequence of shifting the base date, this entry will no longer be
5694 visible in the agenda when checking past dates, but all future instances
5697 With the @samp{+1m} cookie, the date shift will always be exactly one
5698 month. So if you have not paid the rent for three months, marking this
5699 entry DONE will still keep it as an overdue deadline. Depending on the
5700 task, this may not be the best way to handle it. For example, if you
5701 forgot to call your father for 3 weeks, it does not make sense to call
5702 him 3 times in a single day to make up for it. Finally, there are tasks
5703 like changing batteries which should always repeat a certain time
5704 @i{after} the last time you did it. For these tasks, Org-mode has
5705 special repeaters @samp{++} and @samp{.+}. For example:
5709 DEADLINE: <2008-02-10 Sun ++1w>
5710 Marking this DONE will shift the date by at least one week,
5711 but also by as many weeks as it takes to get this date into
5712 the future. However, it stays on a Sunday, even if you called
5713 and marked it done on Saturday.
5714 ** TODO Check the batteries in the smoke detectors
5715 DEADLINE: <2005-11-01 Tue .+1m>
5716 Marking this DONE will shift the date to one month after
5720 You may have both scheduling and deadline information for a specific
5721 task---just make sure that the repeater intervals on both are the same.
5723 An alternative to using a repeater is to create a number of copies of a task
5724 subtree, with dates shifted in each copy. The command @kbd{C-c C-x c} was
5725 created for this purpose, it is described in @ref{Structure editing}.
5728 @node Clocking work time, Effort estimates, Deadlines and scheduling, Dates and Times
5729 @section Clocking work time
5730 @cindex clocking time
5731 @cindex time clocking
5733 Org-mode allows you to clock the time you spend on specific tasks in a
5734 project. When you start working on an item, you can start the clock.
5735 When you stop working on that task, or when you mark the task done, the
5736 clock is stopped and the corresponding time interval is recorded. It
5737 also computes the total time spent on each subtree of a project. And it
5738 remembers a history or tasks recently clocked, to that you can jump quickly
5739 between a number of tasks absorbing your time.
5741 To save the clock history across Emacs sessions, use
5743 (setq org-clock-persist 'history)
5744 (org-clock-persistence-insinuate)
5746 When you clock into a new task after resuming Emacs, the incomplete
5747 clock@footnote{To resume the clock under the assumption that you have worked
5748 on this task while outside Emacs, use @code{(setq org-clock-persist t)}.}
5749 will be found (@pxref{Resolving idle time}) and you will be prompted about
5753 * Clocking commands:: Starting and stopping a clock
5754 * The clock table:: Detailed reports
5755 * Resolving idle time:: Resolving time when you've been idle
5758 @node Clocking commands, The clock table, Clocking work time, Clocking work time
5759 @subsection Clocking commands
5762 @orgcmd{C-c C-x C-i,org-clock-in}
5763 @vindex org-clock-into-drawer
5764 @cindex property, LOG_INTO_DRAWER
5765 Start the clock on the current item (clock-in). This inserts the CLOCK
5766 keyword together with a timestamp. If this is not the first clocking of
5767 this item, the multiple CLOCK lines will be wrapped into a
5768 @code{:LOGBOOK:} drawer (see also the variable
5769 @code{org-clock-into-drawer}). You can also overrule
5770 the setting of this variable for a subtree by setting a
5771 @code{CLOCK_INTO_DRAWER} or @code{LOG_INTO_DRAWER} property.
5772 When called with a @kbd{C-u} prefix argument,
5773 select the task from a list of recently clocked tasks. With two @kbd{C-u
5774 C-u} prefixes, clock into the task at point and mark it as the default task.
5775 The default task will always be available when selecting a clocking task,
5776 with letter @kbd{d}.@*
5777 @cindex property: CLOCK_MODELINE_TOTAL
5778 @cindex property: LAST_REPEAT
5779 @vindex org-clock-modeline-total
5780 While the clock is running, the current clocking time is shown in the mode
5781 line, along with the title of the task. The clock time shown will be all
5782 time ever clocked for this task and its children. If the task has an effort
5783 estimate (@pxref{Effort estimates}), the mode line displays the current
5784 clocking time against it@footnote{To add an effort estimate ``on the fly'',
5785 hook a function doing this to @code{org-clock-in-prepare-hook}.} If the task
5786 is a repeating one (@pxref{Repeated tasks}), only the time since the last
5787 reset of the task @footnote{as recorded by the @code{LAST_REPEAT} property}
5788 will be shown. More control over what time is shown can be exercised with
5789 the @code{CLOCK_MODELINE_TOTAL} property. It may have the values
5790 @code{current} to show only the current clocking instance, @code{today} to
5791 show all time clocked on this tasks today (see also the variable
5792 @code{org-extend-today-until}), @code{all} to include all time, or
5793 @code{auto} which is the default@footnote{See also the variable
5794 @code{org-clock-modeline-total}.}.@* Clicking with @kbd{mouse-1} onto the
5795 mode line entry will pop up a menu with clocking options.
5797 @orgcmd{C-c C-x C-o,org-clock-out}
5798 @vindex org-log-note-clock-out
5799 Stop the clock (clock-out). This inserts another timestamp at the same
5800 location where the clock was last started. It also directly computes
5801 the resulting time in inserts it after the time range as @samp{=>
5802 HH:MM}. See the variable @code{org-log-note-clock-out} for the
5803 possibility to record an additional note together with the clock-out
5804 timestamp@footnote{The corresponding in-buffer setting is:
5805 @code{#+STARTUP: lognoteclock-out}}.
5806 @orgcmd{C-c C-x C-e,org-clock-modify-effort-estimate}
5807 Update the effort estimate for the current clock task.
5810 @orgcmdkkc{C-c C-c,C-c C-y,org-evaluate-time-range}
5811 Recompute the time interval after changing one of the timestamps. This
5812 is only necessary if you edit the timestamps directly. If you change
5813 them with @kbd{S-@key{cursor}} keys, the update is automatic.
5814 @orgcmd{C-c C-t,org-todo}
5815 Changing the TODO state of an item to DONE automatically stops the clock
5816 if it is running in this same item.
5817 @orgcmd{C-c C-x C-x,org-clock-cancel}
5818 Cancel the current clock. This is useful if a clock was started by
5819 mistake, or if you ended up working on something else.
5820 @orgcmd{C-c C-x C-j,org-clock-goto}
5821 Jump to the headline of the currently clocked in task. With a @kbd{C-u}
5822 prefix arg, select the target task from a list of recently clocked tasks.
5823 @orgcmd{C-c C-x C-d,org-clock-display}
5824 @vindex org-remove-highlights-with-change
5825 Display time summaries for each subtree in the current buffer. This
5826 puts overlays at the end of each headline, showing the total time
5827 recorded under that heading, including the time of any subheadings. You
5828 can use visibility cycling to study the tree, but the overlays disappear
5829 when you change the buffer (see variable
5830 @code{org-remove-highlights-with-change}) or press @kbd{C-c C-c}.
5833 The @kbd{l} key may be used in the timeline (@pxref{Timeline}) and in
5834 the agenda (@pxref{Weekly/daily agenda}) to show which tasks have been
5835 worked on or closed during a day.
5837 @node The clock table, Resolving idle time, Clocking commands, Clocking work time
5838 @subsection The clock table
5839 @cindex clocktable, dynamic block
5840 @cindex report, of clocked time
5842 Org mode can produce quite complex reports based on the time clocking
5843 information. Such a report is called a @emph{clock table}, because it is
5844 formatted as one or several Org tables.
5847 @orgcmd{C-c C-x C-r,org-clock-report}
5848 Insert a dynamic block (@pxref{Dynamic blocks}) containing a clock
5849 report as an Org-mode table into the current file. When the cursor is
5850 at an existing clock table, just update it. When called with a prefix
5851 argument, jump to the first clock report in the current document and
5853 @orgcmdkkc{C-c C-c,C-c C-x C-u,org-dblock-update}
5854 Update dynamic block at point. The cursor needs to be in the
5855 @code{#+BEGIN} line of the dynamic block.
5856 @orgkey{C-u C-c C-x C-u}
5857 Update all dynamic blocks (@pxref{Dynamic blocks}). This is useful if
5858 you have several clock table blocks in a buffer.
5859 @orgcmdkxkc{S-@key{left},S-@key{right},org-clocktable-try-shift}
5860 Shift the current @code{:block} interval and update the table. The cursor
5861 needs to be in the @code{#+BEGIN: clocktable} line for this command. If
5862 @code{:block} is @code{today}, it will be shifted to @code{today-1} etc.
5866 Here is an example of the frame for a clock table as it is inserted into the
5867 buffer with the @kbd{C-c C-x C-r} command:
5869 @cindex #+BEGIN, clocktable
5871 #+BEGIN: clocktable :maxlevel 2 :emphasize nil :scope file
5875 @vindex org-clocktable-defaults
5876 The @samp{BEGIN} line and specify a number of options to define the scope,
5877 structure, and formatting of the report. Defaults for all these options can
5878 be configured in the variable @code{org-clocktable-defaults}.
5880 @noindent First there are options that determine which clock entries are to
5883 :maxlevel @r{Maximum level depth to which times are listed in the table.}
5884 @r{Clocks at deeper levels will be summed into the upper level.}
5885 :scope @r{The scope to consider. This can be any of the following:}
5886 nil @r{the current buffer or narrowed region}
5887 file @r{the full current buffer}
5888 subtree @r{the subtree where the clocktable is located}
5889 tree@var{N} @r{the surrounding level @var{N} tree, for example @code{tree3}}
5890 tree @r{the surrounding level 1 tree}
5891 agenda @r{all agenda files}
5892 ("file"..) @r{scan these files}
5893 file-with-archives @r{current file and its archives}
5894 agenda-with-archives @r{all agenda files, including archives}
5895 :block @r{The time block to consider. This block is specified either}
5896 @r{absolute, or relative to the current time and may be any of}
5898 2007-12-31 @r{New year eve 2007}
5899 2007-12 @r{December 2007}
5900 2007-W50 @r{ISO-week 50 in 2007}
5901 2007-Q2 @r{2nd quarter in 2007}
5902 2007 @r{the year 2007}
5903 today, yesterday, today-@var{N} @r{a relative day}
5904 thisweek, lastweek, thisweek-@var{N} @r{a relative week}
5905 thismonth, lastmonth, thismonth-@var{N} @r{a relative month}
5906 thisyear, lastyear, thisyear-@var{N} @r{a relative year}
5907 @r{Use @kbd{S-@key{left}/@key{right}} keys to shift the time interval.}
5908 :tstart @r{A time string specifying when to start considering times.}
5909 :tend @r{A time string specifying when to stop considering times.}
5910 :step @r{@code{week} or @code{day}, to split the table into chunks.}
5911 @r{To use this, @code{:block} or @code{:tstart}, @code{:tend} are needed.}
5912 :stepskip0 @r{Do not show steps that have zero time.}
5913 :fileskip0 @r{Do not show table sections from files which did not contribute.}
5914 :tags @r{A tags match to select entries that should contribute. See}
5915 @r{@ref{Matching tags and properties} for the match syntax.}
5918 Then there are options which determine the formatting of the table. There
5919 options are interpreted by the function @code{org-clocktable-write-default},
5920 but you can specify your own function using the @code{:formatter} parameter.
5922 :emphasize @r{When @code{t}, emphasize level one and level two items.}
5923 :lang @r{Language@footnote{Language terms can be set through the variable @code{org-clock-clocktable-language-setup}.} to use for descriptive cells like "Task".}
5924 :link @r{Link the item headlines in the table to their origins.}
5925 :narrow @r{An integer to limit the width of the headline column in}
5926 @r{the org table. If you write it like @samp{50!}, then the}
5927 @r{headline will also be shortened in export.}
5928 :indent @r{Indent each headline field according to its level.}
5929 :tcolumns @r{Number of columns to be used for times. If this is smaller}
5930 @r{than @code{:maxlevel}, lower levels will be lumped into one column.}
5931 :level @r{Should a level number column be included?}
5932 :compact @r{Abbreviation for @code{:level nil :indent t :narrow 40! :tcolumns 1}}
5933 @r{All are overwritten except if there is an explicit @code{:narrow}}
5934 :timestamp @r{A timestamp for the entry, when available. Look for SCHEDULED,}
5935 @r{DEADLINE, TIMESTAMP and TIMESTAMP_IA, in this order.}
5936 :properties @r{List of properties that should be shown in the table. Each}
5937 @r{property will get its own column.}
5938 :inherit-props @r{When this flag is @code{t}, the values for @code{:properties} will be inherited.}
5939 :formula @r{Content of a @code{#+TBLFM} line to be added and evaluated.}
5940 @r{As a special case, @samp{:formula %} adds a column with % time.}
5941 @r{If you do not specify a formula here, any existing formula}
5942 @r{below the clock table will survive updates and be evaluated.}
5943 :formatter @r{A function to format clock data and insert it into the buffer.}
5945 To get a clock summary of the current level 1 tree, for the current
5946 day, you could write
5948 #+BEGIN: clocktable :maxlevel 2 :block today :scope tree1 :link t
5952 and to use a specific time range you could write@footnote{Note that all
5953 parameters must be specified in a single line---the line is broken here
5954 only to fit it into the manual.}
5956 #+BEGIN: clocktable :tstart "<2006-08-10 Thu 10:00>"
5957 :tend "<2006-08-10 Thu 12:00>"
5960 A summary of the current subtree with % times would be
5962 #+BEGIN: clocktable :scope subtree :link t :formula %
5965 A horizontally compact representation of everything clocked during last week
5968 #+BEGIN: clocktable :scope agenda :block lastweek :compact t
5972 @node Resolving idle time, , The clock table, Clocking work time
5973 @subsection Resolving idle time
5974 @cindex resolve idle time
5976 @cindex idle, resolve, dangling
5977 If you clock in on a work item, and then walk away from your
5978 computer---perhaps to take a phone call---you often need to ``resolve'' the
5979 time you were away by either subtracting it from the current clock, or
5980 applying it to another one.
5982 @vindex org-clock-idle-time
5983 By customizing the variable @code{org-clock-idle-time} to some integer, such
5984 as 10 or 15, Emacs can alert you when you get back to your computer after
5985 being idle for that many minutes@footnote{On computers using Mac OS X,
5986 idleness is based on actual user idleness, not just Emacs' idle time. For
5987 X11, you can install a utility program @file{x11idle.c}, available in the
5988 UTILITIES directory of the Org git distribution, to get the same general
5989 treatment of idleness. On other systems, idle time refers to Emacs idle time
5990 only.}, and ask what you want to do with the idle time. There will be a
5991 question waiting for you when you get back, indicating how much idle time has
5992 passed (constantly updated with the current amount), as well as a set of
5993 choices to correct the discrepancy:
5997 To keep some or all of the minutes and stay clocked in, press @kbd{k}. Org
5998 will ask how many of the minutes to keep. Press @key{RET} to keep them all,
5999 effectively changing nothing, or enter a number to keep that many minutes.
6001 If you use the shift key and press @kbd{K}, it will keep however many minutes
6002 you request and then immediately clock out of that task. If you keep all of
6003 the minutes, this is the same as just clocking out of the current task.
6005 To keep none of the minutes, use @kbd{s} to subtract all the away time from
6006 the clock, and then check back in from the moment you returned.
6008 To keep none of the minutes and just clock out at the start of the away time,
6009 use the shift key and press @kbd{S}. Remember that using shift will always
6010 leave you clocked out, no matter which option you choose.
6012 To cancel the clock altogether, use @kbd{C}. Note that if instead of
6013 canceling you subtract the away time, and the resulting clock amount is less
6014 than a minute, the clock will still be canceled rather than clutter up the
6015 log with an empty entry.
6018 What if you subtracted those away minutes from the current clock, and now
6019 want to apply them to a new clock? Simply clock in to any task immediately
6020 after the subtraction. Org will notice that you have subtracted time ``on
6021 the books'', so to speak, and will ask if you want to apply those minutes to
6022 the next task you clock in on.
6024 There is one other instance when this clock resolution magic occurs. Say you
6025 were clocked in and hacking away, and suddenly your cat chased a mouse who
6026 scared a hamster that crashed into your UPS's power button! You suddenly
6027 lose all your buffers, but thanks to auto-save you still have your recent Org
6028 mode changes, including your last clock in.
6030 If you restart Emacs and clock into any task, Org will notice that you have a
6031 dangling clock which was never clocked out from your last session. Using
6032 that clock's starting time as the beginning of the unaccounted-for period,
6033 Org will ask how you want to resolve that time. The logic and behavior is
6034 identical to dealing with away time due to idleness; it is just happening due
6035 to a recovery event rather than a set amount of idle time.
6037 You can also check all the files visited by your Org agenda for dangling
6038 clocks at any time using @kbd{M-x org-resolve-clocks}.
6040 @node Effort estimates, Relative timer, Clocking work time, Dates and Times
6041 @section Effort estimates
6042 @cindex effort estimates
6044 @cindex property, Effort
6045 @vindex org-effort-property
6046 If you want to plan your work in a very detailed way, or if you need to
6047 produce offers with quotations of the estimated work effort, you may want to
6048 assign effort estimates to entries. If you are also clocking your work, you
6049 may later want to compare the planned effort with the actual working time, a
6050 great way to improve planning estimates. Effort estimates are stored in a
6051 special property @samp{Effort}@footnote{You may change the property being
6052 used with the variable @code{org-effort-property}.}. You can set the effort
6053 for an entry with the following commands:
6056 @orgcmd{C-c C-x e,org-set-effort}
6057 Set the effort estimate for the current entry. With a numeric prefix
6058 argument, set it to the Nth allowed value (see below). This command is also
6059 accessible from the agenda with the @kbd{e} key.
6060 @orgcmd{C-c C-x C-e,org-clock-modify-effort-estimate}
6061 Modify the effort estimate of the item currently being clocked.
6064 Clearly the best way to work with effort estimates is through column view
6065 (@pxref{Column view}). You should start by setting up discrete values for
6066 effort estimates, and a @code{COLUMNS} format that displays these values
6067 together with clock sums (if you want to clock your time). For a specific
6071 #+PROPERTY: Effort_ALL 0 0:10 0:30 1:00 2:00 3:00 4:00 5:00 6:00 7:00
6072 #+COLUMNS: %40ITEM(Task) %17Effort(Estimated Effort)@{:@} %CLOCKSUM
6076 @vindex org-global-properties
6077 @vindex org-columns-default-format
6078 or, even better, you can set up these values globally by customizing the
6079 variables @code{org-global-properties} and @code{org-columns-default-format}.
6080 In particular if you want to use this setup also in the agenda, a global
6081 setup may be advised.
6083 The way to assign estimates to individual items is then to switch to column
6084 mode, and to use @kbd{S-@key{right}} and @kbd{S-@key{left}} to change the
6085 value. The values you enter will immediately be summed up in the hierarchy.
6086 In the column next to it, any clocked time will be displayed.
6088 @vindex org-agenda-columns-add-appointments-to-effort-sum
6089 If you switch to column view in the daily/weekly agenda, the effort column
6090 will summarize the estimated work effort for each day@footnote{Please note
6091 the pitfalls of summing hierarchical data in a flat list (@pxref{Agenda
6092 column view}).}, and you can use this to find space in your schedule. To get
6093 an overview of the entire part of the day that is committed, you can set the
6094 option @code{org-agenda-columns-add-appointments-to-effort-sum}. The
6095 appointments on a day that take place over a specified time interval will
6096 then also be added to the load estimate of the day.
6098 Effort estimates can be used in secondary agenda filtering that is triggered
6099 with the @kbd{/} key in the agenda (@pxref{Agenda commands}). If you have
6100 these estimates defined consistently, two or three key presses will narrow
6101 down the list to stuff that fits into an available time slot.
6103 @node Relative timer, Countdown timer, Effort estimates, Dates and Times
6104 @section Taking notes with a relative timer
6105 @cindex relative timer
6107 When taking notes during, for example, a meeting or a video viewing, it can
6108 be useful to have access to times relative to a starting time. Org provides
6109 such a relative timer and make it easy to create timed notes.
6112 @orgcmd{C-c C-x .,org-timer}
6113 Insert a relative time into the buffer. The first time you use this, the
6114 timer will be started. When called with a prefix argument, the timer is
6116 @orgcmd{C-c C-x -,org-timer-item}
6117 Insert a description list item with the current relative time. With a prefix
6118 argument, first reset the timer to 0.
6119 @orgcmd{M-@key{RET},org-insert-heading}
6120 Once the timer list is started, you can also use @kbd{M-@key{RET}} to insert
6122 @c for key sequences with a comma, command name macros fail :(
6125 Pause the timer, or continue it if it is already paused
6126 (@command{org-timer-pause-or-continue}).
6127 @c removed the sentence because it is redundant to the following item
6128 @kindex C-u C-c C-x ,
6130 Stop the timer. After this, you can only start a new timer, not continue the
6131 old one. This command also removes the timer from the mode line.
6132 @orgcmd{C-c C-x 0,org-timer-start}
6133 Reset the timer without inserting anything into the buffer. By default, the
6134 timer is reset to 0. When called with a @kbd{C-u} prefix, reset the timer to
6135 specific starting offset. The user is prompted for the offset, with a
6136 default taken from a timer string at point, if any, So this can be used to
6137 restart taking notes after a break in the process. When called with a double
6138 prefix argument @kbd{C-u C-u}, change all timer strings in the active region
6139 by a certain amount. This can be used to fix timer strings if the timer was
6140 not started at exactly the right moment.
6143 @node Countdown timer, , Relative timer, Dates and Times
6144 @section Countdown timer
6145 @cindex Countdown timer
6149 Calling @code{org-timer-set-timer} from an Org-mode buffer runs a countdown
6150 timer. Use @kbd{;} from agenda buffers, @key{C-c C-x ;} everwhere else.
6152 @code{org-timer-set-timer} prompts the user for a duration and displays a
6153 countdown timer in the modeline. @code{org-timer-default-timer} sets the
6154 default countdown value. Giving a prefix numeric argument overrides this
6157 @node Capture - Refile - Archive, Agenda Views, Dates and Times, Top
6158 @chapter Capture - Refile - Archive
6161 An important part of any organization system is the ability to quickly
6162 capture new ideas and tasks, and to associate reference material with them.
6163 Org does this using a process called @i{capture}. It also can store files
6164 related to a task (@i{attachments}) in a special directory. Once in the
6165 system, tasks and projects need to be moved around. Moving completed project
6166 trees to an archive file keeps the system compact and fast.
6169 * Capture:: Capturing new stuff
6170 * Attachments:: Add files to tasks
6171 * RSS Feeds:: Getting input from RSS feeds
6172 * Protocols:: External (e.g.@: Browser) access to Emacs and Org
6173 * Refiling notes:: Moving a tree from one place to another
6174 * Archiving:: What to do with finished projects
6177 @node Capture, Attachments, Capture - Refile - Archive, Capture - Refile - Archive
6181 Org's method for capturing new items is heavily inspired by John Wiegley
6182 excellent remember package. Up to version 6.36 Org used a special setup
6183 for @file{remember.el}. @file{org-remember.el} is still part of Org-mode for
6184 backward compatibility with existing setups. You can find the documentation
6185 for org-remember at @url{http://orgmode.org/org-remember.pdf}.
6187 The new capturing setup described here is preferred and should be used by new
6188 users. To convert your @code{org-remember-templates}, run the command
6190 @kbd{M-x org-capture-import-remember-templates @key{RET}}
6192 @noindent and then customize the new variable with @kbd{M-x
6193 customize-variable org-capture-templates}, check the result, and save the
6194 customization. You can then use both remember and capture until
6195 you are familiar with the new mechanism.
6197 Capture lets you quickly store notes with little interruption of your work
6198 flow. The basic process of capturing is very similar to remember, but Org
6199 does enhance it with templates and more.
6202 * Setting up capture:: Where notes will be stored
6203 * Using capture:: Commands to invoke and terminate capture
6204 * Capture templates:: Define the outline of different note types
6207 @node Setting up capture, Using capture, Capture, Capture
6208 @subsection Setting up capture
6210 The following customization sets a default target file for notes, and defines
6211 a global key@footnote{Please select your own key, @kbd{C-c c} is only a
6212 suggestion.} for capturing new material.
6214 @vindex org-default-notes-file
6216 (setq org-default-notes-file (concat org-directory "/notes.org"))
6217 (define-key global-map "\C-cc" 'org-capture)
6220 @node Using capture, Capture templates, Setting up capture, Capture
6221 @subsection Using capture
6224 @orgcmd{C-c c,org-capture}
6225 Call the command @code{org-capture}. Note that this keybinding is global and
6226 not active by default - you need to install it. If you have templates
6228 defined @pxref{Capture templates}, it will offer these templates for
6229 selection or use a new Org outline node as the default template. It will
6230 insert the template into the target file and switch to an indirect buffer
6231 narrowed to this new node. You may then insert the information you want.
6233 @orgcmd{C-c C-c,org-capture-finalize}
6234 Once you have finished entering information into the capture buffer, @kbd{C-c
6235 C-c} will return you to the window configuration before the capture process,
6236 so that you can resume your work without further distraction. When called
6237 with a prefix arg, finalize and then jump to the captured item.
6239 @orgcmd{C-c C-w,org-capture-refile}
6240 Finalize the capture process by refiling (@pxref{Refiling notes}) the note to
6241 a different place. Please realize that this is a normal refiling command
6242 that will be executed---so the cursor position at the moment you run this
6243 command is important. If you have inserted a tree with a parent and
6244 children, first move the cursor back to the parent. Any prefix argument
6245 given to this command will be passed on to the @code{org-refile} command.
6247 @orgcmd{C-c C-k,org-capture-kill}
6248 Abort the capture process and return to the previous state.
6252 You can also call @code{org-capture} in a special way from the agenda, using
6253 the @kbd{k c} key combination. With this access, any timestamps inserted by
6254 the selected capture template will default to the cursor date in the agenda,
6255 rather than to the current date.
6257 To find the locations of the last stored capture, use @code{org-capture} with
6262 Visit the target location of a capture template. You get to select the
6263 template in the usual way.
6264 @orgkey{C-u C-u C-c c}
6265 Visit the last stored capture item in its buffer.
6268 @node Capture templates, , Using capture, Capture
6269 @subsection Capture templates
6270 @cindex templates, for Capture
6272 You can use templates for different types of capture items, and
6273 for different target locations. The easiest way to create such templates is
6274 through the customize interface.
6278 Customize the variable @code{org-capture-templates}.
6281 Before we give the formal description of template definitions, let's look at
6282 an example. Say you would like to use one template to create general TODO
6283 entries, and you want to put these entries under the heading @samp{Tasks} in
6284 your file @file{~/org/gtd.org}. Also, a date tree in the file
6285 @file{journal.org} should capture journal entries. A possible configuration
6289 (setq org-capture-templates
6290 '(("t" "Todo" entry (file+headline "~/org/gtd.org" "Tasks")
6291 "* TODO %?\n %i\n %a")
6292 ("j" "Journal" entry (file+datetree "~/org/journal.org")
6293 "* %?\nEntered on %U\n %i\n %a")))
6296 @noindent If you then press @kbd{C-c c t}, Org will prepare the template
6300 [[file:@var{link to where you initiated capture}]]
6304 During expansion of the template, @code{%a} has been replaced by a link to
6305 the location from where you called the capture command. This can be
6306 extremely useful for deriving tasks from emails, for example. You fill in
6307 the task definition, press @code{C-c C-c} and Org returns you to the same
6308 place where you started the capture process.
6310 To define special keys to capture to a particular template without going
6311 through the interactive template selection, you can create your key binding
6315 (define-key global-map "\C-cx"
6316 (lambda () (interactive) (org-capture nil "x")))
6320 * Template elements:: What is needed for a complete template entry
6321 * Template expansion:: Filling in information about time and context
6324 @node Template elements, Template expansion, Capture templates, Capture templates
6325 @subsubsection Template elements
6327 Now lets look at the elements of a template definition. Each entry in
6328 @code{org-capture-templates} is a list with the following items:
6332 The keys that will select the template, as a string, characters
6333 only, for example @code{"a"} for a template to be selected with a
6334 single key, or @code{"bt"} for selection with two keys. When using
6335 several keys, keys using the same prefix key must be sequential
6336 in the list and preceded by a 2-element entry explaining the
6337 prefix key, for example
6339 ("b" "Templates for marking stuff to buy")
6341 @noindent If you do not define a template for the @kbd{C} key, this key will
6342 be used to open the customize buffer for this complex variable.
6345 A short string describing the template, which will be shown during
6349 The type of entry, a symbol. Valid values are:
6352 An Org-mode node, with a headline. Will be filed as the child of the
6353 target entry or as a top-level entry. The target file should be an Org-mode
6356 A plain list item, placed in the first plain list at the target
6357 location. Again the target file should be an Org file.
6359 A checkbox item. This only differs from the plain list item by the
6362 a new line in the first table at the target location. Where exactly the
6363 line will be inserted depends on the properties @code{:prepend} and
6364 @code{:table-line-pos} (see below).
6366 Text to be inserted as it is.
6370 @vindex org-default-notes-file
6371 Specification of where the captured item should be placed. In Org-mode
6372 files, targets usually define a node. Entries will become children of this
6373 node. Other types will be added to the table or list in the body of this
6374 node. Most target specifications contain a file name. If that file name is
6375 the empty string, it defaults to @code{org-default-notes-file}. A file can
6376 also be given as a variable, function, or Emacs Lisp form.
6380 @item (file "path/to/file")
6381 Text will be placed at the beginning or end of that file.
6383 @item (id "id of existing org entry")
6384 Filing as child of this entry, or in the body of the entry.
6386 @item (file+headline "path/to/file" "node headline")
6387 Fast configuration if the target heading is unique in the file.
6389 @item (file+olp "path/to/file" "Level 1 heading" "Level 2" ...)
6390 For non-unique headings, the full path is safer.
6392 @item (file+regexp "path/to/file" "regexp to find location")
6393 Use a regular expression to position the cursor.
6395 @item (file+datetree "path/to/file")
6396 Will create a heading in a date tree for today's date.
6398 @item (file+datetree+prompt "path/to/file")
6399 Will create a heading in a date tree, but will prompt for the date.
6401 @item (file+function "path/to/file" function-finding-location)
6402 A function to find the right location in the file.
6405 File to the entry that is currently being clocked.
6407 @item (function function-finding-location)
6408 Most general way, write your own function to find both
6413 The template for creating the capture item. If you leave this empty, an
6414 appropriate default template will be used. Otherwise this is a string with
6415 escape codes, which will be replaced depending on time and context of the
6416 capture call. The string with escapes may be loaded from a template file,
6417 using the special syntax @code{(file "path/to/template")}. See below for
6421 The rest of the entry is a property list of additional options.
6422 Recognized properties are:
6425 Normally new captured information will be appended at
6426 the target location (last child, last table line, last list item...).
6427 Setting this property will change that.
6429 @item :immediate-finish
6430 When set, do not offer to edit the information, just
6431 file it away immediately. This makes sense if the template only needs
6432 information that can be added automatically.
6435 Set this to the number of lines to insert
6436 before and after the new item. Default 0, only common other value is 1.
6439 Start the clock in this item.
6442 Keep the clock running when filing the captured entry.
6445 If starting the capture interrupted a clock, restart that clock when finished
6446 with the capture. Note that @code{:clock-keep} has precedence over
6447 @code{:clock-resume}. When setting both to @code{t}, the current clock will
6448 run and the previous one will not be resumed.
6451 Do not narrow the target buffer, simply show the full buffer. Default is to
6452 narrow it so that you only see the new material.
6454 @item :table-line-pos
6455 Specification of the location in the table where the new line should be
6456 inserted. It should be a string like @code{"II-3"} meaning that the new
6457 line should become the third line before the second horizontal separator
6461 If the target file was not yet visited when capture was invoked, kill the
6462 buffer again after capture is completed.
6466 @node Template expansion, , Template elements, Capture templates
6467 @subsubsection Template expansion
6469 In the template itself, special @kbd{%}-escapes@footnote{If you need one of
6470 these sequences literally, escape the @kbd{%} with a backslash.} allow
6471 dynamic insertion of content:
6473 @comment SJE: should these sentences terminate in period?
6475 %^@{@var{prompt}@} @r{prompt the user for a string and replace this sequence with it.}
6476 @r{You may specify a default value and a completion table with}
6477 @r{%^@{prompt|default|completion2|completion3...@}}
6478 @r{The arrow keys access a prompt-specific history.}
6479 %a @r{annotation, normally the link created with @code{org-store-link}}
6480 %A @r{like @code{%a}, but prompt for the description part}
6481 %i @r{initial content, the region when capture is called while the}
6482 @r{region is active.}
6483 @r{The entire text will be indented like @code{%i} itself.}
6484 %t @r{timestamp, date only}
6485 %T @r{timestamp with date and time}
6486 %u, %U @r{like the above, but inactive timestamps}
6487 %^t @r{like @code{%t}, but prompt for date. Similarly @code{%^T}, @code{%^u}, @code{%^U}}
6488 @r{You may define a prompt like @code{%^@{Birthday@}t}}
6489 %<...> @r{the result of format-time-string on the ... format specification}
6490 %n @r{user name (taken from @code{user-full-name})}
6491 %c @r{Current kill ring head.}
6492 %x @r{Content of the X clipboard.}
6493 %^C @r{Interactive selection of which kill or clip to use.}
6494 %^L @r{Like @code{%^C}, but insert as link.}
6495 %k @r{title of the currently clocked task}
6496 %K @r{link to the currently clocked task}
6497 %f @r{file visited by current buffer when org-capture was called}
6498 %F @r{like @code{%f}, but include full path}
6499 %^g @r{prompt for tags, with completion on tags in target file.}
6500 %^G @r{prompt for tags, with completion all tags in all agenda files.}
6501 %^@{@var{prop}@}p @r{Prompt the user for a value for property @var{prop}}
6502 %:keyword @r{specific information for certain link types, see below}
6503 %[@var{file}] @r{insert the contents of the file given by @var{file}}
6504 %(@var{sexp}) @r{evaluate Elisp @var{sexp} and replace with the result}
6508 For specific link types, the following keywords will be
6509 defined@footnote{If you define your own link types (@pxref{Adding
6510 hyperlink types}), any property you store with
6511 @code{org-store-link-props} can be accessed in capture templates in a
6514 @vindex org-from-is-user-regexp
6516 Link type | Available keywords
6517 ------------------------+----------------------------------------------
6518 bbdb | %:name %:company
6519 irc | %:server %:port %:nick
6520 vm, wl, mh, mew, rmail | %:type %:subject %:message-id
6521 | %:from %:fromname %:fromaddress
6522 | %:to %:toname %:toaddress
6523 | %:date @r{(message date header field)}
6524 | %:date-timestamp @r{(date as active timestamp)}
6525 | %:date-timestamp-inactive @r{(date as inactive timestamp)}
6526 | %: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}.}}
6527 gnus | %:group, @r{for messages also all email fields}
6529 info | %:file %:node
6534 To place the cursor after template expansion use:
6537 %? @r{After completing the template, position cursor here.}
6541 @node Attachments, RSS Feeds, Capture, Capture - Refile - Archive
6542 @section Attachments
6545 @vindex org-attach-directory
6546 It is often useful to associate reference material with an outline node/task.
6547 Small chunks of plain text can simply be stored in the subtree of a project.
6548 Hyperlinks (@pxref{Hyperlinks}) can establish associations with
6549 files that live elsewhere on your computer or in the cloud, like emails or
6550 source code files belonging to a project. Another method is @i{attachments},
6551 which are files located in a directory belonging to an outline node. Org
6552 uses directories named by the unique ID of each entry. These directories are
6553 located in the @file{data} directory which lives in the same directory where
6554 your Org file lives@footnote{If you move entries or Org files from one
6555 directory to another, you may want to configure @code{org-attach-directory}
6556 to contain an absolute path.}. If you initialize this directory with
6557 @code{git init}, Org will automatically commit changes when it sees them.
6558 The attachment system has been contributed to Org by John Wiegley.
6560 In cases where it seems better to do so, you can also attach a directory of your
6561 choice to an entry. You can also make children inherit the attachment
6562 directory from a parent, so that an entire subtree uses the same attached
6565 @noindent The following commands deal with attachments:
6569 @orgcmd{C-c C-a,org-attach}
6570 The dispatcher for commands related to the attachment system. After these
6571 keys, a list of commands is displayed and you must press an additional key
6572 to select a command:
6575 @orgcmdtkc{a,C-c C-a a,org-attach-attach}
6576 @vindex org-attach-method
6577 Select a file and move it into the task's attachment directory. The file
6578 will be copied, moved, or linked, depending on @code{org-attach-method}.
6579 Note that hard links are not supported on all systems.
6585 Attach a file using the copy/move/link method.
6586 Note that hard links are not supported on all systems.
6588 @orgcmdtkc{n,C-c C-a n,org-attach-new}
6589 Create a new attachment as an Emacs buffer.
6591 @orgcmdtkc{z,C-c C-a z,org-attach-sync}
6592 Synchronize the current task with its attachment directory, in case you added
6593 attachments yourself.
6595 @orgcmdtkc{o,C-c C-a o,org-attach-open}
6596 @vindex org-file-apps
6597 Open current task's attachment. If there is more than one, prompt for a
6598 file name first. Opening will follow the rules set by @code{org-file-apps}.
6599 For more details, see the information on following hyperlinks
6600 (@pxref{Handling links}).
6602 @orgcmdtkc{O,C-c C-a O,org-attach-open-in-emacs}
6603 Also open the attachment, but force opening the file in Emacs.
6605 @orgcmdtkc{f,C-c C-a f,org-attach-reveal}
6606 Open the current task's attachment directory.
6608 @orgcmdtkc{F,C-c C-a F,org-attach-reveal-in-emacs}
6609 Also open the directory, but force using @command{dired} in Emacs.
6611 @orgcmdtkc{d,C-c C-a d,org-attach-delete-one}
6612 Select and delete a single attachment.
6614 @orgcmdtkc{D,C-c C-a D,org-attach-delete-all}
6615 Delete all of a task's attachments. A safer way is to open the directory in
6616 @command{dired} and delete from there.
6618 @orgcmdtkc{s,C-c C-a s,org-attach-set-directory}
6619 @cindex property, ATTACH_DIR
6620 Set a specific directory as the entry's attachment directory. This works by
6621 putting the directory path into the @code{ATTACH_DIR} property.
6623 @orgcmdtkc{i,C-c C-a i,org-attach-set-inherit}
6624 @cindex property, ATTACH_DIR_INHERIT
6625 Set the @code{ATTACH_DIR_INHERIT} property, so that children will use the
6626 same directory for attachments as the parent does.
6630 @node RSS Feeds, Protocols, Attachments, Capture - Refile - Archive
6635 Org can add and change entries based on information found in RSS feeds and
6636 Atom feeds. You could use this to make a task out of each new podcast in a
6637 podcast feed. Or you could use a phone-based note-creating service on the
6638 web to import tasks into Org. To access feeds, configure the variable
6639 @code{org-feed-alist}. The docstring of this variable has detailed
6640 information. Here is just an example:
6643 (setq org-feed-alist
6645 "http://rss.slashdot.org/Slashdot/slashdot"
6646 "~/txt/org/feeds.org" "Slashdot Entries")))
6650 will configure that new items from the feed provided by
6651 @code{rss.slashdot.org} will result in new entries in the file
6652 @file{~/org/feeds.org} under the heading @samp{Slashdot Entries}, whenever
6653 the following command is used:
6656 @orgcmd{C-c C-x g,org-feed-update-all}
6658 Collect items from the feeds configured in @code{org-feed-alist} and act upon
6660 @orgcmd{C-c C-x G,org-feed-goto-inbox}
6661 Prompt for a feed name and go to the inbox configured for this feed.
6664 Under the same headline, Org will create a drawer @samp{FEEDSTATUS} in which
6665 it will store information about the status of items in the feed, to avoid
6666 adding the same item several times. You should add @samp{FEEDSTATUS} to the
6667 list of drawers in that file:
6670 #+DRAWERS: LOGBOOK PROPERTIES FEEDSTATUS
6673 For more information, including how to read atom feeds, see
6674 @file{org-feed.el} and the docstring of @code{org-feed-alist}.
6676 @node Protocols, Refiling notes, RSS Feeds, Capture - Refile - Archive
6677 @section Protocols for external access
6678 @cindex protocols, for external access
6681 You can set up Org for handling protocol calls from outside applications that
6682 are passed to Emacs through the @file{emacsserver}. For example, you can
6683 configure bookmarks in your web browser to send a link to the current page to
6684 Org and create a note from it using capture (@pxref{Capture}). Or you
6685 could create a bookmark that will tell Emacs to open the local source file of
6686 a remote website you are looking at with the browser. See
6687 @uref{http://orgmode.org/worg/org-contrib/org-protocol.php} for detailed
6688 documentation and setup instructions.
6690 @node Refiling notes, Archiving, Protocols, Capture - Refile - Archive
6691 @section Refiling notes
6692 @cindex refiling notes
6694 When reviewing the captured data, you may want to refile some of the entries
6695 into a different list, for example into a project. Cutting, finding the
6696 right location, and then pasting the note is cumbersome. To simplify this
6697 process, you can use the following special command:
6700 @orgcmd{C-c C-w,org-refile}
6701 @vindex org-reverse-note-order
6702 @vindex org-refile-targets
6703 @vindex org-refile-use-outline-path
6704 @vindex org-outline-path-complete-in-steps
6705 @vindex org-refile-allow-creating-parent-nodes
6706 @vindex org-log-refile
6707 @vindex org-refile-use-cache
6708 Refile the entry or region at point. This command offers possible locations
6709 for refiling the entry and lets you select one with completion. The item (or
6710 all items in the region) is filed below the target heading as a subitem.
6711 Depending on @code{org-reverse-note-order}, it will be either the first or
6713 By default, all level 1 headlines in the current buffer are considered to be
6714 targets, but you can have more complex definitions across a number of files.
6715 See the variable @code{org-refile-targets} for details. If you would like to
6716 select a location via a file-path-like completion along the outline path, see
6717 the variables @code{org-refile-use-outline-path} and
6718 @code{org-outline-path-complete-in-steps}. If you would like to be able to
6719 create new nodes as new parents for refiling on the fly, check the
6720 variable @code{org-refile-allow-creating-parent-nodes}.
6721 When the variable @code{org-log-refile}@footnote{with corresponding
6722 @code{#+STARTUP} keywords @code{logrefile}, @code{lognoterefile},
6723 and @code{nologrefile}} is set, a timestamp or a note will be
6724 recorded when an entry has been refiled.
6725 @orgkey{C-u C-c C-w}
6726 Use the refile interface to jump to a heading.
6727 @orgcmd{C-u C-u C-c C-w,org-refile-goto-last-stored}
6728 Jump to the location where @code{org-refile} last moved a tree to.
6730 Refile as the child of the item currently being clocked.
6731 @item C-0 C-c C-w @ @r{or} @ C-u C-u C-u C-c C-w
6733 @orgcmdtkc{C-0 C-c C-w @ @r{or} @ C-u C-u C-u C-c C-w,C-0 C-c C-w,org-refile-cache-clear}
6735 Clear the target cache. Caching of refile targets can be turned on by
6736 setting @code{org-refile-use-cache}. To make the command see new possible
6737 targets, you have to clear the cache with this command.
6740 @node Archiving, , Refiling notes, Capture - Refile - Archive
6744 When a project represented by a (sub)tree is finished, you may want
6745 to move the tree out of the way and to stop it from contributing to the
6746 agenda. Archiving is important to keep your working files compact and global
6747 searches like the construction of agenda views fast.
6750 @orgcmd{C-c C-x C-a,org-archive-subtree-default}
6751 @vindex org-archive-default-command
6752 Archive the current entry using the command specified in the variable
6753 @code{org-archive-default-command}.
6757 * Moving subtrees:: Moving a tree to an archive file
6758 * Internal archiving:: Switch off a tree but keep it in the file
6761 @node Moving subtrees, Internal archiving, Archiving, Archiving
6762 @subsection Moving a tree to the archive file
6763 @cindex external archiving
6765 The most common archiving action is to move a project tree to another file,
6769 @orgcmdkskc{C-c C-x C-s,C-c $,org-archive-subtree}
6770 @vindex org-archive-location
6771 Archive the subtree starting at the cursor position to the location
6772 given by @code{org-archive-location}.
6773 @orgkey{C-u C-c C-x C-s}
6774 Check if any direct children of the current headline could be moved to
6775 the archive. To do this, each subtree is checked for open TODO entries.
6776 If none are found, the command offers to move it to the archive
6777 location. If the cursor is @emph{not} on a headline when this command
6778 is invoked, the level 1 trees will be checked.
6781 @cindex archive locations
6782 The default archive location is a file in the same directory as the
6783 current file, with the name derived by appending @file{_archive} to the
6784 current file name. For information and examples on how to change this,
6785 see the documentation string of the variable
6786 @code{org-archive-location}. There is also an in-buffer option for
6787 setting this variable, for example@footnote{For backward compatibility,
6788 the following also works: If there are several such lines in a file,
6789 each specifies the archive location for the text below it. The first
6790 such line also applies to any text before its definition. However,
6791 using this method is @emph{strongly} deprecated as it is incompatible
6792 with the outline structure of the document. The correct method for
6793 setting multiple archive locations in a buffer is using properties.}:
6797 #+ARCHIVE: %s_done::
6800 @cindex property, ARCHIVE
6802 If you would like to have a special ARCHIVE location for a single entry
6803 or a (sub)tree, give the entry an @code{:ARCHIVE:} property with the
6804 location as the value (@pxref{Properties and Columns}).
6806 @vindex org-archive-save-context-info
6807 When a subtree is moved, it receives a number of special properties that
6808 record context information like the file from where the entry came, its
6809 outline path the archiving time etc. Configure the variable
6810 @code{org-archive-save-context-info} to adjust the amount of information
6814 @node Internal archiving, , Moving subtrees, Archiving
6815 @subsection Internal archiving
6817 If you want to just switch off (for agenda views) certain subtrees without
6818 moving them to a different file, you can use the @code{ARCHIVE tag}.
6820 A headline that is marked with the ARCHIVE tag (@pxref{Tags}) stays at
6821 its location in the outline tree, but behaves in the following way:
6824 @vindex org-cycle-open-archived-trees
6825 It does not open when you attempt to do so with a visibility cycling
6826 command (@pxref{Visibility cycling}). You can force cycling archived
6827 subtrees with @kbd{C-@key{TAB}}, or by setting the option
6828 @code{org-cycle-open-archived-trees}. Also normal outline commands like
6829 @code{show-all} will open archived subtrees.
6831 @vindex org-sparse-tree-open-archived-trees
6832 During sparse tree construction (@pxref{Sparse trees}), matches in
6833 archived subtrees are not exposed, unless you configure the option
6834 @code{org-sparse-tree-open-archived-trees}.
6836 @vindex org-agenda-skip-archived-trees
6837 During agenda view construction (@pxref{Agenda Views}), the content of
6838 archived trees is ignored unless you configure the option
6839 @code{org-agenda-skip-archived-trees}, in which case these trees will always
6840 be included. In the agenda you can press @kbd{v a} to get archives
6841 temporarily included.
6843 @vindex org-export-with-archived-trees
6844 Archived trees are not exported (@pxref{Exporting}), only the headline
6845 is. Configure the details using the variable
6846 @code{org-export-with-archived-trees}.
6848 @vindex org-columns-skip-archived-trees
6849 Archived trees are excluded from column view unless the variable
6850 @code{org-columns-skip-archived-trees} is configured to @code{nil}.
6853 The following commands help manage the ARCHIVE tag:
6856 @orgcmd{C-c C-x a,org-toggle-archive-tag}
6857 Toggle the ARCHIVE tag for the current headline. When the tag is set,
6858 the headline changes to a shadowed face, and the subtree below it is
6860 @orgkey{C-u C-c C-x a}
6861 Check if any direct children of the current headline should be archived.
6862 To do this, each subtree is checked for open TODO entries. If none are
6863 found, the command offers to set the ARCHIVE tag for the child. If the
6864 cursor is @emph{not} on a headline when this command is invoked, the
6865 level 1 trees will be checked.
6866 @orgcmd{C-@kbd{TAB},org-force-cycle-archived}
6867 Cycle a tree even if it is tagged with ARCHIVE.
6868 @orgcmd{C-c C-x A,org-archive-to-archive-sibling}
6869 Move the current entry to the @emph{Archive Sibling}. This is a sibling of
6870 the entry with the heading @samp{Archive} and the tag @samp{ARCHIVE}. The
6871 entry becomes a child of that sibling and in this way retains a lot of its
6872 original context, including inherited tags and approximate position in the
6877 @node Agenda Views, Markup, Capture - Refile - Archive, Top
6878 @chapter Agenda views
6879 @cindex agenda views
6881 Due to the way Org works, TODO items, time-stamped items, and
6882 tagged headlines can be scattered throughout a file or even a number of
6883 files. To get an overview of open action items, or of events that are
6884 important for a particular date, this information must be collected,
6885 sorted and displayed in an organized way.
6887 Org can select items based on various criteria and display them
6888 in a separate buffer. Seven different view types are provided:
6892 an @emph{agenda} that is like a calendar and shows information
6895 a @emph{TODO list} that covers all unfinished
6898 a @emph{match view}, showings headlines based on the tags, properties, and
6899 TODO state associated with them,
6901 a @emph{timeline view} that shows all events in a single Org file,
6902 in time-sorted view,
6904 a @emph{text search view} that shows all entries from multiple files
6905 that contain specified keywords,
6907 a @emph{stuck projects view} showing projects that currently don't move
6910 @emph{custom views} that are special searches and combinations of different
6915 The extracted information is displayed in a special @emph{agenda
6916 buffer}. This buffer is read-only, but provides commands to visit the
6917 corresponding locations in the original Org files, and even to
6918 edit these files remotely.
6920 @vindex org-agenda-window-setup
6921 @vindex org-agenda-restore-windows-after-quit
6922 Two variables control how the agenda buffer is displayed and whether the
6923 window configuration is restored when the agenda exits:
6924 @code{org-agenda-window-setup} and
6925 @code{org-agenda-restore-windows-after-quit}.
6928 * Agenda files:: Files being searched for agenda information
6929 * Agenda dispatcher:: Keyboard access to agenda views
6930 * Built-in agenda views:: What is available out of the box?
6931 * Presentation and sorting:: How agenda items are prepared for display
6932 * Agenda commands:: Remote editing of Org trees
6933 * Custom agenda views:: Defining special searches and views
6934 * Exporting Agenda Views:: Writing a view to a file
6935 * Agenda column view:: Using column view for collected entries
6938 @node Agenda files, Agenda dispatcher, Agenda Views, Agenda Views
6939 @section Agenda files
6940 @cindex agenda files
6941 @cindex files for agenda
6943 @vindex org-agenda-files
6944 The information to be shown is normally collected from all @emph{agenda
6945 files}, the files listed in the variable
6946 @code{org-agenda-files}@footnote{If the value of that variable is not a
6947 list, but a single file name, then the list of agenda files will be
6948 maintained in that external file.}. If a directory is part of this list,
6949 all files with the extension @file{.org} in this directory will be part
6952 Thus, even if you only work with a single Org file, that file should
6953 be put into the list@footnote{When using the dispatcher, pressing
6954 @kbd{<} before selecting a command will actually limit the command to
6955 the current file, and ignore @code{org-agenda-files} until the next
6956 dispatcher command.}. You can customize @code{org-agenda-files}, but
6957 the easiest way to maintain it is through the following commands
6959 @cindex files, adding to agenda list
6961 @orgcmd{C-c [,org-agenda-file-to-front}
6962 Add current file to the list of agenda files. The file is added to
6963 the front of the list. If it was already in the list, it is moved to
6964 the front. With a prefix argument, file is added/moved to the end.
6965 @orgcmd{C-c ],org-remove-file}
6966 Remove current file from the list of agenda files.
6968 @orgcmd{C-',org-cycle-agenda-files}
6970 Cycle through agenda file list, visiting one file after the other.
6971 @kindex M-x org-iswitchb
6972 @item M-x org-iswitchb
6973 Command to use an @code{iswitchb}-like interface to switch to and between Org
6978 The Org menu contains the current list of files and can be used
6979 to visit any of them.
6981 If you would like to focus the agenda temporarily on a file not in
6982 this list, or on just one file in the list, or even on only a subtree in a
6983 file, then this can be done in different ways. For a single agenda command,
6984 you may press @kbd{<} once or several times in the dispatcher
6985 (@pxref{Agenda dispatcher}). To restrict the agenda scope for an
6986 extended period, use the following commands:
6989 @orgcmd{C-c C-x <,org-agenda-set-restriction-lock}
6990 Permanently restrict the agenda to the current subtree. When with a
6991 prefix argument, or with the cursor before the first headline in a file,
6992 the agenda scope is set to the entire file. This restriction remains in
6993 effect until removed with @kbd{C-c C-x >}, or by typing either @kbd{<}
6994 or @kbd{>} in the agenda dispatcher. If there is a window displaying an
6995 agenda view, the new restriction takes effect immediately.
6996 @orgcmd{C-c C-x >,org-agenda-remove-restriction-lock}
6997 Remove the permanent restriction created by @kbd{C-c C-x <}.
7001 When working with @file{speedbar.el}, you can use the following commands in
7004 @orgcmdtkc{< @r{in the speedbar frame},<,org-speedbar-set-agenda-restriction}
7005 Permanently restrict the agenda to the item---either an Org file or a subtree
7006 in such a file---at the cursor in the Speedbar frame.
7007 If there is a window displaying an agenda view, the new restriction takes
7009 @orgcmdtkc{> @r{in the speedbar frame},>,org-agenda-remove-restriction-lock}
7010 Lift the restriction.
7013 @node Agenda dispatcher, Built-in agenda views, Agenda files, Agenda Views
7014 @section The agenda dispatcher
7015 @cindex agenda dispatcher
7016 @cindex dispatching agenda commands
7017 The views are created through a dispatcher, which should be bound to a
7018 global key---for example @kbd{C-c a} (@pxref{Activation}). In the
7019 following we will assume that @kbd{C-c a} is indeed how the dispatcher
7020 is accessed and list keyboard access to commands accordingly. After
7021 pressing @kbd{C-c a}, an additional letter is required to execute a
7022 command. The dispatcher offers the following default commands:
7025 Create the calendar-like agenda (@pxref{Weekly/daily agenda}).
7027 Create a list of all TODO items (@pxref{Global TODO list}).
7029 Create a list of headlines matching a TAGS expression (@pxref{Matching
7030 tags and properties}).
7032 Create the timeline view for the current buffer (@pxref{Timeline}).
7034 Create a list of entries selected by a boolean expression of keywords
7035 and/or regular expressions that must or must not occur in the entry.
7037 @vindex org-agenda-text-search-extra-files
7038 Search for a regular expression in all agenda files and additionally in
7039 the files listed in @code{org-agenda-text-search-extra-files}. This
7040 uses the Emacs command @code{multi-occur}. A prefix argument can be
7041 used to specify the number of context lines for each match, default is
7044 Create a list of stuck projects (@pxref{Stuck projects}).
7046 Restrict an agenda command to the current buffer@footnote{For backward
7047 compatibility, you can also press @kbd{1} to restrict to the current
7048 buffer.}. After pressing @kbd{<}, you still need to press the character
7049 selecting the command.
7051 If there is an active region, restrict the following agenda command to
7052 the region. Otherwise, restrict it to the current subtree@footnote{For
7053 backward compatibility, you can also press @kbd{0} to restrict to the
7054 current region/subtree.}. After pressing @kbd{< <}, you still need to press the
7055 character selecting the command.
7058 You can also define custom commands that will be accessible through the
7059 dispatcher, just like the default commands. This includes the
7060 possibility to create extended agenda buffers that contain several
7061 blocks together, for example the weekly agenda, the global TODO list and
7062 a number of special tags matches. @xref{Custom agenda views}.
7064 @node Built-in agenda views, Presentation and sorting, Agenda dispatcher, Agenda Views
7065 @section The built-in agenda views
7067 In this section we describe the built-in views.
7070 * Weekly/daily agenda:: The calendar page with current tasks
7071 * Global TODO list:: All unfinished action items
7072 * Matching tags and properties:: Structured information with fine-tuned search
7073 * Timeline:: Time-sorted view for single file
7074 * Search view:: Find entries by searching for text
7075 * Stuck projects:: Find projects you need to review
7078 @node Weekly/daily agenda, Global TODO list, Built-in agenda views, Built-in agenda views
7079 @subsection The weekly/daily agenda
7081 @cindex weekly agenda
7082 @cindex daily agenda
7084 The purpose of the weekly/daily @emph{agenda} is to act like a page of a
7085 paper agenda, showing all the tasks for the current week or day.
7088 @cindex org-agenda, command
7089 @orgcmd{C-c a a,org-agenda-list}
7090 Compile an agenda for the current week from a list of Org files. The agenda
7091 shows the entries for each day. With a numeric prefix@footnote{For backward
7092 compatibility, the universal prefix @kbd{C-u} causes all TODO entries to be
7093 listed before the agenda. This feature is deprecated, use the dedicated TODO
7094 list, or a block agenda instead (@pxref{Block agenda}).} (like @kbd{C-u 2 1
7095 C-c a a}) you may set the number of days to be displayed.
7098 @vindex org-agenda-span
7099 @vindex org-agenda-ndays
7100 The default number of days displayed in the agenda is set by the variable
7101 @code{org-agenda-span} (or the obsolete @code{org-agenda-ndays}). This
7102 variable can be set to any number of days you want to see by default in the
7103 agenda, or to a span name, such a @code{day}, @code{week}, @code{month} or
7106 Remote editing from the agenda buffer means, for example, that you can
7107 change the dates of deadlines and appointments from the agenda buffer.
7108 The commands available in the Agenda buffer are listed in @ref{Agenda
7111 @subsubheading Calendar/Diary integration
7112 @cindex calendar integration
7113 @cindex diary integration
7115 Emacs contains the calendar and diary by Edward M. Reingold. The
7116 calendar displays a three-month calendar with holidays from different
7117 countries and cultures. The diary allows you to keep track of
7118 anniversaries, lunar phases, sunrise/set, recurrent appointments
7119 (weekly, monthly) and more. In this way, it is quite complementary to
7120 Org. It can be very useful to combine output from Org with
7123 In order to include entries from the Emacs diary into Org-mode's
7124 agenda, you only need to customize the variable
7127 (setq org-agenda-include-diary t)
7130 @noindent After that, everything will happen automatically. All diary
7131 entries including holidays, anniversaries, etc., will be included in the
7132 agenda buffer created by Org-mode. @key{SPC}, @key{TAB}, and
7133 @key{RET} can be used from the agenda buffer to jump to the diary
7134 file in order to edit existing diary entries. The @kbd{i} command to
7135 insert new entries for the current date works in the agenda buffer, as
7136 well as the commands @kbd{S}, @kbd{M}, and @kbd{C} to display
7137 Sunrise/Sunset times, show lunar phases and to convert to other
7138 calendars, respectively. @kbd{c} can be used to switch back and forth
7139 between calendar and agenda.
7141 If you are using the diary only for sexp entries and holidays, it is
7142 faster to not use the above setting, but instead to copy or even move
7143 the entries into an Org file. Org-mode evaluates diary-style sexp
7144 entries, and does it faster because there is no overhead for first
7145 creating the diary display. Note that the sexp entries must start at
7146 the left margin, no whitespace is allowed before them. For example,
7147 the following segment of an Org file will be processed and entries
7148 will be made in the agenda:
7151 * Birthdays and similar stuff
7153 %%(org-calendar-holiday) ; special function for holiday names
7155 %%(org-anniversary 1956 5 14)@footnote{@code{org-anniversary} is just like @code{diary-anniversary}, but the argument order is allways according to ISO and therefore independent of the value of @code{calendar-date-style}.} Arthur Dent is %d years old
7156 %%(org-anniversary 1869 10 2) Mahatma Gandhi would be %d years old
7159 @subsubheading Anniversaries from BBDB
7160 @cindex BBDB, anniversaries
7161 @cindex anniversaries, from BBDB
7163 If you are using the Big Brothers Database to store your contacts, you will
7164 very likely prefer to store anniversaries in BBDB rather than in a
7165 separate Org or diary file. Org supports this and will show BBDB
7166 anniversaries as part of the agenda. All you need to do is to add the
7167 following to one your your agenda files:
7174 %%(org-bbdb-anniversaries)
7177 You can then go ahead and define anniversaries for a BBDB record. Basically,
7178 you need to press @kbd{C-o anniversary @key{RET}} with the cursor in a BBDB
7179 record and then add the date in the format @code{YYYY-MM-DD} or @code{MM-DD},
7180 followed by a space and the class of the anniversary (@samp{birthday} or
7181 @samp{wedding}, or a format string). If you omit the class, it will default to
7182 @samp{birthday}. Here are a few examples, the header for the file
7183 @file{org-bbdb.el} contains more detailed information.
7189 2008-04-14 %s released version 6.01 of org-mode, %d years ago
7192 After a change to BBDB, or for the first agenda display during an Emacs
7193 session, the agenda display will suffer a short delay as Org updates its
7194 hash with anniversaries. However, from then on things will be very fast---much
7195 faster in fact than a long list of @samp{%%(diary-anniversary)} entries
7196 in an Org or Diary file.
7198 @subsubheading Appointment reminders
7199 @cindex @file{appt.el}
7200 @cindex appointment reminders
7202 Org can interact with Emacs appointments notification facility. To add all
7203 the appointments of your agenda files, use the command
7204 @code{org-agenda-to-appt}. This command also lets you filter through the
7205 list of your appointments and add only those belonging to a specific category
7206 or matching a regular expression. See the docstring for details.
7208 @node Global TODO list, Matching tags and properties, Weekly/daily agenda, Built-in agenda views
7209 @subsection The global TODO list
7210 @cindex global TODO list
7211 @cindex TODO list, global
7213 The global TODO list contains all unfinished TODO items formatted and
7214 collected into a single place.
7217 @orgcmd{C-c a t,org-todo-list}
7218 Show the global TODO list. This collects the TODO items from all agenda
7219 files (@pxref{Agenda Views}) into a single buffer. By default, this lists
7220 items with a state the is not a DONE state. The buffer is in
7221 @code{agenda-mode}, so there are commands to examine and manipulate the TODO
7222 entries directly from that buffer (@pxref{Agenda commands}).
7223 @orgcmd{C-c a T,org-todo-list}
7224 @cindex TODO keyword matching
7225 @vindex org-todo-keywords
7226 Like the above, but allows selection of a specific TODO keyword. You can
7227 also do this by specifying a prefix argument to @kbd{C-c a t}. You are
7228 prompted for a keyword, and you may also specify several keywords by
7229 separating them with @samp{|} as the boolean OR operator. With a numeric
7230 prefix, the Nth keyword in @code{org-todo-keywords} is selected.
7232 The @kbd{r} key in the agenda buffer regenerates it, and you can give
7233 a prefix argument to this command to change the selected TODO keyword,
7234 for example @kbd{3 r}. If you often need a search for a specific
7235 keyword, define a custom command for it (@pxref{Agenda dispatcher}).@*
7236 Matching specific TODO keywords can also be done as part of a tags
7237 search (@pxref{Tag searches}).
7240 Remote editing of TODO items means that you can change the state of a
7241 TODO entry with a single key press. The commands available in the
7242 TODO list are described in @ref{Agenda commands}.
7244 @cindex sublevels, inclusion into TODO list
7245 Normally the global TODO list simply shows all headlines with TODO
7246 keywords. This list can become very long. There are two ways to keep
7250 @vindex org-agenda-todo-ignore-scheduled
7251 @vindex org-agenda-todo-ignore-deadlines
7252 @vindex org-agenda-todo-ignore-timestamp
7253 @vindex org-agenda-todo-ignore-with-date
7254 Some people view a TODO item that has been @emph{scheduled} for execution or
7255 have a @emph{deadline} (@pxref{Timestamps}) as no longer @emph{open}.
7256 Configure the variables @code{org-agenda-todo-ignore-scheduled},
7257 @code{org-agenda-todo-ignore-deadlines},
7258 @code{org-agenda-todo-ignore-timestamp} and/or
7259 @code{org-agenda-todo-ignore-with-date} to exclude such items from the global
7262 @vindex org-agenda-todo-list-sublevels
7263 TODO items may have sublevels to break up the task into subtasks. In
7264 such cases it may be enough to list only the highest level TODO headline
7265 and omit the sublevels from the global list. Configure the variable
7266 @code{org-agenda-todo-list-sublevels} to get this behavior.
7269 @node Matching tags and properties, Timeline, Global TODO list, Built-in agenda views
7270 @subsection Matching tags and properties
7271 @cindex matching, of tags
7272 @cindex matching, of properties
7276 If headlines in the agenda files are marked with @emph{tags} (@pxref{Tags}),
7277 or have properties (@pxref{Properties and Columns}), you can select headlines
7278 based on this metadata and collect them into an agenda buffer. The match
7279 syntax described here also applies when creating sparse trees with @kbd{C-c /
7283 @orgcmd{C-c a m,org-tags-view}
7284 Produce a list of all headlines that match a given set of tags. The
7285 command prompts for a selection criterion, which is a boolean logic
7286 expression with tags, like @samp{+work+urgent-withboss} or
7287 @samp{work|home} (@pxref{Tags}). If you often need a specific search,
7288 define a custom command for it (@pxref{Agenda dispatcher}).
7289 @orgcmd{C-c a M,org-tags-view}
7290 @vindex org-tags-match-list-sublevels
7291 @vindex org-agenda-tags-todo-honor-ignore-options
7292 Like @kbd{C-c a m}, but only select headlines that are also TODO items in a
7293 not-DONE state and force checking subitems (see variable
7294 @code{org-tags-match-list-sublevels}). To exclude scheduled/deadline items,
7295 see the variable @code{org-agenda-tags-todo-honor-ignore-options}. Matching
7296 specific TODO keywords together with a tags match is also possible, see
7300 The commands available in the tags list are described in @ref{Agenda
7303 @subsubheading Match syntax
7305 @cindex Boolean logic, for tag/property searches
7306 A search string can use Boolean operators @samp{&} for AND and @samp{|} for
7307 OR. @samp{&} binds more strongly than @samp{|}. Parentheses are currently
7308 not implemented. Each element in the search is either a tag, a regular
7309 expression matching tags, or an expression like @code{PROPERTY OPERATOR
7310 VALUE} with a comparison operator, accessing a property value. Each element
7311 may be preceded by @samp{-}, to select against it, and @samp{+} is syntactic
7312 sugar for positive selection. The AND operator @samp{&} is optional when
7313 @samp{+} or @samp{-} is present. Here are some examples, using only tags.
7317 Select headlines tagged @samp{:work:}, but discard those also tagged
7320 Selects lines tagged @samp{:work:} or @samp{:laptop:}.
7321 @item work|laptop+night
7322 Like before, but require the @samp{:laptop:} lines to be tagged also
7326 @cindex regular expressions, with tags search
7327 Instead of a tag, you may also specify a regular expression enclosed in curly
7328 braces. For example,
7329 @samp{work+@{^boss.*@}} matches headlines that contain the tag
7330 @samp{:work:} and any tag @i{starting} with @samp{boss}.
7332 @cindex TODO keyword matching, with tags search
7333 @cindex level, require for tags/property match
7334 @cindex category, require for tags/property match
7335 @vindex org-odd-levels-only
7336 You may also test for properties (@pxref{Properties and Columns}) at the same
7337 time as matching tags. The properties may be real properties, or special
7338 properties that represent other metadata (@pxref{Special properties}). For
7339 example, the ``property'' @code{TODO} represents the TODO keyword of the
7340 entry. Or, the ``property'' @code{LEVEL} represents the level of an entry.
7341 So a search @samp{+LEVEL=3+boss-TODO="DONE"} lists all level three headlines
7342 that have the tag @samp{boss} and are @emph{not} marked with the TODO keyword
7343 DONE. In buffers with @code{org-odd-levels-only} set, @samp{LEVEL} does not
7344 count the number of stars, but @samp{LEVEL=2} will correspond to 3 stars etc.
7346 Here are more examples:
7348 @item work+TODO="WAITING"
7349 Select @samp{:work:}-tagged TODO lines with the specific TODO
7350 keyword @samp{WAITING}.
7351 @item work+TODO="WAITING"|home+TODO="WAITING"
7352 Waiting tasks both at work and at home.
7355 When matching properties, a number of different operators can be used to test
7356 the value of a property. Here is a complex example:
7359 +work-boss+PRIORITY="A"+Coffee="unlimited"+Effort<2 \
7360 +With=@{Sarah\|Denny@}+SCHEDULED>="<2008-10-11>"
7364 The type of comparison will depend on how the comparison value is written:
7367 If the comparison value is a plain number, a numerical comparison is done,
7368 and the allowed operators are @samp{<}, @samp{=}, @samp{>}, @samp{<=},
7369 @samp{>=}, and @samp{<>}.
7371 If the comparison value is enclosed in double-quotes,
7372 a string comparison is done, and the same operators are allowed.
7374 If the comparison value is enclosed in double-quotes @emph{and} angular
7375 brackets (like @samp{DEADLINE<="<2008-12-24 18:30>"}), both values are
7376 assumed to be date/time specifications in the standard Org way, and the
7377 comparison will be done accordingly. Special values that will be recognized
7378 are @code{"<now>"} for now (including time), and @code{"<today>"}, and
7379 @code{"<tomorrow>"} for these days at 0:00 hours, i.e.@: without a time
7380 specification. Also strings like @code{"<+5d>"} or @code{"<-2m>"} with units
7381 @code{d}, @code{w}, @code{m}, and @code{y} for day, week, month, and year,
7382 respectively, can be used.
7384 If the comparison value is enclosed
7385 in curly braces, a regexp match is performed, with @samp{=} meaning that the
7386 regexp matches the property value, and @samp{<>} meaning that it does not
7390 So the search string in the example finds entries tagged @samp{:work:} but
7391 not @samp{:boss:}, which also have a priority value @samp{A}, a
7392 @samp{:Coffee:} property with the value @samp{unlimited}, an @samp{Effort}
7393 property that is numerically smaller than 2, a @samp{:With:} property that is
7394 matched by the regular expression @samp{Sarah\|Denny}, and that are scheduled
7395 on or after October 11, 2008.
7397 Accessing TODO, LEVEL, and CATEGORY during a search is fast. Accessing any
7398 other properties will slow down the search. However, once you have paid the
7399 price by accessing one property, testing additional properties is cheap
7402 You can configure Org-mode to use property inheritance during a search, but
7403 beware that this can slow down searches considerably. See @ref{Property
7404 inheritance}, for details.
7406 For backward compatibility, and also for typing speed, there is also a
7407 different way to test TODO states in a search. For this, terminate the
7408 tags/property part of the search string (which may include several terms
7409 connected with @samp{|}) with a @samp{/} and then specify a Boolean
7410 expression just for TODO keywords. The syntax is then similar to that for
7411 tags, but should be applied with care: for example, a positive selection on
7412 several TODO keywords cannot meaningfully be combined with boolean AND.
7413 However, @emph{negative selection} combined with AND can be meaningful. To
7414 make sure that only lines are checked that actually have any TODO keyword
7415 (resulting in a speed-up), use @kbd{C-c a M}, or equivalently start the TODO
7416 part after the slash with @samp{!}. Using @kbd{C-c a M} or @samp{/!} will
7417 not match TODO keywords in a DONE state. Examples:
7421 Same as @samp{work+TODO="WAITING"}
7422 @item work/!-WAITING-NEXT
7423 Select @samp{:work:}-tagged TODO lines that are neither @samp{WAITING}
7425 @item work/!+WAITING|+NEXT
7426 Select @samp{:work:}-tagged TODO lines that are either @samp{WAITING} or
7430 @node Timeline, Search view, Matching tags and properties, Built-in agenda views
7431 @subsection Timeline for a single file
7432 @cindex timeline, single file
7433 @cindex time-sorted view
7435 The timeline summarizes all time-stamped items from a single Org-mode
7436 file in a @emph{time-sorted view}. The main purpose of this command is
7437 to give an overview over events in a project.
7440 @orgcmd{C-c a L,org-timeline}
7441 Show a time-sorted view of the Org file, with all time-stamped items.
7442 When called with a @kbd{C-u} prefix, all unfinished TODO entries
7443 (scheduled or not) are also listed under the current date.
7447 The commands available in the timeline buffer are listed in
7448 @ref{Agenda commands}.
7450 @node Search view, Stuck projects, Timeline, Built-in agenda views
7451 @subsection Search view
7454 @cindex searching, for text
7456 This agenda view is a general text search facility for Org-mode entries.
7457 It is particularly useful to find notes.
7460 @orgcmd{C-c a s,org-search-view}
7461 This is a special search that lets you select entries by matching a substring
7462 or specific words using a boolean logic.
7464 For example, the search string @samp{computer equipment} will find entries
7465 that contain @samp{computer equipment} as a substring. If the two words are
7466 separated by more space or a line break, the search will still match.
7467 Search view can also search for specific keywords in the entry, using Boolean
7468 logic. The search string @samp{+computer +wifi -ethernet -@{8\.11[bg]@}}
7469 will search for note entries that contain the keywords @code{computer}
7470 and @code{wifi}, but not the keyword @code{ethernet}, and which are also
7471 not matched by the regular expression @code{8\.11[bg]}, meaning to
7472 exclude both 8.11b and 8.11g. The first @samp{+} is necessary to turn on
7473 word search, other @samp{+} characters are optional. For more details, see
7474 the docstring of the command @code{org-search-view}.
7476 @vindex org-agenda-text-search-extra-files
7477 Note that in addition to the agenda files, this command will also search
7478 the files listed in @code{org-agenda-text-search-extra-files}.
7480 @node Stuck projects, , Search view, Built-in agenda views
7481 @subsection Stuck projects
7482 @pindex GTD, Getting Things Done
7484 If you are following a system like David Allen's GTD to organize your
7485 work, one of the ``duties'' you have is a regular review to make sure
7486 that all projects move along. A @emph{stuck} project is a project that
7487 has no defined next actions, so it will never show up in the TODO lists
7488 Org-mode produces. During the review, you need to identify such
7489 projects and define next actions for them.
7492 @orgcmd{C-c a #,org-agenda-list-stuck-projects}
7493 List projects that are stuck.
7496 @vindex org-stuck-projects
7497 Customize the variable @code{org-stuck-projects} to define what a stuck
7498 project is and how to find it.
7501 You almost certainly will have to configure this view before it will
7502 work for you. The built-in default assumes that all your projects are
7503 level-2 headlines, and that a project is not stuck if it has at least
7504 one entry marked with a TODO keyword TODO or NEXT or NEXTACTION.
7506 Let's assume that you, in your own way of using Org-mode, identify
7507 projects with a tag PROJECT, and that you use a TODO keyword MAYBE to
7508 indicate a project that should not be considered yet. Let's further
7509 assume that the TODO keyword DONE marks finished projects, and that NEXT
7510 and TODO indicate next actions. The tag @@SHOP indicates shopping and
7511 is a next action even without the NEXT tag. Finally, if the project
7512 contains the special word IGNORE anywhere, it should not be listed
7513 either. In this case you would start by identifying eligible projects
7514 with a tags/todo match@footnote{@xref{Tag searches}.}
7515 @samp{+PROJECT/-MAYBE-DONE}, and then check for TODO, NEXT, @@SHOP, and
7516 IGNORE in the subtree to identify projects that are not stuck. The
7517 correct customization for this is
7520 (setq org-stuck-projects
7521 '("+PROJECT/-MAYBE-DONE" ("NEXT" "TODO") ("@@SHOP")
7525 Note that if a project is identified as non-stuck, the subtree of this entry
7526 will still be searched for stuck projects.
7528 @node Presentation and sorting, Agenda commands, Built-in agenda views, Agenda Views
7529 @section Presentation and sorting
7530 @cindex presentation, of agenda items
7532 @vindex org-agenda-prefix-format
7533 @vindex org-agenda-tags-column
7534 Before displaying items in an agenda view, Org-mode visually prepares the
7535 items and sorts them. Each item occupies a single line. The line starts
7536 with a @emph{prefix} that contains the @emph{category} (@pxref{Categories})
7537 of the item and other important information. You can customize in which
7538 column tags will be displayed through @code{org-agenda-tags-column}. You can
7539 also customize the prefix using the option @code{org-agenda-prefix-format}.
7540 This prefix is followed by a cleaned-up version of the outline headline
7541 associated with the item.
7544 * Categories:: Not all tasks are equal
7545 * Time-of-day specifications:: How the agenda knows the time
7546 * Sorting of agenda items:: The order of things
7549 @node Categories, Time-of-day specifications, Presentation and sorting, Presentation and sorting
7550 @subsection Categories
7554 The category is a broad label assigned to each agenda item. By default,
7555 the category is simply derived from the file name, but you can also
7556 specify it with a special line in the buffer, like this@footnote{For
7557 backward compatibility, the following also works: if there are several
7558 such lines in a file, each specifies the category for the text below it.
7559 The first category also applies to any text before the first CATEGORY
7560 line. However, using this method is @emph{strongly} deprecated as it is
7561 incompatible with the outline structure of the document. The correct
7562 method for setting multiple categories in a buffer is using a
7570 @cindex property, CATEGORY
7571 If you would like to have a special CATEGORY for a single entry or a
7572 (sub)tree, give the entry a @code{:CATEGORY:} property with the
7573 special category you want to apply as the value.
7576 The display in the agenda buffer looks best if the category is not
7577 longer than 10 characters.
7580 You can set up icons for category by customizing the
7581 @code{org-agenda-category-icon-alist} variable.
7583 @node Time-of-day specifications, Sorting of agenda items, Categories, Presentation and sorting
7584 @subsection Time-of-day specifications
7585 @cindex time-of-day specification
7587 Org-mode checks each agenda item for a time-of-day specification. The
7588 time can be part of the timestamp that triggered inclusion into the
7589 agenda, for example as in @w{@samp{<2005-05-10 Tue 19:00>}}. Time
7590 ranges can be specified with two timestamps, like
7592 @w{@samp{<2005-05-10 Tue 20:30>--<2005-05-10 Tue 22:15>}}.
7594 In the headline of the entry itself, a time(range) may also appear as
7595 plain text (like @samp{12:45} or a @samp{8:30-1pm}). If the agenda
7596 integrates the Emacs diary (@pxref{Weekly/daily agenda}), time
7597 specifications in diary entries are recognized as well.
7599 For agenda display, Org-mode extracts the time and displays it in a
7600 standard 24 hour format as part of the prefix. The example times in
7601 the previous paragraphs would end up in the agenda like this:
7604 8:30-13:00 Arthur Dent lies in front of the bulldozer
7605 12:45...... Ford Prefect arrives and takes Arthur to the pub
7606 19:00...... The Vogon reads his poem
7607 20:30-22:15 Marvin escorts the Hitchhikers to the bridge
7611 If the agenda is in single-day mode, or for the display of today, the
7612 timed entries are embedded in a time grid, like
7615 8:00...... ------------------
7616 8:30-13:00 Arthur Dent lies in front of the bulldozer
7617 10:00...... ------------------
7618 12:00...... ------------------
7619 12:45...... Ford Prefect arrives and takes Arthur to the pub
7620 14:00...... ------------------
7621 16:00...... ------------------
7622 18:00...... ------------------
7623 19:00...... The Vogon reads his poem
7624 20:00...... ------------------
7625 20:30-22:15 Marvin escorts the Hitchhikers to the bridge
7628 @vindex org-agenda-use-time-grid
7629 @vindex org-agenda-time-grid
7630 The time grid can be turned on and off with the variable
7631 @code{org-agenda-use-time-grid}, and can be configured with
7632 @code{org-agenda-time-grid}.
7634 @node Sorting of agenda items, , Time-of-day specifications, Presentation and sorting
7635 @subsection Sorting of agenda items
7636 @cindex sorting, of agenda items
7637 @cindex priorities, of agenda items
7638 Before being inserted into a view, the items are sorted. How this is
7639 done depends on the type of view.
7642 @vindex org-agenda-files
7643 For the daily/weekly agenda, the items for each day are sorted. The
7644 default order is to first collect all items containing an explicit
7645 time-of-day specification. These entries will be shown at the beginning
7646 of the list, as a @emph{schedule} for the day. After that, items remain
7647 grouped in categories, in the sequence given by @code{org-agenda-files}.
7648 Within each category, items are sorted by priority (@pxref{Priorities}),
7649 which is composed of the base priority (2000 for priority @samp{A}, 1000
7650 for @samp{B}, and 0 for @samp{C}), plus additional increments for
7651 overdue scheduled or deadline items.
7653 For the TODO list, items remain in the order of categories, but within
7654 each category, sorting takes place according to priority
7655 (@pxref{Priorities}). The priority used for sorting derives from the
7656 priority cookie, with additions depending on how close an item is to its due
7659 For tags matches, items are not sorted at all, but just appear in the
7660 sequence in which they are found in the agenda files.
7663 @vindex org-agenda-sorting-strategy
7664 Sorting can be customized using the variable
7665 @code{org-agenda-sorting-strategy}, and may also include criteria based on
7666 the estimated effort of an entry (@pxref{Effort estimates}).
7668 @node Agenda commands, Custom agenda views, Presentation and sorting, Agenda Views
7669 @section Commands in the agenda buffer
7670 @cindex commands, in agenda buffer
7672 Entries in the agenda buffer are linked back to the Org file or diary
7673 file where they originate. You are not allowed to edit the agenda
7674 buffer itself, but commands are provided to show and jump to the
7675 original entry location, and to edit the Org files ``remotely'' from
7676 the agenda buffer. In this way, all information is stored only once,
7677 removing the risk that your agenda and note files may diverge.
7679 Some commands can be executed with mouse clicks on agenda lines. For
7680 the other commands, the cursor needs to be in the desired line.
7683 @tsubheading{Motion}
7684 @cindex motion commands in agenda
7685 @orgcmd{n,org-agenda-next-line}
7686 Next line (same as @key{up} and @kbd{C-p}).
7687 @orgcmd{p,org-agenda-previous-line}
7688 Previous line (same as @key{down} and @kbd{C-n}).
7689 @tsubheading{View/Go to Org file}
7690 @orgcmdkkc{@key{SPC},mouse-3,org-agenda-show-and-scroll-up}
7691 Display the original location of the item in another window.
7692 With prefix arg, make sure that the entire entry is made visible in the
7693 outline, not only the heading.
7695 @orgcmd{L,org-agenda-recenter}
7696 Display original location and recenter that window.
7698 @orgcmdkkc{@key{TAB},mouse-2,org-agenda-goto}
7699 Go to the original location of the item in another window.
7701 @orgcmd{@key{RET},org-agenda-switch-to}
7702 Go to the original location of the item and delete other windows.
7704 @orgcmd{F,org-agenda-follow-mode}
7705 @vindex org-agenda-start-with-follow-mode
7706 Toggle Follow mode. In Follow mode, as you move the cursor through
7707 the agenda buffer, the other window always shows the corresponding
7708 location in the Org file. The initial setting for this mode in new
7709 agenda buffers can be set with the variable
7710 @code{org-agenda-start-with-follow-mode}.
7712 @orgcmd{C-c C-x b,org-agenda-tree-to-indirect-buffer}
7713 Display the entire subtree of the current item in an indirect buffer. With a
7714 numeric prefix argument N, go up to level N and then take that tree. If N is
7715 negative, go up that many levels. With a @kbd{C-u} prefix, do not remove the
7716 previously used indirect buffer.
7718 @orgcmd{C-c C-o,org-agenda-open-link}
7719 Follow a link in the entry. This will offer a selection of any links in the
7720 text belonging to the referenced Org node. If there is only one link, it
7721 will be followed without a selection prompt.
7723 @tsubheading{Change display}
7724 @cindex display changing, in agenda
7727 Interactively select another agenda view and append it to the current view.
7731 Delete other windows.
7733 @orgcmdkskc{v d,d,org-aganda-day-view}
7734 @xorgcmdkskc{v w,w,org-aganda-day-view}
7735 @xorgcmd{v m,org-agenda-month-view}
7736 @xorgcmd{v y,org-agenda-month-year}
7737 @xorgcmd{v SPC,org-agenda-reset-view}
7738 @vindex org-agenda-span
7739 Switch to day/week/month/year view. When switching to day or week view, this
7740 setting becomes the default for subsequent agenda refreshes. Since month and
7741 year views are slow to create, they do not become the default. A numeric
7742 prefix argument may be used to jump directly to a specific day of the year,
7743 ISO week, month, or year, respectively. For example, @kbd{32 d} jumps to
7744 February 1st, @kbd{9 w} to ISO week number 9. When setting day, week, or
7745 month view, a year may be encoded in the prefix argument as well. For
7746 example, @kbd{200712 w} will jump to week 12 in 2007. If such a year
7747 specification has only one or two digits, it will be mapped to the interval
7748 1938-2037. @kbd{v @key{SPC}} will reset to what is set in
7749 @code{org-agenda-span}.
7751 @orgcmd{f,org-agenda-later}
7752 Go forward in time to display the following @code{org-agenda-current-span} days.
7753 For example, if the display covers a week, switch to the following week.
7754 With prefix arg, go forward that many times @code{org-agenda-current-span} days.
7756 @orgcmd{b,org-agenda-earlier}
7757 Go backward in time to display earlier dates.
7759 @orgcmd{.,org-agenda-goto-today}
7762 @orgcmd{j,org-agenda-goto-date}
7763 Prompt for a date and go there.
7765 @orgcmd{J,org-agenda-clock-goto}
7766 Go to the currently clocked-in task @i{in the agenda buffer}.
7768 @orgcmd{D,org-agenda-toggle-diary}
7769 Toggle the inclusion of diary entries. See @ref{Weekly/daily agenda}.
7771 @orgcmdkskc{v l,l,org-agenda-log-mode}
7773 @vindex org-log-done
7774 @vindex org-agenda-log-mode-items
7775 Toggle Logbook mode. In Logbook mode, entries that were marked DONE while
7776 logging was on (variable @code{org-log-done}) are shown in the agenda, as are
7777 entries that have been clocked on that day. You can configure the entry
7778 types that should be included in log mode using the variable
7779 @code{org-agenda-log-mode-items}. When called with a @kbd{C-u} prefix, show
7780 all possible logbook entries, including state changes. When called with two
7781 prefix args @kbd{C-u C-u}, show only logging information, nothing else.
7782 @kbd{v L} is equivalent to @kbd{C-u v l}.
7784 @orgcmdkskc{v [,[,org-agenda-manipulate-query-add}
7785 Include inactive timestamps into the current view. Only for weekly/daily
7786 agenda and timeline views.
7788 @orgcmd{v a,org-agenda-archives-mode}
7789 @xorgcmd{v A,org-agenda-archives-mode 'files}
7790 Toggle Archives mode. In Archives mode, trees that are marked
7791 @code{ARCHIVED} are also scanned when producing the agenda. When you use the
7792 capital @kbd{A}, even all archive files are included. To exit archives mode,
7793 press @kbd{v a} again.
7795 @orgcmdkskc{v R,R,org-agenda-clockreport-mode}
7796 @vindex org-agenda-start-with-clockreport-mode
7797 Toggle Clockreport mode. In Clockreport mode, the daily/weekly agenda will
7798 always show a table with the clocked times for the timespan and file scope
7799 covered by the current agenda view. The initial setting for this mode in new
7800 agenda buffers can be set with the variable
7801 @code{org-agenda-start-with-clockreport-mode}. By using a prefix argument
7802 when toggling this mode (i.e.@: @kbd{C-u R}), the clock table will not show
7803 contributions from entries that are hidden by agenda filtering@footnote{Only
7804 tags filtering will be respected here, effort filtering is ignored.}.
7807 @vindex org-agenda-clock-consistency-checks
7808 Show overlapping clock entries, clocking gaps, and other clocking problems in
7809 the current agenda range. You can then visit clocking lines and fix them
7810 manually. See the variable @code{org-agenda-clock-consistency-checks} for
7811 information on how to customize the definition of what constituted a clocking
7812 problem. To return to normal agenda display, press @kbd{l} to exit Logbook
7815 @orgcmdkskc{v E,E,org-agenda-entry-text-mode}
7816 @vindex org-agenda-start-with-entry-text-mode
7817 @vindex org-agenda-entry-text-maxlines
7818 Toggle entry text mode. In entry text mode, a number of lines from the Org
7819 outline node referenced by an agenda line will be displayed below the line.
7820 The maximum number of lines is given by the variable
7821 @code{org-agenda-entry-text-maxlines}. Calling this command with a numeric
7822 prefix argument will temporarily modify that number to the prefix value.
7824 @orgcmd{G,org-agenda-toggle-time-grid}
7825 @vindex org-agenda-use-time-grid
7826 @vindex org-agenda-time-grid
7827 Toggle the time grid on and off. See also the variables
7828 @code{org-agenda-use-time-grid} and @code{org-agenda-time-grid}.
7830 @orgcmd{r,org-agenda-redo}
7831 Recreate the agenda buffer, for example to reflect the changes after
7832 modification of the timestamps of items with @kbd{S-@key{left}} and
7833 @kbd{S-@key{right}}. When the buffer is the global TODO list, a prefix
7834 argument is interpreted to create a selective list for a specific TODO
7836 @orgcmd{g,org-agenda-redo}
7839 @orgcmdkskc{C-x C-s,s,org-save-all-org-buffers}
7840 Save all Org buffers in the current Emacs session, and also the locations of
7843 @orgcmd{C-c C-x C-c,org-agenda-columns}
7844 @vindex org-columns-default-format
7845 Invoke column view (@pxref{Column view}) in the agenda buffer. The column
7846 view format is taken from the entry at point, or (if there is no entry at
7847 point), from the first entry in the agenda view. So whatever the format for
7848 that entry would be in the original buffer (taken from a property, from a
7849 @code{#+COLUMNS} line, or from the default variable
7850 @code{org-columns-default-format}), will be used in the agenda.
7852 @orgcmd{C-c C-x >,org-agenda-remove-restriction-lock}
7853 Remove the restriction lock on the agenda, if it is currently restricted to a
7854 file or subtree (@pxref{Agenda files}).
7856 @tsubheading{Secondary filtering and query editing}
7857 @cindex filtering, by tag and effort, in agenda
7858 @cindex tag filtering, in agenda
7859 @cindex effort filtering, in agenda
7860 @cindex query editing, in agenda
7862 @orgcmd{/,org-agenda-filter-by-tag}
7863 @vindex org-agenda-filter-preset
7864 Filter the current agenda view with respect to a tag and/or effort estimates.
7865 The difference between this and a custom agenda command is that filtering is
7866 very fast, so that you can switch quickly between different filters without
7867 having to recreate the agenda.@footnote{Custom commands can preset a filter by
7868 binding the variable @code{org-agenda-filter-preset} as an option. This
7869 filter will then be applied to the view and persist as a basic filter through
7870 refreshes and more secondary filtering. The filter is a global property of
7871 the entire agenda view---in a block agenda, you should only set this in the
7872 global options section, not in the section of an individual block.}
7874 You will be prompted for a tag selection letter; @key{SPC} will mean any tag at
7875 all. Pressing @key{TAB} at that prompt will offer use completion to select a
7876 tag (including any tags that do not have a selection character). The command
7877 then hides all entries that do not contain or inherit this tag. When called
7878 with prefix arg, remove the entries that @emph{do} have the tag. A second
7879 @kbd{/} at the prompt will turn off the filter and unhide any hidden entries.
7880 If the first key you press is either @kbd{+} or @kbd{-}, the previous filter
7881 will be narrowed by requiring or forbidding the selected additional tag.
7882 Instead of pressing @kbd{+} or @kbd{-} after @kbd{/}, you can also
7883 immediately use the @kbd{\} command.
7885 @vindex org-sort-agenda-noeffort-is-high
7886 In order to filter for effort estimates, you should set up allowed
7887 efforts globally, for example
7889 (setq org-global-properties
7890 '(("Effort_ALL". "0 0:10 0:30 1:00 2:00 3:00 4:00")))
7892 You can then filter for an effort by first typing an operator, one of
7893 @kbd{<}, @kbd{>}, and @kbd{=}, and then the one-digit index of an effort
7894 estimate in your array of allowed values, where @kbd{0} means the 10th value.
7895 The filter will then restrict to entries with effort smaller-or-equal, equal,
7896 or larger-or-equal than the selected value. If the digits 0-9 are not used
7897 as fast access keys to tags, you can also simply press the index digit
7898 directly without an operator. In this case, @kbd{<} will be assumed. For
7899 application of the operator, entries without a defined effort will be treated
7900 according to the value of @code{org-sort-agenda-noeffort-is-high}. To filter
7901 for tasks without effort definition, press @kbd{?} as the operator.
7903 Org also supports automatic, context-aware tag filtering. If the variable
7904 @code{org-agenda-auto-exclude-function} is set to a user-defined function,
7905 that function can decide which tags should be excluded from the agenda
7906 automatically. Once this is set, the @kbd{/} command then accepts @kbd{RET}
7907 as a sub-option key and runs the auto exclusion logic. For example, let's
7908 say you use a @code{Net} tag to identify tasks which need network access, an
7909 @code{Errand} tag for errands in town, and a @code{Call} tag for making phone
7910 calls. You could auto-exclude these tags based on the availability of the
7911 Internet, and outside of business hours, with something like this:
7915 (defun org-my-auto-exclude-function (tag)
7917 ((string= tag "Net")
7918 (/= 0 (call-process "/sbin/ping" nil nil nil
7919 "-c1" "-q" "-t1" "mail.gnu.org")))
7920 ((or (string= tag "Errand") (string= tag "Call"))
7921 (let ((hour (nth 2 (decode-time))))
7922 (or (< hour 8) (> hour 21)))))
7925 (setq org-agenda-auto-exclude-function 'org-my-auto-exclude-function)
7929 @orgcmd{\\,org-agenda-filter-by-tag-refine}
7930 Narrow the current agenda filter by an additional condition. When called with
7931 prefix arg, remove the entries that @emph{do} have the tag, or that do match
7932 the effort criterion. You can achieve the same effect by pressing @kbd{+} or
7933 @kbd{-} as the first key after the @kbd{/} command.
7942 @item @r{in} search view
7943 add new search words (@kbd{[} and @kbd{]}) or new regular expressions
7944 (@kbd{@{} and @kbd{@}}) to the query string. The opening bracket/brace will
7945 add a positive search term prefixed by @samp{+}, indicating that this search
7946 term @i{must} occur/match in the entry. The closing bracket/brace will add a
7947 negative search term which @i{must not} occur/match in the entry for it to be
7951 @tsubheading{Remote editing}
7952 @cindex remote editing, from agenda
7957 @cindex undoing remote-editing events
7958 @cindex remote editing, undo
7959 @orgcmd{C-_,org-agenda-undo}
7960 Undo a change due to a remote editing command. The change is undone
7961 both in the agenda buffer and in the remote buffer.
7963 @orgcmd{t,org-agenda-todo}
7964 Change the TODO state of the item, both in the agenda and in the
7967 @orgcmd{C-S-@key{right},org-agenda-todo-nextset}
7968 @orgcmd{C-S-@key{left},org-agenda-todo-previousset}
7969 Switch to the next/previous set of TODO keywords.
7971 @orgcmd{C-k,org-agenda-kill}
7972 @vindex org-agenda-confirm-kill
7973 Delete the current agenda item along with the entire subtree belonging
7974 to it in the original Org file. If the text to be deleted remotely
7975 is longer than one line, the kill needs to be confirmed by the user. See
7976 variable @code{org-agenda-confirm-kill}.
7978 @orgcmd{C-c C-w,org-agenda-refile}
7979 Refile the entry at point.
7981 @orgcmdkskc{C-c C-x C-a,a,org-agenda-archive-default-with-confirmation}
7982 @vindex org-archive-default-command
7983 Archive the subtree corresponding to the entry at point using the default
7984 archiving command set in @code{org-archive-default-command}. When using the
7985 @code{a} key, confirmation will be required.
7987 @orgcmd{C-c C-x a,org-agenda-toggle-archive-tag}
7988 Toggle the ARCHIVE tag for the current headline.
7990 @orgcmd{C-c C-x A,org-agenda-archive-to-archive-sibling}
7991 Move the subtree corresponding to the current entry to its @emph{archive
7994 @orgcmdkskc{C-c C-x C-s,$,org-agenda-archive}
7995 Archive the subtree corresponding to the current headline. This means the
7996 entry will be moved to the configured archive location, most likely a
7999 @orgcmd{T,org-agenda-show-tags}
8000 @vindex org-agenda-show-inherited-tags
8001 Show all tags associated with the current item. This is useful if you have
8002 turned off @code{org-agenda-show-inherited-tags}, but still want to see all
8003 tags of a headline occasionally.
8005 @orgcmd{:,org-agenda-set-tags}
8006 Set tags for the current headline. If there is an active region in the
8007 agenda, change a tag for all headings in the region.
8011 Set the priority for the current item (@command{org-agenda-priority}).
8012 Org-mode prompts for the priority character. If you reply with @key{SPC}, the
8013 priority cookie is removed from the entry.
8015 @orgcmd{P,org-agenda-show-priority}
8016 Display weighted priority of current item.
8018 @orgcmdkkc{+,S-@key{up},org-agenda-priority-up}
8019 Increase the priority of the current item. The priority is changed in
8020 the original buffer, but the agenda is not resorted. Use the @kbd{r}
8023 @orgcmdkkc{-,S-@key{down},org-agenda-priority-down}
8024 Decrease the priority of the current item.
8026 @orgcmdkkc{z,C-c C-z,org-agenda-add-note}
8027 @vindex org-log-into-drawer
8028 Add a note to the entry. This note will be recorded, and then filed to the
8029 same location where state change notes are put. Depending on
8030 @code{org-log-into-drawer}, this may be inside a drawer.
8032 @orgcmd{C-c C-a,org-attach}
8033 Dispatcher for all command related to attachments.
8035 @orgcmd{C-c C-s,org-agenda-schedule}
8036 Schedule this item. With prefix arg remove the scheduling timestamp
8038 @orgcmd{C-c C-d,org-agenda-deadline}
8039 Set a deadline for this item. With prefix arg remove the deadline.
8041 @orgcmd{k,org-agenda-action}
8042 Agenda actions, to set dates for selected items to the cursor date.
8043 This command also works in the calendar! The command prompts for an
8046 m @r{Mark the entry at point for action. You can also make entries}
8047 @r{in Org files with @kbd{C-c C-x C-k}.}
8048 d @r{Set the deadline of the marked entry to the date at point.}
8049 s @r{Schedule the marked entry at the date at point.}
8050 r @r{Call @code{org-capture} with the cursor date as default date.}
8053 Press @kbd{r} afterward to refresh the agenda and see the effect of the
8056 @orgcmd{S-@key{right},org-agenda-do-date-later}
8057 Change the timestamp associated with the current line by one day into the
8058 future. With a numeric prefix argument, change it by that many days. For
8059 example, @kbd{3 6 5 S-@key{right}} will change it by a year. With a
8060 @kbd{C-u} prefix, change the time by one hour. If you immediately repeat the
8061 command, it will continue to change hours even without the prefix arg. With
8062 a double @kbd{C-u C-u} prefix, do the same for changing minutes. The stamp
8063 is changed in the original Org file, but the change is not directly reflected
8064 in the agenda buffer. Use @kbd{r} or @kbd{g} to update the buffer.
8066 @orgcmd{S-@key{left},org-agenda-do-date-earlier}
8067 Change the timestamp associated with the current line by one day
8070 @orgcmd{>,org-agenda-date-prompt}
8071 Change the timestamp associated with the current line. The key @kbd{>} has
8072 been chosen, because it is the same as @kbd{S-.} on my keyboard.
8074 @orgcmd{I,org-agenda-clock-in}
8075 Start the clock on the current item. If a clock is running already, it
8078 @orgcmd{O,org-agenda-clock-out}
8079 Stop the previously started clock.
8081 @orgcmd{X,org-agenda-clock-cancel}
8082 Cancel the currently running clock.
8084 @orgcmd{J,org-agenda-clock-goto}
8085 Jump to the running clock in another window.
8087 @tsubheading{Bulk remote editing selected entries}
8088 @cindex remote editing, bulk, from agenda
8090 @orgcmd{m,org-agenda-bulk-mark}
8091 Mark the entry at point for bulk action. With prefix arg, mark that many
8094 @orgcmd{%,org-agenda-bulk-mark-regexp}
8095 Mark entries matching a regular expression for bulk action.
8097 @orgcmd{u,org-agenda-bulk-unmark}
8098 Unmark entry for bulk action.
8100 @orgcmd{U,org-agenda-bulk-remove-all-marks}
8101 Unmark all marked entries for bulk action.
8103 @orgcmd{B,org-agenda-bulk-action}
8104 Bulk action: act on all marked entries in the agenda. This will prompt for
8105 another key to select the action to be applied. The prefix arg to @kbd{B}
8106 will be passed through to the @kbd{s} and @kbd{d} commands, to bulk-remove
8107 these special timestamps.
8109 r @r{Prompt for a single refile target and move all entries. The entries}
8110 @r{will no longer be in the agenda; refresh (@kbd{g}) to bring them back.}
8111 $ @r{Archive all selected entries.}
8112 A @r{Archive entries by moving them to their respective archive siblings.}
8113 t @r{Change TODO state. This prompts for a single TODO keyword and}
8114 @r{changes the state of all selected entries, bypassing blocking and}
8115 @r{suppressing logging notes (but not timestamps).}
8116 + @r{Add a tag to all selected entries.}
8117 - @r{Remove a tag from all selected entries.}
8118 s @r{Schedule all items to a new date. To shift existing schedule dates}
8119 @r{by a fixed number of days, use something starting with double plus}
8120 @r{at the prompt, for example @samp{++8d} or @samp{++2w}.}
8121 S @r{Reschedule randomly into the coming N days. N will be prompted for.}
8122 @r{With prefix arg (@kbd{C-u B S}), scatter only across weekdays.}
8123 d @r{Set deadline to a specific date.}
8124 f @r{Apply a function to marked entries.}
8125 @r{For example, the function below sets the CATEGORY property of the}
8127 @r{(defun set-category ()}
8128 @r{ (interactive "P")}
8129 @r{ (let* ((marker (or (org-get-at-bol 'org-hd-marker)}
8130 @r{ (org-agenda-error)))}
8131 @r{ (buffer (marker-buffer marker)))}
8132 @r{ (with-current-buffer buffer}
8133 @r{ (save-excursion}
8134 @r{ (save-restriction}
8136 @r{ (goto-char marker)}
8137 @r{ (org-back-to-heading t)}
8138 @r{ (org-set-property "CATEGORY" "web"))))))}
8142 @tsubheading{Calendar commands}
8143 @cindex calendar commands, from agenda
8145 @orgcmd{c,org-agenda-goto-calendar}
8146 Open the Emacs calendar and move to the date at the agenda cursor.
8148 @orgcmd{c,org-calendar-goto-agenda}
8149 When in the calendar, compute and show the Org-mode agenda for the
8152 @cindex diary entries, creating from agenda
8153 @orgcmd{i,org-agenda-diary-entry}
8154 @vindex org-agenda-diary-file
8155 Insert a new entry into the diary, using the date at the cursor and (for
8156 block entries) the date at the mark. This will add to the Emacs diary
8157 file@footnote{This file is parsed for the agenda when
8158 @code{org-agenda-include-diary} is set.}, in a way similar to the @kbd{i}
8159 command in the calendar. The diary file will pop up in another window, where
8160 you can add the entry.
8162 If you configure @code{org-agenda-diary-file} to point to an Org-mode file,
8163 Org will create entries (in org-mode syntax) in that file instead. Most
8164 entries will be stored in a date-based outline tree that will later make it
8165 easy to archive appointments from previous months/years. The tree will be
8166 built under an entry with a @code{DATE_TREE} property, or else with years as
8167 top-level entries. Emacs will prompt you for the entry text---if you specify
8168 it, the entry will be created in @code{org-agenda-diary-file} without further
8169 interaction. If you directly press @key{RET} at the prompt without typing
8170 text, the target file will be shown in another window for you to finish the
8171 entry there. See also the @kbd{k r} command.
8173 @orgcmd{M,org-agenda-phases-of-moon}
8174 Show the phases of the moon for the three months around current date.
8176 @orgcmd{S,org-agenda-sunrise-sunset}
8177 Show sunrise and sunset times. The geographical location must be set
8178 with calendar variables, see the documentation for the Emacs calendar.
8180 @orgcmd{C,org-agenda-convert-date}
8181 Convert the date at cursor into many other cultural and historic
8184 @orgcmd{H,org-agenda-holidays}
8185 Show holidays for three months around the cursor date.
8187 @item M-x org-export-icalendar-combine-agenda-files
8188 Export a single iCalendar file containing entries from all agenda files.
8189 This is a globally available command, and also available in the agenda menu.
8191 @tsubheading{Exporting to a file}
8192 @orgcmd{C-x C-w,org-write-agenda}
8193 @cindex exporting agenda views
8194 @cindex agenda views, exporting
8195 @vindex org-agenda-exporter-settings
8196 Write the agenda view to a file. Depending on the extension of the selected
8197 file name, the view will be exported as HTML (extension @file{.html} or
8198 @file{.htm}), Postscript (extension @file{.ps}), PDF (extension @file{.pdf}),
8199 and plain text (any other extension). When called with a @kbd{C-u} prefix
8200 argument, immediately open the newly created file. Use the variable
8201 @code{org-agenda-exporter-settings} to set options for @file{ps-print} and
8202 for @file{htmlize} to be used during export.
8204 @tsubheading{Quit and Exit}
8205 @orgcmd{q,org-agenda-quit}
8206 Quit agenda, remove the agenda buffer.
8208 @cindex agenda files, removing buffers
8209 @orgcmd{x,org-agenda-exit}
8210 Exit agenda, remove the agenda buffer and all buffers loaded by Emacs
8211 for the compilation of the agenda. Buffers created by the user to
8212 visit Org files will not be removed.
8216 @node Custom agenda views, Exporting Agenda Views, Agenda commands, Agenda Views
8217 @section Custom agenda views
8218 @cindex custom agenda views
8219 @cindex agenda views, custom
8221 Custom agenda commands serve two purposes: to store and quickly access
8222 frequently used TODO and tags searches, and to create special composite
8223 agenda buffers. Custom agenda commands will be accessible through the
8224 dispatcher (@pxref{Agenda dispatcher}), just like the default commands.
8227 * Storing searches:: Type once, use often
8228 * Block agenda:: All the stuff you need in a single buffer
8229 * Setting Options:: Changing the rules
8232 @node Storing searches, Block agenda, Custom agenda views, Custom agenda views
8233 @subsection Storing searches
8235 The first application of custom searches is the definition of keyboard
8236 shortcuts for frequently used searches, either creating an agenda
8237 buffer, or a sparse tree (the latter covering of course only the current
8240 @vindex org-agenda-custom-commands
8241 Custom commands are configured in the variable
8242 @code{org-agenda-custom-commands}. You can customize this variable, for
8243 example by pressing @kbd{C-c a C}. You can also directly set it with
8244 Emacs Lisp in @file{.emacs}. The following example contains all valid
8249 (setq org-agenda-custom-commands
8250 '(("w" todo "WAITING")
8251 ("W" todo-tree "WAITING")
8252 ("u" tags "+boss-urgent")
8253 ("v" tags-todo "+boss-urgent")
8254 ("U" tags-tree "+boss-urgent")
8255 ("f" occur-tree "\\<FIXME\\>")
8256 ("h" . "HOME+Name tags searches") ; description for "h" prefix
8257 ("hl" tags "+home+Lisa")
8258 ("hp" tags "+home+Peter")
8259 ("hk" tags "+home+Kim")))
8264 The initial string in each entry defines the keys you have to press
8265 after the dispatcher command @kbd{C-c a} in order to access the command.
8266 Usually this will be just a single character, but if you have many
8267 similar commands, you can also define two-letter combinations where the
8268 first character is the same in several combinations and serves as a
8269 prefix key@footnote{You can provide a description for a prefix key by
8270 inserting a cons cell with the prefix and the description.}. The second
8271 parameter is the search type, followed by the string or regular
8272 expression to be used for the matching. The example above will
8277 as a global search for TODO entries with @samp{WAITING} as the TODO
8280 as the same search, but only in the current buffer and displaying the
8281 results as a sparse tree
8283 as a global tags search for headlines marked @samp{:boss:} but not
8286 as the same search as @kbd{C-c a u}, but limiting the search to
8287 headlines that are also TODO items
8289 as the same search as @kbd{C-c a u}, but only in the current buffer and
8290 displaying the result as a sparse tree
8292 to create a sparse tree (again: current buffer only) with all entries
8293 containing the word @samp{FIXME}
8295 as a prefix command for a HOME tags search where you have to press an
8296 additional key (@kbd{l}, @kbd{p} or @kbd{k}) to select a name (Lisa,
8297 Peter, or Kim) as additional tag to match.
8300 @node Block agenda, Setting Options, Storing searches, Custom agenda views
8301 @subsection Block agenda
8302 @cindex block agenda
8303 @cindex agenda, with block views
8305 Another possibility is the construction of agenda views that comprise
8306 the results of @emph{several} commands, each of which creates a block in
8307 the agenda buffer. The available commands include @code{agenda} for the
8308 daily or weekly agenda (as created with @kbd{C-c a a}), @code{alltodo}
8309 for the global TODO list (as constructed with @kbd{C-c a t}), and the
8310 matching commands discussed above: @code{todo}, @code{tags}, and
8311 @code{tags-todo}. Here are two examples:
8315 (setq org-agenda-custom-commands
8316 '(("h" "Agenda and Home-related tasks"
8320 ("o" "Agenda and Office-related tasks"
8328 This will define @kbd{C-c a h} to create a multi-block view for stuff
8329 you need to attend to at home. The resulting agenda buffer will contain
8330 your agenda for the current week, all TODO items that carry the tag
8331 @samp{home}, and also all lines tagged with @samp{garden}. Finally the
8332 command @kbd{C-c a o} provides a similar view for office tasks.
8334 @node Setting Options, , Block agenda, Custom agenda views
8335 @subsection Setting options for custom commands
8336 @cindex options, for custom agenda views
8338 @vindex org-agenda-custom-commands
8339 Org-mode contains a number of variables regulating agenda construction
8340 and display. The global variables define the behavior for all agenda
8341 commands, including the custom commands. However, if you want to change
8342 some settings just for a single custom view, you can do so. Setting
8343 options requires inserting a list of variable names and values at the
8344 right spot in @code{org-agenda-custom-commands}. For example:
8348 (setq org-agenda-custom-commands
8349 '(("w" todo "WAITING"
8350 ((org-agenda-sorting-strategy '(priority-down))
8351 (org-agenda-prefix-format " Mixed: ")))
8352 ("U" tags-tree "+boss-urgent"
8353 ((org-show-following-heading nil)
8354 (org-show-hierarchy-above nil)))
8356 ((org-agenda-files '("~org/notes.org"))
8357 (org-agenda-text-search-extra-files nil)))))
8362 Now the @kbd{C-c a w} command will sort the collected entries only by
8363 priority, and the prefix format is modified to just say @samp{ Mixed: }
8364 instead of giving the category of the entry. The sparse tags tree of
8365 @kbd{C-c a U} will now turn out ultra-compact, because neither the
8366 headline hierarchy above the match, nor the headline following the match
8367 will be shown. The command @kbd{C-c a N} will do a text search limited
8368 to only a single file.
8370 @vindex org-agenda-custom-commands
8371 For command sets creating a block agenda,
8372 @code{org-agenda-custom-commands} has two separate spots for setting
8373 options. You can add options that should be valid for just a single
8374 command in the set, and options that should be valid for all commands in
8375 the set. The former are just added to the command entry; the latter
8376 must come after the list of command entries. Going back to the block
8377 agenda example (@pxref{Block agenda}), let's change the sorting strategy
8378 for the @kbd{C-c a h} commands to @code{priority-down}, but let's sort
8379 the results for GARDEN tags query in the opposite order,
8380 @code{priority-up}. This would look like this:
8384 (setq org-agenda-custom-commands
8385 '(("h" "Agenda and Home-related tasks"
8389 ((org-agenda-sorting-strategy '(priority-up)))))
8390 ((org-agenda-sorting-strategy '(priority-down))))
8391 ("o" "Agenda and Office-related tasks"
8398 As you see, the values and parentheses setting is a little complex.
8399 When in doubt, use the customize interface to set this variable---it
8400 fully supports its structure. Just one caveat: when setting options in
8401 this interface, the @emph{values} are just Lisp expressions. So if the
8402 value is a string, you need to add the double-quotes around the value
8406 @node Exporting Agenda Views, Agenda column view, Custom agenda views, Agenda Views
8407 @section Exporting Agenda Views
8408 @cindex agenda views, exporting
8410 If you are away from your computer, it can be very useful to have a printed
8411 version of some agenda views to carry around. Org-mode can export custom
8412 agenda views as plain text, HTML@footnote{You need to install Hrvoje Niksic's
8413 @file{htmlize.el}.}, Postscript, PDF@footnote{To create PDF output, the
8414 ghostscript @file{ps2pdf} utility must be installed on the system. Selecting
8415 a PDF file will also create the postscript file.}, and iCalendar files. If
8416 you want to do this only occasionally, use the command
8419 @orgcmd{C-x C-w,org-write-agenda}
8420 @cindex exporting agenda views
8421 @cindex agenda views, exporting
8422 @vindex org-agenda-exporter-settings
8423 Write the agenda view to a file. Depending on the extension of the selected
8424 file name, the view will be exported as HTML (extension @file{.html} or
8425 @file{.htm}), Postscript (extension @file{.ps}), iCalendar (extension
8426 @file{.ics}), or plain text (any other extension). Use the variable
8427 @code{org-agenda-exporter-settings} to set options for @file{ps-print} and
8428 for @file{htmlize} to be used during export, for example
8430 @vindex org-agenda-add-entry-text-maxlines
8431 @vindex htmlize-output-type
8432 @vindex ps-number-of-columns
8433 @vindex ps-landscape-mode
8435 (setq org-agenda-exporter-settings
8436 '((ps-number-of-columns 2)
8437 (ps-landscape-mode t)
8438 (org-agenda-add-entry-text-maxlines 5)
8439 (htmlize-output-type 'css)))
8443 If you need to export certain agenda views frequently, you can associate
8444 any custom agenda command with a list of output file names
8445 @footnote{If you want to store standard views like the weekly agenda
8446 or the global TODO list as well, you need to define custom commands for
8447 them in order to be able to specify file names.}. Here is an example
8448 that first defines custom commands for the agenda and the global
8449 TODO list, together with a number of files to which to export them.
8450 Then we define two block agenda commands and specify file names for them
8451 as well. File names can be relative to the current working directory,
8456 (setq org-agenda-custom-commands
8457 '(("X" agenda "" nil ("agenda.html" "agenda.ps"))
8458 ("Y" alltodo "" nil ("todo.html" "todo.txt" "todo.ps"))
8459 ("h" "Agenda and Home-related tasks"
8464 ("~/views/home.html"))
8465 ("o" "Agenda and Office-related tasks"
8470 ("~/views/office.ps" "~/calendars/office.ics"))))
8474 The extension of the file name determines the type of export. If it is
8475 @file{.html}, Org-mode will use the @file{htmlize.el} package to convert
8476 the buffer to HTML and save it to this file name. If the extension is
8477 @file{.ps}, @code{ps-print-buffer-with-faces} is used to produce
8478 Postscript output. If the extension is @file{.ics}, iCalendar export is
8479 run export over all files that were used to construct the agenda, and
8480 limit the export to entries listed in the agenda. Any other
8481 extension produces a plain ASCII file.
8483 The export files are @emph{not} created when you use one of those
8484 commands interactively because this might use too much overhead.
8485 Instead, there is a special command to produce @emph{all} specified
8489 @orgcmd{C-c a e,org-store-agenda-views}
8490 Export all agenda views that have export file names associated with
8494 You can use the options section of the custom agenda commands to also
8495 set options for the export commands. For example:
8498 (setq org-agenda-custom-commands
8500 ((ps-number-of-columns 2)
8501 (ps-landscape-mode t)
8502 (org-agenda-prefix-format " [ ] ")
8503 (org-agenda-with-colors nil)
8504 (org-agenda-remove-tags t))
8509 This command sets two options for the Postscript exporter, to make it
8510 print in two columns in landscape format---the resulting page can be cut
8511 in two and then used in a paper agenda. The remaining settings modify
8512 the agenda prefix to omit category and scheduling information, and
8513 instead include a checkbox to check off items. We also remove the tags
8514 to make the lines compact, and we don't want to use colors for the
8515 black-and-white printer. Settings specified in
8516 @code{org-agenda-exporter-settings} will also apply, but the settings
8517 in @code{org-agenda-custom-commands} take precedence.
8520 From the command line you may also use
8522 emacs -f org-batch-store-agenda-views -kill
8525 or, if you need to modify some parameters@footnote{Quoting depends on the
8526 system you use, please check the FAQ for examples.}
8528 emacs -eval '(org-batch-store-agenda-views \
8529 org-agenda-span month \
8530 org-agenda-start-day "2007-11-01" \
8531 org-agenda-include-diary nil \
8532 org-agenda-files (quote ("~/org/project.org")))' \
8536 which will create the agenda views restricted to the file
8537 @file{~/org/project.org}, without diary entries and with a 30-day
8540 You can also extract agenda information in a way that allows further
8541 processing by other programs. See @ref{Extracting agenda information}, for
8545 @node Agenda column view, , Exporting Agenda Views, Agenda Views
8546 @section Using column view in the agenda
8547 @cindex column view, in agenda
8548 @cindex agenda, column view
8550 Column view (@pxref{Column view}) is normally used to view and edit
8551 properties embedded in the hierarchical structure of an Org file. It can be
8552 quite useful to use column view also from the agenda, where entries are
8553 collected by certain criteria.
8556 @orgcmd{C-c C-x C-c,org-agenda-columns}
8557 Turn on column view in the agenda.
8560 To understand how to use this properly, it is important to realize that the
8561 entries in the agenda are no longer in their proper outline environment.
8562 This causes the following issues:
8566 @vindex org-columns-default-format
8567 @vindex org-overriding-columns-format
8568 Org needs to make a decision which @code{COLUMNS} format to use. Since the
8569 entries in the agenda are collected from different files, and different files
8570 may have different @code{COLUMNS} formats, this is a non-trivial problem.
8571 Org first checks if the variable @code{org-agenda-overriding-columns-format} is
8572 currently set, and if so, takes the format from there. Otherwise it takes
8573 the format associated with the first item in the agenda, or, if that item
8574 does not have a specific format (defined in a property, or in its file), it
8575 uses @code{org-columns-default-format}.
8577 @cindex property, special, CLOCKSUM
8578 If any of the columns has a summary type defined (@pxref{Column attributes}),
8579 turning on column view in the agenda will visit all relevant agenda files and
8580 make sure that the computations of this property are up to date. This is
8581 also true for the special @code{CLOCKSUM} property. Org will then sum the
8582 values displayed in the agenda. In the daily/weekly agenda, the sums will
8583 cover a single day; in all other views they cover the entire block. It is
8584 vital to realize that the agenda may show the same entry @emph{twice} (for
8585 example as scheduled and as a deadline), and it may show two entries from the
8586 same hierarchy (for example a @emph{parent} and its @emph{child}). In these
8587 cases, the summation in the agenda will lead to incorrect results because
8588 some values will count double.
8590 When the column view in the agenda shows the @code{CLOCKSUM}, that is always
8591 the entire clocked time for this item. So even in the daily/weekly agenda,
8592 the clocksum listed in column view may originate from times outside the
8593 current view. This has the advantage that you can compare these values with
8594 a column listing the planned total effort for a task---one of the major
8595 applications for column view in the agenda. If you want information about
8596 clocked time in the displayed period use clock table mode (press @kbd{R} in
8601 @node Markup, Exporting, Agenda Views, Top
8602 @chapter Markup for rich export
8604 When exporting Org-mode documents, the exporter tries to reflect the
8605 structure of the document as accurately as possible in the backend. Since
8606 export targets like HTML, @LaTeX{}, or DocBook allow much richer formatting,
8607 Org-mode has rules on how to prepare text for rich export. This section
8608 summarizes the markup rules used in an Org-mode buffer.
8611 * Structural markup elements:: The basic structure as seen by the exporter
8612 * Images and tables:: Tables and Images will be included
8613 * Literal examples:: Source code examples with special formatting
8614 * Include files:: Include additional files into a document
8615 * Index entries:: Making an index
8616 * Macro replacement:: Use macros to create complex output
8617 * Embedded LaTeX:: LaTeX can be freely used inside Org documents
8620 @node Structural markup elements, Images and tables, Markup, Markup
8621 @section Structural markup elements
8624 * Document title:: Where the title is taken from
8625 * Headings and sections:: The document structure as seen by the exporter
8626 * Table of contents:: The if and where of the table of contents
8627 * Initial text:: Text before the first heading?
8629 * Paragraphs:: Paragraphs
8630 * Footnote markup:: Footnotes
8631 * Emphasis and monospace:: Bold, italic, etc.
8632 * Horizontal rules:: Make a line
8633 * Comment lines:: What will *not* be exported
8636 @node Document title, Headings and sections, Structural markup elements, Structural markup elements
8637 @subheading Document title
8638 @cindex document title, markup rules
8641 The title of the exported document is taken from the special line
8645 #+TITLE: This is the title of the document
8649 If this line does not exist, the title is derived from the first non-empty,
8650 non-comment line in the buffer. If no such line exists, or if you have
8651 turned off exporting of the text before the first headline (see below), the
8652 title will be the file name without extension.
8654 @cindex property, EXPORT_TITLE
8655 If you are exporting only a subtree by marking is as the region, the heading
8656 of the subtree will become the title of the document. If the subtree has a
8657 property @code{EXPORT_TITLE}, that will take precedence.
8659 @node Headings and sections, Table of contents, Document title, Structural markup elements
8660 @subheading Headings and sections
8661 @cindex headings and sections, markup rules
8663 @vindex org-export-headline-levels
8664 The outline structure of the document as described in @ref{Document
8665 Structure}, forms the basis for defining sections of the exported document.
8666 However, since the outline structure is also used for (for example) lists of
8667 tasks, only the first three outline levels will be used as headings. Deeper
8668 levels will become itemized lists. You can change the location of this
8669 switch globally by setting the variable @code{org-export-headline-levels}, or on a
8670 per-file basis with a line
8677 @node Table of contents, Initial text, Headings and sections, Structural markup elements
8678 @subheading Table of contents
8679 @cindex table of contents, markup rules
8681 @vindex org-export-with-toc
8682 The table of contents is normally inserted directly before the first headline
8683 of the file. If you would like to get it to a different location, insert the
8684 string @code{[TABLE-OF-CONTENTS]} on a line by itself at the desired
8685 location. The depth of the table of contents is by default the same as the
8686 number of headline levels, but you can choose a smaller number, or turn off
8687 the table of contents entirely, by configuring the variable
8688 @code{org-export-with-toc}, or on a per-file basis with a line like
8691 #+OPTIONS: toc:2 (only to two levels in TOC)
8692 #+OPTIONS: toc:nil (no TOC at all)
8695 @node Initial text, Lists, Table of contents, Structural markup elements
8696 @subheading Text before the first headline
8697 @cindex text before first headline, markup rules
8700 Org-mode normally exports the text before the first headline, and even uses
8701 the first line as the document title. The text will be fully marked up. If
8702 you need to include literal HTML, @LaTeX{}, or DocBook code, use the special
8703 constructs described below in the sections for the individual exporters.
8705 @vindex org-export-skip-text-before-1st-heading
8706 Some people like to use the space before the first headline for setup and
8707 internal links and therefore would like to control the exported text before
8708 the first headline in a different way. You can do so by setting the variable
8709 @code{org-export-skip-text-before-1st-heading} to @code{t}. On a per-file
8710 basis, you can get the same effect with @samp{#+OPTIONS: skip:t}.
8713 If you still want to have some text before the first headline, use the
8714 @code{#+TEXT} construct:
8718 #+TEXT: This text will go before the *first* headline.
8719 #+TEXT: [TABLE-OF-CONTENTS]
8720 #+TEXT: This goes between the table of contents and the *first* headline
8723 @node Lists, Paragraphs, Initial text, Structural markup elements
8725 @cindex lists, markup rules
8727 Plain lists as described in @ref{Plain lists}, are translated to the backend's
8728 syntax for such lists. Most backends support unordered, ordered, and
8731 @node Paragraphs, Footnote markup, Lists, Structural markup elements
8732 @subheading Paragraphs, line breaks, and quoting
8733 @cindex paragraphs, markup rules
8735 Paragraphs are separated by at least one empty line. If you need to enforce
8736 a line break within a paragraph, use @samp{\\} at the end of a line.
8738 To keep the line breaks in a region, but otherwise use normal formatting, you
8739 can use this construct, which can also be used to format poetry.
8741 @cindex #+BEGIN_VERSE
8744 Great clouds overhead
8745 Tiny black birds rise and fall
8752 When quoting a passage from another document, it is customary to format this
8753 as a paragraph that is indented on both the left and the right margin. You
8754 can include quotations in Org-mode documents like this:
8756 @cindex #+BEGIN_QUOTE
8759 Everything should be made as simple as possible,
8760 but not any simpler -- Albert Einstein
8764 If you would like to center some text, do it like this:
8765 @cindex #+BEGIN_CENTER
8768 Everything should be made as simple as possible, \\
8774 @node Footnote markup, Emphasis and monospace, Paragraphs, Structural markup elements
8775 @subheading Footnote markup
8776 @cindex footnotes, markup rules
8777 @cindex @file{footnote.el}
8779 Footnotes defined in the way described in @ref{Footnotes}, will be exported by
8780 all backends. Org allows multiple references to the same note, and
8781 different backends support this to varying degrees.
8783 @node Emphasis and monospace, Horizontal rules, Footnote markup, Structural markup elements
8784 @subheading Emphasis and monospace
8786 @cindex underlined text, markup rules
8787 @cindex bold text, markup rules
8788 @cindex italic text, markup rules
8789 @cindex verbatim text, markup rules
8790 @cindex code text, markup rules
8791 @cindex strike-through text, markup rules
8792 You can make words @b{*bold*}, @i{/italic/}, _underlined_, @code{=code=}
8793 and @code{~verbatim~}, and, if you must, @samp{+strike-through+}. Text
8794 in the code and verbatim string is not processed for Org-mode specific
8795 syntax; it is exported verbatim.
8797 @node Horizontal rules, Comment lines, Emphasis and monospace, Structural markup elements
8798 @subheading Horizontal rules
8799 @cindex horizontal rules, markup rules
8800 A line consisting of only dashes, and at least 5 of them, will be exported as
8801 a horizontal line (@samp{<hr/>} in HTML and @code{\hrule} in @LaTeX{}).
8803 @node Comment lines, , Horizontal rules, Structural markup elements
8804 @subheading Comment lines
8805 @cindex comment lines
8806 @cindex exporting, not
8807 @cindex #+BEGIN_COMMENT
8809 Lines starting with @samp{#} in column zero are treated as comments and will
8810 never be exported. If you want an indented line to be treated as a comment,
8811 start it with @samp{#+ }. Also entire subtrees starting with the word
8812 @samp{COMMENT} will never be exported. Finally, regions surrounded by
8813 @samp{#+BEGIN_COMMENT} ... @samp{#+END_COMMENT} will not be exported.
8818 Toggle the COMMENT keyword at the beginning of an entry.
8822 @node Images and tables, Literal examples, Structural markup elements, Markup
8823 @section Images and Tables
8825 @cindex tables, markup rules
8828 Both the native Org-mode tables (@pxref{Tables}) and tables formatted with
8829 the @file{table.el} package will be exported properly. For Org-mode tables,
8830 the lines before the first horizontal separator line will become table header
8831 lines. You can use the following lines somewhere before the table to assign
8832 a caption and a label for cross references, and in the text you can refer to
8833 the object with @code{\ref@{tab:basic-data@}}:
8836 #+CAPTION: This is the caption for the next table (or link)
8837 #+LABEL: tbl:basic-data
8842 Optionally, the caption can take the form:
8844 #+CAPTION: [Caption for list of figures]@{Caption for table (or link).@}
8847 @cindex inlined images, markup rules
8848 Some backends (HTML, @LaTeX{}, and DocBook) allow you to directly include
8849 images into the exported document. Org does this, if a link to an image
8850 files does not have a description part, for example @code{[[./img/a.jpg]]}.
8851 If you wish to define a caption for the image and maybe a label for internal
8852 cross references, make sure that the link is on a line by itself and precede
8853 it with @code{#+CAPTION} and @code{#+LABEL} as follows:
8856 #+CAPTION: This is the caption for the next figure link (or table)
8857 #+LABEL: fig:SED-HR4049
8861 You may also define additional attributes for the figure. As this is
8862 backend-specific, see the sections about the individual backends for more
8865 @xref{Handling links,the discussion of image links}.
8867 @node Literal examples, Include files, Images and tables, Markup
8868 @section Literal examples
8869 @cindex literal examples, markup rules
8870 @cindex code line references, markup rules
8872 You can include literal examples that should not be subjected to
8873 markup. Such examples will be typeset in monospace, so this is well suited
8874 for source code and similar examples.
8875 @cindex #+BEGIN_EXAMPLE
8879 Some example from a text file.
8883 Note that such blocks may be @i{indented} in order to align nicely with
8884 indented text and in particular with plain list structure (@pxref{Plain
8885 lists}). For simplicity when using small examples, you can also start the
8886 example lines with a colon followed by a space. There may also be additional
8887 whitespace before the colon:
8891 : Some example from a text file.
8894 @cindex formatting source code, markup rules
8895 If the example is source code from a programming language, or any other text
8896 that can be marked up by font-lock in Emacs, you can ask for the example to
8897 look like the fontified Emacs buffer@footnote{This works automatically for
8898 the HTML backend (it requires version 1.34 of the @file{htmlize.el} package,
8899 which is distributed with Org). Fontified code chunks in LaTeX can be
8900 achieved using either the listings or the
8901 @url{http://code.google.com/p/minted, minted,} package. To use listings, turn
8902 on the variable @code{org-export-latex-listings} and ensure that the listings
8903 package is included by the LaTeX header (e.g.@: by configuring
8904 @code{org-export-latex-packages-alist}). See the listings documentation for
8905 configuration options, including obtaining colored output. For minted it is
8906 necessary to install the program @url{http://pygments.org, pygments}, in
8907 addition to setting @code{org-export-latex-minted}, ensuring that the minted
8908 package is included by the LaTeX header, and ensuring that the
8909 @code{-shell-escape} option is passed to @file{pdflatex} (see
8910 @code{org-latex-to-pdf-process}). See the documentation of the variables
8911 @code{org-export-latex-listings} and @code{org-export-latex-minted} for
8912 further details.}. This is done with the @samp{src} block, where you also
8913 need to specify the name of the major mode that should be used to fontify the
8914 example@footnote{Code in @samp{src} blocks may also be evaluated either
8915 interactively or on export. See @pxref{Working With Source Code} for more
8916 information on evaluating code blocks.}:
8920 #+BEGIN_SRC emacs-lisp
8921 (defun org-xor (a b)
8927 Both in @code{example} and in @code{src} snippets, you can add a @code{-n}
8928 switch to the end of the @code{BEGIN} line, to get the lines of the example
8929 numbered. If you use a @code{+n} switch, the numbering from the previous
8930 numbered snippet will be continued in the current one. In literal examples,
8931 Org will interpret strings like @samp{(ref:name)} as labels, and use them as
8932 targets for special hyperlinks like @code{[[(name)]]} (i.e.@: the reference name
8933 enclosed in single parenthesis). In HTML, hovering the mouse over such a
8934 link will remote-highlight the corresponding code line, which is kind of
8937 You can also add a @code{-r} switch which @i{removes} the labels from the
8938 source code@footnote{Adding @code{-k} to @code{-n -r} will @i{keep} the
8939 labels in the source code while using line numbers for the links, which might
8940 be useful to explain those in an org-mode example code.}. With the @code{-n}
8941 switch, links to these references will be labeled by the line numbers from
8942 the code listing, otherwise links will use the labels with no parentheses.
8946 #+BEGIN_SRC emacs-lisp -n -r
8947 (save-excursion (ref:sc)
8948 (goto-char (point-min)) (ref:jump)
8950 In line [[(sc)]] we remember the current position. [[(jump)][Line (jump)]]
8954 @vindex org-coderef-label-format
8955 If the syntax for the label format conflicts with the language syntax, use a
8956 @code{-l} switch to change the format, for example @samp{#+BEGIN_SRC pascal
8957 -n -r -l "((%s))"}. See also the variable @code{org-coderef-label-format}.
8959 HTML export also allows examples to be published as text areas (@pxref{Text
8960 areas in HTML export}).
8962 Because the @code{#+BEGIN_...} and @code{#+END_...} patterns need to be added
8963 so often, shortcuts are provided using the Easy Templates facility
8964 (@pxref{Easy Templates}).
8969 Edit the source code example at point in its native mode. This works by
8970 switching to a temporary buffer with the source code. You need to exit by
8971 pressing @kbd{C-c '} again@footnote{Upon exit, lines starting with @samp{*}
8972 or @samp{#} will get a comma prepended, to keep them from being interpreted
8973 by Org as outline nodes or special comments. These commas will be stripped
8974 for editing with @kbd{C-c '}, and also for export.}. The edited version will
8975 then replace the old version in the Org buffer. Fixed-width regions
8976 (where each line starts with a colon followed by a space) will be edited
8977 using @code{artist-mode}@footnote{You may select a different-mode with the
8978 variable @code{org-edit-fixed-width-region-mode}.} to allow creating ASCII
8979 drawings easily. Using this command in an empty line will create a new
8983 Calling @code{org-store-link} while editing a source code example in a
8984 temporary buffer created with @kbd{C-c '} will prompt for a label. Make sure
8985 that it is unique in the current buffer, and insert it with the proper
8986 formatting like @samp{(ref:label)} at the end of the current line. Then the
8987 label is stored as a link @samp{(label)}, for retrieval with @kbd{C-c C-l}.
8991 @node Include files, Index entries, Literal examples, Markup
8992 @section Include files
8993 @cindex include files, markup rules
8995 During export, you can include the content of another file. For example, to
8996 include your @file{.emacs} file, you could use:
9000 #+INCLUDE: "~/.emacs" src emacs-lisp
9003 The optional second and third parameter are the markup (e.g.@: @samp{quote},
9004 @samp{example}, or @samp{src}), and, if the markup is @samp{src}, the
9005 language for formatting the contents. The markup is optional; if it is not
9006 given, the text will be assumed to be in Org-mode format and will be
9007 processed normally. The include line will also allow additional keyword
9008 parameters @code{:prefix1} and @code{:prefix} to specify prefixes for the
9009 first line and for each following line, @code{:minlevel} in order to get
9010 org-mode content demoted to a specified level, as well as any options
9011 accepted by the selected markup. For example, to include a file as an item,
9015 #+INCLUDE: "~/snippets/xx" :prefix1 " + " :prefix " "
9018 You can also include a portion of a file by specifying a lines range using
9019 the @code{:lines} parameter. The line at the upper end of the range will not
9020 be included. The start and/or the end of the range may be omitted to use the
9024 #+INCLUDE: "~/.emacs" :lines "5-10" @r{Include lines 5 to 10, 10 excluded}
9025 #+INCLUDE: "~/.emacs" :lines "-10" @r{Include lines 1 to 10, 10 excluded}
9026 #+INCLUDE: "~/.emacs" :lines "10-" @r{Include lines from 10 to EOF}
9032 Visit the include file at point.
9035 @node Index entries, Macro replacement, Include files, Markup
9036 @section Index entries
9037 @cindex index entries, for publishing
9039 You can specify entries that will be used for generating an index during
9040 publishing. This is done by lines starting with @code{#+INDEX}. An entry
9041 the contains an exclamation mark will create a sub item. See @ref{Generating
9042 an index} for more information.
9047 #+INDEX: Application!CV
9053 @node Macro replacement, Embedded LaTeX, Index entries, Markup
9054 @section Macro replacement
9055 @cindex macro replacement, during export
9058 You can define text snippets with
9061 #+MACRO: name replacement text $1, $2 are arguments
9064 @noindent which can be referenced anywhere in the document (even in
9065 code examples) with @code{@{@{@{name(arg1,arg2)@}@}@}}. In addition to
9066 defined macros, @code{@{@{@{title@}@}@}}, @code{@{@{@{author@}@}@}}, etc.,
9067 will reference information set by the @code{#+TITLE:}, @code{#+AUTHOR:}, and
9068 similar lines. Also, @code{@{@{@{date(@var{FORMAT})@}@}@}} and
9069 @code{@{@{@{modification-time(@var{FORMAT})@}@}@}} refer to current date time
9070 and to the modification time of the file being exported, respectively.
9071 @var{FORMAT} should be a format string understood by
9072 @code{format-time-string}.
9074 Macro expansion takes place during export, and some people use it to
9075 construct complex HTML code.
9078 @node Embedded LaTeX, , Macro replacement, Markup
9079 @section Embedded @LaTeX{}
9080 @cindex @TeX{} interpretation
9081 @cindex @LaTeX{} interpretation
9083 Plain ASCII is normally sufficient for almost all note taking. Exceptions
9084 include scientific notes, which often require mathematical symbols and the
9085 occasional formula. @LaTeX{}@footnote{@LaTeX{} is a macro system based on
9086 Donald E. Knuth's @TeX{} system. Many of the features described here as
9087 ``@LaTeX{}'' are really from @TeX{}, but for simplicity I am blurring this
9088 distinction.} is widely used to typeset scientific documents. Org-mode
9089 supports embedding @LaTeX{} code into its files, because many academics are
9090 used to writing and reading @LaTeX{} source code, and because it can be
9091 readily processed to produce pretty output for a number of export backends.
9094 * Special symbols:: Greek letters and other symbols
9095 * Subscripts and superscripts:: Simple syntax for raising/lowering text
9096 * LaTeX fragments:: Complex formulas made easy
9097 * Previewing LaTeX fragments:: What will this snippet look like?
9098 * CDLaTeX mode:: Speed up entering of formulas
9101 @node Special symbols, Subscripts and superscripts, Embedded LaTeX, Embedded LaTeX
9102 @subsection Special symbols
9103 @cindex math symbols
9104 @cindex special symbols
9105 @cindex @TeX{} macros
9106 @cindex @LaTeX{} fragments, markup rules
9107 @cindex HTML entities
9108 @cindex @LaTeX{} entities
9110 You can use @LaTeX{} macros to insert special symbols like @samp{\alpha} to
9111 indicate the Greek letter, or @samp{\to} to indicate an arrow. Completion
9112 for these macros is available, just type @samp{\} and maybe a few letters,
9113 and press @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} to see possible completions. Unlike @LaTeX{}
9114 code, Org-mode allows these macros to be present without surrounding math
9115 delimiters, for example:
9118 Angles are written as Greek letters \alpha, \beta and \gamma.
9121 @vindex org-entities
9122 During export, these symbols will be transformed into the native format of
9123 the exporter backend. Strings like @code{\alpha} will be exported as
9124 @code{α} in the HTML output, and as @code{$\alpha$} in the @LaTeX{}
9125 output. Similarly, @code{\nbsp} will become @code{ } in HTML and
9126 @code{~} in @LaTeX{}. If you need such a symbol inside a word, terminate it
9127 like this: @samp{\Aacute@{@}stor}.
9129 A large number of entities is provided, with names taken from both HTML and
9130 @LaTeX{}; see the variable @code{org-entities} for the complete list.
9131 @samp{\-} is treated as a shy hyphen, and @samp{--}, @samp{---}, and
9132 @samp{...} are all converted into special commands creating hyphens of
9133 different lengths or a compact set of dots.
9135 If you would like to see entities displayed as UTF8 characters, use the
9136 following command@footnote{You can turn this on by default by setting the
9137 variable @code{org-pretty-entities}, or on a per-file base with the
9138 @code{#+STARTUP} option @code{entitiespretty}.}:
9143 Toggle display of entities as UTF-8 characters. This does not change the
9144 buffer content which remains plain ASCII, but it overlays the UTF-8 character
9145 for display purposes only.
9148 @node Subscripts and superscripts, LaTeX fragments, Special symbols, Embedded LaTeX
9149 @subsection Subscripts and superscripts
9153 Just like in @LaTeX{}, @samp{^} and @samp{_} are used to indicate super-
9154 and subscripts. Again, these can be used without embedding them in
9155 math-mode delimiters. To increase the readability of ASCII text, it is
9156 not necessary (but OK) to surround multi-character sub- and superscripts
9157 with curly braces. For example
9160 The mass of the sun is M_sun = 1.989 x 10^30 kg. The radius of
9161 the sun is R_@{sun@} = 6.96 x 10^8 m.
9164 @vindex org-export-with-sub-superscripts
9165 To avoid interpretation as raised or lowered text, you can quote @samp{^} and
9166 @samp{_} with a backslash: @samp{\^} and @samp{\_}. If you write a text
9167 where the underscore is often used in a different context, Org's convention
9168 to always interpret these as subscripts can get in your way. Configure the
9169 variable @code{org-export-with-sub-superscripts} to globally change this
9170 convention, or use, on a per-file basis:
9176 @noindent With this setting, @samp{a_b} will not be interpreted as a
9177 subscript, but @samp{a_@{b@}} will.
9182 In addition to showing entities as UTF-8 characters, this command will also
9183 format sub- and superscripts in a WYSIWYM way.
9186 @node LaTeX fragments, Previewing LaTeX fragments, Subscripts and superscripts, Embedded LaTeX
9187 @subsection @LaTeX{} fragments
9188 @cindex @LaTeX{} fragments
9190 @vindex org-format-latex-header
9191 Going beyond symbols and sub- and superscripts, a full formula language is
9192 needed. Org-mode can contain @LaTeX{} math fragments, and it supports ways
9193 to process these for several export backends. When exporting to @LaTeX{},
9194 the code is obviously left as it is. When exporting to HTML, Org invokes the
9195 @uref{http://www.mathjax.org, MathJax library} (@pxref{Math formatting in
9196 HTML export}) to process and display the math@footnote{If you plan to use
9197 this regularly or on pages with significant page views, you should install
9198 @file{MathJax} on your own
9199 server in order to limit the load of our server.}. Finally, it can also
9200 process the mathematical expressions into images@footnote{For this to work
9201 you need to be on a system with a working @LaTeX{} installation. You also
9202 need the @file{dvipng} program, available at
9203 @url{http://sourceforge.net/projects/dvipng/}. The @LaTeX{} header that will
9204 be used when processing a fragment can be configured with the variable
9205 @code{org-format-latex-header}.} that can be displayed in a browser or in
9208 @LaTeX{} fragments don't need any special marking at all. The following
9209 snippets will be identified as @LaTeX{} source code:
9212 Environments of any kind@footnote{When @file{MathJax} is used, only the
9213 environment recognized by @file{MathJax} will be processed. When
9214 @file{dvipng} is used to create images, any @LaTeX{} environments will be
9215 handled.}. The only requirement is that the @code{\begin} statement appears
9216 on a new line, preceded by only whitespace.
9218 Text within the usual @LaTeX{} math delimiters. To avoid conflicts with
9219 currency specifications, single @samp{$} characters are only recognized as
9220 math delimiters if the enclosed text contains at most two line breaks, is
9221 directly attached to the @samp{$} characters with no whitespace in between,
9222 and if the closing @samp{$} is followed by whitespace, punctuation or a dash.
9223 For the other delimiters, there is no such restriction, so when in doubt, use
9224 @samp{\(...\)} as inline math delimiters.
9227 @noindent For example:
9230 \begin@{equation@} % arbitrary environments,
9231 x=\sqrt@{b@} % even tables, figures
9232 \end@{equation@} % etc
9234 If $a^2=b$ and \( b=2 \), then the solution must be
9235 either $$ a=+\sqrt@{2@} $$ or \[ a=-\sqrt@{2@} \].
9239 @vindex org-format-latex-options
9240 If you need any of the delimiter ASCII sequences for other purposes, you
9241 can configure the option @code{org-format-latex-options} to deselect the
9242 ones you do not wish to have interpreted by the @LaTeX{} converter.
9244 @vindex org-export-with-LaTeX-fragments
9245 LaTeX processing can be configured with the variable
9246 @code{org-export-with-LaTeX-fragments}. The default setting is @code{t}
9247 which means @file{MathJax} for HTML, and no processing for DocBook, ASCII and
9248 LaTeX backends. You can also set this variable on a per-file basis using one
9252 #+OPTIONS: LaTeX:t @r{Do the right thing automatically (MathJax)}
9253 #+OPTIONS: LaTeX:dvipng @r{Force using dvipng images}
9254 #+OPTIONS: LaTeX:nil @r{Do not process @LaTeX{} fragments at all}
9255 #+OPTIONS: LaTeX:verbatim @r{Verbatim export, for jsMath or so}
9258 @node Previewing LaTeX fragments, CDLaTeX mode, LaTeX fragments, Embedded LaTeX
9259 @subsection Previewing LaTeX fragments
9260 @cindex LaTeX fragments, preview
9262 If you have @file{dvipng} installed, @LaTeX{} fragments can be processed to
9263 produce preview images of the typeset expressions:
9268 Produce a preview image of the @LaTeX{} fragment at point and overlay it
9269 over the source code. If there is no fragment at point, process all
9270 fragments in the current entry (between two headlines). When called
9271 with a prefix argument, process the entire subtree. When called with
9272 two prefix arguments, or when the cursor is before the first headline,
9273 process the entire buffer.
9276 Remove the overlay preview images.
9279 @vindex org-format-latex-options
9280 You can customize the variable @code{org-format-latex-options} to influence
9281 some aspects of the preview. In particular, the @code{:scale} (and for HTML
9282 export, @code{:html-scale}) property can be used to adjust the size of the
9285 @node CDLaTeX mode, , Previewing LaTeX fragments, Embedded LaTeX
9286 @subsection Using CDLa@TeX{} to enter math
9289 CDLa@TeX{} mode is a minor mode that is normally used in combination with a
9290 major @LaTeX{} mode like AUC@TeX{} in order to speed-up insertion of
9291 environments and math templates. Inside Org-mode, you can make use of
9292 some of the features of CDLa@TeX{} mode. You need to install
9293 @file{cdlatex.el} and @file{texmathp.el} (the latter comes also with
9294 AUC@TeX{}) from @url{http://www.astro.uva.nl/~dominik/Tools/cdlatex}.
9295 Don't use CDLa@TeX{} mode itself under Org-mode, but use the light
9296 version @code{org-cdlatex-mode} that comes as part of Org-mode. Turn it
9297 on for the current buffer with @code{M-x org-cdlatex-mode}, or for all
9301 (add-hook 'org-mode-hook 'turn-on-org-cdlatex)
9304 When this mode is enabled, the following features are present (for more
9305 details see the documentation of CDLa@TeX{} mode):
9309 Environment templates can be inserted with @kbd{C-c @{}.
9312 The @key{TAB} key will do template expansion if the cursor is inside a
9313 @LaTeX{} fragment@footnote{Org-mode has a method to test if the cursor is
9314 inside such a fragment, see the documentation of the function
9315 @code{org-inside-LaTeX-fragment-p}.}. For example, @key{TAB} will
9316 expand @code{fr} to @code{\frac@{@}@{@}} and position the cursor
9317 correctly inside the first brace. Another @key{TAB} will get you into
9318 the second brace. Even outside fragments, @key{TAB} will expand
9319 environment abbreviations at the beginning of a line. For example, if
9320 you write @samp{equ} at the beginning of a line and press @key{TAB},
9321 this abbreviation will be expanded to an @code{equation} environment.
9322 To get a list of all abbreviations, type @kbd{M-x cdlatex-command-help}.
9326 @vindex cdlatex-simplify-sub-super-scripts
9327 Pressing @kbd{_} and @kbd{^} inside a @LaTeX{} fragment will insert these
9328 characters together with a pair of braces. If you use @key{TAB} to move
9329 out of the braces, and if the braces surround only a single character or
9330 macro, they are removed again (depending on the variable
9331 @code{cdlatex-simplify-sub-super-scripts}).
9334 Pressing the backquote @kbd{`} followed by a character inserts math
9335 macros, also outside @LaTeX{} fragments. If you wait more than 1.5 seconds
9336 after the backquote, a help window will pop up.
9339 Pressing the single-quote @kbd{'} followed by another character modifies
9340 the symbol before point with an accent or a font. If you wait more than
9341 1.5 seconds after the single-quote, a help window will pop up. Character
9342 modification will work only inside @LaTeX{} fragments; outside the quote
9346 @node Exporting, Publishing, Markup, Top
9350 Org-mode documents can be exported into a variety of other formats. For
9351 printing and sharing of notes, ASCII export produces a readable and simple
9352 version of an Org file. HTML export allows you to publish a notes file on
9353 the web, while the XOXO format provides a solid base for exchange with a
9354 broad range of other applications. @LaTeX{} export lets you use Org-mode and
9355 its structured editing functions to easily create @LaTeX{} files. DocBook
9356 export makes it possible to convert Org files to many other formats using
9357 DocBook tools. For project management you can create gantt and resource
9358 charts by using TaskJuggler export. To incorporate entries with associated
9359 times like deadlines or appointments into a desktop calendar program like
9360 iCal, Org-mode can also produce extracts in the iCalendar format. Currently
9361 Org-mode only supports export, not import of these different formats.
9363 Org supports export of selected regions when @code{transient-mark-mode} is
9364 enabled (default in Emacs 23).
9367 * Selective export:: Using tags to select and exclude trees
9368 * Export options:: Per-file export settings
9369 * The export dispatcher:: How to access exporter commands
9370 * ASCII/Latin-1/UTF-8 export:: Exporting to flat files with encoding
9371 * HTML export:: Exporting to HTML
9372 * LaTeX and PDF export:: Exporting to @LaTeX{}, and processing to PDF
9373 * DocBook export:: Exporting to DocBook
9374 * TaskJuggler export:: Exporting to TaskJuggler
9375 * Freemind export:: Exporting to Freemind mind maps
9376 * XOXO export:: Exporting to XOXO
9377 * iCalendar export:: Exporting in iCalendar format
9380 @node Selective export, Export options, Exporting, Exporting
9381 @section Selective export
9382 @cindex export, selective by tags or TODO keyword
9384 @vindex org-export-select-tags
9385 @vindex org-export-exclude-tags
9386 @cindex org-export-with-tasks
9387 You may use tags to select the parts of a document that should be exported,
9388 or to exclude parts from export. This behavior is governed by two variables:
9389 @code{org-export-select-tags} and @code{org-export-exclude-tags}.
9393 Org first checks if any of the @emph{select} tags is present in the
9394 buffer. If yes, all trees that do not carry one of these tags will be
9395 excluded. If a selected tree is a subtree, the heading hierarchy above it
9396 will also be selected for export, but not the text below those headings.
9399 If none of the select tags is found, the whole buffer will be selected for
9403 Finally, all subtrees that are marked by any of the @emph{exclude} tags will
9404 be removed from the export buffer.
9407 The variable @code{org-export-with-tasks} can be configured to select which
9408 kind of tasks should be included for export. See the docstring of the
9409 variable for more information.
9411 @node Export options, The export dispatcher, Selective export, Exporting
9412 @section Export options
9413 @cindex options, for export
9415 @cindex completion, of option keywords
9416 The exporter recognizes special lines in the buffer which provide
9417 additional information. These lines may be put anywhere in the file.
9418 The whole set of lines can be inserted into the buffer with @kbd{C-c
9419 C-e t}. For individual lines, a good way to make sure the keyword is
9420 correct is to type @samp{#+} and then use @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} completion
9421 (@pxref{Completion}). For a summary of other in-buffer settings not
9422 specifically related to export, see @ref{In-buffer settings}.
9423 In particular, note that you can place commonly-used (export) options in
9424 a separate file which can be included using @code{#+SETUPFILE}.
9427 @orgcmd{C-c C-e t,org-insert-export-options-template}
9428 Insert template with export options, see example below.
9435 @cindex #+DESCRIPTION
9443 @cindex #+EXPORT_SELECT_TAGS
9444 @cindex #+EXPORT_EXCLUDE_TAGS
9446 @cindex #+LATEX_HEADER
9447 @vindex user-full-name
9448 @vindex user-mail-address
9449 @vindex org-export-default-language
9451 #+TITLE: the title to be shown (default is the buffer name)
9452 #+AUTHOR: the author (default taken from @code{user-full-name})
9453 #+DATE: a date, fixed, or a format string for @code{format-time-string}
9454 #+EMAIL: his/her email address (default from @code{user-mail-address})
9455 #+DESCRIPTION: the page description, e.g.@: for the XHTML meta tag
9456 #+KEYWORDS: the page keywords, e.g.@: for the XHTML meta tag
9457 #+LANGUAGE: language for HTML, e.g.@: @samp{en} (@code{org-export-default-language})
9458 #+TEXT: Some descriptive text to be inserted at the beginning.
9459 #+TEXT: Several lines may be given.
9460 #+OPTIONS: H:2 num:t toc:t \n:nil @@:t ::t |:t ^:t f:t TeX:t ...
9461 #+BIND: lisp-var lisp-val, e.g.@:: org-export-latex-low-levels itemize
9462 @r{You need to confirm using these, or configure @code{org-export-allow-BIND}}
9463 #+LINK_UP: the ``up'' link of an exported page
9464 #+LINK_HOME: the ``home'' link of an exported page
9465 #+LATEX_HEADER: extra line(s) for the LaTeX header, like \usepackage@{xyz@}
9466 #+EXPORT_SELECT_TAGS: Tags that select a tree for export
9467 #+EXPORT_EXCLUDE_TAGS: Tags that exclude a tree from export
9468 #+XSLT: the XSLT stylesheet used by DocBook exporter to generate FO file
9472 The OPTIONS line is a compact@footnote{If you want to configure many options
9473 this way, you can use several OPTIONS lines.} form to specify export
9474 settings. Here you can:
9475 @cindex headline levels
9476 @cindex section-numbers
9477 @cindex table of contents
9478 @cindex line-break preservation
9479 @cindex quoted HTML tags
9480 @cindex fixed-width sections
9482 @cindex @TeX{}-like syntax for sub- and superscripts
9484 @cindex special strings
9485 @cindex emphasized text
9486 @cindex @TeX{} macros
9487 @cindex @LaTeX{} fragments
9488 @cindex author info, in export
9489 @cindex time info, in export
9490 @vindex org-export-plist-vars
9491 @vindex org-export-author-info
9492 @vindex org-export-creator-info
9493 @vindex org-export-email-info
9494 @vindex org-export-time-stamp-file
9496 H: @r{set the number of headline levels for export}
9497 num: @r{turn on/off section-numbers}
9498 toc: @r{turn on/off table of contents, or set level limit (integer)}
9499 \n: @r{turn on/off line-break-preservation (DOES NOT WORK)}
9500 @@: @r{turn on/off quoted HTML tags}
9501 :: @r{turn on/off fixed-width sections}
9502 |: @r{turn on/off tables}
9503 ^: @r{turn on/off @TeX{}-like syntax for sub- and superscripts. If}
9504 @r{you write "^:@{@}", @code{a_@{b@}} will be interpreted, but}
9505 @r{the simple @code{a_b} will be left as it is.}
9506 -: @r{turn on/off conversion of special strings.}
9507 f: @r{turn on/off footnotes like this[1].}
9508 todo: @r{turn on/off inclusion of TODO keywords into exported text}
9509 tasks: @r{turn on/off inclusion of tasks (TODO items), can be nil to remove}
9510 @r{all tasks, @code{todo} to remove DONE tasks, or list of kwds to keep}
9511 pri: @r{turn on/off priority cookies}
9512 tags: @r{turn on/off inclusion of tags, may also be @code{not-in-toc}}
9513 <: @r{turn on/off inclusion of any time/date stamps like DEADLINES}
9514 *: @r{turn on/off emphasized text (bold, italic, underlined)}
9515 TeX: @r{turn on/off simple @TeX{} macros in plain text}
9516 LaTeX: @r{configure export of @LaTeX{} fragments. Default @code{auto}}
9517 skip: @r{turn on/off skipping the text before the first heading}
9518 author: @r{turn on/off inclusion of author name/email into exported file}
9519 email: @r{turn on/off inclusion of author email into exported file}
9520 creator: @r{turn on/off inclusion of creator info into exported file}
9521 timestamp: @r{turn on/off inclusion creation time into exported file}
9522 d: @r{turn on/off inclusion of drawers}
9525 These options take effect in both the HTML and @LaTeX{} export, except for
9526 @code{TeX} and @code{LaTeX} options, which are respectively @code{t} and
9527 @code{nil} for the @LaTeX{} export.
9529 The default values for these and many other options are given by a set of
9530 variables. For a list of such variables, the corresponding OPTIONS keys and
9531 also the publishing keys (@pxref{Project alist}), see the constant
9532 @code{org-export-plist-vars}.
9534 When exporting only a single subtree by selecting it with @kbd{C-c @@} before
9535 calling an export command, the subtree can overrule some of the file's export
9536 settings with properties @code{EXPORT_FILE_NAME}, @code{EXPORT_TITLE},
9537 @code{EXPORT_TEXT}, @code{EXPORT_AUTHOR}, @code{EXPORT_DATE}, and
9538 @code{EXPORT_OPTIONS}.
9540 @node The export dispatcher, ASCII/Latin-1/UTF-8 export, Export options, Exporting
9541 @section The export dispatcher
9542 @cindex dispatcher, for export commands
9544 All export commands can be reached using the export dispatcher, which is a
9545 prefix key that prompts for an additional key specifying the command.
9546 Normally the entire file is exported, but if there is an active region that
9547 contains one outline tree, the first heading is used as document title and
9548 the subtrees are exported.
9551 @orgcmd{C-c C-e,org-export}
9552 @vindex org-export-run-in-background
9553 Dispatcher for export and publishing commands. Displays a help-window
9554 listing the additional key(s) needed to launch an export or publishing
9555 command. The prefix arg is passed through to the exporter. A double prefix
9556 @kbd{C-u C-u} causes most commands to be executed in the background, in a
9557 separate Emacs process@footnote{To make this behavior the default, customize
9558 the variable @code{org-export-run-in-background}.}.
9559 @orgcmd{C-c C-e v,org-export-visible}
9560 Like @kbd{C-c C-e}, but only export the text that is currently visible
9561 (i.e.@: not hidden by outline visibility).
9562 @orgcmd{C-u C-u C-c C-e,org-export}
9563 @vindex org-export-run-in-background
9564 Call the exporter, but reverse the setting of
9565 @code{org-export-run-in-background}, i.e.@: request background processing if
9566 not set, or force processing in the current Emacs process if set.
9569 @node ASCII/Latin-1/UTF-8 export, HTML export, The export dispatcher, Exporting
9570 @section ASCII/Latin-1/UTF-8 export
9571 @cindex ASCII export
9572 @cindex Latin-1 export
9573 @cindex UTF-8 export
9575 ASCII export produces a simple and very readable version of an Org-mode
9576 file, containing only plain ASCII. Latin-1 and UTF-8 export augment the file
9577 with special characters and symbols available in these encodings.
9579 @cindex region, active
9580 @cindex active region
9581 @cindex transient-mark-mode
9583 @orgcmd{C-c C-e a,org-export-as-ascii}
9584 @cindex property, EXPORT_FILE_NAME
9585 Export as ASCII file. For an Org file, @file{myfile.org}, the ASCII file
9586 will be @file{myfile.txt}. The file will be overwritten without
9587 warning. If there is an active region@footnote{This requires
9588 @code{transient-mark-mode} be turned on.}, only the region will be
9589 exported. If the selected region is a single tree@footnote{To select the
9590 current subtree, use @kbd{C-c @@}.}, the tree head will
9591 become the document title. If the tree head entry has or inherits an
9592 @code{EXPORT_FILE_NAME} property, that name will be used for the
9594 @orgcmd{C-c C-e A,org-export-as-ascii-to-buffer}
9595 Export to a temporary buffer. Do not create a file.
9596 @orgcmd{C-c C-e n,org-export-as-latin1}
9597 @xorgcmd{C-c C-e N,org-export-as-latin1-to-buffer}
9598 Like the above commands, but use Latin-1 encoding.
9599 @orgcmd{C-c C-e u,org-export-as-utf8}
9600 @xorgcmd{C-c C-e U,org-export-as-utf8-to-buffer}
9601 Like the above commands, but use UTF-8 encoding.
9602 @item C-c C-e v a/n/u
9603 Export only the visible part of the document.
9606 @cindex headline levels, for exporting
9607 In the exported version, the first 3 outline levels will become
9608 headlines, defining a general document structure. Additional levels
9609 will be exported as itemized lists. If you want that transition to occur
9610 at a different level, specify it with a prefix argument. For example,
9617 creates only top level headlines and does the rest as items. When
9618 headlines are converted to items, the indentation of the text following
9619 the headline is changed to fit nicely under the item. This is done with
9620 the assumption that the first body line indicates the base indentation of
9621 the body text. Any indentation larger than this is adjusted to preserve
9622 the layout relative to the first line. Should there be lines with less
9623 indentation than the first, these are left alone.
9625 @vindex org-export-ascii-links-to-notes
9626 Links will be exported in a footnote-like style, with the descriptive part in
9627 the text and the link in a note before the next heading. See the variable
9628 @code{org-export-ascii-links-to-notes} for details and other options.
9630 @node HTML export, LaTeX and PDF export, ASCII/Latin-1/UTF-8 export, Exporting
9631 @section HTML export
9634 Org-mode contains an HTML (XHTML 1.0 strict) exporter with extensive
9635 HTML formatting, in ways similar to John Gruber's @emph{markdown}
9636 language, but with additional support for tables.
9639 * HTML Export commands:: How to invoke HTML export
9640 * HTML preamble and postamble:: How to insert a preamble and a postamble
9641 * Quoting HTML tags:: Using direct HTML in Org-mode
9642 * Links in HTML export:: How links will be interpreted and formatted
9643 * Tables in HTML export:: How to modify the formatting of tables
9644 * Images in HTML export:: How to insert figures into HTML output
9645 * Math formatting in HTML export:: Beautiful math also on the web
9646 * Text areas in HTML export:: An alternative way to show an example
9647 * CSS support:: Changing the appearance of the output
9648 * JavaScript support:: Info and Folding in a web browser
9651 @node HTML Export commands, HTML preamble and postamble, HTML export, HTML export
9652 @subsection HTML export commands
9654 @cindex region, active
9655 @cindex active region
9656 @cindex transient-mark-mode
9658 @orgcmd{C-c C-e h,org-export-as-html}
9659 @cindex property, EXPORT_FILE_NAME
9660 Export as HTML file. For an Org file @file{myfile.org},
9661 the HTML file will be @file{myfile.html}. The file will be overwritten
9662 without warning. If there is an active region@footnote{This requires
9663 @code{transient-mark-mode} be turned on.}, only the region will be
9664 exported. If the selected region is a single tree@footnote{To select the
9665 current subtree, use @kbd{C-c @@}.}, the tree head will become the document
9666 title. If the tree head entry has, or inherits, an @code{EXPORT_FILE_NAME}
9667 property, that name will be used for the export.
9668 @orgcmd{C-c C-e b,org-export-as-html-and-open}
9669 Export as HTML file and immediately open it with a browser.
9670 @orgcmd{C-c C-e H,org-export-as-html-to-buffer}
9671 Export to a temporary buffer. Do not create a file.
9672 @orgcmd{C-c C-e R,org-export-region-as-html}
9673 Export the active region to a temporary buffer. With a prefix argument, do
9674 not produce the file header and footer, but just the plain HTML section for
9675 the region. This is good for cut-and-paste operations.
9676 @item C-c C-e v h/b/H/R
9677 Export only the visible part of the document.
9678 @item M-x org-export-region-as-html
9679 Convert the region to HTML under the assumption that it was Org-mode
9680 syntax before. This is a global command that can be invoked in any
9682 @item M-x org-replace-region-by-HTML
9683 Replace the active region (assumed to be in Org-mode syntax) by HTML
9687 @cindex headline levels, for exporting
9688 In the exported version, the first 3 outline levels will become headlines,
9689 defining a general document structure. Additional levels will be exported as
9690 itemized lists. If you want that transition to occur at a different level,
9691 specify it with a numeric prefix argument. For example,
9698 creates two levels of headings and does the rest as items.
9701 @node HTML preamble and postamble, Quoting HTML tags, HTML Export commands, HTML export
9702 @subsection HTML preamble and postamble
9703 @vindex org-export-html-preamble
9704 @vindex org-export-html-postamble
9705 @vindex org-export-html-preamble-format
9706 @vindex org-export-html-postamble-format
9707 @vindex org-export-html-validation-link
9708 @vindex org-export-author-info
9709 @vindex org-export-email-info
9710 @vindex org-export-creator-info
9711 @vindex org-export-time-stamp-file
9713 The HTML exporter lets you define a preamble and a postamble.
9715 The default value for @code{org-export-html-preamble} is @code{t}, which
9716 means that the preamble is inserted depending on the relevant formatting
9717 string in @code{org-export-html-preamble-format}. Setting
9718 @code{org-export-html-preamble} to a string will override the default
9719 formatting string. Setting it to a function, will insert the output of the
9720 function. Setting to @code{nil} will not insert any preamble.
9722 The default value for @code{org-export-html-postamble} is @code{'auto}, which
9723 means that the HTML exporter will look for the value of
9724 @code{org-export-author-info}, @code{org-export-email-info},
9725 @code{org-export-creator-info} and @code{org-export-time-stamp-file},
9726 @code{org-export-html-validation-link} and build the postamble from these
9727 values. Setting @code{org-export-html-postamble} to @code{t} will insert the
9728 postamble from the relevant formatting string found in
9729 @code{org-export-html-postamble-format}. Setting it to @code{nil} will not
9730 insert any postamble.
9732 @node Quoting HTML tags, Links in HTML export, HTML preamble and postamble, HTML export
9733 @subsection Quoting HTML tags
9735 Plain @samp{<} and @samp{>} are always transformed to @samp{<} and
9736 @samp{>} in HTML export. If you want to include simple HTML tags
9737 which should be interpreted as such, mark them with @samp{@@} as in
9738 @samp{@@<b>bold text@@</b>}. Note that this really works only for
9739 simple tags. For more extensive HTML that should be copied verbatim to
9740 the exported file use either
9743 @cindex #+BEGIN_HTML
9745 #+HTML: Literal HTML code for export
9749 @cindex #+BEGIN_HTML
9753 All lines between these markers are exported literally
9758 @node Links in HTML export, Tables in HTML export, Quoting HTML tags, HTML export
9759 @subsection Links in HTML export
9761 @cindex links, in HTML export
9762 @cindex internal links, in HTML export
9763 @cindex external links, in HTML export
9764 Internal links (@pxref{Internal links}) will continue to work in HTML. This
9765 includes automatic links created by radio targets (@pxref{Radio
9766 targets}). Links to external files will still work if the target file is on
9767 the same @i{relative} path as the published Org file. Links to other
9768 @file{.org} files will be translated into HTML links under the assumption
9769 that an HTML version also exists of the linked file, at the same relative
9770 path. @samp{id:} links can then be used to jump to specific entries across
9771 files. For information related to linking files while publishing them to a
9772 publishing directory see @ref{Publishing links}.
9774 If you want to specify attributes for links, you can do so using a special
9775 @code{#+ATTR_HTML} line to define attributes that will be added to the
9776 @code{<a>} or @code{<img>} tags. Here is an example that sets @code{title}
9777 and @code{style} attributes for a link:
9781 #+ATTR_HTML: title="The Org-mode homepage" style="color:red;"
9782 [[http://orgmode.org]]
9785 @node Tables in HTML export, Images in HTML export, Links in HTML export, HTML export
9787 @cindex tables, in HTML
9788 @vindex org-export-html-table-tag
9790 Org-mode tables are exported to HTML using the table tag defined in
9791 @code{org-export-html-table-tag}. The default setting makes tables without
9792 cell borders and frame. If you would like to change this for individual
9793 tables, place something like the following before the table:
9798 #+CAPTION: This is a table with lines around and between cells
9799 #+ATTR_HTML: border="2" rules="all" frame="all"
9802 @node Images in HTML export, Math formatting in HTML export, Tables in HTML export, HTML export
9803 @subsection Images in HTML export
9805 @cindex images, inline in HTML
9806 @cindex inlining images in HTML
9807 @vindex org-export-html-inline-images
9808 HTML export can inline images given as links in the Org file, and
9809 it can make an image the clickable part of a link. By
9810 default@footnote{But see the variable
9811 @code{org-export-html-inline-images}.}, images are inlined if a link does
9812 not have a description. So @samp{[[file:myimg.jpg]]} will be inlined,
9813 while @samp{[[file:myimg.jpg][the image]]} will just produce a link
9814 @samp{the image} that points to the image. If the description part
9815 itself is a @code{file:} link or a @code{http:} URL pointing to an
9816 image, this image will be inlined and activated so that clicking on the
9817 image will activate the link. For example, to include a thumbnail that
9818 will link to a high resolution version of the image, you could use:
9821 [[file:highres.jpg][file:thumb.jpg]]
9824 If you need to add attributes to an inlined image, use a @code{#+ATTR_HTML}.
9825 In the example below we specify the @code{alt} and @code{title} attributes to
9826 support text viewers and accessibility, and align it to the right.
9831 #+CAPTION: A black cat stalking a spider
9832 #+ATTR_HTML: alt="cat/spider image" title="Action!" align="right"
9837 You could use @code{http} addresses just as well.
9839 @node Math formatting in HTML export, Text areas in HTML export, Images in HTML export, HTML export
9840 @subsection Math formatting in HTML export
9844 @LaTeX{} math snippets (@pxref{LaTeX fragments}) can be displayed in two
9845 different ways on HTML pages. The default is to use the
9846 @uref{http://www.mathjax.org, MathJax system} which should work out of the
9847 box with Org mode installation because @code{http://orgmode.org} serves
9848 @file{MathJax} for Org-mode users for small applications and for testing
9849 purposes. @b{If you plan to use this regularly or on pages with significant
9850 page views, you should install@footnote{Installation instructions can be
9851 found on the MathJax website, see
9852 @uref{http://www.mathjax.org/resources/docs/?installation.html}.} MathJax on
9853 your own server in order to limit the load of our server.} To configure
9854 @file{MathJax}, use the variable @code{org-export-html-mathjax-options} or
9855 insert something like the following into the buffer:
9858 #+MATHJAX: align:"left" mathml:t path:"/MathJax/MathJax.js"
9861 @noindent See the docstring of the variable
9862 @code{org-export-html-mathjax-options} for the meaning of the parameters in
9865 If you prefer, you can also request that @LaTeX{} fragments are processed
9866 into small images that will be inserted into the browser page. Before the
9867 availability of MathJax, this was the default method for Org files. This
9868 method requires that the @file{dvipng} program is available on your system.
9869 You can still get this processing with
9872 #+OPTIONS: LaTeX:dvipng
9875 @node Text areas in HTML export, CSS support, Math formatting in HTML export, HTML export
9876 @subsection Text areas in HTML export
9878 @cindex text areas, in HTML
9879 An alternative way to publish literal code examples in HTML is to use text
9880 areas, where the example can even be edited before pasting it into an
9881 application. It is triggered by a @code{-t} switch at an @code{example} or
9882 @code{src} block. Using this switch disables any options for syntax and
9883 label highlighting, and line numbering, which may be present. You may also
9884 use @code{-h} and @code{-w} switches to specify the height and width of the
9885 text area, which default to the number of lines in the example, and 80,
9886 respectively. For example
9889 #+BEGIN_EXAMPLE -t -w 40
9890 (defun org-xor (a b)
9897 @node CSS support, JavaScript support, Text areas in HTML export, HTML export
9898 @subsection CSS support
9899 @cindex CSS, for HTML export
9900 @cindex HTML export, CSS
9902 @vindex org-export-html-todo-kwd-class-prefix
9903 @vindex org-export-html-tag-class-prefix
9904 You can also give style information for the exported file. The HTML exporter
9905 assigns the following special CSS classes@footnote{If the classes on TODO
9906 keywords and tags lead to conflicts, use the variables
9907 @code{org-export-html-todo-kwd-class-prefix} and
9908 @code{org-export-html-tag-class-prefix} to make them unique.} to appropriate
9909 parts of the document---your style specifications may change these, in
9910 addition to any of the standard classes like for headlines, tables, etc.
9912 p.author @r{author information, including email}
9913 p.date @r{publishing date}
9914 p.creator @r{creator info, about org-mode version}
9915 .title @r{document title}
9916 .todo @r{TODO keywords, all not-done states}
9917 .done @r{the DONE keywords, all states that count as done}
9918 .WAITING @r{each TODO keyword also uses a class named after itself}
9919 .timestamp @r{timestamp}
9920 .timestamp-kwd @r{keyword associated with a timestamp, like SCHEDULED}
9921 .timestamp-wrapper @r{span around keyword plus timestamp}
9922 .tag @r{tag in a headline}
9923 ._HOME @r{each tag uses itself as a class, "@@" replaced by "_"}
9924 .target @r{target for links}
9925 .linenr @r{the line number in a code example}
9926 .code-highlighted @r{for highlighting referenced code lines}
9927 div.outline-N @r{div for outline level N (headline plus text))}
9928 div.outline-text-N @r{extra div for text at outline level N}
9929 .section-number-N @r{section number in headlines, different for each level}
9930 div.figure @r{how to format an inlined image}
9931 pre.src @r{formatted source code}
9932 pre.example @r{normal example}
9933 p.verse @r{verse paragraph}
9934 div.footnotes @r{footnote section headline}
9935 p.footnote @r{footnote definition paragraph, containing a footnote}
9936 .footref @r{a footnote reference number (always a <sup>)}
9937 .footnum @r{footnote number in footnote definition (always <sup>)}
9940 @vindex org-export-html-style-default
9941 @vindex org-export-html-style-include-default
9942 @vindex org-export-html-style
9943 @vindex org-export-html-extra
9944 @vindex org-export-html-style-default
9945 Each exported file contains a compact default style that defines these
9946 classes in a basic way@footnote{This style is defined in the constant
9947 @code{org-export-html-style-default}, which you should not modify. To turn
9948 inclusion of these defaults off, customize
9949 @code{org-export-html-style-include-default}}. You may overwrite these
9950 settings, or add to them by using the variables @code{org-export-html-style}
9951 (for Org-wide settings) and @code{org-export-html-style-extra} (for more
9952 fine-grained settings, like file-local settings). To set the latter variable
9953 individually for each file, you can use
9957 #+STYLE: <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="stylesheet.css" />
9961 For longer style definitions, you can use several such lines. You could also
9962 directly write a @code{<style>} @code{</style>} section in this way, without
9963 referring to an external file.
9965 In order to add styles to a subtree, use the @code{:HTML_CONTAINER_CLASS:}
9966 property to assign a class to the tree. In order to specify CSS styles for a
9967 particular headline, you can use the id specified in a @code{:CUSTOM_ID:}
9970 @c FIXME: More about header and footer styles
9971 @c FIXME: Talk about links and targets.
9973 @node JavaScript support, , CSS support, HTML export
9974 @subsection JavaScript supported display of web pages
9976 @cindex Rose, Sebastian
9977 Sebastian Rose has written a JavaScript program especially designed to
9978 enhance the web viewing experience of HTML files created with Org. This
9979 program allows you to view large files in two different ways. The first one
9980 is an @emph{Info}-like mode where each section is displayed separately and
9981 navigation can be done with the @kbd{n} and @kbd{p} keys (and some other keys
9982 as well, press @kbd{?} for an overview of the available keys). The second
9983 view type is a @emph{folding} view much like Org provides inside Emacs. The
9984 script is available at @url{http://orgmode.org/org-info.js} and you can find
9985 the documentation for it at @url{http://orgmode.org/worg/code/org-info-js/}.
9986 We host the script at our site, but if you use it a lot, you might
9987 not want to be dependent on @url{orgmode.org} and prefer to install a local
9988 copy on your own web server.
9990 To use the script, you need to make sure that the @file{org-jsinfo.el} module
9991 gets loaded. It should be loaded by default, but you can try @kbd{M-x
9992 customize-variable @key{RET} org-modules @key{RET}} to convince yourself that
9993 this is indeed the case. All it then takes to make use of the program is
9994 adding a single line to the Org file:
9996 @cindex #+INFOJS_OPT
9998 #+INFOJS_OPT: view:info toc:nil
10002 If this line is found, the HTML header will automatically contain the code
10003 needed to invoke the script. Using the line above, you can set the following
10007 path: @r{The path to the script. The default is to grab the script from}
10008 @r{@url{http://orgmode.org/org-info.js}, but you might want to have}
10009 @r{a local copy and use a path like @samp{../scripts/org-info.js}.}
10010 view: @r{Initial view when website is first shown. Possible values are:}
10011 info @r{Info-like interface with one section per page.}
10012 overview @r{Folding interface, initially showing only top-level.}
10013 content @r{Folding interface, starting with all headlines visible.}
10014 showall @r{Folding interface, all headlines and text visible.}
10015 sdepth: @r{Maximum headline level that will still become an independent}
10016 @r{section for info and folding modes. The default is taken from}
10017 @r{@code{org-export-headline-levels} (= the @code{H} switch in @code{#+OPTIONS}).}
10018 @r{If this is smaller than in @code{org-export-headline-levels}, each}
10019 @r{info/folding section can still contain child headlines.}
10020 toc: @r{Should the table of contents @emph{initially} be visible?}
10021 @r{Even when @code{nil}, you can always get to the "toc" with @kbd{i}.}
10022 tdepth: @r{The depth of the table of contents. The defaults are taken from}
10023 @r{the variables @code{org-export-headline-levels} and @code{org-export-with-toc}.}
10024 ftoc: @r{Does the CSS of the page specify a fixed position for the "toc"?}
10025 @r{If yes, the toc will never be displayed as a section.}
10026 ltoc: @r{Should there be short contents (children) in each section?}
10027 @r{Make this @code{above} if the section should be above initial text.}
10028 mouse: @r{Headings are highlighted when the mouse is over them. Should be}
10029 @r{@samp{underline} (default) or a background color like @samp{#cccccc}.}
10030 buttons: @r{Should view-toggle buttons be everywhere? When @code{nil} (the}
10031 @r{default), only one such button will be present.}
10034 @vindex org-infojs-options
10035 @vindex org-export-html-use-infojs
10036 You can choose default values for these options by customizing the variable
10037 @code{org-infojs-options}. If you always want to apply the script to your
10038 pages, configure the variable @code{org-export-html-use-infojs}.
10040 @node LaTeX and PDF export, DocBook export, HTML export, Exporting
10041 @section @LaTeX{} and PDF export
10042 @cindex @LaTeX{} export
10044 @cindex Guerry, Bastien
10046 Org-mode contains a @LaTeX{} exporter written by Bastien Guerry. With
10047 further processing@footnote{The default LaTeX output is designed for
10048 processing with pdftex or latex. It includes packages that are not
10049 compatible with xetex and possibly luatex. See the variables
10050 @code{org-export-latex-default-packages-alist} and
10051 @code{org-export-latex-packages-alist}.}, this backend is also used to
10052 produce PDF output. Since the @LaTeX{} output uses @file{hyperref} to
10053 implement links and cross references, the PDF output file will be fully
10054 linked. Beware of the fact that your @code{org} file has to be properly
10055 structured in order to be correctly exported: respect the hierarchy of
10059 * LaTeX/PDF export commands:: Which key invokes which commands
10060 * Header and sectioning:: Setting up the export file structure
10061 * Quoting LaTeX code:: Incorporating literal @LaTeX{} code
10062 * Tables in LaTeX export:: Options for exporting tables to @LaTeX{}
10063 * Images in LaTeX export:: How to insert figures into @LaTeX{} output
10064 * Beamer class export:: Turning the file into a presentation
10067 @node LaTeX/PDF export commands, Header and sectioning, LaTeX and PDF export, LaTeX and PDF export
10068 @subsection @LaTeX{} export commands
10070 @cindex region, active
10071 @cindex active region
10072 @cindex transient-mark-mode
10074 @orgcmd{C-c C-e l,org-export-as-latex}
10075 @cindex property EXPORT_FILE_NAME
10076 Export as @LaTeX{} file. For an Org file
10077 @file{myfile.org}, the @LaTeX{} file will be @file{myfile.tex}. The file will
10078 be overwritten without warning. If there is an active region@footnote{This
10079 requires @code{transient-mark-mode} be turned on.}, only the region will be
10080 exported. If the selected region is a single tree@footnote{To select the
10081 current subtree, use @kbd{C-c @@}.}, the tree head will become the document
10082 title. If the tree head entry has or inherits an @code{EXPORT_FILE_NAME}
10083 property, that name will be used for the export.
10084 @orgcmd{C-c C-e L,org-export-as-latex-to-buffer}
10085 Export to a temporary buffer. Do not create a file.
10086 @item C-c C-e v l/L
10087 Export only the visible part of the document.
10088 @item M-x org-export-region-as-latex
10089 Convert the region to @LaTeX{} under the assumption that it was Org-mode
10090 syntax before. This is a global command that can be invoked in any
10092 @item M-x org-replace-region-by-latex
10093 Replace the active region (assumed to be in Org-mode syntax) by @LaTeX{}
10095 @orgcmd{C-c C-e p,org-export-as-pdf}
10096 Export as @LaTeX{} and then process to PDF.
10097 @orgcmd{C-c C-e d,org-export-as-pdf-and-open}
10098 Export as @LaTeX{} and then process to PDF, then open the resulting PDF file.
10101 @cindex headline levels, for exporting
10102 @vindex org-latex-low-levels
10103 In the exported version, the first 3 outline levels will become
10104 headlines, defining a general document structure. Additional levels
10105 will be exported as description lists. The exporter can ignore them or
10106 convert them to a custom string depending on
10107 @code{org-latex-low-levels}.
10109 If you want that transition to occur at a different level, specify it
10110 with a numeric prefix argument. For example,
10113 @kbd{C-2 C-c C-e l}
10117 creates two levels of headings and does the rest as items.
10119 @node Header and sectioning, Quoting LaTeX code, LaTeX/PDF export commands, LaTeX and PDF export
10120 @subsection Header and sectioning structure
10121 @cindex @LaTeX{} class
10122 @cindex @LaTeX{} sectioning structure
10123 @cindex @LaTeX{} header
10124 @cindex header, for LaTeX files
10125 @cindex sectioning structure, for LaTeX export
10127 By default, the @LaTeX{} output uses the class @code{article}.
10129 @vindex org-export-latex-default-class
10130 @vindex org-export-latex-classes
10131 @vindex org-export-latex-default-packages-alist
10132 @vindex org-export-latex-packages-alist
10133 @cindex #+LATEX_HEADER
10134 @cindex #+LATEX_CLASS
10135 @cindex #+LATEX_CLASS_OPTIONS
10136 @cindex property, LATEX_CLASS
10137 @cindex property, LATEX_CLASS_OPTIONS
10138 You can change this globally by setting a different value for
10139 @code{org-export-latex-default-class} or locally by adding an option like
10140 @code{#+LaTeX_CLASS: myclass} in your file, or with a @code{:LaTeX_CLASS:}
10141 property that applies when exporting a region containing only this (sub)tree.
10142 The class must be listed in @code{org-export-latex-classes}. This variable
10143 defines a header template for each class@footnote{Into which the values of
10144 @code{org-export-latex-default-packages-alist} and
10145 @code{org-export-latex-packages-alist} are spliced.}, and allows you to
10146 define the sectioning structure for each class. You can also define your own
10147 classes there. @code{#+LaTeX_CLASS_OPTIONS} or a @code{LaTeX_CLASS_OPTIONS}
10148 property can specify the options for the @code{\documentclass} macro. You
10149 can also use @code{#+LATEX_HEADER: \usepackage@{xyz@}} to add lines to the
10150 header. See the docstring of @code{org-export-latex-classes} for more
10153 @node Quoting LaTeX code, Tables in LaTeX export, Header and sectioning, LaTeX and PDF export
10154 @subsection Quoting @LaTeX{} code
10156 Embedded @LaTeX{} as described in @ref{Embedded LaTeX}, will be correctly
10157 inserted into the @LaTeX{} file. This includes simple macros like
10158 @samp{\ref@{LABEL@}} to create a cross reference to a figure. Furthermore,
10159 you can add special code that should only be present in @LaTeX{} export with
10160 the following constructs:
10163 @cindex #+BEGIN_LaTeX
10165 #+LaTeX: Literal LaTeX code for export
10169 @cindex #+BEGIN_LaTeX
10173 All lines between these markers are exported literally
10178 @node Tables in LaTeX export, Images in LaTeX export, Quoting LaTeX code, LaTeX and PDF export
10179 @subsection Tables in @LaTeX{} export
10180 @cindex tables, in @LaTeX{} export
10182 For @LaTeX{} export of a table, you can specify a label, a caption and
10183 placement options (@pxref{Images and tables}). You can also use the
10184 @code{ATTR_LaTeX} line to request a @code{longtable} environment for the
10185 table, so that it may span several pages, or to change the default table
10186 environment from @code{table} to @code{table*} or to change the default inner
10187 tabular environment to @code{tabularx} or @code{tabulary}. Finally, you can
10188 set the alignment string, and (with @code{tabularx} or @code{tabulary}) the
10193 @cindex #+ATTR_LaTeX
10195 #+CAPTION: A long table
10197 #+ATTR_LaTeX: longtable align=l|lp@{3cm@}r|l
10202 or to specify a multicolumn table with @code{tabulary}
10206 @cindex #+ATTR_LaTeX
10208 #+CAPTION: A wide table with tabulary
10210 #+ATTR_LaTeX: table* tabulary width=\textwidth
10215 @node Images in LaTeX export, Beamer class export, Tables in LaTeX export, LaTeX and PDF export
10216 @subsection Images in @LaTeX{} export
10217 @cindex images, inline in @LaTeX{}
10218 @cindex inlining images in @LaTeX{}
10220 Images that are linked to without a description part in the link, like
10221 @samp{[[file:img.jpg]]} or @samp{[[./img.jpg]]} will be inserted into the PDF
10222 output file resulting from @LaTeX{} processing. Org will use an
10223 @code{\includegraphics} macro to insert the image. If you have specified a
10224 caption and/or a label as described in @ref{Images and tables}, the figure
10225 will be wrapped into a @code{figure} environment and thus become a floating
10226 element. You can use an @code{#+ATTR_LaTeX:} line to specify the various
10227 options that can be used in the optional argument of the
10228 @code{\includegraphics} macro. To modify the placement option of the
10229 @code{figure} environment, add something like @samp{placement=[h!]} to the
10230 Attributes. It is to be noted this option can be used with tables as well.
10231 The options are passed as the placement option to floating environments like
10232 @code{figure} or @code{table}. One can pass other compatible options as well.
10233 For example the @code{#+ATTR_LaTeX:} line below is exported as the
10234 @code{figure} environment below it.
10236 @cindex #+ATTR_LaTeX
10238 #+ATTR_LaTeX: placement=[<options>]\footnotesize
10240 \begin@{figure@}[<options>]\footnotesize
10245 If you would like to let text flow around the image, add the word @samp{wrap}
10246 to the @code{#+ATTR_LaTeX:} line, which will make the figure occupy the left
10247 half of the page. To fine-tune, the @code{placement} field will be the set
10248 of additional arguments needed by the @code{wrapfigure} environment. Note
10249 that if you change the size of the image, you need to use compatible settings
10250 for @code{\includegraphics} and @code{wrapfigure}.
10254 @cindex #+ATTR_LaTeX
10256 #+CAPTION: The black-body emission of the disk around HR 4049
10257 #+LABEL: fig:SED-HR4049
10258 #+ATTR_LaTeX: width=5cm,angle=90
10259 [[./img/sed-hr4049.pdf]]
10261 #+ATTR_LaTeX: width=0.38\textwidth wrap placement=@{r@}@{0.4\textwidth@}
10265 If you need references to a label created in this way, write
10266 @samp{\ref@{fig:SED-HR4049@}} just like in @LaTeX{}.
10268 @node Beamer class export, , Images in LaTeX export, LaTeX and PDF export
10269 @subsection Beamer class export
10271 The LaTeX class @file{beamer} allows production of high quality presentations
10272 using LaTeX and pdf processing. Org-mode has special support for turning an
10273 Org-mode file or tree into a @file{beamer} presentation.
10275 When the LaTeX class for the current buffer (as set with @code{#+LaTeX_CLASS:
10276 beamer}) or subtree (set with a @code{LaTeX_CLASS} property) is
10277 @code{beamer}, a special export mode will turn the file or tree into a beamer
10278 presentation. Any tree with not-too-deep level nesting should in principle be
10279 exportable as a beamer presentation. By default, the top-level entries (or
10280 the first level below the selected subtree heading) will be turned into
10281 frames, and the outline structure below this level will become itemize lists.
10282 You can also configure the variable @code{org-beamer-frame-level} to a
10283 different level---then the hierarchy above frames will produce the sectioning
10284 structure of the presentation.
10286 A template for useful in-buffer settings or properties can be inserted into
10287 the buffer with @kbd{M-x org-insert-beamer-options-template}. Among other
10288 things, this will install a column view format which is very handy for
10289 editing special properties used by beamer.
10291 You can influence the structure of the presentation using the following
10296 The environment that should be used to format this entry. Valid environments
10297 are defined in the constant @code{org-beamer-environments-default}, and you
10298 can define more in @code{org-beamer-environments-extra}. If this property is
10299 set, the entry will also get a @code{:B_environment:} tag to make this
10300 visible. This tag has no semantic meaning, it is only a visual aid.
10301 @item BEAMER_envargs
10302 The beamer-special arguments that should be used for the environment, like
10303 @code{[t]} or @code{[<+->]} of @code{<2-3>}. If the @code{BEAMER_col}
10304 property is also set, something like @code{C[t]} can be added here as well to
10305 set an options argument for the implied @code{columns} environment.
10306 @code{c[t]} or @code{c<2->} will set an options for the implied @code{column}
10309 The width of a column that should start with this entry. If this property is
10310 set, the entry will also get a @code{:BMCOL:} property to make this visible.
10311 Also this tag is only a visual aid. When this is a plain number, it will be
10312 interpreted as a fraction of @code{\textwidth}. Otherwise it will be assumed
10313 that you have specified the units, like @samp{3cm}. The first such property
10314 in a frame will start a @code{columns} environment to surround the columns.
10315 This environment is closed when an entry has a @code{BEAMER_col} property
10316 with value 0 or 1, or automatically at the end of the frame.
10318 Additional commands that should be inserted after the environment has been
10319 opened. For example, when creating a frame, this can be used to specify
10323 Frames will automatically receive a @code{fragile} option if they contain
10324 source code that uses the verbatim environment. Special @file{beamer}
10325 specific code can be inserted using @code{#+BEAMER:} and
10326 @code{#+BEGIN_beamer...#+end_beamer} constructs, similar to other export
10327 backends, but with the difference that @code{#+LaTeX:} stuff will be included
10328 in the presentation as well.
10330 Outline nodes with @code{BEAMER_env} property value @samp{note} or
10331 @samp{noteNH} will be formatted as beamer notes, i,e, they will be wrapped
10332 into @code{\note@{...@}}. The former will include the heading as part of the
10333 note text, the latter will ignore the heading of that node. To simplify note
10334 generation, it is actually enough to mark the note with a @emph{tag} (either
10335 @code{:B_note:} or @code{:B_noteNH:}) instead of creating the
10336 @code{BEAMER_env} property.
10338 You can turn on a special minor mode @code{org-beamer-mode} for editing
10346 @orgcmd{C-c C-b,org-beamer-select-environment}
10347 In @code{org-beamer-mode}, this key offers fast selection of a beamer
10348 environment or the @code{BEAMER_col} property.
10351 Column view provides a great way to set the environment of a node and other
10352 important parameters. Make sure you are using a COLUMN format that is geared
10353 toward this special purpose. The command @kbd{M-x
10354 org-insert-beamer-options-template} defines such a format.
10356 Here is a simple example Org document that is intended for beamer export.
10359 #+LaTeX_CLASS: beamer
10360 #+TITLE: Example Presentation
10361 #+AUTHOR: Carsten Dominik
10362 #+LaTeX_CLASS_OPTIONS: [presentation]
10363 #+BEAMER_FRAME_LEVEL: 2
10364 #+BEAMER_HEADER_EXTRA: \usetheme@{Madrid@}\usecolortheme@{default@}
10365 #+COLUMNS: %35ITEM %10BEAMER_env(Env) %10BEAMER_envargs(Args) %4BEAMER_col(Col) %8BEAMER_extra(Ex)
10367 * This is the first structural section
10369 ** Frame 1 \\ with a subtitle
10370 *** Thanks to Eric Fraga :BMCOL:B_block:
10373 :BEAMER_envargs: C[t]
10376 for the first viable beamer setup in Org
10377 *** Thanks to everyone else :BMCOL:B_block:
10381 :BEAMER_envargs: <2->
10383 for contributing to the discussion
10384 **** This will be formatted as a beamer note :B_note:
10385 ** Frame 2 \\ where we will not use columns
10386 *** Request :B_block:
10387 Please test this stuff!
10393 For more information, see the documentation on Worg.
10395 @node DocBook export, TaskJuggler export, LaTeX and PDF export, Exporting
10396 @section DocBook export
10397 @cindex DocBook export
10399 @cindex Cui, Baoqiu
10401 Org contains a DocBook exporter written by Baoqiu Cui. Once an Org file is
10402 exported to DocBook format, it can be further processed to produce other
10403 formats, including PDF, HTML, man pages, etc., using many available DocBook
10404 tools and stylesheets.
10406 Currently DocBook exporter only supports DocBook V5.0.
10409 * DocBook export commands:: How to invoke DocBook export
10410 * Quoting DocBook code:: Incorporating DocBook code in Org files
10411 * Recursive sections:: Recursive sections in DocBook
10412 * Tables in DocBook export:: Tables are exported as HTML tables
10413 * Images in DocBook export:: How to insert figures into DocBook output
10414 * Special characters:: How to handle special characters
10417 @node DocBook export commands, Quoting DocBook code, DocBook export, DocBook export
10418 @subsection DocBook export commands
10420 @cindex region, active
10421 @cindex active region
10422 @cindex transient-mark-mode
10424 @orgcmd{C-c C-e D,org-export-as-docbook}
10425 @cindex property EXPORT_FILE_NAME
10426 Export as DocBook file. For an Org file, @file{myfile.org}, the DocBook XML
10427 file will be @file{myfile.xml}. The file will be overwritten without
10428 warning. If there is an active region@footnote{This requires
10429 @code{transient-mark-mode} to be turned on}, only the region will be
10430 exported. If the selected region is a single tree@footnote{To select the
10431 current subtree, use @kbd{C-c @@}.}, the tree head will become the document
10432 title. If the tree head entry has, or inherits, an @code{EXPORT_FILE_NAME}
10433 property, that name will be used for the export.
10434 @orgcmd{C-c C-e V,org-export-as-docbook-pdf-and-open}
10435 Export as DocBook file, process to PDF, then open the resulting PDF file.
10437 @vindex org-export-docbook-xslt-proc-command
10438 @vindex org-export-docbook-xsl-fo-proc-command
10439 Note that, in order to produce PDF output based on exported DocBook file, you
10440 need to have XSLT processor and XSL-FO processor software installed on your
10441 system. Check variables @code{org-export-docbook-xslt-proc-command} and
10442 @code{org-export-docbook-xsl-fo-proc-command}.
10444 @vindex org-export-docbook-xslt-stylesheet
10445 The stylesheet argument @code{%s} in variable
10446 @code{org-export-docbook-xslt-proc-command} is replaced by the value of
10447 variable @code{org-export-docbook-xslt-stylesheet}, which needs to be set by
10448 the user. You can also overrule this global setting on a per-file basis by
10449 adding an in-buffer setting @code{#+XSLT:} to the Org file.
10451 @orgkey{C-c C-e v D}
10452 Export only the visible part of the document.
10455 @node Quoting DocBook code, Recursive sections, DocBook export commands, DocBook export
10456 @subsection Quoting DocBook code
10458 You can quote DocBook code in Org files and copy it verbatim into exported
10459 DocBook file with the following constructs:
10462 @cindex #+BEGIN_DOCBOOK
10464 #+DOCBOOK: Literal DocBook code for export
10468 @cindex #+BEGIN_DOCBOOK
10472 All lines between these markers are exported by DocBook exporter
10477 For example, you can use the following lines to include a DocBook warning
10478 admonition. As to what this warning says, you should pay attention to the
10479 document context when quoting DocBook code in Org files. You may make
10480 exported DocBook XML files invalid by not quoting DocBook code correctly.
10485 <para>You should know what you are doing when quoting DocBook XML code
10486 in your Org file. Invalid DocBook XML may be generated by
10487 DocBook exporter if you are not careful!</para>
10492 @node Recursive sections, Tables in DocBook export, Quoting DocBook code, DocBook export
10493 @subsection Recursive sections
10494 @cindex DocBook recursive sections
10496 DocBook exporter exports Org files as articles using the @code{article}
10497 element in DocBook. Recursive sections, i.e.@: @code{section} elements, are
10498 used in exported articles. Top level headlines in Org files are exported as
10499 top level sections, and lower level headlines are exported as nested
10500 sections. The entire structure of Org files will be exported completely, no
10501 matter how many nested levels of headlines there are.
10503 Using recursive sections makes it easy to port and reuse exported DocBook
10504 code in other DocBook document types like @code{book} or @code{set}.
10506 @node Tables in DocBook export, Images in DocBook export, Recursive sections, DocBook export
10507 @subsection Tables in DocBook export
10508 @cindex tables, in DocBook export
10510 Tables in Org files are exported as HTML tables, which have been supported since
10513 If a table does not have a caption, an informal table is generated using the
10514 @code{informaltable} element; otherwise, a formal table will be generated
10515 using the @code{table} element.
10517 @node Images in DocBook export, Special characters, Tables in DocBook export, DocBook export
10518 @subsection Images in DocBook export
10519 @cindex images, inline in DocBook
10520 @cindex inlining images in DocBook
10522 Images that are linked to without a description part in the link, like
10523 @samp{[[file:img.jpg]]} or @samp{[[./img.jpg]]}, will be exported to DocBook
10524 using @code{mediaobject} elements. Each @code{mediaobject} element contains
10525 an @code{imageobject} that wraps an @code{imagedata} element. If you have
10526 specified a caption for an image as described in @ref{Images and tables}, a
10527 @code{caption} element will be added in @code{mediaobject}. If a label is
10528 also specified, it will be exported as an @code{xml:id} attribute of the
10529 @code{mediaobject} element.
10531 @vindex org-export-docbook-default-image-attributes
10532 Image attributes supported by the @code{imagedata} element, like @code{align}
10533 or @code{width}, can be specified in two ways: you can either customize
10534 variable @code{org-export-docbook-default-image-attributes} or use the
10535 @code{#+ATTR_DOCBOOK:} line. Attributes specified in variable
10536 @code{org-export-docbook-default-image-attributes} are applied to all inline
10537 images in the Org file to be exported (unless they are overridden by image
10538 attributes specified in @code{#+ATTR_DOCBOOK:} lines).
10540 The @code{#+ATTR_DOCBOOK:} line can be used to specify additional image
10541 attributes or override default image attributes for individual images. If
10542 the same attribute appears in both the @code{#+ATTR_DOCBOOK:} line and
10543 variable @code{org-export-docbook-default-image-attributes}, the former
10544 takes precedence. Here is an example about how image attributes can be
10549 @cindex #+ATTR_DOCBOOK
10551 #+CAPTION: The logo of Org-mode
10552 #+LABEL: unicorn-svg
10553 #+ATTR_DOCBOOK: scalefit="1" width="100%" depth="100%"
10554 [[./img/org-mode-unicorn.svg]]
10557 @vindex org-export-docbook-inline-image-extensions
10558 By default, DocBook exporter recognizes the following image file types:
10559 @file{jpeg}, @file{jpg}, @file{png}, @file{gif}, and @file{svg}. You can
10560 customize variable @code{org-export-docbook-inline-image-extensions} to add
10561 more types to this list as long as DocBook supports them.
10563 @node Special characters, , Images in DocBook export, DocBook export
10564 @subsection Special characters in DocBook export
10565 @cindex Special characters in DocBook export
10567 @vindex org-export-docbook-doctype
10568 @vindex org-entities
10569 Special characters that are written in @TeX{}-like syntax, such as @code{\alpha},
10570 @code{\Gamma}, and @code{\Zeta}, are supported by DocBook exporter. These
10571 characters are rewritten to XML entities, like @code{α},
10572 @code{Γ}, and @code{Ζ}, based on the list saved in variable
10573 @code{org-entities}. As long as the generated DocBook file includes the
10574 corresponding entities, these special characters are recognized.
10576 You can customize variable @code{org-export-docbook-doctype} to include the
10577 entities you need. For example, you can set variable
10578 @code{org-export-docbook-doctype} to the following value to recognize all
10579 special characters included in XHTML entities:
10582 "<!DOCTYPE article [
10583 <!ENTITY % xhtml1-symbol PUBLIC
10584 \"-//W3C//ENTITIES Symbol for HTML//EN//XML\"
10585 \"http://www.w3.org/2003/entities/2007/xhtml1-symbol.ent\"
10592 @node TaskJuggler export, Freemind export, DocBook export, Exporting
10593 @section TaskJuggler export
10594 @cindex TaskJuggler export
10595 @cindex Project management
10597 @uref{http://www.taskjuggler.org/, TaskJuggler} is a project management tool.
10598 It provides an optimizing scheduler that computes your project time lines and
10599 resource assignments based on the project outline and the constraints that
10602 The TaskJuggler exporter is a bit different from other exporters, such as the
10603 HTML and LaTeX exporters for example, in that it does not export all the
10604 nodes of a document or strictly follow the order of the nodes in the
10607 Instead the TaskJuggler exporter looks for a tree that defines the tasks and
10608 a optionally tree that defines the resources for this project. It then
10609 creates a TaskJuggler file based on these trees and the attributes defined in
10612 @subsection TaskJuggler export commands
10615 @orgcmd{C-c C-e j,org-export-as-taskjuggler}
10616 Export as TaskJuggler file.
10618 @orgcmd{C-c C-e J,org-export-as-taskjuggler-and-open}
10619 Export as TaskJuggler file and then open the file with TaskJugglerUI.
10624 @vindex org-export-taskjuggler-project-tag
10625 Create your tasks as you usually do with Org-mode. Assign efforts to each
10626 task using properties (it is easiest to do this in the column view). You
10627 should end up with something similar to the example by Peter Jones in
10628 @url{http://www.contextualdevelopment.com/static/artifacts/articles/2008/project-planning/project-planning.org}.
10629 Now mark the top node of your tasks with a tag named
10630 @code{:taskjuggler_project:} (or whatever you customized
10631 @code{org-export-taskjuggler-project-tag} to). You are now ready to export
10632 the project plan with @kbd{C-c C-e J} which will export the project plan and
10633 open a gantt chart in TaskJugglerUI.
10635 @subsection Resources
10637 @vindex org-export-taskjuggler-resource-tag
10638 Next you can define resources and assign those to work on specific tasks. You
10639 can group your resources hierarchically. Tag the top node of the resources
10640 with @code{:taskjuggler_resource:} (or whatever you customized
10641 @code{org-export-taskjuggler-resource-tag} to). You can optionally assign an
10642 identifier (named @samp{resource_id}) to the resources (using the standard
10643 Org properties commands, @pxref{Property syntax}) or you can let the exporter
10644 generate identifiers automatically (the exporter picks the first word of the
10645 headline as the identifier as long as it is unique---see the documentation of
10646 @code{org-taskjuggler-get-unique-id}). Using that identifier you can then
10647 allocate resources to tasks. This is again done with the @samp{allocate}
10648 property on the tasks. Do this in column view or when on the task type
10649 @kbd{C-c C-x p allocate @key{RET} <resource_id> @key{RET}}.
10651 Once the allocations are done you can again export to TaskJuggler and check
10652 in the Resource Allocation Graph which person is working on what task at what
10655 @subsection Export of properties
10657 The exporter also takes TODO state information into consideration, i.e.@: if a
10658 task is marked as done it will have the corresponding attribute in
10659 TaskJuggler (@samp{complete 100}). Also it will export any property on a task
10660 resource or resource node which is known to TaskJuggler, such as
10661 @samp{limits}, @samp{vacation}, @samp{shift}, @samp{booking},
10662 @samp{efficiency}, @samp{journalentry}, @samp{rate} for resources or
10663 @samp{account}, @samp{start}, @samp{note}, @samp{duration}, @samp{end},
10664 @samp{journalentry}, @samp{milestone}, @samp{reference}, @samp{responsible},
10665 @samp{scheduling}, etc for tasks.
10667 @subsection Dependencies
10669 The exporter will handle dependencies that are defined in the tasks either
10670 with the @samp{ORDERED} attribute (@pxref{TODO dependencies}), with the
10671 @samp{BLOCKER} attribute (see @file{org-depend.el}) or alternatively with a
10672 @samp{depends} attribute. Both the @samp{BLOCKER} and the @samp{depends}
10673 attribute can be either @samp{previous-sibling} or a reference to an
10674 identifier (named @samp{task_id}) which is defined for another task in the
10675 project. @samp{BLOCKER} and the @samp{depends} attribute can define multiple
10676 dependencies separated by either space or comma. You can also specify
10677 optional attributes on the dependency by simply appending it. The following
10678 examples should illustrate this:
10683 :task_id: preparation
10686 * Training material
10688 :task_id: training_material
10691 ** Markup Guidelines
10695 ** Workflow Guidelines
10702 :BLOCKER: training_material @{ gapduration 1d @} preparation
10706 @subsection Reports
10708 @vindex org-export-taskjuggler-default-reports
10709 TaskJuggler can produce many kinds of reports (e.g.@: gantt chart, resource
10710 allocation, etc). The user defines what kind of reports should be generated
10711 for a project in the TaskJuggler file. The exporter will automatically insert
10712 some default reports in the file. These defaults are defined in
10713 @code{org-export-taskjuggler-default-reports}. They can be modified using
10714 customize along with a number of other options. For a more complete list, see
10715 @kbd{M-x customize-group @key{RET} org-export-taskjuggler @key{RET}}.
10717 For more information and examples see the Org-taskjuggler tutorial at
10718 @uref{http://orgmode.org/worg/org-tutorials/org-taskjuggler.html}.
10720 @node Freemind export, XOXO export, TaskJuggler export, Exporting
10721 @section Freemind export
10722 @cindex Freemind export
10725 The Freemind exporter was written by Lennart Borgman.
10728 @orgcmd{C-c C-e m,org-export-as-freemind}
10729 Export as Freemind mind map. For an Org file @file{myfile.org}, the Freemind
10730 file will be @file{myfile.mm}.
10733 @node XOXO export, iCalendar export, Freemind export, Exporting
10734 @section XOXO export
10735 @cindex XOXO export
10737 Org-mode contains an exporter that produces XOXO-style output.
10738 Currently, this exporter only handles the general outline structure and
10739 does not interpret any additional Org-mode features.
10742 @orgcmd{C-c C-e x,org-export-as-xoxo}
10743 Export as XOXO file. For an Org file @file{myfile.org}, the XOXO file will be
10744 @file{myfile.html}.
10745 @orgkey{C-c C-e v x}
10746 Export only the visible part of the document.
10749 @node iCalendar export, , XOXO export, Exporting
10750 @section iCalendar export
10751 @cindex iCalendar export
10753 @vindex org-icalendar-include-todo
10754 @vindex org-icalendar-use-deadline
10755 @vindex org-icalendar-use-scheduled
10756 @vindex org-icalendar-categories
10757 @vindex org-icalendar-alarm-time
10758 Some people use Org-mode for keeping track of projects, but still prefer a
10759 standard calendar application for anniversaries and appointments. In this
10760 case it can be useful to show deadlines and other time-stamped items in Org
10761 files in the calendar application. Org-mode can export calendar information
10762 in the standard iCalendar format. If you also want to have TODO entries
10763 included in the export, configure the variable
10764 @code{org-icalendar-include-todo}. Plain timestamps are exported as VEVENT,
10765 and TODO items as VTODO. It will also create events from deadlines that are
10766 in non-TODO items. Deadlines and scheduling dates in TODO items will be used
10767 to set the start and due dates for the TODO entry@footnote{See the variables
10768 @code{org-icalendar-use-deadline} and @code{org-icalendar-use-scheduled}.}.
10769 As categories, it will use the tags locally defined in the heading, and the
10770 file/tree category@footnote{To add inherited tags or the TODO state,
10771 configure the variable @code{org-icalendar-categories}.}. See the variable
10772 @code{org-icalendar-alarm-time} for a way to assign alarms to entries with a
10775 @vindex org-icalendar-store-UID
10776 @cindex property, ID
10777 The iCalendar standard requires each entry to have a globally unique
10778 identifier (UID). Org creates these identifiers during export. If you set
10779 the variable @code{org-icalendar-store-UID}, the UID will be stored in the
10780 @code{:ID:} property of the entry and re-used next time you report this
10781 entry. Since a single entry can give rise to multiple iCalendar entries (as
10782 a timestamp, a deadline, a scheduled item, and as a TODO item), Org adds
10783 prefixes to the UID, depending on what triggered the inclusion of the entry.
10784 In this way the UID remains unique, but a synchronization program can still
10785 figure out from which entry all the different instances originate.
10788 @orgcmd{C-c C-e i,org-export-icalendar-this-file}
10789 Create iCalendar entries for the current file and store them in the same
10790 directory, using a file extension @file{.ics}.
10791 @orgcmd{C-c C-e I, org-export-icalendar-all-agenda-files}
10792 @vindex org-agenda-files
10793 Like @kbd{C-c C-e i}, but do this for all files in
10794 @code{org-agenda-files}. For each of these files, a separate iCalendar
10795 file will be written.
10796 @orgcmd{C-c C-e c,org-export-icalendar-combine-agenda-files}
10797 @vindex org-combined-agenda-icalendar-file
10798 Create a single large iCalendar file from all files in
10799 @code{org-agenda-files} and write it to the file given by
10800 @code{org-combined-agenda-icalendar-file}.
10803 @vindex org-use-property-inheritance
10804 @vindex org-icalendar-include-body
10805 @cindex property, SUMMARY
10806 @cindex property, DESCRIPTION
10807 @cindex property, LOCATION
10808 The export will honor SUMMARY, DESCRIPTION and LOCATION@footnote{The LOCATION
10809 property can be inherited from higher in the hierarchy if you configure
10810 @code{org-use-property-inheritance} accordingly.} properties if the selected
10811 entries have them. If not, the summary will be derived from the headline,
10812 and the description from the body (limited to
10813 @code{org-icalendar-include-body} characters).
10815 How this calendar is best read and updated, depends on the application
10816 you are using. The FAQ covers this issue.
10818 @node Publishing, Working With Source Code, Exporting, Top
10819 @chapter Publishing
10822 Org includes a publishing management system that allows you to configure
10823 automatic HTML conversion of @emph{projects} composed of interlinked org
10824 files. You can also configure Org to automatically upload your exported HTML
10825 pages and related attachments, such as images and source code files, to a web
10828 You can also use Org to convert files into PDF, or even combine HTML and PDF
10829 conversion so that files are available in both formats on the server.
10831 Publishing has been contributed to Org by David O'Toole.
10834 * Configuration:: Defining projects
10835 * Uploading files:: How to get files up on the server
10836 * Sample configuration:: Example projects
10837 * Triggering publication:: Publication commands
10840 @node Configuration, Uploading files, Publishing, Publishing
10841 @section Configuration
10843 Publishing needs significant configuration to specify files, destination
10844 and many other properties of a project.
10847 * Project alist:: The central configuration variable
10848 * Sources and destinations:: From here to there
10849 * Selecting files:: What files are part of the project?
10850 * Publishing action:: Setting the function doing the publishing
10851 * Publishing options:: Tweaking HTML/@LaTeX{} export
10852 * Publishing links:: Which links keep working after publishing?
10853 * Sitemap:: Generating a list of all pages
10854 * Generating an index:: An index that reaches across pages
10857 @node Project alist, Sources and destinations, Configuration, Configuration
10858 @subsection The variable @code{org-publish-project-alist}
10859 @cindex org-publish-project-alist
10860 @cindex projects, for publishing
10862 @vindex org-publish-project-alist
10863 Publishing is configured almost entirely through setting the value of one
10864 variable, called @code{org-publish-project-alist}. Each element of the list
10865 configures one project, and may be in one of the two following forms:
10868 ("project-name" :property value :property value ...)
10869 @r{i.e.@: a well-formed property list with alternating keys and values}
10871 ("project-name" :components ("project-name" "project-name" ...))
10875 In both cases, projects are configured by specifying property values. A
10876 project defines the set of files that will be published, as well as the
10877 publishing configuration to use when publishing those files. When a project
10878 takes the second form listed above, the individual members of the
10879 @code{:components} property are taken to be sub-projects, which group
10880 together files requiring different publishing options. When you publish such
10881 a ``meta-project'', all the components will also be published, in the
10884 @node Sources and destinations, Selecting files, Project alist, Configuration
10885 @subsection Sources and destinations for files
10886 @cindex directories, for publishing
10888 Most properties are optional, but some should always be set. In
10889 particular, Org needs to know where to look for source files,
10890 and where to put published files.
10892 @multitable @columnfractions 0.3 0.7
10893 @item @code{:base-directory}
10894 @tab Directory containing publishing source files
10895 @item @code{:publishing-directory}
10896 @tab Directory where output files will be published. You can directly
10897 publish to a webserver using a file name syntax appropriate for
10898 the Emacs @file{tramp} package. Or you can publish to a local directory and
10899 use external tools to upload your website (@pxref{Uploading files}).
10900 @item @code{:preparation-function}
10901 @tab Function or list of functions to be called before starting the
10902 publishing process, for example, to run @code{make} for updating files to be
10903 published. The project property list is scoped into this call as the
10904 variable @code{project-plist}.
10905 @item @code{:completion-function}
10906 @tab Function or list of functions called after finishing the publishing
10907 process, for example, to change permissions of the resulting files. The
10908 project property list is scoped into this call as the variable
10909 @code{project-plist}.
10913 @node Selecting files, Publishing action, Sources and destinations, Configuration
10914 @subsection Selecting files
10915 @cindex files, selecting for publishing
10917 By default, all files with extension @file{.org} in the base directory
10918 are considered part of the project. This can be modified by setting the
10920 @multitable @columnfractions 0.25 0.75
10921 @item @code{:base-extension}
10922 @tab Extension (without the dot!) of source files. This actually is a
10923 regular expression. Set this to the symbol @code{any} if you want to get all
10924 files in @code{:base-directory}, even without extension.
10926 @item @code{:exclude}
10927 @tab Regular expression to match file names that should not be
10928 published, even though they have been selected on the basis of their
10931 @item @code{:include}
10932 @tab List of files to be included regardless of @code{:base-extension}
10933 and @code{:exclude}.
10935 @item @code{:recursive}
10936 @tab Non-nil means, check base-directory recursively for files to publish.
10939 @node Publishing action, Publishing options, Selecting files, Configuration
10940 @subsection Publishing action
10941 @cindex action, for publishing
10943 Publishing means that a file is copied to the destination directory and
10944 possibly transformed in the process. The default transformation is to export
10945 Org files as HTML files, and this is done by the function
10946 @code{org-publish-org-to-html} which calls the HTML exporter (@pxref{HTML
10947 export}). But you also can publish your content as PDF files using
10948 @code{org-publish-org-to-pdf}, or as @code{ascii}, @code{latin1} or
10949 @code{utf8} encoded files using the corresponding functions. If you want to
10950 publish the Org file itself, but with @i{archived}, @i{commented}, and
10951 @i{tag-excluded} trees removed, use @code{org-publish-org-to-org} and set the
10952 parameters @code{:plain-source} and/or @code{:htmlized-source}. This will
10953 produce @file{file.org} and @file{file.org.html} in the publishing
10954 directory@footnote{@file{file-source.org} and @file{file-source.org.html} if
10955 source and publishing directories are equal. Note that with this kind of
10956 setup, you need to add @code{:exclude "-source\\.org"} to the project
10957 definition in @code{org-publish-project-alist} to prevent the published
10958 source files from being considered as new org files the next time the project
10959 is published.}. Other files like images only need to be copied to the
10960 publishing destination; for this you may use @code{org-publish-attachment}.
10961 For non-Org files, you always need to specify the publishing function:
10963 @multitable @columnfractions 0.3 0.7
10964 @item @code{:publishing-function}
10965 @tab Function executing the publication of a file. This may also be a
10966 list of functions, which will all be called in turn.
10967 @item @code{:plain-source}
10968 @tab Non-nil means, publish plain source.
10969 @item @code{:htmlized-source}
10970 @tab Non-nil means, publish htmlized source.
10973 The function must accept three arguments: a property list containing at least
10974 a @code{:publishing-directory} property, the name of the file to be
10975 published, and the path to the publishing directory of the output file. It
10976 should take the specified file, make the necessary transformation (if any)
10977 and place the result into the destination folder.
10979 @node Publishing options, Publishing links, Publishing action, Configuration
10980 @subsection Options for the HTML/@LaTeX{} exporters
10981 @cindex options, for publishing
10983 The property list can be used to set many export options for the HTML
10984 and @LaTeX{} exporters. In most cases, these properties correspond to user
10985 variables in Org. The table below lists these properties along
10986 with the variable they belong to. See the documentation string for the
10987 respective variable for details.
10989 @vindex org-export-html-link-up
10990 @vindex org-export-html-link-home
10991 @vindex org-export-default-language
10992 @vindex org-display-custom-times
10993 @vindex org-export-headline-levels
10994 @vindex org-export-with-section-numbers
10995 @vindex org-export-section-number-format
10996 @vindex org-export-with-toc
10997 @vindex org-export-preserve-breaks
10998 @vindex org-export-with-archived-trees
10999 @vindex org-export-with-emphasize
11000 @vindex org-export-with-sub-superscripts
11001 @vindex org-export-with-special-strings
11002 @vindex org-export-with-footnotes
11003 @vindex org-export-with-drawers
11004 @vindex org-export-with-tags
11005 @vindex org-export-with-todo-keywords
11006 @vindex org-export-with-tasks
11007 @vindex org-export-with-done-tasks
11008 @vindex org-export-with-priority
11009 @vindex org-export-with-TeX-macros
11010 @vindex org-export-with-LaTeX-fragments
11011 @vindex org-export-skip-text-before-1st-heading
11012 @vindex org-export-with-fixed-width
11013 @vindex org-export-with-timestamps
11014 @vindex org-export-author-info
11015 @vindex org-export-email-info
11016 @vindex org-export-creator-info
11017 @vindex org-export-time-stamp-file
11018 @vindex org-export-with-tables
11019 @vindex org-export-highlight-first-table-line
11020 @vindex org-export-html-style-include-default
11021 @vindex org-export-html-style-include-scripts
11022 @vindex org-export-html-style
11023 @vindex org-export-html-style-extra
11024 @vindex org-export-html-link-org-files-as-html
11025 @vindex org-export-html-inline-images
11026 @vindex org-export-html-extension
11027 @vindex org-export-html-table-tag
11028 @vindex org-export-html-expand
11029 @vindex org-export-html-with-timestamp
11030 @vindex org-export-publishing-directory
11031 @vindex org-export-html-preamble
11032 @vindex org-export-html-postamble
11033 @vindex user-full-name
11034 @vindex user-mail-address
11035 @vindex org-export-select-tags
11036 @vindex org-export-exclude-tags
11038 @multitable @columnfractions 0.32 0.68
11039 @item @code{:link-up} @tab @code{org-export-html-link-up}
11040 @item @code{:link-home} @tab @code{org-export-html-link-home}
11041 @item @code{:language} @tab @code{org-export-default-language}
11042 @item @code{:customtime} @tab @code{org-display-custom-times}
11043 @item @code{:headline-levels} @tab @code{org-export-headline-levels}
11044 @item @code{:section-numbers} @tab @code{org-export-with-section-numbers}
11045 @item @code{:section-number-format} @tab @code{org-export-section-number-format}
11046 @item @code{:table-of-contents} @tab @code{org-export-with-toc}
11047 @item @code{:preserve-breaks} @tab @code{org-export-preserve-breaks}
11048 @item @code{:archived-trees} @tab @code{org-export-with-archived-trees}
11049 @item @code{:emphasize} @tab @code{org-export-with-emphasize}
11050 @item @code{:sub-superscript} @tab @code{org-export-with-sub-superscripts}
11051 @item @code{:special-strings} @tab @code{org-export-with-special-strings}
11052 @item @code{:footnotes} @tab @code{org-export-with-footnotes}
11053 @item @code{:drawers} @tab @code{org-export-with-drawers}
11054 @item @code{:tags} @tab @code{org-export-with-tags}
11055 @item @code{:todo-keywords} @tab @code{org-export-with-todo-keywords}
11056 @item @code{:tasks} @tab @code{org-export-with-tasks}
11057 @item @code{:priority} @tab @code{org-export-with-priority}
11058 @item @code{:TeX-macros} @tab @code{org-export-with-TeX-macros}
11059 @item @code{:LaTeX-fragments} @tab @code{org-export-with-LaTeX-fragments}
11060 @item @code{:latex-listings} @tab @code{org-export-latex-listings}
11061 @item @code{:skip-before-1st-heading} @tab @code{org-export-skip-text-before-1st-heading}
11062 @item @code{:fixed-width} @tab @code{org-export-with-fixed-width}
11063 @item @code{:timestamps} @tab @code{org-export-with-timestamps}
11064 @item @code{:author} @tab @code{user-full-name}
11065 @item @code{:email} @tab @code{user-mail-address} : @code{addr;addr;..}
11066 @item @code{:author-info} @tab @code{org-export-author-info}
11067 @item @code{:email-info} @tab @code{org-export-email-info}
11068 @item @code{:creator-info} @tab @code{org-export-creator-info}
11069 @item @code{:tables} @tab @code{org-export-with-tables}
11070 @item @code{:table-auto-headline} @tab @code{org-export-highlight-first-table-line}
11071 @item @code{:style-include-default} @tab @code{org-export-html-style-include-default}
11072 @item @code{:style-include-scripts} @tab @code{org-export-html-style-include-scripts}
11073 @item @code{:style} @tab @code{org-export-html-style}
11074 @item @code{:style-extra} @tab @code{org-export-html-style-extra}
11075 @item @code{:convert-org-links} @tab @code{org-export-html-link-org-files-as-html}
11076 @item @code{:inline-images} @tab @code{org-export-html-inline-images}
11077 @item @code{:html-extension} @tab @code{org-export-html-extension}
11078 @item @code{:html-preamble} @tab @code{org-export-html-preamble}
11079 @item @code{:html-postamble} @tab @code{org-export-html-postamble}
11080 @item @code{:xml-declaration} @tab @code{org-export-html-xml-declaration}
11081 @item @code{:html-table-tag} @tab @code{org-export-html-table-tag}
11082 @item @code{:expand-quoted-html} @tab @code{org-export-html-expand}
11083 @item @code{:timestamp} @tab @code{org-export-html-with-timestamp}
11084 @item @code{:publishing-directory} @tab @code{org-export-publishing-directory}
11085 @item @code{:select-tags} @tab @code{org-export-select-tags}
11086 @item @code{:exclude-tags} @tab @code{org-export-exclude-tags}
11087 @item @code{:latex-image-options} @tab @code{org-export-latex-image-default-option}
11090 Most of the @code{org-export-with-*} variables have the same effect in
11091 both HTML and @LaTeX{} exporters, except for @code{:TeX-macros} and
11092 @code{:LaTeX-fragments} options, respectively @code{nil} and @code{t} in the
11093 @LaTeX{} export. See @code{org-export-plist-vars} to check this list of
11098 @vindex org-publish-project-alist
11099 When a property is given a value in @code{org-publish-project-alist},
11100 its setting overrides the value of the corresponding user variable (if
11101 any) during publishing. Options set within a file (@pxref{Export
11102 options}), however, override everything.
11104 @node Publishing links, Sitemap, Publishing options, Configuration
11105 @subsection Links between published files
11106 @cindex links, publishing
11108 To create a link from one Org file to another, you would use
11109 something like @samp{[[file:foo.org][The foo]]} or simply
11110 @samp{file:foo.org.} (@pxref{Hyperlinks}). When published, this link
11111 becomes a link to @file{foo.html}. In this way, you can interlink the
11112 pages of your "org web" project and the links will work as expected when
11113 you publish them to HTML. If you also publish the Org source file and want
11114 to link to that, use an @code{http:} link instead of a @code{file:} link,
11115 because @code{file:} links are converted to link to the corresponding
11118 You may also link to related files, such as images. Provided you are careful
11119 with relative file names, and provided you have also configured Org to upload
11120 the related files, these links will work too. See @ref{Complex example}, for
11121 an example of this usage.
11123 Sometimes an Org file to be published may contain links that are
11124 only valid in your production environment, but not in the publishing
11125 location. In this case, use the property
11127 @multitable @columnfractions 0.4 0.6
11128 @item @code{:link-validation-function}
11129 @tab Function to validate links
11133 to define a function for checking link validity. This function must
11134 accept two arguments, the file name and a directory relative to which
11135 the file name is interpreted in the production environment. If this
11136 function returns @code{nil}, then the HTML generator will only insert a
11137 description into the HTML file, but no link. One option for this
11138 function is @code{org-publish-validate-link} which checks if the given
11139 file is part of any project in @code{org-publish-project-alist}.
11141 @node Sitemap, Generating an index, Publishing links, Configuration
11142 @subsection Generating a sitemap
11143 @cindex sitemap, of published pages
11145 The following properties may be used to control publishing of
11146 a map of files for a given project.
11148 @multitable @columnfractions 0.35 0.65
11149 @item @code{:auto-sitemap}
11150 @tab When non-nil, publish a sitemap during @code{org-publish-current-project}
11151 or @code{org-publish-all}.
11153 @item @code{:sitemap-filename}
11154 @tab Filename for output of sitemap. Defaults to @file{sitemap.org} (which
11155 becomes @file{sitemap.html}).
11157 @item @code{:sitemap-title}
11158 @tab Title of sitemap page. Defaults to name of file.
11160 @item @code{:sitemap-function}
11161 @tab Plug-in function to use for generation of the sitemap.
11162 Defaults to @code{org-publish-org-sitemap}, which generates a plain list
11163 of links to all files in the project.
11165 @item @code{:sitemap-sort-folders}
11166 @tab Where folders should appear in the sitemap. Set this to @code{first}
11167 (default) or @code{last} to display folders first or last,
11168 respectively. Any other value will mix files and folders.
11170 @item @code{:sitemap-sort-files}
11171 @tab How the files are sorted in the site map. Set this to
11172 @code{alphabetically} (default), @code{chronologically} or
11173 @code{anti-chronologically}. @code{chronologically} sorts the files with
11174 older date first while @code{anti-chronologically} sorts the files with newer
11175 date first. @code{alphabetically} sorts the files alphabetically. The date of
11176 a file is retrieved with @code{org-publish-find-date}.
11178 @item @code{:sitemap-ignore-case}
11179 @tab Should sorting be case-sensitive? Default @code{nil}.
11181 @item @code{:sitemap-file-entry-format}
11182 @tab With this option one can tell how a sitemap's entry is formated in the
11183 sitemap. This is a format string with some escape sequences: @code{%t} stands
11184 for the title of the file, @code{%a} stands for the author of the file and
11185 @code{%d} stands for the date of the file. The date is retrieved with the
11186 @code{org-publish-find-date} function and formated with
11187 @code{org-publish-sitemap-date-format}. Default @code{%t}.
11189 @item @code{:sitemap-date-format}
11190 @tab Format string for the @code{format-time-string} function that tells how
11191 a sitemap entry's date is to be formated. This property bypasses
11192 @code{org-publish-sitemap-date-format} which defaults to @code{%Y-%m-%d}.
11194 @item @code{:sitemap-sans-extension}
11195 @tab When non-nil, remove filenames' extensions from the generated sitemap.
11196 Useful to have cool URIs (see @uref{http://www.w3.org/Provider/Style/URI}).
11197 Defaults to @code{nil}.
11201 @node Generating an index, , Sitemap, Configuration
11202 @subsection Generating an index
11203 @cindex index, in a publishing project
11205 Org-mode can generate an index across the files of a publishing project.
11207 @multitable @columnfractions 0.25 0.75
11208 @item @code{:makeindex}
11209 @tab When non-nil, generate in index in the file @file{theindex.org} and
11210 publish it as @file{theindex.html}.
11213 The file will be created when first publishing a project with the
11214 @code{:makeindex} set. The file only contains a statement @code{#+include:
11215 "theindex.inc"}. You can then build around this include statement by adding
11216 a title, style information, etc.
11218 @node Uploading files, Sample configuration, Configuration, Publishing
11219 @section Uploading files
11223 For those people already utilizing third party sync tools such as
11224 @command{rsync} or @command{unison}, it might be preferable not to use the built in
11225 @i{remote} publishing facilities of Org-mode which rely heavily on
11226 Tramp. Tramp, while very useful and powerful, tends not to be
11227 so efficient for multiple file transfer and has been known to cause problems
11230 Specialized synchronization utilities offer several advantages. In addition
11231 to timestamp comparison, they also do content and permissions/attribute
11232 checks. For this reason you might prefer to publish your web to a local
11233 directory (possibly even @i{in place} with your Org files) and then use
11234 @file{unison} or @file{rsync} to do the synchronization with the remote host.
11236 Since Unison (for example) can be configured as to which files to transfer to
11237 a certain remote destination, it can greatly simplify the project publishing
11238 definition. Simply keep all files in the correct location, process your Org
11239 files with @code{org-publish} and let the synchronization tool do the rest.
11240 You do not need, in this scenario, to include attachments such as @file{jpg},
11241 @file{css} or @file{gif} files in the project definition since the 3rd party
11244 Publishing to a local directory is also much faster than to a remote one, so
11245 that you can afford more easily to republish entire projects. If you set
11246 @code{org-publish-use-timestamps-flag} to @code{nil}, you gain the main
11247 benefit of re-including any changed external files such as source example
11248 files you might include with @code{#+INCLUDE}. The timestamp mechanism in
11249 Org is not smart enough to detect if included files have been modified.
11251 @node Sample configuration, Triggering publication, Uploading files, Publishing
11252 @section Sample configuration
11254 Below we provide two example configurations. The first one is a simple
11255 project publishing only a set of Org files. The second example is
11256 more complex, with a multi-component project.
11259 * Simple example:: One-component publishing
11260 * Complex example:: A multi-component publishing example
11263 @node Simple example, Complex example, Sample configuration, Sample configuration
11264 @subsection Example: simple publishing configuration
11266 This example publishes a set of Org files to the @file{public_html}
11267 directory on the local machine.
11270 (setq org-publish-project-alist
11272 :base-directory "~/org/"
11273 :publishing-directory "~/public_html"
11274 :section-numbers nil
11275 :table-of-contents nil
11276 :style "<link rel=\"stylesheet\"
11277 href=\"../other/mystyle.css\"
11278 type=\"text/css\"/>")))
11281 @node Complex example, , Simple example, Sample configuration
11282 @subsection Example: complex publishing configuration
11284 This more complicated example publishes an entire website, including
11285 Org files converted to HTML, image files, Emacs Lisp source code, and
11286 style sheets. The publishing directory is remote and private files are
11289 To ensure that links are preserved, care should be taken to replicate
11290 your directory structure on the web server, and to use relative file
11291 paths. For example, if your Org files are kept in @file{~/org} and your
11292 publishable images in @file{~/images}, you would link to an image with
11295 file:../images/myimage.png
11298 On the web server, the relative path to the image should be the
11299 same. You can accomplish this by setting up an "images" folder in the
11300 right place on the web server, and publishing images to it.
11303 (setq org-publish-project-alist
11305 :base-directory "~/org/"
11306 :base-extension "org"
11307 :publishing-directory "/ssh:user@@host:~/html/notebook/"
11308 :publishing-function org-publish-org-to-html
11309 :exclude "PrivatePage.org" ;; regexp
11311 :section-numbers nil
11312 :table-of-contents nil
11313 :style "<link rel=\"stylesheet\"
11314 href=\"../other/mystyle.css\" type=\"text/css\"/>"
11318 :base-directory "~/images/"
11319 :base-extension "jpg\\|gif\\|png"
11320 :publishing-directory "/ssh:user@@host:~/html/images/"
11321 :publishing-function org-publish-attachment)
11324 :base-directory "~/other/"
11325 :base-extension "css\\|el"
11326 :publishing-directory "/ssh:user@@host:~/html/other/"
11327 :publishing-function org-publish-attachment)
11328 ("website" :components ("orgfiles" "images" "other"))))
11331 @node Triggering publication, , Sample configuration, Publishing
11332 @section Triggering publication
11334 Once properly configured, Org can publish with the following commands:
11337 @orgcmd{C-c C-e X,org-publish}
11338 Prompt for a specific project and publish all files that belong to it.
11339 @orgcmd{C-c C-e P,org-publish-current-project}
11340 Publish the project containing the current file.
11341 @orgcmd{C-c C-e F,org-publish-current-file}
11342 Publish only the current file.
11343 @orgcmd{C-c C-e E,org-publish-all}
11344 Publish every project.
11347 @vindex org-publish-use-timestamps-flag
11348 Org uses timestamps to track when a file has changed. The above functions
11349 normally only publish changed files. You can override this and force
11350 publishing of all files by giving a prefix argument to any of the commands
11351 above, or by customizing the variable @code{org-publish-use-timestamps-flag}.
11352 This may be necessary in particular if files include other files via
11353 @code{#+SETUPFILE:} or @code{#+INCLUDE:}.
11355 @comment node-name, next, previous, up
11356 @comment Working With Source Code, Miscellaneous, Publishing, Top
11358 @node Working With Source Code, Miscellaneous, Publishing, Top
11359 @chapter Working with source code
11360 @cindex Schulte, Eric
11361 @cindex Davison, Dan
11362 @cindex source code, working with
11364 Source code can be included in Org-mode documents using a @samp{src} block,
11368 #+BEGIN_SRC emacs-lisp
11369 (defun org-xor (a b)
11375 Org-mode provides a number of features for working with live source code,
11376 including editing of code blocks in their native major-mode, evaluation of
11377 code blocks, converting code blocks into source files (known as @dfn{tangling}
11378 in literate programming), and exporting code blocks and their
11379 results in several formats. This functionality was contributed by Eric
11380 Schulte and Dan Davison, and was originally named Org-babel.
11382 The following sections describe Org-mode's code block handling facilities.
11385 * Structure of code blocks:: Code block syntax described
11386 * Editing source code:: Language major-mode editing
11387 * Exporting code blocks:: Export contents and/or results
11388 * Extracting source code:: Create pure source code files
11389 * Evaluating code blocks:: Place results of evaluation in the Org-mode buffer
11390 * Library of Babel:: Use and contribute to a library of useful code blocks
11391 * Languages:: List of supported code block languages
11392 * Header arguments:: Configure code block functionality
11393 * Results of evaluation:: How evaluation results are handled
11394 * Noweb reference syntax:: Literate programming in Org-mode
11395 * Key bindings and useful functions:: Work quickly with code blocks
11396 * Batch execution:: Call functions from the command line
11399 @comment node-name, next, previous, up
11400 @comment Structure of code blocks, Editing source code, Working With Source Code, Working With Source Code
11402 @node Structure of code blocks, Editing source code, Working With Source Code, Working With Source Code
11403 @section Structure of code blocks
11404 @cindex code block, structure
11405 @cindex source code, block structure
11407 The structure of code blocks is as follows:
11411 #+begin_src <language> <switches> <header arguments>
11416 Switches and header arguments are optional. Code can also be embedded in text
11420 src_<language>@{<body>@}
11426 src_<language>[<header arguments>]@{<body>@}
11431 This name is associated with the code block. This is similar to the
11432 @samp{#+tblname} lines that can be used to name tables in Org-mode files.
11433 Referencing the name of a code block makes it possible to evaluate the
11434 block from other places in the file, other files, or from Org-mode table
11435 formulas (see @ref{The spreadsheet}). Names are assumed to be unique by
11436 evaluation functions and the behavior of multiple blocks of the same name is
11439 The language of the code in the block.
11441 Optional switches controlling exportation of the code block (see switches discussion in
11442 @ref{Literal examples})
11443 @item <header arguments>
11444 Optional header arguments control many aspects of evaluation, export and
11445 tangling of code blocks. See the @ref{Header arguments}.
11446 Header arguments can also be set on a per-buffer or per-subtree
11447 basis using properties.
11452 @comment node-name, next, previous, up
11453 @comment Editing source code, Exporting code blocks, Structure of code blocks, Working With Source Code
11455 @node Editing source code, Exporting code blocks, Structure of code blocks, Working With Source Code
11456 @section Editing source code
11457 @cindex code block, editing
11458 @cindex source code, editing
11461 Use @kbd{C-c '} to edit the current code block. This brings up
11462 a language major-mode edit buffer containing the body of the code
11463 block. Saving this buffer will write the new contents back to the Org
11464 buffer. Use @kbd{C-c '} again to exit.
11466 The @code{org-src-mode} minor mode will be active in the edit buffer. The
11467 following variables can be used to configure the behavior of the edit
11468 buffer. See also the customization group @code{org-edit-structure} for
11469 further configuration options.
11472 @item org-src-lang-modes
11473 If an Emacs major-mode named @code{<lang>-mode} exists, where
11474 @code{<lang>} is the language named in the header line of the code block,
11475 then the edit buffer will be placed in that major-mode. This variable
11476 can be used to map arbitrary language names to existing major modes.
11477 @item org-src-window-setup
11478 Controls the way Emacs windows are rearranged when the edit buffer is created.
11479 @item org-src-preserve-indentation
11480 This variable is especially useful for tangling languages such as
11481 Python, in which whitespace indentation in the output is critical.
11482 @item org-src-ask-before-returning-to-edit-buffer
11483 By default, Org will ask before returning to an open edit buffer. Set
11484 this variable to nil to switch without asking.
11487 To turn on native code fontification in the @emph{Org} buffer, configure the
11488 variable @code{org-src-fontify-natively}.
11490 @comment node-name, next, previous, up
11491 @comment Exporting code blocks, Extracting source code, Editing source code, Working With Source Code
11493 @node Exporting code blocks, Extracting source code, Editing source code, Working With Source Code
11494 @section Exporting code blocks
11495 @cindex code block, exporting
11496 @cindex source code, exporting
11498 It is possible to export the @emph{contents} of code blocks, the
11499 @emph{results} of code block evaluation, @emph{neither}, or @emph{both}. For
11500 most languages, the default exports the contents of code blocks. However, for
11501 some languages (e.g.@: @code{ditaa}) the default exports the results of code
11502 block evaluation. For information on exporting code block bodies, see
11503 @ref{Literal examples}.
11505 The @code{:exports} header argument can be used to specify export
11508 @subsubheading Header arguments:
11510 @item :exports code
11511 The default in most languages. The body of the code block is exported, as
11512 described in @ref{Literal examples}.
11513 @item :exports results
11514 The code block will be evaluated and the results will be placed in the
11515 Org-mode buffer for export, either updating previous results of the code
11516 block located anywhere in the buffer or, if no previous results exist,
11517 placing the results immediately after the code block. The body of the code
11518 block will not be exported.
11519 @item :exports both
11520 Both the code block and its results will be exported.
11521 @item :exports none
11522 Neither the code block nor its results will be exported.
11525 It is possible to inhibit the evaluation of code blocks during export.
11526 Setting the @code{org-export-babel-evaluate} variable to @code{nil} will
11527 ensure that no code blocks are evaluated as part of the export process. This
11528 can be useful in situations where potentially untrusted Org-mode files are
11529 exported in an automated fashion, for example when Org-mode is used as the
11530 markup language for a wiki.
11532 @comment node-name, next, previous, up
11533 @comment Extracting source code, Evaluating code blocks, Exporting code blocks, Working With Source Code
11534 @node Extracting source code, Evaluating code blocks, Exporting code blocks, Working With Source Code
11535 @section Extracting source code
11537 @cindex source code, extracting
11538 @cindex code block, extracting source code
11540 Creating pure source code files by extracting code from source blocks is
11541 referred to as ``tangling''---a term adopted from the literate programming
11542 community. During ``tangling'' of code blocks their bodies are expanded
11543 using @code{org-babel-expand-src-block} which can expand both variable and
11544 ``noweb'' style references (see @ref{Noweb reference syntax}).
11546 @subsubheading Header arguments
11549 The default. The code block is not included in the tangled output.
11551 Include the code block in the tangled output. The output file name is the
11552 name of the org file with the extension @samp{.org} replaced by the extension
11553 for the block language.
11554 @item :tangle filename
11555 Include the code block in the tangled output to file @samp{filename}.
11559 @subsubheading Functions
11561 @item org-babel-tangle
11562 Tangle the current file. Bound to @kbd{C-c C-v t}.
11563 @item org-babel-tangle-file
11564 Choose a file to tangle. Bound to @kbd{C-c C-v f}.
11567 @subsubheading Hooks
11569 @item org-babel-post-tangle-hook
11570 This hook is run from within code files tangled by @code{org-babel-tangle}.
11571 Example applications could include post-processing, compilation or evaluation
11572 of tangled code files.
11575 @node Evaluating code blocks, Library of Babel, Extracting source code, Working With Source Code
11576 @section Evaluating code blocks
11577 @cindex code block, evaluating
11578 @cindex source code, evaluating
11580 Code blocks can be evaluated@footnote{Whenever code is evaluated there is a
11581 potential for that code to do harm. Org-mode provides a number of safeguards
11582 to ensure that it only evaluates code with explicit confirmation from the
11583 user. For information on these safeguards (and on how to disable them) see
11584 @ref{Code evaluation security}.} and the results placed in the Org-mode
11585 buffer. By default, evaluation is only turned on for @code{emacs-lisp} code
11586 blocks, however support exists for evaluating blocks in many languages. See
11587 @ref{Languages} for a list of supported languages. See @ref{Structure of
11588 code blocks} for information on the syntax used to define a code block.
11591 There are a number of ways to evaluate code blocks. The simplest is to press
11592 @kbd{C-c C-c} or @kbd{C-c C-v e} with the point on a code block@footnote{The
11593 @code{org-babel-no-eval-on-ctrl-c-ctrl-c} variable can be used to remove code
11594 evaluation from the @kbd{C-c C-c} key binding.}. This will call the
11595 @code{org-babel-execute-src-block} function to evaluate the block and insert
11596 its results into the Org-mode buffer.
11598 It is also possible to evaluate named code blocks from anywhere in an
11599 Org-mode buffer or an Org-mode table. @code{#+call} (or synonymously
11600 @code{#+function} or @code{#+lob}) lines can be used to remotely execute code
11601 blocks located in the current Org-mode buffer or in the ``Library of Babel''
11602 (see @ref{Library of Babel}). These lines use the following syntax to place
11603 a call on a line by itself.
11606 #+call: <name>(<arguments>)
11607 #+call: <name>[<header args>](<arguments>) <header args>
11610 The following syntax can be used to place these calls within a block of
11614 ...prose... call_<name>(<arguments>) ...prose...
11615 ...prose... call_<name>[<header args>](<arguments>)[<header args>] ...prose...
11620 The name of the code block to be evaluated.
11622 Arguments specified in this section will be passed to the code block. These
11623 arguments should relate to @code{:var} header arguments in the called code
11624 block expressed using standard function call syntax. For example if the
11625 original code block named @code{double} has the header argument @code{:var
11626 n=2}, then the call line passing the number four to that block would be
11627 written as @code{#+call: double(n=2)}.
11628 @item <header args>
11629 Header arguments can be placed either inside the call to the code block or at
11630 the end of the line as shown below.
11633 #+call: code_bloc_name[XXXX](arguments) YYYY
11636 Header arguments located in these two locations are treated differently.
11640 Those placed in the @code{XXXX} location are passed through and applied to
11641 the code block being called. These header arguments affect how the code
11642 block is evaluated, for example @code{[:results output]} will collect the
11643 results from @code{STDOUT} of the called code block.
11645 Those placed in the @code{YYYY} location are applied to the call line and do
11646 not affect the code block being called. These header arguments affect how
11647 the results are incorporated into the Org-mode buffer when the call line is
11648 evaluated, and how the call line is exported. For example @code{:results
11649 org} at the end of the call line will insert the results of the call line
11650 inside of an Org-mode block.
11653 For more examples of passing header arguments to @code{#+call:} lines see
11654 @ref{Header arguments in function calls}.
11657 @node Library of Babel, Languages, Evaluating code blocks, Working With Source Code
11658 @section Library of Babel
11659 @cindex babel, library of
11660 @cindex source code, library
11661 @cindex code block, library
11663 The ``Library of Babel'' is a library of code blocks
11664 that can be called from any Org-mode file. The library is housed in an
11665 Org-mode file located in the @samp{contrib} directory of Org-mode.
11666 Org-mode users can deposit functions they believe to be generally
11667 useful in the library.
11669 Code blocks defined in the ``Library of Babel'' can be called remotely as if
11670 they were in the current Org-mode buffer (see @ref{Evaluating code blocks}
11671 for information on the syntax of remote code block evaluation).
11674 Code blocks located in any Org-mode file can be loaded into the ``Library of
11675 Babel'' with the @code{org-babel-lob-ingest} function, bound to @kbd{C-c C-v
11678 @node Languages, Header arguments, Library of Babel, Working With Source Code
11680 @cindex babel, languages
11681 @cindex source code, languages
11682 @cindex code block, languages
11684 Code blocks in the following languages are supported.
11686 @multitable @columnfractions 0.28 0.3 0.22 0.2
11687 @item @b{Language} @tab @b{Identifier} @tab @b{Language} @tab @b{Identifier}
11688 @item Asymptote @tab asymptote @tab Emacs Calc @tab calc
11689 @item C @tab C @tab C++ @tab C++
11690 @item Clojure @tab clojure @tab CSS @tab css
11691 @item ditaa @tab ditaa @tab Graphviz @tab dot
11692 @item Emacs Lisp @tab emacs-lisp @tab gnuplot @tab gnuplot
11693 @item Haskell @tab haskell @tab Javascript @tab js
11694 @item LaTeX @tab latex @tab Ledger @tab ledger
11695 @item Lisp @tab lisp @tab MATLAB @tab matlab
11696 @item Mscgen @tab mscgen @tab Objective Caml @tab ocaml
11697 @item Octave @tab octave @tab Org-mode @tab org
11698 @item Oz @tab oz @tab Perl @tab perl
11699 @item Plantuml @tab plantuml @tab Python @tab python
11700 @item R @tab R @tab Ruby @tab ruby
11701 @item Sass @tab sass @tab Scheme @tab scheme
11702 @item GNU Screen @tab screen @tab shell @tab sh
11703 @item SQL @tab sql @tab SQLite @tab sqlite
11706 Language-specific documentation is available for some languages. If
11707 available, it can be found at
11708 @uref{http://orgmode.org/worg/org-contrib/babel/languages}.
11710 The @code{org-babel-load-languages} controls which languages are enabled for
11711 evaluation (by default only @code{emacs-lisp} is enabled). This variable can
11712 be set using the customization interface or by adding code like the following
11713 to your emacs configuration.
11716 The following disables @code{emacs-lisp} evaluation and enables evaluation of
11717 @code{R} code blocks.
11721 (org-babel-do-load-languages
11722 'org-babel-load-languages
11723 '((emacs-lisp . nil)
11727 It is also possible to enable support for a language by loading the related
11728 elisp file with @code{require}.
11731 The following adds support for evaluating @code{clojure} code blocks.
11735 (require 'ob-clojure)
11738 @node Header arguments, Results of evaluation, Languages, Working With Source Code
11739 @section Header arguments
11740 @cindex code block, header arguments
11741 @cindex source code, block header arguments
11743 Code block functionality can be configured with header arguments. This
11744 section provides an overview of the use of header arguments, and then
11745 describes each header argument in detail.
11748 * Using header arguments:: Different ways to set header arguments
11749 * Specific header arguments:: List of header arguments
11752 @node Using header arguments, Specific header arguments, Header arguments, Header arguments
11753 @subsection Using header arguments
11755 The values of header arguments can be set in six different ways, each more
11756 specific (and having higher priority) than the last.
11758 * System-wide header arguments:: Set global default values
11759 * Language-specific header arguments:: Set default values by language
11760 * Buffer-wide header arguments:: Set default values for a specific buffer
11761 * Header arguments in Org-mode properties:: Set default values for a buffer or heading
11762 * Code block specific header arguments:: The most common way to set values
11763 * Header arguments in function calls:: The most specific level
11767 @node System-wide header arguments, Language-specific header arguments, Using header arguments, Using header arguments
11768 @subsubheading System-wide header arguments
11769 @vindex org-babel-default-header-args
11770 System-wide values of header arguments can be specified by customizing the
11771 @code{org-babel-default-header-args} variable:
11775 :results => "replace"
11782 @c org-babel-default-header-args is a variable defined in `org-babel.el'.
11784 @c ((:session . "none")
11785 @c (:results . "replace")
11786 @c (:exports . "code")
11788 @c (:noweb . "no"))
11792 @c Default arguments to use when evaluating a code block.
11795 For example, the following example could be used to set the default value of
11796 @code{:noweb} header arguments to @code{yes}. This would have the effect of
11797 expanding @code{:noweb} references by default when evaluating source code
11801 (setq org-babel-default-header-args
11802 (cons '(:noweb . "yes")
11803 (assq-delete-all :noweb org-babel-default-header-args)))
11806 @node Language-specific header arguments, Buffer-wide header arguments, System-wide header arguments, Using header arguments
11807 @subsubheading Language-specific header arguments
11808 Each language can define its own set of default header arguments. See the
11809 language-specific documentation available online at
11810 @uref{http://orgmode.org/worg/org-contrib/babel}.
11812 @node Buffer-wide header arguments, Header arguments in Org-mode properties, Language-specific header arguments, Using header arguments
11813 @subsubheading Buffer-wide header arguments
11814 Buffer-wide header arguments may be specified through the use of a special
11815 line placed anywhere in an Org-mode file. The line consists of the
11816 @code{#+BABEL:} keyword followed by a series of header arguments which may be
11817 specified using the standard header argument syntax.
11819 For example the following would set @code{session} to @code{*R*}, and
11820 @code{results} to @code{silent} for every code block in the buffer, ensuring
11821 that all execution took place in the same session, and no results would be
11822 inserted into the buffer.
11825 #+BABEL: :session *R* :results silent
11828 @node Header arguments in Org-mode properties, Code block specific header arguments, Buffer-wide header arguments, Using header arguments
11829 @subsubheading Header arguments in Org-mode properties
11831 Header arguments are also read from Org-mode properties (see @ref{Property
11832 syntax}), which can be set on a buffer-wide or per-heading basis. An example
11833 of setting a header argument for all code blocks in a buffer is
11836 #+property: tangle yes
11839 When properties are used to set default header arguments, they are looked up
11840 with inheritance, so the value of the @code{:cache} header argument will default
11841 to @code{yes} in all code blocks in the subtree rooted at the following
11852 @vindex org-babel-default-header-args
11853 Properties defined in this way override the properties set in
11854 @code{org-babel-default-header-args}. It is convenient to use the
11855 @code{org-set-property} function bound to @kbd{C-c C-x p} to set properties
11856 in Org-mode documents.
11858 @node Code block specific header arguments, Header arguments in function calls, Header arguments in Org-mode properties, Using header arguments
11859 @subsubheading Code block specific header arguments
11861 The most common way to assign values to header arguments is at the
11862 code block level. This can be done by listing a sequence of header
11863 arguments and their values as part of the @code{#+begin_src} line.
11864 Properties set in this way override both the values of
11865 @code{org-babel-default-header-args} and header arguments specified as
11866 properties. In the following example, the @code{:results} header argument
11867 is set to @code{silent}, meaning the results of execution will not be
11868 inserted in the buffer, and the @code{:exports} header argument is set to
11869 @code{code}, meaning only the body of the code block will be
11870 preserved on export to HTML or LaTeX.
11873 #+source: factorial
11874 #+begin_src haskell :results silent :exports code :var n=0
11876 fac n = n * fac (n-1)
11879 Similarly, it is possible to set header arguments for inline code blocks:
11882 src_haskell[:exports both]@{fac 5@}
11885 Code block header arguments can span multiple lines using =#+header:= or
11886 =#+headers:= lines preceding a code block or nested in between the name and
11887 body of a named code block.
11889 Multi-line header arguments on an un-named code block:
11891 #+headers: :var data1=1
11892 #+begin_src emacs-lisp :var data2=2
11893 (message "data1:%S, data2:%S" data1 data2)
11900 Multi-line header arguments on a named code block:
11902 #+source: named-block
11903 #+header: :var data=2
11904 #+begin_src emacs-lisp
11905 (message "data:%S" data)
11908 #+results: named-block
11912 @node Header arguments in function calls, , Code block specific header arguments, Using header arguments
11913 @comment node-name, next, previous, up
11914 @subsubheading Header arguments in function calls
11916 At the most specific level, header arguments for ``Library of Babel'' or
11917 function call lines can be set as shown in the two examples below. For more
11918 information on the structure of @code{#+call:} lines see @ref{Evaluating code
11921 The following will apply the @code{:exports results} header argument to the
11922 evaluation of the @code{#+call:} line.
11924 #+call: factorial(n=5) :exports results
11927 The following will apply the @code{:session special} header argument to the
11928 evaluation of the @code{factorial} code block.
11930 #+call: factorial[:session special](n=5)
11933 @node Specific header arguments, , Using header arguments, Header arguments
11934 @subsection Specific header arguments
11935 The following header arguments are defined:
11938 * var:: Pass arguments to code blocks
11939 * results:: Specify the type of results and how they will
11940 be collected and handled
11941 * file:: Specify a path for file output
11942 * dir:: Specify the default (possibly remote)
11943 directory for code block execution
11944 * exports:: Export code and/or results
11945 * tangle:: Toggle tangling and specify file name
11946 * mkdirp:: Toggle creation of parent directories of target
11947 files during tangling
11948 * comments:: Toggle insertion of comments in tangled
11950 * padline:: Control insertion of padding lines in tangled
11952 * no-expand:: Turn off variable assignment and noweb
11953 expansion during tangling
11954 * session:: Preserve the state of code evaluation
11955 * noweb:: Toggle expansion of noweb references
11956 * noweb-ref:: Specify block's noweb reference resolution target
11957 * cache:: Avoid re-evaluating unchanged code blocks
11958 * sep:: Delimiter for writing tabular results outside Org
11959 * hlines:: Handle horizontal lines in tables
11960 * colnames:: Handle column names in tables
11961 * rownames:: Handle row names in tables
11962 * shebang:: Make tangled files executable
11963 * eval:: Limit evaluation of specific code blocks
11966 Additional header arguments are defined on a language-specific basis, see
11969 @node var, results, Specific header arguments, Specific header arguments
11970 @subsubsection @code{:var}
11971 The @code{:var} header argument is used to pass arguments to code blocks.
11972 The specifics of how arguments are included in a code block vary by language;
11973 these are addressed in the language-specific documentation. However, the
11974 syntax used to specify arguments is the same across all languages. The
11975 values passed to arguments can be literal values, values from org-mode tables
11976 and literal example blocks, the results of other code blocks, or Emacs Lisp
11977 code---see the ``Emacs Lisp evaluation of variables'' heading below.
11979 These values can be indexed in a manner similar to arrays---see the
11980 ``indexable variable values'' heading below.
11982 The following syntax is used to pass arguments to code blocks using the
11983 @code{:var} header argument.
11989 where @code{assign} can take one of the following forms
11992 @item literal value
11993 either a string @code{"string"} or a number @code{9}.
11998 #+tblname: example-table
12004 #+source: table-length
12005 #+begin_src emacs-lisp :var table=example-table
12009 #+results: table-length
12013 a code block name, as assigned by @code{#+srcname:}, followed by
12017 #+begin_src emacs-lisp :var length=table-length()
12025 In addition, an argument can be passed to the code block referenced
12026 by @code{:var}. The argument is passed within the parentheses following the
12031 #+begin_src emacs-lisp :var input=8
12039 #+begin_src emacs-lisp :var input=double(input=1)
12048 @subsubheading Alternate argument syntax
12049 It is also possible to specify arguments in a potentially more natural way
12050 using the @code{#+source:} line of a code block. As in the following
12051 example arguments can be packed inside of parenthesis, separated by commas,
12052 following the source name.
12055 #+source: double(input=0, x=2)
12056 #+begin_src emacs-lisp
12061 @subsubheading Indexable variable values
12062 It is possible to reference portions of variable values by ``indexing'' into
12063 the variables. Indexes are 0 based with negative values counting back from
12064 the end. If an index is separated by @code{,}s then each subsequent section
12065 will index into the next deepest nesting or dimension of the value. Note
12066 that this indexing occurs @emph{before} other table related header arguments
12067 like @code{:hlines}, @code{:colnames} and @code{:rownames} are applied. The
12068 following example assigns the last cell of the first row the table
12069 @code{example-table} to the variable @code{data}:
12072 #+results: example-table
12078 #+begin_src emacs-lisp :var data=example-table[0,-1]
12086 Ranges of variable values can be referenced using two integers separated by a
12087 @code{:}, in which case the entire inclusive range is referenced. For
12088 example the following assigns the middle three rows of @code{example-table}
12092 #+results: example-table
12099 #+begin_src emacs-lisp :var data=example-table[1:3]
12109 Additionally, an empty index, or the single character @code{*}, are both
12110 interpreted to mean the entire range and as such are equivalent to
12111 @code{0:-1}, as shown in the following example in which the entire first
12112 column is referenced.
12115 #+results: example-table
12121 #+begin_src emacs-lisp :var data=example-table[,0]
12129 It is possible to index into the results of code blocks as well as tables.
12130 Any number of dimensions can be indexed. Dimensions are separated from one
12131 another by commas, as shown in the following example.
12135 #+begin_src emacs-lisp
12136 '(((1 2 3) (4 5 6) (7 8 9))
12137 ((10 11 12) (13 14 15) (16 17 18))
12138 ((19 20 21) (22 23 24) (25 26 27)))
12141 #+begin_src emacs-lisp :var data=3D[1,,1]
12149 @subsubheading Emacs Lisp evaluation of variables
12151 Emacs lisp code can be used to initialize variable values. When a variable
12152 value starts with @code{(}, @code{[}, @code{'} or @code{`} it will be evaluated as
12153 Emacs Lisp and the result of the evaluation will be assigned as the variable
12154 value. The following example demonstrates use of this evaluation to reliably
12155 pass the file-name of the org-mode buffer to a code block---note that
12156 evaluation of header arguments is guaranteed to take place in the original
12157 org-mode file, while there is no such guarantee for evaluation of the code
12161 #+begin_src sh :var filename=(buffer-file-name) :exports both
12166 Note that values read from tables and lists will not be evaluated as
12167 Emacs Lisp, as shown in the following example.
12173 #+headers: :var data=table[0,0]
12182 @node results, file, var, Specific header arguments
12183 @subsubsection @code{:results}
12185 There are three classes of @code{:results} header argument. Only one option
12186 per class may be supplied per code block.
12190 @b{collection} header arguments specify how the results should be collected
12191 from the code block
12193 @b{type} header arguments specify what type of result the code block will
12194 return---which has implications for how they will be inserted into the
12197 @b{handling} header arguments specify how the results of evaluating the code
12198 block should be handled.
12201 @subsubheading Collection
12202 The following options are mutually exclusive, and specify how the results
12203 should be collected from the code block.
12207 This is the default. The result is the value of the last statement in the
12208 code block. This header argument places the evaluation in functional
12209 mode. Note that in some languages, e.g., Python, use of this result type
12210 requires that a @code{return} statement be included in the body of the source
12211 code block. E.g., @code{:results value}.
12212 @item @code{output}
12213 The result is the collection of everything printed to STDOUT during the
12214 execution of the code block. This header argument places the
12215 evaluation in scripting mode. E.g., @code{:results output}.
12218 @subsubheading Type
12220 The following options are mutually exclusive and specify what type of results
12221 the code block will return. By default, results are inserted as either a
12222 table or scalar depending on their value.
12225 @item @code{table}, @code{vector}
12226 The results should be interpreted as an Org-mode table. If a single value is
12227 returned, it will be converted into a table with one row and one column.
12228 E.g., @code{:results value table}.
12230 The results should be interpreted as an Org-mode list. If a single scalar
12231 value is returned it will be converted into a list with only one element.
12232 @item @code{scalar}, @code{verbatim}
12233 The results should be interpreted literally---they will not be
12234 converted into a table. The results will be inserted into the Org-mode
12235 buffer as quoted text. E.g., @code{:results value verbatim}.
12237 The results will be interpreted as the path to a file, and will be inserted
12238 into the Org-mode buffer as a file link. E.g., @code{:results value file}.
12239 @item @code{raw}, @code{org}
12240 The results are interpreted as raw Org-mode code and are inserted directly
12241 into the buffer. If the results look like a table they will be aligned as
12242 such by Org-mode. E.g., @code{:results value raw}.
12244 Results are assumed to be HTML and will be enclosed in a @code{begin_html}
12245 block. E.g., @code{:results value html}.
12247 Results assumed to be LaTeX and are enclosed in a @code{begin_latex} block.
12248 E.g., @code{:results value latex}.
12250 Result are assumed to be parseable code and are enclosed in a code block.
12251 E.g., @code{:results value code}.
12253 The result is converted to pretty-printed code and is enclosed in a code
12254 block. This option currently supports Emacs Lisp, Python, and Ruby. E.g.,
12255 @code{:results value pp}.
12257 The result is wrapped in a @code{begin_result} block. This can be useful for
12258 inserting @code{raw} or @code{org} syntax results in such a way that their
12259 extend is known and they can be automatically removed or replaced.
12262 @subsubheading Handling
12263 The following results options indicate what happens with the
12264 results once they are collected.
12267 @item @code{silent}
12268 The results will be echoed in the minibuffer but will not be inserted into
12269 the Org-mode buffer. E.g., @code{:results output silent}.
12270 @item @code{replace}
12271 The default value. Any existing results will be removed, and the new results
12272 will be inserted into the Org-mode buffer in their place. E.g.,
12273 @code{:results output replace}.
12274 @item @code{append}
12275 If there are pre-existing results of the code block then the new results will
12276 be appended to the existing results. Otherwise the new results will be
12277 inserted as with @code{replace}.
12278 @item @code{prepend}
12279 If there are pre-existing results of the code block then the new results will
12280 be prepended to the existing results. Otherwise the new results will be
12281 inserted as with @code{replace}.
12284 @node file, dir, results, Specific header arguments
12285 @subsubsection @code{:file}
12287 The header argument @code{:file} is used to specify an external file in which
12288 to save code block results. After code block evaluation an Org-mode style
12289 @code{[[file:]]} link (see @ref{Link format}) to the file will be inserted
12290 into the Org-mode buffer. Some languages including R, gnuplot, dot, and
12291 ditaa provide special handling of the @code{:file} header argument
12292 automatically wrapping the code block body in the boilerplate code required
12293 to save output to the specified file. This is often useful for saving
12294 graphical output of a code block to the specified file.
12296 The argument to @code{:file} should be either a string specifying the path to
12297 a file, or a list of two strings in which case the first element of the list
12298 should be the path to a file and the second a description for the link.
12300 @node dir, exports, file, Specific header arguments
12301 @subsubsection @code{:dir} and remote execution
12303 While the @code{:file} header argument can be used to specify the path to the
12304 output file, @code{:dir} specifies the default directory during code block
12305 execution. If it is absent, then the directory associated with the current
12306 buffer is used. In other words, supplying @code{:dir path} temporarily has
12307 the same effect as changing the current directory with @kbd{M-x cd path}, and
12308 then not supplying @code{:dir}. Under the surface, @code{:dir} simply sets
12309 the value of the Emacs variable @code{default-directory}.
12311 When using @code{:dir}, you should supply a relative path for file output
12312 (e.g.@: @code{:file myfile.jpg} or @code{:file results/myfile.jpg}) in which
12313 case that path will be interpreted relative to the default directory.
12315 In other words, if you want your plot to go into a folder called @file{Work}
12316 in your home directory, you could use
12319 #+begin_src R :file myplot.png :dir ~/Work
12320 matplot(matrix(rnorm(100), 10), type="l")
12324 @subsubheading Remote execution
12325 A directory on a remote machine can be specified using tramp file syntax, in
12326 which case the code will be evaluated on the remote machine. An example is
12329 #+begin_src R :file plot.png :dir /dand@@yakuba.princeton.edu:
12330 plot(1:10, main=system("hostname", intern=TRUE))
12334 Text results will be returned to the local Org-mode buffer as usual, and file
12335 output will be created on the remote machine with relative paths interpreted
12336 relative to the remote directory. An Org-mode link to the remote file will be
12339 So, in the above example a plot will be created on the remote machine,
12340 and a link of the following form will be inserted in the org buffer:
12343 [[file:/scp:dand@@yakuba.princeton.edu:/home/dand/plot.png][plot.png]]
12346 Most of this functionality follows immediately from the fact that @code{:dir}
12347 sets the value of the Emacs variable @code{default-directory}, thanks to
12348 tramp. Those using XEmacs, or GNU Emacs prior to version 23 may need to
12349 install tramp separately in order for these features to work correctly.
12351 @subsubheading Further points
12355 If @code{:dir} is used in conjunction with @code{:session}, although it will
12356 determine the starting directory for a new session as expected, no attempt is
12357 currently made to alter the directory associated with an existing session.
12359 @code{:dir} should typically not be used to create files during export with
12360 @code{:exports results} or @code{:exports both}. The reason is that, in order
12361 to retain portability of exported material between machines, during export
12362 links inserted into the buffer will *not* be expanded against @code{default
12363 directory}. Therefore, if @code{default-directory} is altered using
12364 @code{:dir}, it is probable that the file will be created in a location to
12365 which the link does not point.
12368 @node exports, tangle, dir, Specific header arguments
12369 @subsubsection @code{:exports}
12371 The @code{:exports} header argument specifies what should be included in HTML
12372 or LaTeX exports of the Org-mode file.
12376 The default. The body of code is included into the exported file. E.g.,
12377 @code{:exports code}.
12378 @item @code{results}
12379 The result of evaluating the code is included in the exported file. E.g.,
12380 @code{:exports results}.
12382 Both the code and results are included in the exported file. E.g.,
12383 @code{:exports both}.
12385 Nothing is included in the exported file. E.g., @code{:exports none}.
12388 @node tangle, mkdirp, exports, Specific header arguments
12389 @subsubsection @code{:tangle}
12391 The @code{:tangle} header argument specifies whether or not the code
12392 block should be included in tangled extraction of source code files.
12395 @item @code{tangle}
12396 The code block is exported to a source code file named after the full path
12397 (including the directory) and file name (w/o extension) of the Org-mode file.
12398 E.g., @code{:tangle yes}.
12400 The default. The code block is not exported to a source code file.
12401 E.g., @code{:tangle no}.
12403 Any other string passed to the @code{:tangle} header argument is interpreted
12404 as a path (directory and file name relative to the directory of the Org-mode
12405 file) to which the block will be exported. E.g., @code{:tangle path}.
12408 @node mkdirp, comments, tangle, Specific header arguments
12409 @subsubsection @code{:mkdirp}
12411 The @code{:mkdirp} header argument can be used to create parent directories
12412 of tangled files when missing. This can be set to @code{yes} to enable
12413 directory creation or to @code{no} to inhibit directory creation.
12415 @node comments, padline, mkdirp, Specific header arguments
12416 @subsubsection @code{:comments}
12417 By default code blocks are tangled to source-code files without any insertion
12418 of comments beyond those which may already exist in the body of the code
12419 block. The @code{:comments} header argument can be set as follows to control
12420 the insertion of extra comments into the tangled code file.
12424 The default. No extra comments are inserted during tangling.
12426 The code block is wrapped in comments which contain pointers back to the
12427 original Org file from which the code was tangled.
12429 A synonym for ``link'' to maintain backwards compatibility.
12431 Include text from the org-mode file as a comment.
12433 The text is picked from the leading context of the tangled code and is
12434 limited by the nearest headline or source block as the case may be.
12436 Turns on both the ``link'' and ``org'' comment options.
12438 Turns on the ``link'' comment option, and additionally wraps expanded noweb
12439 references in the code block body in link comments.
12442 @node padline, no-expand, comments, Specific header arguments
12443 @subsubsection @code{:padline}
12444 Control in insertion of padding lines around code block bodies in tangled
12445 code files. The default value is @code{yes} which results in insertion of
12446 newlines before and after each tangled code block. The following arguments
12451 Insert newlines before and after each code block body in tangled code files.
12453 Do not insert any newline padding in tangled output.
12456 @node no-expand, session, padline, Specific header arguments
12457 @subsubsection @code{:no-expand}
12459 By default, code blocks are expanded with @code{org-babel-expand-src-block}
12460 during tangling. This has the effect of assigning values to variables
12461 specified with @code{:var} (see @ref{var}), and of replacing ``noweb''
12462 references (see @ref{Noweb reference syntax}) with their targets. The
12463 @code{:no-expand} header argument can be used to turn off this behavior.
12465 @node session, noweb, no-expand, Specific header arguments
12466 @subsubsection @code{:session}
12468 The @code{:session} header argument starts a session for an interpreted
12469 language where state is preserved.
12471 By default, a session is not started.
12473 A string passed to the @code{:session} header argument will give the session
12474 a name. This makes it possible to run concurrent sessions for each
12475 interpreted language.
12477 @node noweb, noweb-ref, session, Specific header arguments
12478 @subsubsection @code{:noweb}
12480 The @code{:noweb} header argument controls expansion of ``noweb'' style (see
12481 @ref{Noweb reference syntax}) references in a code block. This header
12482 argument can have one of three values: @code{yes}, @code{no}, or @code{tangle}.
12486 All ``noweb'' syntax references in the body of the code block will be
12487 expanded before the block is evaluated, tangled or exported.
12489 The default. No ``noweb'' syntax specific action is taken on evaluating
12490 code blocks, However, noweb references will still be expanded during
12492 @item @code{tangle}
12493 All ``noweb'' syntax references in the body of the code block will be
12494 expanded before the block is tangled, however ``noweb'' references will not
12495 be expanded when the block is evaluated or exported.
12498 @subsubheading Noweb prefix lines
12499 Noweb insertions are now placed behind the line prefix of the
12500 @code{<<reference>>}.
12501 This behavior is illustrated in the following example. Because the
12502 @code{<<example>>} noweb reference appears behind the SQL comment syntax,
12503 each line of the expanded noweb reference will be commented.
12516 -- multi-line body of example
12519 Note that noweb replacement text that does not contain any newlines will not
12520 be affected by this change, so it is still possible to use inline noweb
12523 @node noweb-ref, cache, noweb, Specific header arguments
12524 @subsubsection @code{:noweb-ref}
12525 When expanding ``noweb'' style references the bodies of all code block with
12526 @emph{either} a block name matching the reference name @emph{or} a
12527 @code{:noweb-ref} header argument matching the reference name will be
12528 concatenated together to form the replacement text.
12530 By setting this header argument at the sub-tree or file level, simple code
12531 block concatenation may be achieved. For example, when tangling the
12532 following Org-mode file, the bodies of code blocks will be concatenated into
12533 the resulting pure code file.
12536 #+begin_src sh :tangle yes :noweb yes :shebang #!/bin/sh
12539 * the mount point of the fullest disk
12541 :noweb-ref: fullest-disk
12544 ** query all mounted disks
12549 ** strip the header row
12554 ** sort by the percent full
12556 |awk '@{print $5 " " $6@}'|sort -n |tail -1 \
12559 ** extract the mount point
12561 |awk '@{print $2@}'
12565 @node cache, sep, noweb-ref, Specific header arguments
12566 @subsubsection @code{:cache}
12568 The @code{:cache} header argument controls the use of in-buffer caching of
12569 the results of evaluating code blocks. It can be used to avoid re-evaluating
12570 unchanged code blocks. This header argument can have one of two
12571 values: @code{yes} or @code{no}.
12575 The default. No caching takes place, and the code block will be evaluated
12576 every time it is called.
12578 Every time the code block is run a SHA1 hash of the code and arguments
12579 passed to the block will be generated. This hash is packed into the
12580 @code{#+results:} line and will be checked on subsequent
12581 executions of the code block. If the code block has not
12582 changed since the last time it was evaluated, it will not be re-evaluated.
12585 Code block caches notice if the value of a variable argument
12586 to the code block has changed. If this is the case, the cache is
12587 invalidated and the code block is re-run. In the following example,
12588 @code{caller} will not be re-run unless the results of @code{random} have
12589 changed since it was last run.
12593 #+begin_src R :cache yes
12597 #+results[a2a72cd647ad44515fab62e144796432793d68e1]: random
12601 #+begin_src emacs-lisp :var x=random :cache yes
12605 #+results[bec9c8724e397d5df3b696502df3ed7892fc4f5f]: caller
12609 @node sep, hlines, cache, Specific header arguments
12610 @subsubsection @code{:sep}
12612 The @code{:sep} header argument can be used to control the delimiter used
12613 when writing tabular results out to files external to Org-mode. This is used
12614 either when opening tabular results of a code block by calling the
12615 @code{org-open-at-point} function bound to @kbd{C-c C-o} on the code block,
12616 or when writing code block results to an external file (see @ref{file})
12619 By default, when @code{:sep} is not specified output tables are tab
12622 @node hlines, colnames, sep, Specific header arguments
12623 @subsubsection @code{:hlines}
12625 Tables are frequently represented with one or more horizontal lines, or
12626 hlines. The @code{:hlines} argument to a code block accepts the
12627 values @code{yes} or @code{no}, with a default value of @code{no}.
12631 Strips horizontal lines from the input table. In most languages this is the
12632 desired effect because an @code{hline} symbol is interpreted as an unbound
12633 variable and raises an error. Setting @code{:hlines no} or relying on the
12634 default value yields the following results.
12637 #+tblname: many-cols
12644 #+source: echo-table
12645 #+begin_src python :var tab=many-cols
12649 #+results: echo-table
12656 Leaves hlines in the table. Setting @code{:hlines yes} has this effect.
12659 #+tblname: many-cols
12666 #+source: echo-table
12667 #+begin_src python :var tab=many-cols :hlines yes
12671 #+results: echo-table
12680 @node colnames, rownames, hlines, Specific header arguments
12681 @subsubsection @code{:colnames}
12683 The @code{:colnames} header argument accepts the values @code{yes},
12684 @code{no}, or @code{nil} for unassigned. The default value is @code{nil}.
12688 If an input table looks like it has column names
12689 (because its second row is an hline), then the column
12690 names will be removed from the table before
12691 processing, then reapplied to the results.
12694 #+tblname: less-cols
12700 #+srcname: echo-table-again
12701 #+begin_src python :var tab=less-cols
12702 return [[val + '*' for val in row] for row in tab]
12705 #+results: echo-table-again
12712 Please note that column names are not removed before the table is indexed
12713 using variable indexing @xref{var, Indexable variable values}.
12716 No column name pre-processing takes place
12719 Column names are removed and reapplied as with @code{nil} even if the table
12720 does not ``look like'' it has column names (i.e.@: the second row is not an
12724 @node rownames, shebang, colnames, Specific header arguments
12725 @subsubsection @code{:rownames}
12727 The @code{:rownames} header argument can take on the values @code{yes}
12728 or @code{no}, with a default value of @code{no}.
12732 No row name pre-processing will take place.
12735 The first column of the table is removed from the table before processing,
12736 and is then reapplied to the results.
12739 #+tblname: with-rownames
12740 | one | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
12741 | two | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
12743 #+srcname: echo-table-once-again
12744 #+begin_src python :var tab=with-rownames :rownames yes
12745 return [[val + 10 for val in row] for row in tab]
12748 #+results: echo-table-once-again
12749 | one | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
12750 | two | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
12753 Please note that row names are not removed before the table is indexed using
12754 variable indexing @xref{var, Indexable variable values}.
12758 @node shebang, eval, rownames, Specific header arguments
12759 @subsubsection @code{:shebang}
12761 Setting the @code{:shebang} header argument to a string value
12762 (e.g.@: @code{:shebang "#!/bin/bash"}) causes the string to be inserted as the
12763 first line of any tangled file holding the code block, and the file
12764 permissions of the tangled file are set to make it executable.
12766 @node eval, , shebang, Specific header arguments
12767 @subsubsection @code{:eval}
12768 The @code{:eval} header argument can be used to limit the evaluation of
12769 specific code blocks. @code{:eval} accepts two arguments ``never'' and
12770 ``query''. @code{:eval never} will ensure that a code block is never
12771 evaluated, this can be useful for protecting against the evaluation of
12772 dangerous code blocks. @code{:eval query} will require a query for every
12773 execution of a code block regardless of the value of the
12774 @code{org-confirm-babel-evaluate} variable.
12776 @node Results of evaluation, Noweb reference syntax, Header arguments, Working With Source Code
12777 @section Results of evaluation
12778 @cindex code block, results of evaluation
12779 @cindex source code, results of evaluation
12781 The way in which results are handled depends on whether a session is invoked,
12782 as well as on whether @code{:results value} or @code{:results output} is
12783 used. The following table shows the table possibilities. For a full listing
12784 of the possible results header arguments see @ref{results}.
12786 @multitable @columnfractions 0.26 0.33 0.41
12787 @item @tab @b{Non-session} @tab @b{Session}
12788 @item @code{:results value} @tab value of last expression @tab value of last expression
12789 @item @code{:results output} @tab contents of STDOUT @tab concatenation of interpreter output
12792 Note: With @code{:results value}, the result in both @code{:session} and
12793 non-session is returned to Org-mode as a table (a one- or two-dimensional
12794 vector of strings or numbers) when appropriate.
12796 @subsection Non-session
12797 @subsubsection @code{:results value}
12798 This is the default. Internally, the value is obtained by wrapping the code
12799 in a function definition in the external language, and evaluating that
12800 function. Therefore, code should be written as if it were the body of such a
12801 function. In particular, note that Python does not automatically return a
12802 value from a function unless a @code{return} statement is present, and so a
12803 @samp{return} statement will usually be required in Python.
12805 This is the only one of the four evaluation contexts in which the code is
12806 automatically wrapped in a function definition.
12808 @subsubsection @code{:results output}
12809 The code is passed to the interpreter as an external process, and the
12810 contents of the standard output stream are returned as text. (In certain
12811 languages this also contains the error output stream; this is an area for
12814 @subsection Session
12815 @subsubsection @code{:results value}
12816 The code is passed to an interpreter running as an interactive Emacs inferior
12817 process. Only languages which provide tools for interactive evaluation of
12818 code have session support, so some language (e.g., C and ditaa) do not
12819 support the @code{:session} header argument, and in other languages (e.g.,
12820 Python and Haskell) which have limitations on the code which may be entered
12821 into interactive sessions, those limitations apply to the code in code blocks
12822 using the @code{:session} header argument as well.
12824 Unless the @code{:results output} option is supplied (see below) the result
12825 returned is the result of the last evaluation performed by the
12826 interpreter. (This is obtained in a language-specific manner: the value of
12827 the variable @code{_} in Python and Ruby, and the value of @code{.Last.value}
12830 @subsubsection @code{:results output}
12831 The code is passed to the interpreter running as an interactive Emacs
12832 inferior process. The result returned is the concatenation of the sequence of
12833 (text) output from the interactive interpreter. Notice that this is not
12834 necessarily the same as what would be sent to @code{STDOUT} if the same code
12835 were passed to a non-interactive interpreter running as an external
12836 process. For example, compare the following two blocks:
12839 #+begin_src python :results output
12850 In non-session mode, the `2' is not printed and does not appear.
12852 #+begin_src python :results output :session
12864 But in @code{:session} mode, the interactive interpreter receives input `2'
12865 and prints out its value, `2'. (Indeed, the other print statements are
12868 @node Noweb reference syntax, Key bindings and useful functions, Results of evaluation, Working With Source Code
12869 @section Noweb reference syntax
12870 @cindex code block, noweb reference
12871 @cindex syntax, noweb
12872 @cindex source code, noweb reference
12874 The ``noweb'' (see @uref{http://www.cs.tufts.edu/~nr/noweb/}) Literate
12875 Programming system allows named blocks of code to be referenced by using the
12876 familiar Noweb syntax:
12879 <<code-block-name>>
12882 When a code block is tangled or evaluated, whether or not ``noweb''
12883 references are expanded depends upon the value of the @code{:noweb} header
12884 argument. If @code{:noweb yes}, then a Noweb reference is expanded before
12885 evaluation. If @code{:noweb no}, the default, then the reference is not
12886 expanded before evaluation.
12888 Note: the default value, @code{:noweb no}, was chosen to ensure that
12889 correct code is not broken in a language, such as Ruby, where
12890 @code{<<arg>>} is a syntactically valid construct. If @code{<<arg>>} is not
12891 syntactically valid in languages that you use, then please consider setting
12894 @node Key bindings and useful functions, Batch execution, Noweb reference syntax, Working With Source Code
12895 @section Key bindings and useful functions
12896 @cindex code block, key bindings
12898 Many common Org-mode key sequences are re-bound depending on
12901 Within a code block, the following key bindings
12904 @multitable @columnfractions 0.25 0.75
12906 @item @kbd{C-c C-c} @tab @code{org-babel-execute-src-block}
12908 @item @kbd{C-c C-o} @tab @code{org-babel-open-src-block-result}
12910 @item @kbd{C-@key{up}} @tab @code{org-babel-load-in-session}
12912 @item @kbd{M-@key{down}} @tab @code{org-babel-pop-to-session}
12915 In an Org-mode buffer, the following key bindings are active:
12917 @multitable @columnfractions 0.45 0.55
12919 @kindex C-c C-v C-a
12920 @item @kbd{C-c C-v a} @ @ @r{or} @ @ @kbd{C-c C-v C-a} @tab @code{org-babel-sha1-hash}
12922 @kindex C-c C-v C-b
12923 @item @kbd{C-c C-v b} @ @ @r{or} @ @ @kbd{C-c C-v C-b} @tab @code{org-babel-execute-buffer}
12925 @kindex C-c C-v C-f
12926 @item @kbd{C-c C-v f} @ @ @r{or} @ @ @kbd{C-c C-v C-f} @tab @code{org-babel-tangle-file}
12928 @item @kbd{C-c C-v g} @tab @code{org-babel-goto-named-source-block}
12930 @item @kbd{C-c C-v h} @tab @code{org-babel-describe-bindings}
12932 @kindex C-c C-v C-l
12933 @item @kbd{C-c C-v l} @ @ @r{or} @ @ @kbd{C-c C-v C-l} @tab @code{org-babel-lob-ingest}
12935 @kindex C-c C-v C-p
12936 @item @kbd{C-c C-v p} @ @ @r{or} @ @ @kbd{C-c C-v C-p} @tab @code{org-babel-expand-src-block}
12938 @kindex C-c C-v C-s
12939 @item @kbd{C-c C-v s} @ @ @r{or} @ @ @kbd{C-c C-v C-s} @tab @code{org-babel-execute-subtree}
12941 @kindex C-c C-v C-t
12942 @item @kbd{C-c C-v t} @ @ @r{or} @ @ @kbd{C-c C-v C-t} @tab @code{org-babel-tangle}
12944 @kindex C-c C-v C-z
12945 @item @kbd{C-c C-v z} @ @ @r{or} @ @ @kbd{C-c C-v C-z} @tab @code{org-babel-switch-to-session}
12948 @c When possible these keybindings were extended to work when the control key is
12949 @c kept pressed, resulting in the following additional keybindings.
12951 @c @multitable @columnfractions 0.25 0.75
12952 @c @item @kbd{C-c C-v C-a} @tab @code{org-babel-sha1-hash}
12953 @c @item @kbd{C-c C-v C-b} @tab @code{org-babel-execute-buffer}
12954 @c @item @kbd{C-c C-v C-f} @tab @code{org-babel-tangle-file}
12955 @c @item @kbd{C-c C-v C-l} @tab @code{org-babel-lob-ingest}
12956 @c @item @kbd{C-c C-v C-p} @tab @code{org-babel-expand-src-block}
12957 @c @item @kbd{C-c C-v C-s} @tab @code{org-babel-execute-subtree}
12958 @c @item @kbd{C-c C-v C-t} @tab @code{org-babel-tangle}
12959 @c @item @kbd{C-c C-v C-z} @tab @code{org-babel-switch-to-session}
12962 @node Batch execution, , Key bindings and useful functions, Working With Source Code
12963 @section Batch execution
12964 @cindex code block, batch execution
12965 @cindex source code, batch execution
12967 It is possible to call functions from the command line. This shell
12968 script calls @code{org-babel-tangle} on every one of its arguments.
12970 Be sure to adjust the paths to fit your system.
12974 # -*- mode: shell-script -*-
12976 # tangle files with org-mode
12980 ORGINSTALL="~/src/org/lisp/org-install.el"
12982 # wrap each argument in the code required to call tangle on it
12984 FILES="$FILES \"$i\""
12987 emacs -Q --batch -l $ORGINSTALL \
12989 (add-to-list 'load-path (expand-file-name \"~/src/org/lisp/\"))
12990 (add-to-list 'load-path (expand-file-name \"~/src/org/contrib/lisp/\"))
12991 (require 'org)(require 'org-exp)(require 'ob)(require 'ob-tangle)
12992 (mapc (lambda (file)
12993 (find-file (expand-file-name file \"$DIR\"))
12995 (kill-buffer)) '($FILES)))" 2>&1 |grep tangled
12998 @node Miscellaneous, Hacking, Working With Source Code, Top
12999 @chapter Miscellaneous
13002 * Completion:: M-TAB knows what you need
13003 * Easy Templates:: Quick insertion of structural elements
13004 * Speed keys:: Electric commands at the beginning of a headline
13005 * Code evaluation security:: Org mode files evaluate inline code
13006 * Customization:: Adapting Org to your taste
13007 * In-buffer settings:: Overview of the #+KEYWORDS
13008 * The very busy C-c C-c key:: When in doubt, press C-c C-c
13009 * Clean view:: Getting rid of leading stars in the outline
13010 * TTY keys:: Using Org on a tty
13011 * Interaction:: Other Emacs packages
13012 * org-crypt.el:: Encrypting Org files
13016 @node Completion, Easy Templates, Miscellaneous, Miscellaneous
13017 @section Completion
13018 @cindex completion, of @TeX{} symbols
13019 @cindex completion, of TODO keywords
13020 @cindex completion, of dictionary words
13021 @cindex completion, of option keywords
13022 @cindex completion, of tags
13023 @cindex completion, of property keys
13024 @cindex completion, of link abbreviations
13025 @cindex @TeX{} symbol completion
13026 @cindex TODO keywords completion
13027 @cindex dictionary word completion
13028 @cindex option keyword completion
13029 @cindex tag completion
13030 @cindex link abbreviations, completion of
13032 Emacs would not be Emacs without completion, and Org-mode uses it whenever it
13033 makes sense. If you prefer an @i{iswitchb}- or @i{ido}-like interface for
13034 some of the completion prompts, you can specify your preference by setting at
13035 most one of the variables @code{org-completion-use-iswitchb}
13036 @code{org-completion-use-ido}.
13038 Org supports in-buffer completion. This type of completion does
13039 not make use of the minibuffer. You simply type a few letters into
13040 the buffer and use the key to complete text right there.
13043 @kindex M-@key{TAB}
13045 Complete word at point
13048 At the beginning of a headline, complete TODO keywords.
13050 After @samp{\}, complete @TeX{} symbols supported by the exporter.
13052 After @samp{*}, complete headlines in the current buffer so that they
13053 can be used in search links like @samp{[[*find this headline]]}.
13055 After @samp{:} in a headline, complete tags. The list of tags is taken
13056 from the variable @code{org-tag-alist} (possibly set through the
13057 @samp{#+TAGS} in-buffer option, @pxref{Setting tags}), or it is created
13058 dynamically from all tags used in the current buffer.
13060 After @samp{:} and not in a headline, complete property keys. The list
13061 of keys is constructed dynamically from all keys used in the current
13064 After @samp{[}, complete link abbreviations (@pxref{Link abbreviations}).
13066 After @samp{#+}, complete the special keywords like @samp{TYP_TODO} or
13067 @samp{OPTIONS} which set file-specific options for Org-mode. When the
13068 option keyword is already complete, pressing @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} again
13069 will insert example settings for this keyword.
13071 In the line after @samp{#+STARTUP: }, complete startup keywords,
13072 i.e.@: valid keys for this line.
13074 Elsewhere, complete dictionary words using Ispell.
13078 @node Easy Templates, Speed keys, Completion, Miscellaneous
13079 @section Easy Templates
13080 @cindex template insertion
13081 @cindex insertion, of templates
13083 Org-mode supports insertion of empty structural elements (like
13084 @code{#+BEGIN_SRC} and @code{#+END_SRC} pairs) with just a few key
13085 strokes. This is achieved through a native template expansion mechanism.
13086 Note that Emacs has several other template mechanisms which could be used in
13087 a similar way, for example @file{yasnippet}.
13089 To insert a structural element, type a @samp{<}, followed by a template
13090 selector and @kbd{@key{TAB}}. Completion takes effect only when the above
13091 keystrokes are typed on a line by itself.
13093 The following template selectors are currently supported.
13095 @multitable @columnfractions 0.1 0.9
13096 @item @kbd{s} @tab @code{#+begin_src ... #+end_src}
13097 @item @kbd{e} @tab @code{#+begin_example ... #+end_example}
13098 @item @kbd{q} @tab @code{#+begin_quote ... #+end_quote}
13099 @item @kbd{v} @tab @code{#+begin_verse ... #+end_verse}
13100 @item @kbd{c} @tab @code{#+begin_center ... #+end_center}
13101 @item @kbd{l} @tab @code{#+begin_latex ... #+end_latex}
13102 @item @kbd{L} @tab @code{#+latex:}
13103 @item @kbd{h} @tab @code{#+begin_html ... #+end_html}
13104 @item @kbd{H} @tab @code{#+html:}
13105 @item @kbd{a} @tab @code{#+begin_ascii ... #+end_ascii}
13106 @item @kbd{A} @tab @code{#+ascii:}
13107 @item @kbd{i} @tab @code{#+index:} line
13108 @item @kbd{I} @tab @code{#+include:} line
13111 For example, on an empty line, typing "<e" and then pressing TAB, will expand
13112 into a complete EXAMPLE template.
13114 You can install additional templates by customizing the variable
13115 @code{org-structure-template-alist}. See the docstring of the variable for
13116 additional details.
13118 @node Speed keys, Code evaluation security, Easy Templates, Miscellaneous
13119 @section Speed keys
13121 @vindex org-use-speed-commands
13122 @vindex org-speed-commands-user
13124 Single keys can be made to execute commands when the cursor is at the
13125 beginning of a headline, i.e.@: before the first star. Configure the variable
13126 @code{org-use-speed-commands} to activate this feature. There is a
13127 pre-defined list of commands, and you can add more such commands using the
13128 variable @code{org-speed-commands-user}. Speed keys do not only speed up
13129 navigation and other commands, but they also provide an alternative way to
13130 execute commands bound to keys that are not or not easily available on a TTY,
13131 or on a small mobile device with a limited keyboard.
13133 To see which commands are available, activate the feature and press @kbd{?}
13134 with the cursor at the beginning of a headline.
13136 @node Code evaluation security, Customization, Speed keys, Miscellaneous
13137 @section Code evaluation and security issues
13139 Org provides tools to work with the code snippets, including evaluating them.
13141 Running code on your machine always comes with a security risk. Badly
13142 written or malicious code can be executed on purpose or by accident. Org has
13143 default settings which will only evaluate such code if you give explicit
13144 permission to do so, and as a casual user of these features you should leave
13145 these precautions intact.
13147 For people who regularly work with such code, the confirmation prompts can
13148 become annoying, and you might want to turn them off. This can be done, but
13149 you must be aware of the risks that are involved.
13151 Code evaluation can happen under the following circumstances:
13154 @item Source code blocks
13155 Source code blocks can be evaluated during export, or when pressing @kbd{C-c
13156 C-c} in the block. The most important thing to realize here is that Org mode
13157 files which contain code snippets are, in a certain sense, like executable
13158 files. So you should accept them and load them into Emacs only from trusted
13159 sources---just like you would do with a program you install on your computer.
13161 Make sure you know what you are doing before customizing the variables
13162 which take off the default security brakes.
13164 @defopt org-confirm-babel-evaluate
13165 When t (the default), the user is asked before every code block evaluation.
13166 When nil, the user is not asked. When set to a function, it is called with
13167 two arguments (language and body of the code block) and should return t to
13168 ask and nil not to ask.
13171 For example, here is how to execute "ditaa" code (which is considered safe)
13174 (defun my-org-confirm-babel-evaluate (lang body)
13175 (not (string= lang "ditaa"))) ; don't ask for ditaa
13176 (setq org-confirm-babel-evaluate 'my-org-confirm-babel-evaluate)
13179 @item Following @code{shell} and @code{elisp} links
13180 Org has two link types that can directly evaluate code (@pxref{External
13181 links}). These links can be problematic because the code to be evaluated is
13184 @defopt org-confirm-shell-link-function
13185 Function to queries user about shell link execution.
13187 @defopt org-confirm-elisp-link-function
13188 Functions to query user for Emacs Lisp link execution.
13191 @item Formulas in tables
13192 Formulas in tables (@pxref{The spreadsheet}) are code that is evaluated
13193 either by the @i{calc} interpreter, or by the @i{Emacs Lisp} interpreter.
13196 @node Customization, In-buffer settings, Code evaluation security, Miscellaneous
13197 @section Customization
13198 @cindex customization
13199 @cindex options, for customization
13200 @cindex variables, for customization
13202 There are more than 180 variables that can be used to customize
13203 Org. For the sake of compactness of the manual, I am not
13204 describing the variables here. A structured overview of customization
13205 variables is available with @kbd{M-x org-customize}. Or select
13206 @code{Browse Org Group} from the @code{Org->Customization} menu. Many
13207 settings can also be activated on a per-file basis, by putting special
13208 lines into the buffer (@pxref{In-buffer settings}).
13210 @node In-buffer settings, The very busy C-c C-c key, Customization, Miscellaneous
13211 @section Summary of in-buffer settings
13212 @cindex in-buffer settings
13213 @cindex special keywords
13215 Org-mode uses special lines in the buffer to define settings on a
13216 per-file basis. These lines start with a @samp{#+} followed by a
13217 keyword, a colon, and then individual words defining a setting. Several
13218 setting words can be in the same line, but you can also have multiple
13219 lines for the keyword. While these settings are described throughout
13220 the manual, here is a summary. After changing any of those lines in the
13221 buffer, press @kbd{C-c C-c} with the cursor still in the line to
13222 activate the changes immediately. Otherwise they become effective only
13223 when the file is visited again in a new Emacs session.
13225 @vindex org-archive-location
13227 @item #+ARCHIVE: %s_done::
13228 This line sets the archive location for the agenda file. It applies for
13229 all subsequent lines until the next @samp{#+ARCHIVE} line, or the end
13230 of the file. The first such line also applies to any entries before it.
13231 The corresponding variable is @code{org-archive-location}.
13233 This line sets the category for the agenda file. The category applies
13234 for all subsequent lines until the next @samp{#+CATEGORY} line, or the
13235 end of the file. The first such line also applies to any entries before it.
13236 @item #+COLUMNS: %25ITEM .....
13237 @cindex property, COLUMNS
13238 Set the default format for columns view. This format applies when
13239 columns view is invoked in locations where no @code{COLUMNS} property
13241 @item #+CONSTANTS: name1=value1 ...
13242 @vindex org-table-formula-constants
13243 @vindex org-table-formula
13244 Set file-local values for constants to be used in table formulas. This
13245 line sets the local variable @code{org-table-formula-constants-local}.
13246 The global version of this variable is
13247 @code{org-table-formula-constants}.
13248 @item #+FILETAGS: :tag1:tag2:tag3:
13249 Set tags that can be inherited by any entry in the file, including the
13251 @item #+DRAWERS: NAME1 .....
13252 @vindex org-drawers
13253 Set the file-local set of drawers. The corresponding global variable is
13254 @code{org-drawers}.
13255 @item #+LINK: linkword replace
13256 @vindex org-link-abbrev-alist
13257 These lines (several are allowed) specify link abbreviations.
13258 @xref{Link abbreviations}. The corresponding variable is
13259 @code{org-link-abbrev-alist}.
13260 @item #+PRIORITIES: highest lowest default
13261 @vindex org-highest-priority
13262 @vindex org-lowest-priority
13263 @vindex org-default-priority
13264 This line sets the limits and the default for the priorities. All three
13265 must be either letters A-Z or numbers 0-9. The highest priority must
13266 have a lower ASCII number than the lowest priority.
13267 @item #+PROPERTY: Property_Name Value
13268 This line sets a default inheritance value for entries in the current
13269 buffer, most useful for specifying the allowed values of a property.
13270 @cindex #+SETUPFILE
13271 @item #+SETUPFILE: file
13272 This line defines a file that holds more in-buffer setup. Normally this is
13273 entirely ignored. Only when the buffer is parsed for option-setting lines
13274 (i.e.@: when starting Org-mode for a file, when pressing @kbd{C-c C-c} in a
13275 settings line, or when exporting), then the contents of this file are parsed
13276 as if they had been included in the buffer. In particular, the file can be
13277 any other Org-mode file with internal setup. You can visit the file the
13278 cursor is in the line with @kbd{C-c '}.
13281 This line sets options to be used at startup of Org-mode, when an
13282 Org file is being visited.
13284 The first set of options deals with the initial visibility of the outline
13285 tree. The corresponding variable for global default settings is
13286 @code{org-startup-folded}, with a default value @code{t}, which means
13288 @vindex org-startup-folded
13289 @cindex @code{overview}, STARTUP keyword
13290 @cindex @code{content}, STARTUP keyword
13291 @cindex @code{showall}, STARTUP keyword
13292 @cindex @code{showeverything}, STARTUP keyword
13294 overview @r{top-level headlines only}
13295 content @r{all headlines}
13296 showall @r{no folding of any entries}
13297 showeverything @r{show even drawer contents}
13300 @vindex org-startup-indented
13301 @cindex @code{indent}, STARTUP keyword
13302 @cindex @code{noindent}, STARTUP keyword
13303 Dynamic virtual indentation is controlled by the variable
13304 @code{org-startup-indented}@footnote{Emacs 23 and Org-mode 6.29 are required}
13306 indent @r{start with @code{org-indent-mode} turned on}
13307 noindent @r{start with @code{org-indent-mode} turned off}
13310 @vindex org-startup-align-all-tables
13311 Then there are options for aligning tables upon visiting a file. This
13312 is useful in files containing narrowed table columns. The corresponding
13313 variable is @code{org-startup-align-all-tables}, with a default value
13315 @cindex @code{align}, STARTUP keyword
13316 @cindex @code{noalign}, STARTUP keyword
13318 align @r{align all tables}
13319 noalign @r{don't align tables on startup}
13322 @vindex org-startup-with-inline-images
13323 When visiting a file, inline images can be automatically displayed. The
13324 corresponding variable is @code{org-startup-with-inline-images}, with a
13325 default value @code{nil} to avoid delays when visiting a file.
13326 @cindex @code{inlineimages}, STARTUP keyword
13327 @cindex @code{noinlineimages}, STARTUP keyword
13329 inlineimages @r{show inline images}
13330 noinlineimages @r{don't show inline images on startup}
13333 @vindex org-log-done
13334 @vindex org-log-note-clock-out
13335 @vindex org-log-repeat
13336 Logging the closing and reopening of TODO items and clock intervals can be
13337 configured using these options (see variables @code{org-log-done},
13338 @code{org-log-note-clock-out} and @code{org-log-repeat})
13339 @cindex @code{logdone}, STARTUP keyword
13340 @cindex @code{lognotedone}, STARTUP keyword
13341 @cindex @code{nologdone}, STARTUP keyword
13342 @cindex @code{lognoteclock-out}, STARTUP keyword
13343 @cindex @code{nolognoteclock-out}, STARTUP keyword
13344 @cindex @code{logrepeat}, STARTUP keyword
13345 @cindex @code{lognoterepeat}, STARTUP keyword
13346 @cindex @code{nologrepeat}, STARTUP keyword
13347 @cindex @code{logreschedule}, STARTUP keyword
13348 @cindex @code{lognotereschedule}, STARTUP keyword
13349 @cindex @code{nologreschedule}, STARTUP keyword
13350 @cindex @code{logredeadline}, STARTUP keyword
13351 @cindex @code{lognoteredeadline}, STARTUP keyword
13352 @cindex @code{nologredeadline}, STARTUP keyword
13353 @cindex @code{logrefile}, STARTUP keyword
13354 @cindex @code{lognoterefile}, STARTUP keyword
13355 @cindex @code{nologrefile}, STARTUP keyword
13357 logdone @r{record a timestamp when an item is marked DONE}
13358 lognotedone @r{record timestamp and a note when DONE}
13359 nologdone @r{don't record when items are marked DONE}
13360 logrepeat @r{record a time when reinstating a repeating item}
13361 lognoterepeat @r{record a note when reinstating a repeating item}
13362 nologrepeat @r{do not record when reinstating repeating item}
13363 lognoteclock-out @r{record a note when clocking out}
13364 nolognoteclock-out @r{don't record a note when clocking out}
13365 logreschedule @r{record a timestamp when scheduling time changes}
13366 lognotereschedule @r{record a note when scheduling time changes}
13367 nologreschedule @r{do not record when a scheduling date changes}
13368 logredeadline @r{record a timestamp when deadline changes}
13369 lognoteredeadline @r{record a note when deadline changes}
13370 nologredeadline @r{do not record when a deadline date changes}
13371 logrefile @r{record a timestamp when refiling}
13372 lognoterefile @r{record a note when refiling}
13373 nologrefile @r{do not record when refiling}
13375 @vindex org-hide-leading-stars
13376 @vindex org-odd-levels-only
13377 Here are the options for hiding leading stars in outline headings, and for
13378 indenting outlines. The corresponding variables are
13379 @code{org-hide-leading-stars} and @code{org-odd-levels-only}, both with a
13380 default setting @code{nil} (meaning @code{showstars} and @code{oddeven}).
13381 @cindex @code{hidestars}, STARTUP keyword
13382 @cindex @code{showstars}, STARTUP keyword
13383 @cindex @code{odd}, STARTUP keyword
13384 @cindex @code{even}, STARTUP keyword
13386 hidestars @r{make all but one of the stars starting a headline invisible.}
13387 showstars @r{show all stars starting a headline}
13388 indent @r{virtual indentation according to outline level}
13389 noindent @r{no virtual indentation according to outline level}
13390 odd @r{allow only odd outline levels (1,3,...)}
13391 oddeven @r{allow all outline levels}
13393 @vindex org-put-time-stamp-overlays
13394 @vindex org-time-stamp-overlay-formats
13395 To turn on custom format overlays over timestamps (variables
13396 @code{org-put-time-stamp-overlays} and
13397 @code{org-time-stamp-overlay-formats}), use
13398 @cindex @code{customtime}, STARTUP keyword
13400 customtime @r{overlay custom time format}
13402 @vindex constants-unit-system
13403 The following options influence the table spreadsheet (variable
13404 @code{constants-unit-system}).
13405 @cindex @code{constcgs}, STARTUP keyword
13406 @cindex @code{constSI}, STARTUP keyword
13408 constcgs @r{@file{constants.el} should use the c-g-s unit system}
13409 constSI @r{@file{constants.el} should use the SI unit system}
13411 @vindex org-footnote-define-inline
13412 @vindex org-footnote-auto-label
13413 @vindex org-footnote-auto-adjust
13414 To influence footnote settings, use the following keywords. The
13415 corresponding variables are @code{org-footnote-define-inline},
13416 @code{org-footnote-auto-label}, and @code{org-footnote-auto-adjust}.
13417 @cindex @code{fninline}, STARTUP keyword
13418 @cindex @code{nofninline}, STARTUP keyword
13419 @cindex @code{fnlocal}, STARTUP keyword
13420 @cindex @code{fnprompt}, STARTUP keyword
13421 @cindex @code{fnauto}, STARTUP keyword
13422 @cindex @code{fnconfirm}, STARTUP keyword
13423 @cindex @code{fnplain}, STARTUP keyword
13424 @cindex @code{fnadjust}, STARTUP keyword
13425 @cindex @code{nofnadjust}, STARTUP keyword
13427 fninline @r{define footnotes inline}
13428 fnnoinline @r{define footnotes in separate section}
13429 fnlocal @r{define footnotes near first reference, but not inline}
13430 fnprompt @r{prompt for footnote labels}
13431 fnauto @r{create @code{[fn:1]}-like labels automatically (default)}
13432 fnconfirm @r{offer automatic label for editing or confirmation}
13433 fnplain @r{create @code{[1]}-like labels automatically}
13434 fnadjust @r{automatically renumber and sort footnotes}
13435 nofnadjust @r{do not renumber and sort automatically}
13437 @cindex org-hide-block-startup
13438 To hide blocks on startup, use these keywords. The corresponding variable is
13439 @code{org-hide-block-startup}.
13440 @cindex @code{hideblocks}, STARTUP keyword
13441 @cindex @code{nohideblocks}, STARTUP keyword
13443 hideblocks @r{Hide all begin/end blocks on startup}
13444 nohideblocks @r{Do not hide blocks on startup}
13446 @cindex org-pretty-entities
13447 The display of entities as UTF-8 characters is governed by the variable
13448 @code{org-pretty-entities} and the keywords
13449 @cindex @code{entitiespretty}, STARTUP keyword
13450 @cindex @code{entitiesplain}, STARTUP keyword
13452 entitiespretty @r{Show entities as UTF-8 characters where possible}
13453 entitiesplain @r{Leave entities plain}
13455 @item #+TAGS: TAG1(c1) TAG2(c2)
13456 @vindex org-tag-alist
13457 These lines (several such lines are allowed) specify the valid tags in
13458 this file, and (potentially) the corresponding @emph{fast tag selection}
13459 keys. The corresponding variable is @code{org-tag-alist}.
13461 This line contains the formulas for the table directly above the line.
13462 @item #+TITLE:, #+AUTHOR:, #+EMAIL:, #+LANGUAGE:, #+TEXT:, #+DATE:,
13463 @itemx #+OPTIONS:, #+BIND:, #+XSLT:,
13464 @itemx #+DESCRIPTION:, #+KEYWORDS:,
13465 @itemx #+LATEX_HEADER:, #+STYLE:, #+LINK_UP:, #+LINK_HOME:,
13466 @itemx #+EXPORT_SELECT_TAGS:, #+EXPORT_EXCLUDE_TAGS:
13467 These lines provide settings for exporting files. For more details see
13468 @ref{Export options}.
13469 @item #+TODO: #+SEQ_TODO: #+TYP_TODO:
13470 @vindex org-todo-keywords
13471 These lines set the TODO keywords and their interpretation in the
13472 current file. The corresponding variable is @code{org-todo-keywords}.
13475 @node The very busy C-c C-c key, Clean view, In-buffer settings, Miscellaneous
13476 @section The very busy C-c C-c key
13478 @cindex C-c C-c, overview
13480 The key @kbd{C-c C-c} has many purposes in Org, which are all
13481 mentioned scattered throughout this manual. One specific function of
13482 this key is to add @emph{tags} to a headline (@pxref{Tags}). In many
13483 other circumstances it means something like @emph{``Hey Org, look
13484 here and update according to what you see here''}. Here is a summary of
13485 what this means in different contexts.
13489 If there are highlights in the buffer from the creation of a sparse
13490 tree, or from clock display, remove these highlights.
13492 If the cursor is in one of the special @code{#+KEYWORD} lines, this
13493 triggers scanning the buffer for these lines and updating the
13496 If the cursor is inside a table, realign the table. This command
13497 works even if the automatic table editor has been turned off.
13499 If the cursor is on a @code{#+TBLFM} line, re-apply the formulas to
13502 If the current buffer is a capture buffer, close the note and file it.
13503 With a prefix argument, file it, without further interaction, to the
13506 If the cursor is on a @code{<<<target>>>}, update radio targets and
13507 corresponding links in this buffer.
13509 If the cursor is in a property line or at the start or end of a property
13510 drawer, offer property commands.
13512 If the cursor is at a footnote reference, go to the corresponding
13513 definition, and vice versa.
13515 If the cursor is on a statistics cookie, update it.
13517 If the cursor is in a plain list item with a checkbox, toggle the status
13520 If the cursor is on a numbered item in a plain list, renumber the
13523 If the cursor is on the @code{#+BEGIN} line of a dynamic block, the
13527 @node Clean view, TTY keys, The very busy C-c C-c key, Miscellaneous
13528 @section A cleaner outline view
13529 @cindex hiding leading stars
13530 @cindex dynamic indentation
13531 @cindex odd-levels-only outlines
13532 @cindex clean outline view
13534 Some people find it noisy and distracting that the Org headlines start with a
13535 potentially large number of stars, and that text below the headlines is not
13536 indented. While this is no problem when writing a @emph{book-like} document
13537 where the outline headings are really section headings, in a more
13538 @emph{list-oriented} outline, indented structure is a lot cleaner:
13542 * Top level headline | * Top level headline
13543 ** Second level | * Second level
13544 *** 3rd level | * 3rd level
13545 some text | some text
13546 *** 3rd level | * 3rd level
13547 more text | more text
13548 * Another top level headline | * Another top level headline
13554 If you are using at least Emacs 23.2@footnote{Emacs 23.1 can actually crash
13555 with @code{org-indent-mode}} and version 6.29 of Org, this kind of view can
13556 be achieved dynamically at display time using @code{org-indent-mode}. In
13557 this minor mode, all lines are prefixed for display with the necessary amount
13558 of space@footnote{@code{org-indent-mode} also sets the @code{wrap-prefix}
13559 property, such that @code{visual-line-mode} (or purely setting
13560 @code{word-wrap}) wraps long lines (including headlines) correctly indented.
13561 }. Also headlines are prefixed with additional stars, so that the amount of
13562 indentation shifts by two@footnote{See the variable
13563 @code{org-indent-indentation-per-level}.} spaces per level. All headline
13564 stars but the last one are made invisible using the @code{org-hide}
13565 face@footnote{Turning on @code{org-indent-mode} sets
13566 @code{org-hide-leading-stars} to @code{t} and @code{org-adapt-indentation} to
13567 @code{nil}.} - see below under @samp{2.} for more information on how this
13568 works. You can turn on @code{org-indent-mode} for all files by customizing
13569 the variable @code{org-startup-indented}, or you can turn it on for
13570 individual files using
13576 If you want a similar effect in an earlier version of Emacs and/or Org, or if
13577 you want the indentation to be hard space characters so that the plain text
13578 file looks as similar as possible to the Emacs display, Org supports you in
13583 @emph{Indentation of text below headlines}@*
13584 You may indent text below each headline to make the left boundary line up
13585 with the headline, like
13589 more text, now indented
13592 @vindex org-adapt-indentation
13593 Org supports this with paragraph filling, line wrapping, and structure
13594 editing@footnote{See also the variable @code{org-adapt-indentation}.},
13595 preserving or adapting the indentation as appropriate.
13598 @vindex org-hide-leading-stars
13599 @emph{Hiding leading stars}@* You can modify the display in such a way that
13600 all leading stars become invisible. To do this in a global way, configure
13601 the variable @code{org-hide-leading-stars} or change this on a per-file basis
13605 #+STARTUP: hidestars
13606 #+STARTUP: showstars
13609 With hidden stars, the tree becomes:
13613 * Top level headline
13621 @vindex org-hide @r{(face)}
13622 The leading stars are not truly replaced by whitespace, they are only
13623 fontified with the face @code{org-hide} that uses the background color as
13624 font color. If you are not using either white or black background, you may
13625 have to customize this face to get the wanted effect. Another possibility is
13626 to set this font such that the extra stars are @i{almost} invisible, for
13627 example using the color @code{grey90} on a white background.
13630 @vindex org-odd-levels-only
13631 Things become cleaner still if you skip all the even levels and use only odd
13632 levels 1, 3, 5..., effectively adding two stars to go from one outline level
13633 to the next@footnote{When you need to specify a level for a property search
13634 or refile targets, @samp{LEVEL=2} will correspond to 3 stars, etc@.}. In this
13635 way we get the outline view shown at the beginning of this section. In order
13636 to make the structure editing and export commands handle this convention
13637 correctly, configure the variable @code{org-odd-levels-only}, or set this on
13638 a per-file basis with one of the following lines:
13645 You can convert an Org file from single-star-per-level to the
13646 double-star-per-level convention with @kbd{M-x org-convert-to-odd-levels
13647 RET} in that file. The reverse operation is @kbd{M-x
13648 org-convert-to-oddeven-levels}.
13651 @node TTY keys, Interaction, Clean view, Miscellaneous
13652 @section Using Org on a tty
13653 @cindex tty key bindings
13655 Because Org contains a large number of commands, by default many of
13656 Org's core commands are bound to keys that are generally not
13657 accessible on a tty, such as the cursor keys (@key{left}, @key{right},
13658 @key{up}, @key{down}), @key{TAB} and @key{RET}, in particular when used
13659 together with modifiers like @key{Meta} and/or @key{Shift}. To access
13660 these commands on a tty when special keys are unavailable, the following
13661 alternative bindings can be used. The tty bindings below will likely be
13662 more cumbersome; you may find for some of the bindings below that a
13663 customized workaround suits you better. For example, changing a timestamp
13664 is really only fun with @kbd{S-@key{cursor}} keys, whereas on a
13665 tty you would rather use @kbd{C-c .} to re-insert the timestamp.
13667 @multitable @columnfractions 0.15 0.2 0.1 0.2
13668 @item @b{Default} @tab @b{Alternative 1} @tab @b{Speed key} @tab @b{Alternative 2}
13669 @item @kbd{S-@key{TAB}} @tab @kbd{C-u @key{TAB}} @tab @kbd{C} @tab
13670 @item @kbd{M-@key{left}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x l} @tab @kbd{l} @tab @kbd{@key{Esc} @key{left}}
13671 @item @kbd{M-S-@key{left}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x L} @tab @kbd{L} @tab
13672 @item @kbd{M-@key{right}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x r} @tab @kbd{r} @tab @kbd{@key{Esc} @key{right}}
13673 @item @kbd{M-S-@key{right}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x R} @tab @kbd{R} @tab
13674 @item @kbd{M-@key{up}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x u} @tab @kbd{ } @tab @kbd{@key{Esc} @key{up}}
13675 @item @kbd{M-S-@key{up}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x U} @tab @kbd{U} @tab
13676 @item @kbd{M-@key{down}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x d} @tab @kbd{ } @tab @kbd{@key{Esc} @key{down}}
13677 @item @kbd{M-S-@key{down}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x D} @tab @kbd{D} @tab
13678 @item @kbd{S-@key{RET}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x c} @tab @kbd{ } @tab
13679 @item @kbd{M-@key{RET}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x m} @tab @kbd{ } @tab @kbd{@key{Esc} @key{RET}}
13680 @item @kbd{M-S-@key{RET}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x M} @tab @kbd{ } @tab
13681 @item @kbd{S-@key{left}} @tab @kbd{C-c @key{left}} @tab @kbd{ } @tab
13682 @item @kbd{S-@key{right}} @tab @kbd{C-c @key{right}} @tab @kbd{ } @tab
13683 @item @kbd{S-@key{up}} @tab @kbd{C-c @key{up}} @tab @kbd{ } @tab
13684 @item @kbd{S-@key{down}} @tab @kbd{C-c @key{down}} @tab @kbd{ } @tab
13685 @item @kbd{C-S-@key{left}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x @key{left}} @tab @kbd{ } @tab
13686 @item @kbd{C-S-@key{right}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x @key{right}} @tab @kbd{ } @tab
13690 @node Interaction, org-crypt.el, TTY keys, Miscellaneous
13691 @section Interaction with other packages
13692 @cindex packages, interaction with other
13693 Org lives in the world of GNU Emacs and interacts in various ways
13694 with other code out there.
13697 * Cooperation:: Packages Org cooperates with
13698 * Conflicts:: Packages that lead to conflicts
13701 @node Cooperation, Conflicts, Interaction, Interaction
13702 @subsection Packages that Org cooperates with
13705 @cindex @file{calc.el}
13706 @cindex Gillespie, Dave
13707 @item @file{calc.el} by Dave Gillespie
13708 Org uses the Calc package for implementing spreadsheet
13709 functionality in its tables (@pxref{The spreadsheet}). Org
13710 checks for the availability of Calc by looking for the function
13711 @code{calc-eval} which will have been autoloaded during setup if Calc has
13712 been installed properly. As of Emacs 22, Calc is part of the Emacs
13713 distribution. Another possibility for interaction between the two
13714 packages is using Calc for embedded calculations. @xref{Embedded Mode,
13715 , Embedded Mode, Calc, GNU Emacs Calc Manual}.
13716 @item @file{constants.el} by Carsten Dominik
13717 @cindex @file{constants.el}
13718 @cindex Dominik, Carsten
13719 @vindex org-table-formula-constants
13720 In a table formula (@pxref{The spreadsheet}), it is possible to use
13721 names for natural constants or units. Instead of defining your own
13722 constants in the variable @code{org-table-formula-constants}, install
13723 the @file{constants} package which defines a large number of constants
13724 and units, and lets you use unit prefixes like @samp{M} for
13725 @samp{Mega}, etc@. You will need version 2.0 of this package, available
13726 at @url{http://www.astro.uva.nl/~dominik/Tools}. Org checks for
13727 the function @code{constants-get}, which has to be autoloaded in your
13728 setup. See the installation instructions in the file
13729 @file{constants.el}.
13730 @item @file{cdlatex.el} by Carsten Dominik
13731 @cindex @file{cdlatex.el}
13732 @cindex Dominik, Carsten
13733 Org-mode can make use of the CDLa@TeX{} package to efficiently enter
13734 @LaTeX{} fragments into Org files. See @ref{CDLaTeX mode}.
13735 @item @file{imenu.el} by Ake Stenhoff and Lars Lindberg
13736 @cindex @file{imenu.el}
13737 Imenu allows menu access to an index of items in a file. Org-mode
13738 supports Imenu---all you need to do to get the index is the following:
13740 (add-hook 'org-mode-hook
13741 (lambda () (imenu-add-to-menubar "Imenu")))
13743 @vindex org-imenu-depth
13744 By default the index is two levels deep---you can modify the depth using
13745 the option @code{org-imenu-depth}.
13746 @item @file{remember.el} by John Wiegley
13747 @cindex @file{remember.el}
13748 @cindex Wiegley, John
13749 Org used to use this package for capture, but no longer does.
13750 @item @file{speedbar.el} by Eric M. Ludlam
13751 @cindex @file{speedbar.el}
13752 @cindex Ludlam, Eric M.
13753 Speedbar is a package that creates a special frame displaying files and
13754 index items in files. Org-mode supports Speedbar and allows you to
13755 drill into Org files directly from the Speedbar. It also allows you to
13756 restrict the scope of agenda commands to a file or a subtree by using
13757 the command @kbd{<} in the Speedbar frame.
13758 @cindex @file{table.el}
13759 @item @file{table.el} by Takaaki Ota
13761 @cindex table editor, @file{table.el}
13762 @cindex @file{table.el}
13763 @cindex Ota, Takaaki
13765 Complex ASCII tables with automatic line wrapping, column- and row-spanning,
13766 and alignment can be created using the Emacs table package by Takaaki Ota
13767 (@uref{http://sourceforge.net/projects/table}, and also part of Emacs 22).
13768 Org-mode will recognize these tables and export them properly. Because of
13769 interference with other Org-mode functionality, you unfortunately cannot edit
13770 these tables directly in the buffer. Instead, you need to use the command
13771 @kbd{C-c '} to edit them, similar to source code snippets.
13774 @orgcmd{C-c ',org-edit-special}
13775 Edit a @file{table.el} table. Works when the cursor is in a table.el table.
13777 @orgcmd{C-c ~,org-table-create-with-table.el}
13778 Insert a @file{table.el} table. If there is already a table at point, this
13779 command converts it between the @file{table.el} format and the Org-mode
13780 format. See the documentation string of the command
13781 @code{org-convert-table} for the restrictions under which this is
13784 @file{table.el} is part of Emacs since Emacs 22.
13785 @item @file{footnote.el} by Steven L. Baur
13786 @cindex @file{footnote.el}
13787 @cindex Baur, Steven L.
13788 Org-mode recognizes numerical footnotes as provided by this package.
13789 However, Org-mode also has its own footnote support (@pxref{Footnotes}),
13790 which makes using @file{footnote.el} unnecessary.
13793 @node Conflicts, , Cooperation, Interaction
13794 @subsection Packages that lead to conflicts with Org-mode
13798 @cindex @code{shift-selection-mode}
13799 @vindex org-support-shift-select
13800 In Emacs 23, @code{shift-selection-mode} is on by default, meaning that
13801 cursor motions combined with the shift key should start or enlarge regions.
13802 This conflicts with the use of @kbd{S-@key{cursor}} commands in Org to change
13803 timestamps, TODO keywords, priorities, and item bullet types if the cursor is
13804 at such a location. By default, @kbd{S-@key{cursor}} commands outside
13805 special contexts don't do anything, but you can customize the variable
13806 @code{org-support-shift-select}. Org-mode then tries to accommodate shift
13807 selection by (i) using it outside of the special contexts where special
13808 commands apply, and by (ii) extending an existing active region even if the
13809 cursor moves across a special context.
13811 @item @file{CUA.el} by Kim. F. Storm
13812 @cindex @file{CUA.el}
13813 @cindex Storm, Kim. F.
13814 @vindex org-replace-disputed-keys
13815 Key bindings in Org conflict with the @kbd{S-<cursor>} keys used by CUA mode
13816 (as well as @code{pc-select-mode} and @code{s-region-mode}) to select and extend the
13817 region. In fact, Emacs 23 has this built-in in the form of
13818 @code{shift-selection-mode}, see previous paragraph. If you are using Emacs
13819 23, you probably don't want to use another package for this purpose. However,
13820 if you prefer to leave these keys to a different package while working in
13821 Org-mode, configure the variable @code{org-replace-disputed-keys}. When set,
13822 Org will move the following key bindings in Org files, and in the agenda
13823 buffer (but not during date selection).
13826 S-UP @result{} M-p S-DOWN @result{} M-n
13827 S-LEFT @result{} M-- S-RIGHT @result{} M-+
13828 C-S-LEFT @result{} M-S-- C-S-RIGHT @result{} M-S-+
13831 @vindex org-disputed-keys
13832 Yes, these are unfortunately more difficult to remember. If you want
13833 to have other replacement keys, look at the variable
13834 @code{org-disputed-keys}.
13836 @item @file{yasnippet.el}
13837 @cindex @file{yasnippet.el}
13838 The way Org mode binds the TAB key (binding to @code{[tab]} instead of
13839 @code{"\t"}) overrules YASnippet's access to this key. The following code
13840 fixed this problem:
13843 (add-hook 'org-mode-hook
13845 (org-set-local 'yas/trigger-key [tab])
13846 (define-key yas/keymap [tab] 'yas/next-field-group)))
13849 The latest version of yasnippet doesn't play well with Org mode. If the
13850 above code does not fix the conflict, start by defining the following
13854 (defun yas/org-very-safe-expand ()
13855 (let ((yas/fallback-behavior 'return-nil)) (yas/expand)))
13858 Then, tell Org mode what to do with the new function:
13861 (add-hook 'org-mode-hook
13863 (make-variable-buffer-local 'yas/trigger-key)
13864 (setq yas/trigger-key [tab])
13865 (add-to-list 'org-tab-first-hook 'yas/org-very-safe-expand)
13866 (define-key yas/keymap [tab] 'yas/next-field)))
13869 @item @file{windmove.el} by Hovav Shacham
13870 @cindex @file{windmove.el}
13871 This package also uses the @kbd{S-<cursor>} keys, so everything written
13872 in the paragraph above about CUA mode also applies here. If you want make
13873 the windmove function active in locations where Org-mode does not have
13874 special functionality on @kbd{S-@key{cursor}}, add this to your
13878 ;; Make windmove work in org-mode:
13879 (add-hook 'org-shiftup-final-hook 'windmove-up)
13880 (add-hook 'org-shiftleft-final-hook 'windmove-left)
13881 (add-hook 'org-shiftdown-final-hook 'windmove-down)
13882 (add-hook 'org-shiftright-final-hook 'windmove-right)
13885 @item @file{viper.el} by Michael Kifer
13886 @cindex @file{viper.el}
13888 Viper uses @kbd{C-c /} and therefore makes this key not access the
13889 corresponding Org-mode command @code{org-sparse-tree}. You need to find
13890 another key for this command, or override the key in
13891 @code{viper-vi-global-user-map} with
13894 (define-key viper-vi-global-user-map "C-c /" 'org-sparse-tree)
13899 @node org-crypt.el, , Interaction, Miscellaneous
13900 @section org-crypt.el
13901 @cindex @file{org-crypt.el}
13902 @cindex @code{org-decrypt-entry}
13904 Org-crypt will encrypt the text of an entry, but not the headline, or
13905 properties. Org-crypt uses the Emacs EasyPG library to encrypt and decrypt
13908 Any text below a headline that has a @samp{:crypt:} tag will be automatically
13909 be encrypted when the file is saved. If you want to use a different tag just
13910 customize the @code{org-crypt-tag-matcher} setting.
13912 To use org-crypt it is suggested that you have the following in your
13916 (require 'org-crypt)
13917 (org-crypt-use-before-save-magic)
13918 (setq org-tags-exclude-from-inheritance (quote ("crypt")))
13920 (setq org-crypt-key nil)
13921 ;; GPG key to use for encryption
13922 ;; Either the Key ID or set to nil to use symmetric encryption.
13924 (setq auto-save-default nil)
13925 ;; Auto-saving does not cooperate with org-crypt.el: so you need
13926 ;; to turn it off if you plan to use org-crypt.el quite often.
13927 ;; Otherwise, you'll get an (annoying) message each time you
13930 ;; To turn it off only locally, you can insert this:
13932 ;; # -*- buffer-auto-save-file-name: nil; -*-
13935 Excluding the crypt tag from inheritance prevents already encrypted text
13936 being encrypted again.
13938 @node Hacking, MobileOrg, Miscellaneous, Top
13942 This appendix covers some aspects where users can extend the functionality of
13946 * Hooks:: Who to reach into Org's internals
13947 * Add-on packages:: Available extensions
13948 * Adding hyperlink types:: New custom link types
13949 * Context-sensitive commands:: How to add functionality to such commands
13950 * Tables in arbitrary syntax:: Orgtbl for @LaTeX{} and other programs
13951 * Dynamic blocks:: Automatically filled blocks
13952 * Special agenda views:: Customized views
13953 * Extracting agenda information:: Postprocessing of agenda information
13954 * Using the property API:: Writing programs that use entry properties
13955 * Using the mapping API:: Mapping over all or selected entries
13958 @node Hooks, Add-on packages, Hacking, Hacking
13962 Org has a large number of hook variables that can be used to add
13963 functionality. This appendix about hacking is going to illustrate the
13964 use of some of them. A complete list of all hooks with documentation is
13965 maintained by the Worg project and can be found at
13966 @uref{http://orgmode.org/worg/org-configs/org-hooks.php}.
13968 @node Add-on packages, Adding hyperlink types, Hooks, Hacking
13969 @section Add-on packages
13970 @cindex add-on packages
13972 A large number of add-on packages have been written by various authors.
13973 These packages are not part of Emacs, but they are distributed as contributed
13974 packages with the separate release available at the Org-mode home page at
13975 @uref{http://orgmode.org}. The list of contributed packages, along with
13976 documentation about each package, is maintained by the Worg project at
13977 @uref{http://orgmode.org/worg/org-contrib/}.
13981 @node Adding hyperlink types, Context-sensitive commands, Add-on packages, Hacking
13982 @section Adding hyperlink types
13983 @cindex hyperlinks, adding new types
13985 Org has a large number of hyperlink types built-in
13986 (@pxref{Hyperlinks}). If you would like to add new link types, Org
13987 provides an interface for doing so. Let's look at an example file,
13988 @file{org-man.el}, that will add support for creating links like
13989 @samp{[[man:printf][The printf manpage]]} to show Unix manual pages inside
13993 ;;; org-man.el - Support for links to manpages in Org
13997 (org-add-link-type "man" 'org-man-open)
13998 (add-hook 'org-store-link-functions 'org-man-store-link)
14000 (defcustom org-man-command 'man
14001 "The Emacs command to be used to display a man page."
14003 :type '(choice (const man) (const woman)))
14005 (defun org-man-open (path)
14006 "Visit the manpage on PATH.
14007 PATH should be a topic that can be thrown at the man command."
14008 (funcall org-man-command path))
14010 (defun org-man-store-link ()
14011 "Store a link to a manpage."
14012 (when (memq major-mode '(Man-mode woman-mode))
14013 ;; This is a man page, we do make this link
14014 (let* ((page (org-man-get-page-name))
14015 (link (concat "man:" page))
14016 (description (format "Manpage for %s" page)))
14017 (org-store-link-props
14020 :description description))))
14022 (defun org-man-get-page-name ()
14023 "Extract the page name from the buffer name."
14024 ;; This works for both `Man-mode' and `woman-mode'.
14025 (if (string-match " \\(\\S-+\\)\\*" (buffer-name))
14026 (match-string 1 (buffer-name))
14027 (error "Cannot create link to this man page")))
14031 ;;; org-man.el ends here
14035 You would activate this new link type in @file{.emacs} with
14042 Let's go through the file and see what it does.
14045 It does @code{(require 'org)} to make sure that @file{org.el} has been
14048 The next line calls @code{org-add-link-type} to define a new link type
14049 with prefix @samp{man}. The call also contains the name of a function
14050 that will be called to follow such a link.
14052 @vindex org-store-link-functions
14053 The next line adds a function to @code{org-store-link-functions}, in
14054 order to allow the command @kbd{C-c l} to record a useful link in a
14055 buffer displaying a man page.
14058 The rest of the file defines the necessary variables and functions.
14059 First there is a customization variable that determines which Emacs
14060 command should be used to display man pages. There are two options,
14061 @code{man} and @code{woman}. Then the function to follow a link is
14062 defined. It gets the link path as an argument---in this case the link
14063 path is just a topic for the manual command. The function calls the
14064 value of @code{org-man-command} to display the man page.
14066 Finally the function @code{org-man-store-link} is defined. When you try
14067 to store a link with @kbd{C-c l}, this function will be called to
14068 try to make a link. The function must first decide if it is supposed to
14069 create the link for this buffer type; we do this by checking the value
14070 of the variable @code{major-mode}. If not, the function must exit and
14071 return the value @code{nil}. If yes, the link is created by getting the
14072 manual topic from the buffer name and prefixing it with the string
14073 @samp{man:}. Then it must call the command @code{org-store-link-props}
14074 and set the @code{:type} and @code{:link} properties. Optionally you
14075 can also set the @code{:description} property to provide a default for
14076 the link description when the link is later inserted into an Org
14077 buffer with @kbd{C-c C-l}.
14079 When it makes sense for your new link type, you may also define a function
14080 @code{org-PREFIX-complete-link} that implements special (e.g.@: completion)
14081 support for inserting such a link with @kbd{C-c C-l}. Such a function should
14082 not accept any arguments, and return the full link with prefix.
14084 @node Context-sensitive commands, Tables in arbitrary syntax, Adding hyperlink types, Hacking
14085 @section Context-sensitive commands
14086 @cindex context-sensitive commands, hooks
14087 @cindex add-ons, context-sensitive commands
14088 @vindex org-ctrl-c-ctrl-c-hook
14090 Org has several commands that act differently depending on context. The most
14091 important example it the @kbd{C-c C-c} (@pxref{The very busy C-c C-c key}).
14092 Also the @kbd{M-cursor} and @kbd{M-S-cursor} keys have this property.
14094 Add-ons can tap into this functionality by providing a function that detects
14095 special context for that add-on and executes functionality appropriate for
14096 the context. Here is an example from Dan Davison's @file{org-R.el} which
14097 allows you to evaluate commands based on the @file{R} programming language
14098 @footnote{@file{org-R.el} has been replaced by the org-mode functionality
14099 described in @ref{Working With Source Code} and is now obsolete.}. For this
14100 package, special contexts are lines that start with @code{#+R:} or
14104 (defun org-R-apply-maybe ()
14105 "Detect if this is context for org-R and execute R commands."
14106 (if (save-excursion
14107 (beginning-of-line 1)
14108 (looking-at "#\\+RR?:"))
14109 (progn (call-interactively 'org-R-apply)
14110 t) ;; to signal that we took action
14111 nil)) ;; to signal that we did not
14113 (add-hook 'org-ctrl-c-ctrl-c-hook 'org-R-apply-maybe)
14116 The function first checks if the cursor is in such a line. If that is the
14117 case, @code{org-R-apply} is called and the function returns @code{t} to
14118 signal that action was taken, and @kbd{C-c C-c} will stop looking for other
14119 contexts. If the function finds it should do nothing locally, it returns
14120 @code{nil} so that other, similar functions can have a try.
14123 @node Tables in arbitrary syntax, Dynamic blocks, Context-sensitive commands, Hacking
14124 @section Tables and lists in arbitrary syntax
14125 @cindex tables, in other modes
14126 @cindex lists, in other modes
14127 @cindex Orgtbl mode
14129 Since Orgtbl mode can be used as a minor mode in arbitrary buffers, a
14130 frequent feature request has been to make it work with native tables in
14131 specific languages, for example @LaTeX{}. However, this is extremely
14132 hard to do in a general way, would lead to a customization nightmare,
14133 and would take away much of the simplicity of the Orgtbl mode table
14136 This appendix describes a different approach. We keep the Orgtbl mode
14137 table in its native format (the @i{source table}), and use a custom
14138 function to @i{translate} the table to the correct syntax, and to
14139 @i{install} it in the right location (the @i{target table}). This puts
14140 the burden of writing conversion functions on the user, but it allows
14141 for a very flexible system.
14143 Bastien added the ability to do the same with lists, in Orgstruct mode. You
14144 can use Org's facilities to edit and structure lists by turning
14145 @code{orgstruct-mode} on, then locally exporting such lists in another format
14146 (HTML, @LaTeX{} or Texinfo.)
14150 * Radio tables:: Sending and receiving radio tables
14151 * A LaTeX example:: Step by step, almost a tutorial
14152 * Translator functions:: Copy and modify
14153 * Radio lists:: Doing the same for lists
14156 @node Radio tables, A LaTeX example, Tables in arbitrary syntax, Tables in arbitrary syntax
14157 @subsection Radio tables
14158 @cindex radio tables
14160 To define the location of the target table, you first need to create two
14161 lines that are comments in the current mode, but contain magic words for
14162 Orgtbl mode to find. Orgtbl mode will insert the translated table
14163 between these lines, replacing whatever was there before. For example:
14166 /* BEGIN RECEIVE ORGTBL table_name */
14167 /* END RECEIVE ORGTBL table_name */
14171 Just above the source table, we put a special line that tells
14172 Orgtbl mode how to translate this table and where to install it. For
14176 #+ORGTBL: SEND table_name translation_function arguments....
14180 @code{table_name} is the reference name for the table that is also used
14181 in the receiver lines. @code{translation_function} is the Lisp function
14182 that does the translation. Furthermore, the line can contain a list of
14183 arguments (alternating key and value) at the end. The arguments will be
14184 passed as a property list to the translation function for
14185 interpretation. A few standard parameters are already recognized and
14186 acted upon before the translation function is called:
14190 Skip the first N lines of the table. Hlines do count as separate lines for
14193 @item :skipcols (n1 n2 ...)
14194 List of columns that should be skipped. If the table has a column with
14195 calculation marks, that column is automatically discarded as well.
14196 Please note that the translator function sees the table @emph{after} the
14197 removal of these columns, the function never knows that there have been
14198 additional columns.
14202 The one problem remaining is how to keep the source table in the buffer
14203 without disturbing the normal workings of the file, for example during
14204 compilation of a C file or processing of a @LaTeX{} file. There are a
14205 number of different solutions:
14209 The table could be placed in a block comment if that is supported by the
14210 language. For example, in C mode you could wrap the table between
14211 @samp{/*} and @samp{*/} lines.
14213 Sometimes it is possible to put the table after some kind of @i{END}
14214 statement, for example @samp{\bye} in @TeX{} and @samp{\end@{document@}}
14217 You can just comment the table line-by-line whenever you want to process
14218 the file, and uncomment it whenever you need to edit the table. This
14219 only sounds tedious---the command @kbd{M-x orgtbl-toggle-comment}
14220 makes this comment-toggling very easy, in particular if you bind it to a
14224 @node A LaTeX example, Translator functions, Radio tables, Tables in arbitrary syntax
14225 @subsection A @LaTeX{} example of radio tables
14226 @cindex @LaTeX{}, and Orgtbl mode
14228 The best way to wrap the source table in @LaTeX{} is to use the
14229 @code{comment} environment provided by @file{comment.sty}. It has to be
14230 activated by placing @code{\usepackage@{comment@}} into the document
14231 header. Orgtbl mode can insert a radio table skeleton@footnote{By
14232 default this works only for @LaTeX{}, HTML, and Texinfo. Configure the
14233 variable @code{orgtbl-radio-tables} to install templates for other
14234 modes.} with the command @kbd{M-x orgtbl-insert-radio-table}. You will
14235 be prompted for a table name, let's say we use @samp{salesfigures}. You
14236 will then get the following template:
14238 @cindex #+ORGTBL, SEND
14240 % BEGIN RECEIVE ORGTBL salesfigures
14241 % END RECEIVE ORGTBL salesfigures
14243 #+ORGTBL: SEND salesfigures orgtbl-to-latex
14249 @vindex @LaTeX{}-verbatim-environments
14250 The @code{#+ORGTBL: SEND} line tells Orgtbl mode to use the function
14251 @code{orgtbl-to-latex} to convert the table into @LaTeX{} and to put it
14252 into the receiver location with name @code{salesfigures}. You may now
14253 fill in the table---feel free to use the spreadsheet features@footnote{If
14254 the @samp{#+TBLFM} line contains an odd number of dollar characters,
14255 this may cause problems with font-lock in @LaTeX{} mode. As shown in the
14256 example you can fix this by adding an extra line inside the
14257 @code{comment} environment that is used to balance the dollar
14258 expressions. If you are using AUC@TeX{} with the font-latex library, a
14259 much better solution is to add the @code{comment} environment to the
14260 variable @code{LaTeX-verbatim-environments}.}:
14263 % BEGIN RECEIVE ORGTBL salesfigures
14264 % END RECEIVE ORGTBL salesfigures
14266 #+ORGTBL: SEND salesfigures orgtbl-to-latex
14267 | Month | Days | Nr sold | per day |
14268 |-------+------+---------+---------|
14269 | Jan | 23 | 55 | 2.4 |
14270 | Feb | 21 | 16 | 0.8 |
14271 | March | 22 | 278 | 12.6 |
14272 #+TBLFM: $4=$3/$2;%.1f
14273 % $ (optional extra dollar to keep font-lock happy, see footnote)
14278 When you are done, press @kbd{C-c C-c} in the table to get the converted
14279 table inserted between the two marker lines.
14281 Now let's assume you want to make the table header by hand, because you
14282 want to control how columns are aligned, etc@. In this case we make sure
14283 that the table translator skips the first 2 lines of the source
14284 table, and tell the command to work as a @i{splice}, i.e.@: to not produce
14285 header and footer commands of the target table:
14288 \begin@{tabular@}@{lrrr@}
14289 Month & \multicolumn@{1@}@{c@}@{Days@} & Nr.\ sold & per day\\
14290 % BEGIN RECEIVE ORGTBL salesfigures
14291 % END RECEIVE ORGTBL salesfigures
14295 #+ORGTBL: SEND salesfigures orgtbl-to-latex :splice t :skip 2
14296 | Month | Days | Nr sold | per day |
14297 |-------+------+---------+---------|
14298 | Jan | 23 | 55 | 2.4 |
14299 | Feb | 21 | 16 | 0.8 |
14300 | March | 22 | 278 | 12.6 |
14301 #+TBLFM: $4=$3/$2;%.1f
14305 The @LaTeX{} translator function @code{orgtbl-to-latex} is already part of
14306 Orgtbl mode. It uses a @code{tabular} environment to typeset the table
14307 and marks horizontal lines with @code{\hline}. Furthermore, it
14308 interprets the following parameters (see also @pxref{Translator functions}):
14311 @item :splice nil/t
14312 When set to t, return only table body lines, don't wrap them into a
14313 tabular environment. Default is nil.
14316 A format to be used to wrap each field, it should contain @code{%s} for the
14317 original field value. For example, to wrap each field value in dollars,
14318 you could use @code{:fmt "$%s$"}. This may also be a property list with
14319 column numbers and formats, for example @code{:fmt (2 "$%s$" 4 "%s\\%%")}.
14320 A function of one argument can be used in place of the strings; the
14321 function must return a formatted string.
14324 Use this format to print numbers with exponentials. The format should
14325 have @code{%s} twice for inserting mantissa and exponent, for example
14326 @code{"%s\\times10^@{%s@}"}. The default is @code{"%s\\,(%s)"}. This
14327 may also be a property list with column numbers and formats, for example
14328 @code{:efmt (2 "$%s\\times10^@{%s@}$" 4 "$%s\\cdot10^@{%s@}$")}. After
14329 @code{efmt} has been applied to a value, @code{fmt} will also be
14330 applied. Similar to @code{fmt}, functions of two arguments can be
14331 supplied instead of strings.
14334 @node Translator functions, Radio lists, A LaTeX example, Tables in arbitrary syntax
14335 @subsection Translator functions
14336 @cindex HTML, and Orgtbl mode
14337 @cindex translator function
14339 Orgtbl mode has several translator functions built-in: @code{orgtbl-to-csv}
14340 (comma-separated values), @code{orgtbl-to-tsv} (TAB-separated values)
14341 @code{orgtbl-to-latex}, @code{orgtbl-to-html}, and @code{orgtbl-to-texinfo}.
14342 Except for @code{orgtbl-to-html}@footnote{The HTML translator uses the same
14343 code that produces tables during HTML export.}, these all use a generic
14344 translator, @code{orgtbl-to-generic}. For example, @code{orgtbl-to-latex}
14345 itself is a very short function that computes the column definitions for the
14346 @code{tabular} environment, defines a few field and line separators and then
14347 hands processing over to the generic translator. Here is the entire code:
14351 (defun orgtbl-to-latex (table params)
14352 "Convert the Orgtbl mode TABLE to LaTeX."
14353 (let* ((alignment (mapconcat (lambda (x) (if x "r" "l"))
14354 org-table-last-alignment ""))
14357 :tstart (concat "\\begin@{tabular@}@{" alignment "@}")
14358 :tend "\\end@{tabular@}"
14359 :lstart "" :lend " \\\\" :sep " & "
14360 :efmt "%s\\,(%s)" :hline "\\hline")))
14361 (orgtbl-to-generic table (org-combine-plists params2 params))))
14365 As you can see, the properties passed into the function (variable
14366 @var{PARAMS}) are combined with the ones newly defined in the function
14367 (variable @var{PARAMS2}). The ones passed into the function (i.e.@: the
14368 ones set by the @samp{ORGTBL SEND} line) take precedence. So if you
14369 would like to use the @LaTeX{} translator, but wanted the line endings to
14370 be @samp{\\[2mm]} instead of the default @samp{\\}, you could just
14371 overrule the default with
14374 #+ORGTBL: SEND test orgtbl-to-latex :lend " \\\\[2mm]"
14377 For a new language, you can either write your own converter function in
14378 analogy with the @LaTeX{} translator, or you can use the generic function
14379 directly. For example, if you have a language where a table is started
14380 with @samp{!BTBL!}, ended with @samp{!ETBL!}, and where table lines are
14381 started with @samp{!BL!}, ended with @samp{!EL!}, and where the field
14382 separator is a TAB, you could call the generic translator like this (on
14386 #+ORGTBL: SEND test orgtbl-to-generic :tstart "!BTBL!" :tend "!ETBL!"
14387 :lstart "!BL! " :lend " !EL!" :sep "\t"
14391 Please check the documentation string of the function
14392 @code{orgtbl-to-generic} for a full list of parameters understood by
14393 that function, and remember that you can pass each of them into
14394 @code{orgtbl-to-latex}, @code{orgtbl-to-texinfo}, and any other function
14395 using the generic function.
14397 Of course you can also write a completely new function doing complicated
14398 things the generic translator cannot do. A translator function takes
14399 two arguments. The first argument is the table, a list of lines, each
14400 line either the symbol @code{hline} or a list of fields. The second
14401 argument is the property list containing all parameters specified in the
14402 @samp{#+ORGTBL: SEND} line. The function must return a single string
14403 containing the formatted table. If you write a generally useful
14404 translator, please post it on @email{emacs-orgmode@@gnu.org} so that
14405 others can benefit from your work.
14407 @node Radio lists, , Translator functions, Tables in arbitrary syntax
14408 @subsection Radio lists
14409 @cindex radio lists
14410 @cindex org-list-insert-radio-list
14412 Sending and receiving radio lists works exactly the same way as sending and
14413 receiving radio tables (@pxref{Radio tables}). As for radio tables, you can
14414 insert radio list templates in HTML, @LaTeX{} and Texinfo modes by calling
14415 @code{org-list-insert-radio-list}.
14417 Here are the differences with radio tables:
14421 Orgstruct mode must be active.
14423 Use the @code{ORGLST} keyword instead of @code{ORGTBL}.
14425 The available translation functions for radio lists don't take
14428 @kbd{C-c C-c} will work when pressed on the first item of the list.
14431 Here is a @LaTeX{} example. Let's say that you have this in your
14436 % BEGIN RECEIVE ORGLST to-buy
14437 % END RECEIVE ORGLST to-buy
14439 #+ORGLST: SEND to-buy org-list-to-latex
14448 Pressing `C-c C-c' on @code{a new house} and will insert the converted
14449 @LaTeX{} list between the two marker lines.
14451 @node Dynamic blocks, Special agenda views, Tables in arbitrary syntax, Hacking
14452 @section Dynamic blocks
14453 @cindex dynamic blocks
14455 Org documents can contain @emph{dynamic blocks}. These are
14456 specially marked regions that are updated by some user-written function.
14457 A good example for such a block is the clock table inserted by the
14458 command @kbd{C-c C-x C-r} (@pxref{Clocking work time}).
14460 Dynamic blocks are enclosed by a BEGIN-END structure that assigns a name
14461 to the block and can also specify parameters for the function producing
14462 the content of the block.
14464 @cindex #+BEGIN:dynamic block
14466 #+BEGIN: myblock :parameter1 value1 :parameter2 value2 ...
14471 Dynamic blocks are updated with the following commands
14474 @orgcmd{C-c C-x C-u,org-dblock-update}
14475 Update dynamic block at point.
14476 @orgkey{C-u C-c C-x C-u}
14477 Update all dynamic blocks in the current file.
14480 Updating a dynamic block means to remove all the text between BEGIN and
14481 END, parse the BEGIN line for parameters and then call the specific
14482 writer function for this block to insert the new content. If you want
14483 to use the original content in the writer function, you can use the
14484 extra parameter @code{:content}.
14486 For a block with name @code{myblock}, the writer function is
14487 @code{org-dblock-write:myblock} with as only parameter a property list
14488 with the parameters given in the begin line. Here is a trivial example
14489 of a block that keeps track of when the block update function was last
14493 #+BEGIN: block-update-time :format "on %m/%d/%Y at %H:%M"
14499 The corresponding block writer function could look like this:
14502 (defun org-dblock-write:block-update-time (params)
14503 (let ((fmt (or (plist-get params :format) "%d. %m. %Y")))
14504 (insert "Last block update at: "
14505 (format-time-string fmt (current-time)))))
14508 If you want to make sure that all dynamic blocks are always up-to-date,
14509 you could add the function @code{org-update-all-dblocks} to a hook, for
14510 example @code{before-save-hook}. @code{org-update-all-dblocks} is
14511 written in a way such that it does nothing in buffers that are not in
14514 You can narrow the current buffer to the current dynamic block (like any
14515 other block) with @code{org-narrow-to-block}.
14517 @node Special agenda views, Extracting agenda information, Dynamic blocks, Hacking
14518 @section Special agenda views
14519 @cindex agenda views, user-defined
14521 @vindex org-agenda-skip-function
14522 @vindex org-agenda-skip-function-global
14523 Org provides a special hook that can be used to narrow down the selection
14524 made by these agenda views: @code{agenda}, @code{todo}, @code{alltodo},
14525 @code{tags}, @code{tags-todo}, @code{tags-tree}. You may specify a function
14526 that is used at each match to verify if the match should indeed be part of
14527 the agenda view, and if not, how much should be skipped. You can specify a
14528 global condition that will be applied to all agenda views, this condition
14529 would be stored in the variable @code{org-agenda-skip-function-global}. More
14530 commonly, such a definition is applied only to specific custom searches,
14531 using @code{org-agenda-skip-function}.
14533 Let's say you want to produce a list of projects that contain a WAITING
14534 tag anywhere in the project tree. Let's further assume that you have
14535 marked all tree headings that define a project with the TODO keyword
14536 PROJECT. In this case you would run a TODO search for the keyword
14537 PROJECT, but skip the match unless there is a WAITING tag anywhere in
14538 the subtree belonging to the project line.
14540 To achieve this, you must write a function that searches the subtree for
14541 the tag. If the tag is found, the function must return @code{nil} to
14542 indicate that this match should not be skipped. If there is no such
14543 tag, return the location of the end of the subtree, to indicate that
14544 search should continue from there.
14547 (defun my-skip-unless-waiting ()
14548 "Skip trees that are not waiting"
14549 (let ((subtree-end (save-excursion (org-end-of-subtree t))))
14550 (if (re-search-forward ":waiting:" subtree-end t)
14551 nil ; tag found, do not skip
14552 subtree-end))) ; tag not found, continue after end of subtree
14555 Now you may use this function in an agenda custom command, for example
14559 (org-add-agenda-custom-command
14560 '("b" todo "PROJECT"
14561 ((org-agenda-skip-function 'my-skip-unless-waiting)
14562 (org-agenda-overriding-header "Projects waiting for something: "))))
14565 @vindex org-agenda-overriding-header
14566 Note that this also binds @code{org-agenda-overriding-header} to get a
14567 meaningful header in the agenda view.
14569 @vindex org-odd-levels-only
14570 @vindex org-agenda-skip-function
14571 A general way to create custom searches is to base them on a search for
14572 entries with a certain level limit. If you want to study all entries with
14573 your custom search function, simply do a search for
14574 @samp{LEVEL>0}@footnote{Note that, when using @code{org-odd-levels-only}, a
14575 level number corresponds to order in the hierarchy, not to the number of
14576 stars.}, and then use @code{org-agenda-skip-function} to select the entries
14577 you really want to have.
14579 You may also put a Lisp form into @code{org-agenda-skip-function}. In
14580 particular, you may use the functions @code{org-agenda-skip-entry-if}
14581 and @code{org-agenda-skip-subtree-if} in this form, for example:
14584 @item '(org-agenda-skip-entry-if 'scheduled)
14585 Skip current entry if it has been scheduled.
14586 @item '(org-agenda-skip-entry-if 'notscheduled)
14587 Skip current entry if it has not been scheduled.
14588 @item '(org-agenda-skip-entry-if 'deadline)
14589 Skip current entry if it has a deadline.
14590 @item '(org-agenda-skip-entry-if 'scheduled 'deadline)
14591 Skip current entry if it has a deadline, or if it is scheduled.
14592 @item '(org-agenda-skip-entry-if 'todo '("TODO" "WAITING"))
14593 Skip current entry if the TODO keyword is TODO or WAITING.
14594 @item '(org-agenda-skip-entry-if 'todo 'done)
14595 Skip current entry if the TODO keyword marks a DONE state.
14596 @item '(org-agenda-skip-entry-if 'timestamp)
14597 Skip current entry if it has any timestamp, may also be deadline or scheduled.
14598 @item '(org-agenda-skip-entry 'regexp "regular expression")
14599 Skip current entry if the regular expression matches in the entry.
14600 @item '(org-agenda-skip-entry 'notregexp "regular expression")
14601 Skip current entry unless the regular expression matches.
14602 @item '(org-agenda-skip-subtree-if 'regexp "regular expression")
14603 Same as above, but check and skip the entire subtree.
14606 Therefore we could also have written the search for WAITING projects
14607 like this, even without defining a special function:
14610 (org-add-agenda-custom-command
14611 '("b" todo "PROJECT"
14612 ((org-agenda-skip-function '(org-agenda-skip-subtree-if
14613 'regexp ":waiting:"))
14614 (org-agenda-overriding-header "Projects waiting for something: "))))
14617 @node Extracting agenda information, Using the property API, Special agenda views, Hacking
14618 @section Extracting agenda information
14619 @cindex agenda, pipe
14620 @cindex Scripts, for agenda processing
14622 @vindex org-agenda-custom-commands
14623 Org provides commands to access agenda information for the command
14624 line in Emacs batch mode. This extracted information can be sent
14625 directly to a printer, or it can be read by a program that does further
14626 processing of the data. The first of these commands is the function
14627 @code{org-batch-agenda}, that produces an agenda view and sends it as
14628 ASCII text to STDOUT. The command takes a single string as parameter.
14629 If the string has length 1, it is used as a key to one of the commands
14630 you have configured in @code{org-agenda-custom-commands}, basically any
14631 key you can use after @kbd{C-c a}. For example, to directly print the
14632 current TODO list, you could use
14635 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -eval '(org-batch-agenda "t")' | lpr
14638 If the parameter is a string with 2 or more characters, it is used as a
14639 tags/TODO match string. For example, to print your local shopping list
14640 (all items with the tag @samp{shop}, but excluding the tag
14641 @samp{NewYork}), you could use
14644 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs \
14645 -eval '(org-batch-agenda "+shop-NewYork")' | lpr
14649 You may also modify parameters on the fly like this:
14652 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs \
14653 -eval '(org-batch-agenda "a" \
14654 org-agenda-span month \
14655 org-agenda-include-diary nil \
14656 org-agenda-files (quote ("~/org/project.org")))' \
14661 which will produce a 30-day agenda, fully restricted to the Org file
14662 @file{~/org/projects.org}, not even including the diary.
14664 If you want to process the agenda data in more sophisticated ways, you
14665 can use the command @code{org-batch-agenda-csv} to get a comma-separated
14666 list of values for each agenda item. Each line in the output will
14667 contain a number of fields separated by commas. The fields in a line
14671 category @r{The category of the item}
14672 head @r{The headline, without TODO keyword, TAGS and PRIORITY}
14673 type @r{The type of the agenda entry, can be}
14674 todo @r{selected in TODO match}
14675 tagsmatch @r{selected in tags match}
14676 diary @r{imported from diary}
14677 deadline @r{a deadline}
14678 scheduled @r{scheduled}
14679 timestamp @r{appointment, selected by timestamp}
14680 closed @r{entry was closed on date}
14681 upcoming-deadline @r{warning about nearing deadline}
14682 past-scheduled @r{forwarded scheduled item}
14683 block @r{entry has date block including date}
14684 todo @r{The TODO keyword, if any}
14685 tags @r{All tags including inherited ones, separated by colons}
14686 date @r{The relevant date, like 2007-2-14}
14687 time @r{The time, like 15:00-16:50}
14688 extra @r{String with extra planning info}
14689 priority-l @r{The priority letter if any was given}
14690 priority-n @r{The computed numerical priority}
14694 Time and date will only be given if a timestamp (or deadline/scheduled)
14695 led to the selection of the item.
14697 A CSV list like this is very easy to use in a post-processing script.
14698 For example, here is a Perl program that gets the TODO list from
14699 Emacs/Org and prints all the items, preceded by a checkbox:
14704 # define the Emacs command to run
14705 $cmd = "emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -eval '(org-batch-agenda-csv \"t\")'";
14707 # run it and capture the output
14708 $agenda = qx@{$cmd 2>/dev/null@};
14710 # loop over all lines
14711 foreach $line (split(/\n/,$agenda)) @{
14712 # get the individual values
14713 ($category,$head,$type,$todo,$tags,$date,$time,$extra,
14714 $priority_l,$priority_n) = split(/,/,$line);
14715 # process and print
14716 print "[ ] $head\n";
14720 @node Using the property API, Using the mapping API, Extracting agenda information, Hacking
14721 @section Using the property API
14722 @cindex API, for properties
14723 @cindex properties, API
14725 Here is a description of the functions that can be used to work with
14728 @defun org-entry-properties &optional pom which
14729 Get all properties of the entry at point-or-marker POM.@*
14730 This includes the TODO keyword, the tags, time strings for deadline,
14731 scheduled, and clocking, and any additional properties defined in the
14732 entry. The return value is an alist. Keys may occur multiple times
14733 if the property key was used several times.@*
14734 POM may also be nil, in which case the current entry is used.
14735 If WHICH is nil or `all', get all properties. If WHICH is
14736 `special' or `standard', only get that subclass.
14738 @vindex org-use-property-inheritance
14739 @defun org-entry-get pom property &optional inherit
14740 Get value of PROPERTY for entry at point-or-marker POM. By default,
14741 this only looks at properties defined locally in the entry. If INHERIT
14742 is non-nil and the entry does not have the property, then also check
14743 higher levels of the hierarchy. If INHERIT is the symbol
14744 @code{selective}, use inheritance if and only if the setting of
14745 @code{org-use-property-inheritance} selects PROPERTY for inheritance.
14748 @defun org-entry-delete pom property
14749 Delete the property PROPERTY from entry at point-or-marker POM.
14752 @defun org-entry-put pom property value
14753 Set PROPERTY to VALUE for entry at point-or-marker POM.
14756 @defun org-buffer-property-keys &optional include-specials
14757 Get all property keys in the current buffer.
14760 @defun org-insert-property-drawer
14761 Insert a property drawer at point.
14764 @defun org-entry-put-multivalued-property pom property &rest values
14765 Set PROPERTY at point-or-marker POM to VALUES. VALUES should be a list of
14766 strings. They will be concatenated, with spaces as separators.
14769 @defun org-entry-get-multivalued-property pom property
14770 Treat the value of the property PROPERTY as a whitespace-separated list of
14771 values and return the values as a list of strings.
14774 @defun org-entry-add-to-multivalued-property pom property value
14775 Treat the value of the property PROPERTY as a whitespace-separated list of
14776 values and make sure that VALUE is in this list.
14779 @defun org-entry-remove-from-multivalued-property pom property value
14780 Treat the value of the property PROPERTY as a whitespace-separated list of
14781 values and make sure that VALUE is @emph{not} in this list.
14784 @defun org-entry-member-in-multivalued-property pom property value
14785 Treat the value of the property PROPERTY as a whitespace-separated list of
14786 values and check if VALUE is in this list.
14789 @defopt org-property-allowed-value-functions
14790 Hook for functions supplying allowed values for a specific property.
14791 The functions must take a single argument, the name of the property, and
14792 return a flat list of allowed values. If @samp{:ETC} is one of
14793 the values, use the values as completion help, but allow also other values
14794 to be entered. The functions must return @code{nil} if they are not
14795 responsible for this property.
14798 @node Using the mapping API, , Using the property API, Hacking
14799 @section Using the mapping API
14800 @cindex API, for mapping
14801 @cindex mapping entries, API
14803 Org has sophisticated mapping capabilities to find all entries satisfying
14804 certain criteria. Internally, this functionality is used to produce agenda
14805 views, but there is also an API that can be used to execute arbitrary
14806 functions for each or selected entries. The main entry point for this API
14809 @defun org-map-entries func &optional match scope &rest skip
14810 Call FUNC at each headline selected by MATCH in SCOPE.
14812 FUNC is a function or a Lisp form. The function will be called without
14813 arguments, with the cursor positioned at the beginning of the headline.
14814 The return values of all calls to the function will be collected and
14815 returned as a list.
14817 The call to FUNC will be wrapped into a save-excursion form, so FUNC
14818 does not need to preserve point. After evaluation, the cursor will be
14819 moved to the end of the line (presumably of the headline of the
14820 processed entry) and search continues from there. Under some
14821 circumstances, this may not produce the wanted results. For example,
14822 if you have removed (e.g.@: archived) the current (sub)tree it could
14823 mean that the next entry will be skipped entirely. In such cases, you
14824 can specify the position from where search should continue by making
14825 FUNC set the variable `org-map-continue-from' to the desired buffer
14828 MATCH is a tags/property/todo match as it is used in the agenda match view.
14829 Only headlines that are matched by this query will be considered during
14830 the iteration. When MATCH is nil or t, all headlines will be
14831 visited by the iteration.
14833 SCOPE determines the scope of this command. It can be any of:
14836 nil @r{the current buffer, respecting the restriction if any}
14837 tree @r{the subtree started with the entry at point}
14838 file @r{the current buffer, without restriction}
14840 @r{the current buffer, and any archives associated with it}
14841 agenda @r{all agenda files}
14842 agenda-with-archives
14843 @r{all agenda files with any archive files associated with them}
14845 @r{if this is a list, all files in the list will be scanned}
14848 The remaining args are treated as settings for the skipping facilities of
14849 the scanner. The following items can be given here:
14851 @vindex org-agenda-skip-function
14853 archive @r{skip trees with the archive tag}
14854 comment @r{skip trees with the COMMENT keyword}
14855 function or Lisp form
14856 @r{will be used as value for @code{org-agenda-skip-function},}
14857 @r{so whenever the function returns t, FUNC}
14858 @r{will not be called for that entry and search will}
14859 @r{continue from the point where the function leaves it}
14863 The function given to that mapping routine can really do anything you like.
14864 It can use the property API (@pxref{Using the property API}) to gather more
14865 information about the entry, or in order to change metadata in the entry.
14866 Here are a couple of functions that might be handy:
14868 @defun org-todo &optional arg
14869 Change the TODO state of the entry. See the docstring of the functions for
14870 the many possible values for the argument ARG.
14873 @defun org-priority &optional action
14874 Change the priority of the entry. See the docstring of this function for the
14875 possible values for ACTION.
14878 @defun org-toggle-tag tag &optional onoff
14879 Toggle the tag TAG in the current entry. Setting ONOFF to either @code{on}
14880 or @code{off} will not toggle tag, but ensure that it is either on or off.
14884 Promote the current entry.
14888 Demote the current entry.
14891 Here is a simple example that will turn all entries in the current file with
14892 a tag @code{TOMORROW} into TODO entries with the keyword @code{UPCOMING}.
14893 Entries in comment trees and in archive trees will be ignored.
14897 '(org-todo "UPCOMING")
14898 "+TOMORROW" 'file 'archive 'comment)
14901 The following example counts the number of entries with TODO keyword
14902 @code{WAITING}, in all agenda files.
14905 (length (org-map-entries t "/+WAITING" 'agenda))
14908 @node MobileOrg, History and Acknowledgments, Hacking, Top
14909 @appendix MobileOrg
14913 @uref{http://mobileorg.ncogni.to/, MobileOrg} is an application for the
14914 @i{iPhone/iPod Touch} series of devices, developed by Richard Moreland.
14915 @i{MobileOrg} offers offline viewing and capture support for an Org-mode
14916 system rooted on a ``real'' computer. It does also allow you to record
14917 changes to existing entries. Android users should check out
14918 @uref{http://wiki.github.com/matburt/mobileorg-android/, MobileOrg Android}
14921 This appendix describes the support Org has for creating agenda views in a
14922 format that can be displayed by @i{MobileOrg}, and for integrating notes
14923 captured and changes made by @i{MobileOrg} into the main system.
14925 For changing tags and TODO states in MobileOrg, you should have set up the
14926 customization variables @code{org-todo-keywords} and @code{org-tags-alist} to
14927 cover all important tags and TODO keywords, even if individual files use only
14928 part of these. MobileOrg will also offer you states and tags set up with
14929 in-buffer settings, but it will understand the logistics of TODO state
14930 @i{sets} (@pxref{Per-file keywords}) and @i{mutually exclusive} tags
14931 (@pxref{Setting tags}) only for those set in these variables.
14934 * Setting up the staging area:: Where to interact with the mobile device
14935 * Pushing to MobileOrg:: Uploading Org files and agendas
14936 * Pulling from MobileOrg:: Integrating captured and flagged items
14939 @node Setting up the staging area, Pushing to MobileOrg, MobileOrg, MobileOrg
14940 @section Setting up the staging area
14942 MobileOrg needs to interact with Emacs through a directory on a server. If you
14943 are using a public server, you should consider to encrypt the files that are
14944 uploaded to the server. This can be done with Org-mode 7.02 and with
14945 @i{MobileOrg 1.5} (iPhone version), and you need an @file{openssl}
14946 installation on your system. To turn on encryption, set a password in
14947 @i{MobileOrg} and, on the Emacs side, configure the variable
14948 @code{org-mobile-use-encryption}@footnote{If you can safely store the
14949 password in your Emacs setup, you might also want to configure
14950 @code{org-mobile-encryption-password}. Please read the docstring of that
14951 variable. Note that encryption will apply only to the contents of the
14952 @file{.org} files. The file names themselves will remain visible.}.
14954 The easiest way to create that directory is to use a free
14955 @uref{http://dropbox.com,Dropbox.com} account@footnote{If you cannot use
14956 Dropbox, or if your version of MobileOrg does not support it, you can use a
14957 webdav server. For more information, check out the documentation of MobileOrg and also this
14958 @uref{http://orgmode.org/worg/org-faq.html#mobileorg_webdav, FAQ entry}.}.
14959 When MobileOrg first connects to your Dropbox, it will create a directory
14960 @i{MobileOrg} inside the Dropbox. After the directory has been created, tell
14964 (setq org-mobile-directory "~/Dropbox/MobileOrg")
14967 Org-mode has commands to put files for @i{MobileOrg} into that directory,
14968 and to read captured notes from there.
14970 @node Pushing to MobileOrg, Pulling from MobileOrg, Setting up the staging area, MobileOrg
14971 @section Pushing to MobileOrg
14973 This operation copies all files currently listed in @code{org-mobile-files}
14974 to the directory @code{org-mobile-directory}. By default this list contains
14975 all agenda files (as listed in @code{org-agenda-files}), but additional files
14976 can be included by customizing @code{org-mobile-files}. File names will be
14977 staged with paths relative to @code{org-directory}, so all files should be
14978 inside this directory. The push operation also creates a special Org file
14979 @file{agendas.org} with all custom agenda view defined by the
14980 user@footnote{While creating the agendas, Org-mode will force ID properties
14981 on all referenced entries, so that these entries can be uniquely identified
14982 if @i{MobileOrg} flags them for further action. If you do not want to get
14983 these properties in so many entries, you can set the variable
14984 @code{org-mobile-force-id-on-agenda-items} to @code{nil}. Org mode will then
14985 rely on outline paths, in the hope that these will be unique enough.}.
14986 Finally, Org writes the file @file{index.org}, containing links to all other
14987 files. @i{MobileOrg} first reads this file from the server, and then
14988 downloads all agendas and Org files listed in it. To speed up the download,
14989 MobileOrg will only read files whose checksums@footnote{stored automatically
14990 in the file @file{checksums.dat}} have changed.
14992 @node Pulling from MobileOrg, , Pushing to MobileOrg, MobileOrg
14993 @section Pulling from MobileOrg
14995 When @i{MobileOrg} synchronizes with the server, it not only pulls the Org
14996 files for viewing. It also appends captured entries and pointers to flagged
14997 and changed entries to the file @file{mobileorg.org} on the server. Org has
14998 a @emph{pull} operation that integrates this information into an inbox file
14999 and operates on the pointers to flagged entries. Here is how it works:
15003 Org moves all entries found in
15004 @file{mobileorg.org}@footnote{@file{mobileorg.org} will be empty after this
15005 operation.} and appends them to the file pointed to by the variable
15006 @code{org-mobile-inbox-for-pull}. Each captured entry and each editing event
15007 will be a top-level entry in the inbox file.
15009 After moving the entries, Org will attempt to implement the changes made in
15010 @i{MobileOrg}. Some changes are applied directly and without user
15011 interaction. Examples are all changes to tags, TODO state, headline and body
15012 text that can be cleanly applied. Entries that have been flagged for further
15013 action will receive a tag @code{:FLAGGED:}, so that they can be easily found
15014 again. When there is a problem finding an entry or applying the change, the
15015 pointer entry will remain in the inbox and will be marked with an error
15016 message. You need to later resolve these issues by hand.
15018 Org will then generate an agenda view with all flagged entries. The user
15019 should then go through these entries and do whatever actions are necessary.
15020 If a note has been stored while flagging an entry in @i{MobileOrg}, that note
15021 will be displayed in the echo area when the cursor is on the corresponding
15026 Pressing @kbd{?} in that special agenda will display the full flagging note in
15027 another window and also push it onto the kill ring. So you could use @kbd{?
15028 z C-y C-c C-c} to store that flagging note as a normal note in the entry.
15029 Pressing @kbd{?} twice in succession will offer to remove the
15030 @code{:FLAGGED:} tag along with the recorded flagging note (which is stored
15031 in a property). In this way you indicate that the intended processing for
15032 this flagged entry is finished.
15037 If you are not able to process all flagged entries directly, you can always
15038 return to this agenda view@footnote{Note, however, that there is a subtle
15039 difference. The view created automatically by @kbd{M-x org-mobile-pull
15040 @key{RET}} is guaranteed to search all files that have been addressed by the
15041 last pull. This might include a file that is not currently in your list of
15042 agenda files. If you later use @kbd{C-c a ?} to regenerate the view, only
15043 the current agenda files will be searched.} using @kbd{C-c a ?}.
15045 @node History and Acknowledgments, Main Index, MobileOrg, Top
15046 @appendix History and acknowledgments
15047 @cindex acknowledgments
15051 Org was born in 2003, out of frustration over the user interface of the Emacs
15052 Outline mode. I was trying to organize my notes and projects, and using
15053 Emacs seemed to be the natural way to go. However, having to remember eleven
15054 different commands with two or three keys per command, only to hide and show
15055 parts of the outline tree, that seemed entirely unacceptable to me. Also,
15056 when using outlines to take notes, I constantly wanted to restructure the
15057 tree, organizing it parallel to my thoughts and plans. @emph{Visibility
15058 cycling} and @emph{structure editing} were originally implemented in the
15059 package @file{outline-magic.el}, but quickly moved to the more general
15060 @file{org.el}. As this environment became comfortable for project planning,
15061 the next step was adding @emph{TODO entries}, basic @emph{timestamps}, and
15062 @emph{table support}. These areas highlighted the two main goals that Org
15063 still has today: to be a new, outline-based, plain text mode with innovative
15064 and intuitive editing features, and to incorporate project planning
15065 functionality directly into a notes file.
15067 Since the first release, literally thousands of emails to me or to
15068 @email{emacs-orgmode@@gnu.org} have provided a constant stream of bug
15069 reports, feedback, new ideas, and sometimes patches and add-on code.
15070 Many thanks to everyone who has helped to improve this package. I am
15071 trying to keep here a list of the people who had significant influence
15072 in shaping one or more aspects of Org. The list may not be
15073 complete, if I have forgotten someone, please accept my apologies and
15076 Before I get to this list, a few special mentions are in order:
15079 @item Bastien Guerry
15080 Bastien has written a large number of extensions to Org (most of them
15081 integrated into the core by now), including the LaTeX exporter and the plain
15082 list parser. His support during the early days, when he basically acted as
15083 co-maintainer, was central to the success of this project. Bastien also
15084 invented Worg, helped establishing the Web presence of Org, and sponsors
15085 hosting costs for the orgmode.org website.
15086 @item Eric Schulte and Dan Davison
15087 Eric and Dan are jointly responsible for the Org-babel system, which turns
15088 Org into a multi-language environment for evaluating code and doing literate
15089 programming and reproducible research.
15091 John has contributed a number of great ideas and patches directly to Org,
15092 including the attachment system (@file{org-attach.el}), integration with
15093 Apple Mail (@file{org-mac-message.el}), hierarchical dependencies of TODO
15094 items, habit tracking (@file{org-habits.el}), and encryption
15095 (@file{org-crypt.el}). Also, the capture system is really an extended copy
15096 of his great @file{remember.el}.
15097 @item Sebastian Rose
15098 Without Sebastian, the HTML/XHTML publishing of Org would be the pitiful work
15099 of an ignorant amateur. Sebastian has pushed this part of Org onto a much
15100 higher level. He also wrote @file{org-info.js}, a Java script for displaying
15101 webpages derived from Org using an Info-like or a folding interface with
15102 single-key navigation.
15105 @noindent OK, now to the full list of contributions! Again, please let me
15106 know what I am missing here!
15111 @i{Russel Adams} came up with the idea for drawers.
15113 @i{Thomas Baumann} wrote @file{org-bbdb.el} and @file{org-mhe.el}.
15115 @i{Christophe Bataillon} created the great unicorn logo that we use on the
15118 @i{Alex Bochannek} provided a patch for rounding timestamps.
15120 @i{Jan Böcker} wrote @file{org-docview.el}.
15122 @i{Brad Bozarth} showed how to pull RSS feed data into Org-mode files.
15124 @i{Tom Breton} wrote @file{org-choose.el}.
15126 @i{Charles Cave}'s suggestion sparked the implementation of templates
15127 for Remember, which are now templates for capture.
15129 @i{Pavel Chalmoviansky} influenced the agenda treatment of items with
15132 @i{Gregory Chernov} patched support for Lisp forms into table
15133 calculations and improved XEmacs compatibility, in particular by porting
15134 @file{nouline.el} to XEmacs.
15136 @i{Sacha Chua} suggested copying some linking code from Planner.
15138 @i{Baoqiu Cui} contributed the DocBook exporter.
15140 @i{Eddward DeVilla} proposed and tested checkbox statistics. He also
15141 came up with the idea of properties, and that there should be an API for
15144 @i{Nick Dokos} tracked down several nasty bugs.
15146 @i{Kees Dullemond} used to edit projects lists directly in HTML and so
15147 inspired some of the early development, including HTML export. He also
15148 asked for a way to narrow wide table columns.
15150 @i{Thomas S. Dye} contributed documentation on Worg and helped integrating
15151 the Org-Babel documentation into the manual.
15153 @i{Christian Egli} converted the documentation into Texinfo format, inspired
15154 the agenda, patched CSS formatting into the HTML exporter, and wrote
15155 @file{org-taskjuggler.el}.
15157 @i{David Emery} provided a patch for custom CSS support in exported
15160 @i{Nic Ferrier} contributed mailcap and XOXO support.
15162 @i{Miguel A. Figueroa-Villanueva} implemented hierarchical checkboxes.
15164 @i{John Foerch} figured out how to make incremental search show context
15165 around a match in a hidden outline tree.
15167 @i{Raimar Finken} wrote @file{org-git-line.el}.
15169 @i{Mikael Fornius} works as a mailing list moderator.
15171 @i{Austin Frank} works as a mailing list moderator.
15173 @i{Eric Fraga} drove the development of BEAMER export with ideas and
15176 @i{Barry Gidden} did proofreading the manual in preparation for the book
15177 publication through Network Theory Ltd.
15179 @i{Niels Giesen} had the idea to automatically archive DONE trees.
15181 @i{Nicolas Goaziou} rewrote much of the plain list code.
15183 @i{Kai Grossjohann} pointed out key-binding conflicts with other packages.
15185 @i{Brian Gough} of Network Theory Ltd publishes the Org mode manual as a
15188 @i{Bernt Hansen} has driven much of the support for auto-repeating tasks,
15189 task state change logging, and the clocktable. His clear explanations have
15190 been critical when we started to adopt the Git version control system.
15192 @i{Manuel Hermenegildo} has contributed various ideas, small fixes and
15195 @i{Phil Jackson} wrote @file{org-irc.el}.
15197 @i{Scott Jaderholm} proposed footnotes, control over whitespace between
15198 folded entries, and column view for properties.
15200 @i{Matt Jones} wrote @i{MobileOrg Android}.
15202 @i{Tokuya Kameshima} wrote @file{org-wl.el} and @file{org-mew.el}.
15204 @i{Shidai Liu} ("Leo") asked for embedded @LaTeX{} and tested it. He also
15205 provided frequent feedback and some patches.
15207 @i{Matt Lundin} has proposed last-row references for table formulas and named
15208 invisible anchors. He has also worked a lot on the FAQ.
15210 @i{David Maus} wrote @file{org-atom.el}, maintains the issues file for Org,
15211 and is a prolific contributor on the mailing list with competent replies,
15212 small fixes and patches.
15214 @i{Jason F. McBrayer} suggested agenda export to CSV format.
15216 @i{Max Mikhanosha} came up with the idea of refiling.
15218 @i{Dmitri Minaev} sent a patch to set priority limits on a per-file
15221 @i{Stefan Monnier} provided a patch to keep the Emacs-Lisp compiler
15224 @i{Richard Moreland} wrote @i{MobileOrg} for the iPhone.
15226 @i{Rick Moynihan} proposed allowing multiple TODO sequences in a file
15227 and being able to quickly restrict the agenda to a subtree.
15229 @i{Todd Neal} provided patches for links to Info files and Elisp forms.
15231 @i{Greg Newman} refreshed the unicorn logo into its current form.
15233 @i{Tim O'Callaghan} suggested in-file links, search options for general
15234 file links, and TAGS.
15236 @i{Osamu Okano} wrote @file{orgcard2ref.pl}, a Perl program to create a text
15237 version of the reference card.
15239 @i{Takeshi Okano} translated the manual and David O'Toole's tutorial
15242 @i{Oliver Oppitz} suggested multi-state TODO items.
15244 @i{Scott Otterson} sparked the introduction of descriptive text for
15245 links, among other things.
15247 @i{Pete Phillips} helped during the development of the TAGS feature, and
15248 provided frequent feedback.
15250 @i{Martin Pohlack} provided the code snippet to bundle character insertion
15251 into bundles of 20 for undo.
15253 @i{T.V. Raman} reported bugs and suggested improvements.
15255 @i{Matthias Rempe} (Oelde) provided ideas, Windows support, and quality
15258 @i{Paul Rivier} provided the basic implementation of named footnotes. He
15259 also acted as mailing list moderator for some time.
15261 @i{Kevin Rogers} contributed code to access VM files on remote hosts.
15263 @i{Frank Ruell} solved the mystery of the @code{keymapp nil} bug, a
15264 conflict with @file{allout.el}.
15266 @i{Jason Riedy} generalized the send-receive mechanism for Orgtbl tables with
15269 @i{Philip Rooke} created the Org reference card, provided lots
15270 of feedback, developed and applied standards to the Org documentation.
15272 @i{Christian Schlauer} proposed angular brackets around links, among
15275 @i{Paul Sexton} wrote @file{org-ctags.el}.
15277 Linking to VM/BBDB/Gnus was first inspired by @i{Tom Shannon}'s
15278 @file{organizer-mode.el}.
15280 @i{Ilya Shlyakhter} proposed the Archive Sibling, line numbering in literal
15281 examples, and remote highlighting for referenced code lines.
15283 @i{Stathis Sideris} wrote the @file{ditaa.jar} ASCII to PNG converter that is
15284 now packaged into Org's @file{contrib} directory.
15286 @i{Daniel Sinder} came up with the idea of internal archiving by locking
15289 @i{Dale Smith} proposed link abbreviations.
15291 @i{James TD Smith} has contributed a large number of patches for useful
15292 tweaks and features.
15294 @i{Adam Spiers} asked for global linking commands, inspired the link
15295 extension system, added support for mairix, and proposed the mapping API.
15297 @i{Ulf Stegemann} created the table to translate special symbols to HTML,
15298 LaTeX, UTF-8, Latin-1 and ASCII.
15300 @i{Andy Stewart} contributed code to @file{org-w3m.el}, to copy HTML content
15301 with links transformation to Org syntax.
15303 @i{David O'Toole} wrote @file{org-publish.el} and drafted the manual
15304 chapter about publishing.
15306 @i{Sebastien Vauban} reported many issues with LaTeX and BEAMER export and
15307 enabled source code highlighling in Gnus.
15309 @i{Stefan Vollmar} organized a video-recorded talk at the
15310 Max-Planck-Institute for Neurology. He also inspired the creation of a
15311 concept index for HTML export.
15313 @i{J@"urgen Vollmer} contributed code generating the table of contents
15316 @i{Samuel Wales} has provided important feedback and bug reports.
15318 @i{Chris Wallace} provided a patch implementing the @samp{QUOTE}
15321 @i{David Wainberg} suggested archiving, and improvements to the linking
15324 @i{Carsten Wimmer} suggested some changes and helped fix a bug in
15327 @i{Roland Winkler} requested additional key bindings to make Org
15330 @i{Piotr Zielinski} wrote @file{org-mouse.el}, proposed agenda blocks
15331 and contributed various ideas and code snippets.
15335 @node Main Index, Key Index, History and Acknowledgments, Top
15336 @unnumbered Concept index
15340 @node Key Index, Command and Function Index, Main Index, Top
15341 @unnumbered Key index
15345 @node Command and Function Index, Variable Index, Key Index, Top
15346 @unnumbered Command and function index
15350 @node Variable Index, , Command and Function Index, Top
15351 @unnumbered Variable index
15353 This is not a complete index of variables and faces, only the ones that are
15354 mentioned in the manual. For a more complete list, use @kbd{M-x
15355 org-customize @key{RET}} and then click yourself through the tree.
15362 arch-tag: 7893d1Fe-cc57-4d13-b5e5-f494a1CBC7ac
15365 @c Local variables:
15367 @c indent-tabs-mode: nil
15368 @c paragraph-start: "
\b\\|^@[a-zA-Z]*[ \n]\\|^@x?org\\(key\\|cmd\\)\\|\f\\|[ ]*$"
15369 @c paragraph-separate: "
\b\\|^@[a-zA-Z]*[ \n]\\|^@x?org\\(key\\|cmd\\)\\|[ \f]*$"
15373 @c LocalWords: webdavhost pre