3 @setfilename ../../info/org
4 @settitle The Org Manual
9 @c Version and Contact Info
10 @set MAINTAINERSITE @uref{http://orgmode.org,maintainers webpage}
11 @set AUTHOR Carsten Dominik
12 @set MAINTAINER Carsten Dominik
13 @set MAINTAINEREMAIL @email{carsten at orgmode dot org}
14 @set MAINTAINERCONTACT @uref{mailto:carsten at orgmode dot org,contact the maintainer}
20 @c @hyphenation{time-stamp time-stamps time-stamp-ing time-stamp-ed}
35 @c Subheadings inside a table.
36 @macro tsubheading{text}
46 This manual is for Org version @value{VERSION}.
48 Copyright @copyright{} 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 Free Software Foundation
51 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
52 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.3 or
53 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
54 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU Manual,''
55 and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the license
56 is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation License.''
58 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have the freedom to copy and
59 modify this GNU manual. Buying copies from the FSF supports it in
60 developing GNU and promoting software freedom.''
62 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
63 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
64 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
65 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
71 * Org Mode: (org). Outline-based notes management and organizer
77 @subtitle Release @value{VERSION}
78 @author by Carsten Dominik
80 @c The following two commands start the copyright page.
82 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
86 @c Output the table of contents at the beginning.
90 @node Top, Introduction, (dir), (dir)
97 * Introduction:: Getting started
98 * Document Structure:: A tree works like your brain
99 * Tables:: Pure magic for quick formatting
100 * Hyperlinks:: Notes in context
101 * TODO Items:: Every tree branch can be a TODO item
102 * Tags:: Tagging headlines and matching sets of tags
103 * Properties and Columns:: Storing information about an entry
104 * Dates and Times:: Making items useful for planning
105 * Capture - Refile - Archive:: The ins and outs for projects
106 * Agenda Views:: Collecting information into views
107 * Markup:: Prepare text for rich export
108 * Exporting:: Sharing and publishing of notes
109 * Publishing:: Create a web site of linked Org files
110 * Miscellaneous:: All the rest which did not fit elsewhere
111 * Hacking:: How to hack your way around
112 * MobileOrg:: Viewing and capture on a mobile device
113 * History and Acknowledgments:: How Org came into being
114 * Main Index:: An index of Org's concepts and features
115 * Key Index:: Key bindings and where they are described
116 * Variable Index:: Variables mentioned in the manual
119 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
123 * Summary:: Brief summary of what Org does
124 * Installation:: How to install a downloaded version of Org
125 * Activation:: How to activate Org for certain buffers
126 * Feedback:: Bug reports, ideas, patches etc.
127 * Conventions:: Type-setting conventions in the manual
131 * Outlines:: Org is based on Outline mode
132 * Headlines:: How to typeset Org tree headlines
133 * Visibility cycling:: Show and hide, much simplified
134 * Motion:: Jumping to other headlines
135 * Structure editing:: Changing sequence and level of headlines
136 * Sparse trees:: Matches embedded in context
137 * Plain lists:: Additional structure within an entry
138 * Drawers:: Tucking stuff away
139 * Blocks:: Folding blocks
140 * Footnotes:: How footnotes are defined in Org's syntax
141 * Orgstruct mode:: Structure editing outside Org
145 * Built-in table editor:: Simple tables
146 * Column width and alignment:: Overrule the automatic settings
147 * Column groups:: Grouping to trigger vertical lines
148 * Orgtbl mode:: The table editor as minor mode
149 * The spreadsheet:: The table editor has spreadsheet capabilities
150 * Org-Plot:: Plotting from org tables
154 * References:: How to refer to another field or range
155 * Formula syntax for Calc:: Using Calc to compute stuff
156 * Formula syntax for Lisp:: Writing formulas in Emacs Lisp
157 * Field formulas:: Formulas valid for a single field
158 * Column formulas:: Formulas valid for an entire column
159 * Editing and debugging formulas:: Fixing formulas
160 * Updating the table:: Recomputing all dependent fields
161 * Advanced features:: Field names, parameters and automatic recalc
165 * Link format:: How links in Org are formatted
166 * Internal links:: Links to other places in the current file
167 * External links:: URL-like links to the world
168 * Handling links:: Creating, inserting and following
169 * Using links outside Org:: Linking from my C source code?
170 * Link abbreviations:: Shortcuts for writing complex links
171 * Search options:: Linking to a specific location
172 * Custom searches:: When the default search is not enough
176 * Radio targets:: Make targets trigger links in plain text
180 * TODO basics:: Marking and displaying TODO entries
181 * TODO extensions:: Workflow and assignments
182 * Progress logging:: Dates and notes for progress
183 * Priorities:: Some things are more important than others
184 * Breaking down tasks:: Splitting a task into manageable pieces
185 * Checkboxes:: Tick-off lists
187 Extended use of TODO keywords
189 * Workflow states:: From TODO to DONE in steps
190 * TODO types:: I do this, Fred does the rest
191 * Multiple sets in one file:: Mixing it all, and still finding your way
192 * Fast access to TODO states:: Single letter selection of a state
193 * Per-file keywords:: Different files, different requirements
194 * Faces for TODO keywords:: Highlighting states
195 * TODO dependencies:: When one task needs to wait for others
199 * Closing items:: When was this entry marked DONE?
200 * Tracking TODO state changes:: When did the status change?
201 * Tracking your habits:: How consistent have you been?
205 * Tag inheritance:: Tags use the tree structure of the outline
206 * Setting tags:: How to assign tags to a headline
207 * Tag searches:: Searching for combinations of tags
209 Properties and Columns
211 * Property syntax:: How properties are spelled out
212 * Special properties:: Access to other Org mode features
213 * Property searches:: Matching property values
214 * Property inheritance:: Passing values down the tree
215 * Column view:: Tabular viewing and editing
216 * Property API:: Properties for Lisp programmers
220 * Defining columns:: The COLUMNS format property
221 * Using column view:: How to create and use column view
222 * Capturing column view:: A dynamic block for column view
226 * Scope of column definitions:: Where defined, where valid?
227 * Column attributes:: Appearance and content of a column
231 * Timestamps:: Assigning a time to a tree entry
232 * Creating timestamps:: Commands which insert timestamps
233 * Deadlines and scheduling:: Planning your work
234 * Clocking work time:: Tracking how long you spend on a task
235 * Resolving idle time:: Resolving time if you've been idle
236 * Effort estimates:: Planning work effort in advance
237 * Relative timer:: Notes with a running timer
241 * The date/time prompt:: How Org mode helps you entering date and time
242 * Custom time format:: Making dates look different
244 Deadlines and scheduling
246 * Inserting deadline/schedule:: Planning items
247 * Repeated tasks:: Items that show up again and again
249 Capture - Refile - Archive
251 * Remember:: Capture new tasks/ideas with little interruption
252 * Attachments:: Add files to tasks.
253 * RSS Feeds:: Getting input from RSS feeds
254 * Protocols:: External (e.g. Browser) access to Emacs and Org
255 * Refiling notes:: Moving a tree from one place to another
256 * Archiving:: What to do with finished projects
260 * Setting up Remember for Org:: Some code for .emacs to get things going
261 * Remember templates:: Define the outline of different note types
262 * Storing notes:: Directly get the note to where it belongs
266 * Moving subtrees:: Moving a tree to an archive file
267 * Internal archiving:: Switch off a tree but keep i in the file
271 * Agenda files:: Files being searched for agenda information
272 * Agenda dispatcher:: Keyboard access to agenda views
273 * Built-in agenda views:: What is available out of the box?
274 * Presentation and sorting:: How agenda items are prepared for display
275 * Agenda commands:: Remote editing of Org trees
276 * Custom agenda views:: Defining special searches and views
277 * Exporting Agenda Views:: Writing a view to a file
278 * Agenda column view:: Using column view for collected entries
280 The built-in agenda views
282 * Weekly/daily agenda:: The calendar page with current tasks
283 * Global TODO list:: All unfinished action items
284 * Matching tags and properties:: Structured information with fine-tuned search
285 * Timeline:: Time-sorted view for single file
286 * Search view:: Find entries by searching for text
287 * Stuck projects:: Find projects you need to review
289 Presentation and sorting
291 * Categories:: Not all tasks are equal
292 * Time-of-day specifications:: How the agenda knows the time
293 * Sorting of agenda items:: The order of things
297 * Storing searches:: Type once, use often
298 * Block agenda:: All the stuff you need in a single buffer
299 * Setting Options:: Changing the rules
301 Markup for rich export
303 * Structural markup elements:: The basic structure as seen by the exporter
304 * Images and tables:: Tables and Images will be included
305 * Literal examples:: Source code examples with special formatting
306 * Include files:: Include additional files into a document
308 * Macro replacement:: Use macros to create complex output
309 * Embedded LaTeX:: LaTeX can be freely used inside Org documents
311 Structural markup elements
313 * Document title:: Where the title is taken from
314 * Headings and sections:: The document structure as seen by the exporter
315 * Table of contents:: The if and where of the table of contents
316 * Initial text:: Text before the first heading?
318 * Paragraphs:: Paragraphs
319 * Footnote markup:: Footnotes
320 * Emphasis and monospace:: Bold, italic, etc.
321 * Horizontal rules:: Make a line
322 * Comment lines:: What will *not* be exported
326 * Special symbols:: Greek letters and other symbols
327 * Subscripts and superscripts:: Simple syntax for raising/lowering text
328 * LaTeX fragments:: Complex formulas made easy
329 * Previewing LaTeX fragments:: What will this snippet look like?
330 * CDLaTeX mode:: Speed up entering of formulas
334 * Selective export:: Using tags to select and exclude trees
335 * Export options:: Per-file export settings
336 * The export dispatcher:: How to access exporter commands
337 * ASCII/Latin-1/UTF-8 export:: Exporting to flat files with encoding
338 * HTML export:: Exporting to HTML
339 * LaTeX and PDF export:: Exporting to La@TeX{}, and processing to PDF
340 * DocBook export:: Exporting to DocBook
341 * Freemind export:: Exporting to Freemind mind maps
342 * XOXO export:: Exporting to XOXO
343 * iCalendar export:: Exporting in iCalendar format
347 * HTML Export commands:: How to invoke HTML export
348 * Quoting HTML tags:: Using direct HTML in Org mode
349 * Links in HTML export:: How links will be interpreted and formatted
350 * Tables in HTML export:: How to modify the formatting of tables
351 * Images in HTML export:: How to insert figures into HTML output
352 * Text areas in HTML export:: An alternative way to show an example
353 * CSS support:: Changing the appearance of the output
354 * Javascript support:: Info and Folding in a web browser
356 La@TeX{} and PDF export
358 * LaTeX/PDF export commands:: Which key invokes which commands
359 * Header and sectioning:: Setting up the export file structure
360 * Quoting LaTeX code:: Incorporating literal La@TeX{} code
361 * Tables in LaTeX export:: Options for exporting tables to La@TeX{}
362 * Images in LaTeX export:: How to insert figures into La@TeX{} output
363 * Beamer class export:: Turning the file into a presentation
367 * DocBook export commands:: How to invoke DocBook export
368 * Quoting DocBook code:: Incorporating DocBook code in Org files
369 * Recursive sections:: Recursive sections in DocBook
370 * Tables in DocBook export:: Tables are exported as HTML tables
371 * Images in DocBook export:: How to insert figures into DocBook output
372 * Special characters:: How to handle special characters
376 * Configuration:: Defining projects
377 * Uploading files:: How to get files up on the server
378 * Sample configuration:: Example projects
379 * Triggering publication:: Publication commands
383 * Project alist:: The central configuration variable
384 * Sources and destinations:: From here to there
385 * Selecting files:: What files are part of the project?
386 * Publishing action:: Setting the function doing the publishing
387 * Publishing options:: Tweaking HTML export
388 * Publishing links:: Which links keep working after publishing?
389 * Sitemap:: Generating a list of all pages
390 * Generating an index:: An index that reaches across pages
394 * Simple example:: One-component publishing
395 * Complex example:: A multi-component publishing example
399 * Completion:: M-TAB knows what you need
400 * Speed keys:: Electic commands at the beginning of a headline
401 * Customization:: Adapting Org to your taste
402 * In-buffer settings:: Overview of the #+KEYWORDS
403 * The very busy C-c C-c key:: When in doubt, press C-c C-c
404 * Clean view:: Getting rid of leading stars in the outline
405 * TTY keys:: Using Org on a tty
406 * Interaction:: Other Emacs packages
408 Interaction with other packages
410 * Cooperation:: Packages Org cooperates with
411 * Conflicts:: Packages that lead to conflicts
415 * Hooks:: Who to reach into Org's internals
416 * Add-on packages:: Available extensions
417 * Adding hyperlink types:: New custom link types
418 * Context-sensitive commands:: How to add functionality to such commands
419 * Tables in arbitrary syntax:: Orgtbl for La@TeX{} and other programs
420 * Dynamic blocks:: Automatically filled blocks
421 * Special agenda views:: Customized views
422 * Extracting agenda information:: Postprocessing of agenda information
423 * Using the property API:: Writing programs that use entry properties
424 * Using the mapping API:: Mapping over all or selected entries
426 Tables and lists in arbitrary syntax
428 * Radio tables:: Sending and receiving radio tables
429 * A LaTeX example:: Step by step, almost a tutorial
430 * Translator functions:: Copy and modify
431 * Radio lists:: Doing the same for lists
435 * Setting up the staging area:: Where to interact with the mobile device
436 * Pushing to MobileOrg:: Uploading Org files and agendas
437 * Pulling from MobileOrg:: Integrating captured and flagged items
442 @node Introduction, Document Structure, Top, Top
443 @chapter Introduction
447 * Summary:: Brief summary of what Org does
448 * Installation:: How to install a downloaded version of Org
449 * Activation:: How to activate Org for certain buffers
450 * Feedback:: Bug reports, ideas, patches etc.
451 * Conventions:: Type-setting conventions in the manual
454 @node Summary, Installation, Introduction, Introduction
458 Org is a mode for keeping notes, maintaining TODO lists, and doing
459 project planning with a fast and effective plain-text system.
461 Org develops organizational tasks around NOTES files that contain
462 lists or information about projects as plain text. Org is
463 implemented on top of Outline mode, which makes it possible to keep the
464 content of large files well structured. Visibility cycling and
465 structure editing help to work with the tree. Tables are easily created
466 with a built-in table editor. Org supports TODO items, deadlines,
467 timestamps, and scheduling. It dynamically compiles entries into an
468 agenda that utilizes and smoothly integrates much of the Emacs calendar
469 and diary. Plain text URL-like links connect to websites, emails,
470 Usenet messages, BBDB entries, and any files related to the projects.
471 For printing and sharing of notes, an Org file can be exported as a
472 structured ASCII file, as HTML, or (TODO and agenda items only) as an
473 iCalendar file. It can also serve as a publishing tool for a set of
476 An important design aspect that distinguishes Org from, for example,
477 Planner/Muse is that it encourages you to store every piece of information
478 only once. In Planner, you have project pages, day pages and possibly
479 other files, duplicating some information such as tasks. In Org,
480 you only have notes files. In your notes you mark entries as tasks, and
481 label them with tags and timestamps. All necessary lists, like a
482 schedule for the day, the agenda for a meeting, tasks lists selected by
483 tags, etc., are created dynamically when you need them.
485 Org keeps simple things simple. When first fired up, it should
486 feel like a straightforward, easy to use outliner. Complexity is not
487 imposed, but a large amount of functionality is available when you need
488 it. Org is a toolbox and can be used in different ways, for
492 @r{@bullet{} an outline extension with visibility cycling and structure editing}
493 @r{@bullet{} an ASCII system and table editor for taking structured notes}
494 @r{@bullet{} an ASCII table editor with spreadsheet-like capabilities}
495 @r{@bullet{} a TODO list editor}
496 @r{@bullet{} a full agenda and planner with deadlines and work scheduling}
497 @pindex GTD, Getting Things Done
498 @r{@bullet{} an environment in which to implement David Allen's GTD system}
499 @r{@bullet{} a basic database application}
500 @r{@bullet{} a simple hypertext system, with HTML and La@TeX{} export}
501 @r{@bullet{} a publishing tool to create a set of interlinked webpages}
504 Org's automatic, context-sensitive table editor with spreadsheet
505 capabilities can be integrated into any major mode by activating the
506 minor Orgtbl mode. Using a translation step, it can be used to maintain
507 tables in arbitrary file types, for example in La@TeX{}. The structure
508 editing and list creation capabilities can be used outside Org with
509 the minor Orgstruct mode.
512 There is a website for Org which provides links to the newest
513 version of Org, as well as additional information, frequently asked
514 questions (FAQ), links to tutorials, etc@. This page is located at
515 @uref{http://orgmode.org}.
520 @node Installation, Activation, Summary, Introduction
521 @section Installation
525 @b{Important:} @i{If you are using a version of Org that is part of the Emacs
526 distribution or an XEmacs package, please skip this section and go directly
527 to @ref{Activation}.}
529 If you have downloaded Org from the Web, either as a distribution @file{.zip}
530 or @file{.tar} file, or as a Git archive, you must take the following steps
531 to install it: go into the unpacked Org distribution directory and edit the
532 top section of the file @file{Makefile}. You must set the name of the Emacs
533 binary (likely either @file{emacs} or @file{xemacs}), and the paths to the
534 directories where local Lisp and Info files are kept. If you don't have
535 access to the system-wide directories, you can simply run Org directly from
536 the distribution directory by adding the @file{lisp} subdirectory to the
537 Emacs load path. To do this, add the following line to @file{.emacs}:
540 (setq load-path (cons "~/path/to/orgdir/lisp" load-path))
544 If you plan to use code from the @file{contrib} subdirectory, do a similar
545 step for this directory:
548 (setq load-path (cons "~/path/to/orgdir/contrib/lisp" load-path))
553 XEmacs users now need to install the file @file{noutline.el} from
554 the @file{xemacs} sub-directory of the Org distribution. Use the
558 make install-noutline
563 @noindent Now byte-compile the Lisp files with the shell command:
569 @noindent If you are running Org from the distribution directory, this is
570 all. If you want to install Org into the system directories, use (as
577 Installing Info files is system dependent, because of differences in the
578 @file{install-info} program. In Debian it copies the info files into the
579 correct directory and modifies the info directory file. In many other
580 systems, the files need to be copied to the correct directory separately, and
581 @file{install-info} then only modifies the directory file. Check your system
582 documentation to find out which of the following commands you need:
586 make install-info-debian
589 Then add the following line to @file{.emacs}. It is needed so that
590 Emacs can autoload functions that are located in files not immediately loaded
591 when Org-mode starts.
593 (require 'org-install)
596 Do not forget to activate Org as described in the following section.
599 @node Activation, Feedback, Installation, Introduction
603 @cindex global key bindings
604 @cindex key bindings, global
607 @b{Important:} @i{If you use copy-and-paste to copy Lisp code from the
608 PDF documentation as viewed by some PDF viewers to your @file{.emacs} file, the
609 single-quote character comes out incorrectly and the code will not work.
610 You need to fix the single-quotes by hand, or copy from Info
614 Add the following lines to your @file{.emacs} file. The last three lines
615 define @emph{global} keys for the commands @command{org-store-link},
616 @command{org-agenda}, and @command{org-iswitchb}---please choose suitable
620 ;; The following lines are always needed. Choose your own keys.
621 (add-to-list 'auto-mode-alist '("\\.org\\'" . org-mode))
622 (global-set-key "\C-cl" 'org-store-link)
623 (global-set-key "\C-ca" 'org-agenda)
624 (global-set-key "\C-cb" 'org-iswitchb)
627 Furthermore, you must activate @code{font-lock-mode} in Org
628 buffers, because significant functionality depends on font-locking being
629 active. You can do this with either one of the following two lines
630 (XEmacs users must use the second option):
632 (global-font-lock-mode 1) ; for all buffers
633 (add-hook 'org-mode-hook 'turn-on-font-lock) ; Org buffers only
636 @cindex Org mode, turning on
637 With this setup, all files with extension @samp{.org} will be put
638 into Org mode. As an alternative, make the first line of a file look
642 MY PROJECTS -*- mode: org; -*-
645 @vindex org-insert-mode-line-in-empty-file
646 @noindent which will select Org mode for this buffer no matter what
647 the file's name is. See also the variable
648 @code{org-insert-mode-line-in-empty-file}.
650 Many commands in Org work on the region if the region is @i{active}. To make
651 use of this, you need to have @code{transient-mark-mode}
652 (@code{zmacs-regions} in XEmacs) turned on. In Emacs 23 this is the default,
653 in Emacs 22 you need to do this yourself with
655 (transient-mark-mode 1)
657 @noindent If you do not like @code{transient-mark-mode}, you can create an
658 active region by using the mouse to select a region, or pressing
659 @kbd{C-@key{SPC}} twice before moving the cursor.
661 @node Feedback, Conventions, Activation, Introduction
668 If you find problems with Org, or if you have questions, remarks, or ideas
669 about it, please mail to the Org mailing list @email{emacs-orgmode@@gnu.org}.
670 If you are not a member of the mailing list, your mail will be passed to the
671 list after a moderator has approved it.
673 For bug reports, please provide as much information as possible, including
674 the version information of Emacs (@kbd{M-x emacs-version @key{RET}}) and Org
675 (@kbd{M-x org-version @key{RET}}), as well as the Org related setup in
676 @file{.emacs}. The easiest way to do this is to use the command
678 @kbd{M-x org-submit-bug-report}
680 @noindent which will put all this information into an Emacs mail buffer so
681 that you only need to add your description. If you re not sending the Email
682 from within Emacs, please copy and paste the content into your Email program.
684 If an error occurs, a backtrace can be very useful (see below on how to
685 create one). Often a small example file helps, along with clear information
689 @item What exactly did you do?
690 @item What did you expect to happen?
691 @item What happened instead?
693 @noindent Thank you for helping to improve this mode.
695 @subsubheading How to create a useful backtrace
697 @cindex backtrace of an error
698 If working with Org produces an error with a message you don't
699 understand, you may have hit a bug. The best way to report this is by
700 providing, in addition to what was mentioned above, a @emph{backtrace}.
701 This is information from the built-in debugger about where and how the
702 error occurred. Here is how to produce a useful backtrace:
706 Reload uncompiled versions of all Org-mode Lisp files. The backtrace
707 contains much more information if it is produced with uncompiled code.
710 C-u M-x org-reload RET
713 or select @code{Org -> Refresh/Reload -> Reload Org uncompiled} from the
716 Go to the @code{Options} menu and select @code{Enter Debugger on Error}
717 (XEmacs has this option in the @code{Troubleshooting} sub-menu).
719 Do whatever you have to do to hit the error. Don't forget to
720 document the steps you take.
722 When you hit the error, a @file{*Backtrace*} buffer will appear on the
723 screen. Save this buffer to a file (for example using @kbd{C-x C-w}) and
724 attach it to your bug report.
727 @node Conventions, , Feedback, Introduction
728 @section Typesetting conventions used in this manual
730 Org uses three types of keywords: TODO keywords, tags, and property
731 names. In this manual we use the following conventions:
736 TODO keywords are written with all capitals, even if they are
740 User-defined tags are written in lowercase; built-in tags with special
741 meaning are written with all capitals.
744 User-defined properties are capitalized; built-in properties with
745 special meaning are written with all capitals.
748 @node Document Structure, Tables, Introduction, Top
749 @chapter Document Structure
750 @cindex document structure
751 @cindex structure of document
753 Org is based on Outline mode and provides flexible commands to
754 edit the structure of the document.
757 * Outlines:: Org is based on Outline mode
758 * Headlines:: How to typeset Org tree headlines
759 * Visibility cycling:: Show and hide, much simplified
760 * Motion:: Jumping to other headlines
761 * Structure editing:: Changing sequence and level of headlines
762 * Sparse trees:: Matches embedded in context
763 * Plain lists:: Additional structure within an entry
764 * Drawers:: Tucking stuff away
765 * Blocks:: Folding blocks
766 * Footnotes:: How footnotes are defined in Org's syntax
767 * Orgstruct mode:: Structure editing outside Org
770 @node Outlines, Headlines, Document Structure, Document Structure
775 Org is implemented on top of Outline mode. Outlines allow a
776 document to be organized in a hierarchical structure, which (at least
777 for me) is the best representation of notes and thoughts. An overview
778 of this structure is achieved by folding (hiding) large parts of the
779 document to show only the general document structure and the parts
780 currently being worked on. Org greatly simplifies the use of
781 outlines by compressing the entire show/hide functionality into a single
782 command, @command{org-cycle}, which is bound to the @key{TAB} key.
784 @node Headlines, Visibility cycling, Outlines, Document Structure
788 @vindex org-special-ctrl-a/e
790 Headlines define the structure of an outline tree. The headlines in
791 Org start with one or more stars, on the left margin@footnote{See
792 the variable @code{org-special-ctrl-a/e} to configure special behavior
793 of @kbd{C-a} and @kbd{C-e} in headlines.}. For example:
803 * Another top level headline
806 @noindent Some people find the many stars too noisy and would prefer an
807 outline that has whitespace followed by a single star as headline
808 starters. @ref{Clean view}, describes a setup to realize this.
810 @vindex org-cycle-separator-lines
811 An empty line after the end of a subtree is considered part of it and
812 will be hidden when the subtree is folded. However, if you leave at
813 least two empty lines, one empty line will remain visible after folding
814 the subtree, in order to structure the collapsed view. See the
815 variable @code{org-cycle-separator-lines} to modify this behavior.
817 @node Visibility cycling, Motion, Headlines, Document Structure
818 @section Visibility cycling
819 @cindex cycling, visibility
820 @cindex visibility cycling
821 @cindex trees, visibility
822 @cindex show hidden text
825 Outlines make it possible to hide parts of the text in the buffer.
826 Org uses just two commands, bound to @key{TAB} and
827 @kbd{S-@key{TAB}} to change the visibility in the buffer.
829 @cindex subtree visibility states
830 @cindex subtree cycling
831 @cindex folded, subtree visibility state
832 @cindex children, subtree visibility state
833 @cindex subtree, subtree visibility state
837 @emph{Subtree cycling}: Rotate current subtree among the states
840 ,-> FOLDED -> CHILDREN -> SUBTREE --.
841 '-----------------------------------'
844 @vindex org-cycle-emulate-tab
845 @vindex org-cycle-global-at-bob
846 The cursor must be on a headline for this to work@footnote{see, however,
847 the option @code{org-cycle-emulate-tab}.}. When the cursor is at the
848 beginning of the buffer and the first line is not a headline, then
849 @key{TAB} actually runs global cycling (see below)@footnote{see the
850 option @code{org-cycle-global-at-bob}.}. Also when called with a prefix
851 argument (@kbd{C-u @key{TAB}}), global cycling is invoked.
853 @cindex global visibility states
854 @cindex global cycling
855 @cindex overview, global visibility state
856 @cindex contents, global visibility state
857 @cindex show all, global visibility state
861 @emph{Global cycling}: Rotate the entire buffer among the states
864 ,-> OVERVIEW -> CONTENTS -> SHOW ALL --.
865 '--------------------------------------'
868 When @kbd{S-@key{TAB}} is called with a numeric prefix argument N, the
869 CONTENTS view up to headlines of level N will be shown. Note that inside
870 tables, @kbd{S-@key{TAB}} jumps to the previous field.
872 @cindex show all, command
873 @kindex C-u C-u C-u @key{TAB}
874 @item C-u C-u C-u @key{TAB}
875 Show all, including drawers.
878 Reveal context around point, showing the current entry, the following heading
879 and the hierarchy above. Useful for working near a location that has been
880 exposed by a sparse tree command (@pxref{Sparse trees}) or an agenda command
881 (@pxref{Agenda commands}). With a prefix argument show, on each
882 level, all sibling headings. With double prefix arg, also show the entire
883 subtree of the parent.
886 Show the current subtree in an indirect buffer@footnote{The indirect
889 (@pxref{Indirect Buffers,,,emacs,GNU Emacs Manual})
892 (see the Emacs manual for more information about indirect buffers)
894 will contain the entire buffer, but will be narrowed to the current
895 tree. Editing the indirect buffer will also change the original buffer,
896 but without affecting visibility in that buffer.}. With a numeric
897 prefix argument N, go up to level N and then take that tree. If N is
898 negative then go up that many levels. With a @kbd{C-u} prefix, do not remove
899 the previously used indirect buffer.
902 @vindex org-startup-folded
903 @cindex @code{overview}, STARTUP keyword
904 @cindex @code{content}, STARTUP keyword
905 @cindex @code{showall}, STARTUP keyword
906 @cindex @code{showeverything}, STARTUP keyword
908 When Emacs first visits an Org file, the global state is set to
909 OVERVIEW, i.e. only the top level headlines are visible. This can be
910 configured through the variable @code{org-startup-folded}, or on a
911 per-file basis by adding one of the following lines anywhere in the
918 #+STARTUP: showeverything
921 @cindex property, VISIBILITY
923 Furthermore, any entries with a @samp{VISIBILITY} property (@pxref{Properties
924 and Columns}) will get their visibility adapted accordingly. Allowed values
925 for this property are @code{folded}, @code{children}, @code{content}, and
928 @kindex C-u C-u @key{TAB}
929 @item C-u C-u @key{TAB}
930 Switch back to the startup visibility of the buffer, i.e. whatever is
931 requested by startup options and @samp{VISIBILITY} properties in individual
935 @node Motion, Structure editing, Visibility cycling, Document Structure
937 @cindex motion, between headlines
938 @cindex jumping, to headlines
939 @cindex headline navigation
940 The following commands jump to other headlines in the buffer.
951 Next heading same level.
954 Previous heading same level.
957 Backward to higher level heading.
960 Jump to a different place without changing the current outline
961 visibility. Shows the document structure in a temporary buffer, where
962 you can use the following keys to find your destination:
963 @vindex org-goto-auto-isearch
965 @key{TAB} @r{Cycle visibility.}
966 @key{down} / @key{up} @r{Next/previous visible headline.}
967 @key{RET} @r{Select this location.}
968 @kbd{/} @r{Do a Sparse-tree search}
969 @r{The following keys work if you turn off @code{org-goto-auto-isearch}}
970 n / p @r{Next/previous visible headline.}
971 f / b @r{Next/previous headline same level.}
973 0-9 @r{Digit argument.}
976 @vindex org-goto-interface
978 See also the variable @code{org-goto-interface}.
981 @node Structure editing, Sparse trees, Motion, Document Structure
982 @section Structure editing
983 @cindex structure editing
984 @cindex headline, promotion and demotion
985 @cindex promotion, of subtrees
986 @cindex demotion, of subtrees
987 @cindex subtree, cut and paste
988 @cindex pasting, of subtrees
989 @cindex cutting, of subtrees
990 @cindex copying, of subtrees
991 @cindex sorting, of subtrees
992 @cindex subtrees, cut and paste
997 @vindex org-M-RET-may-split-line
998 Insert new heading with same level as current. If the cursor is in a
999 plain list item, a new item is created (@pxref{Plain lists}). To force
1000 creation of a new headline, use a prefix argument, or first press @key{RET}
1001 to get to the beginning of the next line. When this command is used in
1002 the middle of a line, the line is split and the rest of the line becomes
1003 the new headline@footnote{If you do not want the line to be split,
1004 customize the variable @code{org-M-RET-may-split-line}.}. If the
1005 command is used at the beginning of a headline, the new headline is
1006 created before the current line. If at the beginning of any other line,
1007 the content of that line is made the new heading. If the command is
1008 used at the end of a folded subtree (i.e. behind the ellipses at the end
1009 of a headline), then a headline like the current one will be inserted
1010 after the end of the subtree.
1013 Just like @kbd{M-@key{RET}}, except when adding a new heading below the
1014 current heading, the new heading is placed after the body instead of before
1015 it. This command works from anywhere in the entry.
1016 @kindex M-S-@key{RET}
1018 @vindex org-treat-insert-todo-heading-as-state-change
1019 Insert new TODO entry with same level as current heading. See also the
1020 variable @code{org-treat-insert-todo-heading-as-state-change}.
1021 @kindex C-S-@key{RET}
1023 Insert new TODO entry with same level as current heading. Like
1024 @kbd{C-@key{RET}}, the new headline will be inserted after the current
1027 @item @key{TAB} @r{in new, empty entry}
1028 In a new entry with no text yet, the first @key{TAB} demotes the entry to
1029 become a child of the previous one. The next @key{TAB} makes it a parent,
1030 and so on, all the way to top level. Yet another @key{TAB}, and you are back
1031 to the initial level.
1032 @kindex M-@key{left}
1034 Promote current heading by one level.
1035 @kindex M-@key{right}
1037 Demote current heading by one level.
1038 @kindex M-S-@key{left}
1039 @item M-S-@key{left}
1040 Promote the current subtree by one level.
1041 @kindex M-S-@key{right}
1042 @item M-S-@key{right}
1043 Demote the current subtree by one level.
1044 @kindex M-S-@key{up}
1046 Move subtree up (swap with previous subtree of same
1048 @kindex M-S-@key{down}
1049 @item M-S-@key{down}
1050 Move subtree down (swap with next subtree of same level).
1053 Kill subtree, i.e. remove it from buffer but save in kill ring.
1054 With a numeric prefix argument N, kill N sequential subtrees.
1057 Copy subtree to kill ring. With a numeric prefix argument N, copy the N
1058 sequential subtrees.
1061 Yank subtree from kill ring. This does modify the level of the subtree to
1062 make sure the tree fits in nicely at the yank position. The yank level can
1063 also be specified with a numeric prefix argument, or by yanking after a
1064 headline marker like @samp{****}.
1067 @vindex org-yank-adjusted-subtrees
1068 @vindex org-yank-folded-subtrees
1069 Depending on the variables @code{org-yank-adjusted-subtrees} and
1070 @code{org-yank-folded-subtrees}, Org's internal @code{yank} command will
1071 paste subtrees folded and in a clever way, using the same command as @kbd{C-c
1072 C-x C-y}. With the default settings, no level adjustment will take place,
1073 but the yanked tree will be folded unless doing so would swallow text
1074 previously visible. Any prefix argument to this command will force a normal
1075 @code{yank} to be executed, with the prefix passed along. A good way to
1076 force a normal yank is @kbd{C-u C-y}. If you use @code{yank-pop} after a
1077 yank, it will yank previous kill items plainly, without adjustment and
1081 Clone a subtree by making a number of sibling copies of it. You will be
1082 prompted for the number of copies to make, and you can also specify if any
1083 timestamps in the entry should be shifted. This can be useful, for example,
1084 to create a number of tasks related to a series of lectures to prepare. For
1085 more details, see the docstring of the command
1086 @code{org-clone-subtree-with-time-shift}.
1089 Refile entry or region to a different location. @xref{Refiling notes}.
1092 Sort same-level entries. When there is an active region, all entries in the
1093 region will be sorted. Otherwise the children of the current headline are
1094 sorted. The command prompts for the sorting method, which can be
1095 alphabetically, numerically, by time (first timestamp with active preferred,
1096 creation time, scheduled time, deadline time), by priority, by TODO keyword
1097 (in the sequence the keywords have been defined in the setup) or by the value
1098 of a property. Reverse sorting is possible as well. You can also supply
1099 your own function to extract the sorting key. With a @kbd{C-u} prefix,
1100 sorting will be case-sensitive. With two @kbd{C-u C-u} prefixes, duplicate
1101 entries will also be removed.
1104 Narrow buffer to current subtree.
1107 Widen buffer to remove narrowing.
1110 Turn a normal line or plain list item into a headline (so that it becomes a
1111 subheading at its location). Also turn a headline into a normal line by
1112 removing the stars. If there is an active region, turn all lines in the
1113 region into headlines. If the first line in the region was an item, turn
1114 only the item lines into headlines. Finally, if the first line is a
1115 headline, remove the stars from all headlines in the region.
1118 @cindex region, active
1119 @cindex active region
1120 @cindex transient mark mode
1121 When there is an active region (Transient Mark mode), promotion and
1122 demotion work on all headlines in the region. To select a region of
1123 headlines, it is best to place both point and mark at the beginning of a
1124 line, mark at the beginning of the first headline, and point at the line
1125 just after the last headline to change. Note that when the cursor is
1126 inside a table (@pxref{Tables}), the Meta-Cursor keys have different
1130 @node Sparse trees, Plain lists, Structure editing, Document Structure
1131 @section Sparse trees
1132 @cindex sparse trees
1133 @cindex trees, sparse
1134 @cindex folding, sparse trees
1135 @cindex occur, command
1137 @vindex org-show-hierarchy-above
1138 @vindex org-show-following-heading
1139 @vindex org-show-siblings
1140 @vindex org-show-entry-below
1141 An important feature of Org mode is the ability to construct @emph{sparse
1142 trees} for selected information in an outline tree, so that the entire
1143 document is folded as much as possible, but the selected information is made
1144 visible along with the headline structure above it@footnote{See also the
1145 variables @code{org-show-hierarchy-above}, @code{org-show-following-heading},
1146 @code{org-show-siblings}, and @code{org-show-entry-below} for detailed
1147 control on how much context is shown around each match.}. Just try it out
1148 and you will see immediately how it works.
1150 Org mode contains several commands creating such trees, all these
1151 commands can be accessed through a dispatcher:
1156 This prompts for an extra key to select a sparse-tree creating command.
1159 @vindex org-remove-highlights-with-change
1160 Occur. Prompts for a regexp and shows a sparse tree with all matches. If
1161 the match is in a headline, the headline is made visible. If the match is in
1162 the body of an entry, headline and body are made visible. In order to
1163 provide minimal context, also the full hierarchy of headlines above the match
1164 is shown, as well as the headline following the match. Each match is also
1165 highlighted; the highlights disappear when the buffer is changed by an
1166 editing command@footnote{This depends on the option
1167 @code{org-remove-highlights-with-change}}, or by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}.
1168 When called with a @kbd{C-u} prefix argument, previous highlights are kept,
1169 so several calls to this command can be stacked.
1173 @vindex org-agenda-custom-commands
1174 For frequently used sparse trees of specific search strings, you can
1175 use the variable @code{org-agenda-custom-commands} to define fast
1176 keyboard access to specific sparse trees. These commands will then be
1177 accessible through the agenda dispatcher (@pxref{Agenda dispatcher}).
1181 (setq org-agenda-custom-commands
1182 '(("f" occur-tree "FIXME")))
1185 @noindent will define the key @kbd{C-c a f} as a shortcut for creating
1186 a sparse tree matching the string @samp{FIXME}.
1188 The other sparse tree commands select headings based on TODO keywords,
1189 tags, or properties and will be discussed later in this manual.
1192 @cindex printing sparse trees
1193 @cindex visible text, printing
1194 To print a sparse tree, you can use the Emacs command
1195 @code{ps-print-buffer-with-faces} which does not print invisible parts
1196 of the document @footnote{This does not work under XEmacs, because
1197 XEmacs uses selective display for outlining, not text properties.}.
1198 Or you can use the command @kbd{C-c C-e v} to export only the visible
1199 part of the document and print the resulting file.
1201 @node Plain lists, Drawers, Sparse trees, Document Structure
1202 @section Plain lists
1204 @cindex lists, plain
1205 @cindex lists, ordered
1206 @cindex ordered lists
1208 Within an entry of the outline tree, hand-formatted lists can provide
1209 additional structure. They also provide a way to create lists of
1210 checkboxes (@pxref{Checkboxes}). Org supports editing such lists,
1211 and the HTML exporter (@pxref{Exporting}) parses and formats them.
1213 Org knows ordered lists, unordered lists, and description lists.
1216 @emph{Unordered} list items start with @samp{-}, @samp{+}, or
1217 @samp{*}@footnote{When using @samp{*} as a bullet, lines must be indented or
1218 they will be seen as top-level headlines. Also, when you are hiding leading
1219 stars to get a clean outline view, plain list items starting with a star are
1220 visually indistinguishable from true headlines. In short: even though
1221 @samp{*} is supported, it may be better to not use it for plain list items.}
1224 @emph{Ordered} list items start with a numeral followed by either a period or
1225 a right parenthesis, such as @samp{1.} or @samp{1)}. If you want a list to
1226 start a different value (e.g. 20), start the text of the item with
1227 @code{[@@start:20]}.
1229 @emph{Description} list items are unordered list items, and contain the
1230 separator @samp{ :: } to separate the description @emph{term} from the
1234 @vindex org-empty-line-terminates-plain-lists
1235 Items belonging to the same list must have the same indentation on the first
1236 line. In particular, if an ordered list reaches number @samp{10.}, then the
1237 2--digit numbers must be written left-aligned with the other numbers in the
1238 list. Indentation also determines the end of a list item. It ends before
1239 the next line that is indented like the bullet/number, or less. Empty lines
1240 are part of the previous item, so you can have several paragraphs in one
1241 item. If you would like an empty line to terminate all currently open plain
1242 lists, configure the variable @code{org-empty-line-terminates-plain-lists}.
1247 ** Lord of the Rings
1248 My favorite scenes are (in this order)
1249 1. The attack of the Rohirrim
1250 2. Eowyn's fight with the witch king
1251 + this was already my favorite scene in the book
1252 + I really like Miranda Otto.
1253 3. Peter Jackson being shot by Legolas
1255 He makes a really funny face when it happens.
1256 But in the end, no individual scenes matter but the film as a whole.
1257 Important actors in this film are:
1258 - @b{Elijah Wood} :: He plays Frodo
1259 - @b{Sean Austin} :: He plays Sam, Frodo's friend. I still remember
1260 him very well from his role as Mikey Walsh in @i{The Goonies}.
1264 Org supports these lists by tuning filling and wrapping commands to deal with
1265 them correctly@footnote{Org only changes the filling settings for Emacs. For
1266 XEmacs, you should use Kyle E. Jones' @file{filladapt.el}. To turn this on,
1267 put into @file{.emacs}: @code{(require 'filladapt)}}, and by exporting them
1268 properly (@pxref{Exporting}). Since indentation is what governs the
1269 structure of these lists, many structural constructs like @code{#+BEGIN_...}
1270 blocks can be indented to signal that they should be part of a list item.
1272 The following commands act on items when the cursor is in the first line
1273 of an item (the line with the bullet or number).
1278 @vindex org-cycle-include-plain-lists
1279 Items can be folded just like headline levels. Normally this works only if
1280 the cursor is on a plain list item. For more details, see the variable
1281 @code{org-cycle-include-plain-lists}. to @code{integrate}, plain list items
1282 will be treated like low-level. The level of an item is then given by the
1283 indentation of the bullet/number. Items are always subordinate to real
1284 headlines, however; the hierarchies remain completely separated.
1286 If @code{org-cycle-include-plain-lists} has not been set, @key{TAB}
1287 fixes the indentation of the current line in a heuristic way.
1290 @vindex org-M-RET-may-split-line
1291 Insert new item at current level. With a prefix argument, force a new
1292 heading (@pxref{Structure editing}). If this command is used in the middle
1293 of a line, the line is @emph{split} and the rest of the line becomes the new
1294 item@footnote{If you do not want the line to be split, customize the variable
1295 @code{org-M-RET-may-split-line}.}. If this command is executed in the
1296 @emph{whitespace before a bullet or number}, the new item is created
1297 @emph{before} the current item. If the command is executed in the white
1298 space before the text that is part of an item but does not contain the
1299 bullet, a bullet is added to the current line.
1300 @kindex M-S-@key{RET}
1302 Insert a new item with a checkbox (@pxref{Checkboxes}).
1304 @item @key{TAB} @r{in new, empty item}
1305 In a new item with no text yet, the first @key{TAB} demotes the item to
1306 become a child of the previous one. The next @key{TAB} makes it a parent,
1307 and so on, all the way to the left margin. Yet another @key{TAB}, and you
1308 are back to the initial level.
1310 @kindex S-@key{down}
1313 @cindex shift-selection-mode
1314 @vindex org-support-shift-select
1315 Jump to the previous/next item in the current list, but only if
1316 @code{org-support-shift-select} is off. If not, you can still use paragraph
1317 jumping commands like @kbd{C-@key{up}} and @kbd{C-@key{down}} to quite
1319 @kindex M-S-@key{up}
1320 @kindex M-S-@key{down}
1322 @itemx M-S-@key{down}
1323 Move the item including subitems up/down (swap with previous/next item
1324 of same indentation). If the list is ordered, renumbering is
1326 @kindex M-@key{left}
1327 @kindex M-@key{right}
1329 @itemx M-@key{right}
1330 Decrease/increase the indentation of an item, leaving children alone.
1331 @kindex M-S-@key{left}
1332 @kindex M-S-@key{right}
1333 @item M-S-@key{left}
1334 @itemx M-S-@key{right}
1335 Decrease/increase the indentation of the item, including subitems.
1336 Initially, the item tree is selected based on current indentation.
1337 When these commands are executed several times in direct succession,
1338 the initially selected region is used, even if the new indentation
1339 would imply a different hierarchy. To use the new hierarchy, break
1340 the command chain with a cursor motion or so.
1343 If there is a checkbox (@pxref{Checkboxes}) in the item line, toggle the
1344 state of the checkbox. If not, this command makes sure that all the
1345 items on this list level use the same bullet. Furthermore, if this is
1346 an ordered list, make sure the numbering is OK.
1349 Cycle the entire list level through the different itemize/enumerate bullets
1350 (@samp{-}, @samp{+}, @samp{*}, @samp{1.}, @samp{1)}). With a numeric prefix
1351 argument N, select the Nth bullet from this list. If there is an active
1352 region when calling this, all lines will be converted to list items. If the
1353 first line already was a list item, any item markers will be removed from the
1354 list. Finally, even without an active region, a normal line will be
1355 converted into a list item.
1358 Turn a plain list item into a headline (so that it becomes a subheading at
1359 its location). @xref{Structure editing}, for a detailed explanation.
1360 @kindex S-@key{left}
1361 @kindex S-@key{right}
1362 @item S-@key{left}/@key{right}
1363 @vindex org-support-shift-select
1364 This command also cycles bullet styles when the cursor in on the bullet or
1365 anywhere in an item line, details depending on
1366 @code{org-support-shift-select}.
1369 Sort the plain list. You will be prompted for the sorting method:
1370 numerically, alphabetically, by time, or by custom function.
1373 @node Drawers, Blocks, Plain lists, Document Structure
1377 @cindex visibility cycling, drawers
1380 Sometimes you want to keep information associated with an entry, but you
1381 normally don't want to see it. For this, Org mode has @emph{drawers}.
1382 Drawers need to be configured with the variable
1383 @code{org-drawers}@footnote{You can define drawers on a per-file basis
1384 with a line like @code{#+DRAWERS: HIDDEN PROPERTIES STATE}}. Drawers
1388 ** This is a headline
1389 Still outside the drawer
1391 This is inside the drawer.
1396 Visibility cycling (@pxref{Visibility cycling}) on the headline will hide and
1397 show the entry, but keep the drawer collapsed to a single line. In order to
1398 look inside the drawer, you need to move the cursor to the drawer line and
1399 press @key{TAB} there. Org mode uses the @code{PROPERTIES} drawer for
1400 storing properties (@pxref{Properties and Columns}), and you can also arrange
1401 for state change notes (@pxref{Tracking TODO state changes}) and clock times
1402 (@pxref{Clocking work time}) to be stored in a drawer @code{LOGBOOK}. If you
1403 want to store a quick note in the LOGBOOK drawer, in a similar way as this is
1404 done by state changes, use
1409 Add a time-stamped note to the LOGBOOK drawer.
1412 @node Blocks, Footnotes, Drawers, Document Structure
1415 @vindex org-hide-block-startup
1416 @cindex blocks, folding
1417 Org-mode uses begin...end blocks for various purposes from including source
1418 code examples (@pxref{Literal examples}) to capturing time logging
1419 information (@pxref{Clocking work time}). These blocks can be folded and
1420 unfolded by pressing TAB in the begin line. You can also get all blocks
1421 folded at startup by configuring the variable @code{org-hide-block-startup}
1422 or on a per-file basis by using
1424 @cindex @code{hideblocks}, STARTUP keyword
1425 @cindex @code{nohideblocks}, STARTUP keyword
1427 #+STARTUP: hideblocks
1428 #+STARTUP: nohideblocks
1431 @node Footnotes, Orgstruct mode, Blocks, Document Structure
1435 Org mode supports the creation of footnotes. In contrast to the
1436 @file{footnote.el} package, Org mode's footnotes are designed for work on a
1437 larger document, not only for one-off documents like emails. The basic
1438 syntax is similar to the one used by @file{footnote.el}, i.e. a footnote is
1439 defined in a paragraph that is started by a footnote marker in square
1440 brackets in column 0, no indentation allowed. If you need a paragraph break
1441 inside a footnote, use the La@TeX{} idiom @samp{\par}. The footnote reference
1442 is simply the marker in square brackets, inside text. For example:
1445 The Org homepage[fn:1] now looks a lot better than it used to.
1447 [fn:1] The link is: http://orgmode.org
1450 Org mode extends the number-based syntax to @emph{named} footnotes and
1451 optional inline definition. Using plain numbers as markers (as
1452 @file{footnote.el} does) is supported for backward compatibility, but not
1453 encouraged because of possible conflicts with La@TeX{} snippets (@pxref{Embedded
1454 LaTeX}). Here are the valid references:
1458 A plain numeric footnote marker. Compatible with @file{footnote.el}, but not
1459 recommended because somthing like @samp{[1]} could easily be part of a code
1462 A named footnote reference, where @code{name} is a unique label word, or, for
1463 simplicity of automatic creation, a number.
1464 @item [fn:: This is the inline definition of this footnote]
1465 A La@TeX{}-like anonymous footnote where the definition is given directly at the
1467 @item [fn:name: a definition]
1468 An inline definition of a footnote, which also specifies a name for the note.
1469 Since Org allows multiple references to the same note, you can then use
1470 @code{[fn:name]} to create additional references.
1473 @vindex org-footnote-auto-label
1474 Footnote labels can be created automatically, or you can create names yourself.
1475 This is handled by the variable @code{org-footnote-auto-label} and its
1476 corresponding @code{#+STARTUP} keywords, see the docstring of that variable
1479 @noindent The following command handles footnotes:
1484 The footnote action command.
1486 When the cursor is on a footnote reference, jump to the definition. When it
1487 is at a definition, jump to the (first) reference.
1489 @vindex org-footnote-define-inline
1490 @vindex org-footnote-section
1491 @vindex org-footnote-auto-adjust
1492 Otherwise, create a new footnote. Depending on the variable
1493 @code{org-footnote-define-inline}@footnote{The corresponding in-buffer
1494 setting is: @code{#+STARTUP: fninline} or @code{#+STARTUP: nofninline}}, the
1495 definition will be placed right into the text as part of the reference, or
1496 separately into the location determined by the variable
1497 @code{org-footnote-section}.
1499 When this command is called with a prefix argument, a menu of additional
1502 s @r{Sort the footnote definitions by reference sequence. During editing,}
1503 @r{Org makes no effort to sort footnote definitions into a particular}
1504 @r{sequence. If you want them sorted, use this command, which will}
1505 @r{also move entries according to @code{org-footnote-section}. Automatic}
1506 @r{sorting after each insertion/deletion can be configured using the}
1507 @r{variable @code{org-footnote-auto-adjust}.}
1508 r @r{Renumber the simple @code{fn:N} footnotes. Automatic renumbering}
1509 @r{after each insertion/deletion can be configured using the variable}
1510 @r{@code{org-footnote-auto-adjust}.}
1511 S @r{Short for first @code{r}, then @code{s} action.}
1512 n @r{Normalize the footnotes by collecting all definitions (including}
1513 @r{inline definitions) into a special section, and then numbering them}
1514 @r{in sequence. The references will then also be numbers. This is}
1515 @r{meant to be the final step before finishing a document (e.g. sending}
1516 @r{off an email). The exporters do this automatically, and so could}
1517 @r{something like @code{message-send-hook}.}
1518 d @r{Delete the footnote at point, and all definitions of and references}
1521 Depending on the variable @code{org-footnote-auto-adjust}@footnote{the
1522 corresponding in-buffer options are @code{fnadjust} and @code{nofnadjust}.},
1523 renumbering and sorting footnotes can be automatic after each insertion or
1528 If the cursor is on a footnote reference, jump to the definition. If it is a
1529 the definition, jump back to the reference. When called at a footnote
1530 location with a prefix argument, offer the same menu as @kbd{C-c C-x f}.
1534 @item C-c C-o @r{or} mouse-1/2
1535 Footnote labels are also links to the corresponding definition/reference, and
1536 you can use the usual commands to follow these links.
1539 @node Orgstruct mode, , Footnotes, Document Structure
1540 @section The Orgstruct minor mode
1541 @cindex Orgstruct mode
1542 @cindex minor mode for structure editing
1544 If you like the intuitive way the Org mode structure editing and list
1545 formatting works, you might want to use these commands in other modes like
1546 Text mode or Mail mode as well. The minor mode @code{orgstruct-mode} makes
1547 this possible. Toggle the mode with @kbd{M-x orgstruct-mode}, or
1548 turn it on by default, for example in Mail mode, with one of:
1551 (add-hook 'mail-mode-hook 'turn-on-orgstruct)
1552 (add-hook 'mail-mode-hook 'turn-on-orgstruct++)
1555 When this mode is active and the cursor is on a line that looks to Org like a
1556 headline or the first line of a list item, most structure editing commands
1557 will work, even if the same keys normally have different functionality in the
1558 major mode you are using. If the cursor is not in one of those special
1559 lines, Orgstruct mode lurks silently in the shadow. When you use
1560 @code{orgstruct++-mode}, Org will also export indentation and autofill
1561 settings into that mode, and detect item context after the first line of an
1564 @node Tables, Hyperlinks, Document Structure, Top
1567 @cindex editing tables
1569 Org comes with a fast and intuitive table editor. Spreadsheet-like
1570 calculations are supported in connection with the Emacs @file{calc}
1573 (@pxref{Top,Calc,,Calc,Gnu Emacs Calculator Manual}).
1576 (see the Emacs Calculator manual for more information about the Emacs
1581 * Built-in table editor:: Simple tables
1582 * Column width and alignment:: Overrule the automatic settings
1583 * Column groups:: Grouping to trigger vertical lines
1584 * Orgtbl mode:: The table editor as minor mode
1585 * The spreadsheet:: The table editor has spreadsheet capabilities
1586 * Org-Plot:: Plotting from org tables
1589 @node Built-in table editor, Column width and alignment, Tables, Tables
1590 @section The built-in table editor
1591 @cindex table editor, built-in
1593 Org makes it easy to format tables in plain ASCII. Any line with
1594 @samp{|} as the first non-whitespace character is considered part of a
1595 table. @samp{|} is also the column separator. A table might look like
1599 | Name | Phone | Age |
1600 |-------+-------+-----|
1601 | Peter | 1234 | 17 |
1602 | Anna | 4321 | 25 |
1605 A table is re-aligned automatically each time you press @key{TAB} or
1606 @key{RET} or @kbd{C-c C-c} inside the table. @key{TAB} also moves to
1607 the next field (@key{RET} to the next row) and creates new table rows
1608 at the end of the table or before horizontal lines. The indentation
1609 of the table is set by the first line. Any line starting with
1610 @samp{|-} is considered as a horizontal separator line and will be
1611 expanded on the next re-align to span the whole table width. So, to
1612 create the above table, you would only type
1619 @noindent and then press @key{TAB} to align the table and start filling in
1620 fields. Even faster would be to type @code{|Name|Phone|Age} followed by
1621 @kbd{C-c @key{RET}}.
1623 @vindex org-enable-table-editor
1624 @vindex org-table-auto-blank-field
1625 When typing text into a field, Org treats @key{DEL},
1626 @key{Backspace}, and all character keys in a special way, so that
1627 inserting and deleting avoids shifting other fields. Also, when
1628 typing @emph{immediately after the cursor was moved into a new field
1629 with @kbd{@key{TAB}}, @kbd{S-@key{TAB}} or @kbd{@key{RET}}}, the
1630 field is automatically made blank. If this behavior is too
1631 unpredictable for you, configure the variables
1632 @code{org-enable-table-editor} and @code{org-table-auto-blank-field}.
1635 @tsubheading{Creation and conversion}
1638 Convert the active region to table. If every line contains at least one
1639 TAB character, the function assumes that the material is tab separated.
1640 If every line contains a comma, comma-separated values (CSV) are assumed.
1641 If not, lines are split at whitespace into fields. You can use a prefix
1642 argument to force a specific separator: @kbd{C-u} forces CSV, @kbd{C-u
1643 C-u} forces TAB, and a numeric argument N indicates that at least N
1644 consecutive spaces, or alternatively a TAB will be the separator.
1646 If there is no active region, this command creates an empty Org
1647 table. But it's easier just to start typing, like
1648 @kbd{|Name|Phone|Age @key{RET} |- @key{TAB}}.
1650 @tsubheading{Re-aligning and field motion}
1653 Re-align the table without moving the cursor.
1657 Re-align the table, move to the next field. Creates a new row if
1662 Re-align, move to previous field.
1666 Re-align the table and move down to next row. Creates a new row if
1667 necessary. At the beginning or end of a line, @key{RET} still does
1668 NEWLINE, so it can be used to split a table.
1672 Move to beginning of the current table field, or on to the previous field.
1675 Move to end of the current table field, or on to the next field.
1677 @tsubheading{Column and row editing}
1678 @kindex M-@key{left}
1679 @kindex M-@key{right}
1681 @itemx M-@key{right}
1682 Move the current column left/right.
1684 @kindex M-S-@key{left}
1685 @item M-S-@key{left}
1686 Kill the current column.
1688 @kindex M-S-@key{right}
1689 @item M-S-@key{right}
1690 Insert a new column to the left of the cursor position.
1693 @kindex M-@key{down}
1696 Move the current row up/down.
1698 @kindex M-S-@key{up}
1700 Kill the current row or horizontal line.
1702 @kindex M-S-@key{down}
1703 @item M-S-@key{down}
1704 Insert a new row above the current row. With a prefix argument, the line is
1705 created below the current one.
1709 Insert a horizontal line below current row. With a prefix argument, the line
1710 is created above the current line.
1712 @kindex C-c @key{RET}
1714 Insert a horizontal line below current row, and move the cursor into the row
1719 Sort the table lines in the region. The position of point indicates the
1720 column to be used for sorting, and the range of lines is the range
1721 between the nearest horizontal separator lines, or the entire table. If
1722 point is before the first column, you will be prompted for the sorting
1723 column. If there is an active region, the mark specifies the first line
1724 and the sorting column, while point should be in the last line to be
1725 included into the sorting. The command prompts for the sorting type
1726 (alphabetically, numerically, or by time). When called with a prefix
1727 argument, alphabetic sorting will be case-sensitive.
1729 @tsubheading{Regions}
1732 Copy a rectangular region from a table to a special clipboard. Point and
1733 mark determine edge fields of the rectangle. If there is no active region,
1734 copy just the current field. The process ignores horizontal separator lines.
1738 Copy a rectangular region from a table to a special clipboard, and
1739 blank all fields in the rectangle. So this is the ``cut'' operation.
1743 Paste a rectangular region into a table.
1744 The upper left corner ends up in the current field. All involved fields
1745 will be overwritten. If the rectangle does not fit into the present table,
1746 the table is enlarged as needed. The process ignores horizontal separator
1751 Wrap several fields in a column like a paragraph. If there is an active
1752 region, and both point and mark are in the same column, the text in the
1753 column is wrapped to minimum width for the given number of lines. A numeric
1754 prefix argument may be used to change the number of desired lines. If there
1755 is no region, the current field is split at the cursor position and the text
1756 fragment to the right of the cursor is prepended to the field one line
1757 down. If there is no region, but you specify a prefix argument, the current
1758 field is made blank, and the content is appended to the field above.
1760 @tsubheading{Calculations}
1761 @cindex formula, in tables
1762 @cindex calculations, in tables
1763 @cindex region, active
1764 @cindex active region
1765 @cindex transient mark mode
1768 Sum the numbers in the current column, or in the rectangle defined by
1769 the active region. The result is shown in the echo area and can
1770 be inserted with @kbd{C-y}.
1774 @vindex org-table-copy-increment
1775 When current field is empty, copy from first non-empty field above. When not
1776 empty, copy current field down to next row and move cursor along with it.
1777 Depending on the variable @code{org-table-copy-increment}, integer field
1778 values will be incremented during copy. Integers that are too large will not
1779 be incremented. Also, a @code{0} prefix argument temporarily disables the
1780 increment. This key is also used by shift-selection and related modes
1781 (@pxref{Conflicts}).
1783 @tsubheading{Miscellaneous}
1786 Edit the current field in a separate window. This is useful for fields that
1787 are not fully visible (@pxref{Column width and alignment}). When called with
1788 a @kbd{C-u} prefix, just make the full field visible, so that it can be
1791 @item M-x org-table-import
1792 Import a file as a table. The table should be TAB or whitespace
1793 separated. Use, for example, to import a spreadsheet table or data
1794 from a database, because these programs generally can write
1795 TAB-separated text files. This command works by inserting the file into
1796 the buffer and then converting the region to a table. Any prefix
1797 argument is passed on to the converter, which uses it to determine the
1800 Tables can also be imported by pasting tabular text into the Org
1801 buffer, selecting the pasted text with @kbd{C-x C-x} and then using the
1802 @kbd{C-c |} command (see above under @i{Creation and conversion}).
1804 @item M-x org-table-export
1805 @vindex org-table-export-default-format
1806 Export the table, by default as a TAB-separated file. Use for data
1807 exchange with, for example, spreadsheet or database programs. The format
1808 used to export the file can be configured in the variable
1809 @code{org-table-export-default-format}. You may also use properties
1810 @code{TABLE_EXPORT_FILE} and @code{TABLE_EXPORT_FORMAT} to specify the file
1811 name and the format for table export in a subtree. Org supports quite
1812 general formats for exported tables. The exporter format is the same as the
1813 format used by Orgtbl radio tables, see @ref{Translator functions}, for a
1814 detailed description.
1817 If you don't like the automatic table editor because it gets in your
1818 way on lines which you would like to start with @samp{|}, you can turn
1822 (setq org-enable-table-editor nil)
1825 @noindent Then the only table command that still works is
1826 @kbd{C-c C-c} to do a manual re-align.
1828 @node Column width and alignment, Column groups, Built-in table editor, Tables
1829 @section Column width and alignment
1830 @cindex narrow columns in tables
1831 @cindex alignment in tables
1833 The width of columns is automatically determined by the table editor. And
1834 also the alignment of a column is determined automatically from the fraction
1835 of number-like versus non-number fields in the column.
1837 Sometimes a single field or a few fields need to carry more text, leading to
1838 inconveniently wide columns. Or maybe you want to make a table with several
1839 columns having a fixed width, regardless of content. To set@footnote{This
1840 feature does not work on XEmacs.} the width of a column, one field anywhere
1841 in the column may contain just the string @samp{<N>} where @samp{N} is an
1842 integer specifying the width of the column in characters. The next re-align
1843 will then set the width of this column to this value.
1847 |---+------------------------------| |---+--------|
1849 | 1 | one | | 1 | one |
1850 | 2 | two | ----\ | 2 | two |
1851 | 3 | This is a long chunk of text | ----/ | 3 | This=> |
1852 | 4 | four | | 4 | four |
1853 |---+------------------------------| |---+--------|
1858 Fields that are wider become clipped and end in the string @samp{=>}.
1859 Note that the full text is still in the buffer, it is only invisible.
1860 To see the full text, hold the mouse over the field---a tool-tip window
1861 will show the full content. To edit such a field, use the command
1862 @kbd{C-c `} (that is @kbd{C-c} followed by the backquote). This will
1863 open a new window with the full field. Edit it and finish with @kbd{C-c
1866 @vindex org-startup-align-all-tables
1867 When visiting a file containing a table with narrowed columns, the
1868 necessary character hiding has not yet happened, and the table needs to
1869 be aligned before it looks nice. Setting the option
1870 @code{org-startup-align-all-tables} will realign all tables in a file
1871 upon visiting, but also slow down startup. You can also set this option
1872 on a per-file basis with:
1879 If you would like to overrule the automatic alignment of number-rich columns
1880 to the right and of string-rich column to the left, you and use @samp{<r>} or
1881 @samp{<l>} in a similar fashion. You may also combine alignment and field
1882 width like this: @samp{<l10>}.
1884 Lines which only contain these formatting cookies will be removed
1885 automatically when exporting the document.
1887 @node Column groups, Orgtbl mode, Column width and alignment, Tables
1888 @section Column groups
1889 @cindex grouping columns in tables
1891 When Org exports tables, it does so by default without vertical
1892 lines because that is visually more satisfying in general. Occasionally
1893 however, vertical lines can be useful to structure a table into groups
1894 of columns, much like horizontal lines can do for groups of rows. In
1895 order to specify column groups, you can use a special row where the
1896 first field contains only @samp{/}. The further fields can either
1897 contain @samp{<} to indicate that this column should start a group,
1898 @samp{>} to indicate the end of a column, or @samp{<>} to make a column
1899 a group of its own. Boundaries between column groups will upon export be
1900 marked with vertical lines. Here is an example:
1903 | N | N^2 | N^3 | N^4 | sqrt(n) | sqrt[4](N) |
1904 |---+-----+-----+-----+---------+------------|
1905 | / | < | | > | < | > |
1906 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
1907 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 16 | 1.4142 | 1.1892 |
1908 | 3 | 9 | 27 | 81 | 1.7321 | 1.3161 |
1909 |---+-----+-----+-----+---------+------------|
1910 #+TBLFM: $2=$1^2::$3=$1^3::$4=$1^4::$5=sqrt($1)::$6=sqrt(sqrt(($1)))
1913 It is also sufficient to just insert the column group starters after
1914 every vertical line you would like to have:
1917 | N | N^2 | N^3 | N^4 | sqrt(n) | sqrt[4](N) |
1918 |----+-----+-----+-----+---------+------------|
1922 @node Orgtbl mode, The spreadsheet, Column groups, Tables
1923 @section The Orgtbl minor mode
1925 @cindex minor mode for tables
1927 If you like the intuitive way the Org table editor works, you
1928 might also want to use it in other modes like Text mode or Mail mode.
1929 The minor mode Orgtbl mode makes this possible. You can always toggle
1930 the mode with @kbd{M-x orgtbl-mode}. To turn it on by default, for
1931 example in mail mode, use
1934 (add-hook 'mail-mode-hook 'turn-on-orgtbl)
1937 Furthermore, with some special setup, it is possible to maintain tables
1938 in arbitrary syntax with Orgtbl mode. For example, it is possible to
1939 construct La@TeX{} tables with the underlying ease and power of
1940 Orgtbl mode, including spreadsheet capabilities. For details, see
1941 @ref{Tables in arbitrary syntax}.
1943 @node The spreadsheet, Org-Plot, Orgtbl mode, Tables
1944 @section The spreadsheet
1945 @cindex calculations, in tables
1946 @cindex spreadsheet capabilities
1947 @cindex @file{calc} package
1949 The table editor makes use of the Emacs @file{calc} package to implement
1950 spreadsheet-like capabilities. It can also evaluate Emacs Lisp forms to
1951 derive fields from other fields. While fully featured, Org's implementation
1952 is not identical to other spreadsheets. For example, Org knows the concept
1953 of a @emph{column formula} that will be applied to all non-header fields in a
1954 column without having to copy the formula to each relevant field. There is
1955 also a formula debugger, and a formula editor with features for highlighting
1956 fields in the table corresponding to the references at the point in the
1957 formula, moving these references by arrow keys
1960 * References:: How to refer to another field or range
1961 * Formula syntax for Calc:: Using Calc to compute stuff
1962 * Formula syntax for Lisp:: Writing formulas in Emacs Lisp
1963 * Field formulas:: Formulas valid for a single field
1964 * Column formulas:: Formulas valid for an entire column
1965 * Editing and debugging formulas:: Fixing formulas
1966 * Updating the table:: Recomputing all dependent fields
1967 * Advanced features:: Field names, parameters and automatic recalc
1970 @node References, Formula syntax for Calc, The spreadsheet, The spreadsheet
1971 @subsection References
1974 To compute fields in the table from other fields, formulas must
1975 reference other fields or ranges. In Org, fields can be referenced
1976 by name, by absolute coordinates, and by relative coordinates. To find
1977 out what the coordinates of a field are, press @kbd{C-c ?} in that
1978 field, or press @kbd{C-c @}} to toggle the display of a grid.
1980 @subsubheading Field references
1981 @cindex field references
1982 @cindex references, to fields
1984 Formulas can reference the value of another field in two ways. Like in
1985 any other spreadsheet, you may reference fields with a letter/number
1986 combination like @code{B3}, meaning the 2nd field in the 3rd row.
1987 @c Such references are always fixed to that field, they don't change
1988 @c when you copy and paste a formula to a different field. So
1989 @c Org's @code{B3} behaves like @code{$B$3} in other spreadsheets.
1992 Org also uses another, more general operator that looks like this:
1994 @@@var{row}$@var{column}
1998 Column references can be absolute like @samp{1}, @samp{2},...@samp{@var{N}},
1999 or relative to the current column like @samp{+1} or @samp{-2}.
2001 The row specification only counts data lines and ignores horizontal
2002 separator lines (hlines). You can use absolute row numbers
2003 @samp{1}...@samp{@var{N}}, and row numbers relative to the current row like
2004 @samp{+3} or @samp{-1}. Or specify the row relative to one of the
2005 hlines: @samp{I} refers to the first hline@footnote{Note that only
2006 hlines are counted that @emph{separate} table lines. If the table
2007 starts with a hline above the header, it does not count.}, @samp{II} to
2008 the second, etc@. @samp{-I} refers to the first such line above the
2009 current line, @samp{+I} to the first such line below the current line.
2010 You can also write @samp{III+2} which is the second data line after the
2011 third hline in the table.
2013 @samp{0} refers to the current row and column. Also, if you omit
2014 either the column or the row part of the reference, the current
2015 row/column is implied.
2017 Org's references with @emph{unsigned} numbers are fixed references
2018 in the sense that if you use the same reference in the formula for two
2019 different fields, the same field will be referenced each time.
2020 Org's references with @emph{signed} numbers are floating
2021 references because the same reference operator can reference different
2022 fields depending on the field being calculated by the formula.
2024 As a special case, references like @samp{$LR5} and @samp{$LR12} can be used
2025 to refer in a stable way to the 5th and 12th field in the last row of the
2028 Here are a few examples:
2031 @@2$3 @r{2nd row, 3rd column}
2032 C2 @r{same as previous}
2033 $5 @r{column 5 in the current row}
2034 E& @r{same as previous}
2035 @@2 @r{current column, row 2}
2036 @@-1$-3 @r{the field one row up, three columns to the left}
2037 @@-I$2 @r{field just under hline above current row, column 2}
2040 @subsubheading Range references
2041 @cindex range references
2042 @cindex references, to ranges
2044 You may reference a rectangular range of fields by specifying two field
2045 references connected by two dots @samp{..}. If both fields are in the
2046 current row, you may simply use @samp{$2..$7}, but if at least one field
2047 is in a different row, you need to use the general @code{@@row$column}
2048 format at least for the first field (i.e the reference must start with
2049 @samp{@@} in order to be interpreted correctly). Examples:
2052 $1..$3 @r{First three fields in the current row.}
2053 $P..$Q @r{Range, using column names (see under Advanced)}
2054 @@2$1..@@4$3 @r{6 fields between these two fields.}
2055 A2..C4 @r{Same as above.}
2056 @@-1$-2..@@-1 @r{3 numbers from the column to the left, 2 up to current row}
2059 @noindent Range references return a vector of values that can be fed
2060 into Calc vector functions. Empty fields in ranges are normally
2061 suppressed, so that the vector contains only the non-empty fields (but
2062 see the @samp{E} mode switch below). If there are no non-empty fields,
2063 @samp{[0]} is returned to avoid syntax errors in formulas.
2065 @subsubheading Field coordinates in formulas
2066 @cindex field coordinates
2067 @cindex coordinates, of field
2068 @cindex row, of field coordinates
2069 @cindex column, of field coordinates
2071 For Calc formulas and Lisp formulas @code{@@#} and @code{$#} can be used to
2072 get the row or column number of the field where the formula result goes.
2073 The traditional Lisp formula equivalents are @code{org-table-current-dline}
2074 and @code{org-table-current-column}. Examples:
2077 if(@@# % 2, $#, string("")) @r{column number on odd lines only}
2078 $3 = remote(FOO, @@@@#$2) @r{copy column 2 from table FOO into}
2079 @r{column 3 of the current table}
2082 @noindent For the second example, table FOO must have at least as many rows
2083 as the current table. Inefficient@footnote{The computation time scales as
2084 O(N^2) because table FOO is parsed for each field to be copied.} for large
2087 @subsubheading Named references
2088 @cindex named references
2089 @cindex references, named
2090 @cindex name, of column or field
2091 @cindex constants, in calculations
2094 @vindex org-table-formula-constants
2095 @samp{$name} is interpreted as the name of a column, parameter or
2096 constant. Constants are defined globally through the variable
2097 @code{org-table-formula-constants}, and locally (for the file) through a
2101 #+CONSTANTS: c=299792458. pi=3.14 eps=2.4e-6
2105 @vindex constants-unit-system
2106 @pindex constants.el
2107 Also properties (@pxref{Properties and Columns}) can be used as
2108 constants in table formulas: for a property @samp{:Xyz:} use the name
2109 @samp{$PROP_Xyz}, and the property will be searched in the current
2110 outline entry and in the hierarchy above it. If you have the
2111 @file{constants.el} package, it will also be used to resolve constants,
2112 including natural constants like @samp{$h} for Planck's constant, and
2113 units like @samp{$km} for kilometers@footnote{@file{constants.el} can
2114 supply the values of constants in two different unit systems, @code{SI}
2115 and @code{cgs}. Which one is used depends on the value of the variable
2116 @code{constants-unit-system}. You can use the @code{#+STARTUP} options
2117 @code{constSI} and @code{constcgs} to set this value for the current
2118 buffer.}. Column names and parameters can be specified in special table
2119 lines. These are described below, see @ref{Advanced features}. All
2120 names must start with a letter, and further consist of letters and
2123 @subsubheading Remote references
2124 @cindex remote references
2125 @cindex references, remote
2126 @cindex references, to a different table
2127 @cindex name, of column or field
2128 @cindex constants, in calculations
2131 You may also reference constants, fields and ranges from a different table,
2132 either in the current file or even in a different file. The syntax is
2135 remote(NAME-OR-ID,REF)
2139 where NAME can be the name of a table in the current file as set by a
2140 @code{#+TBLNAME: NAME} line before the table. It can also be the ID of an
2141 entry, even in a different file, and the reference then refers to the first
2142 table in that entry. REF is an absolute field or range reference as
2143 described above for example @code{@@3$3} or @code{$somename}, valid in the
2146 @node Formula syntax for Calc, Formula syntax for Lisp, References, The spreadsheet
2147 @subsection Formula syntax for Calc
2148 @cindex formula syntax, Calc
2149 @cindex syntax, of formulas
2151 A formula can be any algebraic expression understood by the Emacs
2152 @file{Calc} package. @b{Note that @file{calc} has the
2153 non-standard convention that @samp{/} has lower precedence than
2154 @samp{*}, so that @samp{a/b*c} is interpreted as @samp{a/(b*c)}.} Before
2155 evaluation by @code{calc-eval} (@pxref{Calling Calc from
2156 Your Programs,calc-eval,Calling Calc from Your Lisp Programs,Calc,GNU
2157 Emacs Calc Manual}),
2158 @c FIXME: The link to the Calc manual in HTML does not work.
2159 variable substitution takes place according to the rules described above.
2160 @cindex vectors, in table calculations
2161 The range vectors can be directly fed into the Calc vector functions
2162 like @samp{vmean} and @samp{vsum}.
2164 @cindex format specifier
2165 @cindex mode, for @file{calc}
2166 @vindex org-calc-default-modes
2167 A formula can contain an optional mode string after a semicolon. This
2168 string consists of flags to influence Calc and other modes during
2169 execution. By default, Org uses the standard Calc modes (precision
2170 12, angular units degrees, fraction and symbolic modes off). The display
2171 format, however, has been changed to @code{(float 8)} to keep tables
2172 compact. The default settings can be configured using the variable
2173 @code{org-calc-default-modes}.
2176 p20 @r{set the internal Calc calculation precision to 20 digits}
2177 n3 s3 e2 f4 @r{Normal, scientific, engineering, or fixed}
2178 @r{format of the result of Calc passed back to Org.}
2179 @r{Calc formatting is unlimited in precision as}
2180 @r{long as the Calc calculation precision is greater.}
2181 D R @r{angle modes: degrees, radians}
2182 F S @r{fraction and symbolic modes}
2183 N @r{interpret all fields as numbers, use 0 for non-numbers}
2184 T @r{force text interpretation}
2185 E @r{keep empty fields in ranges}
2190 Unless you use large integer numbers or high-precision-calculation
2191 and -display for floating point numbers you may alternatively provide a
2192 @code{printf} format specifier to reformat the Calc result after it has been
2193 passed back to Org instead of letting Calc already do the
2194 formatting@footnote{The @code{printf} reformatting is limited in precision
2195 because the value passed to it is converted into an @code{integer} or
2196 @code{double}. The @code{integer} is limited in size by truncating the
2197 signed value to 32 bits. The @code{double} is limited in precision to 64
2198 bits overall which leaves approximately 16 significant decimal digits.}.
2202 $1+$2 @r{Sum of first and second field}
2203 $1+$2;%.2f @r{Same, format result to two decimals}
2204 exp($2)+exp($1) @r{Math functions can be used}
2205 $0;%.1f @r{Reformat current cell to 1 decimal}
2206 ($3-32)*5/9 @r{Degrees F -> C conversion}
2207 $c/$1/$cm @r{Hz -> cm conversion, using @file{constants.el}}
2208 tan($1);Dp3s1 @r{Compute in degrees, precision 3, display SCI 1}
2209 sin($1);Dp3%.1e @r{Same, but use printf specifier for display}
2210 vmean($2..$7) @r{Compute column range mean, using vector function}
2211 vmean($2..$7);EN @r{Same, but treat empty fields as 0}
2212 taylor($3,x=7,2) @r{taylor series of $3, at x=7, second degree}
2215 Calc also contains a complete set of logical operations. For example
2218 if($1<20,teen,string("")) @r{``teen'' if age $1 less than 20, else empty}
2221 @node Formula syntax for Lisp, Field formulas, Formula syntax for Calc, The spreadsheet
2222 @subsection Emacs Lisp forms as formulas
2223 @cindex Lisp forms, as table formulas
2225 It is also possible to write a formula in Emacs Lisp; this can be useful
2226 for string manipulation and control structures, if Calc's
2227 functionality is not enough. If a formula starts with a single-quote
2228 followed by an opening parenthesis, then it is evaluated as a Lisp form.
2229 The evaluation should return either a string or a number. Just as with
2230 @file{calc} formulas, you can specify modes and a printf format after a
2231 semicolon. With Emacs Lisp forms, you need to be conscious about the way
2232 field references are interpolated into the form. By default, a
2233 reference will be interpolated as a Lisp string (in double-quotes)
2234 containing the field. If you provide the @samp{N} mode switch, all
2235 referenced elements will be numbers (non-number fields will be zero) and
2236 interpolated as Lisp numbers, without quotes. If you provide the
2237 @samp{L} flag, all fields will be interpolated literally, without quotes.
2238 I.e., if you want a reference to be interpreted as a string by the Lisp
2239 form, enclose the reference operator itself in double-quotes, like
2240 @code{"$3"}. Ranges are inserted as space-separated fields, so you can
2241 embed them in list or vector syntax. A few examples, note how the
2242 @samp{N} mode is used when we do computations in Lisp.
2245 @r{Swap the first two characters of the content of column 1}
2246 '(concat (substring $1 1 2) (substring $1 0 1) (substring $1 2))
2247 @r{Add columns 1 and 2, equivalent to Calc's @code{$1+$2}}
2249 @r{Compute the sum of columns 1-4, like Calc's @code{vsum($1..$4)}}
2250 '(apply '+ '($1..$4));N
2253 @node Field formulas, Column formulas, Formula syntax for Lisp, The spreadsheet
2254 @subsection Field formulas
2255 @cindex field formula
2256 @cindex formula, for individual table field
2258 To assign a formula to a particular field, type it directly into the
2259 field, preceded by @samp{:=}, for example @samp{:=$1+$2}. When you
2260 press @key{TAB} or @key{RET} or @kbd{C-c C-c} with the cursor still in
2261 the field, the formula will be stored as the formula for this field,
2262 evaluated, and the current field replaced with the result.
2265 Formulas are stored in a special line starting with @samp{#+TBLFM:}
2266 directly below the table. If you typed the equation in the 4th field of
2267 the 3rd data line in the table, the formula will look like
2268 @samp{@@3$4=$1+$2}. When inserting/deleting/swapping column and rows
2269 with the appropriate commands, @i{absolute references} (but not relative
2270 ones) in stored formulas are modified in order to still reference the
2271 same field. Of course this is not true if you edit the table structure
2272 with normal editing commands---then you must fix the equations yourself.
2273 The left-hand side of a formula may also be a named field (@pxref{Advanced
2274 features}), or a last-row reference like @samp{$LR3}.
2276 Instead of typing an equation into the field, you may also use the
2282 Install a new formula for the current field. The command prompts for a
2283 formula with default taken from the @samp{#+TBLFM:} line, applies
2284 it to the current field, and stores it.
2287 @node Column formulas, Editing and debugging formulas, Field formulas, The spreadsheet
2288 @subsection Column formulas
2289 @cindex column formula
2290 @cindex formula, for table column
2292 Often in a table, the same formula should be used for all fields in a
2293 particular column. Instead of having to copy the formula to all fields
2294 in that column, Org allows you to assign a single formula to an entire
2295 column. If the table contains horizontal separator hlines, everything
2296 before the first such line is considered part of the table @emph{header}
2297 and will not be modified by column formulas.
2299 To assign a formula to a column, type it directly into any field in the
2300 column, preceded by an equal sign, like @samp{=$1+$2}. When you press
2301 @key{TAB} or @key{RET} or @kbd{C-c C-c} with the cursor still in the field,
2302 the formula will be stored as the formula for the current column, evaluated
2303 and the current field replaced with the result. If the field contains only
2304 @samp{=}, the previously stored formula for this column is used. For each
2305 column, Org will only remember the most recently used formula. In the
2306 @samp{#+TBLFM:} line, column formulas will look like @samp{$4=$1+$2}. The left-hand
2307 side of a column formula cannot currently be the name of column, it
2308 must be the numeric column reference.
2310 Instead of typing an equation into the field, you may also use the
2316 Install a new formula for the current column and replace current field with
2317 the result of the formula. The command prompts for a formula, with default
2318 taken from the @samp{#+TBLFM} line, applies it to the current field and
2319 stores it. With a numeric prefix argument(e.g. @kbd{C-5 C-c =}) the command
2320 will apply it to that many consecutive fields in the current column.
2323 @node Editing and debugging formulas, Updating the table, Column formulas, The spreadsheet
2324 @subsection Editing and debugging formulas
2325 @cindex formula editing
2326 @cindex editing, of table formulas
2328 @vindex org-table-use-standard-references
2329 You can edit individual formulas in the minibuffer or directly in the
2330 field. Org can also prepare a special buffer with all active
2331 formulas of a table. When offering a formula for editing, Org
2332 converts references to the standard format (like @code{B3} or @code{D&})
2333 if possible. If you prefer to only work with the internal format (like
2334 @code{@@3$2} or @code{$4}), configure the variable
2335 @code{org-table-use-standard-references}.
2342 Edit the formula associated with the current column/field in the
2343 minibuffer. See @ref{Column formulas}, and @ref{Field formulas}.
2344 @kindex C-u C-u C-c =
2346 Re-insert the active formula (either a
2347 field formula, or a column formula) into the current field, so that you
2348 can edit it directly in the field. The advantage over editing in the
2349 minibuffer is that you can use the command @kbd{C-c ?}.
2352 While editing a formula in a table field, highlight the field(s)
2353 referenced by the reference at the cursor position in the formula.
2356 Toggle the display of row and column numbers for a table, using
2357 overlays. These are updated each time the table is aligned; you can
2358 force it with @kbd{C-c C-c}.
2361 Toggle the formula debugger on and off. See below.
2364 Edit all formulas for the current table in a special buffer, where the
2365 formulas will be displayed one per line. If the current field has an
2366 active formula, the cursor in the formula editor will mark it.
2367 While inside the special buffer, Org will automatically highlight
2368 any field or range reference at the cursor position. You may edit,
2369 remove and add formulas, and use the following commands:
2375 Exit the formula editor and store the modified formulas. With @kbd{C-u}
2376 prefix, also apply the new formulas to the entire table.
2379 Exit the formula editor without installing changes.
2382 Toggle all references in the formula editor between standard (like
2383 @code{B3}) and internal (like @code{@@3$2}).
2386 Pretty-print or indent Lisp formula at point. When in a line containing
2387 a Lisp formula, format the formula according to Emacs Lisp rules.
2388 Another @key{TAB} collapses the formula back again. In the open
2389 formula, @key{TAB} re-indents just like in Emacs Lisp mode.
2392 Complete Lisp symbols, just like in Emacs Lisp mode.
2394 @kindex S-@key{down}
2395 @kindex S-@key{left}
2396 @kindex S-@key{right}
2397 @item S-@key{up}/@key{down}/@key{left}/@key{right}
2398 Shift the reference at point. For example, if the reference is
2399 @code{B3} and you press @kbd{S-@key{right}}, it will become @code{C3}.
2400 This also works for relative references and for hline references.
2401 @kindex M-S-@key{up}
2402 @kindex M-S-@key{down}
2403 @item M-S-@key{up}/@key{down}
2404 Move the test line for column formulas in the Org buffer up and
2407 @kindex M-@key{down}
2408 @item M-@key{up}/@key{down}
2409 Scroll the window displaying the table.
2412 Turn the coordinate grid in the table on and off.
2416 Making a table field blank does not remove the formula associated with
2417 the field, because that is stored in a different line (the @samp{#+TBLFM}
2418 line)---during the next recalculation the field will be filled again.
2419 To remove a formula from a field, you have to give an empty reply when
2420 prompted for the formula, or to edit the @samp{#+TBLFM} line.
2423 You may edit the @samp{#+TBLFM} directly and re-apply the changed
2424 equations with @kbd{C-c C-c} in that line or with the normal
2425 recalculation commands in the table.
2427 @subsubheading Debugging formulas
2428 @cindex formula debugging
2429 @cindex debugging, of table formulas
2430 When the evaluation of a formula leads to an error, the field content
2431 becomes the string @samp{#ERROR}. If you would like see what is going
2432 on during variable substitution and calculation in order to find a bug,
2433 turn on formula debugging in the @code{Tbl} menu and repeat the
2434 calculation, for example by pressing @kbd{C-u C-u C-c = @key{RET}} in a
2435 field. Detailed information will be displayed.
2437 @node Updating the table, Advanced features, Editing and debugging formulas, The spreadsheet
2438 @subsection Updating the table
2439 @cindex recomputing table fields
2440 @cindex updating, table
2442 Recalculation of a table is normally not automatic, but needs to be
2443 triggered by a command. See @ref{Advanced features}, for a way to make
2444 recalculation at least semi-automatic.
2446 In order to recalculate a line of a table or the entire table, use the
2452 Recalculate the current row by first applying the stored column formulas
2453 from left to right, and all field formulas in the current row.
2459 Recompute the entire table, line by line. Any lines before the first
2460 hline are left alone, assuming that these are part of the table header.
2462 @kindex C-u C-u C-c *
2463 @kindex C-u C-u C-c C-c
2465 @itemx C-u C-u C-c C-c
2466 Iterate the table by recomputing it until no further changes occur.
2467 This may be necessary if some computed fields use the value of other
2468 fields that are computed @i{later} in the calculation sequence.
2469 @item M-x org-table-recalculate-buffer-tables
2470 Recompute all tables in the current buffer.
2471 @item M-x org-table-iterate-buffer-tables
2472 Iterate all tables in the current buffer, in order to converge table-to-table
2476 @node Advanced features, , Updating the table, The spreadsheet
2477 @subsection Advanced features
2479 If you want the recalculation of fields to happen automatically, or if
2480 you want to be able to assign @i{names} to fields and columns, you need
2481 to reserve the first column of the table for special marking characters.
2485 Rotate the calculation mark in first column through the states @samp{ },
2486 @samp{#}, @samp{*}, @samp{!}, @samp{$}. When there is an active region,
2487 change all marks in the region.
2490 Here is an example of a table that collects exam results of students and
2491 makes use of these features:
2495 |---+---------+--------+--------+--------+-------+------|
2496 | | Student | Prob 1 | Prob 2 | Prob 3 | Total | Note |
2497 |---+---------+--------+--------+--------+-------+------|
2498 | ! | | P1 | P2 | P3 | Tot | |
2499 | # | Maximum | 10 | 15 | 25 | 50 | 10.0 |
2500 | ^ | | m1 | m2 | m3 | mt | |
2501 |---+---------+--------+--------+--------+-------+------|
2502 | # | Peter | 10 | 8 | 23 | 41 | 8.2 |
2503 | # | Sam | 2 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 1.8 |
2504 |---+---------+--------+--------+--------+-------+------|
2505 | | Average | | | | 29.7 | |
2506 | ^ | | | | | at | |
2507 | $ | max=50 | | | | | |
2508 |---+---------+--------+--------+--------+-------+------|
2509 #+TBLFM: $6=vsum($P1..$P3)::$7=10*$Tot/$max;%.1f::$at=vmean(@@-II..@@-I);%.1f
2513 @noindent @b{Important}: please note that for these special tables,
2514 recalculating the table with @kbd{C-u C-c *} will only affect rows that
2515 are marked @samp{#} or @samp{*}, and fields that have a formula assigned
2516 to the field itself. The column formulas are not applied in rows with
2519 @cindex marking characters, tables
2520 The marking characters have the following meaning:
2523 The fields in this line define names for the columns, so that you may
2524 refer to a column as @samp{$Tot} instead of @samp{$6}.
2526 This row defines names for the fields @emph{above} the row. With such
2527 a definition, any formula in the table may use @samp{$m1} to refer to
2528 the value @samp{10}. Also, if you assign a formula to a names field, it
2529 will be stored as @samp{$name=...}.
2531 Similar to @samp{^}, but defines names for the fields in the row
2534 Fields in this row can define @emph{parameters} for formulas. For
2535 example, if a field in a @samp{$} row contains @samp{max=50}, then
2536 formulas in this table can refer to the value 50 using @samp{$max}.
2537 Parameters work exactly like constants, only that they can be defined on
2540 Fields in this row are automatically recalculated when pressing
2541 @key{TAB} or @key{RET} or @kbd{S-@key{TAB}} in this row. Also, this row
2542 is selected for a global recalculation with @kbd{C-u C-c *}. Unmarked
2543 lines will be left alone by this command.
2545 Selects this line for global recalculation with @kbd{C-u C-c *}, but
2546 not for automatic recalculation. Use this when automatic
2547 recalculation slows down editing too much.
2549 Unmarked lines are exempt from recalculation with @kbd{C-u C-c *}.
2550 All lines that should be recalculated should be marked with @samp{#}
2553 Do not export this line. Useful for lines that contain the narrowing
2554 @samp{<N>} markers or column group markers.
2557 Finally, just to whet your appetite for what can be done with the
2558 fantastic @file{calc.el} package, here is a table that computes the Taylor
2559 series of degree @code{n} at location @code{x} for a couple of
2564 |---+-------------+---+-----+--------------------------------------|
2565 | | Func | n | x | Result |
2566 |---+-------------+---+-----+--------------------------------------|
2567 | # | exp(x) | 1 | x | 1 + x |
2568 | # | exp(x) | 2 | x | 1 + x + x^2 / 2 |
2569 | # | exp(x) | 3 | x | 1 + x + x^2 / 2 + x^3 / 6 |
2570 | # | x^2+sqrt(x) | 2 | x=0 | x*(0.5 / 0) + x^2 (2 - 0.25 / 0) / 2 |
2571 | # | x^2+sqrt(x) | 2 | x=1 | 2 + 2.5 x - 2.5 + 0.875 (x - 1)^2 |
2572 | * | tan(x) | 3 | x | 0.0175 x + 1.77e-6 x^3 |
2573 |---+-------------+---+-----+--------------------------------------|
2574 #+TBLFM: $5=taylor($2,$4,$3);n3
2578 @node Org-Plot, , The spreadsheet, Tables
2580 @cindex graph, in tables
2581 @cindex plot tables using gnuplot
2584 Org-Plot can produce 2D and 3D graphs of information stored in org tables
2585 using @file{Gnuplot} @uref{http://www.gnuplot.info/} and @file{gnuplot-mode}
2586 @uref{http://cars9.uchicago.edu/~ravel/software/gnuplot-mode.html}. To see
2587 this in action, ensure that you have both Gnuplot and Gnuplot mode installed
2588 on your system, then call @code{org-plot/gnuplot} on the following table.
2592 #+PLOT: title:"Citas" ind:1 deps:(3) type:2d with:histograms set:"yrange [0:]"
2593 | Sede | Max cites | H-index |
2594 |-----------+-----------+---------|
2595 | Chile | 257.72 | 21.39 |
2596 | Leeds | 165.77 | 19.68 |
2597 | Sao Paolo | 71.00 | 11.50 |
2598 | Stockholm | 134.19 | 14.33 |
2599 | Morelia | 257.56 | 17.67 |
2603 Notice that Org Plot is smart enough to apply the table's headers as labels.
2604 Further control over the labels, type, content, and appearance of plots can
2605 be exercised through the @code{#+PLOT:} lines preceding a table. See below
2606 for a complete list of Org-plot options. For more information and examples
2607 see the Org-plot tutorial at
2608 @uref{http://orgmode.org/worg/org-tutorials/org-plot.php}.
2610 @subsubheading Plot Options
2614 Specify any @command{gnuplot} option to be set when graphing.
2617 Specify the title of the plot.
2620 Specify which column of the table to use as the @code{x} axis.
2623 Specify the columns to graph as a Lisp style list, surrounded by parentheses
2624 and separated by spaces for example @code{dep:(3 4)} to graph the third and
2625 fourth columns (defaults to graphing all other columns aside from the @code{ind}
2629 Specify whether the plot will be @code{2d}, @code{3d}, or @code{grid}.
2632 Specify a @code{with} option to be inserted for every col being plotted
2633 (e.g. @code{lines}, @code{points}, @code{boxes}, @code{impulses}, etc...).
2634 Defaults to @code{lines}.
2637 If you want to plot to a file, specify @code{"@var{path/to/desired/output-file}"}.
2640 List of labels to be used for the deps (defaults to the column headers if
2644 Specify an entire line to be inserted in the Gnuplot script.
2647 When plotting @code{3d} or @code{grid} types, set this to @code{t} to graph a
2648 flat mapping rather than a @code{3d} slope.
2651 Specify format of Org-mode timestamps as they will be parsed by Gnuplot.
2652 Defaults to @samp{%Y-%m-%d-%H:%M:%S}.
2655 If you want total control, you can specify a script file (place the file name
2656 between double-quotes) which will be used to plot. Before plotting, every
2657 instance of @code{$datafile} in the specified script will be replaced with
2658 the path to the generated data file. Note: even if you set this option, you
2659 may still want to specify the plot type, as that can impact the content of
2663 @node Hyperlinks, TODO Items, Tables, Top
2667 Like HTML, Org provides links inside a file, external links to
2668 other files, Usenet articles, emails, and much more.
2671 * Link format:: How links in Org are formatted
2672 * Internal links:: Links to other places in the current file
2673 * External links:: URL-like links to the world
2674 * Handling links:: Creating, inserting and following
2675 * Using links outside Org:: Linking from my C source code?
2676 * Link abbreviations:: Shortcuts for writing complex links
2677 * Search options:: Linking to a specific location
2678 * Custom searches:: When the default search is not enough
2681 @node Link format, Internal links, Hyperlinks, Hyperlinks
2682 @section Link format
2684 @cindex format, of links
2686 Org will recognize plain URL-like links and activate them as
2687 clickable links. The general link format, however, looks like this:
2690 [[link][description]] @r{or alternatively} [[link]]
2694 Once a link in the buffer is complete (all brackets present), Org
2695 will change the display so that @samp{description} is displayed instead
2696 of @samp{[[link][description]]} and @samp{link} is displayed instead of
2697 @samp{[[link]]}. Links will be highlighted in the face @code{org-link},
2698 which by default is an underlined face. You can directly edit the
2699 visible part of a link. Note that this can be either the @samp{link}
2700 part (if there is no description) or the @samp{description} part. To
2701 edit also the invisible @samp{link} part, use @kbd{C-c C-l} with the
2704 If you place the cursor at the beginning or just behind the end of the
2705 displayed text and press @key{BACKSPACE}, you will remove the
2706 (invisible) bracket at that location. This makes the link incomplete
2707 and the internals are again displayed as plain text. Inserting the
2708 missing bracket hides the link internals again. To show the
2709 internal structure of all links, use the menu entry
2710 @code{Org->Hyperlinks->Literal links}.
2712 @node Internal links, External links, Link format, Hyperlinks
2713 @section Internal links
2714 @cindex internal links
2715 @cindex links, internal
2716 @cindex targets, for links
2718 @cindex property, CUSTOM_ID
2719 If the link does not look like a URL, it is considered to be internal in the
2720 current file. The most important case is a link like
2721 @samp{[[#my-custom-id]]} which will link to the entry with the
2722 @code{CUSTOM_ID} property @samp{my-custom-id}. Such custom IDs are very good
2723 for HTML export (@pxref{HTML export}) where they produce pretty section
2724 links. You are responsible yourself to make sure these custom IDs are unique
2727 Links such as @samp{[[My Target]]} or @samp{[[My Target][Find my target]]}
2728 lead to a text search in the current file.
2730 The link can be followed with @kbd{C-c C-o} when the cursor is on the link,
2731 or with a mouse click (@pxref{Handling links}). Links to custom IDs will
2732 point to the corresponding headline. The preferred match for a text link is
2733 a @i{dedicated target}: the same string in double angular brackets. Targets
2734 may be located anywhere; sometimes it is convenient to put them into a
2735 comment line. For example
2741 @noindent In HTML export (@pxref{HTML export}), such targets will become
2742 named anchors for direct access through @samp{http} links@footnote{Note that
2743 text before the first headline is usually not exported, so the first such
2744 target should be after the first headline, or in the line directly before the
2747 If no dedicated target exists, Org will search for the words in the link. In
2748 the above example the search would be for @samp{my target}. Links starting
2749 with a star like @samp{*My Target} restrict the search to
2750 headlines@footnote{To insert a link targeting a headline, in-buffer
2751 completion can be used. Just type a star followed by a few optional letters
2752 into the buffer and press @kbd{M-@key{TAB}}. All headlines in the current
2753 buffer will be offered as completions. @xref{Handling links}, for more
2754 commands creating links.}. When searching, Org mode will first try an
2755 exact match, but then move on to more and more lenient searches. For
2756 example, the link @samp{[[*My Targets]]} will find any of the following:
2760 ** TODO my targets are bright
2761 ** my 20 targets are
2765 Following a link pushes a mark onto Org's own mark ring. You can
2766 return to the previous position with @kbd{C-c &}. Using this command
2767 several times in direct succession goes back to positions recorded
2771 * Radio targets:: Make targets trigger links in plain text
2774 @node Radio targets, , Internal links, Internal links
2775 @subsection Radio targets
2776 @cindex radio targets
2777 @cindex targets, radio
2778 @cindex links, radio targets
2780 Org can automatically turn any occurrences of certain target names
2781 in normal text into a link. So without explicitly creating a link, the
2782 text connects to the target radioing its position. Radio targets are
2783 enclosed by triple angular brackets. For example, a target @samp{<<<My
2784 Target>>>} causes each occurrence of @samp{my target} in normal text to
2785 become activated as a link. The Org file is scanned automatically
2786 for radio targets only when the file is first loaded into Emacs. To
2787 update the target list during editing, press @kbd{C-c C-c} with the
2788 cursor on or at a target.
2790 @node External links, Handling links, Internal links, Hyperlinks
2791 @section External links
2792 @cindex links, external
2793 @cindex external links
2794 @cindex links, external
2802 @cindex WANDERLUST links
2804 @cindex USENET links
2809 Org supports links to files, websites, Usenet and email messages,
2810 BBDB database entries and links to both IRC conversations and their
2811 logs. External links are URL-like locators. They start with a short
2812 identifying string followed by a colon. There can be no space after
2813 the colon. The following list shows examples for each link type.
2816 http://www.astro.uva.nl/~dominik @r{on the web}
2817 doi:10.1000/182 @r{DOI for an electronic resource}
2818 file:/home/dominik/images/jupiter.jpg @r{file, absolute path}
2819 /home/dominik/images/jupiter.jpg @r{same as above}
2820 file:papers/last.pdf @r{file, relative path}
2821 ./papers/last.pdf @r{same as above}
2822 file:/myself@@some.where:papers/last.pdf @r{file, path on remote machine}
2823 /myself@@some.where:papers/last.pdf @r{same as above}
2824 file:sometextfile::NNN @r{file with line number to jump to}
2825 file:projects.org @r{another Org file}
2826 file:projects.org::some words @r{text search in Org file}
2827 file:projects.org::*task title @r{heading search in Org file}
2828 docview:papers/last.pdf::NNN @r{open file in doc-view mode at page NNN}
2829 id:B7423F4D-2E8A-471B-8810-C40F074717E9 @r{Link to heading by ID}
2830 news:comp.emacs @r{Usenet link}
2831 mailto:adent@@galaxy.net @r{Mail link}
2832 vm:folder @r{VM folder link}
2833 vm:folder#id @r{VM message link}
2834 vm://myself@@some.where.org/folder#id @r{VM on remote machine}
2835 wl:folder @r{WANDERLUST folder link}
2836 wl:folder#id @r{WANDERLUST message link}
2837 mhe:folder @r{MH-E folder link}
2838 mhe:folder#id @r{MH-E message link}
2839 rmail:folder @r{RMAIL folder link}
2840 rmail:folder#id @r{RMAIL message link}
2841 gnus:group @r{Gnus group link}
2842 gnus:group#id @r{Gnus article link}
2843 bbdb:R.*Stallman @r{BBDB link (with regexp)}
2844 irc:/irc.com/#emacs/bob @r{IRC link}
2845 info:org:External%20links @r{Info node link (with encoded space)}
2846 shell:ls *.org @r{A shell command}
2847 elisp:org-agenda @r{Interactive Elisp command}
2848 elisp:(find-file-other-frame "Elisp.org") @r{Elisp form to evaluate}
2851 A link should be enclosed in double brackets and may contain a
2852 descriptive text to be displayed instead of the URL (@pxref{Link
2853 format}), for example:
2856 [[http://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/][GNU Emacs]]
2860 If the description is a file name or URL that points to an image, HTML
2861 export (@pxref{HTML export}) will inline the image as a clickable
2862 button. If there is no description at all and the link points to an
2864 that image will be inlined into the exported HTML file.
2866 @cindex square brackets, around links
2867 @cindex plain text external links
2868 Org also finds external links in the normal text and activates them
2869 as links. If spaces must be part of the link (for example in
2870 @samp{bbdb:Richard Stallman}), or if you need to remove ambiguities
2871 about the end of the link, enclose them in square brackets.
2873 @node Handling links, Using links outside Org, External links, Hyperlinks
2874 @section Handling links
2875 @cindex links, handling
2877 Org provides methods to create a link in the correct syntax, to
2878 insert it into an Org file, and to follow the link.
2882 @cindex storing links
2884 Store a link to the current location. This is a @emph{global} command (you
2885 must create the key binding yourself) which can be used in any buffer to
2886 create a link. The link will be stored for later insertion into an Org
2887 buffer (see below). What kind of link will be created depends on the current
2890 @b{Org-mode buffers}@*
2891 For Org files, if there is a @samp{<<target>>} at the cursor, the link points
2892 to the target. Otherwise it points to the current headline, which will also
2895 @vindex org-link-to-org-use-id
2896 @cindex property, CUSTOM_ID
2897 @cindex property, ID
2898 If the headline has a @code{CUSTOM_ID} property, a link to this custom ID
2899 will be stored. In addition or alternatively (depending on the value of
2900 @code{org-link-to-org-use-id}), a globally unique @code{ID} property will be
2901 created and/or used to construct a link. So using this command in Org
2902 buffers will potentially create two links: a human-readable from the custom
2903 ID, and one that is globally unique and works even if the entry is moved from
2904 file to file. Later, when inserting the link, you need to decide which one
2907 @b{Email/News clients: VM, Rmail, Wanderlust, MH-E, Gnus}@*
2908 Pretty much all Emacs mail clients are supported. The link will point to the
2909 current article, or, in some GNUS buffers, to the group. The description is
2910 constructed from the author and the subject.
2912 @b{Web browsers: W3 and W3M}@*
2913 Here the link will be the current URL, with the page title as description.
2915 @b{Contacts: BBDB}@*
2916 Links created in a BBDB buffer will point to the current entry.
2919 @vindex org-irc-link-to-logs
2920 For IRC links, if you set the variable @code{org-irc-link-to-logs} to
2921 @code{t}, a @samp{file:/} style link to the relevant point in the logs for
2922 the current conversation is created. Otherwise an @samp{irc:/} style link to
2923 the user/channel/server under the point will be stored.
2926 For any other files, the link will point to the file, with a search string
2927 (@pxref{Search options}) pointing to the contents of the current line. If
2928 there is an active region, the selected words will form the basis of the
2929 search string. If the automatically created link is not working correctly or
2930 accurately enough, you can write custom functions to select the search string
2931 and to do the search for particular file types---see @ref{Custom searches}.
2932 The key binding @kbd{C-c l} is only a suggestion---see @ref{Installation}.
2935 When the cursor is in an agenda view, the created link points to the
2936 entry referenced by the current line.
2940 @cindex link completion
2941 @cindex completion, of links
2942 @cindex inserting links
2944 @vindex org-keep-stored-link-after-insertion
2945 Insert a link@footnote{ Note that you don't have to use this command to
2946 insert a link. Links in Org are plain text, and you can type or paste them
2947 straight into the buffer. By using this command, the links are automatically
2948 enclosed in double brackets, and you will be asked for the optional
2949 descriptive text.}. This prompts for a link to be inserted into the buffer.
2950 You can just type a link, using text for an internal link, or one of the link
2951 type prefixes mentioned in the examples above. The link will be inserted
2952 into the buffer@footnote{After insertion of a stored link, the link will be
2953 removed from the list of stored links. To keep it in the list later use, use
2954 a triple @kbd{C-u} prefix argument to @kbd{C-c C-l}, or configure the option
2955 @code{org-keep-stored-link-after-insertion}.}, along with a descriptive text.
2956 If some text was selected when this command is called, the selected text
2957 becomes the default description.
2959 @b{Inserting stored links}@*
2960 All links stored during the
2961 current session are part of the history for this prompt, so you can access
2962 them with @key{up} and @key{down} (or @kbd{M-p/n}).
2964 @b{Completion support}@* Completion with @key{TAB} will help you to insert
2965 valid link prefixes like @samp{http:} or @samp{ftp:}, including the prefixes
2966 defined through link abbreviations (@pxref{Link abbreviations}). If you
2967 press @key{RET} after inserting only the @var{prefix}, Org will offer
2968 specific completion support for some link types@footnote{This works by
2969 calling a special function @code{org-PREFIX-complete-link}.} For
2970 example, if you type @kbd{file @key{RET}}, file name completion (alternative
2971 access: @kbd{C-u C-c C-l}, see below) will be offered, and after @kbd{bbdb
2972 @key{RET}} you can complete contact names.
2974 @cindex file name completion
2975 @cindex completion, of file names
2977 When @kbd{C-c C-l} is called with a @kbd{C-u} prefix argument, a link to
2978 a file will be inserted and you may use file name completion to select
2979 the name of the file. The path to the file is inserted relative to the
2980 directory of the current Org file, if the linked file is in the current
2981 directory or in a sub-directory of it, or if the path is written relative
2982 to the current directory using @samp{../}. Otherwise an absolute path
2983 is used, if possible with @samp{~/} for your home directory. You can
2984 force an absolute path with two @kbd{C-u} prefixes.
2986 @item C-c C-l @ @r{(with cursor on existing link)}
2987 When the cursor is on an existing link, @kbd{C-c C-l} allows you to edit the
2988 link and description parts of the link.
2990 @cindex following links
2993 @item C-c C-o @ @r{(or, if @code{org-return-follows-link} is set, also} @key{RET}
2994 @vindex org-file-apps
2995 Open link at point. This will launch a web browser for URLs (using
2996 @command{browse-url-at-point}), run VM/MH-E/Wanderlust/Rmail/Gnus/BBDB for
2997 the corresponding links, and execute the command in a shell link. When the
2998 cursor is on an internal link, this commands runs the corresponding search.
2999 When the cursor is on a TAG list in a headline, it creates the corresponding
3000 TAGS view. If the cursor is on a timestamp, it compiles the agenda for that
3001 date. Furthermore, it will visit text and remote files in @samp{file:} links
3002 with Emacs and select a suitable application for local non-text files.
3003 Classification of files is based on file extension only. See option
3004 @code{org-file-apps}. If you want to override the default application and
3005 visit the file with Emacs, use a @kbd{C-u} prefix. If you want to avoid
3006 opening in Emacs, use a @kbd{C-u C-u} prefix.@*
3007 If the cursor is on a headline, but not on a link, offer all links in the
3008 headline and entry text.
3014 On links, @kbd{mouse-2} will open the link just as @kbd{C-c C-o}
3015 would. Under Emacs 22, @kbd{mouse-1} will also follow a link.
3019 @vindex org-display-internal-link-with-indirect-buffer
3020 Like @kbd{mouse-2}, but force file links to be opened with Emacs, and
3021 internal links to be displayed in another window@footnote{See the
3022 variable @code{org-display-internal-link-with-indirect-buffer}}.
3024 @cindex inlining images
3025 @cindex images, inlining
3028 Toggle the inline display of linked images. Normally this will only inline
3029 images that have no description part in the link, i.e. images that will also
3030 be inlined during export. When called with a prefix argument, also display
3031 images that do have a link description.
3035 Push the current position onto the mark ring, to be able to return
3036 easily. Commands following an internal link do this automatically.
3038 @cindex links, returning to
3041 Jump back to a recorded position. A position is recorded by the
3042 commands following internal links, and by @kbd{C-c %}. Using this
3043 command several times in direct succession moves through a ring of
3044 previously recorded positions.
3048 @cindex links, finding next/previous
3051 Move forward/backward to the next link in the buffer. At the limit of
3052 the buffer, the search fails once, and then wraps around. The key
3053 bindings for this are really too long, you might want to bind this also
3054 to @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p}
3056 (add-hook 'org-load-hook
3058 (define-key 'org-mode-map "\C-n" 'org-next-link)
3059 (define-key 'org-mode-map "\C-p" 'org-previous-link)))
3063 @node Using links outside Org, Link abbreviations, Handling links, Hyperlinks
3064 @section Using links outside Org
3066 You can insert and follow links that have Org syntax not only in
3067 Org, but in any Emacs buffer. For this, you should create two
3068 global commands, like this (please select suitable global keys
3072 (global-set-key "\C-c L" 'org-insert-link-global)
3073 (global-set-key "\C-c o" 'org-open-at-point-global)
3076 @node Link abbreviations, Search options, Using links outside Org, Hyperlinks
3077 @section Link abbreviations
3078 @cindex link abbreviations
3079 @cindex abbreviation, links
3081 Long URLs can be cumbersome to type, and often many similar links are
3082 needed in a document. For this you can use link abbreviations. An
3083 abbreviated link looks like this
3086 [[linkword:tag][description]]
3090 @vindex org-link-abbrev-alist
3091 where the tag is optional.
3092 The @i{linkword} must be a word, starting with a letter, followed by
3093 letters, numbers, @samp{-}, and @samp{_}. Abbreviations are resolved
3094 according to the information in the variable @code{org-link-abbrev-alist}
3095 that relates the linkwords to replacement text. Here is an example:
3099 (setq org-link-abbrev-alist
3100 '(("bugzilla" . "http://10.1.2.9/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=")
3101 ("google" . "http://www.google.com/search?q=")
3102 ("ads" . "http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/
3103 nph-abs_connect?author=%s&db_key=AST")))
3107 If the replacement text contains the string @samp{%s}, it will be
3108 replaced with the tag. Otherwise the tag will be appended to the string
3109 in order to create the link. You may also specify a function that will
3110 be called with the tag as the only argument to create the link.
3112 With the above setting, you could link to a specific bug with
3113 @code{[[bugzilla:129]]}, search the web for @samp{OrgMode} with
3114 @code{[[google:OrgMode]]} and find out what the Org author is
3115 doing besides Emacs hacking with @code{[[ads:Dominik,C]]}.
3117 If you need special abbreviations just for a single Org buffer, you
3118 can define them in the file with
3122 #+LINK: bugzilla http://10.1.2.9/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=
3123 #+LINK: google http://www.google.com/search?q=%s
3127 In-buffer completion (@pxref{Completion}) can be used after @samp{[} to
3128 complete link abbreviations. You may also define a function
3129 @code{org-PREFIX-complete-link} that implements special (e.g. completion)
3130 support for inserting such a link with @kbd{C-c C-l}. Such a function should
3131 not accept any arguments, and return the full link with prefix.
3133 @node Search options, Custom searches, Link abbreviations, Hyperlinks
3134 @section Search options in file links
3135 @cindex search option in file links
3136 @cindex file links, searching
3138 File links can contain additional information to make Emacs jump to a
3139 particular location in the file when following a link. This can be a
3140 line number or a search option after a double@footnote{For backward
3141 compatibility, line numbers can also follow a single colon.} colon. For
3142 example, when the command @kbd{C-c l} creates a link (@pxref{Handling
3143 links}) to a file, it encodes the words in the current line as a search
3144 string that can be used to find this line back later when following the
3145 link with @kbd{C-c C-o}.
3147 Here is the syntax of the different ways to attach a search to a file
3148 link, together with an explanation:
3151 [[file:~/code/main.c::255]]
3152 [[file:~/xx.org::My Target]]
3153 [[file:~/xx.org::*My Target]]
3154 [[file:~/xx.org::#my-custom-id]]
3155 [[file:~/xx.org::/regexp/]]
3162 Search for a link target @samp{<<My Target>>}, or do a text search for
3163 @samp{my target}, similar to the search in internal links, see
3164 @ref{Internal links}. In HTML export (@pxref{HTML export}), such a file
3165 link will become an HTML reference to the corresponding named anchor in
3168 In an Org file, restrict search to headlines.
3170 Link to a heading with a @code{CUSTOM_ID} property
3172 Do a regular expression search for @code{regexp}. This uses the Emacs
3173 command @code{occur} to list all matches in a separate window. If the
3174 target file is in Org mode, @code{org-occur} is used to create a
3175 sparse tree with the matches.
3176 @c If the target file is a directory,
3177 @c @code{grep} will be used to search all files in the directory.
3180 As a degenerate case, a file link with an empty file name can be used
3181 to search the current file. For example, @code{[[file:::find me]]} does
3182 a search for @samp{find me} in the current file, just as
3183 @samp{[[find me]]} would.
3185 @node Custom searches, , Search options, Hyperlinks
3186 @section Custom Searches
3187 @cindex custom search strings
3188 @cindex search strings, custom
3190 The default mechanism for creating search strings and for doing the
3191 actual search related to a file link may not work correctly in all
3192 cases. For example, Bib@TeX{} database files have many entries like
3193 @samp{year="1993"} which would not result in good search strings,
3194 because the only unique identification for a Bib@TeX{} entry is the
3197 @vindex org-create-file-search-functions
3198 @vindex org-execute-file-search-functions
3199 If you come across such a problem, you can write custom functions to set
3200 the right search string for a particular file type, and to do the search
3201 for the string in the file. Using @code{add-hook}, these functions need
3202 to be added to the hook variables
3203 @code{org-create-file-search-functions} and
3204 @code{org-execute-file-search-functions}. See the docstring for these
3205 variables for more information. Org actually uses this mechanism
3206 for Bib@TeX{} database files, and you can use the corresponding code as
3207 an implementation example. See the file @file{org-bibtex.el}.
3209 @node TODO Items, Tags, Hyperlinks, Top
3213 Org mode does not maintain TODO lists as separate documents@footnote{Of
3214 course, you can make a document that contains only long lists of TODO items,
3215 but this is not required.}. Instead, TODO items are an integral part of the
3216 notes file, because TODO items usually come up while taking notes! With Org
3217 mode, simply mark any entry in a tree as being a TODO item. In this way,
3218 information is not duplicated, and the entire context from which the TODO
3219 item emerged is always present.
3221 Of course, this technique for managing TODO items scatters them
3222 throughout your notes file. Org mode compensates for this by providing
3223 methods to give you an overview of all the things that you have to do.
3226 * TODO basics:: Marking and displaying TODO entries
3227 * TODO extensions:: Workflow and assignments
3228 * Progress logging:: Dates and notes for progress
3229 * Priorities:: Some things are more important than others
3230 * Breaking down tasks:: Splitting a task into manageable pieces
3231 * Checkboxes:: Tick-off lists
3234 @node TODO basics, TODO extensions, TODO Items, TODO Items
3235 @section Basic TODO functionality
3237 Any headline becomes a TODO item when it starts with the word
3238 @samp{TODO}, for example:
3241 *** TODO Write letter to Sam Fortune
3245 The most important commands to work with TODO entries are:
3249 @cindex cycling, of TODO states
3251 Rotate the TODO state of the current item among
3254 ,-> (unmarked) -> TODO -> DONE --.
3255 '--------------------------------'
3258 The same rotation can also be done ``remotely'' from the timeline and
3259 agenda buffers with the @kbd{t} command key (@pxref{Agenda commands}).
3263 Select a specific keyword using completion or (if it has been set up)
3264 the fast selection interface. For the latter, you need to assign keys
3265 to TODO states, see @ref{Per-file keywords}, and @ref{Setting tags}, for
3268 @kindex S-@key{right}
3269 @kindex S-@key{left}
3270 @vindex org-treat-S-cursor-todo-selection-as-state-change
3273 Select the following/preceding TODO state, similar to cycling. Useful
3274 mostly if more than two TODO states are possible (@pxref{TODO
3275 extensions}). See also @ref{Conflicts}, for a discussion of the interaction
3276 with @code{shift-selection-mode}. See also the variable
3277 @code{org-treat-S-cursor-todo-selection-as-state-change}.
3279 @cindex sparse tree, for TODO
3281 @vindex org-todo-keywords
3282 View TODO items in a @emph{sparse tree} (@pxref{Sparse trees}). Folds the
3283 entire buffer, but shows all TODO items and the headings hierarchy above
3284 them. With a prefix argument (or by using @kbd{C-c / T}), search for a
3285 specific TODO. You will be prompted for the keyword, and you can also give a
3286 list of keywords like @code{KWD1|KWD2|...} to list entries that match any one
3287 of these keywords. With numeric prefix argument N, show the tree for the Nth
3288 keyword in the variable @code{org-todo-keywords}. With two prefix arguments,
3289 find all TODO and DONE entries.
3292 Show the global TODO list. Collects the TODO items from all agenda
3293 files (@pxref{Agenda Views}) into a single buffer. The new buffer will
3294 be in @code{agenda-mode}, which provides commands to examine and
3295 manipulate the TODO entries from the new buffer (@pxref{Agenda
3296 commands}). @xref{Global TODO list}, for more information.
3297 @kindex S-M-@key{RET}
3299 Insert a new TODO entry below the current one.
3303 @vindex org-todo-state-tags-triggers
3304 Changing a TODO state can also trigger tag changes. See the docstring of the
3305 option @code{org-todo-state-tags-triggers} for details.
3307 @node TODO extensions, Progress logging, TODO basics, TODO Items
3308 @section Extended use of TODO keywords
3309 @cindex extended TODO keywords
3311 @vindex org-todo-keywords
3312 By default, marked TODO entries have one of only two states: TODO and
3313 DONE. Org mode allows you to classify TODO items in more complex ways
3314 with @emph{TODO keywords} (stored in @code{org-todo-keywords}). With
3315 special setup, the TODO keyword system can work differently in different
3318 Note that @i{tags} are another way to classify headlines in general and
3319 TODO items in particular (@pxref{Tags}).
3322 * Workflow states:: From TODO to DONE in steps
3323 * TODO types:: I do this, Fred does the rest
3324 * Multiple sets in one file:: Mixing it all, and still finding your way
3325 * Fast access to TODO states:: Single letter selection of a state
3326 * Per-file keywords:: Different files, different requirements
3327 * Faces for TODO keywords:: Highlighting states
3328 * TODO dependencies:: When one task needs to wait for others
3331 @node Workflow states, TODO types, TODO extensions, TODO extensions
3332 @subsection TODO keywords as workflow states
3333 @cindex TODO workflow
3334 @cindex workflow states as TODO keywords
3336 You can use TODO keywords to indicate different @emph{sequential} states
3337 in the process of working on an item, for example@footnote{Changing
3338 this variable only becomes effective after restarting Org mode in a
3342 (setq org-todo-keywords
3343 '((sequence "TODO" "FEEDBACK" "VERIFY" "|" "DONE" "DELEGATED")))
3346 The vertical bar separates the TODO keywords (states that @emph{need
3347 action}) from the DONE states (which need @emph{no further action}). If
3348 you don't provide the separator bar, the last state is used as the DONE
3350 @cindex completion, of TODO keywords
3351 With this setup, the command @kbd{C-c C-t} will cycle an entry from TODO
3352 to FEEDBACK, then to VERIFY, and finally to DONE and DELEGATED. You may
3353 also use a numeric prefix argument to quickly select a specific state. For
3354 example @kbd{C-3 C-c C-t} will change the state immediately to VERIFY.
3355 Or you can use @kbd{S-@key{left}} to go backward through the sequence. If you
3356 define many keywords, you can use in-buffer completion
3357 (@pxref{Completion}) or even a special one-key selection scheme
3358 (@pxref{Fast access to TODO states}) to insert these words into the
3359 buffer. Changing a TODO state can be logged with a timestamp, see
3360 @ref{Tracking TODO state changes}, for more information.
3362 @node TODO types, Multiple sets in one file, Workflow states, TODO extensions
3363 @subsection TODO keywords as types
3365 @cindex names as TODO keywords
3366 @cindex types as TODO keywords
3368 The second possibility is to use TODO keywords to indicate different
3369 @emph{types} of action items. For example, you might want to indicate
3370 that items are for ``work'' or ``home''. Or, when you work with several
3371 people on a single project, you might want to assign action items
3372 directly to persons, by using their names as TODO keywords. This would
3373 be set up like this:
3376 (setq org-todo-keywords '((type "Fred" "Sara" "Lucy" "|" "DONE")))
3379 In this case, different keywords do not indicate a sequence, but rather
3380 different types. So the normal work flow would be to assign a task to a
3381 person, and later to mark it DONE. Org mode supports this style by adapting
3382 the workings of the command @kbd{C-c C-t}@footnote{This is also true for the
3383 @kbd{t} command in the timeline and agenda buffers.}. When used several
3384 times in succession, it will still cycle through all names, in order to first
3385 select the right type for a task. But when you return to the item after some
3386 time and execute @kbd{C-c C-t} again, it will switch from any name directly
3387 to DONE. Use prefix arguments or completion to quickly select a specific
3388 name. You can also review the items of a specific TODO type in a sparse tree
3389 by using a numeric prefix to @kbd{C-c / t}. For example, to see all things
3390 Lucy has to do, you would use @kbd{C-3 C-c / t}. To collect Lucy's items
3391 from all agenda files into a single buffer, you would use the numeric prefix
3392 argument as well when creating the global TODO list: @kbd{C-3 C-c a t}.
3394 @node Multiple sets in one file, Fast access to TODO states, TODO types, TODO extensions
3395 @subsection Multiple keyword sets in one file
3396 @cindex TODO keyword sets
3398 Sometimes you may want to use different sets of TODO keywords in
3399 parallel. For example, you may want to have the basic
3400 @code{TODO}/@code{DONE}, but also a workflow for bug fixing, and a
3401 separate state indicating that an item has been canceled (so it is not
3402 DONE, but also does not require action). Your setup would then look
3406 (setq org-todo-keywords
3407 '((sequence "TODO" "|" "DONE")
3408 (sequence "REPORT" "BUG" "KNOWNCAUSE" "|" "FIXED")
3409 (sequence "|" "CANCELED")))
3412 The keywords should all be different, this helps Org mode to keep track
3413 of which subsequence should be used for a given entry. In this setup,
3414 @kbd{C-c C-t} only operates within a subsequence, so it switches from
3415 @code{DONE} to (nothing) to @code{TODO}, and from @code{FIXED} to
3416 (nothing) to @code{REPORT}. Therefore you need a mechanism to initially
3417 select the correct sequence. Besides the obvious ways like typing a
3418 keyword or using completion, you may also apply the following commands:
3421 @kindex C-S-@key{right}
3422 @kindex C-S-@key{left}
3423 @kindex C-u C-u C-c C-t
3424 @item C-u C-u C-c C-t
3425 @itemx C-S-@key{right}
3426 @itemx C-S-@key{left}
3427 These keys jump from one TODO subset to the next. In the above example,
3428 @kbd{C-u C-u C-c C-t} or @kbd{C-S-@key{right}} would jump from @code{TODO} or
3429 @code{DONE} to @code{REPORT}, and any of the words in the second row to
3430 @code{CANCELED}. Note that the @kbd{C-S-} key binding conflict with
3431 @code{shift-selection-mode} (@pxref{Conflicts}).
3432 @kindex S-@key{right}
3433 @kindex S-@key{left}
3436 @kbd{S-@key{<left>}} and @kbd{S-@key{<right>}} and walk through @emph{all}
3437 keywords from all sets, so for example @kbd{S-@key{<right>}} would switch
3438 from @code{DONE} to @code{REPORT} in the example above. See also
3439 @ref{Conflicts}, for a discussion of the interaction with
3440 @code{shift-selection-mode}.
3443 @node Fast access to TODO states, Per-file keywords, Multiple sets in one file, TODO extensions
3444 @subsection Fast access to TODO states
3446 If you would like to quickly change an entry to an arbitrary TODO state
3447 instead of cycling through the states, you can set up keys for
3448 single-letter access to the states. This is done by adding the section
3449 key after each keyword, in parentheses. For example:
3452 (setq org-todo-keywords
3453 '((sequence "TODO(t)" "|" "DONE(d)")
3454 (sequence "REPORT(r)" "BUG(b)" "KNOWNCAUSE(k)" "|" "FIXED(f)")
3455 (sequence "|" "CANCELED(c)")))
3458 @vindex org-fast-tag-selection-include-todo
3459 If you then press @code{C-c C-t} followed by the selection key, the entry
3460 will be switched to this state. @key{SPC} can be used to remove any TODO
3461 keyword from an entry.@footnote{Check also the variable
3462 @code{org-fast-tag-selection-include-todo}, it allows you to change the TODO
3463 state through the tags interface (@pxref{Setting tags}), in case you like to
3464 mingle the two concepts. Note that this means you need to come up with
3465 unique keys across both sets of keywords.}
3467 @node Per-file keywords, Faces for TODO keywords, Fast access to TODO states, TODO extensions
3468 @subsection Setting up keywords for individual files
3469 @cindex keyword options
3470 @cindex per-file keywords
3475 It can be very useful to use different aspects of the TODO mechanism in
3476 different files. For file-local settings, you need to add special lines
3477 to the file which set the keywords and interpretation for that file
3478 only. For example, to set one of the two examples discussed above, you
3479 need one of the following lines, starting in column zero anywhere in the
3483 #+TODO: TODO FEEDBACK VERIFY | DONE CANCELED
3485 @noindent (you may also write @code{#+SEQ_TODO} to be explicit about the
3486 interpretation, but it means the same as @code{#+TODO}), or
3488 #+TYP_TODO: Fred Sara Lucy Mike | DONE
3491 A setup for using several sets in parallel would be:
3495 #+TODO: REPORT BUG KNOWNCAUSE | FIXED
3499 @cindex completion, of option keywords
3501 @noindent To make sure you are using the correct keyword, type
3502 @samp{#+} into the buffer and then use @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} completion.
3504 @cindex DONE, final TODO keyword
3505 Remember that the keywords after the vertical bar (or the last keyword
3506 if no bar is there) must always mean that the item is DONE (although you
3507 may use a different word). After changing one of these lines, use
3508 @kbd{C-c C-c} with the cursor still in the line to make the changes
3509 known to Org mode@footnote{Org mode parses these lines only when
3510 Org mode is activated after visiting a file. @kbd{C-c C-c} with the
3511 cursor in a line starting with @samp{#+} is simply restarting Org mode
3512 for the current buffer.}.
3514 @node Faces for TODO keywords, TODO dependencies, Per-file keywords, TODO extensions
3515 @subsection Faces for TODO keywords
3516 @cindex faces, for TODO keywords
3518 @vindex org-todo @r{(face)}
3519 @vindex org-done @r{(face)}
3520 @vindex org-todo-keyword-faces
3521 Org mode highlights TODO keywords with special faces: @code{org-todo}
3522 for keywords indicating that an item still has to be acted upon, and
3523 @code{org-done} for keywords indicating that an item is finished. If
3524 you are using more than 2 different states, you might want to use
3525 special faces for some of them. This can be done using the variable
3526 @code{org-todo-keyword-faces}. For example:
3530 (setq org-todo-keyword-faces
3531 '(("TODO" . org-warning) ("STARTED" . "yellow")
3532 ("CANCELED" . (:foreground "blue" :weight bold))))
3536 While using a list with face properties as shown for CANCELED @emph{should}
3537 work, this does not aways seem to be the case. If necessary, define a
3538 special face and use that. A string is interpreted as a color. The variable
3539 @code{org-faces-easy-properties} determines if that color is interpreted as a
3540 foreground or a background color.
3542 @node TODO dependencies, , Faces for TODO keywords, TODO extensions
3543 @subsection TODO dependencies
3544 @cindex TODO dependencies
3545 @cindex dependencies, of TODO states
3547 @vindex org-enforce-todo-dependencies
3548 @cindex property, ORDERED
3549 The structure of Org files (hierarchy and lists) makes it easy to define TODO
3550 dependencies. Usually, a parent TODO task should not be marked DONE until
3551 all subtasks (defined as children tasks) are marked as DONE. And sometimes
3552 there is a logical sequence to a number of (sub)tasks, so that one task
3553 cannot be acted upon before all siblings above it are done. If you customize
3554 the variable @code{org-enforce-todo-dependencies}, Org will block entries
3555 from changing state to DONE while they have children that are not DONE.
3556 Furthermore, if an entry has a property @code{ORDERED}, each of its children
3557 will be blocked until all earlier siblings are marked DONE. Here is an
3561 * TODO Blocked until (two) is done
3570 ** TODO b, needs to wait for (a)
3571 ** TODO c, needs to wait for (a) and (b)
3577 @vindex org-track-ordered-property-with-tag
3578 @cindex property, ORDERED
3579 Toggle the @code{ORDERED} property of the current entry. A property is used
3580 for this behavior because this should be local to the current entry, not
3581 inherited like a tag. However, if you would like to @i{track} the value of
3582 this property with a tag for better visibility, customize the variable
3583 @code{org-track-ordered-property-with-tag}.
3584 @kindex C-u C-u C-u C-c C-t
3585 @item C-u C-u C-u C-c C-t
3586 Change TODO state, circumventing any state blocking.
3589 @vindex org-agenda-dim-blocked-tasks
3590 If you set the variable @code{org-agenda-dim-blocked-tasks}, TODO entries
3591 that cannot be closed because of such dependencies will be shown in a dimmed
3592 font or even made invisible in agenda views (@pxref{Agenda Views}).
3594 @cindex checkboxes and TODO dependencies
3595 @vindex org-enforce-todo-dependencies
3596 You can also block changes of TODO states by looking at checkboxes
3597 (@pxref{Checkboxes}). If you set the variable
3598 @code{org-enforce-todo-checkbox-dependencies}, an entry that has unchecked
3599 checkboxes will be blocked from switching to DONE.
3601 If you need more complex dependency structures, for example dependencies
3602 between entries in different trees or files, check out the contributed
3603 module @file{org-depend.el}.
3606 @node Progress logging, Priorities, TODO extensions, TODO Items
3607 @section Progress logging
3608 @cindex progress logging
3609 @cindex logging, of progress
3611 Org mode can automatically record a timestamp and possibly a note when
3612 you mark a TODO item as DONE, or even each time you change the state of
3613 a TODO item. This system is highly configurable, settings can be on a
3614 per-keyword basis and can be localized to a file or even a subtree. For
3615 information on how to clock working time for a task, see @ref{Clocking
3619 * Closing items:: When was this entry marked DONE?
3620 * Tracking TODO state changes:: When did the status change?
3621 * Tracking your habits:: How consistent have you been?
3624 @node Closing items, Tracking TODO state changes, Progress logging, Progress logging
3625 @subsection Closing items
3627 The most basic logging is to keep track of @emph{when} a certain TODO
3628 item was finished. This is achieved with@footnote{The corresponding
3629 in-buffer setting is: @code{#+STARTUP: logdone}}.
3632 (setq org-log-done 'time)
3636 Then each time you turn an entry from a TODO (not-done) state into any
3637 of the DONE states, a line @samp{CLOSED: [timestamp]} will be inserted
3638 just after the headline. If you turn the entry back into a TODO item
3639 through further state cycling, that line will be removed again. If you
3640 want to record a note along with the timestamp, use@footnote{The
3641 corresponding in-buffer setting is: @code{#+STARTUP: lognotedone}}
3644 (setq org-log-done 'note)
3648 You will then be prompted for a note, and that note will be stored below
3649 the entry with a @samp{Closing Note} heading.
3651 In the timeline (@pxref{Timeline}) and in the agenda
3652 (@pxref{Weekly/daily agenda}), you can then use the @kbd{l} key to
3653 display the TODO items with a @samp{CLOSED} timestamp on each day,
3654 giving you an overview of what has been done.
3656 @node Tracking TODO state changes, Tracking your habits, Closing items, Progress logging
3657 @subsection Tracking TODO state changes
3658 @cindex drawer, for state change recording
3660 @vindex org-log-states-order-reversed
3661 @vindex org-log-into-drawer
3662 @cindex property, LOG_INTO_DRAWER
3663 When TODO keywords are used as workflow states (@pxref{Workflow states}), you
3664 might want to keep track of when a state change occurred and maybe take a
3665 note about this change. You can either record just a timestamp, or a
3666 time-stamped note for a change. These records will be inserted after the
3667 headline as an itemized list, newest first@footnote{See the variable
3668 @code{org-log-states-order-reversed}}. When taking a lot of notes, you might
3669 want to get the notes out of the way into a drawer (@pxref{Drawers}).
3670 Customize the variable @code{org-log-into-drawer} to get this
3671 behavior---the recommended drawer for this is called @code{LOGBOOK}. You can
3672 also overrule the setting of this variable for a subtree by setting a
3673 @code{LOG_INTO_DRAWER} property.
3675 Since it is normally too much to record a note for every state, Org mode
3676 expects configuration on a per-keyword basis for this. This is achieved by
3677 adding special markers @samp{!} (for a timestamp) and @samp{@@} (for a note)
3678 in parentheses after each keyword. For example, with the setting
3681 (setq org-todo-keywords
3682 '((sequence "TODO(t)" "WAIT(w@@/!)" "|" "DONE(d!)" "CANCELED(c@@)")))
3686 @vindex org-log-done
3687 you not only define global TODO keywords and fast access keys, but also
3688 request that a time is recorded when the entry is set to
3689 DONE@footnote{It is possible that Org mode will record two timestamps
3690 when you are using both @code{org-log-done} and state change logging.
3691 However, it will never prompt for two notes---if you have configured
3692 both, the state change recording note will take precedence and cancel
3693 the @samp{Closing Note}.}, and that a note is recorded when switching to
3694 WAIT or CANCELED. The setting for WAIT is even more special: the
3695 @samp{!} after the slash means that in addition to the note taken when
3696 entering the state, a timestamp should be recorded when @i{leaving} the
3697 WAIT state, if and only if the @i{target} state does not configure
3698 logging for entering it. So it has no effect when switching from WAIT
3699 to DONE, because DONE is configured to record a timestamp only. But
3700 when switching from WAIT back to TODO, the @samp{/!} in the WAIT
3701 setting now triggers a timestamp even though TODO has no logging
3704 You can use the exact same syntax for setting logging preferences local
3707 #+TODO: TODO(t) WAIT(w@@/!) | DONE(d!) CANCELED(c@@)
3710 @cindex property, LOGGING
3711 In order to define logging settings that are local to a subtree or a
3712 single item, define a LOGGING property in this entry. Any non-empty
3713 LOGGING property resets all logging settings to nil. You may then turn
3714 on logging for this specific tree using STARTUP keywords like
3715 @code{lognotedone} or @code{logrepeat}, as well as adding state specific
3716 settings like @code{TODO(!)}. For example
3719 * TODO Log each state with only a time
3721 :LOGGING: TODO(!) WAIT(!) DONE(!) CANCELED(!)
3723 * TODO Only log when switching to WAIT, and when repeating
3725 :LOGGING: WAIT(@@) logrepeat
3727 * TODO No logging at all
3733 @node Tracking your habits, , Tracking TODO state changes, Progress logging
3734 @subsection Tracking your habits
3737 Org has the ability to track the consistency of a special category of TODOs,
3738 called ``habits''. A habit has the following properties:
3742 You have enabled the @code{habits} module by customizing the variable
3745 The habit is a TODO, with a TODO keyword representing an open state.
3747 The property @code{STYLE} is set to the value @code{habit}.
3749 The TODO has a scheduled date, with a @code{.+} style repeat interval.
3751 The TODO may also have minimum and maximum ranges specified by using the
3752 syntax @samp{.+2d/3d}, which says that you want to do the task at least every
3753 three days, but at most every two days.
3755 You must also have state logging for the @code{DONE} state enabled, in order
3756 for historical data to be represented in the consistency graph. If it's not
3757 enabled it's not an error, but the consistency graphs will be largely
3761 To give you an idea of what the above rules look like in action, here's an
3762 actual habit with some history:
3766 SCHEDULED: <2009-10-17 Sat .+2d/4d>
3767 - State "DONE" from "TODO" [2009-10-15 Thu]
3768 - State "DONE" from "TODO" [2009-10-12 Mon]
3769 - State "DONE" from "TODO" [2009-10-10 Sat]
3770 - State "DONE" from "TODO" [2009-10-04 Sun]
3771 - State "DONE" from "TODO" [2009-10-02 Fri]
3772 - State "DONE" from "TODO" [2009-09-29 Tue]
3773 - State "DONE" from "TODO" [2009-09-25 Fri]
3774 - State "DONE" from "TODO" [2009-09-19 Sat]
3775 - State "DONE" from "TODO" [2009-09-16 Wed]
3776 - State "DONE" from "TODO" [2009-09-12 Sat]
3779 :LAST_REPEAT: [2009-10-19 Mon 00:36]
3783 What this habit says is: I want to shave at most every 2 days (given by the
3784 @code{SCHEDULED} date and repeat interval) and at least every 4 days. If
3785 today is the 15th, then the habit first appears in the agenda on Oct 17,
3786 after the minimum of 2 days has elapsed, and will appear overdue on Oct 19,
3787 after four days have elapsed.
3789 What's really useful about habits is that they are displayed along with a
3790 consistency graph, to show how consistent you've been at getting that task
3791 done in the past. This graph shows every day that the task was done over the
3792 past three weeks, with colors for each day. The colors used are:
3796 If the task wasn't to be done yet on that day.
3798 If the task could have been done on that day.
3800 If the task was going to be overdue the next day.
3802 If the task was overdue on that day.
3805 In addition to coloring each day, the day is also marked with an asterix if
3806 the task was actually done that day, and an exclamation mark to show where
3807 the current day falls in the graph.
3809 There are several configuration variables that can be used to change the way
3810 habits are displayed in the agenda.
3813 @item org-habit-graph-column
3814 The buffer column at which the consistency graph should be drawn. This will
3815 overwrite any text in that column, so it's a good idea to keep your habits'
3816 titles brief and to the point.
3817 @item org-habit-preceding-days
3818 The amount of history, in days before today, to appear in consistency graphs.
3819 @item org-habit-following-days
3820 The number of days after today that will appear in consistency graphs.
3821 @item org-habit-show-habits-only-for-today
3822 If non-nil, only show habits in today's agenda view. This is set to true by
3826 Lastly, pressing @kbd{K} in the agenda buffer will cause habits to
3827 temporarily be disabled and they won't appear at all. Press @kbd{K} again to
3828 bring them back. They are also subject to tag filtering, if you have habits
3829 which should only be done in certain contexts, for example.
3831 @node Priorities, Breaking down tasks, Progress logging, TODO Items
3835 If you use Org mode extensively, you may end up with enough TODO items that
3836 it starts to make sense to prioritize them. Prioritizing can be done by
3837 placing a @emph{priority cookie} into the headline of a TODO item, like this
3840 *** TODO [#A] Write letter to Sam Fortune
3844 @vindex org-priority-faces
3845 By default, Org mode supports three priorities: @samp{A}, @samp{B}, and
3846 @samp{C}. @samp{A} is the highest priority. An entry without a cookie is
3847 treated as priority @samp{B}. Priorities make a difference only in the
3848 agenda (@pxref{Weekly/daily agenda}); outside the agenda, they have no
3849 inherent meaning to Org mode. The cookies can be highlighted with special
3850 faces by customizing the variable @code{org-priority-faces}.
3852 Priorities can be attached to any outline tree entries; they do not need
3858 Set the priority of the current headline. The command prompts for a
3859 priority character @samp{A}, @samp{B} or @samp{C}. When you press
3860 @key{SPC} instead, the priority cookie is removed from the headline.
3861 The priorities can also be changed ``remotely'' from the timeline and
3862 agenda buffer with the @kbd{,} command (@pxref{Agenda commands}).
3865 @kindex S-@key{down}
3868 @vindex org-priority-start-cycle-with-default
3869 Increase/decrease priority of current headline@footnote{See also the option
3870 @code{org-priority-start-cycle-with-default}.}. Note that these keys are
3871 also used to modify timestamps (@pxref{Creating timestamps}). See also
3872 @ref{Conflicts}, for a discussion of the interaction with
3873 @code{shift-selection-mode}.
3876 @vindex org-highest-priority
3877 @vindex org-lowest-priority
3878 @vindex org-default-priority
3879 You can change the range of allowed priorities by setting the variables
3880 @code{org-highest-priority}, @code{org-lowest-priority}, and
3881 @code{org-default-priority}. For an individual buffer, you may set
3882 these values (highest, lowest, default) like this (please make sure that
3883 the highest priority is earlier in the alphabet than the lowest
3886 @cindex #+PRIORITIES
3891 @node Breaking down tasks, Checkboxes, Priorities, TODO Items
3892 @section Breaking tasks down into subtasks
3893 @cindex tasks, breaking down
3894 @cindex statistics, for TODO items
3896 @vindex org-agenda-todo-list-sublevels
3897 It is often advisable to break down large tasks into smaller, manageable
3898 subtasks. You can do this by creating an outline tree below a TODO item,
3899 with detailed subtasks on the tree@footnote{To keep subtasks out of the
3900 global TODO list, see the @code{org-agenda-todo-list-sublevels}.}. To keep
3901 the overview over the fraction of subtasks that are already completed, insert
3902 either @samp{[/]} or @samp{[%]} anywhere in the headline. These cookies will
3903 be updated each time the TODO status of a child changes, or when pressing
3904 @kbd{C-c C-c} on the cookie. For example:
3907 * Organize Party [33%]
3908 ** TODO Call people [1/2]
3912 ** DONE Talk to neighbor
3915 @cindex property, COOKIE_DATA
3916 If a heading has both checkboxes and TODO children below it, the meaning of
3917 the statistics cookie become ambiguous. Set the property
3918 @code{COOKIE_DATA} to either @samp{checkbox} or @samp{todo} to resolve
3921 @vindex org-hierarchical-todo-statistics
3922 If you would like to have the statistics cookie count any TODO entries in the
3923 subtree (not just direct children), configure the variable
3924 @code{org-hierarchical-todo-statistics}. To do this for a single subtree,
3925 include the word @samp{recursive} into the value of the @code{COOKIE_DATA}
3929 * Parent capturing statistics [2/20]
3931 :COOKIE_DATA: todo recursive
3935 If you would like a TODO entry to automatically change to DONE
3936 when all children are done, you can use the following setup:
3939 (defun org-summary-todo (n-done n-not-done)
3940 "Switch entry to DONE when all subentries are done, to TODO otherwise."
3941 (let (org-log-done org-log-states) ; turn off logging
3942 (org-todo (if (= n-not-done 0) "DONE" "TODO"))))
3944 (add-hook 'org-after-todo-statistics-hook 'org-summary-todo)
3948 Another possibility is the use of checkboxes to identify (a hierarchy of) a
3949 large number of subtasks (@pxref{Checkboxes}).
3952 @node Checkboxes, , Breaking down tasks, TODO Items
3956 Every item in a plain list (@pxref{Plain lists}) can be made into a
3957 checkbox by starting it with the string @samp{[ ]}. This feature is
3958 similar to TODO items (@pxref{TODO Items}), but is more lightweight.
3959 Checkboxes are not included into the global TODO list, so they are often
3960 great to split a task into a number of simple steps. Or you can use
3961 them in a shopping list. To toggle a checkbox, use @kbd{C-c C-c}, or
3962 use the mouse (thanks to Piotr Zielinski's @file{org-mouse.el}).
3964 Here is an example of a checkbox list.
3967 * TODO Organize party [2/4]
3968 - [-] call people [1/3]
3973 - [ ] think about what music to play
3974 - [X] talk to the neighbors
3977 Checkboxes work hierarchically, so if a checkbox item has children that
3978 are checkboxes, toggling one of the children checkboxes will make the
3979 parent checkbox reflect if none, some, or all of the children are
3982 @cindex statistics, for checkboxes
3983 @cindex checkbox statistics
3984 @cindex property, COOKIE_DATA
3985 @vindex org-hierarchical-checkbox-statistics
3986 The @samp{[2/4]} and @samp{[1/3]} in the first and second line are cookies
3987 indicating how many checkboxes present in this entry have been checked off,
3988 and the total number of checkboxes present. This can give you an idea on how
3989 many checkboxes remain, even without opening a folded entry. The cookies can
3990 be placed into a headline or into (the first line of) a plain list item.
3991 Each cookie covers checkboxes of direct children structurally below the
3992 headline/item on which the cookie appears@footnote{Set the variable
3993 @code{org-hierarchical-checkbox-statistics} if you want such cookies to
3994 represent the all checkboxes below the cookie, not just the direct
3995 children.}. You have to insert the cookie yourself by typing either
3996 @samp{[/]} or @samp{[%]}. With @samp{[/]} you get an @samp{n out of m}
3997 result, as in the examples above. With @samp{[%]} you get information about
3998 the percentage of checkboxes checked (in the above example, this would be
3999 @samp{[50%]} and @samp{[33%]}, respectively). In a headline, a cookie can
4000 count either checkboxes below the heading or TODO states of children, and it
4001 will display whatever was changed last. Set the property @code{COOKIE_DATA}
4002 to either @samp{checkbox} or @samp{todo} to resolve this issue.
4004 @cindex blocking, of checkboxes
4005 @cindex checkbox blocking
4006 @cindex property, ORDERED
4007 If the current outline node has an @code{ORDERED} property, checkboxes must
4008 be checked off in sequence, and an error will be thrown if you try to check
4009 off a box while there are unchecked boxes above it.
4011 @noindent The following commands work with checkboxes:
4016 Toggle checkbox status or (with prefix arg) checkbox presence at point. With
4017 double prefix argument, set it to @samp{[-]}, which is considered to be an
4021 Toggle checkbox status or (with prefix arg) checkbox presence at point. With
4022 double prefix argument, set it to @samp{[-]}, which is considered to be an
4026 If there is an active region, toggle the first checkbox in the region
4027 and set all remaining boxes to the same status as the first. With a prefix
4028 arg, add or remove the checkbox for all items in the region.
4030 If the cursor is in a headline, toggle checkboxes in the region between
4031 this headline and the next (so @emph{not} the entire subtree).
4033 If there is no active region, just toggle the checkbox at point.
4035 @kindex M-S-@key{RET}
4037 Insert a new item with a checkbox.
4038 This works only if the cursor is already in a plain list item
4039 (@pxref{Plain lists}).
4042 @vindex org-track-ordered-property-with-tag
4043 @cindex property, ORDERED
4044 Toggle the @code{ORDERED} property of the entry, to toggle if checkboxes must
4045 be checked off in sequence. A property is used for this behavior because
4046 this should be local to the current entry, not inherited like a tag.
4047 However, if you would like to @i{track} the value of this property with a tag
4048 for better visibility, customize the variable
4049 @code{org-track-ordered-property-with-tag}.
4052 Update the statistics cookie in the current outline entry. When called with
4053 a @kbd{C-u} prefix, update the entire file. Checkbox statistic cookies are
4054 updated automatically if you toggle checkboxes with @kbd{C-c C-c} and make
4055 new ones with @kbd{M-S-@key{RET}}. TODO statistics cookies update when
4056 changing TODO states. If you delete boxes/entries or add/change them by
4057 hand, use this command to get things back into sync. Or simply toggle any
4058 entry twice (checkboxes with @kbd{C-c C-c}).
4061 @node Tags, Properties and Columns, TODO Items, Top
4064 @cindex headline tagging
4065 @cindex matching, tags
4066 @cindex sparse tree, tag based
4068 An excellent way to implement labels and contexts for cross-correlating
4069 information is to assign @i{tags} to headlines. Org mode has extensive
4072 @vindex org-tag-faces
4073 Every headline can contain a list of tags; they occur at the end of the
4074 headline. Tags are normal words containing letters, numbers, @samp{_}, and
4075 @samp{@@}. Tags must be preceded and followed by a single colon, e.g.,
4076 @samp{:work:}. Several tags can be specified, as in @samp{:work:urgent:}.
4077 Tags will by default be in bold face with the same color as the headline.
4078 You may specify special faces for specific tags using the variable
4079 @code{org-tag-faces}, in much the same way as you can for TODO keywords
4080 (@pxref{Faces for TODO keywords}).
4083 * Tag inheritance:: Tags use the tree structure of the outline
4084 * Setting tags:: How to assign tags to a headline
4085 * Tag searches:: Searching for combinations of tags
4088 @node Tag inheritance, Setting tags, Tags, Tags
4089 @section Tag inheritance
4090 @cindex tag inheritance
4091 @cindex inheritance, of tags
4092 @cindex sublevels, inclusion into tags match
4094 @i{Tags} make use of the hierarchical structure of outline trees. If a
4095 heading has a certain tag, all subheadings will inherit the tag as
4096 well. For example, in the list
4099 * Meeting with the French group :work:
4100 ** Summary by Frank :boss:notes:
4101 *** TODO Prepare slides for him :action:
4105 the final heading will have the tags @samp{:work:}, @samp{:boss:},
4106 @samp{:notes:}, and @samp{:action:} even though the final heading is not
4107 explicitly marked with those tags. You can also set tags that all entries in
4108 a file should inherit just as if these tags were defined in a hypothetical
4109 level zero that surrounds the entire file. Use a line like this@footnote{As
4110 with all these in-buffer settings, pressing @kbd{C-c C-c} activates any
4111 changes in the line.}:
4115 #+FILETAGS: :Peter:Boss:Secret:
4119 @vindex org-use-tag-inheritance
4120 @vindex org-tags-exclude-from-inheritance
4121 To limit tag inheritance to specific tags, or to turn it off entirely, use
4122 the variables @code{org-use-tag-inheritance} and
4123 @code{org-tags-exclude-from-inheritance}.
4125 @vindex org-tags-match-list-sublevels
4126 When a headline matches during a tags search while tag inheritance is turned
4127 on, all the sublevels in the same tree will (for a simple match form) match
4128 as well@footnote{This is only true if the search does not involve more
4129 complex tests including properties (@pxref{Property searches}).}. The list
4130 of matches may then become very long. If you only want to see the first tags
4131 match in a subtree, configure the variable
4132 @code{org-tags-match-list-sublevels} (not recommended).
4134 @node Setting tags, Tag searches, Tag inheritance, Tags
4135 @section Setting tags
4136 @cindex setting tags
4137 @cindex tags, setting
4140 Tags can simply be typed into the buffer at the end of a headline.
4141 After a colon, @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} offers completion on tags. There is
4142 also a special command for inserting tags:
4147 @cindex completion, of tags
4148 @vindex org-tags-column
4149 Enter new tags for the current headline. Org mode will either offer
4150 completion or a special single-key interface for setting tags, see
4151 below. After pressing @key{RET}, the tags will be inserted and aligned
4152 to @code{org-tags-column}. When called with a @kbd{C-u} prefix, all
4153 tags in the current buffer will be aligned to that column, just to make
4154 things look nice. TAGS are automatically realigned after promotion,
4155 demotion, and TODO state changes (@pxref{TODO basics}).
4158 When the cursor is in a headline, this does the same as @kbd{C-c C-q}.
4161 @vindex org-tag-alist
4162 Org will support tag insertion based on a @emph{list of tags}. By
4163 default this list is constructed dynamically, containing all tags
4164 currently used in the buffer. You may also globally specify a hard list
4165 of tags with the variable @code{org-tag-alist}. Finally you can set
4166 the default tags for a given file with lines like
4170 #+TAGS: @@work @@home @@tennisclub
4171 #+TAGS: laptop car pc sailboat
4174 If you have globally defined your preferred set of tags using the
4175 variable @code{org-tag-alist}, but would like to use a dynamic tag list
4176 in a specific file, add an empty TAGS option line to that file:
4182 @vindex org-tag-persistent-alist
4183 If you have a preferred set of tags that you would like to use in every file,
4184 in addition to those defined on a per-file basis by TAGS option lines, then
4185 you may specify a list of tags with the variable
4186 @code{org-tag-persistent-alist}. You may turn this off on a per-file basis
4187 by adding a STARTUP option line to that file:
4193 By default Org mode uses the standard minibuffer completion facilities for
4194 entering tags. However, it also implements another, quicker, tag selection
4195 method called @emph{fast tag selection}. This allows you to select and
4196 deselect tags with just a single key press. For this to work well you should
4197 assign unique letters to most of your commonly used tags. You can do this
4198 globally by configuring the variable @code{org-tag-alist} in your
4199 @file{.emacs} file. For example, you may find the need to tag many items in
4200 different files with @samp{:@@home:}. In this case you can set something
4204 (setq org-tag-alist '(("@@work" . ?w) ("@@home" . ?h) ("laptop" . ?l)))
4207 @noindent If the tag is only relevant to the file you are working on, then you
4208 can instead set the TAGS option line as:
4211 #+TAGS: @@work(w) @@home(h) @@tennisclub(t) laptop(l) pc(p)
4214 @noindent The tags interface will show the available tags in a splash
4215 window. If you want to start a new line after a specific tag, insert
4216 @samp{\n} into the tag list
4219 #+TAGS: @@work(w) @@home(h) @@tennisclub(t) \n laptop(l) pc(p)
4222 @noindent or write them in two lines:
4225 #+TAGS: @@work(w) @@home(h) @@tennisclub(t)
4226 #+TAGS: laptop(l) pc(p)
4230 You can also group together tags that are mutually exclusive by using
4234 #+TAGS: @{ @@work(w) @@home(h) @@tennisclub(t) @} laptop(l) pc(p)
4237 @noindent you indicate that at most one of @samp{@@work}, @samp{@@home},
4238 and @samp{@@tennisclub} should be selected. Multiple such groups are allowed.
4240 @noindent Don't forget to press @kbd{C-c C-c} with the cursor in one of
4241 these lines to activate any changes.
4244 To set these mutually exclusive groups in the variable @code{org-tags-alist},
4245 you must use the dummy tags @code{:startgroup} and @code{:endgroup} instead
4246 of the braces. Similarly, you can use @code{:newline} to indicate a line
4247 break. The previous example would be set globally by the following
4251 (setq org-tag-alist '((:startgroup . nil)
4252 ("@@work" . ?w) ("@@home" . ?h)
4253 ("@@tennisclub" . ?t)
4255 ("laptop" . ?l) ("pc" . ?p)))
4258 If at least one tag has a selection key then pressing @kbd{C-c C-c} will
4259 automatically present you with a special interface, listing inherited tags,
4260 the tags of the current headline, and a list of all valid tags with
4261 corresponding keys@footnote{Keys will automatically be assigned to tags which
4262 have no configured keys.}. In this interface, you can use the following
4267 Pressing keys assigned to tags will add or remove them from the list of
4268 tags in the current line. Selecting a tag in a group of mutually
4269 exclusive tags will turn off any other tags from that group.
4272 Enter a tag in the minibuffer, even if the tag is not in the predefined
4273 list. You will be able to complete on all tags present in the buffer.
4276 Clear all tags for this line.
4279 Accept the modified set.
4281 Abort without installing changes.
4283 If @kbd{q} is not assigned to a tag, it aborts like @kbd{C-g}.
4285 Turn off groups of mutually exclusive tags. Use this to (as an
4286 exception) assign several tags from such a group.
4288 Toggle auto-exit after the next change (see below).
4289 If you are using expert mode, the first @kbd{C-c} will display the
4294 This method lets you assign tags to a headline with very few keys. With
4295 the above setup, you could clear the current tags and set @samp{@@home},
4296 @samp{laptop} and @samp{pc} tags with just the following keys: @kbd{C-c
4297 C-c @key{SPC} h l p @key{RET}}. Switching from @samp{@@home} to
4298 @samp{@@work} would be done with @kbd{C-c C-c w @key{RET}} or
4299 alternatively with @kbd{C-c C-c C-c w}. Adding the non-predefined tag
4300 @samp{Sarah} could be done with @kbd{C-c C-c @key{TAB} S a r a h
4301 @key{RET} @key{RET}}.
4303 @vindex org-fast-tag-selection-single-key
4304 If you find that most of the time you need only a single key press to
4305 modify your list of tags, set the variable
4306 @code{org-fast-tag-selection-single-key}. Then you no longer have to
4307 press @key{RET} to exit fast tag selection---it will immediately exit
4308 after the first change. If you then occasionally need more keys, press
4309 @kbd{C-c} to turn off auto-exit for the current tag selection process
4310 (in effect: start selection with @kbd{C-c C-c C-c} instead of @kbd{C-c
4311 C-c}). If you set the variable to the value @code{expert}, the special
4312 window is not even shown for single-key tag selection, it comes up only
4313 when you press an extra @kbd{C-c}.
4315 @vindex org-complete-tags-always-offer-all-agenda-tags
4316 As said before, when setting tags and @code{org-tag-alist} is nil, then the
4317 list of tags in the current buffer is used. Normally, this behavior is very
4318 convenient, except in org remember buffers (@pxref{Remember}), because there
4319 are no tags that can be calculated dynamically. Here, you most probably want
4320 to have completion for all tags in all agenda files. This can be done by
4321 setting @code{org-complete-tags-always-offer-all-agenda-tags} to non-nil in
4325 (add-hook 'org-remember-mode-hook
4327 (set (make-local-variable
4328 'org-complete-tags-always-offer-all-agenda-tags)
4332 Of course, you can also set it to @code{t} globally if you always want to
4333 have completion of all tags in all agenda files.
4335 @node Tag searches, , Setting tags, Tags
4336 @section Tag searches
4337 @cindex tag searches
4338 @cindex searching for tags
4340 Once a system of tags has been set up, it can be used to collect related
4341 information into special lists.
4348 Create a sparse tree with all headlines matching a tags search. With a
4349 @kbd{C-u} prefix argument, ignore headlines that are not a TODO line.
4352 Create a global list of tag matches from all agenda files.
4353 @xref{Matching tags and properties}.
4356 @vindex org-tags-match-list-sublevels
4357 Create a global list of tag matches from all agenda files, but check
4358 only TODO items and force checking subitems (see variable
4359 @code{org-tags-match-list-sublevels}).
4362 These commands all prompt for a match string which allows basic Boolean logic
4363 like @samp{+boss+urgent-project1}, to find entries with tags @samp{boss} and
4364 @samp{urgent}, but not @samp{project1}, or @samp{Kathy|Sally} to find entries
4365 which are tagged, like @samp{Kathy} or @samp{Sally}. The full syntax of the search
4366 string is rich and allows also matching against TODO keywords, entry levels
4367 and properties. For a complete description with many examples, see
4368 @ref{Matching tags and properties}.
4371 @node Properties and Columns, Dates and Times, Tags, Top
4372 @chapter Properties and Columns
4375 Properties are a set of key-value pairs associated with an entry. There
4376 are two main applications for properties in Org mode. First, properties
4377 are like tags, but with a value. Second, you can use properties to
4378 implement (very basic) database capabilities in an Org buffer. For
4379 an example of the first application, imagine maintaining a file where
4380 you document bugs and plan releases for a piece of software. Instead of
4381 using tags like @code{:release_1:}, @code{:release_2:}, one can use a
4382 property, say @code{:Release:}, that in different subtrees has different
4383 values, such as @code{1.0} or @code{2.0}. For an example of the second
4384 application of properties, imagine keeping track of your music CDs,
4385 where properties could be things such as the album, artist, date of
4386 release, number of tracks, and so on.
4388 Properties can be conveniently edited and viewed in column view
4389 (@pxref{Column view}).
4392 * Property syntax:: How properties are spelled out
4393 * Special properties:: Access to other Org mode features
4394 * Property searches:: Matching property values
4395 * Property inheritance:: Passing values down the tree
4396 * Column view:: Tabular viewing and editing
4397 * Property API:: Properties for Lisp programmers
4400 @node Property syntax, Special properties, Properties and Columns, Properties and Columns
4401 @section Property syntax
4402 @cindex property syntax
4403 @cindex drawer, for properties
4405 Properties are key-value pairs. They need to be inserted into a special
4406 drawer (@pxref{Drawers}) with the name @code{PROPERTIES}. Each property
4407 is specified on a single line, with the key (surrounded by colons)
4408 first, and the value after it. Here is an example:
4413 *** Goldberg Variations
4415 :Title: Goldberg Variations
4416 :Composer: J.S. Bach
4418 :Publisher: Deutsche Grammophon
4423 You may define the allowed values for a particular property @samp{:Xyz:}
4424 by setting a property @samp{:Xyz_ALL:}. This special property is
4425 @emph{inherited}, so if you set it in a level 1 entry, it will apply to
4426 the entire tree. When allowed values are defined, setting the
4427 corresponding property becomes easier and is less prone to typing
4428 errors. For the example with the CD collection, we can predefine
4429 publishers and the number of disks in a box like this:
4434 :NDisks_ALL: 1 2 3 4
4435 :Publisher_ALL: "Deutsche Grammophon" Philips EMI
4439 If you want to set properties that can be inherited by any entry in a
4440 file, use a line like
4441 @cindex property, _ALL
4444 #+PROPERTY: NDisks_ALL 1 2 3 4
4447 @vindex org-global-properties
4448 Property values set with the global variable
4449 @code{org-global-properties} can be inherited by all entries in all
4453 The following commands help to work with properties:
4458 After an initial colon in a line, complete property keys. All keys used
4459 in the current file will be offered as possible completions.
4462 Set a property. This prompts for a property name and a value. If
4463 necessary, the property drawer is created as well.
4464 @item M-x org-insert-property-drawer
4465 Insert a property drawer into the current entry. The drawer will be
4466 inserted early in the entry, but after the lines with planning
4467 information like deadlines.
4470 With the cursor in a property drawer, this executes property commands.
4472 Set a property in the current entry. Both the property and the value
4473 can be inserted using completion.
4474 @kindex S-@key{right}
4475 @kindex S-@key{left}
4476 @item S-@key{left}/@key{right}
4477 Switch property at point to the next/previous allowed value.
4479 Remove a property from the current entry.
4481 Globally remove a property, from all entries in the current file.
4483 Compute the property at point, using the operator and scope from the
4484 nearest column format definition.
4487 @node Special properties, Property searches, Property syntax, Properties and Columns
4488 @section Special properties
4489 @cindex properties, special
4491 Special properties provide an alternative access method to Org mode
4492 features, like the TODO state or the priority of an entry, discussed in the
4493 previous chapters. This interface exists so that you can include
4494 these states in a column view (@pxref{Column view}), or to use them in
4495 queries. The following property names are special and should not be
4496 used as keys in the properties drawer:
4498 @cindex property, special, TODO
4499 @cindex property, special, TAGS
4500 @cindex property, special, ALLTAGS
4501 @cindex property, special, CATEGORY
4502 @cindex property, special, PRIORITY
4503 @cindex property, special, DEADLINE
4504 @cindex property, special, SCHEDULED
4505 @cindex property, special, CLOSED
4506 @cindex property, special, TIMESTAMP
4507 @cindex property, special, TIMESTAMP_IA
4508 @cindex property, special, CLOCKSUM
4509 @cindex property, special, BLOCKED
4510 @c guessing that ITEM is needed in this area; also, should this list be sorted?
4511 @cindex property, special, ITEM
4513 TODO @r{The TODO keyword of the entry.}
4514 TAGS @r{The tags defined directly in the headline.}
4515 ALLTAGS @r{All tags, including inherited ones.}
4516 CATEGORY @r{The category of an entry.}
4517 PRIORITY @r{The priority of the entry, a string with a single letter.}
4518 DEADLINE @r{The deadline time string, without the angular brackets.}
4519 SCHEDULED @r{The scheduling timestamp, without the angular brackets.}
4520 CLOSED @r{When was this entry closed?}
4521 TIMESTAMP @r{The first keyword-less timestamp in the entry.}
4522 TIMESTAMP_IA @r{The first inactive timestamp in the entry.}
4523 CLOCKSUM @r{The sum of CLOCK intervals in the subtree. @code{org-clock-sum}}
4524 @r{must be run first to compute the values.}
4525 BLOCKED @r{"t" if task is currently blocked by children or siblings}
4526 ITEM @r{The content of the entry.}
4529 @node Property searches, Property inheritance, Special properties, Properties and Columns
4530 @section Property searches
4531 @cindex properties, searching
4532 @cindex searching, of properties
4534 To create sparse trees and special lists with selection based on properties,
4535 the same commands are used as for tag searches (@pxref{Tag searches}).
4541 Create a sparse tree with all matching entries. With a
4542 @kbd{C-u} prefix argument, ignore headlines that are not a TODO line.
4545 Create a global list of tag/property matches from all agenda files.
4546 @xref{Matching tags and properties}.
4549 @vindex org-tags-match-list-sublevels
4550 Create a global list of tag matches from all agenda files, but check
4551 only TODO items and force checking of subitems (see variable
4552 @code{org-tags-match-list-sublevels}).
4555 The syntax for the search string is described in @ref{Matching tags and
4558 There is also a special command for creating sparse trees based on a
4564 Create a sparse tree based on the value of a property. This first
4565 prompts for the name of a property, and then for a value. A sparse tree
4566 is created with all entries that define this property with the given
4567 value. If you enclose the value into curly braces, it is interpreted as
4568 a regular expression and matched against the property values.
4571 @node Property inheritance, Column view, Property searches, Properties and Columns
4572 @section Property Inheritance
4573 @cindex properties, inheritance
4574 @cindex inheritance, of properties
4576 @vindex org-use-property-inheritance
4577 The outline structure of Org-mode documents lends itself for an
4578 inheritance model of properties: if the parent in a tree has a certain
4579 property, the children can inherit this property. Org mode does not
4580 turn this on by default, because it can slow down property searches
4581 significantly and is often not needed. However, if you find inheritance
4582 useful, you can turn it on by setting the variable
4583 @code{org-use-property-inheritance}. It may be set to @code{t} to make
4584 all properties inherited from the parent, to a list of properties
4585 that should be inherited, or to a regular expression that matches
4586 inherited properties.
4588 Org mode has a few properties for which inheritance is hard-coded, at
4589 least for the special applications for which they are used:
4591 @cindex property, COLUMNS
4594 The @code{:COLUMNS:} property defines the format of column view
4595 (@pxref{Column view}). It is inherited in the sense that the level
4596 where a @code{:COLUMNS:} property is defined is used as the starting
4597 point for a column view table, independently of the location in the
4598 subtree from where columns view is turned on.
4600 @cindex property, CATEGORY
4601 For agenda view, a category set through a @code{:CATEGORY:} property
4602 applies to the entire subtree.
4604 @cindex property, ARCHIVE
4605 For archiving, the @code{:ARCHIVE:} property may define the archive
4606 location for the entire subtree (@pxref{Moving subtrees}).
4608 @cindex property, LOGGING
4609 The LOGGING property may define logging settings for an entry or a
4610 subtree (@pxref{Tracking TODO state changes}).
4613 @node Column view, Property API, Property inheritance, Properties and Columns
4614 @section Column view
4616 A great way to view and edit properties in an outline tree is
4617 @emph{column view}. In column view, each outline node is turned into a
4618 table row. Columns in this table provide access to properties of the
4619 entries. Org mode implements columns by overlaying a tabular structure
4620 over the headline of each item. While the headlines have been turned
4621 into a table row, you can still change the visibility of the outline
4622 tree. For example, you get a compact table by switching to CONTENTS
4623 view (@kbd{S-@key{TAB} S-@key{TAB}}, or simply @kbd{c} while column view
4624 is active), but you can still open, read, and edit the entry below each
4625 headline. Or, you can switch to column view after executing a sparse
4626 tree command and in this way get a table only for the selected items.
4627 Column view also works in agenda buffers (@pxref{Agenda Views}) where
4628 queries have collected selected items, possibly from a number of files.
4631 * Defining columns:: The COLUMNS format property
4632 * Using column view:: How to create and use column view
4633 * Capturing column view:: A dynamic block for column view
4636 @node Defining columns, Using column view, Column view, Column view
4637 @subsection Defining columns
4638 @cindex column view, for properties
4639 @cindex properties, column view
4641 Setting up a column view first requires defining the columns. This is
4642 done by defining a column format line.
4645 * Scope of column definitions:: Where defined, where valid?
4646 * Column attributes:: Appearance and content of a column
4649 @node Scope of column definitions, Column attributes, Defining columns, Defining columns
4650 @subsubsection Scope of column definitions
4652 To define a column format for an entire file, use a line like
4656 #+COLUMNS: %25ITEM %TAGS %PRIORITY %TODO
4659 To specify a format that only applies to a specific tree, add a
4660 @code{:COLUMNS:} property to the top node of that tree, for example:
4663 ** Top node for columns view
4665 :COLUMNS: %25ITEM %TAGS %PRIORITY %TODO
4669 If a @code{:COLUMNS:} property is present in an entry, it defines columns
4670 for the entry itself, and for the entire subtree below it. Since the
4671 column definition is part of the hierarchical structure of the document,
4672 you can define columns on level 1 that are general enough for all
4673 sublevels, and more specific columns further down, when you edit a
4674 deeper part of the tree.
4676 @node Column attributes, , Scope of column definitions, Defining columns
4677 @subsubsection Column attributes
4678 A column definition sets the attributes of a column. The general
4679 definition looks like this:
4682 %[@var{width}]@var{property}[(@var{title})][@{@var{summary-type}@}]
4686 Except for the percent sign and the property name, all items are
4687 optional. The individual parts have the following meaning:
4690 @var{width} @r{An integer specifying the width of the column in characters.}
4691 @r{If omitted, the width will be determined automatically.}
4692 @var{property} @r{The property that should be edited in this column.}
4693 @r{Special properties representing meta data are allowed here}
4694 @r{as well (@pxref{Special properties})}
4695 (title) @r{The header text for the column. If omitted, the}
4696 @r{property name is used.}
4697 @{@var{summary-type}@} @r{The summary type. If specified, the column values for}
4698 @r{parent nodes are computed from the children.}
4699 @r{Supported summary types are:}
4700 @{+@} @r{Sum numbers in this column.}
4701 @{+;%.1f@} @r{Like @samp{+}, but format result with @samp{%.1f}.}
4702 @{$@} @r{Currency, short for @samp{+;%.2f}.}
4703 @{:@} @r{Sum times, HH:MM, plain numbers are hours.}
4704 @{X@} @r{Checkbox status, @samp{[X]} if all children are @samp{[X]}.}
4705 @{X/@} @r{Checkbox status, @samp{[n/m]}.}
4706 @{X%@} @r{Checkbox status, @samp{[n%]}.}
4707 @{min@} @r{Smallest number in column.}
4708 @{max@} @r{Largest number.}
4709 @{mean@} @r{Arithmetic mean of numbers.}
4710 @{:min@} @r{Smallest time value in column.}
4711 @{:max@} @r{Largest time value.}
4712 @{:mean@} @r{Arithmetic mean of time values.}
4713 @{@@min@} @r{Minimum age (in days/hours/mins/seconds).}
4714 @{@@max@} @r{Maximum age (in days/hours/mins/seconds).}
4715 @{@@mean@} @r{Arithmetic mean of ages (in days/hours/mins/seconds).}
4719 Be aware that you can only have one summary type for any property you
4720 include. Subsequent columns referencing the same property will all display the
4721 same summary information.
4723 Here is an example for a complete columns definition, along with allowed
4727 :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.}
4728 %10Time_Estimate@{:@} %CLOCKSUM
4729 :Owner_ALL: Tammy Mark Karl Lisa Don
4730 :Status_ALL: "In progress" "Not started yet" "Finished" ""
4731 :Approved_ALL: "[ ]" "[X]"
4735 The first column, @samp{%25ITEM}, means the first 25 characters of the
4736 item itself, i.e. of the headline. You probably always should start the
4737 column definition with the @samp{ITEM} specifier. The other specifiers
4738 create columns @samp{Owner} with a list of names as allowed values, for
4739 @samp{Status} with four different possible values, and for a checkbox
4740 field @samp{Approved}. When no width is given after the @samp{%}
4741 character, the column will be exactly as wide as it needs to be in order
4742 to fully display all values. The @samp{Approved} column does have a
4743 modified title (@samp{Approved?}, with a question mark). Summaries will
4744 be created for the @samp{Time_Estimate} column by adding time duration
4745 expressions like HH:MM, and for the @samp{Approved} column, by providing
4746 an @samp{[X]} status if all children have been checked. The
4747 @samp{CLOCKSUM} column is special, it lists the sum of CLOCK intervals
4750 @node Using column view, Capturing column view, Defining columns, Column view
4751 @subsection Using column view
4754 @tsubheading{Turning column view on and off}
4757 @vindex org-columns-default-format
4758 Turn on column view. If the cursor is before the first headline in the file,
4759 column view is turned on for the entire file, using the @code{#+COLUMNS}
4760 definition. If the cursor is somewhere inside the outline, this command
4761 searches the hierarchy, up from point, for a @code{:COLUMNS:} property that
4762 defines a format. When one is found, the column view table is established
4763 for the tree starting at the entry that contains the @code{:COLUMNS:}
4764 property. If no such property is found, the format is taken from the
4765 @code{#+COLUMNS} line or from the variable @code{org-columns-default-format},
4766 and column view is established for the current entry and its subtree.
4769 Recreate the column view, to include recent changes made in the buffer.
4776 @tsubheading{Editing values}
4777 @item @key{left} @key{right} @key{up} @key{down}
4778 Move through the column view from field to field.
4779 @kindex S-@key{left}
4780 @kindex S-@key{right}
4781 @item S-@key{left}/@key{right}
4782 Switch to the next/previous allowed value of the field. For this, you
4783 have to have specified allowed values for a property.
4785 Directly select the nth allowed value, @kbd{0} selects the 10th value.
4789 Same as @kbd{S-@key{left}/@key{right}}
4792 Edit the property at point. For the special properties, this will
4793 invoke the same interface that you normally use to change that
4794 property. For example, when editing a TAGS property, the tag completion
4795 or fast selection interface will pop up.
4798 When there is a checkbox at point, toggle it.
4801 View the full value of this property. This is useful if the width of
4802 the column is smaller than that of the value.
4805 Edit the list of allowed values for this property. If the list is found
4806 in the hierarchy, the modified values is stored there. If no list is
4807 found, the new value is stored in the first entry that is part of the
4808 current column view.
4809 @tsubheading{Modifying the table structure}
4813 Make the column narrower/wider by one character.
4814 @kindex S-M-@key{right}
4815 @item S-M-@key{right}
4816 Insert a new column, to the left of the current column.
4817 @kindex S-M-@key{left}
4818 @item S-M-@key{left}
4819 Delete the current column.
4822 @node Capturing column view, , Using column view, Column view
4823 @subsection Capturing column view
4825 Since column view is just an overlay over a buffer, it cannot be
4826 exported or printed directly. If you want to capture a column view, use
4827 a @code{columnview} dynamic block (@pxref{Dynamic blocks}). The frame
4828 of this block looks like this:
4830 @cindex #+BEGIN, columnview
4833 #+BEGIN: columnview :hlines 1 :id "label"
4838 @noindent This dynamic block has the following parameters:
4842 This is the most important parameter. Column view is a feature that is
4843 often localized to a certain (sub)tree, and the capture block might be
4844 at a different location in the file. To identify the tree whose view to
4845 capture, you can use 4 values:
4846 @cindex property, ID
4848 local @r{use the tree in which the capture block is located}
4849 global @r{make a global view, including all headings in the file}
4850 "file:@var{path-to-file}"
4851 @r{run column view at the top of this file}
4852 "@var{ID}" @r{call column view in the tree that has an @code{:ID:}}
4853 @r{property with the value @i{label}. You can use}
4854 @r{@kbd{M-x org-id-copy} to create a globally unique ID for}
4855 @r{the current entry and copy it to the kill-ring.}
4858 When @code{t}, insert an hline after every line. When a number @var{N}, insert
4859 an hline before each headline with level @code{<= @var{N}}.
4861 When set to @code{t}, force column groups to get vertical lines.
4863 When set to a number, don't capture entries below this level.
4864 @item :skip-empty-rows
4865 When set to @code{t}, skip rows where the only non-empty specifier of the
4866 column view is @code{ITEM}.
4871 The following commands insert or update the dynamic block:
4876 Insert a dynamic block capturing a column view. You will be prompted
4877 for the scope or ID of the view.
4882 Update dynamic block at point. The cursor needs to be in the
4883 @code{#+BEGIN} line of the dynamic block.
4884 @kindex C-u C-c C-x C-u
4885 @item C-u C-c C-x C-u
4886 Update all dynamic blocks (@pxref{Dynamic blocks}). This is useful if
4887 you have several clock table blocks in a buffer.
4890 You can add formulas to the column view table and you may add plotting
4891 instructions in front of the table---these will survive an update of the
4892 block. If there is a @code{#+TBLFM:} after the table, the table will
4893 actually be recalculated automatically after an update.
4895 An alternative way to capture and process property values into a table is
4896 provided by Eric Schulte's @file{org-collector.el} which is a contributed
4897 package@footnote{Contributed packages are not part of Emacs, but are
4898 distributed with the main distribution of Org (visit
4899 @uref{http://orgmode.org}).}. It provides a general API to collect
4900 properties from entries in a certain scope, and arbitrary Lisp expressions to
4901 process these values before inserting them into a table or a dynamic block.
4903 @node Property API, , Column view, Properties and Columns
4904 @section The Property API
4905 @cindex properties, API
4906 @cindex API, for properties
4908 There is a full API for accessing and changing properties. This API can
4909 be used by Emacs Lisp programs to work with properties and to implement
4910 features based on them. For more information see @ref{Using the
4913 @node Dates and Times, Capture - Refile - Archive, Properties and Columns, Top
4914 @chapter Dates and Times
4920 To assist project planning, TODO items can be labeled with a date and/or
4921 a time. The specially formatted string carrying the date and time
4922 information is called a @emph{timestamp} in Org mode. This may be a
4923 little confusing because timestamp is often used as indicating when
4924 something was created or last changed. However, in Org mode this term
4925 is used in a much wider sense.
4928 * Timestamps:: Assigning a time to a tree entry
4929 * Creating timestamps:: Commands which insert timestamps
4930 * Deadlines and scheduling:: Planning your work
4931 * Clocking work time:: Tracking how long you spend on a task
4932 * Resolving idle time:: Resolving time if you've been idle
4933 * Effort estimates:: Planning work effort in advance
4934 * Relative timer:: Notes with a running timer
4938 @node Timestamps, Creating timestamps, Dates and Times, Dates and Times
4939 @section Timestamps, deadlines, and scheduling
4941 @cindex ranges, time
4946 A timestamp is a specification of a date (possibly with a time or a range of
4947 times) in a special format, either @samp{<2003-09-16 Tue>} or
4948 @samp{<2003-09-16 Tue 09:39>} or @samp{<2003-09-16 Tue
4949 12:00-12:30>}@footnote{This is inspired by the standard ISO 8601 date/time
4950 format. To use an alternative format, see @ref{Custom time format}.}. A
4951 timestamp can appear anywhere in the headline or body of an Org tree entry.
4952 Its presence causes entries to be shown on specific dates in the agenda
4953 (@pxref{Weekly/daily agenda}). We distinguish:
4956 @item Plain timestamp; Event; Appointment
4958 A simple timestamp just assigns a date/time to an item. This is just
4959 like writing down an appointment or event in a paper agenda. In the
4960 timeline and agenda displays, the headline of an entry associated with a
4961 plain timestamp will be shown exactly on that date.
4964 * Meet Peter at the movies <2006-11-01 Wed 19:15>
4965 * Discussion on climate change <2006-11-02 Thu 20:00-22:00>
4968 @item Timestamp with repeater interval
4969 @cindex timestamp, with repeater interval
4970 A timestamp may contain a @emph{repeater interval}, indicating that it
4971 applies not only on the given date, but again and again after a certain
4972 interval of N days (d), weeks (w), months (m), or years (y). The
4973 following will show up in the agenda every Wednesday:
4976 * Pick up Sam at school <2007-05-16 Wed 12:30 +1w>
4979 @item Diary-style sexp entries
4980 For more complex date specifications, Org mode supports using the
4981 special sexp diary entries implemented in the Emacs calendar/diary
4982 package. For example
4985 * The nerd meeting on every 2nd Thursday of the month
4986 <%%(diary-float t 4 2)>
4989 @item Time/Date range
4992 Two timestamps connected by @samp{--} denote a range. The headline
4993 will be shown on the first and last day of the range, and on any dates
4994 that are displayed and fall in the range. Here is an example:
4997 ** Meeting in Amsterdam
4998 <2004-08-23 Mon>--<2004-08-26 Thu>
5001 @item Inactive timestamp
5002 @cindex timestamp, inactive
5003 @cindex inactive timestamp
5004 Just like a plain timestamp, but with square brackets instead of
5005 angular ones. These timestamps are inactive in the sense that they do
5006 @emph{not} trigger an entry to show up in the agenda.
5009 * Gillian comes late for the fifth time [2006-11-01 Wed]
5014 @node Creating timestamps, Deadlines and scheduling, Timestamps, Dates and Times
5015 @section Creating timestamps
5016 @cindex creating timestamps
5017 @cindex timestamps, creating
5019 For Org mode to recognize timestamps, they need to be in the specific
5020 format. All commands listed below produce timestamps in the correct
5026 Prompt for a date and insert a corresponding timestamp. When the cursor is
5027 at an existing timestamp in the buffer, the command is used to modify this
5028 timestamp instead of inserting a new one. When this command is used twice in
5029 succession, a time range is inserted.
5033 Like @kbd{C-c .}, but insert an inactive timestamp that will not cause
5040 @vindex org-time-stamp-rounding-minutes
5041 Like @kbd{C-c .} and @kbd{C-c !}, but use the alternative format which
5042 contains date and time. The default time can be rounded to multiples of 5
5043 minutes, see the option @code{org-time-stamp-rounding-minutes}.
5047 Insert a timestamp corresponding to the cursor date in the Calendar.
5051 Access the Emacs calendar for the current date. If there is a
5052 timestamp in the current line, go to the corresponding date
5057 Access the agenda for the date given by the timestamp or -range at
5058 point (@pxref{Weekly/daily agenda}).
5060 @kindex S-@key{left}
5061 @kindex S-@key{right}
5063 @itemx S-@key{right}
5064 Change date at cursor by one day. These key bindings conflict with
5065 shift-selection and related modes (@pxref{Conflicts}).
5068 @kindex S-@key{down}
5071 Change the item under the cursor in a timestamp. The cursor can be on a
5072 year, month, day, hour or minute. When the timestamp contains a time range
5073 like @samp{15:30-16:30}, modifying the first time will also shift the second,
5074 shifting the time block with constant length. To change the length, modify
5075 the second time. Note that if the cursor is in a headline and not at a
5076 timestamp, these same keys modify the priority of an item.
5077 (@pxref{Priorities}). The key bindings also conflict with shift-selection and
5078 related modes (@pxref{Conflicts}).
5081 @cindex evaluate time range
5083 Evaluate a time range by computing the difference between start and end.
5084 With a prefix argument, insert result after the time range (in a table: into
5085 the following column).
5090 * The date/time prompt:: How Org mode helps you entering date and time
5091 * Custom time format:: Making dates look different
5094 @node The date/time prompt, Custom time format, Creating timestamps, Creating timestamps
5095 @subsection The date/time prompt
5096 @cindex date, reading in minibuffer
5097 @cindex time, reading in minibuffer
5099 @vindex org-read-date-prefer-future
5100 When Org mode prompts for a date/time, the default is shown in default
5101 date/time format, and the prompt therefore seems to ask for a specific
5102 format. But it will in fact accept any string containing some date and/or
5103 time information, and it is really smart about interpreting your input. You
5104 can, for example, use @kbd{C-y} to paste a (possibly multi-line) string
5105 copied from an email message. Org mode will find whatever information is in
5106 there and derive anything you have not specified from the @emph{default date
5107 and time}. The default is usually the current date and time, but when
5108 modifying an existing timestamp, or when entering the second stamp of a
5109 range, it is taken from the stamp in the buffer. When filling in
5110 information, Org mode assumes that most of the time you will want to enter a
5111 date in the future: if you omit the month/year and the given day/month is
5112 @i{before} today, it will assume that you mean a future date@footnote{See the
5113 variable @code{org-read-date-prefer-future}. You may set that variable to
5114 the symbol @code{time} to even make a time before now shift the date to
5115 tomorrow.}. If the date has been automatically shifted into the future, the
5116 time prompt will show this with @samp{(=>F).}
5118 For example, let's assume that today is @b{June 13, 2006}. Here is how
5119 various inputs will be interpreted, the items filled in by Org mode are
5123 3-2-5 --> 2003-02-05
5124 2/5/3 --> 2003-02-05
5125 14 --> @b{2006}-@b{06}-14
5126 12 --> @b{2006}-@b{07}-12
5127 2/5 --> @b{2003}-02-05
5128 Fri --> nearest Friday (defaultdate or later)
5129 sep 15 --> @b{2006}-09-15
5130 feb 15 --> @b{2007}-02-15
5131 sep 12 9 --> 2009-09-12
5132 12:45 --> @b{2006}-@b{06}-@b{13} 12:45
5133 22 sept 0:34 --> @b{2006}-09-22 0:34
5134 w4 --> ISO week for of the current year @b{2006}
5135 2012 w4 fri --> Friday of ISO week 4 in 2012
5136 2012-w04-5 --> Same as above
5139 Furthermore you can specify a relative date by giving, as the
5140 @emph{first} thing in the input: a plus/minus sign, a number and a
5141 letter ([dwmy]) to indicate change in days, weeks, months, or years. With a
5142 single plus or minus, the date is always relative to today. With a
5143 double plus or minus, it is relative to the default date. If instead of
5144 a single letter, you use the abbreviation of day name, the date will be
5145 the nth such day. E.g.
5150 +4d --> four days from today
5151 +4 --> same as above
5152 +2w --> two weeks from today
5153 ++5 --> five days from default date
5154 +2tue --> second Tuesday from now.
5157 @vindex parse-time-months
5158 @vindex parse-time-weekdays
5159 The function understands English month and weekday abbreviations. If
5160 you want to use unabbreviated names and/or other languages, configure
5161 the variables @code{parse-time-months} and @code{parse-time-weekdays}.
5163 @cindex calendar, for selecting date
5164 @vindex org-popup-calendar-for-date-prompt
5165 Parallel to the minibuffer prompt, a calendar is popped up@footnote{If
5166 you don't need/want the calendar, configure the variable
5167 @code{org-popup-calendar-for-date-prompt}.}. When you exit the date
5168 prompt, either by clicking on a date in the calendar, or by pressing
5169 @key{RET}, the date selected in the calendar will be combined with the
5170 information entered at the prompt. You can control the calendar fully
5171 from the minibuffer:
5178 @kindex S-@key{right}
5179 @kindex S-@key{left}
5180 @kindex S-@key{down}
5182 @kindex M-S-@key{right}
5183 @kindex M-S-@key{left}
5186 @key{RET} @r{Choose date at cursor in calendar.}
5187 mouse-1 @r{Select date by clicking on it.}
5188 S-@key{right}/@key{left} @r{One day forward/backward.}
5189 S-@key{down}/@key{up} @r{One week forward/backward.}
5190 M-S-@key{right}/@key{left} @r{One month forward/backward.}
5191 > / < @r{Scroll calendar forward/backward by one month.}
5192 M-v / C-v @r{Scroll calendar forward/backward by 3 months.}
5195 @vindex org-read-date-display-live
5196 The actions of the date/time prompt may seem complex, but I assure you they
5197 will grow on you, and you will start getting annoyed by pretty much any other
5198 way of entering a date/time out there. To help you understand what is going
5199 on, the current interpretation of your input will be displayed live in the
5200 minibuffer@footnote{If you find this distracting, turn the display of with
5201 @code{org-read-date-display-live}.}.
5203 @node Custom time format, , The date/time prompt, Creating timestamps
5204 @subsection Custom time format
5205 @cindex custom date/time format
5206 @cindex time format, custom
5207 @cindex date format, custom
5209 @vindex org-display-custom-times
5210 @vindex org-time-stamp-custom-formats
5211 Org mode uses the standard ISO notation for dates and times as it is
5212 defined in ISO 8601. If you cannot get used to this and require another
5213 representation of date and time to keep you happy, you can get it by
5214 customizing the variables @code{org-display-custom-times} and
5215 @code{org-time-stamp-custom-formats}.
5220 Toggle the display of custom formats for dates and times.
5224 Org mode needs the default format for scanning, so the custom date/time
5225 format does not @emph{replace} the default format---instead it is put
5226 @emph{over} the default format using text properties. This has the
5227 following consequences:
5230 You cannot place the cursor onto a timestamp anymore, only before or
5233 The @kbd{S-@key{up}/@key{down}} keys can no longer be used to adjust
5234 each component of a timestamp. If the cursor is at the beginning of
5235 the stamp, @kbd{S-@key{up}/@key{down}} will change the stamp by one day,
5236 just like @kbd{S-@key{left}/@key{right}}. At the end of the stamp, the
5237 time will be changed by one minute.
5239 If the timestamp contains a range of clock times or a repeater, these
5240 will not be overlayed, but remain in the buffer as they were.
5242 When you delete a timestamp character-by-character, it will only
5243 disappear from the buffer after @emph{all} (invisible) characters
5244 belonging to the ISO timestamp have been removed.
5246 If the custom timestamp format is longer than the default and you are
5247 using dates in tables, table alignment will be messed up. If the custom
5248 format is shorter, things do work as expected.
5252 @node Deadlines and scheduling, Clocking work time, Creating timestamps, Dates and Times
5253 @section Deadlines and scheduling
5255 A timestamp may be preceded by special keywords to facilitate planning:
5259 @cindex DEADLINE keyword
5261 Meaning: the task (most likely a TODO item, though not necessarily) is supposed
5262 to be finished on that date.
5264 @vindex org-deadline-warning-days
5265 On the deadline date, the task will be listed in the agenda. In
5266 addition, the agenda for @emph{today} will carry a warning about the
5267 approaching or missed deadline, starting
5268 @code{org-deadline-warning-days} before the due date, and continuing
5269 until the entry is marked DONE. An example:
5272 *** TODO write article about the Earth for the Guide
5273 The editor in charge is [[bbdb:Ford Prefect]]
5274 DEADLINE: <2004-02-29 Sun>
5277 You can specify a different lead time for warnings for a specific
5278 deadlines using the following syntax. Here is an example with a warning
5279 period of 5 days @code{DEADLINE: <2004-02-29 Sun -5d>}.
5282 @cindex SCHEDULED keyword
5284 Meaning: you are planning to start working on that task on the given
5287 @vindex org-agenda-skip-scheduled-if-done
5288 The headline will be listed under the given date@footnote{It will still
5289 be listed on that date after it has been marked DONE. If you don't like
5290 this, set the variable @code{org-agenda-skip-scheduled-if-done}.}. In
5291 addition, a reminder that the scheduled date has passed will be present
5292 in the compilation for @emph{today}, until the entry is marked DONE.
5293 I.e. the task will automatically be forwarded until completed.
5296 *** TODO Call Trillian for a date on New Years Eve.
5297 SCHEDULED: <2004-12-25 Sat>
5301 @b{Important:} Scheduling an item in Org mode should @i{not} be
5302 understood in the same way that we understand @i{scheduling a meeting}.
5303 Setting a date for a meeting is just a simple appointment, you should
5304 mark this entry with a simple plain timestamp, to get this item shown
5305 on the date where it applies. This is a frequent misunderstanding by
5306 Org users. In Org mode, @i{scheduling} means setting a date when you
5307 want to start working on an action item.
5310 You may use timestamps with repeaters in scheduling and deadline
5311 entries. Org mode will issue early and late warnings based on the
5312 assumption that the timestamp represents the @i{nearest instance} of
5313 the repeater. However, the use of diary sexp entries like
5315 @code{<%%(diary-float t 42)>}
5317 in scheduling and deadline timestamps is limited. Org mode does not
5318 know enough about the internals of each sexp function to issue early and
5319 late warnings. However, it will show the item on each day where the
5323 * Inserting deadline/schedule:: Planning items
5324 * Repeated tasks:: Items that show up again and again
5327 @node Inserting deadline/schedule, Repeated tasks, Deadlines and scheduling, Deadlines and scheduling
5328 @subsection Inserting deadlines or schedules
5330 The following commands allow you to quickly insert a deadline or to schedule
5337 Insert @samp{DEADLINE} keyword along with a stamp. The insertion will happen
5338 in the line directly following the headline. When called with a prefix arg,
5339 an existing deadline will be removed from the entry. Depending on the
5340 variable @code{org-log-redeadline}@footnote{with corresponding
5341 @code{#+STARTUP} keywords @code{logredeadline}, @code{lognoteredeadline},
5342 and @code{nologredeadline}}, a note will be taken when changing an existing
5344 @c FIXME Any CLOSED timestamp will be removed.????????
5348 Insert @samp{SCHEDULED} keyword along with a stamp. The insertion will
5349 happen in the line directly following the headline. Any CLOSED timestamp
5350 will be removed. When called with a prefix argument, remove the scheduling
5351 date from the entry. Depending on the variable
5352 @code{org-log-reschedule}@footnote{with corresponding @code{#+STARTUP}
5353 keywords @code{logredeadline}, @code{lognoteredeadline}, and
5354 @code{nologredeadline}}, a note will be taken when changing an existing
5361 Mark the current entry for agenda action. After you have marked the entry
5362 like this, you can open the agenda or the calendar to find an appropriate
5363 date. With the cursor on the selected date, press @kbd{k s} or @kbd{k d} to
5364 schedule the marked item.
5367 @cindex sparse tree, for deadlines
5369 @vindex org-deadline-warning-days
5370 Create a sparse tree with all deadlines that are either past-due, or
5371 which will become due within @code{org-deadline-warning-days}.
5372 With @kbd{C-u} prefix, show all deadlines in the file. With a numeric
5373 prefix, check that many days. For example, @kbd{C-1 C-c / d} shows
5374 all deadlines due tomorrow.
5378 Sparse tree for deadlines and scheduled items before a given date.
5382 Sparse tree for deadlines and scheduled items after a given date.
5385 @node Repeated tasks, , Inserting deadline/schedule, Deadlines and scheduling
5386 @subsection Repeated tasks
5387 @cindex tasks, repeated
5388 @cindex repeated tasks
5390 Some tasks need to be repeated again and again. Org mode helps to
5391 organize such tasks using a so-called repeater in a DEADLINE, SCHEDULED,
5392 or plain timestamp. In the following example
5394 ** TODO Pay the rent
5395 DEADLINE: <2005-10-01 Sat +1m>
5398 the @code{+1m} is a repeater; the intended interpretation is that the task
5399 has a deadline on <2005-10-01> and repeats itself every (one) month starting
5400 from that time. If you need both a repeater and a special warning period in
5401 a deadline entry, the repeater should come first and the warning period last:
5402 @code{DEADLINE: <2005-10-01 Sat +1m -3d>}.
5404 @vindex org-todo-repeat-to-state
5405 Deadlines and scheduled items produce entries in the agenda when they are
5406 over-due, so it is important to be able to mark such an entry as completed
5407 once you have done so. When you mark a DEADLINE or a SCHEDULE with the TODO
5408 keyword DONE, it will no longer produce entries in the agenda. The problem
5409 with this is, however, that then also the @emph{next} instance of the
5410 repeated entry will not be active. Org mode deals with this in the following
5411 way: When you try to mark such an entry DONE (using @kbd{C-c C-t}), it will
5412 shift the base date of the repeating timestamp by the repeater interval, and
5413 immediately set the entry state back to TODO@footnote{In fact, the target
5414 state is taken from, in this sequence, the @code{REPEAT_TO_STATE} property or
5415 the variable @code{org-todo-repeat-to-state}. If neither of these is
5416 specified, the target state defaults to the first state of the TODO state
5417 sequence.}. In the example above, setting the state to DONE would actually
5418 switch the date like this:
5421 ** TODO Pay the rent
5422 DEADLINE: <2005-11-01 Tue +1m>
5425 @vindex org-log-repeat
5426 A timestamp@footnote{You can change this using the option
5427 @code{org-log-repeat}, or the @code{#+STARTUP} options @code{logrepeat},
5428 @code{lognoterepeat}, and @code{nologrepeat}. With @code{lognoterepeat}, you
5429 will also be prompted for a note.} will be added under the deadline, to keep
5430 a record that you actually acted on the previous instance of this deadline.
5432 As a consequence of shifting the base date, this entry will no longer be
5433 visible in the agenda when checking past dates, but all future instances
5436 With the @samp{+1m} cookie, the date shift will always be exactly one
5437 month. So if you have not paid the rent for three months, marking this
5438 entry DONE will still keep it as an overdue deadline. Depending on the
5439 task, this may not be the best way to handle it. For example, if you
5440 forgot to call you father for 3 weeks, it does not make sense to call
5441 him 3 times in a single day to make up for it. Finally, there are tasks
5442 like changing batteries which should always repeat a certain time
5443 @i{after} the last time you did it. For these tasks, Org mode has
5444 special repeaters markers with @samp{++} and @samp{.+}. For example:
5448 DEADLINE: <2008-02-10 Sun ++1w>
5449 Marking this DONE will shift the date by at least one week,
5450 but also by as many weeks as it takes to get this date into
5451 the future. However, it stays on a Sunday, even if you called
5452 and marked it done on Saturday.
5453 ** TODO Check the batteries in the smoke detectors
5454 DEADLINE: <2005-11-01 Tue .+1m>
5455 Marking this DONE will shift the date to one month after
5459 You may have both scheduling and deadline information for a specific
5460 task---just make sure that the repeater intervals on both are the same.
5462 An alternative to using a repeater is to create a number of copies of a task
5463 subtree, with dates shifted in each copy. The command @kbd{C-c C-x c} was
5464 created for this purpose, it is described in @ref{Structure editing}.
5467 @node Clocking work time, Resolving idle time, Deadlines and scheduling, Dates and Times
5468 @section Clocking work time
5470 Org mode allows you to clock the time you spend on specific tasks in a
5471 project. When you start working on an item, you can start the clock.
5472 When you stop working on that task, or when you mark the task done, the
5473 clock is stopped and the corresponding time interval is recorded. It
5474 also computes the total time spent on each subtree of a project. And it
5475 remembers a history or tasks recently clocked, to that you can jump quickly
5476 between a number of tasks absorbing your time.
5478 To save the clock history across Emacs sessions, use
5480 (setq org-clock-persist 'history)
5481 (org-clock-persistence-insinuate)
5483 When you clock into a new task after resuming Emacs, the incomplete
5484 clock@footnote{To resume the clock under the assumption that you have worked
5485 on this task while outside Emacs, use @code{(setq org-clock-persist t)}.}
5486 will be found (@pxref{Resolving idle time}) and you will be prompted about
5492 @vindex org-clock-into-drawer
5493 Start the clock on the current item (clock-in). This inserts the CLOCK
5494 keyword together with a timestamp. If this is not the first clocking of
5495 this item, the multiple CLOCK lines will be wrapped into a
5496 @code{:LOGBOOK:} drawer (see also the variable
5497 @code{org-clock-into-drawer}). When called with a @kbd{C-u} prefix argument,
5498 select the task from a list of recently clocked tasks. With two @kbd{C-u
5499 C-u} prefixes, clock into the task at point and mark it as the default task.
5500 The default task will always be available when selecting a clocking task,
5501 with letter @kbd{d}.@*
5502 @cindex property: CLOCK_MODELINE_TOTAL
5503 @cindex property: LAST_REPEAT
5504 @vindex org-clock-modeline-total
5505 While the clock is running, the current clocking time is shown in the mode
5506 line, along with the title of the task. The clock time shown will be all
5507 time ever clocked for this task and its children. If the task has an effort
5508 estimate (@pxref{Effort estimates}), the mode line displays the current
5509 clocking time against it@footnote{To add an effort estimate ``on the fly'',
5510 hook a function doing this to @code{org-clock-in-prepare-hook}.} If the task
5511 is a repeating one (@pxref{Repeated tasks}), only the time since the last
5512 reset of the task @footnote{as recorded by the @code{LAST_REPEAT} property}
5513 will be shown. More control over what time is shown can be exercised with
5514 the @code{CLOCK_MODELINE_TOTAL} property. It may have the values
5515 @code{current} to show only the current clocking instance, @code{today} to
5516 show all time clocked on this tasks today (see also the variable
5517 @code{org-extend-today-until}), @code{all} to include all time, or
5518 @code{auto} which is the default@footnote{See also the variable
5519 @code{org-clock-modeline-total}.}.@* Clicking with @kbd{mouse-1} onto the
5520 mode line entry will pop up a menu with clocking options.
5523 @vindex org-log-note-clock-out
5524 Stop the clock (clock-out). This inserts another timestamp at the same
5525 location where the clock was last started. It also directly computes
5526 the resulting time in inserts it after the time range as @samp{=>
5527 HH:MM}. See the variable @code{org-log-note-clock-out} for the
5528 possibility to record an additional note together with the clock-out
5529 timestamp@footnote{The corresponding in-buffer setting is:
5530 @code{#+STARTUP: lognoteclock-out}}.
5533 Update the effort estimate for the current clock task.
5536 @item C-c C-y @ @ @r{or}@ @ C-c C-c
5537 Recompute the time interval after changing one of the timestamps. This
5538 is only necessary if you edit the timestamps directly. If you change
5539 them with @kbd{S-@key{cursor}} keys, the update is automatic.
5542 Changing the TODO state of an item to DONE automatically stops the clock
5543 if it is running in this same item.
5546 Cancel the current clock. This is useful if a clock was started by
5547 mistake, or if you ended up working on something else.
5550 Jump to the entry that contains the currently running clock. With a
5551 @kbd{C-u} prefix arg, select the target task from a list of recently clocked
5555 @vindex org-remove-highlights-with-change
5556 Display time summaries for each subtree in the current buffer. This
5557 puts overlays at the end of each headline, showing the total time
5558 recorded under that heading, including the time of any subheadings. You
5559 can use visibility cycling to study the tree, but the overlays disappear
5560 when you change the buffer (see variable
5561 @code{org-remove-highlights-with-change}) or press @kbd{C-c C-c}.
5564 Insert a dynamic block (@pxref{Dynamic blocks}) containing a clock
5565 report as an Org-mode table into the current file. When the cursor is
5566 at an existing clock table, just update it. When called with a prefix
5567 argument, jump to the first clock report in the current document and
5569 @cindex #+BEGIN, clocktable
5571 #+BEGIN: clocktable :maxlevel 2 :emphasize nil :scope file
5575 If such a block already exists at point, its content is replaced by the
5576 new table. The @samp{BEGIN} line can specify options:
5578 :maxlevel @r{Maximum level depth to which times are listed in the table.}
5579 :emphasize @r{When @code{t}, emphasize level one and level two items.}
5580 :scope @r{The scope to consider. This can be any of the following:}
5581 nil @r{the current buffer or narrowed region}
5582 file @r{the full current buffer}
5583 subtree @r{the subtree where the clocktable is located}
5584 tree@var{N} @r{the surrounding level @var{N} tree, for example @code{tree3}}
5585 tree @r{the surrounding level 1 tree}
5586 agenda @r{all agenda files}
5587 ("file"..) @r{scan these files}
5588 file-with-archives @r{current file and its archives}
5589 agenda-with-archives @r{all agenda files, including archives}
5590 :block @r{The time block to consider. This block is specified either}
5591 @r{absolute, or relative to the current time and may be any of}
5593 2007-12-31 @r{New year eve 2007}
5594 2007-12 @r{December 2007}
5595 2007-W50 @r{ISO-week 50 in 2007}
5596 2007 @r{the year 2007}
5597 today, yesterday, today-@var{N} @r{a relative day}
5598 thisweek, lastweek, thisweek-@var{N} @r{a relative week}
5599 thismonth, lastmonth, thismonth-@var{N} @r{a relative month}
5600 thisyear, lastyear, thisyear-@var{N} @r{a relative year}
5601 @r{Use @kbd{S-@key{left}/@key{right}} keys to shift the time interval.}
5602 :tstart @r{A time string specifying when to start considering times.}
5603 :tend @r{A time string specifying when to stop considering times.}
5604 :step @r{@code{week} or @code{day}, to split the table into chunks.}
5605 @r{To use this, @code{:block} or @code{:tstart}, @code{:tend} are needed.}
5606 :tags @r{A tags match to select entries that should contribute}
5607 :link @r{Link the item headlines in the table to their origins.}
5608 :formula @r{Content of a @code{#+TBLFM} line to be added and evaluated.}
5609 @r{As a special case, @samp{:formula %} adds a column with % time.}
5610 @r{If you do not specify a formula here, any existing formula.}
5611 @r{below the clock table will survive updates and be evaluated.}
5612 :timestamp @r{A timestamp for the entry, when available. Look for SCHEDULED,}
5613 @r{DEADLINE, TIMESTAMP and TIMESTAMP_IA, in this order.}
5615 To get a clock summary of the current level 1 tree, for the current
5616 day, you could write
5618 #+BEGIN: clocktable :maxlevel 2 :block today :scope tree1 :link t
5622 and to use a specific time range you could write@footnote{Note that all
5623 parameters must be specified in a single line---the line is broken here
5624 only to fit it into the manual.}
5626 #+BEGIN: clocktable :tstart "<2006-08-10 Thu 10:00>"
5627 :tend "<2006-08-10 Thu 12:00>"
5630 A summary of the current subtree with % times would be
5632 #+BEGIN: clocktable :scope subtree :link t :formula %
5639 Update dynamic block at point. The cursor needs to be in the
5640 @code{#+BEGIN} line of the dynamic block.
5641 @kindex C-u C-c C-x C-u
5642 @item C-u C-c C-x C-u
5643 Update all dynamic blocks (@pxref{Dynamic blocks}). This is useful if
5644 you have several clock table blocks in a buffer.
5645 @kindex S-@key{left}
5646 @kindex S-@key{right}
5648 @itemx S-@key{right}
5649 Shift the current @code{:block} interval and update the table. The cursor
5650 needs to be in the @code{#+BEGIN: clocktable} line for this command. If
5651 @code{:block} is @code{today}, it will be shifted to @code{today-1} etc.
5654 The @kbd{l} key may be used in the timeline (@pxref{Timeline}) and in
5655 the agenda (@pxref{Weekly/daily agenda}) to show which tasks have been
5656 worked on or closed during a day.
5658 @node Resolving idle time, Effort estimates, Clocking work time, Dates and Times
5659 @section Resolving idle time
5660 @cindex resolve idle time
5662 @cindex idle, resolve, dangling
5663 If you clock in on a work item, and then walk away from your
5664 computer---perhaps to take a phone call---you often need to ``resolve'' the
5665 time you were away by either subtracting it from the current clock, or
5666 applying it to another one.
5668 @vindex org-clock-idle-time
5669 By customizing the variable @code{org-clock-idle-time} to some integer, such
5670 as 10 or 15, Emacs can alert you when you get back to your computer after
5671 being idle for that many minutes@footnote{On computers using Mac OS X,
5672 idleness is based on actual user idleness, not just Emacs' idle time. For
5673 X11, you can install a utility program @file{x11idle.c}, available in the
5674 UTILITIES directory of the Org git distribution, to get the same general
5675 treatment of idleness. On other systems, idle time refers to Emacs idle time
5676 only.}, and ask what you want to do with the idle time. There will be a
5677 question waiting for you when you get back, indicating how much idle time has
5678 passed (constantly updated with the current amount), as well as a set of
5679 choices to correct the discrepancy:
5683 To keep some or all of the minutes and stay clocked in, press @kbd{k}. Org
5684 will ask how many of the minutes to keep. Press @key{RET} to keep them all,
5685 effectively changing nothing, or enter a number to keep that many minutes.
5687 If you use the shift key and press @kbd{K}, it will keep however many minutes
5688 you request and then immediately clock out of that task. If you keep all of
5689 the minutes, this is the same as just clocking out of the current task.
5691 To keep none of the minutes, use @kbd{s} to subtract all the away time from
5692 the clock, and then check back in from the moment you returned.
5694 To keep none of the minutes and just clock out at the start of the away time,
5695 use the shift key and press @kbd{S}. Remember that using shift will always
5696 leave you clocked out, no matter which option you choose.
5698 To cancel the clock altogether, use @kbd{C}. Note that if instead of
5699 cancelling you subtract the away time, and the resulting clock amount is less
5700 than a minute, the clock will still be cancelled rather than clutter up the
5701 log with an empty entry.
5704 What if you subtracted those away minutes from the current clock, and now
5705 want to apply them to a new clock? Simply clock in to any task immediately
5706 after the subtraction. Org will notice that you have subtracted time ``on
5707 the books'', so to speak, and will ask if you want to apply those minutes to
5708 the next task you clock in on.
5710 There is one other instance when this clock resolution magic occurs. Say you
5711 were clocked in and hacking away, and suddenly your cat chased a mouse who
5712 scared a hamster that crashed into your UPS's power button! You suddenly
5713 lose all your buffers, but thanks to auto-save you still have your recent Org
5714 mode changes, including your last clock in.
5716 If you restart Emacs and clock into any task, Org will notice that you have a
5717 dangling clock which was never clocked out from your last session. Using
5718 that clock's starting time as the beginning of the unaccounted-for period,
5719 Org will ask how you want to resolve that time. The logic and behavior is
5720 identical to dealing with away time due to idleness, it's just happening due
5721 to a recovery event rather than a set amount of idle time.
5723 You can also check all the files visited by your Org agenda for dangling
5724 clocks at any time using @kbd{M-x org-resolve-clocks}.
5726 @node Effort estimates, Relative timer, Resolving idle time, Dates and Times
5727 @section Effort estimates
5728 @cindex effort estimates
5730 @cindex property, Effort
5731 @vindex org-effort-property
5732 If you want to plan your work in a very detailed way, or if you need to
5733 produce offers with quotations of the estimated work effort, you may want to
5734 assign effort estimates to entries. If you are also clocking your work, you
5735 may later want to compare the planned effort with the actual working time, a
5736 great way to improve planning estimates. Effort estimates are stored in a
5737 special property @samp{Effort}@footnote{You may change the property being
5738 used with the variable @code{org-effort-property}.}. You can set the effort
5739 for an entry with the following commands:
5744 Set the effort estimate for the current entry. With a numeric prefix
5745 argument, set it to the NTH allowed value (see below). This command is also
5746 accessible from the agenda with the @kbd{e} key.
5749 Modify the effort estimate of the item currently being clocked.
5752 Clearly the best way to work with effort estimates is through column view
5753 (@pxref{Column view}). You should start by setting up discrete values for
5754 effort estimates, and a @code{COLUMNS} format that displays these values
5755 together with clock sums (if you want to clock your time). For a specific
5759 #+PROPERTY: Effort_ALL 0 0:10 0:30 1:00 2:00 3:00 4:00 5:00 6:00 7:00 8:00
5760 #+COLUMNS: %40ITEM(Task) %17Effort(Estimated Effort)@{:@} %CLOCKSUM
5764 @vindex org-global-properties
5765 @vindex org-columns-default-format
5766 or, even better, you can set up these values globally by customizing the
5767 variables @code{org-global-properties} and @code{org-columns-default-format}.
5768 In particular if you want to use this setup also in the agenda, a global
5769 setup may be advised.
5771 The way to assign estimates to individual items is then to switch to column
5772 mode, and to use @kbd{S-@key{right}} and @kbd{S-@key{left}} to change the
5773 value. The values you enter will immediately be summed up in the hierarchy.
5774 In the column next to it, any clocked time will be displayed.
5776 @vindex org-agenda-columns-add-appointments-to-effort-sum
5777 If you switch to column view in the daily/weekly agenda, the effort column
5778 will summarize the estimated work effort for each day@footnote{Please note
5779 the pitfalls of summing hierarchical data in a flat list (@pxref{Agenda
5780 column view}).}, and you can use this to find space in your schedule. To get
5781 an overview of the entire part of the day that is committed, you can set the
5782 option @code{org-agenda-columns-add-appointments-to-effort-sum}. The
5783 appointments on a day that take place over a specified time interval will
5784 then also be added to the load estimate of the day.
5786 Effort estimates can be used in secondary agenda filtering that is triggered
5787 with the @kbd{/} key in the agenda (@pxref{Agenda commands}). If you have
5788 these estimates defined consistently, two or three key presses will narrow
5789 down the list to stuff that fits into an available time slot.
5791 @node Relative timer, , Effort estimates, Dates and Times
5792 @section Taking notes with a relative timer
5793 @cindex relative timer
5795 When taking notes during, for example, a meeting or a video viewing, it can
5796 be useful to have access to times relative to a starting time. Org provides
5797 such a relative timer and make it easy to create timed notes.
5802 Insert a relative time into the buffer. The first time you use this, the
5803 timer will be started. When called with a prefix argument, the timer is
5807 Insert a description list item with the current relative time. With a prefix
5808 argument, first reset the timer to 0.
5811 Once the timer list is started, you can also use @kbd{M-@key{RET}} to insert
5815 Pause the timer, or continue it if it is already paused.
5816 @c removed the sentence because it is redundant to the following item
5817 @kindex C-u C-c C-x ,
5819 Stop the timer. After this, you can only start a new timer, not continue the
5820 old one. This command also removes the timer from the mode line.
5823 Reset the timer without inserting anything into the buffer. By default, the
5824 timer is reset to 0. When called with a @kbd{C-u} prefix, reset the timer to
5825 specific starting offset. The user is prompted for the offset, with a
5826 default taken from a timer string at point, if any, So this can be used to
5827 restart taking notes after a break in the process. When called with a double
5828 prefix argument @kbd{C-u C-u}, change all timer strings in the active region
5829 by a certain amount. This can be used to fix timer strings if the timer was
5830 not started at exactly the right moment.
5833 @node Capture - Refile - Archive, Agenda Views, Dates and Times, Top
5834 @chapter Capture - Refile - Archive
5837 An important part of any organization system is the ability to quickly
5838 capture new ideas and tasks, and to associate reference material with them.
5839 Org uses the @file{remember.el} package to create tasks, and stores files
5840 related to a task (@i{attachments}) in a special directory. Once in the
5841 system, tasks and projects need to be moved around. Moving completed project
5842 trees to an archive file keeps the system compact and fast.
5845 * Remember:: Capture new tasks/ideas with little interruption
5846 * Attachments:: Add files to tasks.
5847 * RSS Feeds:: Getting input from RSS feeds
5848 * Protocols:: External (e.g. Browser) access to Emacs and Org
5849 * Refiling notes:: Moving a tree from one place to another
5850 * Archiving:: What to do with finished projects
5853 @node Remember, Attachments, Capture - Refile - Archive, Capture - Refile - Archive
5855 @cindex @file{remember.el}
5857 The Remember package by John Wiegley lets you store quick notes with little
5858 interruption of your work flow. It is an excellent way to add new notes and
5859 tasks to Org files. The @code{remember.el} package is part of Emacs 23, not
5860 Emacs 22. See @uref{http://www.emacswiki.org/cgi-bin/wiki/RememberMode} for
5863 Org significantly expands the possibilities of Remember: you may define
5864 templates for different note types, and associate target files and headlines
5865 with specific templates. It also allows you to select the location where a
5866 note should be stored interactively, on the fly.
5869 * Setting up Remember for Org:: Some code for .emacs to get things going
5870 * Remember templates:: Define the outline of different note types
5871 * Storing notes:: Directly get the note to where it belongs
5874 @node Setting up Remember for Org, Remember templates, Remember, Remember
5875 @subsection Setting up Remember for Org
5877 The following customization will tell Remember to use Org files as
5878 target, and to create annotations compatible with Org links.
5881 (org-remember-insinuate)
5882 (setq org-directory "~/path/to/my/orgfiles/")
5883 (setq org-default-notes-file (concat org-directory "/notes.org"))
5884 (define-key global-map "\C-cr" 'org-remember)
5888 The last line binds the command @code{org-remember} to a global
5889 key@footnote{Please select your own key, @kbd{C-c r} is only a
5890 suggestion.}. @code{org-remember} basically just calls Remember,
5891 but it makes a few things easier: if there is an active region, it will
5892 automatically copy the region into the Remember buffer. It also allows
5893 to jump to the buffer and location where Remember notes are being
5894 stored: just call @code{org-remember} with a prefix argument. If you
5895 use two prefix arguments, Org jumps to the location where the last
5896 remember note was stored.
5898 The Remember buffer will actually use @code{org-mode} as its major mode, so
5899 that all editing features of Org mode are available. In addition to this, a
5900 minor mode @code{org-remember-mode} is turned on, for the single purpose that
5901 you can use its keymap @code{org-remember-mode-map} to override some of
5902 Org mode's key bindings.
5904 You can also call @code{org-remember} in a special way from the agenda,
5905 using the @kbd{k r} key combination. With this access, any timestamps
5906 inserted by the selected Remember template (see below) will default to
5907 the cursor date in the agenda, rather than to the current date.
5909 @node Remember templates, Storing notes, Setting up Remember for Org, Remember
5910 @subsection Remember templates
5911 @cindex templates, for Remember
5913 In combination with Org, you can use templates to generate
5914 different types of Remember notes. For example, if you would like
5915 to use one template to create general TODO entries, another one for
5916 journal entries, and a third one for collecting random ideas, you could
5920 (setq org-remember-templates
5921 '(("Todo" ?t "* TODO %?\n %i\n %a" "~/org/TODO.org" "Tasks")
5922 ("Journal" ?j "* %U %?\n\n %i\n %a" "~/org/JOURNAL.org")
5923 ("Idea" ?i "* %^@{Title@}\n %i\n %a" "~/org/JOURNAL.org" "New Ideas")))
5926 @vindex org-remember-default-headline
5927 @vindex org-directory
5928 @noindent In these entries, the first string is just a name, and the
5929 character specifies how to select the template. It is useful if the
5930 character is also the first letter of the name. The next string specifies
5931 the template. Two more (optional) strings give the file in which, and the
5932 headline under which, the new note should be stored. The file (if not
5933 present or @code{nil}) defaults to @code{org-default-notes-file}, the heading
5934 to @code{org-remember-default-headline}. If the file name is not an absolute
5935 path, it will be interpreted relative to @code{org-directory}.
5937 The heading can also be the symbols @code{top} or @code{bottom} to send notes
5938 as level 1 entries to the beginning or end of the file, respectively. It may
5939 also be the symbol @code{date-tree}. Then, a tree with year on level 1,
5940 month on level 2 and day on level three will be built in the file, and the
5941 entry will be filed into the tree under the current date@footnote{If the file
5942 contains an entry with a @code{DATE_TREE} property, the entire date tree will
5943 be built under that entry.}
5945 An optional sixth element specifies the contexts in which the user can select
5946 the template. This element can be a list of major modes or a function.
5947 @code{org-remember} will first check whether the function returns @code{t} or
5948 if we are in any of the listed major modes, and exclude templates for which
5949 this condition is not fulfilled. Templates that do not specify this element
5950 at all, or that use @code{nil} or @code{t} as a value will always be
5956 (setq org-remember-templates
5957 '(("Bug" ?b "* BUG %?\n %i\n %a" "~/org/BUGS.org" "Bugs" (emacs-lisp-mode))
5958 ("Journal" ?j "* %U %?\n\n %i\n %a" "~/org/JOURNAL.org" "X" my-check)
5959 ("Idea" ?i "* %^@{Title@}\n %i\n %a" "~/org/JOURNAL.org" "New Ideas")))
5963 The first template will only be available when invoking @code{org-remember}
5964 from a buffer in @code{emacs-lisp-mode}. The second template will only be
5965 available when the function @code{my-check} returns @code{t}. The third
5966 template will be proposed in any context.
5968 When you call @kbd{M-x org-remember} (or @kbd{M-x remember}) to remember
5969 something, Org will prompt for a key to select the template (if you have
5970 more than one template) and then prepare the buffer like
5973 [[file:@var{link to where you called remember}]]
5977 During expansion of the template, special @kbd{%}-escapes@footnote{If you
5978 need one of these sequences literally, escape the @kbd{%} with a backslash.}
5979 allow dynamic insertion of content:
5981 %^@{@var{prompt}@} @r{prompt the user for a string and replace this sequence with it.}
5982 @r{You may specify a default value and a completion table with}
5983 @r{%^@{prompt|default|completion2|completion3...@}}
5984 @r{The arrow keys access a prompt-specific history.}
5985 %a @r{annotation, normally the link created with @code{org-store-link}}
5986 %A @r{like @code{%a}, but prompt for the description part}
5987 %i @r{initial content, the region when remember is called with C-u.}
5988 @r{The entire text will be indented like @code{%i} itself.}
5989 %t @r{timestamp, date only}
5990 %T @r{timestamp with date and time}
5991 %u, %U @r{like the above, but inactive timestamps}
5992 %^t @r{like @code{%t}, but prompt for date. Similarly @code{%^T}, @code{%^u}, @code{%^U}}
5993 @r{You may define a prompt like @code{%^@{Birthday@}t}}
5994 %n @r{user name (taken from @code{user-full-name})}
5995 %c @r{Current kill ring head.}
5996 %x @r{Content of the X clipboard.}
5997 %^C @r{Interactive selection of which kill or clip to use.}
5998 %^L @r{Like @code{%^C}, but insert as link.}
5999 %k @r{title of the currently clocked task}
6000 %K @r{link to the currently clocked task}
6001 %^g @r{prompt for tags, with completion on tags in target file.}
6002 %^G @r{prompt for tags, with completion all tags in all agenda files.}
6003 %^@{@var{prop}@}p @r{Prompt the user for a value for property @var{prop}}
6004 %:keyword @r{specific information for certain link types, see below}
6005 %[@var{file}] @r{insert the contents of the file given by @var{file}}
6006 %(@var{sexp}) @r{evaluate Elisp @var{sexp} and replace with the result}
6007 %! @r{immediately store note after completing the template}
6008 @r{(skipping the @kbd{C-c C-c} that normally triggers storing)}
6009 %& @r{jump to target location immediately after storing note}
6013 For specific link types, the following keywords will be
6014 defined@footnote{If you define your own link types (@pxref{Adding
6015 hyperlink types}), any property you store with
6016 @code{org-store-link-props} can be accessed in remember templates in a
6019 @vindex org-from-is-user-regexp
6021 Link type | Available keywords
6022 -------------------+----------------------------------------------
6023 bbdb | %:name %:company
6024 bbdb | %::server %:port %:nick
6025 vm, wl, mh, rmail | %:type %:subject %:message-id
6026 | %:from %:fromname %:fromaddress
6027 | %:to %:toname %:toaddress
6028 | %: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}.}}
6029 gnus | %:group, @r{for messages also all email fields}
6031 info | %:file %:node
6036 To place the cursor after template expansion use:
6039 %? @r{After completing the template, position cursor here.}
6043 If you change your mind about which template to use, call
6044 @code{org-remember} in the remember buffer. You may then select a new
6045 template that will be filled with the previous context information.
6047 @node Storing notes, , Remember templates, Remember
6048 @subsection Storing notes
6050 @vindex org-remember-clock-out-on-exit
6051 When you are finished preparing a note with Remember, you have to press
6052 @kbd{C-c C-c} to file the note away. If you have started the clock in the
6053 Remember buffer, you will first be asked if you want to clock out
6054 now@footnote{To avoid this query, configure the variable
6055 @code{org-remember-clock-out-on-exit}.}. If you answer @kbd{n}, the clock
6056 will continue to run after the note was filed away.
6058 The handler will then store the note in the file and under the headline
6059 specified in the template, or it will use the default file and headline. The
6060 window configuration will be restored, sending you back to the working
6061 context before the call to Remember. To re-use the location found during the
6062 last call to Remember, exit the Remember buffer with @kbd{C-0 C-c C-c},
6063 i.e. specify a zero prefix argument to @kbd{C-c C-c}. Another special case
6064 is @kbd{C-2 C-c C-c} which files the note as a child of the currently clocked
6065 item, and @kbd{C-3 C-c C-c} files as a sibling of the currently clocked item.
6067 @vindex org-remember-store-without-prompt
6068 If you want to store the note directly to a different place, use
6069 @kbd{C-1 C-c C-c} instead to exit Remember@footnote{Configure the
6070 variable @code{org-remember-store-without-prompt} to make this behavior
6071 the default.}. The handler will then first prompt for a target file---if
6072 you press @key{RET}, the value specified for the template is used.
6073 Then the command offers the headings tree of the selected file, with the
6074 cursor position at the default headline (if you specified one in the
6075 template). You can either immediately press @key{RET} to get the note
6076 placed there. Or you can use the following keys to find a different
6079 @key{TAB} @r{Cycle visibility.}
6080 @key{down} / @key{up} @r{Next/previous visible headline.}
6081 n / p @r{Next/previous visible headline.}
6082 f / b @r{Next/previous headline same level.}
6084 @c 0-9 @r{Digit argument.}
6087 Pressing @key{RET} or @key{left} or @key{right}
6088 then leads to the following result.
6090 @vindex org-reverse-note-order
6091 @multitable @columnfractions 0.2 0.15 0.65
6092 @item @b{Cursor position} @tab @b{Key} @tab @b{Note gets inserted}
6093 @item on headline @tab @key{RET} @tab as sublevel of the heading at cursor, first or last
6094 @item @tab @tab depending on @code{org-reverse-note-order}.
6095 @item @tab @key{left}/@key{right} @tab as same level, before/after current heading
6096 @item buffer-start @tab @key{RET} @tab as level 2 heading at end of file or level 1 at beginning
6097 @item @tab @tab depending on @code{org-reverse-note-order}.
6098 @item not on headline @tab @key{RET}
6099 @tab at cursor position, level taken from context.
6102 Before inserting the text into a tree, the function ensures that the text has
6103 a headline, i.e. a first line that starts with a @samp{*}. If not, a
6104 headline is constructed from the current date. If you have indented the text
6105 of the note below the headline, the indentation will be adapted if inserting
6106 the note into the tree requires demotion from level 1.
6109 @node Attachments, RSS Feeds, Remember, Capture - Refile - Archive
6110 @section Attachments
6113 @vindex org-attach-directory
6114 It is often useful to associate reference material with an outline node/task.
6115 Small chunks of plain text can simply be stored in the subtree of a project.
6116 Hyperlinks (@pxref{Hyperlinks}) can be used to establish associations with
6117 files that live elsewhere on your computer or in the cloud, like emails or
6118 source code files belonging to a project. Another method is @i{attachments},
6119 which are files located in a directory belonging to an outline node. Org
6120 uses directories named by the unique ID of each entry. These directories are
6121 located in the @file{data} directory which lives in the same directory where
6122 your Org file lives@footnote{If you move entries or Org files from one
6123 directory to another, you may want to configure @code{org-attach-directory}
6124 to contain an absolute path.}. If you initialize this directory with
6125 @code{git init}, Org will automatically commit changes when it sees them.
6126 The attachment system has been contributed to Org by John Wiegley.
6128 In cases where it seems better to do so, you can also attach a directory of your
6129 choice to an entry. You can also make children inherit the attachment
6130 directory from a parent, so that an entire subtree uses the same attached
6133 @noindent The following commands deal with attachments.
6139 The dispatcher for commands related to the attachment system. After these
6140 keys, a list of commands is displayed and you need to press an additional key
6141 to select a command:
6146 @vindex org-attach-method
6147 Select a file and move it into the task's attachment directory. The file
6148 will be copied, moved, or linked, depending on @code{org-attach-method}.
6149 Note that hard links are not supported on all systems.
6155 Attach a file using the copy/move/link method.
6156 Note that hard links are not supported on all systems.
6160 Create a new attachment as an Emacs buffer.
6164 Synchronize the current task with its attachment directory, in case you added
6165 attachments yourself.
6169 @vindex org-file-apps
6170 Open current task's attachment. If there are more than one, prompt for a
6171 file name first. Opening will follow the rules set by @code{org-file-apps}.
6172 For more details, see the information on following hyperlinks
6173 (@pxref{Handling links}).
6177 Also open the attachment, but force opening the file in Emacs.
6181 Open the current task's attachment directory.
6185 Also open the directory, but force using @command{dired} in Emacs.
6189 Select and delete a single attachment.
6193 Delete all of a task's attachments. A safer way is to open the directory in
6194 @command{dired} and delete from there.
6198 @cindex property, ATTACH_DIR
6199 Set a specific directory as the entry's attachment directory. This works by
6200 putting the directory path into the @code{ATTACH_DIR} property.
6204 @cindex property, ATTACH_DIR_INHERIT
6205 Set the @code{ATTACH_DIR_INHERIT} property, so that children will use the
6206 same directory for attachments as the parent does.
6210 @node RSS Feeds, Protocols, Attachments, Capture - Refile - Archive
6214 Org has the capability to add and change entries based on information found in
6215 RSS feeds. You could use this to make a task out of each new podcast in a
6216 podcast feed. Or you could use a phone-based note-creating service on the
6217 web to import tasks into Org. To access feeds, you need to configure the
6218 variable @code{org-feed-alist}. The docstring of this variable has detailed
6219 information. Here is just an example:
6222 (setq org-feed-alist
6223 '(("ReQall" "http://www.reqall.com/user/feeds/rss/a1b2c3....."
6224 "~/org/feeds.org" "ReQall Entries")
6227 will configure that new items from the feed provided by @file{reqall.com}
6228 will result in new entries in the file @file{~/org/feeds.org} under the
6229 heading @samp{ReQall Entries}, whenever the following command is used:
6234 Collect items from the feeds configured in @code{org-feed-alist} and act upon
6238 Prompt for a feed name and go to the inbox configured for this feed.
6241 Under the same headline, Org will create a drawer @samp{FEEDSTATUS} in which
6242 it will store information about the status of items in the feed, to avoid
6243 adding the same item several times. You should add @samp{FEEDSTATUS} to the
6244 list of drawers in that file:
6247 #+DRAWERS: LOGBOOK PROPERTIES FEEDSTATUS
6250 For more information, see @file{org-feed.el} and the docstring of
6251 @code{org-feed-alist}.
6253 @node Protocols, Refiling notes, RSS Feeds, Capture - Refile - Archive
6254 @section Protocols for external access
6255 @cindex protocols, for external access
6258 You can set up Org for handling protocol calls from outside applications that
6259 are passed to Emacs through the @file{emacsserver}. For example, you can
6260 configure bookmarks in your web browser to send a link to the current page to
6261 Org and create a note from it using Remember (@pxref{Remember}). Or you
6262 could create a bookmark that will tell Emacs to open the local source file of
6263 a remote website you are looking at with the browser. See
6264 @uref{http://orgmode.org/worg/org-contrib/org-protocol.php} for detailed
6265 documentation and setup instructions.
6267 @node Refiling notes, Archiving, Protocols, Capture - Refile - Archive
6268 @section Refiling notes
6269 @cindex refiling notes
6271 When reviewing the captured data, you may want to refile some of the entries
6272 into a different list, for example into a project. Cutting, finding the
6273 right location, and then pasting the note is cumbersome. To simplify this
6274 process, you can use the following special command:
6279 @vindex org-reverse-note-order
6280 @vindex org-refile-targets
6281 @vindex org-refile-use-outline-path
6282 @vindex org-outline-path-complete-in-steps
6283 @vindex org-refile-allow-creating-parent-nodes
6284 @vindex org-log-refile
6285 @vindex org-refile-use-cache
6286 Refile the entry or region at point. This command offers possible locations
6287 for refiling the entry and lets you select one with completion. The item (or
6288 all items in the region) is filed below the target heading as a subitem.
6289 Depending on @code{org-reverse-note-order}, it will be either the first or
6291 By default, all level 1 headlines in the current buffer are considered to be
6292 targets, but you can have more complex definitions across a number of files.
6293 See the variable @code{org-refile-targets} for details. If you would like to
6294 select a location via a file-path-like completion along the outline path, see
6295 the variables @code{org-refile-use-outline-path} and
6296 @code{org-outline-path-complete-in-steps}. If you would like to be able to
6297 create new nodes as new parents for refiling on the fly, check the
6298 variable @code{org-refile-allow-creating-parent-nodes}.
6299 When the variable @code{org-log-refile}@footnote{with corresponding
6300 @code{#+STARTUP} keywords @code{logrefile}, @code{lognoterefile},
6301 and @code{nologrefile}} is set, a time stamp or a note will be
6302 recorded when an entry has been refiled.
6305 Use the refile interface to jump to a heading.
6306 @kindex C-u C-u C-c C-w
6307 @item C-u C-u C-c C-w
6308 Jump to the location where @code{org-refile} last moved a tree to.
6310 Refile as the child of the item currently being clocked.
6311 @item C-0 C-c C-w @ @r{or} @ C-u C-u C-u C-c C-w
6312 Clear the target cache. Caching of refile targets can be turned on by
6313 setting @code{org-refile-use-cache}. To make the command seen new possible
6314 targets, you have to clear the cache with this command.
6317 @node Archiving, , Refiling notes, Capture - Refile - Archive
6321 When a project represented by a (sub)tree is finished, you may want
6322 to move the tree out of the way and to stop it from contributing to the
6323 agenda. Archiving is important to keep your working files compact and global
6324 searches like the construction of agenda views fast.
6329 @vindex org-archive-default-command
6330 Archive the current entry using the command specified in the variable
6331 @code{org-archive-default-command}.
6335 * Moving subtrees:: Moving a tree to an archive file
6336 * Internal archiving:: Switch off a tree but keep i in the file
6339 @node Moving subtrees, Internal archiving, Archiving, Archiving
6340 @subsection Moving a tree to the archive file
6341 @cindex external archiving
6343 The most common archiving action is to move a project tree to another file,
6349 @item C-c C-x C-s@ @r{or short} @ C-c $
6350 @vindex org-archive-location
6351 Archive the subtree starting at the cursor position to the location
6352 given by @code{org-archive-location}.
6353 @kindex C-u C-c C-x C-s
6354 @item C-u C-c C-x C-s
6355 Check if any direct children of the current headline could be moved to
6356 the archive. To do this, each subtree is checked for open TODO entries.
6357 If none are found, the command offers to move it to the archive
6358 location. If the cursor is @emph{not} on a headline when this command
6359 is invoked, the level 1 trees will be checked.
6362 @cindex archive locations
6363 The default archive location is a file in the same directory as the
6364 current file, with the name derived by appending @file{_archive} to the
6365 current file name. For information and examples on how to change this,
6366 see the documentation string of the variable
6367 @code{org-archive-location}. There is also an in-buffer option for
6368 setting this variable, for example@footnote{For backward compatibility,
6369 the following also works: If there are several such lines in a file,
6370 each specifies the archive location for the text below it. The first
6371 such line also applies to any text before its definition. However,
6372 using this method is @emph{strongly} deprecated as it is incompatible
6373 with the outline structure of the document. The correct method for
6374 setting multiple archive locations in a buffer is using properties.}:
6378 #+ARCHIVE: %s_done::
6381 @cindex property, ARCHIVE
6383 If you would like to have a special ARCHIVE location for a single entry
6384 or a (sub)tree, give the entry an @code{:ARCHIVE:} property with the
6385 location as the value (@pxref{Properties and Columns}).
6387 @vindex org-archive-save-context-info
6388 When a subtree is moved, it receives a number of special properties that
6389 record context information like the file from where the entry came, its
6390 outline path the archiving time etc. Configure the variable
6391 @code{org-archive-save-context-info} to adjust the amount of information
6395 @node Internal archiving, , Moving subtrees, Archiving
6396 @subsection Internal archiving
6398 If you want to just switch off (for agenda views) certain subtrees without
6399 moving them to a different file, you can use the @code{ARCHIVE tag}.
6401 A headline that is marked with the ARCHIVE tag (@pxref{Tags}) stays at
6402 its location in the outline tree, but behaves in the following way:
6405 @vindex org-cycle-open-archived-trees
6406 It does not open when you attempt to do so with a visibility cycling
6407 command (@pxref{Visibility cycling}). You can force cycling archived
6408 subtrees with @kbd{C-@key{TAB}}, or by setting the option
6409 @code{org-cycle-open-archived-trees}. Also normal outline commands like
6410 @code{show-all} will open archived subtrees.
6412 @vindex org-sparse-tree-open-archived-trees
6413 During sparse tree construction (@pxref{Sparse trees}), matches in
6414 archived subtrees are not exposed, unless you configure the option
6415 @code{org-sparse-tree-open-archived-trees}.
6417 @vindex org-agenda-skip-archived-trees
6418 During agenda view construction (@pxref{Agenda Views}), the content of
6419 archived trees is ignored unless you configure the option
6420 @code{org-agenda-skip-archived-trees}, in which case these trees will always
6421 be included. In the agenda you can press @kbd{v a} to get archives
6422 temporarily included.
6424 @vindex org-export-with-archived-trees
6425 Archived trees are not exported (@pxref{Exporting}), only the headline
6426 is. Configure the details using the variable
6427 @code{org-export-with-archived-trees}.
6429 @vindex org-columns-skip-arrchived-trees
6430 Archived trees are excluded from column view unless the variable
6431 @code{org-columns-skip-arrchived-trees} is configured to @code{nil}.
6434 The following commands help managing the ARCHIVE tag:
6439 Toggle the ARCHIVE tag for the current headline. When the tag is set,
6440 the headline changes to a shadowed face, and the subtree below it is
6442 @kindex C-u C-c C-x a
6444 Check if any direct children of the current headline should be archived.
6445 To do this, each subtree is checked for open TODO entries. If none are
6446 found, the command offers to set the ARCHIVE tag for the child. If the
6447 cursor is @emph{not} on a headline when this command is invoked, the
6448 level 1 trees will be checked.
6451 Cycle a tree even if it is tagged with ARCHIVE.
6454 Move the current entry to the @emph{Archive Sibling}. This is a sibling of
6455 the entry with the heading @samp{Archive} and the tag @samp{ARCHIVE}. The
6456 entry becomes a child of that sibling and in this way retains a lot of its
6457 original context, including inherited tags and approximate position in the
6462 @node Agenda Views, Markup, Capture - Refile - Archive, Top
6463 @chapter Agenda Views
6464 @cindex agenda views
6466 Due to the way Org works, TODO items, time-stamped items, and
6467 tagged headlines can be scattered throughout a file or even a number of
6468 files. To get an overview of open action items, or of events that are
6469 important for a particular date, this information must be collected,
6470 sorted and displayed in an organized way.
6472 Org can select items based on various criteria and display them
6473 in a separate buffer. Seven different view types are provided:
6477 an @emph{agenda} that is like a calendar and shows information
6480 a @emph{TODO list} that covers all unfinished
6483 a @emph{match view}, showings headlines based on the tags, properties, and
6484 TODO state associated with them,
6486 a @emph{timeline view} that shows all events in a single Org file,
6487 in time-sorted view,
6489 a @emph{text search view} that shows all entries from multiple files
6490 that contain specified keywords,
6492 a @emph{stuck projects view} showing projects that currently don't move
6495 @emph{custom views} that are special searches and combinations of different
6500 The extracted information is displayed in a special @emph{agenda
6501 buffer}. This buffer is read-only, but provides commands to visit the
6502 corresponding locations in the original Org files, and even to
6503 edit these files remotely.
6505 @vindex org-agenda-window-setup
6506 @vindex org-agenda-restore-windows-after-quit
6507 Two variables control how the agenda buffer is displayed and whether the
6508 window configuration is restored when the agenda exits:
6509 @code{org-agenda-window-setup} and
6510 @code{org-agenda-restore-windows-after-quit}.
6513 * Agenda files:: Files being searched for agenda information
6514 * Agenda dispatcher:: Keyboard access to agenda views
6515 * Built-in agenda views:: What is available out of the box?
6516 * Presentation and sorting:: How agenda items are prepared for display
6517 * Agenda commands:: Remote editing of Org trees
6518 * Custom agenda views:: Defining special searches and views
6519 * Exporting Agenda Views:: Writing a view to a file
6520 * Agenda column view:: Using column view for collected entries
6523 @node Agenda files, Agenda dispatcher, Agenda Views, Agenda Views
6524 @section Agenda files
6525 @cindex agenda files
6526 @cindex files for agenda
6528 @vindex org-agenda-files
6529 The information to be shown is normally collected from all @emph{agenda
6530 files}, the files listed in the variable
6531 @code{org-agenda-files}@footnote{If the value of that variable is not a
6532 list, but a single file name, then the list of agenda files will be
6533 maintained in that external file.}. If a directory is part of this list,
6534 all files with the extension @file{.org} in this directory will be part
6537 Thus, even if you only work with a single Org file, that file should
6538 be put into the list@footnote{When using the dispatcher, pressing
6539 @kbd{<} before selecting a command will actually limit the command to
6540 the current file, and ignore @code{org-agenda-files} until the next
6541 dispatcher command.}. You can customize @code{org-agenda-files}, but
6542 the easiest way to maintain it is through the following commands
6544 @cindex files, adding to agenda list
6548 Add current file to the list of agenda files. The file is added to
6549 the front of the list. If it was already in the list, it is moved to
6550 the front. With a prefix argument, file is added/moved to the end.
6553 Remove current file from the list of agenda files.
6558 Cycle through agenda file list, visiting one file after the other.
6559 @kindex M-x org-iswitchb
6560 @item M-x org-iswitchb
6561 Command to use an @code{iswitchb}-like interface to switch to and between Org
6566 The Org menu contains the current list of files and can be used
6567 to visit any of them.
6569 If you would like to focus the agenda temporarily on a file not in
6570 this list, or on just one file in the list, or even on only a subtree in a
6571 file, then this can be done in different ways. For a single agenda command,
6572 you may press @kbd{<} once or several times in the dispatcher
6573 (@pxref{Agenda dispatcher}). To restrict the agenda scope for an
6574 extended period, use the following commands:
6579 Permanently restrict the agenda to the current subtree. When with a
6580 prefix argument, or with the cursor before the first headline in a file,
6581 the agenda scope is set to the entire file. This restriction remains in
6582 effect until removed with @kbd{C-c C-x >}, or by typing either @kbd{<}
6583 or @kbd{>} in the agenda dispatcher. If there is a window displaying an
6584 agenda view, the new restriction takes effect immediately.
6587 Remove the permanent restriction created by @kbd{C-c C-x <}.
6591 When working with @file{speedbar.el}, you can use the following commands in
6595 @item < @r{in the speedbar frame}
6596 Permanently restrict the agenda to the item---either an Org file or a subtree
6597 in such a file---at the cursor in the Speedbar frame.
6598 If there is a window displaying an agenda view, the new restriction takes
6601 @item > @r{in the speedbar frame}
6602 Lift the restriction.
6605 @node Agenda dispatcher, Built-in agenda views, Agenda files, Agenda Views
6606 @section The agenda dispatcher
6607 @cindex agenda dispatcher
6608 @cindex dispatching agenda commands
6609 The views are created through a dispatcher, which should be bound to a
6610 global key---for example @kbd{C-c a} (@pxref{Installation}). In the
6611 following we will assume that @kbd{C-c a} is indeed how the dispatcher
6612 is accessed and list keyboard access to commands accordingly. After
6613 pressing @kbd{C-c a}, an additional letter is required to execute a
6614 command. The dispatcher offers the following default commands:
6617 Create the calendar-like agenda (@pxref{Weekly/daily agenda}).
6619 Create a list of all TODO items (@pxref{Global TODO list}).
6621 Create a list of headlines matching a TAGS expression (@pxref{Matching
6622 tags and properties}).
6624 Create the timeline view for the current buffer (@pxref{Timeline}).
6626 Create a list of entries selected by a boolean expression of keywords
6627 and/or regular expressions that must or must not occur in the entry.
6629 @vindex org-agenda-text-search-extra-files
6630 Search for a regular expression in all agenda files and additionally in
6631 the files listed in @code{org-agenda-text-search-extra-files}. This
6632 uses the Emacs command @code{multi-occur}. A prefix argument can be
6633 used to specify the number of context lines for each match, default is
6636 Create a list of stuck projects (@pxref{Stuck projects}).
6638 Restrict an agenda command to the current buffer@footnote{For backward
6639 compatibility, you can also press @kbd{1} to restrict to the current
6640 buffer.}. After pressing @kbd{<}, you still need to press the character
6641 selecting the command.
6643 If there is an active region, restrict the following agenda command to
6644 the region. Otherwise, restrict it to the current subtree@footnote{For
6645 backward compatibility, you can also press @kbd{0} to restrict to the
6646 current region/subtree.}. After pressing @kbd{< <}, you still need to press the
6647 character selecting the command.
6650 You can also define custom commands that will be accessible through the
6651 dispatcher, just like the default commands. This includes the
6652 possibility to create extended agenda buffers that contain several
6653 blocks together, for example the weekly agenda, the global TODO list and
6654 a number of special tags matches. @xref{Custom agenda views}.
6656 @node Built-in agenda views, Presentation and sorting, Agenda dispatcher, Agenda Views
6657 @section The built-in agenda views
6659 In this section we describe the built-in views.
6662 * Weekly/daily agenda:: The calendar page with current tasks
6663 * Global TODO list:: All unfinished action items
6664 * Matching tags and properties:: Structured information with fine-tuned search
6665 * Timeline:: Time-sorted view for single file
6666 * Search view:: Find entries by searching for text
6667 * Stuck projects:: Find projects you need to review
6670 @node Weekly/daily agenda, Global TODO list, Built-in agenda views, Built-in agenda views
6671 @subsection The weekly/daily agenda
6673 @cindex weekly agenda
6674 @cindex daily agenda
6676 The purpose of the weekly/daily @emph{agenda} is to act like a page of a
6677 paper agenda, showing all the tasks for the current week or day.
6680 @cindex org-agenda, command
6683 @vindex org-agenda-ndays
6684 Compile an agenda for the current week from a list of Org files. The agenda
6685 shows the entries for each day. With a numeric prefix@footnote{For backward
6686 compatibility, the universal prefix @kbd{C-u} causes all TODO entries to be
6687 listed before the agenda. This feature is deprecated, use the dedicated TODO
6688 list, or a block agenda instead (@pxref{Block agenda}).} (like @kbd{C-u 2 1
6689 C-c a a}) you may set the number of days to be displayed (see also the
6690 variable @code{org-agenda-ndays})
6693 Remote editing from the agenda buffer means, for example, that you can
6694 change the dates of deadlines and appointments from the agenda buffer.
6695 The commands available in the Agenda buffer are listed in @ref{Agenda
6698 @subsubheading Calendar/Diary integration
6699 @cindex calendar integration
6700 @cindex diary integration
6702 Emacs contains the calendar and diary by Edward M. Reingold. The
6703 calendar displays a three-month calendar with holidays from different
6704 countries and cultures. The diary allows you to keep track of
6705 anniversaries, lunar phases, sunrise/set, recurrent appointments
6706 (weekly, monthly) and more. In this way, it is quite complementary to
6707 Org. It can be very useful to combine output from Org with
6710 In order to include entries from the Emacs diary into Org mode's
6711 agenda, you only need to customize the variable
6714 (setq org-agenda-include-diary t)
6717 @noindent After that, everything will happen automatically. All diary
6718 entries including holidays, anniversaries, etc., will be included in the
6719 agenda buffer created by Org mode. @key{SPC}, @key{TAB}, and
6720 @key{RET} can be used from the agenda buffer to jump to the diary
6721 file in order to edit existing diary entries. The @kbd{i} command to
6722 insert new entries for the current date works in the agenda buffer, as
6723 well as the commands @kbd{S}, @kbd{M}, and @kbd{C} to display
6724 Sunrise/Sunset times, show lunar phases and to convert to other
6725 calendars, respectively. @kbd{c} can be used to switch back and forth
6726 between calendar and agenda.
6728 If you are using the diary only for sexp entries and holidays, it is
6729 faster to not use the above setting, but instead to copy or even move
6730 the entries into an Org file. Org mode evaluates diary-style sexp
6731 entries, and does it faster because there is no overhead for first
6732 creating the diary display. Note that the sexp entries must start at
6733 the left margin, no whitespace is allowed before them. For example,
6734 the following segment of an Org file will be processed and entries
6735 will be made in the agenda:
6738 * Birthdays and similar stuff
6740 %%(org-calendar-holiday) ; special function for holiday names
6742 %%(diary-anniversary 5 14 1956)@footnote{Note that the order of the arguments (month, day, year) depends on the setting of @code{calendar-date-style}.} Arthur Dent is %d years old
6743 %%(diary-anniversary 10 2 1869) Mahatma Gandhi would be %d years old
6746 @subsubheading Anniversaries from BBDB
6747 @cindex BBDB, anniversaries
6748 @cindex anniversaries, from BBDB
6750 If you are using the Big Brothers Database to store your contacts, you will
6751 very likely prefer to store anniversaries in BBDB rather than in a
6752 separate Org or diary file. Org supports this and will show BBDB
6753 anniversaries as part of the agenda. All you need to do is to add the
6754 following to one your your agenda files:
6761 %%(org-bbdb-anniversaries)
6764 You can then go ahead and define anniversaries for a BBDB record. Basically,
6765 you need to press @kbd{C-o anniversary @key{RET}} with the cursor in a BBDB
6766 record and then add the date in the format @code{YYYY-MM-DD}, followed by a
6767 space and the class of the anniversary (@samp{birthday} or @samp{wedding}, or
6768 a format string). If you omit the class, it will default to @samp{birthday}.
6769 Here are a few examples, the header for the file @file{org-bbdb.el} contains
6770 more detailed information.
6775 2008-04-14 %s released version 6.01 of org-mode, %d years ago
6778 After a change to BBDB, or for the first agenda display during an Emacs
6779 session, the agenda display will suffer a short delay as Org updates its
6780 hash with anniversaries. However, from then on things will be very fast---much
6781 faster in fact than a long list of @samp{%%(diary-anniversary)} entries
6782 in an Org or Diary file.
6784 @subsubheading Appointment reminders
6785 @cindex @file{appt.el}
6786 @cindex appointment reminders
6788 Org can interact with Emacs appointments notification facility. To add all
6789 the appointments of your agenda files, use the command
6790 @code{org-agenda-to-appt}. This command also lets you filter through the
6791 list of your appointments and add only those belonging to a specific category
6792 or matching a regular expression. See the docstring for details.
6794 @node Global TODO list, Matching tags and properties, Weekly/daily agenda, Built-in agenda views
6795 @subsection The global TODO list
6796 @cindex global TODO list
6797 @cindex TODO list, global
6799 The global TODO list contains all unfinished TODO items formatted and
6800 collected into a single place.
6805 Show the global TODO list. This collects the TODO items from all
6806 agenda files (@pxref{Agenda Views}) into a single buffer. The buffer is in
6807 @code{agenda-mode}, so there are commands to examine and manipulate
6808 the TODO entries directly from that buffer (@pxref{Agenda commands}).
6811 @cindex TODO keyword matching
6812 @vindex org-todo-keywords
6813 Like the above, but allows selection of a specific TODO keyword. You
6814 can also do this by specifying a prefix argument to @kbd{C-c a t}. With
6815 a @kbd{C-u} prefix you are prompted for a keyword, and you may also
6816 specify several keywords by separating them with @samp{|} as the boolean OR
6817 operator. With a numeric prefix, the nth keyword in
6818 @code{org-todo-keywords} is selected.
6820 The @kbd{r} key in the agenda buffer regenerates it, and you can give
6821 a prefix argument to this command to change the selected TODO keyword,
6822 for example @kbd{3 r}. If you often need a search for a specific
6823 keyword, define a custom command for it (@pxref{Agenda dispatcher}).@*
6824 Matching specific TODO keywords can also be done as part of a tags
6825 search (@pxref{Tag searches}).
6828 Remote editing of TODO items means that you can change the state of a
6829 TODO entry with a single key press. The commands available in the
6830 TODO list are described in @ref{Agenda commands}.
6832 @cindex sublevels, inclusion into TODO list
6833 Normally the global TODO list simply shows all headlines with TODO
6834 keywords. This list can become very long. There are two ways to keep
6838 @vindex org-agenda-todo-ignore-scheduled
6839 @vindex org-agenda-todo-ignore-deadlines
6840 @vindex org-agenda-todo-ignore-with-date
6841 Some people view a TODO item that has been @emph{scheduled} for execution or
6842 have a @emph{deadline} (@pxref{Timestamps}) as no longer @emph{open}.
6843 Configure the variables @code{org-agenda-todo-ignore-scheduled},
6844 @code{org-agenda-todo-ignore-deadlines}, and/or
6845 @code{org-agenda-todo-ignore-with-date} to exclude such items from the
6848 @vindex org-agenda-todo-list-sublevels
6849 TODO items may have sublevels to break up the task into subtasks. In
6850 such cases it may be enough to list only the highest level TODO headline
6851 and omit the sublevels from the global list. Configure the variable
6852 @code{org-agenda-todo-list-sublevels} to get this behavior.
6855 @node Matching tags and properties, Timeline, Global TODO list, Built-in agenda views
6856 @subsection Matching tags and properties
6857 @cindex matching, of tags
6858 @cindex matching, of properties
6862 If headlines in the agenda files are marked with @emph{tags} (@pxref{Tags}),
6863 or have properties (@pxref{Properties and Columns}), you can select headlines
6864 based on this metadata and collect them into an agenda buffer. The match
6865 syntax described here also applies when creating sparse trees with @kbd{C-c /
6871 Produce a list of all headlines that match a given set of tags. The
6872 command prompts for a selection criterion, which is a boolean logic
6873 expression with tags, like @samp{+work+urgent-withboss} or
6874 @samp{work|home} (@pxref{Tags}). If you often need a specific search,
6875 define a custom command for it (@pxref{Agenda dispatcher}).
6878 @vindex org-tags-match-list-sublevels
6879 @vindex org-agenda-tags-todo-honor-ignore-options
6880 Like @kbd{C-c a m}, but only select headlines that are also TODO items and
6881 force checking subitems (see variable @code{org-tags-match-list-sublevels}).
6882 To exclude scheduled/deadline items, see the variable
6883 @code{org-agenda-tags-todo-honor-ignore-options}. Matching specific TODO
6884 keywords together with a tags match is also possible, see @ref{Tag searches}.
6887 The commands available in the tags list are described in @ref{Agenda
6890 @subsubheading Match syntax
6892 @cindex Boolean logic, for tag/property searches
6893 A search string can use Boolean operators @samp{&} for AND and @samp{|} for
6894 OR. @samp{&} binds more strongly than @samp{|}. Parentheses are currently
6895 not implemented. Each element in the search is either a tag, a regular
6896 expression matching tags, or an expression like @code{PROPERTY OPERATOR
6897 VALUE} with a comparison operator, accessing a property value. Each element
6898 may be preceded by @samp{-}, to select against it, and @samp{+} is syntactic
6899 sugar for positive selection. The AND operator @samp{&} is optional when
6900 @samp{+} or @samp{-} is present. Here are some examples, using only tags.
6904 Select headlines tagged @samp{:work:}, but discard those also tagged
6907 Selects lines tagged @samp{:work:} or @samp{:laptop:}.
6908 @item work|laptop+night
6909 Like before, but require the @samp{:laptop:} lines to be tagged also
6913 @cindex regular expressions, with tags search
6914 Instead of a tag, you may also specify a regular expression enclosed in curly
6915 braces. For example,
6916 @samp{work+@{^boss.*@}} matches headlines that contain the tag
6917 @samp{:work:} and any tag @i{starting} with @samp{boss}.
6919 @cindex TODO keyword matching, with tags search
6920 @cindex level, require for tags/property match
6921 @cindex category, require for tags/property match
6922 @vindex org-odd-levels-only
6923 You may also test for properties (@pxref{Properties and Columns}) at the same
6924 time as matching tags. The properties may be real properties, or special
6925 properties that represent other metadata (@pxref{Special properties}). For
6926 example, the ``property'' @code{TODO} represents the TODO keyword of the
6927 entry. Or, the ``property'' @code{LEVEL} represents the level of an entry.
6928 So a search @samp{+LEVEL=3+boss-TODO="DONE"} lists all level three headlines
6929 that have the tag @samp{boss} and are @emph{not} marked with the TODO keyword
6930 DONE. In buffers with @code{org-odd-levels-only} set, @samp{LEVEL} does not
6931 count the number of stars, but @samp{LEVEL=2} will correspond to 3 stars etc.
6933 Here are more examples:
6935 @item work+TODO="WAITING"
6936 Select @samp{:work:}-tagged TODO lines with the specific TODO
6937 keyword @samp{WAITING}.
6938 @item work+TODO="WAITING"|home+TODO="WAITING"
6939 Waiting tasks both at work and at home.
6942 When matching properties, a number of different operators can be used to test
6943 the value of a property. Here is a complex example:
6946 +work-boss+PRIORITY="A"+Coffee="unlimited"+Effort<2 \
6947 +With=@{Sarah\|Denny@}+SCHEDULED>="<2008-10-11>"
6951 The type of comparison will depend on how the comparison value is written:
6954 If the comparison value is a plain number, a numerical comparison is done,
6955 and the allowed operators are @samp{<}, @samp{=}, @samp{>}, @samp{<=},
6956 @samp{>=}, and @samp{<>}.
6958 If the comparison value is enclosed in double-quotes,
6959 a string comparison is done, and the same operators are allowed.
6961 If the comparison value is enclosed in double-quotes @emph{and} angular
6962 brackets (like @samp{DEADLINE<="<2008-12-24 18:30>"}), both values are
6963 assumed to be date/time specifications in the standard Org way, and the
6964 comparison will be done accordingly. Special values that will be recognized
6965 are @code{"<now>"} for now (including time), and @code{"<today>"}, and
6966 @code{"<tomorrow>"} for these days at 0:00 hours, i.e. without a time
6967 specification. Also strings like @code{"<+5d>"} or @code{"<-2m>"} with units
6968 @code{d}, @code{w}, @code{m}, and @code{y} for day, week, month, and year,
6969 respectively, can be used.
6971 If the comparison value is enclosed
6972 in curly braces, a regexp match is performed, with @samp{=} meaning that the
6973 regexp matches the property value, and @samp{<>} meaning that it does not
6977 So the search string in the example finds entries tagged @samp{:work:} but
6978 not @samp{:boss:}, which also have a priority value @samp{A}, a
6979 @samp{:Coffee:} property with the value @samp{unlimited}, an @samp{Effort}
6980 property that is numerically smaller than 2, a @samp{:With:} property that is
6981 matched by the regular expression @samp{Sarah\|Denny}, and that are scheduled
6982 on or after October 11, 2008.
6984 Accessing TODO, LEVEL, and CATEGORY during a search is fast. Accessing any
6985 other properties will slow down the search. However, once you have paid the
6986 price by accessing one property, testing additional properties is cheap
6989 You can configure Org mode to use property inheritance during a search, but
6990 beware that this can slow down searches considerably. See @ref{Property
6991 inheritance}, for details.
6993 For backward compatibility, and also for typing speed, there is also a
6994 different way to test TODO states in a search. For this, terminate the
6995 tags/property part of the search string (which may include several terms
6996 connected with @samp{|}) with a @samp{/} and then specify a Boolean
6997 expression just for TODO keywords. The syntax is then similar to that for
6998 tags, but should be applied with care: for example, a positive
6999 selection on several TODO keywords cannot meaningfully be combined with
7000 boolean AND. However, @emph{negative selection} combined with AND can be
7001 meaningful. To make sure that only lines are checked that actually have any
7002 TODO keyword (resulting in a speed-up), use @kbd{C-c a M}, or equivalently
7003 start the TODO part after the slash with @samp{!}. Examples:
7007 Same as @samp{work+TODO="WAITING"}
7008 @item work/!-WAITING-NEXT
7009 Select @samp{:work:}-tagged TODO lines that are neither @samp{WAITING}
7011 @item work/!+WAITING|+NEXT
7012 Select @samp{:work:}-tagged TODO lines that are either @samp{WAITING} or
7016 @node Timeline, Search view, Matching tags and properties, Built-in agenda views
7017 @subsection Timeline for a single file
7018 @cindex timeline, single file
7019 @cindex time-sorted view
7021 The timeline summarizes all time-stamped items from a single Org mode
7022 file in a @emph{time-sorted view}. The main purpose of this command is
7023 to give an overview over events in a project.
7028 Show a time-sorted view of the Org file, with all time-stamped items.
7029 When called with a @kbd{C-u} prefix, all unfinished TODO entries
7030 (scheduled or not) are also listed under the current date.
7034 The commands available in the timeline buffer are listed in
7035 @ref{Agenda commands}.
7037 @node Search view, Stuck projects, Timeline, Built-in agenda views
7038 @subsection Search view
7041 @cindex searching, for text
7043 This agenda view is a general text search facility for Org mode entries.
7044 It is particularly useful to find notes.
7049 This is a special search that lets you select entries by matching a substring
7050 or specific words using a boolean logic.
7052 For example, the search string @samp{computer equipment} will find entries
7053 that contain @samp{computer equipment} as a substring. If the two words are
7054 separated by more space or a line break, the search will still match.
7055 Search view can also search for specific keywords in the entry, using Boolean
7056 logic. The search string @samp{+computer +wifi -ethernet -@{8\.11[bg]@}}
7057 will search for note entries that contain the keywords @code{computer}
7058 and @code{wifi}, but not the keyword @code{ethernet}, and which are also
7059 not matched by the regular expression @code{8\.11[bg]}, meaning to
7060 exclude both 8.11b and 8.11g. The first @samp{+} is necessary to turn on
7061 word search, other @samp{+} characters are optional. For more details, see
7062 the docstring of the command @code{org-search-view}.
7064 @vindex org-agenda-text-search-extra-files
7065 Note that in addition to the agenda files, this command will also search
7066 the files listed in @code{org-agenda-text-search-extra-files}.
7068 @node Stuck projects, , Search view, Built-in agenda views
7069 @subsection Stuck projects
7071 If you are following a system like David Allen's GTD to organize your
7072 work, one of the ``duties'' you have is a regular review to make sure
7073 that all projects move along. A @emph{stuck} project is a project that
7074 has no defined next actions, so it will never show up in the TODO lists
7075 Org mode produces. During the review, you need to identify such
7076 projects and define next actions for them.
7081 List projects that are stuck.
7084 @vindex org-stuck-projects
7085 Customize the variable @code{org-stuck-projects} to define what a stuck
7086 project is and how to find it.
7089 You almost certainly will have to configure this view before it will
7090 work for you. The built-in default assumes that all your projects are
7091 level-2 headlines, and that a project is not stuck if it has at least
7092 one entry marked with a TODO keyword TODO or NEXT or NEXTACTION.
7094 Let's assume that you, in your own way of using Org mode, identify
7095 projects with a tag PROJECT, and that you use a TODO keyword MAYBE to
7096 indicate a project that should not be considered yet. Let's further
7097 assume that the TODO keyword DONE marks finished projects, and that NEXT
7098 and TODO indicate next actions. The tag @@SHOP indicates shopping and
7099 is a next action even without the NEXT tag. Finally, if the project
7100 contains the special word IGNORE anywhere, it should not be listed
7101 either. In this case you would start by identifying eligible projects
7102 with a tags/todo match@footnote{@xref{Tag searches}.}
7103 @samp{+PROJECT/-MAYBE-DONE}, and then check for TODO, NEXT, @@SHOP, and
7104 IGNORE in the subtree to identify projects that are not stuck. The
7105 correct customization for this is
7108 (setq org-stuck-projects
7109 '("+PROJECT/-MAYBE-DONE" ("NEXT" "TODO") ("@@SHOP")
7113 Note that if a project is identified as non-stuck, the subtree of this entry
7114 will still be searched for stuck projects.
7116 @node Presentation and sorting, Agenda commands, Built-in agenda views, Agenda Views
7117 @section Presentation and sorting
7118 @cindex presentation, of agenda items
7120 @vindex org-agenda-prefix-format
7121 Before displaying items in an agenda view, Org mode visually prepares
7122 the items and sorts them. Each item occupies a single line. The line
7123 starts with a @emph{prefix} that contains the @emph{category}
7124 (@pxref{Categories}) of the item and other important information. You can
7125 customize the prefix using the option @code{org-agenda-prefix-format}.
7126 The prefix is followed by a cleaned-up version of the outline headline
7127 associated with the item.
7130 * Categories:: Not all tasks are equal
7131 * Time-of-day specifications:: How the agenda knows the time
7132 * Sorting of agenda items:: The order of things
7135 @node Categories, Time-of-day specifications, Presentation and sorting, Presentation and sorting
7136 @subsection Categories
7139 The category is a broad label assigned to each agenda item. By default,
7140 the category is simply derived from the file name, but you can also
7141 specify it with a special line in the buffer, like this@footnote{For
7142 backward compatibility, the following also works: if there are several
7143 such lines in a file, each specifies the category for the text below it.
7144 The first category also applies to any text before the first CATEGORY
7145 line. However, using this method is @emph{strongly} deprecated as it is
7146 incompatible with the outline structure of the document. The correct
7147 method for setting multiple categories in a buffer is using a
7155 @cindex property, CATEGORY
7156 If you would like to have a special CATEGORY for a single entry or a
7157 (sub)tree, give the entry a @code{:CATEGORY:} property with the
7158 special category you want to apply as the value.
7161 The display in the agenda buffer looks best if the category is not
7162 longer than 10 characters.
7164 @node Time-of-day specifications, Sorting of agenda items, Categories, Presentation and sorting
7165 @subsection Time-of-day specifications
7166 @cindex time-of-day specification
7168 Org mode checks each agenda item for a time-of-day specification. The
7169 time can be part of the timestamp that triggered inclusion into the
7170 agenda, for example as in @w{@samp{<2005-05-10 Tue 19:00>}}. Time
7171 ranges can be specified with two timestamps, like
7173 @w{@samp{<2005-05-10 Tue 20:30>--<2005-05-10 Tue 22:15>}}.
7175 In the headline of the entry itself, a time(range) may also appear as
7176 plain text (like @samp{12:45} or a @samp{8:30-1pm}). If the agenda
7177 integrates the Emacs diary (@pxref{Weekly/daily agenda}), time
7178 specifications in diary entries are recognized as well.
7180 For agenda display, Org mode extracts the time and displays it in a
7181 standard 24 hour format as part of the prefix. The example times in
7182 the previous paragraphs would end up in the agenda like this:
7185 8:30-13:00 Arthur Dent lies in front of the bulldozer
7186 12:45...... Ford Prefect arrives and takes Arthur to the pub
7187 19:00...... The Vogon reads his poem
7188 20:30-22:15 Marvin escorts the Hitchhikers to the bridge
7192 If the agenda is in single-day mode, or for the display of today, the
7193 timed entries are embedded in a time grid, like
7196 8:00...... ------------------
7197 8:30-13:00 Arthur Dent lies in front of the bulldozer
7198 10:00...... ------------------
7199 12:00...... ------------------
7200 12:45...... Ford Prefect arrives and takes Arthur to the pub
7201 14:00...... ------------------
7202 16:00...... ------------------
7203 18:00...... ------------------
7204 19:00...... The Vogon reads his poem
7205 20:00...... ------------------
7206 20:30-22:15 Marvin escorts the Hitchhikers to the bridge
7209 @vindex org-agenda-use-time-grid
7210 @vindex org-agenda-time-grid
7211 The time grid can be turned on and off with the variable
7212 @code{org-agenda-use-time-grid}, and can be configured with
7213 @code{org-agenda-time-grid}.
7215 @node Sorting of agenda items, , Time-of-day specifications, Presentation and sorting
7216 @subsection Sorting of agenda items
7217 @cindex sorting, of agenda items
7218 @cindex priorities, of agenda items
7219 Before being inserted into a view, the items are sorted. How this is
7220 done depends on the type of view.
7223 @vindex org-agenda-files
7224 For the daily/weekly agenda, the items for each day are sorted. The
7225 default order is to first collect all items containing an explicit
7226 time-of-day specification. These entries will be shown at the beginning
7227 of the list, as a @emph{schedule} for the day. After that, items remain
7228 grouped in categories, in the sequence given by @code{org-agenda-files}.
7229 Within each category, items are sorted by priority (@pxref{Priorities}),
7230 which is composed of the base priority (2000 for priority @samp{A}, 1000
7231 for @samp{B}, and 0 for @samp{C}), plus additional increments for
7232 overdue scheduled or deadline items.
7234 For the TODO list, items remain in the order of categories, but within
7235 each category, sorting takes place according to priority
7236 (@pxref{Priorities}). The priority used for sorting derives from the
7237 priority cookie, with additions depending on how close an item is to its due
7240 For tags matches, items are not sorted at all, but just appear in the
7241 sequence in which they are found in the agenda files.
7244 @vindex org-agenda-sorting-strategy
7245 Sorting can be customized using the variable
7246 @code{org-agenda-sorting-strategy}, and may also include criteria based on
7247 the estimated effort of an entry (@pxref{Effort estimates}).
7249 @node Agenda commands, Custom agenda views, Presentation and sorting, Agenda Views
7250 @section Commands in the agenda buffer
7251 @cindex commands, in agenda buffer
7253 Entries in the agenda buffer are linked back to the Org file or diary
7254 file where they originate. You are not allowed to edit the agenda
7255 buffer itself, but commands are provided to show and jump to the
7256 original entry location, and to edit the Org files ``remotely'' from
7257 the agenda buffer. In this way, all information is stored only once,
7258 removing the risk that your agenda and note files may diverge.
7260 Some commands can be executed with mouse clicks on agenda lines. For
7261 the other commands, the cursor needs to be in the desired line.
7264 @tsubheading{Motion}
7265 @cindex motion commands in agenda
7268 Next line (same as @key{up} and @kbd{C-p}).
7271 Previous line (same as @key{down} and @kbd{C-n}).
7272 @tsubheading{View/Go to Org file}
7277 Display the original location of the item in another window.
7278 With prefix arg, make sure that the entire entry is made visible in the
7279 outline, not only the heading.
7283 Display original location and recenter that window.
7291 Go to the original location of the item in another window. Under Emacs
7292 22, @kbd{mouse-1} will also works for this.
7296 Go to the original location of the item and delete other windows.
7300 @vindex org-agenda-start-with-follow-mode
7301 Toggle Follow mode. In Follow mode, as you move the cursor through
7302 the agenda buffer, the other window always shows the corresponding
7303 location in the Org file. The initial setting for this mode in new
7304 agenda buffers can be set with the variable
7305 @code{org-agenda-start-with-follow-mode}.
7309 Display the entire subtree of the current item in an indirect buffer. With a
7310 numeric prefix argument N, go up to level N and then take that tree. If N is
7311 negative, go up that many levels. With a @kbd{C-u} prefix, do not remove the
7312 previously used indirect buffer.
7316 Follow a link in the entry. This will offer a selection of any links in the
7317 text belonging to the referenced Org node. If there is only one link, it
7318 will be followed without a selection prompt.
7320 @tsubheading{Change display}
7321 @cindex display changing, in agenda
7324 Delete other windows.
7332 @item v d @ @r{or short} @ d
7333 @itemx v w @ @r{or short} @ w
7336 Switch to day/week/month/year view. When switching to day or week view,
7337 this setting becomes the default for subsequent agenda commands. Since
7338 month and year views are slow to create, they do not become the default.
7339 A numeric prefix argument may be used to jump directly to a specific day
7340 of the year, ISO week, month, or year, respectively. For example,
7341 @kbd{32 d} jumps to February 1st, @kbd{9 w} to ISO week number 9. When
7342 setting day, week, or month view, a year may be encoded in the prefix
7343 argument as well. For example, @kbd{200712 w} will jump to week 12 in
7344 2007. If such a year specification has only one or two digits, it will
7345 be mapped to the interval 1938-2037.
7349 @vindex org-agenda-ndays
7350 Go forward in time to display the following @code{org-agenda-ndays} days.
7351 For example, if the display covers a week, switch to the following week.
7352 With prefix arg, go forward that many times @code{org-agenda-ndays} days.
7356 Go backward in time to display earlier dates.
7364 Prompt for a date and go there.
7368 Toggle the inclusion of diary entries. See @ref{Weekly/daily agenda}.
7373 @item v l @ @r{or short} @ l
7374 @vindex org-log-done
7375 @vindex org-agenda-log-mode-items
7376 Toggle Logbook mode. In Logbook mode, entries that were marked DONE while
7377 logging was on (variable @code{org-log-done}) are shown in the agenda, as are
7378 entries that have been clocked on that day. You can configure the entry
7379 types that should be included in log mode using the variable
7380 @code{org-agenda-log-mode-items}. When called with a @kbd{C-u} prefix, show
7381 all possible logbook entries, including state changes. When called with two
7382 prefix args @kbd{C-u C-u}, show only logging information, nothing else.
7383 @kbd{v L} is equivalent to @kbd{C-u v l}.
7387 @item v [ @ @r{or short} @ [
7388 Include inactive timestamps into the current view. Only for weekly/daily
7389 agenda and timeline views.
7395 Toggle Archives mode. In Archives mode, trees that are marked
7396 @code{ARCHIVED} are also scanned when producing the agenda. When you use the
7397 capital @kbd{A}, even all archive files are included. To exit archives mode,
7398 press @kbd{v a} again.
7402 @item v R @ @r{or short} @ R
7403 @vindex org-agenda-start-with-clockreport-mode
7404 Toggle Clockreport mode. In Clockreport mode, the daily/weekly agenda will
7405 always show a table with the clocked times for the timespan and file scope
7406 covered by the current agenda view. The initial setting for this mode in new
7407 agenda buffers can be set with the variable
7408 @code{org-agenda-start-with-clockreport-mode}.
7412 @item v E @ @r{or short} @ E
7413 @vindex org-agenda-start-with-entry-text-mode
7414 @vindex org-agenda-entry-text-maxlines
7415 Toggle entry text mode. In entry text mode, a number of lines from the Org
7416 outline node referenced by an agenda line will be displayed below the line.
7417 The maximum number of lines is given by the variable
7418 @code{org-agenda-entry-text-maxlines}. Calling this command with a numeric
7419 prefix argument will temporarily modify that number to the prefix value.
7423 @vindex org-agenda-use-time-grid
7424 @vindex org-agenda-time-grid
7425 Toggle the time grid on and off. See also the variables
7426 @code{org-agenda-use-time-grid} and @code{org-agenda-time-grid}.
7430 Recreate the agenda buffer, for example to reflect the changes after
7431 modification of the timestamps of items with @kbd{S-@key{left}} and
7432 @kbd{S-@key{right}}. When the buffer is the global TODO list, a prefix
7433 argument is interpreted to create a selective list for a specific TODO
7443 Save all Org buffers in the current Emacs session, and also the locations of
7448 @vindex org-columns-default-format
7449 Invoke column view (@pxref{Column view}) in the agenda buffer. The column
7450 view format is taken from the entry at point, or (if there is no entry at
7451 point), from the first entry in the agenda view. So whatever the format for
7452 that entry would be in the original buffer (taken from a property, from a
7453 @code{#+COLUMNS} line, or from the default variable
7454 @code{org-columns-default-format}), will be used in the agenda.
7458 Remove the restriction lock on the agenda, if it is currently restricted to a
7459 file or subtree (@pxref{Agenda files}).
7461 @tsubheading{Secondary filtering and query editing}
7462 @cindex filtering, by tag and effort, in agenda
7463 @cindex tag filtering, in agenda
7464 @cindex effort filtering, in agenda
7465 @cindex query editing, in agenda
7469 @vindex org-agenda-filter-preset
7470 Filter the current agenda view with respect to a tag and/or effort estimates.
7471 The difference between this and a custom agenda command is that filtering is
7472 very fast, so that you can switch quickly between different filters without
7473 having to recreate the agenda@footnote{Custom commands can preset a filter by
7474 binding the variable @code{org-agenda-filter-preset} as an option. This
7475 filter will then be applied to the view and persist as a basic filter through
7476 refreshes and more secondary filtering.}
7478 You will be prompted for a tag selection letter, SPC will mean any tag at
7479 all. Pressing @key{TAB} at that prompt will offer use completion to select a
7480 tag (including any tags that do not have a selection character). The command
7481 then hides all entries that do not contain or inherit this tag. When called
7482 with prefix arg, remove the entries that @emph{do} have the tag. A second
7483 @kbd{/} at the prompt will turn off the filter and unhide any hidden entries.
7484 If the first key you press is either @kbd{+} or @kbd{-}, the previous filter
7485 will be narrowed by requiring or forbidding the selected additional tag.
7486 Instead of pressing @kbd{+} or @kbd{-} after @kbd{/}, you can also
7487 immediately use the @kbd{\} command.
7489 @vindex org-sort-agenda-noeffort-is-high
7490 In order to filter for effort estimates, you should set-up allowed
7491 efforts globally, for example
7493 (setq org-global-properties
7494 '(("Effort_ALL". "0 0:10 0:30 1:00 2:00 3:00 4:00")))
7496 You can then filter for an effort by first typing an operator, one of
7497 @kbd{<}, @kbd{>}, and @kbd{=}, and then the one-digit index of an effort
7498 estimate in your array of allowed values, where @kbd{0} means the 10th value.
7499 The filter will then restrict to entries with effort smaller-or-equal, equal,
7500 or larger-or-equal than the selected value. If the digits 0-9 are not used
7501 as fast access keys to tags, you can also simply press the index digit
7502 directly without an operator. In this case, @kbd{<} will be assumed. For
7503 application of the operator, entries without a defined effort will be treated
7504 according to the value of @code{org-sort-agenda-noeffort-is-high}. To filter
7505 for tasks without effort definition, press @kbd{?} as the operator.
7507 Org also supports automatic, context-aware tag filtering. If the variable
7508 @code{org-agenda-auto-exclude-function} is set to a user-defined function,
7509 that function can decide which tags should be excluded from the agenda
7510 automatically. Once this is set, the @kbd{/} command then accepts @kbd{RET}
7511 as a sub-option key and runs the auto exclusion logic. For example, let's
7512 say you use a @code{Net} tag to identify tasks which need network access, an
7513 @code{Errand} tag for errands in town, and a @code{Call} tag for making phone
7514 calls. You could auto-exclude these tags based on the availability of the
7515 Internet, and outside of business hours, with something like this:
7519 (defun org-my-auto-exclude-function (tag)
7521 ((string= tag "Net")
7522 (/= 0 (call-process "/sbin/ping" nil nil nil
7523 "-c1" "-q" "-t1" "mail.gnu.org")))
7524 ((or (string= tag "Errand") (string= tag "Call"))
7525 (let ((hour (nth 2 (decode-time))))
7526 (or (< hour 8) (> hour 21)))))
7529 (setq org-agenda-auto-exclude-function 'org-my-auto-exclude-function)
7535 Narrow the current agenda filter by an additional condition. When called with
7536 prefix arg, remove the entries that @emph{do} have the tag, or that do match
7537 the effort criterion. You can achieve the same effect by pressing @kbd{+} or
7538 @kbd{-} as the first key after the @kbd{/} command.
7546 @item @r{in} search view
7547 add new search words (@kbd{[} and @kbd{]}) or new regular expressions
7548 (@kbd{@{} and @kbd{@}}) to the query string. The opening bracket/brace will
7549 add a positive search term prefixed by @samp{+}, indicating that this search
7550 term @i{must} occur/match in the entry. The closing bracket/brace will add a
7551 negative search term which @i{must not} occur/match in the entry for it to be
7556 @tsubheading{Remote editing}
7557 @cindex remote editing, from agenda
7562 @cindex undoing remote-editing events
7563 @cindex remote editing, undo
7566 Undo a change due to a remote editing command. The change is undone
7567 both in the agenda buffer and in the remote buffer.
7571 Change the TODO state of the item, both in the agenda and in the
7574 @kindex C-S-@key{right}
7575 @kindex C-S-@key{left}
7576 @item C-S-@key{right}@r{/}@key{left}
7577 Switch to the next/previous set of TODO keywords.
7581 @vindex org-agenda-confirm-kill
7582 Delete the current agenda item along with the entire subtree belonging
7583 to it in the original Org file. If the text to be deleted remotely
7584 is longer than one line, the kill needs to be confirmed by the user. See
7585 variable @code{org-agenda-confirm-kill}.
7589 Refile the entry at point.
7593 @item C-c C-x C-a @ @r{or short} @ a
7594 @vindex org-archive-default-command
7595 Archive the subtree corresponding to the entry at point using the default
7596 archiving command set in @code{org-archive-default-command}. When using the
7597 @code{a} key, confirmation will be required.
7601 Toggle the ARCHIVE tag for the current headline.
7605 Move the subtree corresponding to the current entry to its @emph{archive
7610 @item C-c C-x C-s @ @r{or short} @ $
7611 Archive the subtree corresponding to the current headline. This means the
7612 entry will be moved to the configured archive location, most likely a
7617 @vindex org-agenda-show-inherited-tags
7618 Show all tags associated with the current item. This is useful if you have
7619 turned off @code{org-agenda-show-inherited-tags}, but still want to see all
7620 tags of a headline occasionally.
7624 Set tags for the current headline. If there is an active region in the
7625 agenda, change a tag for all headings in the region.
7629 Set the priority for the current item. Org mode prompts for the
7630 priority character. If you reply with @key{SPC}, the priority cookie
7631 is removed from the entry.
7635 Display weighted priority of current item.
7641 Increase the priority of the current item. The priority is changed in
7642 the original buffer, but the agenda is not resorted. Use the @kbd{r}
7646 @kindex S-@key{down}
7649 Decrease the priority of the current item.
7653 @item z @ @r{or also} @ C-c C-z
7654 @vindex org-log-into-drawer
7655 Add a note to the entry. This note will be recorded, and then files to the
7656 same location where state change notes are put. Depending on
7657 @code{org-log-into-drawer}, this maybe inside a drawer.
7661 Dispatcher for all command related to attachments.
7665 Schedule this item, with prefix arg remove the scheduling timestamp
7669 Set a deadline for this item, with prefix arg remove the deadline.
7673 Agenda actions, to set dates for selected items to the cursor date.
7674 This command also works in the calendar! The command prompts for an
7677 m @r{Mark the entry at point for action. You can also make entries}
7678 @r{in Org files with @kbd{C-c C-x C-k}.}
7679 d @r{Set the deadline of the marked entry to the date at point.}
7680 s @r{Schedule the marked entry at the date at point.}
7681 r @r{Call @code{org-remember} with the cursor date as default date.}
7684 Press @kbd{r} afterward to refresh the agenda and see the effect of the
7687 @kindex S-@key{right}
7689 Change the timestamp associated with the current line by one day into the
7690 future. With a numeric prefix argument, change it by that many days. For
7691 example, @kbd{3 6 5 S-@key{right}} will change it by a year. With a
7692 @kbd{C-u} prefix, change the time by one hour. If you immediately repeat the
7693 command, it will continue to change hours even without the prefix arg. With
7694 a double @kbd{C-u C-u} prefix, do the same for changing minutes. The stamp
7695 is changed in the original Org file, but the change is not directly reflected
7696 in the agenda buffer. Use @kbd{r} or @kbd{g} to update the buffer.
7698 @kindex S-@key{left}
7700 Change the timestamp associated with the current line by one day
7705 Change the timestamp associated with the current line. The key @kbd{>} has
7706 been chosen, because it is the same as @kbd{S-.} on my keyboard.
7710 Start the clock on the current item. If a clock is running already, it
7715 Stop the previously started clock.
7719 Cancel the currently running clock.
7723 Jump to the running clock in another window.
7725 @tsubheading{Bulk remote editing selected entries}
7726 @cindex remote editing, bulk, from agenda
7730 Mark the entry at point for bulk action.
7734 Unmark entry for bulk action.
7738 Unmark all marked entries for bulk action.
7742 Bulk action: act on all marked entries in the agenda. This will prompt for
7743 another key to select the action to be applied. The prefix arg to @kbd{B}
7744 will be passed through to the @kbd{s} and @kbd{d} commands, to bulk-remove
7745 these special timestamps.
7747 r @r{Prompt for a single refile target and move all entries. The entries}
7748 @r{will no longer be in the agenda, refresh (@kbd{g}) to bring them back.}
7749 $ @r{Archive all selected entries.}
7750 A @r{Archive entries by moving them to their respective archive siblings.}
7751 t @r{Change TODO state. This prompts for a single TODO keyword and}
7752 @r{changes the state of all selected entries, bypassing blocking and}
7753 @r{suppressing logging notes (but not time stamps).}
7754 + @r{Add a tag to all selected entries.}
7755 - @r{Remove a tag from all selected entries.}
7756 s @r{Schedule all items to a new date. To shift existing schedule dates}
7757 @r{by a fixed number of days, use something starting with double plus}
7758 @r{at the prompt, for example @samp{++8d} or @samp{++2w}.}
7759 d @r{Set deadline to a specific date.}
7763 @tsubheading{Calendar commands}
7764 @cindex calendar commands, from agenda
7767 Open the Emacs calendar and move to the date at the agenda cursor.
7770 When in the calendar, compute and show the Org mode agenda for the
7773 @cindex diary entries, creating from agenda
7776 @vindex org-agenda-diary-file
7777 Insert a new entry into the diary, using the date at the cursor and (for
7778 block entries) the date at the mark. This will add to the Emacs diary
7779 file@footnote{This file is parsed for the agenda when
7780 @code{org-agenda-include-diary} is set.}, in a way similar to the @kbd{i}
7781 command in the calendar. The diary file will pop up in another window, where
7782 you can add the entry.
7784 If you configure @code{org-agenda-diary-file} to point to an Org-mode file,
7785 Org will create entries (in org-mode syntax) in that file instead. Most
7786 entries will be stored in a date-based outline tree that will later make it
7787 easy to archive appointments from previous months/years. The tree will be
7788 built under an entry with a @code{DATE_TREE} property, or else with years as
7789 top-level entries. Emacs will prompt you for the entry text - if you specify
7790 it, the entry will be created in @code{org-agenda-diary-file} without further
7791 interaction. If you directly press @key{RET} at the prompt without typing
7792 text, the target file will be shown in another window for you to finish the
7793 entry there. See also the @kbd{k r} command.
7797 Show the phases of the moon for the three months around current date.
7801 Show sunrise and sunset times. The geographical location must be set
7802 with calendar variables, see the documentation for the Emacs calendar.
7806 Convert the date at cursor into many other cultural and historic
7811 Show holidays for three months around the cursor date.
7813 @item M-x org-export-icalendar-combine-agenda-files
7814 Export a single iCalendar file containing entries from all agenda files.
7815 This is a globally available command, and also available in the agenda menu.
7817 @tsubheading{Exporting to a file}
7820 @cindex exporting agenda views
7821 @cindex agenda views, exporting
7822 @vindex org-agenda-exporter-settings
7823 Write the agenda view to a file. Depending on the extension of the selected
7824 file name, the view will be exported as HTML (extension @file{.html} or
7825 @file{.htm}), Postscript (extension @file{.ps}), PDF (extension @file{.pdf}),
7826 and plain text (any other extension). When called with a @kbd{C-u} prefix
7827 argument, immediately open the newly created file. Use the variable
7828 @code{org-agenda-exporter-settings} to set options for @file{ps-print} and
7829 for @file{htmlize} to be used during export.
7831 @tsubheading{Quit and Exit}
7834 Quit agenda, remove the agenda buffer.
7837 @cindex agenda files, removing buffers
7839 Exit agenda, remove the agenda buffer and all buffers loaded by Emacs
7840 for the compilation of the agenda. Buffers created by the user to
7841 visit Org files will not be removed.
7845 @node Custom agenda views, Exporting Agenda Views, Agenda commands, Agenda Views
7846 @section Custom agenda views
7847 @cindex custom agenda views
7848 @cindex agenda views, custom
7850 Custom agenda commands serve two purposes: to store and quickly access
7851 frequently used TODO and tags searches, and to create special composite
7852 agenda buffers. Custom agenda commands will be accessible through the
7853 dispatcher (@pxref{Agenda dispatcher}), just like the default commands.
7856 * Storing searches:: Type once, use often
7857 * Block agenda:: All the stuff you need in a single buffer
7858 * Setting Options:: Changing the rules
7861 @node Storing searches, Block agenda, Custom agenda views, Custom agenda views
7862 @subsection Storing searches
7864 The first application of custom searches is the definition of keyboard
7865 shortcuts for frequently used searches, either creating an agenda
7866 buffer, or a sparse tree (the latter covering of course only the current
7869 @vindex org-agenda-custom-commands
7870 Custom commands are configured in the variable
7871 @code{org-agenda-custom-commands}. You can customize this variable, for
7872 example by pressing @kbd{C-c a C}. You can also directly set it with
7873 Emacs Lisp in @file{.emacs}. The following example contains all valid
7878 (setq org-agenda-custom-commands
7879 '(("w" todo "WAITING")
7880 ("W" todo-tree "WAITING")
7881 ("u" tags "+boss-urgent")
7882 ("v" tags-todo "+boss-urgent")
7883 ("U" tags-tree "+boss-urgent")
7884 ("f" occur-tree "\\<FIXME\\>")
7885 ("h" . "HOME+Name tags searches") ; description for "h" prefix
7886 ("hl" tags "+home+Lisa")
7887 ("hp" tags "+home+Peter")
7888 ("hk" tags "+home+Kim")))
7893 The initial string in each entry defines the keys you have to press
7894 after the dispatcher command @kbd{C-c a} in order to access the command.
7895 Usually this will be just a single character, but if you have many
7896 similar commands, you can also define two-letter combinations where the
7897 first character is the same in several combinations and serves as a
7898 prefix key@footnote{You can provide a description for a prefix key by
7899 inserting a cons cell with the prefix and the description.}. The second
7900 parameter is the search type, followed by the string or regular
7901 expression to be used for the matching. The example above will
7906 as a global search for TODO entries with @samp{WAITING} as the TODO
7909 as the same search, but only in the current buffer and displaying the
7910 results as a sparse tree
7912 as a global tags search for headlines marked @samp{:boss:} but not
7915 as the same search as @kbd{C-c a u}, but limiting the search to
7916 headlines that are also TODO items
7918 as the same search as @kbd{C-c a u}, but only in the current buffer and
7919 displaying the result as a sparse tree
7921 to create a sparse tree (again: current buffer only) with all entries
7922 containing the word @samp{FIXME}
7924 as a prefix command for a HOME tags search where you have to press an
7925 additional key (@kbd{l}, @kbd{p} or @kbd{k}) to select a name (Lisa,
7926 Peter, or Kim) as additional tag to match.
7929 @node Block agenda, Setting Options, Storing searches, Custom agenda views
7930 @subsection Block agenda
7931 @cindex block agenda
7932 @cindex agenda, with block views
7934 Another possibility is the construction of agenda views that comprise
7935 the results of @emph{several} commands, each of which creates a block in
7936 the agenda buffer. The available commands include @code{agenda} for the
7937 daily or weekly agenda (as created with @kbd{C-c a a}), @code{alltodo}
7938 for the global TODO list (as constructed with @kbd{C-c a t}), and the
7939 matching commands discussed above: @code{todo}, @code{tags}, and
7940 @code{tags-todo}. Here are two examples:
7944 (setq org-agenda-custom-commands
7945 '(("h" "Agenda and Home-related tasks"
7949 ("o" "Agenda and Office-related tasks"
7957 This will define @kbd{C-c a h} to create a multi-block view for stuff
7958 you need to attend to at home. The resulting agenda buffer will contain
7959 your agenda for the current week, all TODO items that carry the tag
7960 @samp{home}, and also all lines tagged with @samp{garden}. Finally the
7961 command @kbd{C-c a o} provides a similar view for office tasks.
7963 @node Setting Options, , Block agenda, Custom agenda views
7964 @subsection Setting options for custom commands
7965 @cindex options, for custom agenda views
7967 @vindex org-agenda-custom-commands
7968 Org mode contains a number of variables regulating agenda construction
7969 and display. The global variables define the behavior for all agenda
7970 commands, including the custom commands. However, if you want to change
7971 some settings just for a single custom view, you can do so. Setting
7972 options requires inserting a list of variable names and values at the
7973 right spot in @code{org-agenda-custom-commands}. For example:
7977 (setq org-agenda-custom-commands
7978 '(("w" todo "WAITING"
7979 ((org-agenda-sorting-strategy '(priority-down))
7980 (org-agenda-prefix-format " Mixed: ")))
7981 ("U" tags-tree "+boss-urgent"
7982 ((org-show-following-heading nil)
7983 (org-show-hierarchy-above nil)))
7985 ((org-agenda-files '("~org/notes.org"))
7986 (org-agenda-text-search-extra-files nil)))))
7991 Now the @kbd{C-c a w} command will sort the collected entries only by
7992 priority, and the prefix format is modified to just say @samp{ Mixed: }
7993 instead of giving the category of the entry. The sparse tags tree of
7994 @kbd{C-c a U} will now turn out ultra-compact, because neither the
7995 headline hierarchy above the match, nor the headline following the match
7996 will be shown. The command @kbd{C-c a N} will do a text search limited
7997 to only a single file.
7999 @vindex org-agenda-custom-commands
8000 For command sets creating a block agenda,
8001 @code{org-agenda-custom-commands} has two separate spots for setting
8002 options. You can add options that should be valid for just a single
8003 command in the set, and options that should be valid for all commands in
8004 the set. The former are just added to the command entry, the latter
8005 must come after the list of command entries. Going back to the block
8006 agenda example (@pxref{Block agenda}), let's change the sorting strategy
8007 for the @kbd{C-c a h} commands to @code{priority-down}, but let's sort
8008 the results for GARDEN tags query in the opposite order,
8009 @code{priority-up}. This would look like this:
8013 (setq org-agenda-custom-commands
8014 '(("h" "Agenda and Home-related tasks"
8018 ((org-agenda-sorting-strategy '(priority-up)))))
8019 ((org-agenda-sorting-strategy '(priority-down))))
8020 ("o" "Agenda and Office-related tasks"
8027 As you see, the values and parentheses setting is a little complex.
8028 When in doubt, use the customize interface to set this variable---it
8029 fully supports its structure. Just one caveat: when setting options in
8030 this interface, the @emph{values} are just Lisp expressions. So if the
8031 value is a string, you need to add the double-quotes around the value
8035 @node Exporting Agenda Views, Agenda column view, Custom agenda views, Agenda Views
8036 @section Exporting Agenda Views
8037 @cindex agenda views, exporting
8039 If you are away from your computer, it can be very useful to have a printed
8040 version of some agenda views to carry around. Org mode can export custom
8041 agenda views as plain text, HTML@footnote{You need to install Hrvoje Niksic's
8042 @file{htmlize.el}.}, Postscript, PDF@footnote{To create PDF output, the
8043 ghostscript @file{ps2pdf} utility must be installed on the system. Selecting
8044 a PDF file with also create the postscript file.}, and iCalendar files. If
8045 you want to do this only occasionally, use the command
8050 @cindex exporting agenda views
8051 @cindex agenda views, exporting
8052 @vindex org-agenda-exporter-settings
8053 Write the agenda view to a file. Depending on the extension of the selected
8054 file name, the view will be exported as HTML (extension @file{.html} or
8055 @file{.htm}), Postscript (extension @file{.ps}), iCalendar (extension
8056 @file{.ics}), or plain text (any other extension). Use the variable
8057 @code{org-agenda-exporter-settings} to set options for @file{ps-print} and
8058 for @file{htmlize} to be used during export, for example
8060 @vindex org-agenda-add-entry-text-maxlines
8061 @vindex htmlize-output-type
8062 @vindex ps-number-of-columns
8063 @vindex ps-landscape-mode
8065 (setq org-agenda-exporter-settings
8066 '((ps-number-of-columns 2)
8067 (ps-landscape-mode t)
8068 (org-agenda-add-entry-text-maxlines 5)
8069 (htmlize-output-type 'css)))
8073 If you need to export certain agenda views frequently, you can associate
8074 any custom agenda command with a list of output file names
8075 @footnote{If you want to store standard views like the weekly agenda
8076 or the global TODO list as well, you need to define custom commands for
8077 them in order to be able to specify file names.}. Here is an example
8078 that first defines custom commands for the agenda and the global
8079 TODO list, together with a number of files to which to export them.
8080 Then we define two block agenda commands and specify file names for them
8081 as well. File names can be relative to the current working directory,
8086 (setq org-agenda-custom-commands
8087 '(("X" agenda "" nil ("agenda.html" "agenda.ps"))
8088 ("Y" alltodo "" nil ("todo.html" "todo.txt" "todo.ps"))
8089 ("h" "Agenda and Home-related tasks"
8094 ("~/views/home.html"))
8095 ("o" "Agenda and Office-related tasks"
8100 ("~/views/office.ps" "~/calendars/office.ics"))))
8104 The extension of the file name determines the type of export. If it is
8105 @file{.html}, Org mode will use the @file{htmlize.el} package to convert
8106 the buffer to HTML and save it to this file name. If the extension is
8107 @file{.ps}, @code{ps-print-buffer-with-faces} is used to produce
8108 Postscript output. If the extension is @file{.ics}, iCalendar export is
8109 run export over all files that were used to construct the agenda, and
8110 limit the export to entries listed in the agenda. Any other
8111 extension produces a plain ASCII file.
8113 The export files are @emph{not} created when you use one of those
8114 commands interactively because this might use too much overhead.
8115 Instead, there is a special command to produce @emph{all} specified
8121 Export all agenda views that have export file names associated with
8125 You can use the options section of the custom agenda commands to also
8126 set options for the export commands. For example:
8129 (setq org-agenda-custom-commands
8131 ((ps-number-of-columns 2)
8132 (ps-landscape-mode t)
8133 (org-agenda-prefix-format " [ ] ")
8134 (org-agenda-with-colors nil)
8135 (org-agenda-remove-tags t))
8140 This command sets two options for the Postscript exporter, to make it
8141 print in two columns in landscape format---the resulting page can be cut
8142 in two and then used in a paper agenda. The remaining settings modify
8143 the agenda prefix to omit category and scheduling information, and
8144 instead include a checkbox to check off items. We also remove the tags
8145 to make the lines compact, and we don't want to use colors for the
8146 black-and-white printer. Settings specified in
8147 @code{org-agenda-exporter-settings} will also apply, but the settings
8148 in @code{org-agenda-custom-commands} take precedence.
8151 From the command line you may also use
8153 emacs -f org-batch-store-agenda-views -kill
8156 or, if you need to modify some parameters@footnote{Quoting depends on the
8157 system you use, please check the FAQ for examples.}
8159 emacs -eval '(org-batch-store-agenda-views \
8160 org-agenda-ndays 30 \
8161 org-agenda-start-day "2007-11-01" \
8162 org-agenda-include-diary nil \
8163 org-agenda-files (quote ("~/org/project.org")))' \
8167 which will create the agenda views restricted to the file
8168 @file{~/org/project.org}, without diary entries and with a 30-day
8171 You can also extract agenda information in a way that allows further
8172 processing by other programs. See @ref{Extracting agenda information}, for
8176 @node Agenda column view, , Exporting Agenda Views, Agenda Views
8177 @section Using column view in the agenda
8178 @cindex column view, in agenda
8179 @cindex agenda, column view
8181 Column view (@pxref{Column view}) is normally used to view and edit
8182 properties embedded in the hierarchical structure of an Org file. It can be
8183 quite useful to use column view also from the agenda, where entries are
8184 collected by certain criteria.
8189 Turn on column view in the agenda.
8192 To understand how to use this properly, it is important to realize that the
8193 entries in the agenda are no longer in their proper outline environment.
8194 This causes the following issues:
8198 @vindex org-columns-default-format
8199 @vindex org-overriding-columns-format
8200 Org needs to make a decision which @code{COLUMNS} format to use. Since the
8201 entries in the agenda are collected from different files, and different files
8202 may have different @code{COLUMNS} formats, this is a non-trivial problem.
8203 Org first checks if the variable @code{org-overriding-columns-format} is
8204 currently set, and if so, takes the format from there. Otherwise it takes
8205 the format associated with the first item in the agenda, or, if that item
8206 does not have a specific format (defined in a property, or in its file), it
8207 uses @code{org-columns-default-format}.
8209 @cindex property, special, CLOCKSUM
8210 If any of the columns has a summary type defined (@pxref{Column attributes}),
8211 turning on column view in the agenda will visit all relevant agenda files and
8212 make sure that the computations of this property are up to date. This is
8213 also true for the special @code{CLOCKSUM} property. Org will then sum the
8214 values displayed in the agenda. In the daily/weekly agenda, the sums will
8215 cover a single day, in all other views they cover the entire block. It is
8216 vital to realize that the agenda may show the same entry @emph{twice} (for
8217 example as scheduled and as a deadline), and it may show two entries from the
8218 same hierarchy (for example a @emph{parent} and its @emph{child}). In these
8219 cases, the summation in the agenda will lead to incorrect results because
8220 some values will count double.
8222 When the column view in the agenda shows the @code{CLOCKSUM}, that is always
8223 the entire clocked time for this item. So even in the daily/weekly agenda,
8224 the clocksum listed in column view may originate from times outside the
8225 current view. This has the advantage that you can compare these values with
8226 a column listing the planned total effort for a task---one of the major
8227 applications for column view in the agenda. If you want information about
8228 clocked time in the displayed period use clock table mode (press @kbd{R} in
8233 @node Markup, Exporting, Agenda Views, Top
8234 @chapter Markup for rich export
8236 When exporting Org-mode documents, the exporter tries to reflect the
8237 structure of the document as accurately as possible in the backend. Since
8238 export targets like HTML, La@TeX{}, or DocBook allow much richer formatting,
8239 Org mode has rules on how to prepare text for rich export. This section
8240 summarizes the markup rules used in an Org-mode buffer.
8243 * Structural markup elements:: The basic structure as seen by the exporter
8244 * Images and tables:: Tables and Images will be included
8245 * Literal examples:: Source code examples with special formatting
8246 * Include files:: Include additional files into a document
8248 * Macro replacement:: Use macros to create complex output
8249 * Embedded LaTeX:: LaTeX can be freely used inside Org documents
8252 @node Structural markup elements, Images and tables, Markup, Markup
8253 @section Structural markup elements
8256 * Document title:: Where the title is taken from
8257 * Headings and sections:: The document structure as seen by the exporter
8258 * Table of contents:: The if and where of the table of contents
8259 * Initial text:: Text before the first heading?
8261 * Paragraphs:: Paragraphs
8262 * Footnote markup:: Footnotes
8263 * Emphasis and monospace:: Bold, italic, etc.
8264 * Horizontal rules:: Make a line
8265 * Comment lines:: What will *not* be exported
8268 @node Document title, Headings and sections, Structural markup elements, Structural markup elements
8269 @subheading Document title
8270 @cindex document title, markup rules
8273 The title of the exported document is taken from the special line
8277 #+TITLE: This is the title of the document
8281 If this line does not exist, the title is derived from the first non-empty,
8282 non-comment line in the buffer. If no such line exists, or if you have
8283 turned off exporting of the text before the first headline (see below), the
8284 title will be the file name without extension.
8286 @cindex property, EXPORT_TITLE
8287 If you are exporting only a subtree by marking is as the region, the heading
8288 of the subtree will become the title of the document. If the subtree has a
8289 property @code{EXPORT_TITLE}, that will take precedence.
8291 @node Headings and sections, Table of contents, Document title, Structural markup elements
8292 @subheading Headings and sections
8293 @cindex headings and sections, markup rules
8295 @vindex org-export-headline-levels
8296 The outline structure of the document as described in @ref{Document
8297 Structure}, forms the basis for defining sections of the exported document.
8298 However, since the outline structure is also used for (for example) lists of
8299 tasks, only the first three outline levels will be used as headings. Deeper
8300 levels will become itemized lists. You can change the location of this
8301 switch globally by setting the variable @code{org-export-headline-levels}, or on a
8302 per-file basis with a line
8309 @node Table of contents, Initial text, Headings and sections, Structural markup elements
8310 @subheading Table of contents
8311 @cindex table of contents, markup rules
8313 @vindex org-export-with-toc
8314 The table of contents is normally inserted directly before the first headline
8315 of the file. If you would like to get it to a different location, insert the
8316 string @code{[TABLE-OF-CONTENTS]} on a line by itself at the desired
8317 location. The depth of the table of contents is by default the same as the
8318 number of headline levels, but you can choose a smaller number, or turn off
8319 the table of contents entirely, by configuring the variable
8320 @code{org-export-with-toc}, or on a per-file basis with a line like
8323 #+OPTIONS: toc:2 (only to two levels in TOC)
8324 #+OPTIONS: toc:nil (no TOC at all)
8327 @node Initial text, Lists, Table of contents, Structural markup elements
8328 @subheading Text before the first headline
8329 @cindex text before first headline, markup rules
8332 Org mode normally exports the text before the first headline, and even uses
8333 the first line as the document title. The text will be fully marked up. If
8334 you need to include literal HTML, La@TeX{}, or DocBook code, use the special
8335 constructs described below in the sections for the individual exporters.
8337 @vindex org-export-skip-text-before-1st-heading
8338 Some people like to use the space before the first headline for setup and
8339 internal links and therefore would like to control the exported text before
8340 the first headline in a different way. You can do so by setting the variable
8341 @code{org-export-skip-text-before-1st-heading} to @code{t}. On a per-file
8342 basis, you can get the same effect with @samp{#+OPTIONS: skip:t}.
8345 If you still want to have some text before the first headline, use the
8346 @code{#+TEXT} construct:
8350 #+TEXT: This text will go before the *first* headline.
8351 #+TEXT: [TABLE-OF-CONTENTS]
8352 #+TEXT: This goes between the table of contents and the first headline
8355 @node Lists, Paragraphs, Initial text, Structural markup elements
8357 @cindex lists, markup rules
8359 Plain lists as described in @ref{Plain lists}, are translated to the backend's
8360 syntax for such lists. Most backends support unordered, ordered, and
8363 @node Paragraphs, Footnote markup, Lists, Structural markup elements
8364 @subheading Paragraphs, line breaks, and quoting
8365 @cindex paragraphs, markup rules
8367 Paragraphs are separated by at least one empty line. If you need to enforce
8368 a line break within a paragraph, use @samp{\\} at the end of a line.
8370 To keep the line breaks in a region, but otherwise use normal formatting, you
8371 can use this construct, which can also be used to format poetry.
8373 @cindex #+BEGIN_VERSE
8376 Great clouds overhead
8377 Tiny black birds rise and fall
8384 When quoting a passage from another document, it is customary to format this
8385 as a paragraph that is indented on both the left and the right margin. You
8386 can include quotations in Org-mode documents like this:
8388 @cindex #+BEGIN_QUOTE
8391 Everything should be made as simple as possible,
8392 but not any simpler -- Albert Einstein
8396 If you would like to center some text, do it like this:
8397 @cindex #+BEGIN_CENTER
8400 Everything should be made as simple as possible, \\
8406 @node Footnote markup, Emphasis and monospace, Paragraphs, Structural markup elements
8407 @subheading Footnote markup
8408 @cindex footnotes, markup rules
8409 @cindex @file{footnote.el}
8411 Footnotes defined in the way described in @ref{Footnotes}, will be exported by
8412 all backends. Org allows multiple references to the same note, and
8413 different backends support this to varying degrees.
8415 @node Emphasis and monospace, Horizontal rules, Footnote markup, Structural markup elements
8416 @subheading Emphasis and monospace
8418 @cindex underlined text, markup rules
8419 @cindex bold text, markup rules
8420 @cindex italic text, markup rules
8421 @cindex verbatim text, markup rules
8422 @cindex code text, markup rules
8423 @cindex strike-through text, markup rules
8424 You can make words @b{*bold*}, @i{/italic/}, _underlined_, @code{=code=}
8425 and @code{~verbatim~}, and, if you must, @samp{+strike-through+}. Text
8426 in the code and verbatim string is not processed for Org-mode specific
8427 syntax, it is exported verbatim.
8429 @node Horizontal rules, Comment lines, Emphasis and monospace, Structural markup elements
8430 @subheading Horizontal rules
8431 @cindex horizontal rules, markup rules
8432 A line consisting of only dashes, and at least 5 of them, will be
8433 exported as a horizontal line (@samp{<hr/>} in HTML).
8435 @node Comment lines, , Horizontal rules, Structural markup elements
8436 @subheading Comment lines
8437 @cindex comment lines
8438 @cindex exporting, not
8439 @cindex #+BEGIN_COMMENT
8441 Lines starting with @samp{#} in column zero are treated as comments and will
8442 never be exported. If you want an indented line to be treated as a comment,
8443 start it with @samp{#+ }. Also entire subtrees starting with the word
8444 @samp{COMMENT} will never be exported. Finally, regions surrounded by
8445 @samp{#+BEGIN_COMMENT} ... @samp{#+END_COMMENT} will not be exported.
8450 Toggle the COMMENT keyword at the beginning of an entry.
8454 @node Images and tables, Literal examples, Structural markup elements, Markup
8455 @section Images and Tables
8457 @cindex tables, markup rules
8460 Both the native Org mode tables (@pxref{Tables}) and tables formatted with
8461 the @file{table.el} package will be exported properly. For Org mode tables,
8462 the lines before the first horizontal separator line will become table header
8463 lines. You can use the following lines somewhere before the table to assign
8464 a caption and a label for cross references, and in the text you can refer to
8465 the object with @code{\ref@{tab:basic-data@}}:
8468 #+CAPTION: This is the caption for the next table (or link)
8469 #+LABEL: tbl:basic-data
8474 @cindex inlined images, markup rules
8475 Some backends (HTML, La@TeX{}, and DocBook) allow you to directly include
8476 images into the exported document. Org does this, if a link to an image
8477 files does not have a description part, for example @code{[[./img/a.jpg]]}.
8478 If you wish to define a caption for the image and maybe a label for internal
8479 cross references, make sure that the link is on a line by itself and precede
8480 it with @code{#+CAPTION} and @code{#+LABEL} as follows:
8483 #+CAPTION: This is the caption for the next figure link (or table)
8484 #+LABEL: fig:SED-HR4049
8488 You may also define additional attributes for the figure. As this is
8489 backend-specific, see the sections about the individual backends for more
8493 @node Literal examples, Include files, Images and tables, Markup
8494 @section Literal examples
8495 @cindex literal examples, markup rules
8496 @cindex code line references, markup rules
8498 You can include literal examples that should not be subjected to
8499 markup. Such examples will be typeset in monospace, so this is well suited
8500 for source code and similar examples.
8501 @cindex #+BEGIN_EXAMPLE
8505 Some example from a text file.
8509 Note that such blocks may be @i{indented} in order to align nicely with
8510 indented text and in particular with plain list structure (@pxref{Plain
8511 lists}). For simplicity when using small examples, you can also start the
8512 example lines with a colon followed by a space. There may also be additional
8513 whitespace before the colon:
8517 : Some example from a text file.
8520 @cindex formatting source code, markup rules
8521 If the example is source code from a programming language, or any other text
8522 that can be marked up by font-lock in Emacs, you can ask for the example to
8523 look like the fontified Emacs buffer@footnote{Currently this works for the
8524 HTML backend, and requires the @file{htmlize.el} package version 1.34 or
8525 later. It also works for LaTeX with the listings package, if you turn on the
8526 option @code{org-export-latex-listings} and make sure that the listings
8527 package is included by the LaTeX header.}. This is done with the @samp{src}
8528 block, where you also need to specify the name of the major mode that should
8529 be used to fontify the example:
8533 #+BEGIN_SRC emacs-lisp
8534 (defun org-xor (a b)
8540 Both in @code{example} and in @code{src} snippets, you can add a @code{-n}
8541 switch to the end of the @code{BEGIN} line, to get the lines of the example
8542 numbered. If you use a @code{+n} switch, the numbering from the previous
8543 numbered snippet will be continued in the current one. In literal examples,
8544 Org will interpret strings like @samp{(ref:name)} as labels, and use them as
8545 targets for special hyperlinks like @code{[[(name)]]} (i.e. the reference name
8546 enclosed in single parenthesis). In HTML, hovering the mouse over such a
8547 link will remote-highlight the corresponding code line, which is kind of
8550 You can also add a @code{-r} switch which @i{removes} the labels from the
8551 source code@footnote{Adding @code{-k} to @code{-n -r} will @i{keep} the
8552 labels in the source code while using line numbers for the links, which might
8553 be useful to explain those in an org-mode example code.}. With the @code{-n}
8554 switch, links to these references will be labeled by the line numbers from
8555 the code listing, otherwise links will use the labels with no parentheses.
8559 #+BEGIN_SRC emacs-lisp -n -r
8560 (save-excursion (ref:sc)
8561 (goto-char (point-min)) (ref:jump)
8563 In line [[(sc)]] we remember the current position. [[(jump)][Line (jump)]]
8567 @vindex org-coderef-label-format
8568 If the syntax for the label format conflicts with the language syntax, use a
8569 @code{-l} switch to change the format, for example @samp{#+BEGIN_SRC pascal
8570 -n -r -l "((%s))"}. See also the variable @code{org-coderef-label-format}.
8572 HTML export also allows examples to be published as text areas, @xref{Text
8573 areas in HTML export}.
8578 Edit the source code example at point in its native mode. This works by
8579 switching to a temporary buffer with the source code. You need to exit by
8580 pressing @kbd{C-c '} again@footnote{Upon exit, lines starting with @samp{*}
8581 or @samp{#} will get a comma prepended, to keep them from being interpreted
8582 by Org as outline nodes or special comments. These commas will be stripped
8583 for editing with @kbd{C-c '}, and also for export.}, the edited version will
8584 then replace the old version in the Org buffer. Fixed-width regions
8585 (where each line starts with a colon followed by a space) will be edited
8586 using @code{artist-mode}@footnote{You may select a different-mode with the
8587 variable @code{org-edit-fixed-width-region-mode}.} to allow creating ASCII
8588 drawings easily. Using this command in an empty line will create a new
8592 Calling @code{org-store-link} while editing a source code example in a
8593 temporary buffer created with @kbd{C-c '} will prompt for a label, make sure
8594 that it is unique in the current buffer, and insert it with the proper
8595 formatting like @samp{(ref:label)} at the end of the current line. Then the
8596 label is stored as a link @samp{(label)}, for retrieval with @kbd{C-c C-l}.
8600 @node Include files, Index entries, Literal examples, Markup
8601 @section Include files
8602 @cindex include files, markup rules
8604 During export, you can include the content of another file. For example, to
8605 include your @file{.emacs} file, you could use:
8609 #+INCLUDE: "~/.emacs" src emacs-lisp
8612 The optional second and third parameter are the markup (e.g. @samp{quote},
8613 @samp{example}, or @samp{src}), and, if the markup is @samp{src}, the
8614 language for formatting the contents. The markup is optional, if it is not
8615 given, the text will be assumed to be in Org mode format and will be
8616 processed normally. The include line will also allow additional keyword
8617 parameters @code{:prefix1} and @code{:prefix} to specify prefixes for the
8618 first line and for each following line, as well as any options accepted by
8619 the selected markup. For example, to include a file as an item, use
8622 #+INCLUDE: "~/snippets/xx" :prefix1 " + " :prefix " "
8628 Visit the include file at point.
8631 @node Index entries, Macro replacement, Include files, Markup
8632 @section Index enries
8633 @cindex index entries, for publishing
8635 You can specify entries that will be used for generating an index during
8636 publishing. This is done by lines starting with @code{#+INDEX}. An entry
8637 the contains an exclamation mark will create a sub item. See @ref{Generating
8638 an index} for more information.
8643 #+INDEX: Application!CV
8649 @node Macro replacement, Embedded LaTeX, Index entries, Markup
8650 @section Macro replacement
8651 @cindex macro replacement, during export
8654 You can define text snippets with
8657 #+MACRO: name replacement text $1, $2 are arguments
8660 @noindent which can be referenced anywhere in the document (even in
8661 code examples) with @code{@{@{@{name(arg1,arg2)@}@}@}}. In addition to
8662 defined macros, @code{@{@{@{title@}@}@}}, @code{@{@{@{author@}@}@}}, etc.,
8663 will reference information set by the @code{#+TITLE:}, @code{#+AUTHOR:}, and
8664 similar lines. Also, @code{@{@{@{date(@var{FORMAT})@}@}@}} and
8665 @code{@{@{@{modification-time(@var{FORMAT})@}@}@}} refer to current date time
8666 and to the modification time of the file being exported, respectively.
8667 @var{FORMAT} should be a format string understood by
8668 @code{format-time-string}.
8670 Macro expansion takes place during export, and some people use it to
8671 construct complex HTML code.
8674 @node Embedded LaTeX, , Macro replacement, Markup
8675 @section Embedded La@TeX{}
8676 @cindex @TeX{} interpretation
8677 @cindex La@TeX{} interpretation
8679 Plain ASCII is normally sufficient for almost all note taking. One
8680 exception, however, are scientific notes which need to be able to contain
8681 mathematical symbols and the occasional formula. La@TeX{}@footnote{La@TeX{}
8682 is a macro system based on Donald E. Knuth's @TeX{} system. Many of the
8683 features described here as ``La@TeX{}'' are really from @TeX{}, but for
8684 simplicity I am blurring this distinction.} is widely used to typeset
8685 scientific documents. Org mode supports embedding La@TeX{} code into its
8686 files, because many academics are used to reading La@TeX{} source code, and
8687 because it can be readily processed into images for HTML production.
8689 It is not necessary to mark La@TeX{} macros and code in any special way.
8690 If you observe a few conventions, Org mode knows how to find it and what
8694 * Special symbols:: Greek letters and other symbols
8695 * Subscripts and superscripts:: Simple syntax for raising/lowering text
8696 * LaTeX fragments:: Complex formulas made easy
8697 * Previewing LaTeX fragments:: What will this snippet look like?
8698 * CDLaTeX mode:: Speed up entering of formulas
8701 @node Special symbols, Subscripts and superscripts, Embedded LaTeX, Embedded LaTeX
8702 @subsection Special symbols
8703 @cindex math symbols
8704 @cindex special symbols
8705 @cindex @TeX{} macros
8706 @cindex La@TeX{} fragments, markup rules
8707 @cindex HTML entities
8708 @cindex La@TeX{} entities
8710 You can use La@TeX{} macros to insert special symbols like @samp{\alpha} to
8711 indicate the Greek letter, or @samp{\to} to indicate an arrow. Completion
8712 for these macros is available, just type @samp{\} and maybe a few letters,
8713 and press @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} to see possible completions. Unlike La@TeX{}
8714 code, Org mode allows these macros to be present without surrounding math
8715 delimiters, for example:
8718 Angles are written as Greek letters \alpha, \beta and \gamma.
8721 @vindex org-entities
8722 During export, these symbols will be transformed into the native format of
8723 the exporter backend. Strings like @code{\alpha} will be exported as
8724 @code{α} in the HTML output, and as @code{$\alpha$} in the La@TeX{}
8725 output. Similarly, @code{\nbsp} will become @code{ } in HTML and
8726 @code{~} in La@TeX{}. If you need such a symbol inside a word, terminate it
8727 like this: @samp{\Aacute@{@}stor}.
8729 A large number of entities is provided, with names taken from both HTML and
8730 La@TeX{}, see the variable @code{org-entities} for the complete list.
8731 @samp{\-} is treated as a shy hyphen, and @samp{--}, @samp{---}, and
8732 @samp{...} are all converted into special commands creating hyphens of
8733 different lengths or a compact set of dots.
8735 If you would like to see entities displayed as utf8 characters, use the
8736 following command@footnote{You can turn this on by default by setting the
8737 variable @code{org-pretty-entities}, or on a per-file base with the
8738 @code{#+STARTUP} option @code{entitiespretty}.}:
8743 Toggle display of entities as UTF8 characters. This does not change the
8744 buffer content which remains plain ASCII, but it overlays the UTF8 character
8745 for display purposes only.
8748 @node Subscripts and superscripts, LaTeX fragments, Special symbols, Embedded LaTeX
8749 @subsection Subscripts and superscripts
8753 Just like in La@TeX{}, @samp{^} and @samp{_} are used to indicate super-
8754 and subscripts. Again, these can be used without embedding them in
8755 math-mode delimiters. To increase the readability of ASCII text, it is
8756 not necessary (but OK) to surround multi-character sub- and superscripts
8757 with curly braces. For example
8760 The mass if the sun is M_sun = 1.989 x 10^30 kg. The radius of
8761 the sun is R_@{sun@} = 6.96 x 10^8 m.
8764 @vindex org-export-with-sub-superscripts
8765 To avoid interpretation as raised or lowered text, you can quote @samp{^} and
8766 @samp{_} with a backslash: @samp{\^} and @samp{\_}. If you write a text
8767 where the underscore is often used in a different context, Org's convention
8768 to always interpret these as subscripts can get in your way. Configure the
8769 variable @code{org-export-with-sub-superscripts} to globally change this
8770 convention, or use, on a per-file basis:
8777 @node LaTeX fragments, Previewing LaTeX fragments, Subscripts and superscripts, Embedded LaTeX
8778 @subsection La@TeX{} fragments
8779 @cindex La@TeX{} fragments
8781 @vindex org-format-latex-header
8782 With symbols, sub- and superscripts, HTML is pretty much at its end when
8783 it comes to representing mathematical formulas@footnote{Yes, there is
8784 MathML, but that is not yet fully supported by many browsers, and there
8785 is no decent converter for turning La@TeX{} or ASCII representations of
8786 formulas into MathML. So for the time being, converting formulas into
8787 images seems the way to go.}. More complex expressions need a dedicated
8788 formula processor. To this end, Org mode can contain arbitrary La@TeX{}
8789 fragments. It provides commands to preview the typeset result of these
8790 fragments, and upon export to HTML, all fragments will be converted to
8791 images and inlined into the HTML document@footnote{The La@TeX{} export
8792 will not use images for displaying La@TeX{} fragments but include these
8793 fragments directly into the La@TeX{} code.}. For this to work you
8794 need to be on a system with a working La@TeX{} installation. You also
8795 need the @file{dvipng} program, available at
8796 @url{http://sourceforge.net/projects/dvipng/}. The La@TeX{} header that
8797 will be used when processing a fragment can be configured with the
8798 variable @code{org-format-latex-header}.
8800 La@TeX{} fragments don't need any special marking at all. The following
8801 snippets will be identified as La@TeX{} source code:
8804 Environments of any kind. The only requirement is that the
8805 @code{\begin} statement appears on a new line, preceded by only
8808 Text within the usual La@TeX{} math delimiters. To avoid conflicts with
8809 currency specifications, single @samp{$} characters are only recognized as
8810 math delimiters if the enclosed text contains at most two line breaks, is
8811 directly attached to the @samp{$} characters with no whitespace in between,
8812 and if the closing @samp{$} is followed by whitespace, punctuation or a dash.
8813 For the other delimiters, there is no such restriction, so when in doubt, use
8814 @samp{\(...\)} as inline math delimiters.
8817 @noindent For example:
8820 \begin@{equation@} % arbitrary environments,
8821 x=\sqrt@{b@} % even tables, figures
8822 \end@{equation@} % etc
8824 If $a^2=b$ and \( b=2 \), then the solution must be
8825 either $$ a=+\sqrt@{2@} $$ or \[ a=-\sqrt@{2@} \].
8829 @vindex org-format-latex-options
8830 If you need any of the delimiter ASCII sequences for other purposes, you
8831 can configure the option @code{org-format-latex-options} to deselect the
8832 ones you do not wish to have interpreted by the La@TeX{} converter.
8834 @node Previewing LaTeX fragments, CDLaTeX mode, LaTeX fragments, Embedded LaTeX
8835 @subsection Previewing LaTeX fragments
8836 @cindex LaTeX fragments, preview
8838 La@TeX{} fragments can be processed to produce preview images of the
8839 typeset expressions:
8844 Produce a preview image of the La@TeX{} fragment at point and overlay it
8845 over the source code. If there is no fragment at point, process all
8846 fragments in the current entry (between two headlines). When called
8847 with a prefix argument, process the entire subtree. When called with
8848 two prefix arguments, or when the cursor is before the first headline,
8849 process the entire buffer.
8852 Remove the overlay preview images.
8855 @vindex org-format-latex-options
8856 You can customize the variable @code{org-format-latex-options} to influence
8857 some aspects of the preview. In particular, the @code{:scale} (and for HTML
8858 export, @code{:html-scale}) property can be used to adjust the size of the
8861 During HTML export (@pxref{HTML export}), all La@TeX{} fragments are
8862 converted into images and inlined into the document if the following
8866 (setq org-export-with-LaTeX-fragments t)
8869 @node CDLaTeX mode, , Previewing LaTeX fragments, Embedded LaTeX
8870 @subsection Using CDLa@TeX{} to enter math
8873 CDLa@TeX{} mode is a minor mode that is normally used in combination with a
8874 major La@TeX{} mode like AUC@TeX{} in order to speed-up insertion of
8875 environments and math templates. Inside Org mode, you can make use of
8876 some of the features of CDLa@TeX{} mode. You need to install
8877 @file{cdlatex.el} and @file{texmathp.el} (the latter comes also with
8878 AUC@TeX{}) from @url{http://www.astro.uva.nl/~dominik/Tools/cdlatex}.
8879 Don't use CDLa@TeX{} mode itself under Org mode, but use the light
8880 version @code{org-cdlatex-mode} that comes as part of Org mode. Turn it
8881 on for the current buffer with @code{M-x org-cdlatex-mode}, or for all
8885 (add-hook 'org-mode-hook 'turn-on-org-cdlatex)
8888 When this mode is enabled, the following features are present (for more
8889 details see the documentation of CDLa@TeX{} mode):
8893 Environment templates can be inserted with @kbd{C-c @{}.
8896 The @key{TAB} key will do template expansion if the cursor is inside a
8897 La@TeX{} fragment@footnote{Org mode has a method to test if the cursor is
8898 inside such a fragment, see the documentation of the function
8899 @code{org-inside-LaTeX-fragment-p}.}. For example, @key{TAB} will
8900 expand @code{fr} to @code{\frac@{@}@{@}} and position the cursor
8901 correctly inside the first brace. Another @key{TAB} will get you into
8902 the second brace. Even outside fragments, @key{TAB} will expand
8903 environment abbreviations at the beginning of a line. For example, if
8904 you write @samp{equ} at the beginning of a line and press @key{TAB},
8905 this abbreviation will be expanded to an @code{equation} environment.
8906 To get a list of all abbreviations, type @kbd{M-x cdlatex-command-help}.
8910 @vindex cdlatex-simplify-sub-super-scripts
8911 Pressing @kbd{_} and @kbd{^} inside a La@TeX{} fragment will insert these
8912 characters together with a pair of braces. If you use @key{TAB} to move
8913 out of the braces, and if the braces surround only a single character or
8914 macro, they are removed again (depending on the variable
8915 @code{cdlatex-simplify-sub-super-scripts}).
8918 Pressing the backquote @kbd{`} followed by a character inserts math
8919 macros, also outside La@TeX{} fragments. If you wait more than 1.5 seconds
8920 after the backquote, a help window will pop up.
8923 Pressing the single-quote @kbd{'} followed by another character modifies
8924 the symbol before point with an accent or a font. If you wait more than
8925 1.5 seconds after the backquote, a help window will pop up. Character
8926 modification will work only inside La@TeX{} fragments, outside the quote
8930 @node Exporting, Publishing, Markup, Top
8934 Org-mode documents can be exported into a variety of other formats. For
8935 printing and sharing of notes, ASCII export produces a readable and simple
8936 version of an Org file. HTML export allows you to publish a notes file on
8937 the web, while the XOXO format provides a solid base for exchange with a
8938 broad range of other applications. La@TeX{} export lets you use Org mode and
8939 its structured editing functions to easily create La@TeX{} files. DocBook
8940 export makes it possible to convert Org files to many other formats using
8941 DocBook tools. To incorporate entries with associated times like deadlines
8942 or appointments into a desktop calendar program like iCal, Org mode can also
8943 produce extracts in the iCalendar format. Currently Org mode only supports
8944 export, not import of these different formats.
8946 Org supports export of selected regions when @code{transient-mark-mode} is
8947 enabled (default in Emacs 23).
8950 * Selective export:: Using tags to select and exclude trees
8951 * Export options:: Per-file export settings
8952 * The export dispatcher:: How to access exporter commands
8953 * ASCII/Latin-1/UTF-8 export:: Exporting to flat files with encoding
8954 * HTML export:: Exporting to HTML
8955 * LaTeX and PDF export:: Exporting to La@TeX{}, and processing to PDF
8956 * DocBook export:: Exporting to DocBook
8957 * Freemind export:: Exporting to Freemind mind maps
8958 * XOXO export:: Exporting to XOXO
8959 * iCalendar export:: Exporting in iCalendar format
8962 @node Selective export, Export options, Exporting, Exporting
8963 @section Selective export
8964 @cindex export, selective by tags
8966 @vindex org-export-select-tags
8967 @vindex org-export-exclude-tags
8968 You may use tags to select the parts of a document that should be exported,
8969 or to exclude parts from export. This behavior is governed by two variables:
8970 @code{org-export-select-tags} and @code{org-export-exclude-tags}.
8972 Org first checks if any of the @emph{select} tags is present in the buffer.
8973 If yes, all trees that do not carry one of these tags will be excluded. If a
8974 selected tree is a subtree, the heading hierarchy above it will also be
8975 selected for export, but not the text below those headings.
8978 If none of the select tags is found, the whole buffer will be selected for
8982 Finally, all subtrees that are marked by any of the @emph{exclude} tags will
8983 be removed from the export buffer.
8985 @node Export options, The export dispatcher, Selective export, Exporting
8986 @section Export options
8987 @cindex options, for export
8989 @cindex completion, of option keywords
8990 The exporter recognizes special lines in the buffer which provide
8991 additional information. These lines may be put anywhere in the file.
8992 The whole set of lines can be inserted into the buffer with @kbd{C-c
8993 C-e t}. For individual lines, a good way to make sure the keyword is
8994 correct is to type @samp{#+} and then use @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} completion
8995 (@pxref{Completion}). For a summary of other in-buffer settings not
8996 specifically related to export, see @ref{In-buffer settings}.
8997 In particular, note that you can place commonly-used (export) options in
8998 a separate file which can be included using @code{#+SETUPFILE}.
9003 Insert template with export options, see example below.
9010 @cindex #+DESCRIPTION
9018 @cindex #+EXPORT_SELECT_TAGS
9019 @cindex #+EXPORT_EXCLUDE_TAGS
9021 @cindex #+LATEX_HEADER
9022 @vindex user-full-name
9023 @vindex user-mail-address
9024 @vindex org-export-default-language
9026 #+TITLE: the title to be shown (default is the buffer name)
9027 #+AUTHOR: the author (default taken from @code{user-full-name})
9028 #+DATE: a date, fixed, of a format string for @code{format-time-string}
9029 #+EMAIL: his/her email address (default from @code{user-mail-address})
9030 #+DESCRIPTION: the page description, e.g. for the XHTML meta tag
9031 #+KEYWORDS: the page keywords, e.g. for the XHTML meta tag
9032 #+LANGUAGE: language for HTML, e.g. @samp{en} (@code{org-export-default-language})
9033 #+TEXT: Some descriptive text to be inserted at the beginning.
9034 #+TEXT: Several lines may be given.
9035 #+OPTIONS: H:2 num:t toc:t \n:nil @@:t ::t |:t ^:t f:t TeX:t ...
9036 #+BIND: lisp-var lisp-val, e.g.: org-export-latex-low-levels itemize
9037 @r{You need to confirm using these, or configure @code{org-export-allow-BIND}}
9038 #+LINK_UP: the ``up'' link of an exported page
9039 #+LINK_HOME: the ``home'' link of an exported page
9040 #+LATEX_HEADER: extra line(s) for the LaTeX header, like \usepackage@{xyz@}
9041 #+EXPORT_SELECT_TAGS: Tags that select a tree for export
9042 #+EXPORT_EXCLUDE_TAGS: Tags that exclude a tree from export
9043 #+XSLT: the XSLT stylesheet used by DocBook exporter to generate FO file
9047 The OPTIONS line is a compact@footnote{If you want to configure many options
9048 this way, you can use several OPTIONS lines.} form to specify export settings. Here
9050 @cindex headline levels
9051 @cindex section-numbers
9052 @cindex table of contents
9053 @cindex line-break preservation
9054 @cindex quoted HTML tags
9055 @cindex fixed-width sections
9057 @cindex @TeX{}-like syntax for sub- and superscripts
9059 @cindex special strings
9060 @cindex emphasized text
9061 @cindex @TeX{} macros
9062 @cindex La@TeX{} fragments
9063 @cindex author info, in export
9064 @cindex time info, in export
9066 H: @r{set the number of headline levels for export}
9067 num: @r{turn on/off section-numbers}
9068 toc: @r{turn on/off table of contents, or set level limit (integer)}
9069 \n: @r{turn on/off line-break-preservation (DOES NOT WORK)}
9070 @@: @r{turn on/off quoted HTML tags}
9071 :: @r{turn on/off fixed-width sections}
9072 |: @r{turn on/off tables}
9073 ^: @r{turn on/off @TeX{}-like syntax for sub- and superscripts. If}
9074 @r{you write "^:@{@}", @code{a_@{b@}} will be interpreted, but}
9075 @r{the simple @code{a_b} will be left as it is.}
9076 -: @r{turn on/off conversion of special strings.}
9077 f: @r{turn on/off footnotes like this[1].}
9078 todo: @r{turn on/off inclusion of TODO keywords into exported text}
9079 pri: @r{turn on/off priority cookies}
9080 tags: @r{turn on/off inclusion of tags, may also be @code{not-in-toc}}
9081 <: @r{turn on/off inclusion of any time/date stamps like DEADLINES}
9082 *: @r{turn on/off emphasized text (bold, italic, underlined)}
9083 TeX: @r{turn on/off simple @TeX{} macros in plain text}
9084 LaTeX: @r{turn on/off La@TeX{} fragments}
9085 skip: @r{turn on/off skipping the text before the first heading}
9086 author: @r{turn on/off inclusion of author name/email into exported file}
9087 email: @r{turn on/off inclusion of author email into exported file}
9088 creator: @r{turn on/off inclusion of creator info into exported file}
9089 timestamp: @r{turn on/off inclusion creation time into exported file}
9090 d: @r{turn on/off inclusion of drawers}
9093 These options take effect in both the HTML and La@TeX{} export, except
9094 for @code{TeX} and @code{LaTeX}, which are respectively @code{t} and
9095 @code{nil} for the La@TeX{} export.
9097 When exporting only a single subtree by selecting it with @kbd{C-c @@} before
9098 calling an export command, the subtree can overrule some of the file's export
9099 settings with properties @code{EXPORT_FILE_NAME}, @code{EXPORT_TITLE},
9100 @code{EXPORT_TEXT}, @code{EXPORT_AUTHOR}, @code{EXPORT_DATE}, and
9101 @code{EXPORT_OPTIONS}.
9103 @node The export dispatcher, ASCII/Latin-1/UTF-8 export, Export options, Exporting
9104 @section The export dispatcher
9105 @cindex dispatcher, for export commands
9107 All export commands can be reached using the export dispatcher, which is a
9108 prefix key that prompts for an additional key specifying the command.
9109 Normally the entire file is exported, but if there is an active region that
9110 contains one outline tree, the first heading is used as document title and
9111 the subtrees are exported.
9116 @vindex org-export-run-in-background
9117 Dispatcher for export and publishing commands. Displays a help-window
9118 listing the additional key(s) needed to launch an export or publishing
9119 command. The prefix arg is passed through to the exporter. A double prefix
9120 @kbd{C-u C-u} causes most commands to be executed in the background, in a
9121 separate Emacs process@footnote{To make this behavior the default, customize
9122 the variable @code{org-export-run-in-background}.}.
9125 Like @kbd{C-c C-e}, but only export the text that is currently visible
9126 (i.e. not hidden by outline visibility).
9127 @kindex C-u C-u C-c C-e
9128 @item C-u C-u C-c C-e
9129 @vindex org-export-run-in-background
9130 Call an the exporter, but reverse the setting of
9131 @code{org-export-run-in-background}, i.e. request background processing if
9132 not set, or force processing in the current Emacs process if set.
9135 @node ASCII/Latin-1/UTF-8 export, HTML export, The export dispatcher, Exporting
9136 @section ASCII/Latin-1/UTF-8 export
9137 @cindex ASCII export
9138 @cindex Latin-1 export
9139 @cindex UTF-8 export
9141 ASCII export produces a simple and very readable version of an Org-mode
9142 file, containing only plain ASCII. Latin-1 and UTF-8 export augment the file
9143 with special characters and symbols available in these encodings.
9145 @cindex region, active
9146 @cindex active region
9147 @cindex transient-mark-mode
9151 @cindex property, EXPORT_FILE_NAME
9152 Export as ASCII file. For an Org file, @file{myfile.org}, the ASCII file
9153 will be @file{myfile.txt}. The file will be overwritten without
9154 warning. If there is an active region@footnote{This requires
9155 @code{transient-mark-mode} be turned on.}, only the region will be
9156 exported. If the selected region is a single tree@footnote{To select the
9157 current subtree, use @kbd{C-c @@}.}, the tree head will
9158 become the document title. If the tree head entry has or inherits an
9159 @code{EXPORT_FILE_NAME} property, that name will be used for the
9163 Export to a temporary buffer, do not create a file.
9166 @item C-c C-e n @ @ @r{and} @ @ C-c C-e N
9167 Like the above commands, but use Latin-1 encoding.
9170 @item C-c C-e u @ @ @r{and} @ @ C-c C-e U
9171 Like the above commands, but use UTF-8 encoding.
9175 @item C-c C-e v a @ @ @r{and} @ @ C-c C-e v n @ @ @r{and} @ @ C-c C-e v u
9176 Export only the visible part of the document.
9179 @cindex headline levels, for exporting
9180 In the exported version, the first 3 outline levels will become
9181 headlines, defining a general document structure. Additional levels
9182 will be exported as itemized lists. If you want that transition to occur
9183 at a different level, specify it with a prefix argument. For example,
9190 creates only top level headlines and does the rest as items. When
9191 headlines are converted to items, the indentation of the text following
9192 the headline is changed to fit nicely under the item. This is done with
9193 the assumption that the first body line indicates the base indentation of
9194 the body text. Any indentation larger than this is adjusted to preserve
9195 the layout relative to the first line. Should there be lines with less
9196 indentation than the first, these are left alone.
9198 @vindex org-export-ascii-links-to-notes
9199 Links will be exported in a footnote-like style, with the descriptive part in
9200 the text and the link in a note before the next heading. See the variable
9201 @code{org-export-ascii-links-to-notes} for details and other options.
9203 @node HTML export, LaTeX and PDF export, ASCII/Latin-1/UTF-8 export, Exporting
9204 @section HTML export
9207 Org mode contains an HTML (XHTML 1.0 strict) exporter with extensive
9208 HTML formatting, in ways similar to John Gruber's @emph{markdown}
9209 language, but with additional support for tables.
9212 * HTML Export commands:: How to invoke HTML export
9213 * Quoting HTML tags:: Using direct HTML in Org mode
9214 * Links in HTML export:: How links will be interpreted and formatted
9215 * Tables in HTML export:: How to modify the formatting of tables
9216 * Images in HTML export:: How to insert figures into HTML output
9217 * Text areas in HTML export:: An alternative way to show an example
9218 * CSS support:: Changing the appearance of the output
9219 * Javascript support:: Info and Folding in a web browser
9222 @node HTML Export commands, Quoting HTML tags, HTML export, HTML export
9223 @subsection HTML export commands
9225 @cindex region, active
9226 @cindex active region
9227 @cindex transient-mark-mode
9231 @cindex property, EXPORT_FILE_NAME
9232 Export as HTML file @file{myfile.html}. For an Org file @file{myfile.org},
9233 the ASCII file will be @file{myfile.html}. The file will be overwritten
9234 without warning. If there is an active region@footnote{This requires
9235 @code{transient-mark-mode} be turned on.}, only the region will be
9236 exported. If the selected region is a single tree@footnote{To select the
9237 current subtree, use @kbd{C-c @@}.}, the tree head will become the document
9238 title. If the tree head entry has, or inherits, an @code{EXPORT_FILE_NAME}
9239 property, that name will be used for the export.
9242 Export as HTML file and immediately open it with a browser.
9245 Export to a temporary buffer, do not create a file.
9248 Export the active region to a temporary buffer. With a prefix argument, do
9249 not produce the file header and footer, but just the plain HTML section for
9250 the region. This is good for cut-and-paste operations.
9259 Export only the visible part of the document.
9260 @item M-x org-export-region-as-html
9261 Convert the region to HTML under the assumption that it was Org-mode
9262 syntax before. This is a global command that can be invoked in any
9264 @item M-x org-replace-region-by-HTML
9265 Replace the active region (assumed to be in Org-mode syntax) by HTML
9269 @cindex headline levels, for exporting
9270 In the exported version, the first 3 outline levels will become headlines,
9271 defining a general document structure. Additional levels will be exported as
9272 itemized lists. If you want that transition to occur at a different level,
9273 specify it with a numeric prefix argument. For example,
9280 creates two levels of headings and does the rest as items.
9282 @node Quoting HTML tags, Links in HTML export, HTML Export commands, HTML export
9283 @subsection Quoting HTML tags
9285 Plain @samp{<} and @samp{>} are always transformed to @samp{<} and
9286 @samp{>} in HTML export. If you want to include simple HTML tags
9287 which should be interpreted as such, mark them with @samp{@@} as in
9288 @samp{@@<b>bold text@@</b>}. Note that this really works only for
9289 simple tags. For more extensive HTML that should be copied verbatim to
9290 the exported file use either
9293 @cindex #+BEGIN_HTML
9295 #+HTML: Literal HTML code for export
9299 @cindex #+BEGIN_HTML
9303 All lines between these markers are exported literally
9308 @node Links in HTML export, Tables in HTML export, Quoting HTML tags, HTML export
9309 @subsection Links in HTML export
9311 @cindex links, in HTML export
9312 @cindex internal links, in HTML export
9313 @cindex external links, in HTML export
9314 Internal links (@pxref{Internal links}) will continue to work in HTML. This
9315 includes automatic links created by radio targets (@pxref{Radio
9316 targets}). Links to external files will still work if the target file is on
9317 the same @i{relative} path as the published Org file. Links to other
9318 @file{.org} files will be translated into HTML links under the assumption
9319 that an HTML version also exists of the linked file, at the same relative
9320 path. @samp{id:} links can then be used to jump to specific entries across
9321 files. For information related to linking files while publishing them to a
9322 publishing directory see @ref{Publishing links}.
9324 If you want to specify attributes for links, you can do so using a special
9325 @code{#+ATTR_HTML} line to define attributes that will be added to the
9326 @code{<a>} or @code{<img>} tags. Here is an example that sets @code{title}
9327 and @code{style} attributes for a link:
9331 #+ATTR_HTML: title="The Org-mode homepage" style="color:red;"
9332 [[http://orgmode.org]]
9335 @node Tables in HTML export, Images in HTML export, Links in HTML export, HTML export
9337 @cindex tables, in HTML
9338 @vindex org-export-html-table-tag
9340 Org-mode tables are exported to HTML using the table tag defined in
9341 @code{org-export-html-table-tag}. The default setting makes tables without
9342 cell borders and frame. If you would like to change this for individual
9343 tables, place somthing like the following before the table:
9348 #+CAPTION: This is a table with lines around and between cells
9349 #+ATTR_HTML: border="2" rules="all" frame="all"
9352 @node Images in HTML export, Text areas in HTML export, Tables in HTML export, HTML export
9353 @subsection Images in HTML export
9355 @cindex images, inline in HTML
9356 @cindex inlining images in HTML
9357 @vindex org-export-html-inline-images
9358 HTML export can inline images given as links in the Org file, and
9359 it can make an image the clickable part of a link. By
9360 default@footnote{But see the variable
9361 @code{org-export-html-inline-images}.}, images are inlined if a link does
9362 not have a description. So @samp{[[file:myimg.jpg]]} will be inlined,
9363 while @samp{[[file:myimg.jpg][the image]]} will just produce a link
9364 @samp{the image} that points to the image. If the description part
9365 itself is a @code{file:} link or a @code{http:} URL pointing to an
9366 image, this image will be inlined and activated so that clicking on the
9367 image will activate the link. For example, to include a thumbnail that
9368 will link to a high resolution version of the image, you could use:
9371 [[file:highres.jpg][file:thumb.jpg]]
9374 If you need to add attributes to an inlines image, use a @code{#+ATTR_HTML}.
9375 In the example below we specify the @code{alt} and @code{title} attributes to
9376 support text viewers and accessibility, and align it to the right.
9381 #+CAPTION: A black cat stalking a spider
9382 #+ATTR_HTML: alt="cat/spider image" title="Action!" align="right"
9387 and you could use @code{http} addresses just as well.
9389 @node Text areas in HTML export, CSS support, Images in HTML export, HTML export
9390 @subsection Text areas in HTML export
9392 @cindex text areas, in HTML
9393 An alternative way to publish literal code examples in HTML is to use text
9394 areas, where the example can even be edited before pasting it into an
9395 application. It is triggered by a @code{-t} switch at an @code{example} or
9396 @code{src} block. Using this switch disables any options for syntax and
9397 label highlighting, and line numbering, which may be present. You may also
9398 use @code{-h} and @code{-w} switches to specify the height and width of the
9399 text area, which default to the number of lines in the example, and 80,
9400 respectively. For example
9403 #+BEGIN_EXAMPLE -t -w 40
9404 (defun org-xor (a b)
9411 @node CSS support, Javascript support, Text areas in HTML export, HTML export
9412 @subsection CSS support
9413 @cindex CSS, for HTML export
9414 @cindex HTML export, CSS
9416 @vindex org-export-html-todo-kwd-class-prefix
9417 @vindex org-export-html-tag-class-prefix
9418 You can also give style information for the exported file. The HTML exporter
9419 assigns the following special CSS classes@footnote{If the classes on TODO
9420 keywords and tags lead to conflicts, use the variables
9421 @code{org-export-html-todo-kwd-class-prefix} and
9422 @code{org-export-html-tag-class-prefix} to make them unique.} to appropriate
9423 parts of the document---your style specifications may change these, in
9424 addition to any of the standard classes like for headlines, tables, etc.
9426 p.author @r{author information, including email}
9427 p.date @r{publishing date}
9428 p.creator @r{creator info, about org-mode version}
9429 .title @r{document title}
9430 .todo @r{TODO keywords, all not-done states}
9431 .done @r{the DONE keywords, all stated the count as done}
9432 .WAITING @r{each TODO keyword also uses a class named after itself}
9433 .timestamp @r{timestamp}
9434 .timestamp-kwd @r{keyword associated with a timestamp, like SCHEDULED}
9435 .timestamp-wrapper @r{span around keyword plus timestamp}
9436 .tag @r{tag in a headline}
9437 ._HOME @r{each tag uses itself as a class, "@@" replaced by "_"}
9438 .target @r{target for links}
9439 .linenr @r{the line number in a code example}
9440 .code-highlighted @r{for highlighting referenced code lines}
9441 div.outline-N @r{div for outline level N (headline plus text))}
9442 div.outline-text-N @r{extra div for text at outline level N}
9443 .section-number-N @r{section number in headlines, different for each level}
9444 div.figure @r{how to format an inlined image}
9445 pre.src @r{formatted source code}
9446 pre.example @r{normal example}
9447 p.verse @r{verse paragraph}
9448 div.footnotes @r{footnote section headline}
9449 p.footnote @r{footnote definition paragraph, containing a footnote}
9450 .footref @r{a footnote reference number (always a <sup>)}
9451 .footnum @r{footnote number in footnote definition (always <sup>)}
9454 @vindex org-export-html-style-default
9455 @vindex org-export-html-style-include-default
9456 @vindex org-export-html-style
9457 @vindex org-export-html-extra
9458 @vindex org-export-html-style-default
9459 Each exported file contains a compact default style that defines these
9460 classes in a basic way@footnote{This style is defined in the constant
9461 @code{org-export-html-style-default}, which you should not modify. To turn
9462 inclusion of these defaults off, customize
9463 @code{org-export-html-style-include-default}}. You may overwrite these
9464 settings, or add to them by using the variables @code{org-export-html-style}
9465 (for Org-wide settings) and @code{org-export-html-style-extra} (for more
9466 granular settings, like file-local settings). To set the latter variable
9467 individually for each file, you can use
9471 #+STYLE: <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="stylesheet.css" />
9475 For longer style definitions, you can use several such lines. You could also
9476 directly write a @code{<style>} @code{</style>} section in this way, without
9477 referring to an external file.
9479 @c FIXME: More about header and footer styles
9480 @c FIXME: Talk about links and targets.
9482 @node Javascript support, , CSS support, HTML export
9483 @subsection Javascript supported display of web pages
9485 @cindex Rose, Sebastian
9486 Sebastian Rose has written a JavaScript program especially designed to
9487 enhance the web viewing experience of HTML files created with Org. This
9488 program allows you to view large files in two different ways. The first one
9489 is an @emph{Info}-like mode where each section is displayed separately and
9490 navigation can be done with the @kbd{n} and @kbd{p} keys (and some other keys
9491 as well, press @kbd{?} for an overview of the available keys). The second
9492 view type is a @emph{folding} view much like Org provides inside Emacs. The
9493 script is available at @url{http://orgmode.org/org-info.js} and you can find
9494 the documentation for it at @url{http://orgmode.org/worg/code/org-info-js/}.
9495 We host the script at our site, but if you use it a lot, you might
9496 not want to be dependent on @url{orgmode.org} and prefer to install a local
9497 copy on your own web server.
9499 To use the script, you need to make sure that the @file{org-jsinfo.el} module
9500 gets loaded. It should be loaded by default, but you can try @kbd{M-x
9501 customize-variable @key{RET} org-modules @key{RET}} to convince yourself that
9502 this is indeed the case. All it then takes to make use of the program is
9503 adding a single line to the Org file:
9505 @cindex #+INFOJS_OPT
9507 #+INFOJS_OPT: view:info toc:nil
9511 If this line is found, the HTML header will automatically contain the code
9512 needed to invoke the script. Using the line above, you can set the following
9516 path: @r{The path to the script. The default is to grab the script from}
9517 @r{@url{http://orgmode.org/org-info.js}, but you might want to have}
9518 @r{a local copy and use a path like @samp{../scripts/org-info.js}.}
9519 view: @r{Initial view when website is first shown. Possible values are:}
9520 info @r{Info-like interface with one section per page.}
9521 overview @r{Folding interface, initially showing only top-level.}
9522 content @r{Folding interface, starting with all headlines visible.}
9523 showall @r{Folding interface, all headlines and text visible.}
9524 sdepth: @r{Maximum headline level that will still become an independent}
9525 @r{section for info and folding modes. The default is taken from}
9526 @r{@code{org-export-headline-levels} (= the @code{H} switch in @code{#+OPTIONS}).}
9527 @r{If this is smaller than in @code{org-export-headline-levels}, each}
9528 @r{info/folding section can still contain child headlines.}
9529 toc: @r{Should the table of content @emph{initially} be visible?}
9530 @r{Even when @code{nil}, you can always get to the "toc" with @kbd{i}.}
9531 tdepth: @r{The depth of the table of contents. The defaults are taken from}
9532 @r{the variables @code{org-export-headline-levels} and @code{org-export-with-toc}.}
9533 ftoc: @r{Does the css of the page specify a fixed position for the "toc"?}
9534 @r{If yes, the toc will never be displayed as a section.}
9535 ltoc: @r{Should there be short contents (children) in each section?}
9536 @r{Make this @code{above} if the section should be above initial text.}
9537 mouse: @r{Headings are highlighted when the mouse is over them. Should be}
9538 @r{@samp{underline} (default) or a background color like @samp{#cccccc}.}
9539 buttons: @r{Should view-toggle buttons be everywhere? When @code{nil} (the}
9540 @r{default), only one such button will be present.}
9543 @vindex org-infojs-options
9544 @vindex org-export-html-use-infojs
9545 You can choose default values for these options by customizing the variable
9546 @code{org-infojs-options}. If you always want to apply the script to your
9547 pages, configure the variable @code{org-export-html-use-infojs}.
9549 @node LaTeX and PDF export, DocBook export, HTML export, Exporting
9550 @section La@TeX{} and PDF export
9551 @cindex La@TeX{} export
9553 @cindex Guerry, Bastien
9555 Org mode contains a La@TeX{} exporter written by Bastien Guerry. With
9556 further processing@footnote{The default LaTeX output is designed for
9557 processing with pdftex or latex. It includes packages that are not
9558 compatible with xetex and possibly luatex. See the variables
9559 @code{org-export-latex-default-packages-alist} and
9560 @code{org-export-latex-packages-alist}.}, this backend is also used to
9561 produce PDF output. Since the La@TeX{} output uses @file{hyperref} to
9562 implement links and cross references, the PDF output file will be fully
9566 * LaTeX/PDF export commands:: Which key invokes which commands
9567 * Header and sectioning:: Setting up the export file structure
9568 * Quoting LaTeX code:: Incorporating literal La@TeX{} code
9569 * Tables in LaTeX export:: Options for exporting tables to La@TeX{}
9570 * Images in LaTeX export:: How to insert figures into La@TeX{} output
9571 * Beamer class export:: Turning the file into a presentation
9574 @node LaTeX/PDF export commands, Header and sectioning, LaTeX and PDF export, LaTeX and PDF export
9575 @subsection La@TeX{} export commands
9577 @cindex region, active
9578 @cindex active region
9579 @cindex transient-mark-mode
9583 @cindex property EXPORT_FILE_NAME
9584 Export as La@TeX{} file @file{myfile.tex}. For an Org file
9585 @file{myfile.org}, the ASCII file will be @file{myfile.tex}. The file will
9586 be overwritten without warning. If there is an active region@footnote{This
9587 requires @code{transient-mark-mode} be turned on.}, only the region will be
9588 exported. If the selected region is a single tree@footnote{To select the
9589 current subtree, use @kbd{C-c @@}.}, the tree head will become the document
9590 title. If the tree head entry has or inherits an @code{EXPORT_FILE_NAME}
9591 property, that name will be used for the export.
9594 Export to a temporary buffer, do not create a file.
9599 Export only the visible part of the document.
9600 @item M-x org-export-region-as-latex
9601 Convert the region to La@TeX{} under the assumption that it was Org mode
9602 syntax before. This is a global command that can be invoked in any
9604 @item M-x org-replace-region-by-latex
9605 Replace the active region (assumed to be in Org mode syntax) by La@TeX{}
9609 Export as La@TeX{} and then process to PDF.
9612 Export as La@TeX{} and then process to PDF, then open the resulting PDF file.
9615 @cindex headline levels, for exporting
9616 @vindex org-latex-low-levels
9617 In the exported version, the first 3 outline levels will become
9618 headlines, defining a general document structure. Additional levels
9619 will be exported as description lists. The exporter can ignore them or
9620 convert them to a custom string depending on
9621 @code{org-latex-low-levels}.
9623 If you want that transition to occur at a different level, specify it
9624 with a numeric prefix argument. For example,
9631 creates two levels of headings and does the rest as items.
9633 @node Header and sectioning, Quoting LaTeX code, LaTeX/PDF export commands, LaTeX and PDF export
9634 @subsection Header and sectioning structure
9635 @cindex La@TeX{} class
9636 @cindex La@TeX{} sectioning structure
9637 @cindex La@TeX{} header
9638 @cindex header, for LaTeX files
9639 @cindex sectioning structure, for LaTeX export
9641 By default, the La@TeX{} output uses the class @code{article}.
9643 @vindex org-export-latex-default-class
9644 @vindex org-export-latex-classes
9645 @vindex org-export-latex-default-packages-alist
9646 @vindex org-export-latex-packages-alist
9647 @cindex #+LATEX_HEADER
9648 @cindex #+LATEX_CLASS
9649 @cindex #+LATEX_CLASS_OPTIONS
9650 @cindex property, LATEX_CLASS
9651 @cindex property, LATEX_CLASS_OPTIONS
9652 You can change this globally by setting a different value for
9653 @code{org-export-latex-default-class} or locally by adding an option like
9654 @code{#+LaTeX_CLASS: myclass} in your file, or with a @code{:LaTeX_CLASS:}
9655 property that applies when exporting a region containing only this (sub)tree.
9656 The class must be listed in @code{org-export-latex-classes}. This variable
9657 defines a header template for each class@footnote{Into which the values of
9658 @code{org-export-latex-default-packages-alist} and
9659 @code{org-export-latex-packages-alist} are spliced.}, and allows you to
9660 define the sectioning structure for each class. You can also define your own
9661 classes there. @code{#+LaTeX_CLASS_OPTIONS} or a @code{LaTeX_CLASS_OPTIONS}
9662 property can specify the options for the @code{\documentclass} macro. You
9663 can also use @code{#+LATEX_HEADER: \usepackage@{xyz@}} to add lines to the
9664 header. See the docstring of @code{org-export-latex-classes} for more
9667 @node Quoting LaTeX code, Tables in LaTeX export, Header and sectioning, LaTeX and PDF export
9668 @subsection Quoting La@TeX{} code
9670 Embedded La@TeX{} as described in @ref{Embedded LaTeX}, will be correctly
9671 inserted into the La@TeX{} file. This includes simple macros like
9672 @samp{\ref@{LABEL@}} to create a cross reference to a figure. Furthermore,
9673 you can add special code that should only be present in La@TeX{} export with
9674 the following constructs:
9677 @cindex #+BEGIN_LaTeX
9679 #+LaTeX: Literal LaTeX code for export
9683 @cindex #+BEGIN_LaTeX
9687 All lines between these markers are exported literally
9692 @node Tables in LaTeX export, Images in LaTeX export, Quoting LaTeX code, LaTeX and PDF export
9693 @subsection Tables in La@TeX{} export
9694 @cindex tables, in La@TeX{} export
9696 For La@TeX{} export of a table, you can specify a label and a caption
9697 (@pxref{Images and tables}). You can also use the @code{ATTR_LaTeX} line to
9698 request a @code{longtable} environment for the table, so that it may span
9699 several pages, or provide the @code{multicolumn} keyword that will make the
9700 table span the page in a multicolumn environment (@code{table*} environment).
9701 Finally, you can set the alignment string:
9705 @cindex #+ATTR_LaTeX
9707 #+CAPTION: A long table
9709 #+ATTR_LaTeX: longtable align=l|lp@{3cm@}r|l
9715 @node Images in LaTeX export, Beamer class export, Tables in LaTeX export, LaTeX and PDF export
9716 @subsection Images in La@TeX{} export
9717 @cindex images, inline in La@TeX{}
9718 @cindex inlining images in La@TeX{}
9720 Images that are linked to without a description part in the link, like
9721 @samp{[[file:img.jpg]]} or @samp{[[./img.jpg]]} will be inserted into the PDF
9722 output file resulting from La@TeX{} processing. Org will use an
9723 @code{\includegraphics} macro to insert the image. If you have specified a
9724 caption and/or a label as described in @ref{Images and tables}, the figure
9725 will be wrapped into a @code{figure} environment and thus become a floating
9726 element. You can use an @code{#+ATTR_LaTeX:} line to specify the various
9727 options that can be used in the optional argument of the
9728 @code{\includegraphics} macro. To modify the placement option of the
9729 @code{figure} environment, add something like @samp{placement=[h!]} to the
9732 If you would like to let text flow around the image, add the word @samp{wrap}
9733 to the @code{#+ATTR_LaTeX:} line, which will make the figure occupy the left
9734 half of the page. To fine-tune, the @code{placement} field will be the set
9735 of additional arguments needed by the @code{wrapfigure} environment. Note
9736 that if you change the size of the image, you need to use compatible settings
9737 for @code{\includegraphics} and @code{wrapfigure}.
9741 @cindex #+ATTR_LaTeX
9743 #+CAPTION: The black-body emission of the disk around HR 4049
9744 #+LABEL: fig:SED-HR4049
9745 #+ATTR_LaTeX: width=5cm,angle=90
9746 [[./img/sed-hr4049.pdf]]
9748 #+ATTR_LaTeX: width=0.38\textwidth wrap placement=@{r@}@{0.4\textwidth@}
9752 If you need references to a label created in this way, write
9753 @samp{\ref@{fig:SED-HR4049@}} just like in La@TeX{}.
9755 @node Beamer class export, , Images in LaTeX export, LaTeX and PDF export
9756 @subsection Beamer class export
9758 The LaTeX class @file{beamer} allows production of high quality presentations
9759 using LaTeX and pdf processing. Org-mode has special support for turning an
9760 Org-mode file or tree into a @file{beamer} presentation.
9762 When the LaTeX class for the current buffer (as set with @code{#+LaTeX_CLASS:
9763 beamer}) or subtree (set with a @code{LaTeX_CLASS} property) is
9764 @code{beamer}, a special export mode will turn the file or tree into a beamer
9765 presentation. Any tree with not-too-deep level nesting should in principle be
9766 exportable as a beamer presentation. By default, the top-level entries (or
9767 the first level below the selected subtree heading) will be turned into
9768 frames, and the outline structure below this level will become itemize lists.
9769 You can also configure the variable @code{org-beamer-frame-level} to a
9770 different level - then the hierarchy above frames will produce the sectioning
9771 structure of the presentation.
9773 A template for useful in-buffer settings or properties can be inserted into
9774 the buffer with @kbd{M-x org-beamer-settings-template}. Among other things,
9775 this will install a column view format which is very handy for editing
9776 special properties used by beamer.
9778 You can influence the structure of the presentation using the following
9783 The environment that should be used to format this entry. Valid environments
9784 are defined in the constant @code{org-beamer-environments-default}, and you
9785 can define more in @code{org-beamer-environments-extra}. If this property is
9786 set, the entry will also get a @code{:B_environment:} tag to make this
9787 visible. This tag has no semantic meaning, it is only a visual aid.
9788 @item BEAMER_envargs
9789 The beamer-special arguments that should be used for the environment, like
9790 @code{[t]} or @code{[<+->]} of @code{<2-3>}. If the @code{BEAMER_col}
9791 property is also set, something like @code{C[t]} can be added here as well to
9792 set an options argument for the implied @code{columns} environment.
9793 @code{c[t]} will set an option for the implied @code{column} environment.
9795 The width of a column that should start with this entry. If this property is
9796 set, the entry will also get a @code{:BMCOL:} property to make this visible.
9797 Also this tag is only a visual aid. When this is a plain number, it will be
9798 interpreted as a fraction of @code{\textwidth}. Otherwise it will be assumed
9799 that you have specified the units, like @samp{3cm}. The first such property
9800 in a frame will start a @code{columns} environment to surround the columns.
9801 This environment is closed when an entry has a @code{BEAMER_col} property
9802 with value 0 or 1, or automatically at the end of the frame.
9804 Additional commands that should be inserted after the environment has been
9805 opened. For example, when creating a frame, this can be used to specify
9809 Frames will automatically receive a @code{fragile} option if they contain
9810 source code that uses the verbatim environment. Special @file{beamer}
9811 specific code can be inserted using @code{#+BEAMER:} and
9812 @code{#+BEGIN_beamer...#+end_beamer} constructs, similar to other export
9813 backends, but with the difference that @code{#+LaTeX:} stuff will be included
9814 in the presentation as well.
9816 Outline nodes with @code{BEAMER_env} property value @samp{note} or
9817 @samp{noteNH} will be formatted as beamer notes, i,e, they will be wrapped
9818 into @code{\note@{...@}}. The former will include the heading as part of the
9819 note text, the latter will ignore the heading of that node. To simplify note
9820 generation, it is actually enough to mark the note with a @emph{tag} (either
9821 @code{:B_note:} or @code{:B_noteNH:}) instead of creating the
9822 @code{BEAMER_env} property.
9824 You can turn on a special minor mode @code{org-beamer-mode} for editing
9834 In @code{org-beamer-mode}, this key offers fast selection of a beamer
9835 environment or the @code{BEAMER_col} property.
9838 Column view provides a great way to set the environment of a node and other
9839 important parameters. Make sure you are using a COLUMN format that is geared
9840 toward this special purpose. The command @kbd{M-x
9841 org-beamer-settings-template} defines such a format.
9843 Here is a simple example Org document that is intended for beamer export.
9846 #+LaTeX_CLASS: beamer
9847 #+TITLE: Example Presentation
9848 #+AUTHOR: Carsten Dominik
9849 #+LaTeX_CLASS_OPTIONS: [presentation]
9850 #+BEAMER_FRAME_LEVEL: 2
9851 #+BEAMER_HEADER_EXTRA: \usetheme@{Madrid@}\usecolortheme@{default@}
9852 #+COLUMNS: %35ITEM %10BEAMER_env(Env) %10BEAMER_envargs(Args) %4BEAMER_col(Col) %8BEAMER_extra(Ex)
9854 * This is the first structural section
9856 ** Frame 1 \\ with a subtitle
9857 *** Thanks to Eric Fraga :BMCOL:B_block:
9860 :BEAMER_envargs: C[t]
9863 for the first viable beamer setup in Org
9864 *** Thanks to everyone else :BMCOL:B_block:
9868 :BEAMER_envargs: <2->
9870 for contributing to the discussion
9871 **** This will be formatted as a beamer note :B_note:
9872 ** Frame 2 \\ where we will not use columns
9873 *** Request :B_block:
9874 Please test this stuff!
9880 For more information, see the documentation on Worg.
9882 @node DocBook export, Freemind export, LaTeX and PDF export, Exporting
9883 @section DocBook export
9884 @cindex DocBook export
9888 Org contains a DocBook exporter written by Baoqiu Cui. Once an Org file is
9889 exported to DocBook format, it can be further processed to produce other
9890 formats, including PDF, HTML, man pages, etc., using many available DocBook
9891 tools and stylesheets.
9893 Currently DocBook exporter only supports DocBook V5.0.
9896 * DocBook export commands:: How to invoke DocBook export
9897 * Quoting DocBook code:: Incorporating DocBook code in Org files
9898 * Recursive sections:: Recursive sections in DocBook
9899 * Tables in DocBook export:: Tables are exported as HTML tables
9900 * Images in DocBook export:: How to insert figures into DocBook output
9901 * Special characters:: How to handle special characters
9904 @node DocBook export commands, Quoting DocBook code, DocBook export, DocBook export
9905 @subsection DocBook export commands
9907 @cindex region, active
9908 @cindex active region
9909 @cindex transient-mark-mode
9913 @cindex property EXPORT_FILE_NAME
9914 Export as DocBook file. For an Org file, @file{myfile.org}, the DocBook XML
9915 file will be @file{myfile.xml}. The file will be overwritten without
9916 warning. If there is an active region@footnote{This requires
9917 @code{transient-mark-mode} to be turned on}, only the region will be
9918 exported. If the selected region is a single tree@footnote{To select the
9919 current subtree, use @kbd{C-c @@}.}, the tree head will become the document
9920 title. If the tree head entry has, or inherits, an @code{EXPORT_FILE_NAME}
9921 property, that name will be used for the export.
9924 Export as DocBook file, process to PDF, then open the resulting PDF file.
9926 @vindex org-export-docbook-xslt-proc-command
9927 @vindex org-export-docbook-xsl-fo-proc-command
9928 Note that, in order to produce PDF output based on exported DocBook file, you
9929 need to have XSLT processor and XSL-FO processor software installed on your
9930 system. Check variables @code{org-export-docbook-xslt-proc-command} and
9931 @code{org-export-docbook-xsl-fo-proc-command}.
9933 @vindex org-export-docbook-xslt-stylesheet
9934 The stylesheet argument @code{%s} in variable
9935 @code{org-export-docbook-xslt-proc-command} is replaced by the value of
9936 variable @code{org-export-docbook-xslt-stylesheet}, which needs to be set by
9937 the user. You can also overrule this global setting on a per-file basis by
9938 adding an in-buffer setting @code{#+XSLT:} to the Org file.
9942 Export only the visible part of the document.
9945 @node Quoting DocBook code, Recursive sections, DocBook export commands, DocBook export
9946 @subsection Quoting DocBook code
9948 You can quote DocBook code in Org files and copy it verbatim into exported
9949 DocBook file with the following constructs:
9952 @cindex #+BEGIN_DOCBOOK
9954 #+DOCBOOK: Literal DocBook code for export
9958 @cindex #+BEGIN_DOCBOOK
9962 All lines between these markers are exported by DocBook exporter
9967 For example, you can use the following lines to include a DocBook warning
9968 admonition. As to what this warning says, you should pay attention to the
9969 document context when quoting DocBook code in Org files. You may make
9970 exported DocBook XML files invalid by not quoting DocBook code correctly.
9975 <para>You should know what you are doing when quoting DocBook XML code
9976 in your Org file. Invalid DocBook XML file may be generated by
9977 DocBook exporter if you are not careful!</para>
9982 @node Recursive sections, Tables in DocBook export, Quoting DocBook code, DocBook export
9983 @subsection Recursive sections
9984 @cindex DocBook recursive sections
9986 DocBook exporter exports Org files as articles using the @code{article}
9987 element in DocBook. Recursive sections, i.e. @code{section} elements, are
9988 used in exported articles. Top level headlines in Org files are exported as
9989 top level sections, and lower level headlines are exported as nested
9990 sections. The entire structure of Org files will be exported completely, no
9991 matter how many nested levels of headlines there are.
9993 Using recursive sections makes it easy to port and reuse exported DocBook
9994 code in other DocBook document types like @code{book} or @code{set}.
9996 @node Tables in DocBook export, Images in DocBook export, Recursive sections, DocBook export
9997 @subsection Tables in DocBook export
9998 @cindex tables, in DocBook export
10000 Tables in Org files are exported as HTML tables, which have been supported since
10003 If a table does not have a caption, an informal table is generated using the
10004 @code{informaltable} element; otherwise, a formal table will be generated
10005 using the @code{table} element.
10007 @node Images in DocBook export, Special characters, Tables in DocBook export, DocBook export
10008 @subsection Images in DocBook export
10009 @cindex images, inline in DocBook
10010 @cindex inlining images in DocBook
10012 Images that are linked to without a description part in the link, like
10013 @samp{[[file:img.jpg]]} or @samp{[[./img.jpg]]}, will be exported to DocBook
10014 using @code{mediaobject} elements. Each @code{mediaobject} element contains
10015 an @code{imageobject} that wraps an @code{imagedata} element. If you have
10016 specified a caption for an image as described in @ref{Images and tables}, a
10017 @code{caption} element will be added in @code{mediaobject}. If a label is
10018 also specified, it will be exported as an @code{xml:id} attribute of the
10019 @code{mediaobject} element.
10021 @vindex org-export-docbook-default-image-attributes
10022 Image attributes supported by the @code{imagedata} element, like @code{align}
10023 or @code{width}, can be specified in two ways: you can either customize
10024 variable @code{org-export-docbook-default-image-attributes} or use the
10025 @code{#+ATTR_DOCBOOK:} line. Attributes specified in variable
10026 @code{org-export-docbook-default-image-attributes} are applied to all inline
10027 images in the Org file to be exported (unless they are overridden by image
10028 attributes specified in @code{#+ATTR_DOCBOOK:} lines).
10030 The @code{#+ATTR_DOCBOOK:} line can be used to specify additional image
10031 attributes or override default image attributes for individual images. If
10032 the same attribute appears in both the @code{#+ATTR_DOCBOOK:} line and
10033 variable @code{org-export-docbook-default-image-attributes}, the former
10034 takes precedence. Here is an example about how image attributes can be
10039 @cindex #+ATTR_DOCBOOK
10041 #+CAPTION: The logo of Org mode
10042 #+LABEL: unicorn-svg
10043 #+ATTR_DOCBOOK: scalefit="1" width="100%" depth="100%"
10044 [[./img/org-mode-unicorn.svg]]
10047 @vindex org-export-docbook-inline-image-extensions
10048 By default, DocBook exporter recognizes the following image file types:
10049 @file{jpeg}, @file{jpg}, @file{png}, @file{gif}, and @file{svg}. You can
10050 customize variable @code{org-export-docbook-inline-image-extensions} to add
10051 more types to this list as long as DocBook supports them.
10053 @node Special characters, , Images in DocBook export, DocBook export
10054 @subsection Special characters in DocBook export
10055 @cindex Special characters in DocBook export
10057 @vindex org-export-docbook-doctype
10058 @vindex org-entities
10059 Special characters that are written in @TeX{}-like syntax, such as @code{\alpha},
10060 @code{\Gamma}, and @code{\Zeta}, are supported by DocBook exporter. These
10061 characters are rewritten to XML entities, like @code{α},
10062 @code{Γ}, and @code{Ζ}, based on the list saved in variable
10063 @code{org-entities}. As long as the generated DocBook file includes the
10064 corresponding entities, these special characters are recognized.
10066 You can customize variable @code{org-export-docbook-doctype} to include the
10067 entities you need. For example, you can set variable
10068 @code{org-export-docbook-doctype} to the following value to recognize all
10069 special characters included in XHTML entities:
10072 "<!DOCTYPE article [
10073 <!ENTITY % xhtml1-symbol PUBLIC
10074 \"-//W3C//ENTITIES Symbol for HTML//EN//XML\"
10075 \"http://www.w3.org/2003/entities/2007/xhtml1-symbol.ent\"
10082 @node Freemind export, XOXO export, DocBook export, Exporting
10083 @section Freemind export
10084 @cindex Freemind export
10087 The freemind exporter was written by Lennart Borgman.
10092 Export as Freemind mind map @file{myfile.mm}.
10095 @node XOXO export, iCalendar export, Freemind export, Exporting
10096 @section XOXO export
10097 @cindex XOXO export
10099 Org mode contains an exporter that produces XOXO-style output.
10100 Currently, this exporter only handles the general outline structure and
10101 does not interpret any additional Org-mode features.
10106 Export as XOXO file @file{myfile.html}.
10109 Export only the visible part of the document.
10112 @node iCalendar export, , XOXO export, Exporting
10113 @section iCalendar export
10114 @cindex iCalendar export
10116 @vindex org-icalendar-include-todo
10117 @vindex org-icalendar-use-deadline
10118 @vindex org-icalendar-use-scheduled
10119 @vindex org-icalendar-categories
10120 Some people use Org mode for keeping track of projects, but still prefer a
10121 standard calendar application for anniversaries and appointments. In this
10122 case it can be useful to show deadlines and other time-stamped items in Org
10123 files in the calendar application. Org mode can export calendar information
10124 in the standard iCalendar format. If you also want to have TODO entries
10125 included in the export, configure the variable
10126 @code{org-icalendar-include-todo}. Plain timestamps are exported as VEVENT,
10127 and TODO items as VTODO. It will also create events from deadlines that are
10128 in non-TODO items. Deadlines and scheduling dates in TODO items will be used
10129 to set the start and due dates for the TODO entry@footnote{See the variables
10130 @code{org-icalendar-use-deadline} and @code{org-icalendar-use-scheduled}.}.
10131 As categories, it will use the tags locally defined in the heading, and the
10132 file/tree category@footnote{To add inherited tags or the TODO state,
10133 configure the variable @code{org-icalendar-categories}.}.
10135 @vindex org-icalendar-store-UID
10136 @cindex property, ID
10137 The iCalendar standard requires each entry to have a globally unique
10138 identifier (UID). Org creates these identifiers during export. If you set
10139 the variable @code{org-icalendar-store-UID}, the UID will be stored in the
10140 @code{:ID:} property of the entry and re-used next time you report this
10141 entry. Since a single entry can give rise to multiple iCalendar entries (as
10142 a timestamp, a deadline, a scheduled item, and as a TODO item), Org adds
10143 prefixes to the UID, depending on what triggered the inclusion of the entry.
10144 In this way the UID remains unique, but a synchronization program can still
10145 figure out from which entry all the different instances originate.
10150 Create iCalendar entries for the current file and store them in the same
10151 directory, using a file extension @file{.ics}.
10154 @vindex org-agenda-files
10155 Like @kbd{C-c C-e i}, but do this for all files in
10156 @code{org-agenda-files}. For each of these files, a separate iCalendar
10157 file will be written.
10160 @vindex org-combined-agenda-icalendar-file
10161 Create a single large iCalendar file from all files in
10162 @code{org-agenda-files} and write it to the file given by
10163 @code{org-combined-agenda-icalendar-file}.
10166 @vindex org-use-property-inheritance
10167 @vindex org-icalendar-include-body
10168 @cindex property, SUMMARY
10169 @cindex property, DESCRIPTION
10170 @cindex property, LOCATION
10171 The export will honor SUMMARY, DESCRIPTION and LOCATION@footnote{The LOCATION
10172 property can be inherited from higher in the hierarchy if you configure
10173 @code{org-use-property-inheritance} accordingly.} properties if the selected
10174 entries have them. If not, the summary will be derived from the headline,
10175 and the description from the body (limited to
10176 @code{org-icalendar-include-body} characters).
10178 How this calendar is best read and updated, depends on the application
10179 you are using. The FAQ covers this issue.
10181 @node Publishing, Miscellaneous, Exporting, Top
10182 @chapter Publishing
10184 @cindex O'Toole, David
10186 Org includes a publishing management system that allows you to configure
10187 automatic HTML conversion of @emph{projects} composed of interlinked org
10188 files. You can also configure Org to automatically upload your exported HTML
10189 pages and related attachments, such as images and source code files, to a web
10192 You can also use Org to convert files into PDF, or even combine HTML and PDF
10193 conversion so that files are available in both formats on the server.
10195 Publishing has been contributed to Org by David O'Toole.
10198 * Configuration:: Defining projects
10199 * Uploading files:: How to get files up on the server
10200 * Sample configuration:: Example projects
10201 * Triggering publication:: Publication commands
10204 @node Configuration, Uploading files, Publishing, Publishing
10205 @section Configuration
10207 Publishing needs significant configuration to specify files, destination
10208 and many other properties of a project.
10211 * Project alist:: The central configuration variable
10212 * Sources and destinations:: From here to there
10213 * Selecting files:: What files are part of the project?
10214 * Publishing action:: Setting the function doing the publishing
10215 * Publishing options:: Tweaking HTML export
10216 * Publishing links:: Which links keep working after publishing?
10217 * Sitemap:: Generating a list of all pages
10218 * Generating an index:: An index that reaches across pages
10221 @node Project alist, Sources and destinations, Configuration, Configuration
10222 @subsection The variable @code{org-publish-project-alist}
10223 @cindex org-publish-project-alist
10224 @cindex projects, for publishing
10226 @vindex org-publish-project-alist
10227 Publishing is configured almost entirely through setting the value of one
10228 variable, called @code{org-publish-project-alist}. Each element of the list
10229 configures one project, and may be in one of the two following forms:
10232 ("project-name" :property value :property value ...)
10234 ("project-name" :components ("project-name" "project-name" ...))
10238 In both cases, projects are configured by specifying property values. A
10239 project defines the set of files that will be published, as well as the
10240 publishing configuration to use when publishing those files. When a project
10241 takes the second form listed above, the individual members of the
10242 @code{:components} property are taken to be sub-projects, which group
10243 together files requiring different publishing options. When you publish such
10244 a ``meta-project'', all the components will also be published, in the
10247 @node Sources and destinations, Selecting files, Project alist, Configuration
10248 @subsection Sources and destinations for files
10249 @cindex directories, for publishing
10251 Most properties are optional, but some should always be set. In
10252 particular, Org needs to know where to look for source files,
10253 and where to put published files.
10255 @multitable @columnfractions 0.3 0.7
10256 @item @code{:base-directory}
10257 @tab Directory containing publishing source files
10258 @item @code{:publishing-directory}
10259 @tab Directory where output files will be published. You can directly
10260 publish to a webserver using a file name syntax appropriate for
10261 the Emacs @file{tramp} package. Or you can publish to a local directory and
10262 use external tools to upload your website (@pxref{Uploading files}).
10263 @item @code{:preparation-function}
10264 @tab Function or list of functions to be called before starting the
10265 publishing process, for example, to run @code{make} for updating files to be
10266 published. The project property list is scoped into this call as the
10267 variable @code{project-plist}.
10268 @item @code{:completion-function}
10269 @tab Function or list of functions called after finishing the publishing
10270 process, for example, to change permissions of the resulting files. The
10271 project property list is scoped into this call as the variable
10272 @code{project-plist}.
10276 @node Selecting files, Publishing action, Sources and destinations, Configuration
10277 @subsection Selecting files
10278 @cindex files, selecting for publishing
10280 By default, all files with extension @file{.org} in the base directory
10281 are considered part of the project. This can be modified by setting the
10283 @multitable @columnfractions 0.25 0.75
10284 @item @code{:base-extension}
10285 @tab Extension (without the dot!) of source files. This actually is a
10286 regular expression. Set this to the symbol @code{any} if you want to get all
10287 files in @code{:base-directory}, even without extension.
10289 @item @code{:exclude}
10290 @tab Regular expression to match file names that should not be
10291 published, even though they have been selected on the basis of their
10294 @item @code{:include}
10295 @tab List of files to be included regardless of @code{:base-extension}
10296 and @code{:exclude}.
10299 @node Publishing action, Publishing options, Selecting files, Configuration
10300 @subsection Publishing action
10301 @cindex action, for publishing
10303 Publishing means that a file is copied to the destination directory and
10304 possibly transformed in the process. The default transformation is to export
10305 Org files as HTML files, and this is done by the function
10306 @code{org-publish-org-to-html} which calls the HTML exporter (@pxref{HTML
10307 export}). But you also can publish your content as PDF files using
10308 @code{org-publish-org-to-pdf}. If you want to publish the Org file itself,
10309 but with @i{archived}, @i{commented}, and @i{tag-excluded} trees removed, use
10310 @code{org-publish-org-to-org} and set the parameters @code{:plain-source}
10311 and/or @code{:htmlized-source}. This will produce @file{file.org} and
10312 @file{file.org.html} in the publishing
10313 directory@footnote{@file{file-source.org} and @file{file-source.org.html} if
10314 source and publishing directories are equal. Note that with this kind of
10315 setup, you need to add @code{:exclude "-source\\.org"} to the project
10316 definition in @code{org-publish-project-alist} to avoid that the published
10317 source files will be considered as new org files the next time the project is
10318 published.}. Other files like images only
10319 need to be copied to the publishing destination, for this you may use
10320 @code{org-publish-attachment}. For non-Org files, you always need to
10321 specify the publishing function:
10323 @multitable @columnfractions 0.3 0.7
10324 @item @code{:publishing-function}
10325 @tab Function executing the publication of a file. This may also be a
10326 list of functions, which will all be called in turn.
10327 @item @code{:plain-source}
10328 @tab Non-nil means, publish plain source.
10329 @item @code{:htmlized-source}
10330 @tab Non-nil means, publish htmlized source.
10333 The function must accept three arguments: a property list containing at least
10334 a @code{:publishing-directory} property, the name of the file to be
10335 published, and the path to the publishing directory of the output file. It
10336 should take the specified file, make the necessary transformation (if any)
10337 and place the result into the destination folder.
10339 @node Publishing options, Publishing links, Publishing action, Configuration
10340 @subsection Options for the HTML/La@TeX{} exporters
10341 @cindex options, for publishing
10343 The property list can be used to set many export options for the HTML
10344 and La@TeX{} exporters. In most cases, these properties correspond to user
10345 variables in Org. The table below lists these properties along
10346 with the variable they belong to. See the documentation string for the
10347 respective variable for details.
10349 @vindex org-export-html-link-up
10350 @vindex org-export-html-link-home
10351 @vindex org-export-default-language
10352 @vindex org-display-custom-times
10353 @vindex org-export-headline-levels
10354 @vindex org-export-with-section-numbers
10355 @vindex org-export-section-number-format
10356 @vindex org-export-with-toc
10357 @vindex org-export-preserve-breaks
10358 @vindex org-export-with-archived-trees
10359 @vindex org-export-with-emphasize
10360 @vindex org-export-with-sub-superscripts
10361 @vindex org-export-with-special-strings
10362 @vindex org-export-with-footnotes
10363 @vindex org-export-with-drawers
10364 @vindex org-export-with-tags
10365 @vindex org-export-with-todo-keywords
10366 @vindex org-export-with-priority
10367 @vindex org-export-with-TeX-macros
10368 @vindex org-export-with-LaTeX-fragments
10369 @vindex org-export-skip-text-before-1st-heading
10370 @vindex org-export-with-fixed-width
10371 @vindex org-export-with-timestamps
10372 @vindex org-export-author-info
10373 @vindex org-export-email
10374 @vindex org-export-creator-info
10375 @vindex org-export-with-tables
10376 @vindex org-export-highlight-first-table-line
10377 @vindex org-export-html-style-include-default
10378 @vindex org-export-html-style
10379 @vindex org-export-html-style-extra
10380 @vindex org-export-html-link-org-files-as-html
10381 @vindex org-export-html-inline-images
10382 @vindex org-export-html-extension
10383 @vindex org-export-html-table-tag
10384 @vindex org-export-html-expand
10385 @vindex org-export-html-with-timestamp
10386 @vindex org-export-publishing-directory
10387 @vindex org-export-html-preamble
10388 @vindex org-export-html-postamble
10389 @vindex org-export-html-auto-preamble
10390 @vindex org-export-html-auto-postamble
10391 @vindex user-full-name
10392 @vindex user-mail-address
10393 @vindex org-export-select-tags
10394 @vindex org-export-exclude-tags
10396 @multitable @columnfractions 0.32 0.68
10397 @item @code{:link-up} @tab @code{org-export-html-link-up}
10398 @item @code{:link-home} @tab @code{org-export-html-link-home}
10399 @item @code{:language} @tab @code{org-export-default-language}
10400 @item @code{:customtime} @tab @code{org-display-custom-times}
10401 @item @code{:headline-levels} @tab @code{org-export-headline-levels}
10402 @item @code{:section-numbers} @tab @code{org-export-with-section-numbers}
10403 @item @code{:section-number-format} @tab @code{org-export-section-number-format}
10404 @item @code{:table-of-contents} @tab @code{org-export-with-toc}
10405 @item @code{:preserve-breaks} @tab @code{org-export-preserve-breaks}
10406 @item @code{:archived-trees} @tab @code{org-export-with-archived-trees}
10407 @item @code{:emphasize} @tab @code{org-export-with-emphasize}
10408 @item @code{:sub-superscript} @tab @code{org-export-with-sub-superscripts}
10409 @item @code{:special-strings} @tab @code{org-export-with-special-strings}
10410 @item @code{:footnotes} @tab @code{org-export-with-footnotes}
10411 @item @code{:drawers} @tab @code{org-export-with-drawers}
10412 @item @code{:tags} @tab @code{org-export-with-tags}
10413 @item @code{:todo-keywords} @tab @code{org-export-with-todo-keywords}
10414 @item @code{:priority} @tab @code{org-export-with-priority}
10415 @item @code{:TeX-macros} @tab @code{org-export-with-TeX-macros}
10416 @item @code{:LaTeX-fragments} @tab @code{org-export-with-LaTeX-fragments}
10417 @item @code{:latex-listings} @tab @code{org-export-latex-listings}
10418 @item @code{:skip-before-1st-heading} @tab @code{org-export-skip-text-before-1st-heading}
10419 @item @code{:fixed-width} @tab @code{org-export-with-fixed-width}
10420 @item @code{:timestamps} @tab @code{org-export-with-timestamps}
10421 @item @code{:author-info} @tab @code{org-export-author-info}
10422 @item @code{:email-info} @tab @code{org-export-email-info}
10423 @item @code{:creator-info} @tab @code{org-export-creator-info}
10424 @item @code{:tables} @tab @code{org-export-with-tables}
10425 @item @code{:table-auto-headline} @tab @code{org-export-highlight-first-table-line}
10426 @item @code{:style-include-default} @tab @code{org-export-html-style-include-default}
10427 @item @code{:style} @tab @code{org-export-html-style}
10428 @item @code{:style-extra} @tab @code{org-export-html-style-extra}
10429 @item @code{:convert-org-links} @tab @code{org-export-html-link-org-files-as-html}
10430 @item @code{:inline-images} @tab @code{org-export-html-inline-images}
10431 @item @code{:html-extension} @tab @code{org-export-html-extension}
10432 @item @code{:xml-declaration} @tab @code{org-export-html-xml-declaration}
10433 @item @code{:html-table-tag} @tab @code{org-export-html-table-tag}
10434 @item @code{:expand-quoted-html} @tab @code{org-export-html-expand}
10435 @item @code{:timestamp} @tab @code{org-export-html-with-timestamp}
10436 @item @code{:publishing-directory} @tab @code{org-export-publishing-directory}
10437 @item @code{:preamble} @tab @code{org-export-html-preamble}
10438 @item @code{:postamble} @tab @code{org-export-html-postamble}
10439 @item @code{:auto-preamble} @tab @code{org-export-html-auto-preamble}
10440 @item @code{:auto-postamble} @tab @code{org-export-html-auto-postamble}
10441 @item @code{:author} @tab @code{user-full-name}
10442 @item @code{:email} @tab @code{user-mail-address} : @code{addr;addr;..}
10443 @item @code{:select-tags} @tab @code{org-export-select-tags}
10444 @item @code{:exclude-tags} @tab @code{org-export-exclude-tags}
10445 @item @code{:latex-image-options} @tab @code{org-export-latex-image-default-option}
10448 Most of the @code{org-export-with-*} variables have the same effect in
10449 both HTML and La@TeX{} exporters, except for @code{:TeX-macros} and
10450 @code{:LaTeX-fragments}, respectively @code{nil} and @code{t} in the
10453 @vindex org-publish-project-alist
10454 When a property is given a value in @code{org-publish-project-alist},
10455 its setting overrides the value of the corresponding user variable (if
10456 any) during publishing. Options set within a file (@pxref{Export
10457 options}), however, override everything.
10459 @node Publishing links, Sitemap, Publishing options, Configuration
10460 @subsection Links between published files
10461 @cindex links, publishing
10463 To create a link from one Org file to another, you would use
10464 something like @samp{[[file:foo.org][The foo]]} or simply
10465 @samp{file:foo.org.} (@pxref{Hyperlinks}). When published, this link
10466 becomes a link to @file{foo.html}. In this way, you can interlink the
10467 pages of your "org web" project and the links will work as expected when
10468 you publish them to HTML. If you also publish the Org source file and want
10469 to link to that, use an @code{http:} link instead of a @code{file:} link,
10470 because @code{file:} links are converted to link to the corresponding
10473 You may also link to related files, such as images. Provided you are careful
10474 with relative file names, and provided you have also configured Org to upload
10475 the related files, these links will work too. See @ref{Complex example}, for
10476 an example of this usage.
10478 Sometimes an Org file to be published may contain links that are
10479 only valid in your production environment, but not in the publishing
10480 location. In this case, use the property
10482 @multitable @columnfractions 0.4 0.6
10483 @item @code{:link-validation-function}
10484 @tab Function to validate links
10488 to define a function for checking link validity. This function must
10489 accept two arguments, the file name and a directory relative to which
10490 the file name is interpreted in the production environment. If this
10491 function returns @code{nil}, then the HTML generator will only insert a
10492 description into the HTML file, but no link. One option for this
10493 function is @code{org-publish-validate-link} which checks if the given
10494 file is part of any project in @code{org-publish-project-alist}.
10496 @node Sitemap, Generating an index, Publishing links, Configuration
10497 @subsection Generating a sitemap
10498 @cindex sitemap, of published pages
10500 The following properties may be used to control publishing of
10501 a map of files for a given project.
10503 @multitable @columnfractions 0.35 0.65
10504 @item @code{:auto-sitemap}
10505 @tab When non-nil, publish a sitemap during @code{org-publish-current-project}
10506 or @code{org-publish-all}.
10508 @item @code{:sitemap-filename}
10509 @tab Filename for output of sitemap. Defaults to @file{sitemap.org} (which
10510 becomes @file{sitemap.html}).
10512 @item @code{:sitemap-title}
10513 @tab Title of sitemap page. Defaults to name of file.
10515 @item @code{:sitemap-function}
10516 @tab Plug-in function to use for generation of the sitemap.
10517 Defaults to @code{org-publish-org-sitemap}, which generates a plain list
10518 of links to all files in the project.
10520 @item @code{:sitemap-sort-folders}
10521 @tab Where folders should appear in the sitemap. Set this to @code{first}
10522 (default) or @code{last} to display folders first or last,
10523 respectively. Any other value will mix files and folders.
10525 @item @code{:sitemap-alphabetically}
10526 @tab The site map is normally sorted alphabetically. Set this explicitly to
10527 @code{nil} to turn off sorting.
10529 @item @code{:sitemap-ignore-case}
10530 @tab Should sorting be case-sensitive? Default @code{nil}.
10534 @node Generating an index, , Sitemap, Configuration
10535 @subsection Generating an index
10536 @cindex index, in a publishing project
10538 Org-mode can generate an index across the files of a publishing project.
10540 @multitable @columnfractions 0.25 0.75
10541 @item @code{:makeindex}
10542 @tab When non-nil, generate in index in the file @file{theindex.org} and
10543 publish it as @file{theindex.html}.
10546 The file will be create when first publishing a project with the
10547 @code{:makeindex} set. The file only contains a statement @code{#+include:
10548 "theindex.inc"}. You can then built around this include statement by adding
10549 a title, style information etc.
10551 @node Uploading files, Sample configuration, Configuration, Publishing
10552 @section Uploading files
10556 For those people already utilizing third party sync tools such as
10557 @command{rsync} or @command{unison}, it might be preferable not to use the built in
10558 @i{remote} publishing facilities of Org mode which rely heavily on
10559 Tramp. Tramp, while very useful and powerful, tends not to be
10560 so efficient for multiple file transfer and has been known to cause problems
10563 Specialized synchronization utilities offer several advantages. In addition
10564 to timestamp comparison, they also do content and permissions/attribute
10565 checks. For this reason you might prefer to publish your web to a local
10566 directory (possibly even @i{in place} with your Org files) and then use
10567 @file{unison} or @file{rsync} to do the synchronization with the remote host.
10569 Since Unison (for example) can be configured as to which files to transfer to
10570 a certain remote destination, it can greatly simplify the project publishing
10571 definition. Simply keep all files in the correct location, process your Org
10572 files with @code{org-publish} and let the synchronization tool do the rest.
10573 You do not need, in this scenario, to include attachments such as @file{jpg},
10574 @file{css} or @file{gif} files in the project definition since the 3rd party
10577 Publishing to a local directory is also much faster than to a remote one, so
10578 that you can afford more easily to republish entire projects. If you set
10579 @code{org-publish-use-timestamps-flag} to @code{nil}, you gain the main
10580 benefit of re-including any changed external files such as source example
10581 files you might include with @code{#+INCLUDE}. The timestamp mechanism in
10582 Org is not smart enough to detect if included files have been modified.
10584 @node Sample configuration, Triggering publication, Uploading files, Publishing
10585 @section Sample configuration
10587 Below we provide two example configurations. The first one is a simple
10588 project publishing only a set of Org files. The second example is
10589 more complex, with a multi-component project.
10592 * Simple example:: One-component publishing
10593 * Complex example:: A multi-component publishing example
10596 @node Simple example, Complex example, Sample configuration, Sample configuration
10597 @subsection Example: simple publishing configuration
10599 This example publishes a set of Org files to the @file{public_html}
10600 directory on the local machine.
10603 (setq org-publish-project-alist
10605 :base-directory "~/org/"
10606 :publishing-directory "~/public_html"
10607 :section-numbers nil
10608 :table-of-contents nil
10609 :style "<link rel=\"stylesheet\"
10610 href=\"../other/mystyle.css\"
10611 type=\"text/css\"/>")))
10614 @node Complex example, , Simple example, Sample configuration
10615 @subsection Example: complex publishing configuration
10617 This more complicated example publishes an entire website, including
10618 Org files converted to HTML, image files, Emacs Lisp source code, and
10619 style sheets. The publishing directory is remote and private files are
10622 To ensure that links are preserved, care should be taken to replicate
10623 your directory structure on the web server, and to use relative file
10624 paths. For example, if your Org files are kept in @file{~/org} and your
10625 publishable images in @file{~/images}, you would link to an image with
10628 file:../images/myimage.png
10631 On the web server, the relative path to the image should be the
10632 same. You can accomplish this by setting up an "images" folder in the
10633 right place on the web server, and publishing images to it.
10636 (setq org-publish-project-alist
10638 :base-directory "~/org/"
10639 :base-extension "org"
10640 :publishing-directory "/ssh:user@@host:~/html/notebook/"
10641 :publishing-function org-publish-org-to-html
10642 :exclude "PrivatePage.org" ;; regexp
10644 :section-numbers nil
10645 :table-of-contents nil
10646 :style "<link rel=\"stylesheet\"
10647 href=\"../other/mystyle.css\" type=\"text/css\"/>"
10649 :auto-postamble nil)
10652 :base-directory "~/images/"
10653 :base-extension "jpg\\|gif\\|png"
10654 :publishing-directory "/ssh:user@@host:~/html/images/"
10655 :publishing-function org-publish-attachment)
10658 :base-directory "~/other/"
10659 :base-extension "css\\|el"
10660 :publishing-directory "/ssh:user@@host:~/html/other/"
10661 :publishing-function org-publish-attachment)
10662 ("website" :components ("orgfiles" "images" "other"))))
10665 @node Triggering publication, , Sample configuration, Publishing
10666 @section Triggering publication
10668 Once properly configured, Org can publish with the following commands:
10673 Prompt for a specific project and publish all files that belong to it.
10676 Publish the project containing the current file.
10679 Publish only the current file.
10682 Publish every project.
10685 @vindex org-publish-use-timestamps-flag
10686 Org uses timestamps to track when a file has changed. The above functions
10687 normally only publish changed files. You can override this and force
10688 publishing of all files by giving a prefix argument to any of the commands
10689 above, or by customizing the variable @code{org-publish-use-timestamps-flag}.
10690 This may be necessary in particular if files include other files via
10691 @code{#+SETUPFILE:} or @code{#+INCLUDE:}.
10693 @node Miscellaneous, Hacking, Publishing, Top
10694 @chapter Miscellaneous
10697 * Completion:: M-TAB knows what you need
10698 * Speed keys:: Electic commands at the beginning of a headline
10699 * Customization:: Adapting Org to your taste
10700 * In-buffer settings:: Overview of the #+KEYWORDS
10701 * The very busy C-c C-c key:: When in doubt, press C-c C-c
10702 * Clean view:: Getting rid of leading stars in the outline
10703 * TTY keys:: Using Org on a tty
10704 * Interaction:: Other Emacs packages
10708 @node Completion, Speed keys, Miscellaneous, Miscellaneous
10709 @section Completion
10710 @cindex completion, of @TeX{} symbols
10711 @cindex completion, of TODO keywords
10712 @cindex completion, of dictionary words
10713 @cindex completion, of option keywords
10714 @cindex completion, of tags
10715 @cindex completion, of property keys
10716 @cindex completion, of link abbreviations
10717 @cindex @TeX{} symbol completion
10718 @cindex TODO keywords completion
10719 @cindex dictionary word completion
10720 @cindex option keyword completion
10721 @cindex tag completion
10722 @cindex link abbreviations, completion of
10724 Emacs would not be Emacs without completion, and Org-mode uses it whenever it
10725 makes sense. If you prefer an @i{iswitchb}- or @i{ido}-like interface for
10726 some of the completion prompts, you can specify your preference by setting at
10727 most one of the variables @code{org-completion-use-iswitchb}
10728 @code{org-completion-use-ido}.
10730 Org supports in-buffer completion. This type of completion does
10731 not make use of the minibuffer. You simply type a few letters into
10732 the buffer and use the key to complete text right there.
10735 @kindex M-@key{TAB}
10737 Complete word at point
10740 At the beginning of a headline, complete TODO keywords.
10742 After @samp{\}, complete @TeX{} symbols supported by the exporter.
10744 After @samp{*}, complete headlines in the current buffer so that they
10745 can be used in search links like @samp{[[*find this headline]]}.
10747 After @samp{:} in a headline, complete tags. The list of tags is taken
10748 from the variable @code{org-tag-alist} (possibly set through the
10749 @samp{#+TAGS} in-buffer option, @pxref{Setting tags}), or it is created
10750 dynamically from all tags used in the current buffer.
10752 After @samp{:} and not in a headline, complete property keys. The list
10753 of keys is constructed dynamically from all keys used in the current
10756 After @samp{[}, complete link abbreviations (@pxref{Link abbreviations}).
10758 After @samp{#+}, complete the special keywords like @samp{TYP_TODO} or
10759 @samp{OPTIONS} which set file-specific options for Org mode. When the
10760 option keyword is already complete, pressing @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} again
10761 will insert example settings for this keyword.
10763 In the line after @samp{#+STARTUP: }, complete startup keywords,
10764 i.e. valid keys for this line.
10766 Elsewhere, complete dictionary words using Ispell.
10770 @node Speed keys, Customization, Completion, Miscellaneous
10771 @section Speed keys
10773 @vindex org-use-speed-commands
10774 @vindex org-speed-commands-user
10776 Single keys can be made to execute commands when the cursor is at the
10777 beginning of a headline, i.e. before the first star. Configure the variable
10778 @code{org-use-speed-commands} to activate this feature. There is a
10779 pre-defined list of commands, and you can add more such commands using the
10780 variable @code{org-speed-commands-user}. Speed keys do not only speed up
10781 navigation and other commands, but they also provide an alternative way to
10782 execute commands bound to keys that are not or not easily available on a tty,
10783 or on a small mobile device with a limited keyboard.
10785 To see which commands are available, activate the feature and press @kbd{?}
10786 with the cursor at the beginning of a headline.
10788 @node Customization, In-buffer settings, Speed keys, Miscellaneous
10789 @section Customization
10790 @cindex customization
10791 @cindex options, for customization
10792 @cindex variables, for customization
10794 There are more than 180 variables that can be used to customize
10795 Org. For the sake of compactness of the manual, I am not
10796 describing the variables here. A structured overview of customization
10797 variables is available with @kbd{M-x org-customize}. Or select
10798 @code{Browse Org Group} from the @code{Org->Customization} menu. Many
10799 settings can also be activated on a per-file basis, by putting special
10800 lines into the buffer (@pxref{In-buffer settings}).
10802 @node In-buffer settings, The very busy C-c C-c key, Customization, Miscellaneous
10803 @section Summary of in-buffer settings
10804 @cindex in-buffer settings
10805 @cindex special keywords
10807 Org mode uses special lines in the buffer to define settings on a
10808 per-file basis. These lines start with a @samp{#+} followed by a
10809 keyword, a colon, and then individual words defining a setting. Several
10810 setting words can be in the same line, but you can also have multiple
10811 lines for the keyword. While these settings are described throughout
10812 the manual, here is a summary. After changing any of those lines in the
10813 buffer, press @kbd{C-c C-c} with the cursor still in the line to
10814 activate the changes immediately. Otherwise they become effective only
10815 when the file is visited again in a new Emacs session.
10817 @vindex org-archive-location
10819 @item #+ARCHIVE: %s_done::
10820 This line sets the archive location for the agenda file. It applies for
10821 all subsequent lines until the next @samp{#+ARCHIVE} line, or the end
10822 of the file. The first such line also applies to any entries before it.
10823 The corresponding variable is @code{org-archive-location}.
10825 This line sets the category for the agenda file. The category applies
10826 for all subsequent lines until the next @samp{#+CATEGORY} line, or the
10827 end of the file. The first such line also applies to any entries before it.
10828 @item #+COLUMNS: %25ITEM .....
10829 @cindex property, COLUMNS
10830 Set the default format for columns view. This format applies when
10831 columns view is invoked in locations where no @code{COLUMNS} property
10833 @item #+CONSTANTS: name1=value1 ...
10834 @vindex org-table-formula-constants
10835 @vindex org-table-formula
10836 Set file-local values for constants to be used in table formulas. This
10837 line set the local variable @code{org-table-formula-constants-local}.
10838 The global version of this variable is
10839 @code{org-table-formula-constants}.
10840 @item #+FILETAGS: :tag1:tag2:tag3:
10841 Set tags that can be inherited by any entry in the file, including the
10843 @item #+DRAWERS: NAME1 .....
10844 @vindex org-drawers
10845 Set the file-local set of drawers. The corresponding global variable is
10846 @code{org-drawers}.
10847 @item #+LINK: linkword replace
10848 @vindex org-link-abbrev-alist
10849 These lines (several are allowed) specify link abbreviations.
10850 @xref{Link abbreviations}. The corresponding variable is
10851 @code{org-link-abbrev-alist}.
10852 @item #+PRIORITIES: highest lowest default
10853 @vindex org-highest-priority
10854 @vindex org-lowest-priority
10855 @vindex org-default-priority
10856 This line sets the limits and the default for the priorities. All three
10857 must be either letters A-Z or numbers 0-9. The highest priority must
10858 have a lower ASCII number that the lowest priority.
10859 @item #+PROPERTY: Property_Name Value
10860 This line sets a default inheritance value for entries in the current
10861 buffer, most useful for specifying the allowed values of a property.
10862 @cindex #+SETUPFILE
10863 @item #+SETUPFILE: file
10864 This line defines a file that holds more in-buffer setup. Normally this is
10865 entirely ignored. Only when the buffer is parsed for option-setting lines
10866 (i.e. when starting Org mode for a file, when pressing @kbd{C-c C-c} in a
10867 settings line, or when exporting), then the contents of this file are parsed
10868 as if they had been included in the buffer. In particular, the file can be
10869 any other Org mode file with internal setup. You can visit the file the
10870 cursor is in the line with @kbd{C-c '}.
10873 This line sets options to be used at startup of Org mode, when an
10874 Org file is being visited.
10876 The first set of options deals with the initial visibility of the outline
10877 tree. The corresponding variable for global default settings is
10878 @code{org-startup-folded}, with a default value @code{t}, which means
10880 @vindex org-startup-folded
10881 @cindex @code{overview}, STARTUP keyword
10882 @cindex @code{content}, STARTUP keyword
10883 @cindex @code{showall}, STARTUP keyword
10884 @cindex @code{showeverything}, STARTUP keyword
10886 overview @r{top-level headlines only}
10887 content @r{all headlines}
10888 showall @r{no folding of any entries}
10889 showeverything @r{show even drawer contents}
10892 @vindex org-startup-indented
10893 @cindex @code{indent}, STARTUP keyword
10894 @cindex @code{noindent}, STARTUP keyword
10895 Dynamic virtual indentation is controlled by the variable
10896 @code{org-startup-indented}@footnote{Emacs 23 and Org-mode 6.29 are required}
10898 indent @r{start with @code{org-indent-mode} turned on}
10899 noindent @r{start with @code{org-indent-mode} turned off}
10902 @vindex org-startup-align-all-tables
10903 Then there are options for aligning tables upon visiting a file. This
10904 is useful in files containing narrowed table columns. The corresponding
10905 variable is @code{org-startup-align-all-tables}, with a default value
10907 @cindex @code{align}, STARTUP keyword
10908 @cindex @code{noalign}, STARTUP keyword
10910 align @r{align all tables}
10911 noalign @r{don't align tables on startup}
10913 @vindex org-log-done
10914 @vindex org-log-note-clock-out
10915 @vindex org-log-repeat
10916 Logging the closing and reopening of TODO items and clock intervals can be
10917 configured using these options (see variables @code{org-log-done},
10918 @code{org-log-note-clock-out} and @code{org-log-repeat})
10919 @cindex @code{logdone}, STARTUP keyword
10920 @cindex @code{lognotedone}, STARTUP keyword
10921 @cindex @code{nologdone}, STARTUP keyword
10922 @cindex @code{lognoteclock-out}, STARTUP keyword
10923 @cindex @code{nolognoteclock-out}, STARTUP keyword
10924 @cindex @code{logrepeat}, STARTUP keyword
10925 @cindex @code{lognoterepeat}, STARTUP keyword
10926 @cindex @code{nologrepeat}, STARTUP keyword
10927 @cindex @code{logreschedule}, STARTUP keyword
10928 @cindex @code{lognotereschedule}, STARTUP keyword
10929 @cindex @code{nologreschedule}, STARTUP keyword
10930 @cindex @code{logredeadline}, STARTUP keyword
10931 @cindex @code{lognoteredeadline}, STARTUP keyword
10932 @cindex @code{nologredeadline}, STARTUP keyword
10933 @cindex @code{logrefile}, STARTUP keyword
10934 @cindex @code{lognoterefile}, STARTUP keyword
10935 @cindex @code{nologrefile}, STARTUP keyword
10937 logdone @r{record a timestamp when an item is marked DONE}
10938 lognotedone @r{record timestamp and a note when DONE}
10939 nologdone @r{don't record when items are marked DONE}
10940 logrepeat @r{record a time when reinstating a repeating item}
10941 lognoterepeat @r{record a note when reinstating a repeating item}
10942 nologrepeat @r{do not record when reinstating repeating item}
10943 lognoteclock-out @r{record a note when clocking out}
10944 nolognoteclock-out @r{don't record a note when clocking out}
10945 logreschedule @r{record a timestamp when scheduling time changes}
10946 lognotereschedule @r{record a note when scheduling time changes}
10947 nologreschedule @r{do not record when a scheduling date changes}
10948 logredeadline @r{record a timestamp when deadline changes}
10949 lognoteredeadline @r{record a note when deadline changes}
10950 nologredeadline @r{do not record when a deadline date changes}
10951 logrefile @r{record a timestamp when refiling}
10952 lognoterefile @r{record a note when refiling}
10953 nologrefile @r{do not record when refiling}
10955 @vindex org-hide-leading-stars
10956 @vindex org-odd-levels-only
10957 Here are the options for hiding leading stars in outline headings, and for
10958 indenting outlines. The corresponding variables are
10959 @code{org-hide-leading-stars} and @code{org-odd-levels-only}, both with a
10960 default setting @code{nil} (meaning @code{showstars} and @code{oddeven}).
10961 @cindex @code{hidestars}, STARTUP keyword
10962 @cindex @code{showstars}, STARTUP keyword
10963 @cindex @code{odd}, STARTUP keyword
10964 @cindex @code{even}, STARTUP keyword
10966 hidestars @r{make all but one of the stars starting a headline invisible.}
10967 showstars @r{show all stars starting a headline}
10968 indent @r{virtual indentation according to outline level}
10969 noindent @r{no virtual indentation according to outline level}
10970 odd @r{allow only odd outline levels (1,3,...)}
10971 oddeven @r{allow all outline levels}
10973 @vindex org-put-time-stamp-overlays
10974 @vindex org-time-stamp-overlay-formats
10975 To turn on custom format overlays over timestamps (variables
10976 @code{org-put-time-stamp-overlays} and
10977 @code{org-time-stamp-overlay-formats}), use
10978 @cindex @code{customtime}, STARTUP keyword
10980 customtime @r{overlay custom time format}
10982 @vindex constants-unit-system
10983 The following options influence the table spreadsheet (variable
10984 @code{constants-unit-system}).
10985 @cindex @code{constcgs}, STARTUP keyword
10986 @cindex @code{constSI}, STARTUP keyword
10988 constcgs @r{@file{constants.el} should use the c-g-s unit system}
10989 constSI @r{@file{constants.el} should use the SI unit system}
10991 @vindex org-footnote-define-inline
10992 @vindex org-footnote-auto-label
10993 @vindex org-footnote-auto-adjust
10994 To influence footnote settings, use the following keywords. The
10995 corresponding variables are @code{org-footnote-define-inline},
10996 @code{org-footnote-auto-label}, and @code{org-footnote-auto-adjust}.
10997 @cindex @code{fninline}, STARTUP keyword
10998 @cindex @code{nofninline}, STARTUP keyword
10999 @cindex @code{fnlocal}, STARTUP keyword
11000 @cindex @code{fnprompt}, STARTUP keyword
11001 @cindex @code{fnauto}, STARTUP keyword
11002 @cindex @code{fnconfirm}, STARTUP keyword
11003 @cindex @code{fnplain}, STARTUP keyword
11004 @cindex @code{fnadjust}, STARTUP keyword
11005 @cindex @code{nofnadjust}, STARTUP keyword
11007 fninline @r{define footnotes inline}
11008 fnnoinline @r{define footnotes in separate section}
11009 fnlocal @r{define footnotes near first reference, but not inline}
11010 fnprompt @r{prompt for footnote labels}
11011 fnauto @r{create [fn:1]-like labels automatically (default)}
11012 fnconfirm @r{offer automatic label for editing or confirmation}
11013 fnplain @r{create [1]-like labels automatically}
11014 fnadjust @r{automatically renumber and sort footnotes}
11015 nofnadjust @r{do not renumber and sort automatically}
11017 @cindex org-hide-block-startup
11018 To hide blocks on startup, use these keywords. The corresponding variable is
11019 @code{org-hide-block-startup}.
11020 @cindex @code{hideblocks}, STARTUP keyword
11021 @cindex @code{nohideblocks}, STARTUP keyword
11023 hideblocks @r{Hide all begin/end blocks on startup}
11024 nohideblocks @r{Do not hide blocks on startup}
11026 @cindex org-pretty-entities
11027 The the display of entities as UTF8 characters is governed by the variable
11028 @code{org-pretty-entities} and the keywords
11029 @cindex @code{entitiespretty}, STARTUP keyword
11030 @cindex @code{entitiesplain}, STARTUP keyword
11032 entitiespretty @r{Show entities as UTF8 characters where possible}
11033 entitiesplain @r{Leave entities plain}
11035 @item #+TAGS: TAG1(c1) TAG2(c2)
11036 @vindex org-tag-alist
11037 These lines (several such lines are allowed) specify the valid tags in
11038 this file, and (potentially) the corresponding @emph{fast tag selection}
11039 keys. The corresponding variable is @code{org-tag-alist}.
11041 This line contains the formulas for the table directly above the line.
11042 @item #+TITLE:, #+AUTHOR:, #+EMAIL:, #+LANGUAGE:, #+TEXT:, #+DATE:,
11043 @itemx #+OPTIONS:, #+BIND:, #+XSLT:,
11044 @itemx #+DESCRIPTION:, #+KEYWORDS:,
11045 @itemx #+LATEX_HEADER:, #+STYLE:, #+LINK_UP:, #+LINK_HOME:,
11046 @itemx #+EXPORT_SELECT_TAGS:, #+EXPORT_EXCLUDE_TAGS:
11047 These lines provide settings for exporting files. For more details see
11048 @ref{Export options}.
11049 @item #+TODO: #+SEQ_TODO: #+TYP_TODO:
11050 @vindex org-todo-keywords
11051 These lines set the TODO keywords and their interpretation in the
11052 current file. The corresponding variable is @code{org-todo-keywords}.
11055 @node The very busy C-c C-c key, Clean view, In-buffer settings, Miscellaneous
11056 @section The very busy C-c C-c key
11058 @cindex C-c C-c, overview
11060 The key @kbd{C-c C-c} has many purposes in Org, which are all
11061 mentioned scattered throughout this manual. One specific function of
11062 this key is to add @emph{tags} to a headline (@pxref{Tags}). In many
11063 other circumstances it means something like @emph{``Hey Org, look
11064 here and update according to what you see here''}. Here is a summary of
11065 what this means in different contexts.
11069 If there are highlights in the buffer from the creation of a sparse
11070 tree, or from clock display, remove these highlights.
11072 If the cursor is in one of the special @code{#+KEYWORD} lines, this
11073 triggers scanning the buffer for these lines and updating the
11076 If the cursor is inside a table, realign the table. This command
11077 works even if the automatic table editor has been turned off.
11079 If the cursor is on a @code{#+TBLFM} line, re-apply the formulas to
11082 If the current buffer is a Remember buffer, close the note and file it.
11083 With a prefix argument, file it, without further interaction, to the
11086 If the cursor is on a @code{<<<target>>>}, update radio targets and
11087 corresponding links in this buffer.
11089 If the cursor is in a property line or at the start or end of a property
11090 drawer, offer property commands.
11092 If the cursor is at a footnote reference, go to the corresponding
11093 definition, and vice versa.
11095 If the cursor is on a statistics cookie, update it.
11097 If the cursor is in a plain list item with a checkbox, toggle the status
11100 If the cursor is on a numbered item in a plain list, renumber the
11103 If the cursor is on the @code{#+BEGIN} line of a dynamic block, the
11107 @node Clean view, TTY keys, The very busy C-c C-c key, Miscellaneous
11108 @section A cleaner outline view
11109 @cindex hiding leading stars
11110 @cindex dynamic indentation
11111 @cindex odd-levels-only outlines
11112 @cindex clean outline view
11114 Some people find it noisy and distracting that the Org headlines start with a
11115 potentially large number of stars, and that text below the headlines is not
11116 indented. While this is no problem when writing a @emph{book-like} document
11117 where the outline headings are really section headings, in a more
11118 @emph{list-oriented} outline, indented structure is a lot cleaner:
11122 * Top level headline | * Top level headline
11123 ** Second level | * Second level
11124 *** 3rd level | * 3rd level
11125 some text | some text
11126 *** 3rd level | * 3rd level
11127 more text | more text
11128 * Another top level headline | * Another top level headline
11133 If you are using at least Emacs 23.1.50.3 and version 6.29 of Org, this kind
11134 of view can be achieved dynamically at display time using
11135 @code{org-indent-mode}. In this minor mode, all lines are prefixed for
11136 display with the necessary amount of space@footnote{@code{org-indent-mode}
11137 also sets the @code{wrap-prefix} property, such that @code{visual-line-mode}
11138 (or purely setting @code{word-wrap}) wraps long lines (including headlines)
11139 correctly indented. }. Also headlines are prefixed with additional stars,
11140 so that the amount of indentation shifts by two@footnote{See the variable
11141 @code{org-indent-indentation-per-level}.} spaces per level. All headline
11142 stars but the last one are made invisible using the @code{org-hide}
11143 face@footnote{Turning on @code{org-indent-mode} sets
11144 @code{org-hide-leading-stars} to @code{t} and @code{org-adapt-indentation} to
11145 @code{nil}.} - see below under @samp{2.} for more information on how this
11146 works. You can turn on @code{org-indent-mode} for all files by customizing
11147 the variable @code{org-startup-indented}, or you can turn it on for
11148 individual files using
11154 If you want a similar effect in earlier version of Emacs and/or Org, or if
11155 you want the indentation to be hard space characters so that the plain text
11156 file looks as similar as possible to the Emacs display, Org supports you in
11161 @emph{Indentation of text below headlines}@*
11162 You may indent text below each headline to make the left boundary line up
11163 with the headline, like
11167 more text, now indented
11170 @vindex org-adapt-indentation
11171 Org supports this with paragraph filling, line wrapping, and structure
11172 editing@footnote{See also the variable @code{org-adapt-indentation}.},
11173 preserving or adapting the indentation as appropriate.
11176 @vindex org-hide-leading-stars
11177 @emph{Hiding leading stars}@* You can modify the display in such a way that
11178 all leading stars become invisible. To do this in a global way, configure
11179 the variable @code{org-hide-leading-stars} or change this on a per-file basis
11183 #+STARTUP: hidestars
11184 #+STARTUP: showstars
11187 With hidden stars, the tree becomes:
11191 * Top level headline
11199 @vindex org-hide @r{(face)}
11200 The leading stars are not truly replaced by whitespace, they are only
11201 fontified with the face @code{org-hide} that uses the background color as
11202 font color. If you are not using either white or black background, you may
11203 have to customize this face to get the wanted effect. Another possibility is
11204 to set this font such that the extra stars are @i{almost} invisible, for
11205 example using the color @code{grey90} on a white background.
11208 @vindex org-odd-levels-only
11209 Things become cleaner still if you skip all the even levels and use only odd
11210 levels 1, 3, 5..., effectively adding two stars to go from one outline level
11211 to the next@footnote{When you need to specify a level for a property search
11212 or refile targets, @samp{LEVEL=2} will correspond to 3 stars, etc@.}. In this
11213 way we get the outline view shown at the beginning of this section. In order
11214 to make the structure editing and export commands handle this convention
11215 correctly, configure the variable @code{org-odd-levels-only}, or set this on
11216 a per-file basis with one of the following lines:
11223 You can convert an Org file from single-star-per-level to the
11224 double-star-per-level convention with @kbd{M-x org-convert-to-odd-levels
11225 RET} in that file. The reverse operation is @kbd{M-x
11226 org-convert-to-oddeven-levels}.
11229 @node TTY keys, Interaction, Clean view, Miscellaneous
11230 @section Using Org on a tty
11231 @cindex tty key bindings
11233 Because Org contains a large number of commands, by default many of
11234 Org's core commands are bound to keys that are generally not
11235 accessible on a tty, such as the cursor keys (@key{left}, @key{right},
11236 @key{up}, @key{down}), @key{TAB} and @key{RET}, in particular when used
11237 together with modifiers like @key{Meta} and/or @key{Shift}. To access
11238 these commands on a tty when special keys are unavailable, the following
11239 alternative bindings can be used. The tty bindings below will likely be
11240 more cumbersome; you may find for some of the bindings below that a
11241 customized workaround suits you better. For example, changing a timestamp
11242 is really only fun with @kbd{S-@key{cursor}} keys, whereas on a
11243 tty you would rather use @kbd{C-c .} to re-insert the timestamp.
11245 @multitable @columnfractions 0.15 0.2 0.1 0.2
11246 @item @b{Default} @tab @b{Alternative 1} @tab @b{Speed key} @tab @b{Alternative 2}
11247 @item @kbd{S-@key{TAB}} @tab @kbd{C-u @key{TAB}} @tab @kbd{C} @tab
11248 @item @kbd{M-@key{left}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x l} @tab @kbd{l} @tab @kbd{@key{Esc} @key{left}}
11249 @item @kbd{M-S-@key{left}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x L} @tab @kbd{L} @tab
11250 @item @kbd{M-@key{right}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x r} @tab @kbd{r} @tab @kbd{@key{Esc} @key{right}}
11251 @item @kbd{M-S-@key{right}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x R} @tab @kbd{R} @tab
11252 @item @kbd{M-@key{up}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x u} @tab @kbd{ } @tab @kbd{@key{Esc} @key{up}}
11253 @item @kbd{M-S-@key{up}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x U} @tab @kbd{U} @tab
11254 @item @kbd{M-@key{down}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x d} @tab @kbd{ } @tab @kbd{@key{Esc} @key{down}}
11255 @item @kbd{M-S-@key{down}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x D} @tab @kbd{D} @tab
11256 @item @kbd{S-@key{RET}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x c} @tab @kbd{ } @tab
11257 @item @kbd{M-@key{RET}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x m} @tab @kbd{ } @tab @kbd{@key{Esc} @key{RET}}
11258 @item @kbd{M-S-@key{RET}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x M} @tab @kbd{ } @tab
11259 @item @kbd{S-@key{left}} @tab @kbd{C-c @key{left}} @tab @kbd{ } @tab
11260 @item @kbd{S-@key{right}} @tab @kbd{C-c @key{right}} @tab @kbd{ } @tab
11261 @item @kbd{S-@key{up}} @tab @kbd{C-c @key{up}} @tab @kbd{ } @tab
11262 @item @kbd{S-@key{down}} @tab @kbd{C-c @key{down}} @tab @kbd{ } @tab
11263 @item @kbd{C-S-@key{left}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x @key{left}} @tab @kbd{ } @tab
11264 @item @kbd{C-S-@key{right}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x @key{right}} @tab @kbd{ } @tab
11268 @node Interaction, , TTY keys, Miscellaneous
11269 @section Interaction with other packages
11270 @cindex packages, interaction with other
11271 Org lives in the world of GNU Emacs and interacts in various ways
11272 with other code out there.
11275 * Cooperation:: Packages Org cooperates with
11276 * Conflicts:: Packages that lead to conflicts
11279 @node Cooperation, Conflicts, Interaction, Interaction
11280 @subsection Packages that Org cooperates with
11283 @cindex @file{calc.el}
11284 @cindex Gillespie, Dave
11285 @item @file{calc.el} by Dave Gillespie
11286 Org uses the Calc package for implementing spreadsheet
11287 functionality in its tables (@pxref{The spreadsheet}). Org
11288 checks for the availability of Calc by looking for the function
11289 @code{calc-eval} which will have been autoloaded during setup if Calc has
11290 been installed properly. As of Emacs 22, Calc is part of the Emacs
11291 distribution. Another possibility for interaction between the two
11292 packages is using Calc for embedded calculations. @xref{Embedded Mode,
11293 , Embedded Mode, Calc, GNU Emacs Calc Manual}.
11294 @item @file{constants.el} by Carsten Dominik
11295 @cindex @file{constants.el}
11296 @cindex Dominik, Carsten
11297 @vindex org-table-formula-constants
11298 In a table formula (@pxref{The spreadsheet}), it is possible to use
11299 names for natural constants or units. Instead of defining your own
11300 constants in the variable @code{org-table-formula-constants}, install
11301 the @file{constants} package which defines a large number of constants
11302 and units, and lets you use unit prefixes like @samp{M} for
11303 @samp{Mega}, etc@. You will need version 2.0 of this package, available
11304 at @url{http://www.astro.uva.nl/~dominik/Tools}. Org checks for
11305 the function @code{constants-get}, which has to be autoloaded in your
11306 setup. See the installation instructions in the file
11307 @file{constants.el}.
11308 @item @file{cdlatex.el} by Carsten Dominik
11309 @cindex @file{cdlatex.el}
11310 @cindex Dominik, Carsten
11311 Org mode can make use of the CDLa@TeX{} package to efficiently enter
11312 La@TeX{} fragments into Org files. See @ref{CDLaTeX mode}.
11313 @item @file{imenu.el} by Ake Stenhoff and Lars Lindberg
11314 @cindex @file{imenu.el}
11315 Imenu allows menu access to an index of items in a file. Org mode
11316 supports Imenu---all you need to do to get the index is the following:
11318 (add-hook 'org-mode-hook
11319 (lambda () (imenu-add-to-menubar "Imenu")))
11321 @vindex org-imenu-depth
11322 By default the index is two levels deep---you can modify the depth using
11323 the option @code{org-imenu-depth}.
11324 @item @file{remember.el} by John Wiegley
11325 @cindex @file{remember.el}
11326 @cindex Wiegley, John
11327 Org cooperates with remember, see @ref{Remember}.
11328 As of Emacs 23, @file{Remember.el} is part of the Emacs distribution.
11329 @item @file{speedbar.el} by Eric M. Ludlam
11330 @cindex @file{speedbar.el}
11331 @cindex Ludlam, Eric M.
11332 Speedbar is a package that creates a special frame displaying files and
11333 index items in files. Org mode supports Speedbar and allows you to
11334 drill into Org files directly from the Speedbar. It also allows you to
11335 restrict the scope of agenda commands to a file or a subtree by using
11336 the command @kbd{<} in the Speedbar frame.
11337 @cindex @file{table.el}
11338 @item @file{table.el} by Takaaki Ota
11340 @cindex table editor, @file{table.el}
11341 @cindex @file{table.el}
11342 @cindex Ota, Takaaki
11344 Complex ASCII tables with automatic line wrapping, column- and row-spanning,
11345 and alignment can be created using the Emacs table package by Takaaki Ota
11346 (@uref{http://sourceforge.net/projects/table}, and also part of Emacs 22).
11347 Org-mode will recognize these tables and export them properly. Because of
11348 interference with other Org-mode functionality, you unfortunately cannot edit
11349 these tables directly in the buffer. Instead, you need to use the command
11350 @kbd{C-c '} to edit them, similar to source code snippets.
11355 Edit a @file{table.el} table. Works when the cursor is in a table.el table.
11359 Insert a @file{table.el} table. If there is already a table at point, this
11360 command converts it between the @file{table.el} format and the Org-mode
11361 format. See the documentation string of the command
11362 @code{org-convert-table} for the restrictions under which this is
11365 @file{table.el} is part of Emacs since Emacs 22.
11366 @item @file{footnote.el} by Steven L. Baur
11367 @cindex @file{footnote.el}
11368 @cindex Baur, Steven L.
11369 Org mode recognizes numerical footnotes as provided by this package.
11370 However, Org mode also has its own footnote support (@pxref{Footnotes}),
11371 which makes using @file{footnote.el} unnecessary.
11374 @node Conflicts, , Cooperation, Interaction
11375 @subsection Packages that lead to conflicts with Org mode
11379 @cindex @code{shift-selection-mode}
11380 @vindex org-support-shift-select
11381 In Emacs 23, @code{shift-selection-mode} is on by default, meaning that
11382 cursor motions combined with the shift key should start or enlarge regions.
11383 This conflicts with the use of @kbd{S-@key{cursor}} commands in Org to change
11384 timestamps, TODO keywords, priorities, and item bullet types if the cursor is
11385 at such a location. By default, @kbd{S-@key{cursor}} commands outside
11386 special contexts don't do anything, but you can customize the variable
11387 @code{org-support-shift-select}. Org mode then tries to accommodate shift
11388 selection by (i) using it outside of the special contexts where special
11389 commands apply, and by (ii) extending an existing active region even if the
11390 cursor moves across a special context.
11392 @item @file{CUA.el} by Kim. F. Storm
11393 @cindex @file{CUA.el}
11394 @cindex Storm, Kim. F.
11395 @vindex org-replace-disputed-keys
11396 Key bindings in Org conflict with the @kbd{S-<cursor>} keys used by CUA mode
11397 (as well as @code{pc-select-mode} and @code{s-region-mode}) to select and extend the
11398 region. In fact, Emacs 23 has this built-in in the form of
11399 @code{shift-selection-mode}, see previous paragraph. If you are using Emacs
11400 23, you probably don't want to use another package for this purpose. However,
11401 if you prefer to leave these keys to a different package while working in
11402 Org mode, configure the variable @code{org-replace-disputed-keys}. When set,
11403 Org will move the following key bindings in Org files, and in the agenda
11404 buffer (but not during date selection).
11407 S-UP -> M-p S-DOWN -> M-n
11408 S-LEFT -> M-- S-RIGHT -> M-+
11409 C-S-LEFT -> M-S-- C-S-RIGHT -> M-S-+
11412 @vindex org-disputed-keys
11413 Yes, these are unfortunately more difficult to remember. If you want
11414 to have other replacement keys, look at the variable
11415 @code{org-disputed-keys}.
11417 @item @file{yasnippet.el}
11418 @cindex @file{yasnippet.el}
11419 The way Org-mode binds the TAB key (binding to @code{[tab]} instead of
11420 @code{"\t"}) overrules yasnippets' access to this key. The following code
11421 fixed this problem:
11424 (add-hook 'org-mode-hook
11426 (org-set-local 'yas/trigger-key [tab])
11427 (define-key yas/keymap [tab] 'yas/next-field-group)))
11430 @item @file{windmove.el} by Hovav Shacham
11431 @cindex @file{windmove.el}
11432 This package also uses the @kbd{S-<cursor>} keys, so everything written
11433 in the paragraph above about CUA mode also applies here. If you want make
11434 the windmove function active in locations where Org-mode does not have
11435 special functionality on @kbd{S-@key{cursor}}, add this to your
11439 ;; Make windmove work in org-mode:
11440 (add-hook 'org-shiftup-final-hook 'windmove-up)
11441 (add-hook 'org-shiftleft-final-hook 'windmove-left)
11442 (add-hook 'org-shiftdown-final-hook 'windmove-down)
11443 (add-hook 'org-shiftright-final-hook 'windmove-right)
11446 @item @file{viper.el} by Michael Kifer
11447 @cindex @file{viper.el}
11449 Viper uses @kbd{C-c /} and therefore makes this key not access the
11450 corresponding Org-mode command @code{org-sparse-tree}. You need to find
11451 another key for this command, or override the key in
11452 @code{viper-vi-global-user-map} with
11455 (define-key viper-vi-global-user-map "C-c /" 'org-sparse-tree)
11461 @node Hacking, MobileOrg, Miscellaneous, Top
11465 This appendix covers some aspects where users can extend the functionality of
11469 * Hooks:: Who to reach into Org's internals
11470 * Add-on packages:: Available extensions
11471 * Adding hyperlink types:: New custom link types
11472 * Context-sensitive commands:: How to add functionality to such commands
11473 * Tables in arbitrary syntax:: Orgtbl for La@TeX{} and other programs
11474 * Dynamic blocks:: Automatically filled blocks
11475 * Special agenda views:: Customized views
11476 * Extracting agenda information:: Postprocessing of agenda information
11477 * Using the property API:: Writing programs that use entry properties
11478 * Using the mapping API:: Mapping over all or selected entries
11481 @node Hooks, Add-on packages, Hacking, Hacking
11485 Org has a large number of hook variables that can be used to add
11486 functionality. This appendix about hacking is going to illustrate the
11487 use of some of them. A complete list of all hooks with documentation is
11488 maintained by the Worg project and can be found at
11489 @uref{http://orgmode.org/worg/org-configs/org-hooks.php}.
11491 @node Add-on packages, Adding hyperlink types, Hooks, Hacking
11492 @section Add-on packages
11493 @cindex add-on packages
11495 A large number of add-on packages have been written by various authors.
11496 These packages are not part of Emacs, but they are distributed as contributed
11497 packages with the separate release available at the Org mode home page at
11498 @uref{http://orgmode.org}. The list of contributed packages, along with
11499 documentation about each package, is maintained by the Worg project at
11500 @uref{http://orgmode.org/worg/org-contrib/}.
11504 @node Adding hyperlink types, Context-sensitive commands, Add-on packages, Hacking
11505 @section Adding hyperlink types
11506 @cindex hyperlinks, adding new types
11508 Org has a large number of hyperlink types built-in
11509 (@pxref{Hyperlinks}). If you would like to add new link types, Org
11510 provides an interface for doing so. Let's look at an example file,
11511 @file{org-man.el}, that will add support for creating links like
11512 @samp{[[man:printf][The printf manpage]]} to show Unix manual pages inside
11516 ;;; org-man.el - Support for links to manpages in Org
11520 (org-add-link-type "man" 'org-man-open)
11521 (add-hook 'org-store-link-functions 'org-man-store-link)
11523 (defcustom org-man-command 'man
11524 "The Emacs command to be used to display a man page."
11526 :type '(choice (const man) (const woman)))
11528 (defun org-man-open (path)
11529 "Visit the manpage on PATH.
11530 PATH should be a topic that can be thrown at the man command."
11531 (funcall org-man-command path))
11533 (defun org-man-store-link ()
11534 "Store a link to a manpage."
11535 (when (memq major-mode '(Man-mode woman-mode))
11536 ;; This is a man page, we do make this link
11537 (let* ((page (org-man-get-page-name))
11538 (link (concat "man:" page))
11539 (description (format "Manpage for %s" page)))
11540 (org-store-link-props
11543 :description description))))
11545 (defun org-man-get-page-name ()
11546 "Extract the page name from the buffer name."
11547 ;; This works for both `Man-mode' and `woman-mode'.
11548 (if (string-match " \\(\\S-+\\)\\*" (buffer-name))
11549 (match-string 1 (buffer-name))
11550 (error "Cannot create link to this man page")))
11554 ;;; org-man.el ends here
11558 You would activate this new link type in @file{.emacs} with
11565 Let's go through the file and see what it does.
11568 It does @code{(require 'org)} to make sure that @file{org.el} has been
11571 The next line calls @code{org-add-link-type} to define a new link type
11572 with prefix @samp{man}. The call also contains the name of a function
11573 that will be called to follow such a link.
11575 @vindex org-store-link-functions
11576 The next line adds a function to @code{org-store-link-functions}, in
11577 order to allow the command @kbd{C-c l} to record a useful link in a
11578 buffer displaying a man page.
11581 The rest of the file defines the necessary variables and functions.
11582 First there is a customization variable that determines which Emacs
11583 command should be used to display man pages. There are two options,
11584 @code{man} and @code{woman}. Then the function to follow a link is
11585 defined. It gets the link path as an argument---in this case the link
11586 path is just a topic for the manual command. The function calls the
11587 value of @code{org-man-command} to display the man page.
11589 Finally the function @code{org-man-store-link} is defined. When you try
11590 to store a link with @kbd{C-c l}, this function will be called to
11591 try to make a link. The function must first decide if it is supposed to
11592 create the link for this buffer type; we do this by checking the value
11593 of the variable @code{major-mode}. If not, the function must exit and
11594 return the value @code{nil}. If yes, the link is created by getting the
11595 manual topic from the buffer name and prefixing it with the string
11596 @samp{man:}. Then it must call the command @code{org-store-link-props}
11597 and set the @code{:type} and @code{:link} properties. Optionally you
11598 can also set the @code{:description} property to provide a default for
11599 the link description when the link is later inserted into an Org
11600 buffer with @kbd{C-c C-l}.
11602 When is makes sense for your new link type, you may also define a function
11603 @code{org-PREFIX-complete-link} that implements special (e.g. completion)
11604 support for inserting such a link with @kbd{C-c C-l}. Such a function should
11605 not accept any arguments, and return the full link with prefix.
11607 @node Context-sensitive commands, Tables in arbitrary syntax, Adding hyperlink types, Hacking
11608 @section Context-sensitive commands
11609 @cindex context-sensitive commands, hooks
11610 @cindex add-ons, context-sensitive commands
11611 @vindex org-ctrl-c-ctrl-c-hook
11613 Org has several commands that act differently depending on context. The most
11614 important example it the @kbd{C-c C-c} (@pxref{The very busy C-c C-c key}).
11615 Also the @kbd{M-cursor} and @kbd{M-S-cursor} keys have this property.
11617 Add-ons can tap into this functionality by providing a function that detects
11618 special context for that add-on and executes functionality appropriate for
11619 the context. Here is an example from Dan Davison's @file{org-R.el} which
11620 allows you to evaluate commands based on the @file{R} programming language. For
11621 this package, special contexts are lines that start with @code{#+R:} or
11625 (defun org-R-apply-maybe ()
11626 "Detect if this is context for org-R and execute R commands."
11627 (if (save-excursion
11628 (beginning-of-line 1)
11629 (looking-at "#\\+RR?:"))
11630 (progn (call-interactively 'org-R-apply)
11631 t) ;; to signal that we took action
11632 nil)) ;; to signal that we did not
11634 (add-hook 'org-ctrl-c-ctrl-c-hook 'org-R-apply-maybe)
11637 The function first checks if the cursor is in such a line. If that is the
11638 case, @code{org-R-apply} is called and the function returns @code{t} to
11639 signal that action was taken, and @kbd{C-c C-c} will stop looking for other
11640 contexts. If the function finds it should do nothing locally, it returns @code{nil} so that other, similar functions can have a try.
11643 @node Tables in arbitrary syntax, Dynamic blocks, Context-sensitive commands, Hacking
11644 @section Tables and lists in arbitrary syntax
11645 @cindex tables, in other modes
11646 @cindex lists, in other modes
11647 @cindex Orgtbl mode
11649 Since Orgtbl mode can be used as a minor mode in arbitrary buffers, a
11650 frequent feature request has been to make it work with native tables in
11651 specific languages, for example La@TeX{}. However, this is extremely
11652 hard to do in a general way, would lead to a customization nightmare,
11653 and would take away much of the simplicity of the Orgtbl-mode table
11657 This appendix describes a different approach. We keep the Orgtbl mode
11658 table in its native format (the @i{source table}), and use a custom
11659 function to @i{translate} the table to the correct syntax, and to
11660 @i{install} it in the right location (the @i{target table}). This puts
11661 the burden of writing conversion functions on the user, but it allows
11662 for a very flexible system.
11664 Bastien added the ability to do the same with lists. You can use Org's
11665 facilities to edit and structure lists by turning @code{orgstruct-mode}
11666 on, then locally exporting such lists in another format (HTML, La@TeX{}
11671 * Radio tables:: Sending and receiving radio tables
11672 * A LaTeX example:: Step by step, almost a tutorial
11673 * Translator functions:: Copy and modify
11674 * Radio lists:: Doing the same for lists
11677 @node Radio tables, A LaTeX example, Tables in arbitrary syntax, Tables in arbitrary syntax
11678 @subsection Radio tables
11679 @cindex radio tables
11681 To define the location of the target table, you first need to create two
11682 lines that are comments in the current mode, but contain magic words for
11683 Orgtbl mode to find. Orgtbl mode will insert the translated table
11684 between these lines, replacing whatever was there before. For example:
11687 /* BEGIN RECEIVE ORGTBL table_name */
11688 /* END RECEIVE ORGTBL table_name */
11692 Just above the source table, we put a special line that tells
11693 Orgtbl mode how to translate this table and where to install it. For
11697 #+ORGTBL: SEND table_name translation_function arguments....
11701 @code{table_name} is the reference name for the table that is also used
11702 in the receiver lines. @code{translation_function} is the Lisp function
11703 that does the translation. Furthermore, the line can contain a list of
11704 arguments (alternating key and value) at the end. The arguments will be
11705 passed as a property list to the translation function for
11706 interpretation. A few standard parameters are already recognized and
11707 acted upon before the translation function is called:
11711 Skip the first N lines of the table. Hlines do count as separate lines for
11714 @item :skipcols (n1 n2 ...)
11715 List of columns that should be skipped. If the table has a column with
11716 calculation marks, that column is automatically discarded as well.
11717 Please note that the translator function sees the table @emph{after} the
11718 removal of these columns, the function never knows that there have been
11719 additional columns.
11723 The one problem remaining is how to keep the source table in the buffer
11724 without disturbing the normal workings of the file, for example during
11725 compilation of a C file or processing of a La@TeX{} file. There are a
11726 number of different solutions:
11730 The table could be placed in a block comment if that is supported by the
11731 language. For example, in C mode you could wrap the table between
11732 @samp{/*} and @samp{*/} lines.
11734 Sometimes it is possible to put the table after some kind of @i{END}
11735 statement, for example @samp{\bye} in @TeX{} and @samp{\end@{document@}}
11738 You can just comment the table line-by-line whenever you want to process
11739 the file, and uncomment it whenever you need to edit the table. This
11740 only sounds tedious---the command @kbd{M-x orgtbl-toggle-comment}
11741 makes this comment-toggling very easy, in particular if you bind it to a
11745 @node A LaTeX example, Translator functions, Radio tables, Tables in arbitrary syntax
11746 @subsection A La@TeX{} example of radio tables
11747 @cindex La@TeX{}, and Orgtbl mode
11749 The best way to wrap the source table in La@TeX{} is to use the
11750 @code{comment} environment provided by @file{comment.sty}. It has to be
11751 activated by placing @code{\usepackage@{comment@}} into the document
11752 header. Orgtbl mode can insert a radio table skeleton@footnote{By
11753 default this works only for La@TeX{}, HTML, and Texinfo. Configure the
11754 variable @code{orgtbl-radio-tables} to install templates for other
11755 modes.} with the command @kbd{M-x orgtbl-insert-radio-table}. You will
11756 be prompted for a table name, let's say we use @samp{salesfigures}. You
11757 will then get the following template:
11759 @cindex #+ORGTBL, SEND
11761 % BEGIN RECEIVE ORGTBL salesfigures
11762 % END RECEIVE ORGTBL salesfigures
11764 #+ORGTBL: SEND salesfigures orgtbl-to-latex
11770 @vindex La@TeX{}-verbatim-environments
11771 The @code{#+ORGTBL: SEND} line tells Orgtbl mode to use the function
11772 @code{orgtbl-to-latex} to convert the table into La@TeX{} and to put it
11773 into the receiver location with name @code{salesfigures}. You may now
11774 fill in the table, feel free to use the spreadsheet features@footnote{If
11775 the @samp{#+TBLFM} line contains an odd number of dollar characters,
11776 this may cause problems with font-lock in La@TeX{} mode. As shown in the
11777 example you can fix this by adding an extra line inside the
11778 @code{comment} environment that is used to balance the dollar
11779 expressions. If you are using AUC@TeX{} with the font-latex library, a
11780 much better solution is to add the @code{comment} environment to the
11781 variable @code{LaTeX-verbatim-environments}.}:
11784 % BEGIN RECEIVE ORGTBL salesfigures
11785 % END RECEIVE ORGTBL salesfigures
11787 #+ORGTBL: SEND salesfigures orgtbl-to-latex
11788 | Month | Days | Nr sold | per day |
11789 |-------+------+---------+---------|
11790 | Jan | 23 | 55 | 2.4 |
11791 | Feb | 21 | 16 | 0.8 |
11792 | March | 22 | 278 | 12.6 |
11793 #+TBLFM: $4=$3/$2;%.1f
11794 % $ (optional extra dollar to keep font-lock happy, see footnote)
11799 When you are done, press @kbd{C-c C-c} in the table to get the converted
11800 table inserted between the two marker lines.
11802 Now let's assume you want to make the table header by hand, because you
11803 want to control how columns are aligned, etc@. In this case we make sure
11804 that the table translator skips the first 2 lines of the source
11805 table, and tell the command to work as a @i{splice}, i.e. to not produce
11806 header and footer commands of the target table:
11809 \begin@{tabular@}@{lrrr@}
11810 Month & \multicolumn@{1@}@{c@}@{Days@} & Nr.\ sold & per day\\
11811 % BEGIN RECEIVE ORGTBL salesfigures
11812 % END RECEIVE ORGTBL salesfigures
11816 #+ORGTBL: SEND salesfigures orgtbl-to-latex :splice t :skip 2
11817 | Month | Days | Nr sold | per day |
11818 |-------+------+---------+---------|
11819 | Jan | 23 | 55 | 2.4 |
11820 | Feb | 21 | 16 | 0.8 |
11821 | March | 22 | 278 | 12.6 |
11822 #+TBLFM: $4=$3/$2;%.1f
11826 The La@TeX{} translator function @code{orgtbl-to-latex} is already part of
11827 Orgtbl mode. It uses a @code{tabular} environment to typeset the table
11828 and marks horizontal lines with @code{\hline}. Furthermore, it
11829 interprets the following parameters (see also @pxref{Translator functions}):
11832 @item :splice nil/t
11833 When set to t, return only table body lines, don't wrap them into a
11834 tabular environment. Default is nil.
11837 A format to be used to wrap each field, it should contain @code{%s} for the
11838 original field value. For example, to wrap each field value in dollars,
11839 you could use @code{:fmt "$%s$"}. This may also be a property list with
11840 column numbers and formats. for example @code{:fmt (2 "$%s$" 4 "%s\\%%")}.
11841 A function of one argument can be used in place of the strings; the
11842 function must return a formatted string.
11845 Use this format to print numbers with exponentials. The format should
11846 have @code{%s} twice for inserting mantissa and exponent, for example
11847 @code{"%s\\times10^@{%s@}"}. The default is @code{"%s\\,(%s)"}. This
11848 may also be a property list with column numbers and formats, for example
11849 @code{:efmt (2 "$%s\\times10^@{%s@}$" 4 "$%s\\cdot10^@{%s@}$")}. After
11850 @code{efmt} has been applied to a value, @code{fmt} will also be
11851 applied. Similar to @code{fmt}, functions of two arguments can be
11852 supplied instead of strings.
11855 @node Translator functions, Radio lists, A LaTeX example, Tables in arbitrary syntax
11856 @subsection Translator functions
11857 @cindex HTML, and Orgtbl mode
11858 @cindex translator function
11860 Orgtbl mode has several translator functions built-in: @code{orgtbl-to-csv}
11861 (comma-separated values), @code{orgtbl-to-tsv} (TAB-separated values)
11862 @code{orgtbl-to-latex}, @code{orgtbl-to-html}, and @code{orgtbl-to-texinfo}.
11863 Except for @code{orgtbl-to-html}@footnote{The HTML translator uses the same
11864 code that produces tables during HTML export.}, these all use a generic
11865 translator, @code{orgtbl-to-generic}. For example, @code{orgtbl-to-latex}
11866 itself is a very short function that computes the column definitions for the
11867 @code{tabular} environment, defines a few field and line separators and then
11868 hands processing over to the generic translator. Here is the entire code:
11872 (defun orgtbl-to-latex (table params)
11873 "Convert the Orgtbl mode TABLE to LaTeX."
11874 (let* ((alignment (mapconcat (lambda (x) (if x "r" "l"))
11875 org-table-last-alignment ""))
11878 :tstart (concat "\\begin@{tabular@}@{" alignment "@}")
11879 :tend "\\end@{tabular@}"
11880 :lstart "" :lend " \\\\" :sep " & "
11881 :efmt "%s\\,(%s)" :hline "\\hline")))
11882 (orgtbl-to-generic table (org-combine-plists params2 params))))
11886 As you can see, the properties passed into the function (variable
11887 @var{PARAMS}) are combined with the ones newly defined in the function
11888 (variable @var{PARAMS2}). The ones passed into the function (i.e. the
11889 ones set by the @samp{ORGTBL SEND} line) take precedence. So if you
11890 would like to use the La@TeX{} translator, but wanted the line endings to
11891 be @samp{\\[2mm]} instead of the default @samp{\\}, you could just
11892 overrule the default with
11895 #+ORGTBL: SEND test orgtbl-to-latex :lend " \\\\[2mm]"
11898 For a new language, you can either write your own converter function in
11899 analogy with the La@TeX{} translator, or you can use the generic function
11900 directly. For example, if you have a language where a table is started
11901 with @samp{!BTBL!}, ended with @samp{!ETBL!}, and where table lines are
11902 started with @samp{!BL!}, ended with @samp{!EL!}, and where the field
11903 separator is a TAB, you could call the generic translator like this (on
11907 #+ORGTBL: SEND test orgtbl-to-generic :tstart "!BTBL!" :tend "!ETBL!"
11908 :lstart "!BL! " :lend " !EL!" :sep "\t"
11912 Please check the documentation string of the function
11913 @code{orgtbl-to-generic} for a full list of parameters understood by
11914 that function, and remember that you can pass each of them into
11915 @code{orgtbl-to-latex}, @code{orgtbl-to-texinfo}, and any other function
11916 using the generic function.
11918 Of course you can also write a completely new function doing complicated
11919 things the generic translator cannot do. A translator function takes
11920 two arguments. The first argument is the table, a list of lines, each
11921 line either the symbol @code{hline} or a list of fields. The second
11922 argument is the property list containing all parameters specified in the
11923 @samp{#+ORGTBL: SEND} line. The function must return a single string
11924 containing the formatted table. If you write a generally useful
11925 translator, please post it on @email{emacs-orgmode@@gnu.org} so that
11926 others can benefit from your work.
11928 @node Radio lists, , Translator functions, Tables in arbitrary syntax
11929 @subsection Radio lists
11930 @cindex radio lists
11931 @cindex org-list-insert-radio-list
11933 Sending and receiving radio lists works exactly the same way than sending and
11934 receiving radio tables (@pxref{Radio tables}). As for radio tables, you can
11935 insert radio lists templates in HTML, La@TeX{} and Texinfo modes by calling
11936 @code{org-list-insert-radio-list}.
11938 Here are the differences with radio tables:
11942 Use @code{ORGLST} instead of @code{ORGTBL}.
11944 The available translation functions for radio lists don't take
11947 @kbd{C-c C-c} will work when pressed on the first item of the list.
11950 Here is a La@TeX{} example. Let's say that you have this in your
11955 % BEGIN RECEIVE ORGLST to-buy
11956 % END RECEIVE ORGLST to-buy
11958 #+ORGLIST: SEND to-buy orgtbl-to-latex
11967 Pressing `C-c C-c' on @code{a new house} and will insert the converted
11968 La@TeX{} list between the two marker lines.
11970 @node Dynamic blocks, Special agenda views, Tables in arbitrary syntax, Hacking
11971 @section Dynamic blocks
11972 @cindex dynamic blocks
11974 Org documents can contain @emph{dynamic blocks}. These are
11975 specially marked regions that are updated by some user-written function.
11976 A good example for such a block is the clock table inserted by the
11977 command @kbd{C-c C-x C-r} (@pxref{Clocking work time}).
11979 Dynamic block are enclosed by a BEGIN-END structure that assigns a name
11980 to the block and can also specify parameters for the function producing
11981 the content of the block.
11983 #+BEGIN:dynamic block
11985 #+BEGIN: myblock :parameter1 value1 :parameter2 value2 ...
11990 Dynamic blocks are updated with the following commands
11993 @kindex C-c C-x C-u
11995 Update dynamic block at point.
11996 @kindex C-u C-c C-x C-u
11997 @item C-u C-c C-x C-u
11998 Update all dynamic blocks in the current file.
12001 Updating a dynamic block means to remove all the text between BEGIN and
12002 END, parse the BEGIN line for parameters and then call the specific
12003 writer function for this block to insert the new content. If you want
12004 to use the original content in the writer function, you can use the
12005 extra parameter @code{:content}.
12007 For a block with name @code{myblock}, the writer function is
12008 @code{org-dblock-write:myblock} with as only parameter a property list
12009 with the parameters given in the begin line. Here is a trivial example
12010 of a block that keeps track of when the block update function was last
12014 #+BEGIN: block-update-time :format "on %m/%d/%Y at %H:%M"
12020 The corresponding block writer function could look like this:
12023 (defun org-dblock-write:block-update-time (params)
12024 (let ((fmt (or (plist-get params :format) "%d. %m. %Y")))
12025 (insert "Last block update at: "
12026 (format-time-string fmt (current-time)))))
12029 If you want to make sure that all dynamic blocks are always up-to-date,
12030 you could add the function @code{org-update-all-dblocks} to a hook, for
12031 example @code{before-save-hook}. @code{org-update-all-dblocks} is
12032 written in a way such that it does nothing in buffers that are not in
12035 @node Special agenda views, Extracting agenda information, Dynamic blocks, Hacking
12036 @section Special agenda views
12037 @cindex agenda views, user-defined
12039 Org provides a special hook that can be used to narrow down the
12040 selection made by any of the agenda views. You may specify a function
12041 that is used at each match to verify if the match should indeed be part
12042 of the agenda view, and if not, how much should be skipped.
12044 Let's say you want to produce a list of projects that contain a WAITING
12045 tag anywhere in the project tree. Let's further assume that you have
12046 marked all tree headings that define a project with the TODO keyword
12047 PROJECT. In this case you would run a TODO search for the keyword
12048 PROJECT, but skip the match unless there is a WAITING tag anywhere in
12049 the subtree belonging to the project line.
12051 To achieve this, you must write a function that searches the subtree for
12052 the tag. If the tag is found, the function must return @code{nil} to
12053 indicate that this match should not be skipped. If there is no such
12054 tag, return the location of the end of the subtree, to indicate that
12055 search should continue from there.
12058 (defun my-skip-unless-waiting ()
12059 "Skip trees that are not waiting"
12060 (let ((subtree-end (save-excursion (org-end-of-subtree t))))
12061 (if (re-search-forward ":waiting:" subtree-end t)
12062 nil ; tag found, do not skip
12063 subtree-end))) ; tag not found, continue after end of subtree
12066 Now you may use this function in an agenda custom command, for example
12070 (org-add-agenda-custom-command
12071 '("b" todo "PROJECT"
12072 ((org-agenda-skip-function 'my-skip-unless-waiting)
12073 (org-agenda-overriding-header "Projects waiting for something: "))))
12076 @vindex org-agenda-overriding-header
12077 Note that this also binds @code{org-agenda-overriding-header} to get a
12078 meaningful header in the agenda view.
12080 @vindex org-odd-levels-only
12081 @vindex org-agenda-skip-function
12082 A general way to create custom searches is to base them on a search for
12083 entries with a certain level limit. If you want to study all entries with
12084 your custom search function, simply do a search for
12085 @samp{LEVEL>0}@footnote{Note that, when using @code{org-odd-levels-only}, a
12086 level number corresponds to order in the hierarchy, not to the number of
12087 stars.}, and then use @code{org-agenda-skip-function} to select the entries
12088 you really want to have.
12090 You may also put a Lisp form into @code{org-agenda-skip-function}. In
12091 particular, you may use the functions @code{org-agenda-skip-entry-if}
12092 and @code{org-agenda-skip-subtree-if} in this form, for example:
12095 @item '(org-agenda-skip-entry-if 'scheduled)
12096 Skip current entry if it has been scheduled.
12097 @item '(org-agenda-skip-entry-if 'notscheduled)
12098 Skip current entry if it has not been scheduled.
12099 @item '(org-agenda-skip-entry-if 'deadline)
12100 Skip current entry if it has a deadline.
12101 @item '(org-agenda-skip-entry-if 'scheduled 'deadline)
12102 Skip current entry if it has a deadline, or if it is scheduled.
12103 @item '(org-agenda-skip-entry-if 'todo '("TODO" "WAITING"))
12104 Skip current entry if the TODO keyword is TODO or WAITING.
12105 @item '(org-agenda-skip-entry-if 'todo 'done)
12106 Skip current entry if the TODO keyword marks a DONE state.
12107 @item '(org-agenda-skip-entry-if 'timestamp)
12108 Skip current entry if it has any timestamp, may also be deadline or scheduled.
12109 @item '(org-agenda-skip-entry 'regexp "regular expression")
12110 Skip current entry if the regular expression matches in the entry.
12111 @item '(org-agenda-skip-entry 'notregexp "regular expression")
12112 Skip current entry unless the regular expression matches.
12113 @item '(org-agenda-skip-subtree-if 'regexp "regular expression")
12114 Same as above, but check and skip the entire subtree.
12117 Therefore we could also have written the search for WAITING projects
12118 like this, even without defining a special function:
12121 (org-add-agenda-custom-command
12122 '("b" todo "PROJECT"
12123 ((org-agenda-skip-function '(org-agenda-skip-subtree-if
12124 'regexp ":waiting:"))
12125 (org-agenda-overriding-header "Projects waiting for something: "))))
12128 @node Extracting agenda information, Using the property API, Special agenda views, Hacking
12129 @section Extracting agenda information
12130 @cindex agenda, pipe
12131 @cindex Scripts, for agenda processing
12133 @vindex org-agenda-custom-commands
12134 Org provides commands to access agenda information for the command
12135 line in Emacs batch mode. This extracted information can be sent
12136 directly to a printer, or it can be read by a program that does further
12137 processing of the data. The first of these commands is the function
12138 @code{org-batch-agenda}, that produces an agenda view and sends it as
12139 ASCII text to STDOUT. The command takes a single string as parameter.
12140 If the string has length 1, it is used as a key to one of the commands
12141 you have configured in @code{org-agenda-custom-commands}, basically any
12142 key you can use after @kbd{C-c a}. For example, to directly print the
12143 current TODO list, you could use
12146 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -eval '(org-batch-agenda "t")' | lpr
12149 If the parameter is a string with 2 or more characters, it is used as a
12150 tags/TODO match string. For example, to print your local shopping list
12151 (all items with the tag @samp{shop}, but excluding the tag
12152 @samp{NewYork}), you could use
12155 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs \
12156 -eval '(org-batch-agenda "+shop-NewYork")' | lpr
12160 You may also modify parameters on the fly like this:
12163 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs \
12164 -eval '(org-batch-agenda "a" \
12165 org-agenda-ndays 30 \
12166 org-agenda-include-diary nil \
12167 org-agenda-files (quote ("~/org/project.org")))' \
12172 which will produce a 30-day agenda, fully restricted to the Org file
12173 @file{~/org/projects.org}, not even including the diary.
12175 If you want to process the agenda data in more sophisticated ways, you
12176 can use the command @code{org-batch-agenda-csv} to get a comma-separated
12177 list of values for each agenda item. Each line in the output will
12178 contain a number of fields separated by commas. The fields in a line
12182 category @r{The category of the item}
12183 head @r{The headline, without TODO keyword, TAGS and PRIORITY}
12184 type @r{The type of the agenda entry, can be}
12185 todo @r{selected in TODO match}
12186 tagsmatch @r{selected in tags match}
12187 diary @r{imported from diary}
12188 deadline @r{a deadline}
12189 scheduled @r{scheduled}
12190 timestamp @r{appointment, selected by timestamp}
12191 closed @r{entry was closed on date}
12192 upcoming-deadline @r{warning about nearing deadline}
12193 past-scheduled @r{forwarded scheduled item}
12194 block @r{entry has date block including date}
12195 todo @r{The TODO keyword, if any}
12196 tags @r{All tags including inherited ones, separated by colons}
12197 date @r{The relevant date, like 2007-2-14}
12198 time @r{The time, like 15:00-16:50}
12199 extra @r{String with extra planning info}
12200 priority-l @r{The priority letter if any was given}
12201 priority-n @r{The computed numerical priority}
12205 Time and date will only be given if a timestamp (or deadline/scheduled)
12206 led to the selection of the item.
12208 A CSV list like this is very easy to use in a post-processing script.
12209 For example, here is a Perl program that gets the TODO list from
12210 Emacs/Org and prints all the items, preceded by a checkbox:
12215 # define the Emacs command to run
12216 $cmd = "emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -eval '(org-batch-agenda-csv \"t\")'";
12218 # run it and capture the output
12219 $agenda = qx@{$cmd 2>/dev/null@};
12221 # loop over all lines
12222 foreach $line (split(/\n/,$agenda)) @{
12223 # get the individual values
12224 ($category,$head,$type,$todo,$tags,$date,$time,$extra,
12225 $priority_l,$priority_n) = split(/,/,$line);
12226 # process and print
12227 print "[ ] $head\n";
12231 @node Using the property API, Using the mapping API, Extracting agenda information, Hacking
12232 @section Using the property API
12233 @cindex API, for properties
12234 @cindex properties, API
12236 Here is a description of the functions that can be used to work with
12239 @defun org-entry-properties &optional pom which
12240 Get all properties of the entry at point-or-marker POM.@*
12241 This includes the TODO keyword, the tags, time strings for deadline,
12242 scheduled, and clocking, and any additional properties defined in the
12243 entry. The return value is an alist, keys may occur multiple times
12244 if the property key was used several times.@*
12245 POM may also be nil, in which case the current entry is used.
12246 If WHICH is nil or `all', get all properties. If WHICH is
12247 `special' or `standard', only get that subclass.
12249 @vindex org-use-property-inheritance
12250 @defun org-entry-get pom property &optional inherit
12251 Get value of PROPERTY for entry at point-or-marker POM. By default,
12252 this only looks at properties defined locally in the entry. If INHERIT
12253 is non-nil and the entry does not have the property, then also check
12254 higher levels of the hierarchy. If INHERIT is the symbol
12255 @code{selective}, use inheritance if and only if the setting of
12256 @code{org-use-property-inheritance} selects PROPERTY for inheritance.
12259 @defun org-entry-delete pom property
12260 Delete the property PROPERTY from entry at point-or-marker POM.
12263 @defun org-entry-put pom property value
12264 Set PROPERTY to VALUE for entry at point-or-marker POM.
12267 @defun org-buffer-property-keys &optional include-specials
12268 Get all property keys in the current buffer.
12271 @defun org-insert-property-drawer
12272 Insert a property drawer at point.
12275 @defun org-entry-put-multivalued-property pom property &rest values
12276 Set PROPERTY at point-or-marker POM to VALUES. VALUES should be a list of
12277 strings. They will be concatenated, with spaces as separators.
12280 @defun org-entry-get-multivalued-property pom property
12281 Treat the value of the property PROPERTY as a whitespace-separated list of
12282 values and return the values as a list of strings.
12285 @defun org-entry-add-to-multivalued-property pom property value
12286 Treat the value of the property PROPERTY as a whitespace-separated list of
12287 values and make sure that VALUE is in this list.
12290 @defun org-entry-remove-from-multivalued-property pom property value
12291 Treat the value of the property PROPERTY as a whitespace-separated list of
12292 values and make sure that VALUE is @emph{not} in this list.
12295 @defun org-entry-member-in-multivalued-property pom property value
12296 Treat the value of the property PROPERTY as a whitespace-separated list of
12297 values and check if VALUE is in this list.
12300 @defopt org-property-allowed-value-functions
12301 Hook for functions supplying allowed values for specific.
12302 The functions must take a single argument, the name of the property, and
12303 return a flat list of allowed values. If @samp{:ETC} is one of
12304 the values, use the values as completion help, but allow also other values
12305 to be entered. The functions must return @code{nil} if they are not
12306 responsible for this property.
12309 @node Using the mapping API, , Using the property API, Hacking
12310 @section Using the mapping API
12311 @cindex API, for mapping
12312 @cindex mapping entries, API
12314 Org has sophisticated mapping capabilities to find all entries satisfying
12315 certain criteria. Internally, this functionality is used to produce agenda
12316 views, but there is also an API that can be used to execute arbitrary
12317 functions for each or selected entries. The main entry point for this API
12320 @defun org-map-entries func &optional match scope &rest skip
12321 Call FUNC at each headline selected by MATCH in SCOPE.
12323 FUNC is a function or a Lisp form. The function will be called without
12324 arguments, with the cursor positioned at the beginning of the headline.
12325 The return values of all calls to the function will be collected and
12326 returned as a list.
12328 The call to FUNC will be wrapped into a save-excursion form, so FUNC
12329 does not need to preserve point. After evaluation, the cursor will be
12330 moved to the end of the line (presumably of the headline of the
12331 processed entry) and search continues from there. Under some
12332 circumstances, this may not produce the wanted results. For example,
12333 if you have removed (e.g. archived) the current (sub)tree it could
12334 mean that the next entry will be skipped entirely. In such cases, you
12335 can specify the position from where search should continue by making
12336 FUNC set the variable `org-map-continue-from' to the desired buffer
12339 MATCH is a tags/property/todo match as it is used in the agenda match view.
12340 Only headlines that are matched by this query will be considered during
12341 the iteration. When MATCH is nil or t, all headlines will be
12342 visited by the iteration.
12344 SCOPE determines the scope of this command. It can be any of:
12347 nil @r{the current buffer, respecting the restriction if any}
12348 tree @r{the subtree started with the entry at point}
12349 file @r{the current buffer, without restriction}
12351 @r{the current buffer, and any archives associated with it}
12352 agenda @r{all agenda files}
12353 agenda-with-archives
12354 @r{all agenda files with any archive files associated with them}
12356 @r{if this is a list, all files in the list will be scanned}
12359 The remaining args are treated as settings for the skipping facilities of
12360 the scanner. The following items can be given here:
12362 @vindex org-agenda-skip-function
12364 archive @r{skip trees with the archive tag}
12365 comment @r{skip trees with the COMMENT keyword}
12366 function or Lisp form
12367 @r{will be used as value for @code{org-agenda-skip-function},}
12368 @r{so whenever the function returns t, FUNC}
12369 @r{will not be called for that entry and search will}
12370 @r{continue from the point where the function leaves it}
12374 The function given to that mapping routine can really do anything you like.
12375 It can use the property API (@pxref{Using the property API}) to gather more
12376 information about the entry, or in order to change metadata in the entry.
12377 Here are a couple of functions that might be handy:
12379 @defun org-todo &optional arg
12380 Change the TODO state of the entry, see the docstring of the functions for
12381 the many possible values for the argument ARG.
12384 @defun org-priority &optional action
12385 Change the priority of the entry, see the docstring of this function for the
12386 possible values for ACTION.
12389 @defun org-toggle-tag tag &optional onoff
12390 Toggle the tag TAG in the current entry. Setting ONOFF to either @code{on}
12391 or @code{off} will not toggle tag, but ensure that it is either on or off.
12395 Promote the current entry.
12399 Demote the current entry.
12402 Here is a simple example that will turn all entries in the current file with
12403 a tag @code{TOMORROW} into TODO entries with the keyword @code{UPCOMING}.
12404 Entries in comment trees and in archive trees will be ignored.
12408 '(org-todo "UPCOMING")
12409 "+TOMORROW" 'file 'archive 'comment)
12412 The following example counts the number of entries with TODO keyword
12413 @code{WAITING}, in all agenda files.
12416 (length (org-map-entries t "/+WAITING" 'agenda))
12419 @node MobileOrg, History and Acknowledgments, Hacking, Top
12420 @appendix MobileOrg
12424 @i{MobileOrg} is an application for the @i{iPhone/iPod Touch} series of
12425 devices, developed by Richard Moreland. @i{MobileOrg} offers offline viewing
12426 and capture support for an Org-mode system rooted on a ``real'' computer. It
12427 does also allow you to record changes to existing entries. For information
12428 about @i{MobileOrg}, see @uref{http://mobileorg.ncogni.to/}).
12430 This appendix describes the support Org has for creating agenda views in a
12431 format that can be displayed by @i{MobileOrg}, and for integrating notes
12432 captured and changes made by @i{MobileOrg} into the main system.
12434 For changing tags and TODO states in MobileOrg, you should have set up the
12435 customization variables @code{org-todo-keywords} and @code{org-tags-alist} to
12436 cover all important tags and TODO keywords, even if individual files use only
12437 part of these. MobileOrg will also offer you states and tags set up with
12438 in-buffer settings, but it will understand the logistics of TODO state
12439 @i{sets} (@pxref{Per-file keywords}) and @i{mutually exclusive} tags
12440 (@pxref{Setting tags}) only for those set in these variables.
12443 * Setting up the staging area:: Where to interact with the mobile device
12444 * Pushing to MobileOrg:: Uploading Org files and agendas
12445 * Pulling from MobileOrg:: Integrating captured and flagged items
12448 @node Setting up the staging area, Pushing to MobileOrg, MobileOrg, MobileOrg
12449 @section Setting up the staging area
12451 Org-mode has commands to prepare a directory with files for @i{MobileOrg},
12452 and to read captured notes from there. If Emacs can directly write to the
12453 WebDAV directory@footnote{If you are using a public server, you might prefer
12454 to encrypt the files on the server. This can be done with Org-mode 6.35 and
12455 MobileOrg 1.2. On the Emacs side, configure the variables
12456 @code{org-mobile-use-encryption} and @code{org-mobile-encryption-password}.}
12457 accessed by @i{MobileOrg}, just point to this directory using the variable
12458 @code{org-mobile-directory}. Using the @file{tramp} method,
12459 @code{org-mobile-directory} may point to a remote directory accessible
12460 through, for example, @file{ssh/scp}:
12463 (setq org-mobile-directory "/scpc:user@@remote.host:org/webdav/")
12466 If Emacs cannot access the WebDAV directory directly using a @file{tramp}
12467 method, or you prefer to maintain a local copy, you can use a local directory
12468 for staging. Other means must then be used to keep this directory in sync
12469 with the WebDAV directory. In the following example, files are staged in
12470 @file{~/stage}, and Org-mode hooks take care of moving files to and from the
12471 WebDAV directory using @file{scp}.
12474 (setq org-mobile-directory "~/stage/")
12475 (add-hook 'org-mobile-post-push-hook
12476 (lambda () (shell-command "scp -r ~/stage/* user@@wdhost:mobile/")))
12477 (add-hook 'org-mobile-pre-pull-hook
12478 (lambda () (shell-command "scp user@@wdhost:mobile/mobileorg.org ~/stage/ ")))
12479 (add-hook 'org-mobile-post-pull-hook
12480 (lambda () (shell-command "scp ~/stage/mobileorg.org user@@wdhost:mobile/")))
12483 @node Pushing to MobileOrg, Pulling from MobileOrg, Setting up the staging area, MobileOrg
12484 @section Pushing to MobileOrg
12486 This operation copies all files currently listed in @code{org-mobile-files}
12487 to the directory @code{org-mobile-directory}. By default this list contains
12488 all agenda files (as listed in @code{org-agenda-files}), but additional files
12489 can be included by customizing @code{org-mobiles-files}. File names will be
12490 staged with path relative to @code{org-directory}, so all files should be
12491 inside this directory. The push operation also creates (in the same
12492 directory) a special Org file @file{agendas.org}. This file is an Org-mode
12493 style outline, containing every custom agenda view defined by the user.
12494 While creating the agendas, Org-mode will force@footnote{See the variable
12495 @code{org-mobile-force-id-on-agenda-items}.} an ID property on all entries
12496 referenced by the agendas, so that these entries can be uniquely identified
12497 if @i{MobileOrg} flags them for further action. Finally, Org writes the file
12498 @file{index.org}, containing links to all other files. If @i{MobileOrg} is
12499 configured to request this file from the WebDAV server, all agendas and Org
12500 files will be downloaded to the device. To speed up the download, MobileOrg
12501 will only read files whose checksums@footnote{stored automatically in the
12502 file @file{checksums.dat}} have changed.
12504 @node Pulling from MobileOrg, , Pushing to MobileOrg, MobileOrg
12505 @section Pulling from MobileOrg
12507 When @i{MobileOrg} synchronizes with the WebDAV server, it not only pulls the
12508 Org files for viewing. It also appends captured entries and pointers to
12509 flagged and changed entries to the file @file{mobileorg.org} on the server.
12510 Org has a @emph{pull} operation that integrates this information into an
12511 inbox file and operates on the pointers to flagged entries. Here is how it
12516 Org moves all entries found in
12517 @file{mobileorg.org}@footnote{@file{mobileorg.org} will be empty after this
12518 operation.} and appends them to the file pointed to by the variable
12519 @code{org-mobile-inbox-for-pull}. Each captured entry and each editing event
12520 will be a top-level entry in the inbox file.
12522 After moving the entries, Org will attempt to implement the changes made in
12523 @i{MobileOrg}. Some changes are applied directly and without user
12524 interaction. Examples are all changes to tags, TODO state, headline and body
12525 text that can be cleanly applied. Entries that have been flagged for further
12526 action will receive a tag @code{:FLAGGED:}, so that they can be easily found
12527 again. When there is a problem finding an entry or applying the change, the
12528 pointer entry will remain in the inbox and will be marked with an error
12529 message. You need to later resolve these issues by hand.
12531 Org will then generate an agenda view with all flagged entries. The user
12532 should then go through these entries and do whatever actions are necessary.
12533 If a note has been stored while flagging an entry in @i{MobileOrg}, that note
12534 will be displayed in the echo area when the cursor is on the corresponding
12539 Pressing @kbd{?} in that special agenda will display the full flagging note in
12540 another window and also push it onto the kill ring. So you could use @kbd{?
12541 z C-y C-c C-c} to store that flagging note as a normal note in the entry.
12542 Pressing @kbd{?} twice in succession will offer to remove the
12543 @code{:FLAGGED:} tag along with the recorded flagging note (which is stored
12544 in a property). In this way you indicate, that the intended processing for
12545 this flagged entry is finished.
12550 If you are not able to process all flagged entries directly, you can always
12551 return to this agenda view using @kbd{C-c a ?}. Note, however, that there is
12552 a subtle difference. The view created automatically by @kbd{M-x
12553 org-mobile-pull RET} is guaranteed to search all files that have been
12554 addressed by the last pull. This might include a file that is not currently
12555 in your list of agenda files. If you later use @kbd{C-c a ?} to regenerate
12556 the view, only the current agenda files will be searched.
12558 @node History and Acknowledgments, Main Index, MobileOrg, Top
12559 @appendix History and Acknowledgments
12560 @cindex acknowledgements
12564 Org was born in 2003, out of frustration over the user interface
12565 of the Emacs Outline mode. I was trying to organize my notes and
12566 projects, and using Emacs seemed to be the natural way to go. However,
12567 having to remember eleven different commands with two or three keys per
12568 command, only to hide and show parts of the outline tree, that seemed
12569 entirely unacceptable to me. Also, when using outlines to take notes, I
12570 constantly wanted to restructure the tree, organizing it parallel to my
12571 thoughts and plans. @emph{Visibility cycling} and @emph{structure
12572 editing} were originally implemented in the package
12573 @file{outline-magic.el}, but quickly moved to the more general
12574 @file{org.el}. As this environment became comfortable for project
12575 planning, the next step was adding @emph{TODO entries}, basic
12576 @emph{timestamps}, and @emph{table support}. These areas highlighted the two main
12577 goals that Org still has today: to be a new, outline-based,
12578 plain text mode with innovative and intuitive editing features, and to
12579 incorporate project planning functionality directly into a notes file.
12581 A special thanks goes to @i{Bastien Guerry} who has not only written a large
12582 number of extensions to Org (most of them integrated into the core by now),
12583 but who has also helped in the development and maintenance of Org so much that he
12584 should be considered the main co-contributor to this package.
12586 Since the first release, literally thousands of emails to me or to
12587 @email{emacs-orgmode@@gnu.org} have provided a constant stream of bug
12588 reports, feedback, new ideas, and sometimes patches and add-on code.
12589 Many thanks to everyone who has helped to improve this package. I am
12590 trying to keep here a list of the people who had significant influence
12591 in shaping one or more aspects of Org. The list may not be
12592 complete, if I have forgotten someone, please accept my apologies and
12598 @i{Russel Adams} came up with the idea for drawers.
12600 @i{Thomas Baumann} wrote @file{org-bbdb.el} and @file{org-mhe.el}.
12602 @i{Christophe Bataillon} created the great unicorn logo that we use on the
12605 @i{Alex Bochannek} provided a patch for rounding timestamps.
12607 @i{Jan Böcker} wrote @file{org-docview.el}.
12609 @i{Brad Bozarth} showed how to pull RSS feed data into Org-mode files.
12611 @i{Tom Breton} wrote @file{org-choose.el}.
12613 @i{Charles Cave}'s suggestion sparked the implementation of templates
12616 @i{Pavel Chalmoviansky} influenced the agenda treatment of items with
12619 @i{Gregory Chernov} patched support for Lisp forms into table
12620 calculations and improved XEmacs compatibility, in particular by porting
12621 @file{nouline.el} to XEmacs.
12623 @i{Sacha Chua} suggested copying some linking code from Planner.
12625 @i{Baoqiu Cui} contributed the DocBook exporter.
12627 @i{Dan Davison} wrote (together with @i{Eric Schulte}) Org Babel.
12629 @i{Eddward DeVilla} proposed and tested checkbox statistics. He also
12630 came up with the idea of properties, and that there should be an API for
12633 @i{Nick Dokos} tracked down several nasty bugs.
12635 @i{Kees Dullemond} used to edit projects lists directly in HTML and so
12636 inspired some of the early development, including HTML export. He also
12637 asked for a way to narrow wide table columns.
12639 @i{Christian Egli} converted the documentation into Texinfo format,
12640 patched CSS formatting into the HTML exporter, and inspired the agenda.
12642 @i{David Emery} provided a patch for custom CSS support in exported
12645 @i{Nic Ferrier} contributed mailcap and XOXO support.
12647 @i{Miguel A. Figueroa-Villanueva} implemented hierarchical checkboxes.
12649 @i{John Foerch} figured out how to make incremental search show context
12650 around a match in a hidden outline tree.
12652 @i{Raimar Finken} wrote @file{org-git-line.el}.
12654 @i{Mikael Fornius} works as a mailing list moderator.
12656 @i{Austin Frank} works as a mailing list moderator.
12658 @i{Niels Giesen} had the idea to automatically archive DONE trees.
12660 @i{Bastien Guerry} wrote the La@TeX{} exporter and @file{org-bibtex.el}, and
12661 has been prolific with patches, ideas, and bug reports.
12663 @i{Kai Grossjohann} pointed out key-binding conflicts with other packages.
12665 @i{Bernt Hansen} has driven much of the support for auto-repeating tasks,
12666 task state change logging, and the clocktable. His clear explanations have
12667 been critical when we started to adopt the Git version control system.
12669 @i{Manuel Hermenegildo} has contributed various ideas, small fixes and
12672 @i{Phil Jackson} wrote @file{org-irc.el}.
12674 @i{Scott Jaderholm} proposed footnotes, control over whitespace between
12675 folded entries, and column view for properties.
12677 @i{Tokuya Kameshima} wrote @file{org-wl.el} and @file{org-mew.el}.
12679 @i{Shidai Liu} ("Leo") asked for embedded La@TeX{} and tested it. He also
12680 provided frequent feedback and some patches.
12682 @i{Matt Lundin} has proposed last-row references for table formulas and named
12683 invisible anchors. He has also worked a lot on the FAQ.
12685 @i{Jason F. McBrayer} suggested agenda export to CSV format.
12687 @i{Max Mikhanosha} came up with the idea of refiling.
12689 @i{Dmitri Minaev} sent a patch to set priority limits on a per-file
12692 @i{Stefan Monnier} provided a patch to keep the Emacs-Lisp compiler
12695 @i{Richard Moreland} wrote @i{MobileOrg} for the iPhone.
12697 @i{Rick Moynihan} proposed allowing multiple TODO sequences in a file
12698 and being able to quickly restrict the agenda to a subtree.
12700 @i{Todd Neal} provided patches for links to Info files and Elisp forms.
12702 @i{Greg Newman} refreshed the unicorn logo into its current form.
12704 @i{Tim O'Callaghan} suggested in-file links, search options for general
12705 file links, and TAGS.
12707 @i{Osamu Okano} wrote @file{orgcard2ref.pl}, a perl program to create a text
12708 version of the reference card.
12710 @i{Takeshi Okano} translated the manual and David O'Toole's tutorial
12713 @i{Oliver Oppitz} suggested multi-state TODO items.
12715 @i{Scott Otterson} sparked the introduction of descriptive text for
12716 links, among other things.
12718 @i{Pete Phillips} helped during the development of the TAGS feature, and
12719 provided frequent feedback.
12721 @i{Martin Pohlack} provided the code snippet to bundle character insertion
12722 into bundles of 20 for undo.
12724 @i{T.V. Raman} reported bugs and suggested improvements.
12726 @i{Matthias Rempe} (Oelde) provided ideas, Windows support, and quality
12729 @i{Paul Rivier} provided the basic implementation of named footnotes. He
12730 also acted as mailing list moderator for some time.
12732 @i{Kevin Rogers} contributed code to access VM files on remote hosts.
12734 @i{Sebastian Rose} wrote @file{org-info.js}, a Java script for displaying
12735 webpages derived from Org using an Info-like or a folding interface with
12736 single-key navigation, and make lots of improvements to the HTML exporter.
12738 @i{Frank Ruell} solved the mystery of the @code{keymapp nil} bug, a
12739 conflict with @file{allout.el}.
12741 @i{Jason Riedy} generalized the send-receive mechanism for Orgtbl tables with
12744 @i{Philip Rooke} created the Org reference card, provided lots
12745 of feedback, developed and applied standards to the Org documentation.
12747 @i{Christian Schlauer} proposed angular brackets around links, among
12750 @i{Eric Schulte} wrote @file{org-plot.el} and (together with @i{Dan Davison})
12751 Org Babel, and contributed various patches, small features and modules.
12753 @i{Paul Sexton} wrote @file{org-ctags.el}.
12755 Linking to VM/BBDB/Gnus was first inspired by @i{Tom Shannon}'s
12756 @file{organizer-mode.el}.
12758 @i{Ilya Shlyakhter} proposed the Archive Sibling, line numbering in literal
12759 examples, and remote highlighting for referenced code lines.
12761 @i{Stathis Sideris} wrote the @file{ditaa.jar} ASCII to PNG converter that is
12762 now packaged into Org's @file{contrib} directory.
12764 @i{Daniel Sinder} came up with the idea of internal archiving by locking
12767 @i{Dale Smith} proposed link abbreviations.
12769 @i{James TD Smith} has contributed a large number of patches for useful
12770 tweaks and features.
12772 @i{Adam Spiers} asked for global linking commands, inspired the link
12773 extension system, added support for mairix, and proposed the mapping API.
12775 @i{Ulf Stegemann} created the table to translate special symbols to HTML,
12776 LaTeX, UTF-8, Latin-1 and ASCII.
12778 @i{Andy Stewart} contributed code to @file{org-w3m.el}, to copy HTML content
12779 with links transformation to Org syntax.
12781 @i{David O'Toole} wrote @file{org-publish.el} and drafted the manual
12782 chapter about publishing.
12784 @i{Stefan Vollmar} organized a video-recorded talk at the
12785 Max-Planck-Institute for Neurology. He also inspired the creation of a
12786 concept index for HTML export.
12788 @i{J@"urgen Vollmer} contributed code generating the table of contents
12791 @i{Samuel Wales} has provided important feedback and bug reports.
12793 @i{Chris Wallace} provided a patch implementing the @samp{QUOTE}
12796 @i{David Wainberg} suggested archiving, and improvements to the linking
12799 @i{John Wiegley} wrote @file{emacs-wiki.el}, @file{planner.el}, and
12800 @file{muse.el}, which have some overlap with Org. Initially the development
12801 of Org was fully independent because I was not aware of the existence of
12802 these packages. But with time I have occasionally looked at John's code and
12803 learned a lot from it. John has also contributed a number of great ideas and
12804 patches directly to Org, including the attachment system
12805 (@file{org-attach.el}), integration with Apple Mail
12806 (@file{org-mac-message.el}), hierarchical dependencies of TODO items, habit
12807 tracking (@file{org-habits.el}).
12809 @i{Carsten Wimmer} suggested some changes and helped fix a bug in
12812 @i{Roland Winkler} requested additional key bindings to make Org
12815 @i{Piotr Zielinski} wrote @file{org-mouse.el}, proposed agenda blocks
12816 and contributed various ideas and code snippets.
12820 @node Main Index, Key Index, History and Acknowledgments, Top
12821 @unnumbered Concept Index
12825 @node Key Index, Variable Index, Main Index, Top
12826 @unnumbered Key Index
12830 @node Variable Index, , Key Index, Top
12831 @unnumbered Variable Index
12833 This is not a complete index of variables and faces, only the ones that are
12834 mentioned in the manual. For a more complete list, use @kbd{M-x
12835 org-customize @key{RET}} and then click yourself through the tree.
12842 arch-tag: 7893d1Fe-cc57-4d13-b5e5-f494a1CBC7ac
12845 @c Local variables:
12846 @c ispell-local-dictionary: "en_US-w_accents"
12847 @c ispell-local-pdict: "./.aspell.org.pws"
12852 @c LocalWords: webdavhost pre