3 @setfilename ../info/org
4 @settitle Org Mode Manual
11 * Org Mode: (org). Outline-based notes management and organizer
14 @c Version and Contact Info
15 @set MAINTAINERSITE @uref{http://orgmode.org,maintainers webpage}
16 @set AUTHOR Carsten Dominik
17 @set MAINTAINER Carsten Dominik
18 @set MAINTAINEREMAIL @email{carsten at orgmode dot org}
19 @set MAINTAINERCONTACT @uref{mailto:carsten at orgmode dot org,contact the maintainer}
25 @c Subheadings inside a table.
26 @macro tsubheading{text}
36 This manual is for Org-mode (version @value{VERSION}).
38 Copyright @copyright{} 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 Free Software Foundation
41 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
42 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
43 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
44 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU Manual,''
45 and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
46 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
49 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
50 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
51 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
56 @title Org Mode Manual
58 @subtitle Release @value{VERSION}
59 @author by Carsten Dominik
61 @c The following two commands start the copyright page.
63 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
67 @c Output the table of contents at the beginning.
71 @node Top, Introduction, (dir), (dir)
78 * Introduction:: Getting started
79 * Document structure:: A tree works like your brain
80 * Tables:: Pure magic for quick formatting
81 * Hyperlinks:: Notes in context
82 * TODO items:: Every tree branch can be a TODO item
83 * Tags:: Tagging headlines and matching sets of tags
84 * Properties and columns:: Storing information about an entry
85 * Timestamps:: Assign date and time to items
86 * Remember:: Quickly adding nodes to the outline tree
87 * Agenda views:: Collecting information into views
88 * Embedded LaTeX:: LaTeX fragments and formulas
89 * Exporting:: Sharing and publishing of notes
90 * Publishing:: Create a web site of linked Org-mode files
91 * Miscellaneous:: All the rest which did not fit elsewhere
92 * Extensions and Hacking:: It is possible to write add-on code
93 * History and Acknowledgments:: How Org-mode came into being
94 * Index:: The fast road to specific information
95 * Key Index:: Key bindings and where they are described
98 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
102 * Summary:: Brief summary of what Org-mode does
103 * Installation:: How to install a downloaded version of Org-mode
104 * Activation:: How to activate Org-mode for certain buffers.
105 * Feedback:: Bug reports, ideas, patches etc.
109 * Outlines:: Org-mode is based on outline-mode
110 * Headlines:: How to typeset org-tree headlines
111 * Visibility cycling:: Show and hide, much simplified
112 * Motion:: Jumping to other headlines
113 * Structure editing:: Changing sequence and level of headlines
114 * Archiving:: Move done task trees to a different place
115 * Sparse trees:: Matches embedded in context
116 * Plain lists:: Additional structure within an entry
117 * Drawers:: Tucking stuff away
118 * orgstruct-mode:: Structure editing outside Org-mode
122 * ARCHIVE tag:: Marking a tree as inactive
123 * Moving subtrees:: Moving a tree to an archive file
127 * Built-in table editor:: Simple tables
128 * Narrow columns:: Stop wasting space in tables
129 * Column groups:: Grouping to trigger vertical lines
130 * orgtbl-mode:: The table editor as minor mode
131 * The spreadsheet:: The table editor has spreadsheet capabilities.
135 * References:: How to refer to another field or range
136 * Formula syntax for Calc:: Using Calc to compute stuff
137 * Formula syntax for Lisp:: Writing formulas in Emacs Lisp
138 * Field formulas:: Formulas valid for a single field
139 * Column formulas:: Formulas valid for an entire column
140 * Editing and debugging formulas:: Fixing formulas
141 * Updating the table:: Recomputing all dependent fields
142 * Advanced features:: Field names, parameters and automatic recalc
146 * Link format:: How links in Org-mode are formatted
147 * Internal links:: Links to other places in the current file
148 * External links:: URL-like links to the world
149 * Handling links:: Creating, inserting and following
150 * Using links outside Org-mode:: Linking from my C source code?
151 * Link abbreviations:: Shortcuts for writing complex links
152 * Search options:: Linking to a specific location
153 * Custom searches:: When the default search is not enough
157 * Radio targets:: Make targets trigger links in plain text.
161 * TODO basics:: Marking and displaying TODO entries
162 * TODO extensions:: Workflow and assignments
163 * Progress logging:: Dates and notes for progress
164 * Priorities:: Some things are more important than others
165 * Breaking down tasks:: Splitting a task into manageable pieces
166 * Checkboxes:: Tick-off lists
168 Extended use of TODO keywords
170 * Workflow states:: From TODO to DONE in steps
171 * TODO types:: I do this, Fred the rest
172 * Multiple sets in one file:: Mixing it all, and still finding your way
173 * Fast access to TODO states:: Single letter selection of a state
174 * Per file keywords:: Different files, different requirements
175 * Faces for TODO keywords:: Highlighting states
179 * Closing items:: When was this entry marked DONE?
180 * Tracking TODO state changes:: When did the status change?
184 * Tag inheritance:: Tags use the tree structure of the outline
185 * Setting tags:: How to assign tags to a headline
186 * Tag searches:: Searching for combinations of tags
188 Properties and Columns
190 * Property syntax:: How properties are spelled out
191 * Special properties:: Access to other Org-mode features
192 * Property searches:: Matching property values
193 * Column view:: Tabular viewing and editing
194 * Property API:: Properties for Lisp programmers
198 * Defining columns:: The COLUMNS format property
199 * Using column view:: How to create and use column view
203 * Scope of column definitions:: Where defined, where valid?
204 * Column attributes:: Appearance and content of a column
208 * Time stamps:: Assigning a time to a tree entry
209 * Creating timestamps:: Commands which insert timestamps
210 * Deadlines and scheduling:: Planning your work
211 * Clocking work time::
215 * The date/time prompt:: How org-mode helps you entering date and time
216 * Custom time format:: Making dates look differently
218 Deadlines and Scheduling
220 * Inserting deadline/schedule:: Planning items
221 * Repeated tasks:: Items that show up again and again
225 * Setting up remember:: Some code for .emacs to get things going
226 * Remember templates:: Define the outline of different note types
227 * Storing notes:: Directly get the note to where it belongs
231 * Agenda files:: Files being searched for agenda information
232 * Agenda dispatcher:: Keyboard access to agenda views
233 * Built-in agenda views:: What is available out of the box?
234 * Presentation and sorting:: How agenda items are prepared for display
235 * Agenda commands:: Remote editing of org trees
236 * Custom agenda views:: Defining special searches and views
238 The built-in agenda views
240 * Weekly/Daily agenda:: The calendar page with current tasks
241 * Global TODO list:: All unfinished action items
242 * Matching tags and properties:: Structured information with fine-tuned search
243 * Timeline:: Time-sorted view for single file
244 * Stuck projects:: Find projects you need to review
246 Presentation and sorting
248 * Categories:: Not all tasks are equal
249 * Time-of-day specifications:: How the agenda knows the time
250 * Sorting of agenda items:: The order of things
254 * Storing searches:: Type once, use often
255 * Block agenda:: All the stuff you need in a single buffer
256 * Setting Options:: Changing the rules
257 * Exporting Agenda Views:: Writing agendas to files.
258 * Extracting Agenda Information for other programs::
262 * Math symbols:: TeX macros for symbols and Greek letters
263 * Subscripts and Superscripts:: Simple syntax for raising/lowering text
264 * LaTeX fragments:: Complex formulas made easy
265 * Processing LaTeX fragments:: Previewing LaTeX processing
266 * CDLaTeX mode:: Speed up entering of formulas
270 * ASCII export:: Exporting to plain ASCII
271 * HTML export:: Exporting to HTML
272 * LaTeX export:: Exporting to LaTeX
273 * XOXO export:: Exporting to XOXO
274 * iCalendar export:: Exporting in iCalendar format
275 * Text interpretation:: How the exporter looks at the file
279 * HTML Export commands:: How to invoke LaTeX export
280 * Quoting HTML tags:: Using direct HTML in Org-mode
281 * Links:: Transformation of links for HTML
282 * Images:: How to include images
283 * CSS support:: Changing the appearence of the output
287 * LaTeX export commands:: How to invoke LaTeX export
288 * Quoting LaTeX code:: Incorporating literal LaTeX code
290 Text interpretation by the exporter
292 * Comment lines:: Some lines will not be exported
293 * Initial text:: Text before the first headline
294 * Footnotes:: Numbers like [1]
295 * Enhancing text:: Subscripts, symbols and more
296 * Export options:: How to influence the export settings
300 * Configuration:: Defining projects
301 * Sample configuration:: Example projects
302 * Triggering publication:: Publication commands
306 * Project alist:: The central configuration variable
307 * Sources and destinations:: From here to there
308 * Selecting files:: What files are part of the project?
309 * Publishing action:: Setting the function doing the publishing
310 * Publishing options:: Tweaking HTML export
311 * Publishing links:: Which links keep working after publishing?
312 * Project page index:: Publishing a list of project files
316 * Simple example:: One-component publishing
317 * Complex example:: A multi-component publishing example
321 * Completion:: M-TAB knows what you need
322 * Customization:: Adapting Org-mode to your taste
323 * In-buffer settings:: Overview of the #+KEYWORDS
324 * The very busy C-c C-c key:: When in doubt, press C-c C-c
325 * Clean view:: Getting rid of leading stars in the outline
326 * TTY keys:: Using Org-mode on a tty
327 * Interaction:: Other Emacs packages
328 * Bugs:: Things which do not work perfectly
330 Interaction with other packages
332 * Cooperation:: Packages Org-mode cooperates with
333 * Conflicts:: Packages that lead to conflicts
335 Extensions, Hooks and Hacking
337 * Extensions:: Existing 3rd-part extensions
338 * Adding hyperlink types:: New custom link types
339 * Tables in arbitrary syntax:: Orgtbl for LaTeX and other programs
340 * Dynamic blocks:: Automatically filled blocks
341 * Special agenda views:: Customized views
342 * Using the property API:: Writing programs that use entry properties
344 Tables in arbitrary syntax
346 * Radio tables:: Sending and receiving
347 * A LaTeX example:: Step by step, almost a tutorial
348 * Translator functions:: Copy and modify
353 @node Introduction, Document structure, Top, Top
354 @chapter Introduction
358 * Summary:: Brief summary of what Org-mode does
359 * Installation:: How to install a downloaded version of Org-mode
360 * Activation:: How to activate Org-mode for certain buffers.
361 * Feedback:: Bug reports, ideas, patches etc.
364 @node Summary, Installation, Introduction, Introduction
368 Org-mode is a mode for keeping notes, maintaining TODO lists, and doing
369 project planning with a fast and effective plain-text system.
371 Org-mode develops organizational tasks around NOTES files that contain
372 lists or information about projects as plain text. Org-mode is
373 implemented on top of outline-mode, which makes it possible to keep the
374 content of large files well structured. Visibility cycling and
375 structure editing help to work with the tree. Tables are easily created
376 with a built-in table editor. Org-mode supports TODO items, deadlines,
377 time stamps, and scheduling. It dynamically compiles entries into an
378 agenda that utilizes and smoothly integrates much of the Emacs calendar
379 and diary. Plain text URL-like links connect to websites, emails,
380 Usenet messages, BBDB entries, and any files related to the projects.
381 For printing and sharing of notes, an Org-mode file can be exported as a
382 structured ASCII file, as HTML, or (todo and agenda items only) as an
383 iCalendar file. It can also serve as a publishing tool for a set of
386 An important design aspect that distinguishes Org-mode from for example
387 Planner/Muse is that it encourages to store every piece of information
388 only once. In Planner, you have project pages, day pages and possibly
389 other files, duplicating some information such as tasks. In Org-mode,
390 you only have notes files. In your notes you mark entries as tasks,
391 label them with tags and timestamps. All necessary lists like a
392 schedule for the day, the agenda for a meeting, tasks lists selected by
393 tags etc are created dynamically when you need them.
395 Org-mode keeps simple things simple. When first fired up, it should
396 feel like a straightforward, easy to use outliner. Complexity is not
397 imposed, but a large amount of functionality is available when you need
398 it. Org-mode is a toolbox and can be used in different ways, for
402 @r{@bullet{} outline extension with visibility cycling and structure editing}
403 @r{@bullet{} ASCII system and table editor for taking structured notes}
404 @r{@bullet{} ASCII table editor with spreadsheet-like capabilities}
405 @r{@bullet{} TODO list editor}
406 @r{@bullet{} full agenda and planner with deadlines and work scheduling}
407 @r{@bullet{} environment to implement David Allen's GTD system}
408 @r{@bullet{} a basic database application}
409 @r{@bullet{} simple hypertext system, with HTML export}
410 @r{@bullet{} publishing tool to create a set of interlinked webpages}
413 Org-mode's automatic, context sensitive table editor with spreadsheet
414 capabilities can be integrated into any major mode by activating the
415 minor Orgtbl-mode. Using a translation step, it can be used to maintain
416 tables in arbitrary file types, for example in La@TeX{}. The structure
417 editing and list creation capabilities can be used outside Org-mode with
418 the minor Orgstruct-mode.
421 There is a website for Org-mode which provides links to the newest
422 version of Org-mode, as well as additional information, frequently asked
423 questions (FAQ), links to tutorials etc. This page is located at
424 @uref{http://orgmode.org}.
429 @node Installation, Activation, Summary, Introduction
430 @section Installation
434 @b{Important:} @i{If Org-mode is part of the Emacs distribution or an
435 XEmacs package, please skip this section and go directly to
438 If you have downloaded Org-mode from the Web, you must take the
439 following steps to install it: Go into the Org-mode distribution
440 directory and edit the top section of the file @file{Makefile}. You
441 must set the name of the Emacs binary (likely either @file{emacs} or
442 @file{xemacs}), and the paths to the directories where local Lisp and
443 Info files are kept. If you don't have access to the system-wide
444 directories, create your own two directories for these files, enter them
445 into the Makefile, and make sure Emacs finds the Lisp files by adding
446 the following line to @file{.emacs}:
449 (setq load-path (cons "~/path/to/lispdir" load-path))
452 @b{XEmacs users now need to install the file @file{noutline.el} from
453 the @file{xemacs} subdirectory of the Org-mode distribution. Use the
457 @b{make install-noutline}
460 @noindent Now byte-compile and install the Lisp files with the shell
468 @noindent If you want to install the info documentation, use this command:
474 @noindent Then add to @file{.emacs}:
477 ;; This line only if org-mode is not part of the X/Emacs distribution.
478 (require 'org-install)
481 @node Activation, Feedback, Installation, Introduction
485 @cindex global keybindings
486 @cindex keybindings, global
489 @b{Important:} @i{If you use copy-and-paste to copy lisp code from the
490 PDF documentation as viewed by Acrobat reader to your .emacs file, the
491 single quote character comes out incorrectly and the code will not work.
492 You need to fix the single quotes by hand, or copy from Info
496 Add the following lines to your @file{.emacs} file. The last two lines
497 define @emph{global} keys for the commands @command{org-store-link} and
498 @command{org-agenda} - please choose suitable keys yourself.
501 ;; The following lines are always needed. Choose your own keys.
502 (add-to-list 'auto-mode-alist '("\\.org\\'" . org-mode))
503 (global-set-key "\C-cl" 'org-store-link)
504 (global-set-key "\C-ca" 'org-agenda)
507 Furthermore, you must activate @code{font-lock-mode} in org-mode
508 buffers, because significant functionality depends on font-locking being
509 active. You can do this with either one of the following two lines
510 (XEmacs user must use the second option):
512 (global-font-lock-mode 1) ; for all buffers
513 (add-hook 'org-mode-hook 'turn-on-font-lock) ; org-mode buffers only
516 @cindex org-mode, turning on
517 With this setup, all files with extension @samp{.org} will be put
518 into Org-mode. As an alternative, make the first line of a file look
522 MY PROJECTS -*- mode: org; -*-
525 @noindent which will select Org-mode for this buffer no matter what
526 the file's name is. See also the variable
527 @code{org-insert-mode-line-in-empty-file}.
529 @node Feedback, , Activation, Introduction
536 If you find problems with Org-mode, or if you have questions, remarks,
537 or ideas about it, please contact the maintainer @value{MAINTAINER} at
538 @value{MAINTAINEREMAIL}.
540 For bug reports, please provide as much information as possible,
541 including the version information of Emacs (@kbd{C-h v emacs-version
542 @key{RET}}) and Org-mode (@kbd{C-h v org-version @key{RET}}), as well as
543 the Org-mode related setup in @file{.emacs}. If an error occurs, a
544 backtrace can be very useful (see below on how to create one). Often a
545 small example file helps, along with clear information about:
548 @item What exactly did you do?
549 @item What did you expect to happen?
550 @item What happened instead?
552 @noindent Thank you for helping to improve this mode.
554 @subsubheading How to create a useful backtrace
556 @cindex backtrace of an error
557 If working with Org-mode produces an error with a message you don't
558 understand, you may have hit a bug. The best way to report this is by
559 providing, in addition to what was mentioned above, a @emph{Backtrace}.
560 This is information from the built-in debugger about where and how the
561 error occurred. Here is how to produce a useful backtrace:
565 Start a fresh Emacs or XEmacs, and make sure that it will load the
566 original Lisp code in @file{org.el} instead of the compiled version in
567 @file{org.elc}. The backtrace contains much more information if it is
568 produced with uncompiled code. To do this, either rename @file{org.elc}
569 to something else before starting Emacs, or ask Emacs explicitly to load
570 @file{org.el} by using the command line
572 emacs -l /path/to/org.el
575 Go to the @code{Options} menu and select @code{Enter Debugger on Error}
576 (XEmacs has this option in the @code{Troubleshooting} sub-menu).
578 Do whatever you have to do to hit the error. Don't forget to
579 document the steps you take.
581 When you hit the error, a @file{*Backtrace*} buffer will appear on the
582 screen. Save this buffer to a file (for example using @kbd{C-x C-w}) and
583 attach it to your bug report.
586 @node Document structure, Tables, Introduction, Top
587 @chapter Document Structure
588 @cindex document structure
589 @cindex structure of document
591 Org-mode is based on outline mode and provides flexible commands to
592 edit the structure of the document.
595 * Outlines:: Org-mode is based on outline-mode
596 * Headlines:: How to typeset org-tree headlines
597 * Visibility cycling:: Show and hide, much simplified
598 * Motion:: Jumping to other headlines
599 * Structure editing:: Changing sequence and level of headlines
600 * Archiving:: Move done task trees to a different place
601 * Sparse trees:: Matches embedded in context
602 * Plain lists:: Additional structure within an entry
603 * Drawers:: Tucking stuff away
604 * orgstruct-mode:: Structure editing outside Org-mode
607 @node Outlines, Headlines, Document structure, Document structure
612 Org-mode is implemented on top of outline-mode. Outlines allow a
613 document to be organized in a hierarchical structure, which (at least
614 for me) is the best representation of notes and thoughts. An overview
615 of this structure is achieved by folding (hiding) large parts of the
616 document to show only the general document structure and the parts
617 currently being worked on. Org-mode greatly simplifies the use of
618 outlines by compressing the entire show/hide functionality into a single
619 command @command{org-cycle}, which is bound to the @key{TAB} key.
621 @node Headlines, Visibility cycling, Outlines, Document structure
626 Headlines define the structure of an outline tree. The headlines in
627 Org-mode start with one or more stars, on the left margin@footnote{See
628 the variable @code{org-special-ctrl-a/e} to configure special behavior
629 of @kbd{C-a} and @kbd{C-e} in headlines.}. For example:
639 * Another top level headline
642 @noindent Some people find the many stars too noisy and would prefer an
643 outline that has whitespace followed by a single star as headline
644 starters. @ref{Clean view} describes a setup to realize this.
646 An empty line after the end of a subtree is considered part of it and
647 will be hidden when the subtree is folded. However, if you leave at
648 least two empty lines, one empty line will remain visible after folding
649 the subtree, in order to structure the collapsed view. See the
650 variable @code{org-cycle-separator-lines} to modify this behavior.
652 @node Visibility cycling, Motion, Headlines, Document structure
653 @section Visibility cycling
654 @cindex cycling, visibility
655 @cindex visibility cycling
656 @cindex trees, visibility
657 @cindex show hidden text
660 Outlines make it possible to hide parts of the text in the buffer.
661 Org-mode uses just two commands, bound to @key{TAB} and
662 @kbd{S-@key{TAB}} to change the visibility in the buffer.
664 @cindex subtree visibility states
665 @cindex subtree cycling
666 @cindex folded, subtree visibility state
667 @cindex children, subtree visibility state
668 @cindex subtree, subtree visibility state
672 @emph{Subtree cycling}: Rotate current subtree among the states
675 ,-> FOLDED -> CHILDREN -> SUBTREE --.
676 '-----------------------------------'
679 The cursor must be on a headline for this to work@footnote{see, however,
680 the option @code{org-cycle-emulate-tab}.}. When the cursor is at the
681 beginning of the buffer and the first line is not a headline, then
682 @key{TAB} actually runs global cycling (see below)@footnote{see the
683 option @code{org-cycle-global-at-bob}.}. Also when called with a prefix
684 argument (@kbd{C-u @key{TAB}}), global cycling is invoked.
686 @cindex global visibility states
687 @cindex global cycling
688 @cindex overview, global visibility state
689 @cindex contents, global visibility state
690 @cindex show all, global visibility state
694 @emph{Global cycling}: Rotate the entire buffer among the states
697 ,-> OVERVIEW -> CONTENTS -> SHOW ALL --.
698 '--------------------------------------'
701 When @kbd{S-@key{TAB}} is called with a numerical prefix N, the CONTENTS
702 view up to headlines of level N will be shown.
703 Note that inside tables, @kbd{S-@key{TAB}} jumps to the previous field.
705 @cindex show all, command
711 Reveal context around point, showing the current entry, the following
712 heading and the hierarchy above. Useful for working near a location
713 exposed by a sparse tree command (@pxref{Sparse trees}) or an agenda
714 command (@pxref{Agenda commands}). With prefix arg show, on each
715 level, all sibling headings.
718 Show the current subtree in an indirect buffer@footnote{The indirect
721 (@pxref{Indirect Buffers,,,emacs,GNU Emacs Manual})
724 (see the Emacs manual for more information about indirect buffers)
726 will contain the entire buffer, but will be narrowed to the current
727 tree. Editing the indirect buffer will also change the original buffer,
728 but without affecting visibility in that buffer.}. With numerical
729 prefix ARG, go up to this level and then take that tree. If ARG is
730 negative, go up that many levels. With @kbd{C-u} prefix, do not remove
731 the previously used indirect buffer.
734 When Emacs first visits an Org-mode file, the global state is set to
735 OVERVIEW, i.e. only the top level headlines are visible. This can be
736 configured through the variable @code{org-startup-folded}, or on a
737 per-file basis by adding one of the following lines anywhere in the
746 @node Motion, Structure editing, Visibility cycling, Document structure
748 @cindex motion, between headlines
749 @cindex jumping, to headlines
750 @cindex headline navigation
751 The following commands jump to other headlines in the buffer.
762 Next heading same level.
765 Previous heading same level.
768 Backward to higher level heading.
771 Jump to a different place without changing the current outline
772 visibility. Shows the document structure in a temporary buffer, where
773 you can use the following keys to find your destination:
775 @key{TAB} @r{Cycle visibility.}
776 @key{down} / @key{up} @r{Next/previous visible headline.}
777 n / p @r{Next/previous visible headline.}
778 f / b @r{Next/previous headline same level.}
780 0-9 @r{Digit argument.}
781 @key{RET} @r{Select this location.}
785 @node Structure editing, Archiving, Motion, Document structure
786 @section Structure editing
787 @cindex structure editing
788 @cindex headline, promotion and demotion
789 @cindex promotion, of subtrees
790 @cindex demotion, of subtrees
791 @cindex subtree, cut and paste
792 @cindex pasting, of subtrees
793 @cindex cutting, of subtrees
794 @cindex copying, of subtrees
795 @cindex subtrees, cut and paste
800 Insert new heading with same level as current. If the cursor is in a
801 plain list item, a new item is created (@pxref{Plain lists}). To force
802 creation of a new headline, use a prefix arg, or first press @key{RET}
803 to get to the beginning of the next line. When this command is used in
804 the middle of a line, the line is split and the rest of the line becomes
805 the new headline. If the command is used at the beginning of a
806 headline, the new headline is created before the current line. If at
807 the beginning of any other line, the content of that line is made the
808 new heading. If the command is used at the end of a folded subtree
809 (i.e. behind the ellipses at the end of a headline), then a headline
810 like the current one will be inserted after the end of the subtree.
813 Insert a new heading after the current subtree, same level as the
814 current headline. This command works from anywhere in the entry.
815 @kindex M-S-@key{RET}
817 Insert new TODO entry with same level as current heading.
820 Promote current heading by one level.
821 @kindex M-@key{right}
823 Demote current heading by one level.
824 @kindex M-S-@key{left}
826 Promote the current subtree by one level.
827 @kindex M-S-@key{right}
828 @item M-S-@key{right}
829 Demote the current subtree by one level.
832 Move subtree up (swap with previous subtree of same
834 @kindex M-S-@key{down}
836 Move subtree down (swap with next subtree of same level).
841 Kill subtree, i.e. remove it from buffer but save in kill ring.
842 With prefix arg, kill N sequential subtrees.
845 Copy subtree to kill ring. With prefix arg, copy N sequential subtrees.
848 Yank subtree from kill ring. This does modify the level of the subtree to
849 make sure the tree fits in nicely at the yank position. The yank
850 level can also be specified with a prefix arg, or by yanking after a
851 headline marker like @samp{****}.
854 Sort same-level entries. When there is an active region, all entries in
855 the region will be sorted. Otherwise the children of the current
856 headline are sorted. The command prompts for the sorting method, which
857 can be alphabetically, numerically, by time (using the first time stamp
858 in each entry), by priority, and each of these in reverse order. With a
859 @kbd{C-u} prefix, sorting will be case-sensitive. With two @kbd{C-u
860 C-u} prefixes, duplicate entries will also be removed.
863 @cindex region, active
864 @cindex active region
865 @cindex transient-mark-mode
866 When there is an active region (transient-mark-mode), promotion and
867 demotion work on all headlines in the region. To select a region of
868 headlines, it is best to place both point and mark at the beginning of a
869 line, mark at the beginning of the first headline, and point at the line
870 just after the last headline to change. Note that when the cursor is
871 inside a table (@pxref{Tables}), the Meta-Cursor keys have different
874 @node Archiving, Sparse trees, Structure editing, Document structure
878 When a project represented by a (sub)tree is finished, you may want
879 to move the tree out of the way and to stop it from contributing to the
880 agenda. Org-mode knows two ways of archiving. You can mark a tree with
881 the ARCHIVE tag, or you can move an entire (sub)tree to a different
885 * ARCHIVE tag:: Marking a tree as inactive
886 * Moving subtrees:: Moving a tree to an archive file
889 @node ARCHIVE tag, Moving subtrees, Archiving, Archiving
890 @subsection The ARCHIVE tag
891 @cindex internal archiving
893 A headline that is marked with the ARCHIVE tag (@pxref{Tags}) stays at
894 its location in the outline tree, but behaves in the following way:
897 It does not open when you attempt to do so with a visibility cycling
898 command (@pxref{Visibility cycling}). You can force cycling archived
899 subtrees with @kbd{C-@key{TAB}}, or by setting the option
900 @code{org-cycle-open-archived-trees}. Also normal outline commands like
901 @code{show-all} will open archived subtrees.
903 During sparse tree construction (@pxref{Sparse trees}), matches in
904 archived subtrees are not exposed, unless you configure the option
905 @code{org-sparse-tree-open-archived-trees}.
907 During agenda view construction (@pxref{Agenda views}), the content of
908 archived trees is ignored unless you configure the option
909 @code{org-agenda-skip-archived-trees}.
911 Archived trees are not exported (@pxref{Exporting}), only the headline
912 is. Configure the details using the variable
913 @code{org-export-with-archived-trees}.
916 The following commands help managing the ARCHIVE tag:
921 Toggle the ARCHIVE tag for the current headline. When the tag is set,
922 the headline changes to a shadowish face, and the subtree below it is
924 @kindex C-u C-c C-x C-a
925 @item C-u C-c C-x C-a
926 Check if any direct children of the current headline should be archived.
927 To do this, each subtree is checked for open TODO entries. If none are
928 found, the command offers to set the ARCHIVE tag for the child. If the
929 cursor is @emph{not} on a headline when this command is invoked, the
930 level 1 trees will be checked.
933 Cycle a tree even if it is tagged with ARCHIVE.
936 @node Moving subtrees, , ARCHIVE tag, Archiving
937 @subsection Moving subtrees
938 @cindex external archiving
940 Once an entire project is finished, you may want to move it to a
941 different location, either in the current file, or even in a different
942 file, the archive file.
947 Archive the subtree starting at the cursor position to the location
948 given by @code{org-archive-location}. Context information that could be
949 lost like the file name, the category, inherited tags, and the todo
950 state will be store as properties in the entry.
951 @kindex C-u C-c C-x C-s
952 @item C-u C-c C-x C-s
953 Check if any direct children of the current headline could be moved to
954 the archive. To do this, each subtree is checked for open TODO entries.
955 If none are found, the command offers to move it to the archive
956 location. If the cursor is @emph{not} on a headline when this command
957 is invoked, the level 1 trees will be checked.
960 @cindex archive locations
961 The default archive location is a file in the same directory as the
962 current file, with the name derived by appending @file{_archive} to the
963 current file name. For information and examples on how to change this,
964 see the documentation string of the variable
965 @code{org-archive-location}. There is also an in-buffer option for
966 setting this variable, for example@footnote{If there are several such
967 lines in the buffer, each will be valid for the entries below it. The
968 first will also apply to any text before it. This method is only kept
969 for backward compatibility. The preferred methods for setting multiple
970 archive locations is using a property.}:
977 If you would like to have a special ARCHIVE location for a single entry
978 or a (sub)tree, give the entry an @code{:ARCHIVE:} property with the
979 location as the value (@pxref{Properties and columns}).
981 @node Sparse trees, Plain lists, Archiving, Document structure
982 @section Sparse trees
984 @cindex trees, sparse
985 @cindex folding, sparse trees
986 @cindex occur, command
988 An important feature of Org-mode is the ability to construct
989 @emph{sparse trees} for selected information in an outline tree. A
990 sparse tree means that the entire document is folded as much as
991 possible, but the selected information is made visible along with the
992 headline structure above it@footnote{See also the variables
993 @code{org-show-hierarchy-above}, @code{org-show-following-heading}, and
994 @code{org-show-siblings} for detailed control on how much context is
995 shown around each match.}. Just try it out and you will see immediately
998 Org-mode contains several commands creating such trees, all these
999 commands can be accessed through a dispatcher:
1004 This prompts for an extra key to select a sparse-tree creating command.
1007 Occur. Prompts for a regexp and shows a sparse tree with all matches.
1008 If the match is in a headline, the headline is made visible. If the
1009 match is in the body of an entry, headline and body are made visible.
1010 In order to provide minimal context, also the full hierarchy of
1011 headlines above the match is shown, as well as the headline following
1012 the match. Each match is also highlighted; the highlights disappear
1013 when the buffer is changed by an editing command, or by pressing
1014 @kbd{C-c C-c}. When called with a @kbd{C-u} prefix argument, previous
1015 highlights are kept, so several calls to this command can be stacked.
1018 For frequently used sparse trees of specific search strings, you can
1019 use the variable @code{org-agenda-custom-commands} to define fast
1020 keyboard access to specific sparse trees. These commands will then be
1021 accessible through the agenda dispatcher (@pxref{Agenda dispatcher}).
1025 (setq org-agenda-custom-commands
1026 '(("f" occur-tree "FIXME")))
1029 @noindent will define the key @kbd{C-c a f} as a shortcut for creating
1030 a sparse tree matching the string @samp{FIXME}.
1032 The other sparse tree commands select headings based on TODO keywords,
1033 tags, or properties and will be discussed later in this manual.
1036 @cindex printing sparse trees
1037 @cindex visible text, printing
1038 To print a sparse tree, you can use the Emacs command
1039 @code{ps-print-buffer-with-faces} which does not print invisible parts
1040 of the document @footnote{This does not work under XEmacs, because
1041 XEmacs uses selective display for outlining, not text properties.}.
1042 Or you can use the command @kbd{C-c C-e v} to export only the visible
1043 part of the document and print the resulting file.
1045 @node Plain lists, Drawers, Sparse trees, Document structure
1046 @section Plain lists
1048 @cindex lists, plain
1049 @cindex lists, ordered
1050 @cindex ordered lists
1052 Within an entry of the outline tree, hand-formatted lists can provide
1053 additional structure. They also provide a way to create lists of
1054 checkboxes (@pxref{Checkboxes}). Org-mode supports editing such lists,
1055 and the HTML exporter (@pxref{Exporting}) does parse and format them.
1057 Org-mode knows ordered and unordered lists. Unordered list items start
1058 with @samp{-}, @samp{+}, or @samp{*}@footnote{When using @samp{*} as a
1059 bullet, lines must be indented or they will be seen as top-level
1060 headlines. Also, when you are hiding leading stars to get a clean
1061 outline view, plain list items starting with a star are visually
1062 indistinguishable from true headlines. In short: even though @samp{*}
1063 is supported, it may be better not to use it for plain list items.} as
1064 bullets. Ordered list items start with @samp{1.} or @samp{1)}. Items
1065 belonging to the same list must have the same indentation on the first
1066 line. In particular, if an ordered list reaches number @samp{10.}, then
1067 the 2--digit numbers must be written left-aligned with the other numbers
1068 in the list. Indentation also determines the end of a list item. It
1069 ends before the next line that is indented like the bullet/number, or
1070 less. Empty lines are part of the previous item, so you can have
1071 several paragraphs in one item. If you would like an empty line to
1072 terminate all currently open plain lists, configure the variable
1073 @code{org-empty-line-terminates-plain-lists}. Here is an example:
1077 ** Lord of the Rings
1078 My favorite scenes are (in this order)
1079 1. The attack of the Rohirrim
1080 2. Eowyns fight with the witch king
1081 + this was already my favorite scene in the book
1082 + I really like Miranda Otto.
1083 3. Peter Jackson being shot by Legolas
1085 He makes a really funny face when it happens.
1086 But in the end, not individual scenes matter but the film as a whole.
1090 Org-mode supports these lists by tuning filling and wrapping commands to
1091 deal with them correctly@footnote{Org-mode only changes the filling
1092 settings for Emacs. For XEmacs, you should use Kyle E. Jones'
1093 @file{filladapt.el}. To turn this on, put into @file{.emacs}:
1094 @code{(require 'filladapt)}}.
1096 The following commands act on items when the cursor is in the first line
1097 of an item (the line with the bullet or number).
1102 Items can be folded just like headline levels if you set the variable
1103 @code{org-cycle-include-plain-lists}. The level of an item is then
1104 given by the indentation of the bullet/number. Items are always
1105 subordinate to real headlines, however; the hierarchies remain
1106 completely separated.
1108 If @code{org-cycle-include-plain-lists} has not been set, @key{TAB}
1109 fixes the indentation of the curent line in a heuristic way.
1112 Insert new item at current level. With prefix arg, force a new heading
1113 (@pxref{Structure editing}). If this command is used in the middle of a
1114 line, the line is @emph{split} and the rest of the line becomes the new
1115 item. If this command is executed in the @emph{whitespace before a bullet or
1116 number}, the new item is created @emph{before} the current item. If the
1117 command is executed in the white space before the text that is part of
1118 an item but does not contain the bullet, a bullet is added to the
1120 @kindex M-S-@key{RET}
1122 Insert a new item with a checkbox (@pxref{Checkboxes}).
1124 @kindex S-@key{down}
1127 Jump to the previous/next item in the current list.
1128 @kindex M-S-@key{up}
1129 @kindex M-S-@key{down}
1131 @itemx M-S-@key{down}
1132 Move the item including subitems up/down (swap with previous/next item
1133 of same indentation). If the list is ordered, renumbering is
1135 @kindex M-S-@key{left}
1136 @kindex M-S-@key{right}
1137 @item M-S-@key{left}
1138 @itemx M-S-@key{right}
1139 Decrease/increase the indentation of the item, including subitems.
1140 Initially, the item tree is selected based on current indentation.
1141 When these commands are executed several times in direct succession,
1142 the initially selected region is used, even if the new indentation
1143 would imply a different hierarchy. To use the new hierarchy, break
1144 the command chain with a cursor motion or so.
1147 If there is a checkbox (@pxref{Checkboxes}) in the item line, toggle the
1148 state of the checkbox. If not, make this command makes sure that all
1149 the items on this list level use the same bullet. Furthermore, if this
1150 is an ordered list, make sure the numbering is ok.
1153 Cycle the entire list level through the different itemize/enumerate
1154 bullets (@samp{-}, @samp{+}, @samp{*}, @samp{1.}, @samp{1)}).
1155 With prefix arg, select the nth bullet from this list.
1158 @node Drawers, orgstruct-mode, Plain lists, Document structure
1161 @cindex visibility cycling, drawers
1163 Sometimes you want to keep information associated with an entry, but you
1164 normally don't want to see it. For this, Org-mode has @emph{drawers}.
1165 Drawers need to be configured with the variable @code{org-drawers}, and
1169 ** This is a headline
1170 Still outside the drawer
1172 This is inside the drawer.
1177 Visibility cycling (@pxref{Visibility cycling}) on the headline will
1178 hide and show the entry, but keep the drawer collapsed to a single line.
1179 In order to look inside the drawer, you need to move the cursor to the
1180 drawer line and press @key{TAB} there. Org-mode uses a drawer for
1181 storing properties (@pxref{Properties and columns}).
1183 @node orgstruct-mode, , Drawers, Document structure
1184 @section The Orgstruct minor mode
1185 @cindex orgstruct-mode
1186 @cindex minor mode for structure editing
1188 If you like the intuitive way the Org-mode structure editing and list
1189 formatting works, you might want to use these commands in other modes
1190 like text-mode or mail-mode as well. The minor mode Orgstruct-mode
1191 makes this possible. You can always toggle the mode with @kbd{M-x
1192 orgstruct-mode}. To turn it on by default, for example in mail mode,
1196 (add-hook 'mail-mode-hook 'turn-on-orgstruct)
1199 When this mode is active and the cursor is on a line that looks to
1200 Org-mode like a headline of the first line of a list item, most
1201 structure editing commands will work, even if the same keys normally
1202 have different functionality in the major mode you are using. If the
1203 cursor is not in one of those special lines, Orgstruct-mode lurks
1204 silently in the shadow.
1206 @node Tables, Hyperlinks, Document structure, Top
1209 @cindex editing tables
1211 Org-mode has a very fast and intuitive table editor built-in.
1212 Spreadsheet-like calculations are supported in connection with the
1213 Emacs @file{calc} package.
1216 * Built-in table editor:: Simple tables
1217 * Narrow columns:: Stop wasting space in tables
1218 * Column groups:: Grouping to trigger vertical lines
1219 * orgtbl-mode:: The table editor as minor mode
1220 * The spreadsheet:: The table editor has spreadsheet capabilities.
1223 @node Built-in table editor, Narrow columns, Tables, Tables
1224 @section The built-in table editor
1225 @cindex table editor, built-in
1227 Org-mode makes it easy to format tables in plain ASCII. Any line with
1228 @samp{|} as the first non-whitespace character is considered part of a
1229 table. @samp{|} is also the column separator. A table might look like
1233 | Name | Phone | Age |
1234 |-------+-------+-----|
1235 | Peter | 1234 | 17 |
1236 | Anna | 4321 | 25 |
1239 A table is re-aligned automatically each time you press @key{TAB} or
1240 @key{RET} or @kbd{C-c C-c} inside the table. @key{TAB} also moves to
1241 the next field (@key{RET} to the next row) and creates new table rows
1242 at the end of the table or before horizontal lines. The indentation
1243 of the table is set by the first line. Any line starting with
1244 @samp{|-} is considered as a horizontal separator line and will be
1245 expanded on the next re-align to span the whole table width. So, to
1246 create the above table, you would only type
1253 @noindent and then press @key{TAB} to align the table and start filling in
1256 When typing text into a field, Org-mode treats @key{DEL},
1257 @key{Backspace}, and all character keys in a special way, so that
1258 inserting and deleting avoids shifting other fields. Also, when
1259 typing @emph{immediately after the cursor was moved into a new field
1260 with @kbd{@key{TAB}}, @kbd{S-@key{TAB}} or @kbd{@key{RET}}}, the
1261 field is automatically made blank. If this behavior is too
1262 unpredictable for you, configure the variables
1263 @code{org-enable-table-editor} and @code{org-table-auto-blank-field}.
1266 @tsubheading{Creation and conversion}
1269 Convert the active region to table. If every line contains at least one
1270 TAB character, the function assumes that the material is tab separated.
1271 If every line contains a comma, comma-separated values (CSV) are assumed.
1272 If not, lines are split at whitespace into fields. You can use a prefix
1273 argument to force a specific separator: @kbd{C-u} forces CSV, @kbd{C-u
1274 C-u} forces TAB, and a numeric argument N indicates that at least N
1275 consequtive spaces, or alternatively a TAB will be the separator.
1277 If there is no active region, this command creates an empty Org-mode
1278 table. But it's easier just to start typing, like
1279 @kbd{|Name|Phone|Age @key{RET} |- @key{TAB}}.
1281 @tsubheading{Re-aligning and field motion}
1284 Re-align the table without moving the cursor.
1288 Re-align the table, move to the next field. Creates a new row if
1293 Re-align, move to previous field.
1297 Re-align the table and move down to next row. Creates a new row if
1298 necessary. At the beginning or end of a line, @key{RET} still does
1299 NEWLINE, so it can be used to split a table.
1301 @tsubheading{Column and row editing}
1302 @kindex M-@key{left}
1303 @kindex M-@key{right}
1305 @itemx M-@key{right}
1306 Move the current column left/right.
1308 @kindex M-S-@key{left}
1309 @item M-S-@key{left}
1310 Kill the current column.
1312 @kindex M-S-@key{right}
1313 @item M-S-@key{right}
1314 Insert a new column to the left of the cursor position.
1317 @kindex M-@key{down}
1320 Move the current row up/down.
1322 @kindex M-S-@key{up}
1324 Kill the current row or horizontal line.
1326 @kindex M-S-@key{down}
1327 @item M-S-@key{down}
1328 Insert a new row above (with arg: below) the current row.
1332 Insert a horizontal line below current row. With prefix arg, the line
1333 is created above the current line.
1337 Sort the table lines in the region. The position of point indicates the
1338 column to be used for sorting, and the range of lines is the range
1339 between the nearest horizontal separator lines, or the entire table. If
1340 point is before the first column, you will be prompted for the sorting
1341 column. If there is an active region, the mark specifies the first line
1342 and the sorting column, while point should be in the last line to be
1343 included into the sorting. The command prompts for the sorting type
1344 (alphabetically, numerically, or by time). When called with a prefix
1345 argument, alphabetic sorting will be case-sensitive.
1347 @tsubheading{Regions}
1350 Copy a rectangular region from a table to a special clipboard. Point
1351 and mark determine edge fields of the rectangle. The process ignores
1352 horizontal separator lines.
1356 Copy a rectangular region from a table to a special clipboard, and
1357 blank all fields in the rectangle. So this is the ``cut'' operation.
1361 Paste a rectangular region into a table.
1362 The upper right corner ends up in the current field. All involved fields
1363 will be overwritten. If the rectangle does not fit into the present table,
1364 the table is enlarged as needed. The process ignores horizontal separator
1369 Wrap several fields in a column like a paragraph. If there is an active
1370 region, and both point and mark are in the same column, the text in the
1371 column is wrapped to minimum width for the given number of lines. A
1372 prefix ARG may be used to change the number of desired lines. If there
1373 is no region, the current field is split at the cursor position and the
1374 text fragment to the right of the cursor is prepended to the field one
1375 line down. If there is no region, but you specify a prefix ARG, the
1376 current field is made blank, and the content is appended to the field
1379 @tsubheading{Calculations}
1380 @cindex formula, in tables
1381 @cindex calculations, in tables
1382 @cindex region, active
1383 @cindex active region
1384 @cindex transient-mark-mode
1387 Sum the numbers in the current column, or in the rectangle defined by
1388 the active region. The result is shown in the echo area and can
1389 be inserted with @kbd{C-y}.
1393 When current field is empty, copy from first non-empty field above.
1394 When not empty, copy current field down to next row and move cursor
1395 along with it. Depending on the variable
1396 @code{org-table-copy-increment}, integer field values will be
1397 incremented during copy. This key is also used by CUA-mode
1398 (@pxref{Cooperation}).
1400 @tsubheading{Miscellaneous}
1403 Edit the current field in a separate window. This is useful for fields
1404 that are not fully visible (@pxref{Narrow columns}). When called with a
1405 @kbd{C-u} prefix, just make the full field visible, so that it can be
1408 @kindex C-c @key{TAB}
1410 This is an alias for @kbd{C-u C-c `} to make the current field fully
1413 @item M-x org-table-import
1414 Import a file as a table. The table should be TAB- or whitespace
1415 separated. Useful, for example, to import an Excel table or data from a
1416 database, because these programs generally can write TAB-separated text
1417 files. This command works by inserting the file into the buffer and
1418 then converting the region to a table. Any prefix argument is passed on
1419 to the converter, which uses it to determine the separator.
1421 Tables can also be imported by pasting tabular text into the org-mode
1422 buffer, selecting the pasted text with @kbd{C-x C-x} and then using the
1423 @kbd{C-c |} command (see above under @i{Creation and conversion}.
1425 @item M-x org-table-export
1426 Export the table as a TAB-separated file. Useful for data exchange with,
1427 for example, Excel or database programs.
1430 If you don't like the automatic table editor because it gets in your
1431 way on lines which you would like to start with @samp{|}, you can turn
1435 (setq org-enable-table-editor nil)
1438 @noindent Then the only table command that still works is
1439 @kbd{C-c C-c} to do a manual re-align.
1441 @node Narrow columns, Column groups, Built-in table editor, Tables
1442 @section Narrow columns
1443 @cindex narrow columns in tables
1445 The width of columns is automatically determined by the table editor.
1446 Sometimes a single field or a few fields need to carry more text,
1447 leading to inconveniently wide columns. To limit@footnote{This feature
1448 does not work on XEmacs.} the width of a column, one field anywhere in
1449 the column may contain just the string @samp{<N>} where @samp{N} is an
1450 integer specifying the width of the column in characters. The next
1451 re-align will then set the width of this column to no more than this
1456 |---+------------------------------| |---+--------|
1458 | 1 | one | | 1 | one |
1459 | 2 | two | ----\ | 2 | two |
1460 | 3 | This is a long chunk of text | ----/ | 3 | This=> |
1461 | 4 | four | | 4 | four |
1462 |---+------------------------------| |---+--------|
1467 Fields that are wider become clipped and end in the string @samp{=>}.
1468 Note that the full text is still in the buffer, it is only invisible.
1469 To see the full text, hold the mouse over the field - a tool-tip window
1470 will show the full content. To edit such a field, use the command
1471 @kbd{C-c `} (that is @kbd{C-c} followed by the backquote). This will
1472 open a new window with the full field. Edit it and finish with @kbd{C-c
1475 When visiting a file containing a table with narrowed columns, the
1476 necessary character hiding has not yet happened, and the table needs to
1477 be aligned before it looks nice. Setting the option
1478 @code{org-startup-align-all-tables} will realign all tables in a file
1479 upon visiting, but also slow down startup. You can also set this option
1480 on a per-file basis with:
1487 @node Column groups, orgtbl-mode, Narrow columns, Tables
1488 @section Column groups
1489 @cindex grouping columns in tables
1491 When Org-mode exports tables, it does so by default without vertical
1492 lines because that is visually more satisfying in general. Occasionally
1493 however, vertical lines can be useful to structure a table into groups
1494 of columns, much like horizontal lines can do for groups of rows. In
1495 order to specify column groups, you can use a special row where the
1496 first field contains only @samp{/}. The further fields can either
1497 contain @samp{<} to indicate that this column should start a group,
1498 @samp{>} to indicate the end of a column, or @samp{<>} to make a column
1499 a group of its own. Boundaries between colum groups will upon export be
1500 marked with vertical lines. Here is an example:
1503 | | N | N^2 | N^3 | N^4 | sqrt(n) | sqrt[4](N) |
1504 |---+----+-----+-----+-----+---------+------------|
1505 | / | <> | < | | > | < | > |
1506 | # | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
1507 | # | 2 | 4 | 8 | 16 | 1.4142 | 1.1892 |
1508 | # | 3 | 9 | 27 | 81 | 1.7321 | 1.3161 |
1509 |---+----+-----+-----+-----+---------+------------|
1510 #+TBLFM: $3=$2^2::$4=$2^3::$5=$2^4::$6=sqrt($2)::$7=sqrt(sqrt(($2))
1513 It is also sufficient to just insert the colum group starters after
1514 every vertical line you'd like to have:
1517 | N | N^2 | N^3 | N^4 | sqrt(n) | sqrt[4](N) |
1518 |----+-----+-----+-----+---------+------------|
1522 @node orgtbl-mode, The spreadsheet, Column groups, Tables
1523 @section The Orgtbl minor mode
1525 @cindex minor mode for tables
1527 If you like the intuitive way the Org-mode table editor works, you
1528 might also want to use it in other modes like text-mode or mail-mode.
1529 The minor mode Orgtbl-mode makes this possible. You can always toggle
1530 the mode with @kbd{M-x orgtbl-mode}. To turn it on by default, for
1531 example in mail mode, use
1534 (add-hook 'mail-mode-hook 'turn-on-orgtbl)
1537 Furthermore, with some special setup, it is possible to maintain tables
1538 in arbitrary syntax with Orgtbl-mode. For example, it is possible to
1539 construct La@TeX{} tables with the underlying ease and power of
1540 Orgtbl-mode, including spreadsheet capabilities. For details, see
1541 @ref{Tables in arbitrary syntax}.
1543 @node The spreadsheet, , orgtbl-mode, Tables
1544 @section The spreadsheet
1545 @cindex calculations, in tables
1546 @cindex spreadsheet capabilities
1547 @cindex @file{calc} package
1549 The table editor makes use of the Emacs @file{calc} package to implement
1550 spreadsheet-like capabilities. It can also evaluate Emacs Lisp forms to
1551 derive fields from other fields. While fully featured, Org-mode's
1552 implementation is not identical to other spreadsheets. For example,
1553 Org-mode knows the concept of a @emph{column formula} that will be
1554 applied to all non-header fields in a column without having to copy the
1555 formula to each relevant field.
1558 * References:: How to refer to another field or range
1559 * Formula syntax for Calc:: Using Calc to compute stuff
1560 * Formula syntax for Lisp:: Writing formulas in Emacs Lisp
1561 * Field formulas:: Formulas valid for a single field
1562 * Column formulas:: Formulas valid for an entire column
1563 * Editing and debugging formulas:: Fixing formulas
1564 * Updating the table:: Recomputing all dependent fields
1565 * Advanced features:: Field names, parameters and automatic recalc
1568 @node References, Formula syntax for Calc, The spreadsheet, The spreadsheet
1569 @subsection References
1572 To compute fields in the table from other fields, formulas must
1573 reference other fields or ranges. In Org-mode, fields can be referenced
1574 by name, by absolute coordinates, and by relative coordinates. To find
1575 out what the coordinates of a field are, press @kbd{C-c ?} in that
1576 field, or press @kbd{C-c @}} to toggle the display of a grid.
1578 @subsubheading Field references
1579 @cindex field references
1580 @cindex references, to fields
1582 Formulas can reference the value of another field in two ways. Like in
1583 any other spreadsheet, you may reference fields with a letter/number
1584 combination like @code{B3}, meaning the 2nd field in the 3rd row.
1585 @c Such references are always fixed to that field, they don't change
1586 @c when you copy and paste a formula to a different field. So
1587 @c Org-mode's @code{B3} behaves like @code{$B$3} in other spreadsheets.
1590 Org-mode also uses another, more general operator that looks like this:
1596 Column references can be absolute like @samp{1}, @samp{2},...@samp{N},
1597 or relative to the current column like @samp{+1} or @samp{-2}.
1599 The row specification only counts data lines and ignores horizontal
1600 separator lines (hlines). You can use absolute row numbers
1601 @samp{1}...@samp{N}, and row numbers relative to the current row like
1602 @samp{+3} or @samp{-1}. Or specify the row relative to one of the
1603 hlines: @samp{I} refers to the first hline, @samp{II} to the second etc.
1604 @samp{-I} refers to the first such line above the current line,
1605 @samp{+I} to the first such line below the current line. You can also
1606 write @samp{III+2} which is the second data line after the third hline
1607 in the table. Relative row numbers like @samp{-3} will not cross hlines
1608 if the current line is too close to the hline. Instead, the value
1609 directly at the hline is used.
1611 @samp{0} refers to the current row and column. Also, if you omit
1612 either the column or the row part of the reference, the current
1613 row/column is implied.
1615 Org-mode's references with @emph{unsigned} numbers are fixed references
1616 in the sense that if you use the same reference in the formula for two
1617 different fields, the same field will be referenced each time.
1618 Org-mode's references with @emph{signed} numbers are floating
1619 references because the same reference operator can reference different
1620 fields depending on the field being calculated by the formula.
1622 Here are a few examples:
1625 @@2$3 @r{2nd row, 3rd column}
1626 C2 @r{same as previous}
1627 $5 @r{column 5 in the current row}
1628 E& @r{same as previous}
1629 @@2 @r{current column, row 2}
1630 @@-1$-3 @r{the field one row up, three columns to the left}
1631 @@-I$2 @r{field just under hline above current row, column 2}
1634 @subsubheading Range references
1635 @cindex range references
1636 @cindex references, to ranges
1638 You may reference a rectangular range of fields by specifying two field
1639 references connected by two dots @samp{..}. If both fields are in the
1640 current row, you may simply use @samp{$2..$7}, but if at least one field
1641 is in a different row, you need to use the general @code{@@row$column}
1642 format at least for the first field (i.e the reference must start with
1643 @samp{@@} in order to be interpreted correctly). Examples:
1646 $1..$3 @r{First three fields in the current row.}
1647 $P..$Q @r{Range, using column names (see under Advanced)}
1648 @@2$1..@@4$3 @r{6 fields between these two fields.}
1649 A2..C4 @r{Same as above.}
1650 @@-1$-2..@@-1 @r{3 numbers from the column to the left, 2 up to current row}
1653 @noindent Range references return a vector of values that can be fed
1654 into Calc vector functions. Empty fields in ranges are normally
1655 suppressed, so that the vector contains only the non-empty fields (but
1656 see the @samp{E} mode switch below). If there are no non-empty fields,
1657 @samp{[0]} is returned to avoid syntax errors in formulas.
1659 @subsubheading Named references
1660 @cindex named references
1661 @cindex references, named
1662 @cindex name, of column or field
1663 @cindex constants, in calculations
1665 @samp{$name} is interpreted as the name of a column, parameter or
1666 constant. Constants are defined globally through the variable
1667 @code{org-table-formula-constants}, and locally (for the file) through a
1671 #+CONSTANTS: c=299792458. pi=3.14 eps=2.4e-6
1675 Also properties (@pxref{Properties and columns}) can be used as
1676 constants in table formulas: For a property @samp{:XYZ:} use the name
1677 @samp{$PROP_XYZ}, and the property will be searched in the current
1678 outline entry and in the hierarchy above it. If you have the
1679 @file{constants.el} package, it will also be used to resolve constants,
1680 including natural constants like @samp{$h} for Planck's constant, and
1681 units like @samp{$km} for kilometers@footnote{@file{Constant.el} can
1682 supply the values of constants in two different unit systems, @code{SI}
1683 and @code{cgs}. Which one is used depends on the value of the variable
1684 @code{constants-unit-system}. You can use the @code{#+STARTUP} options
1685 @code{constSI} and @code{constcgs} to set this value for the current
1686 buffer.}. Column names and parameters can be specified in special table
1687 lines. These are described below, see @ref{Advanced features}. All
1688 names must start with a letter, and further consist of letters and
1691 @node Formula syntax for Calc, Formula syntax for Lisp, References, The spreadsheet
1692 @subsection Formula syntax for Calc
1693 @cindex formula syntax, Calc
1694 @cindex syntax, of formulas
1696 A formula can be any algebraic expression understood by the Emacs
1697 @file{Calc} package. @b{Note that @file{calc} has the
1698 non-standard convention that @samp{/} has lower precedence than
1699 @samp{*}, so that @samp{a/b*c} is interpreted as @samp{a/(b*c)}.} Before
1700 evaluation by @code{calc-eval} (@pxref{Calling Calc from
1701 Your Programs,calc-eval,Calling calc from Your Lisp Programs,calc,GNU
1702 Emacs Calc Manual}),
1703 @c FIXME: The link to the calc manual in HTML does not work.
1704 variable substitution takes place according to the rules described above.
1705 @cindex vectors, in table calculations
1706 The range vectors can be directly fed into the calc vector functions
1707 like @samp{vmean} and @samp{vsum}.
1709 @cindex format specifier
1710 @cindex mode, for @file{calc}
1711 A formula can contain an optional mode string after a semicolon. This
1712 string consists of flags to influence Calc and other modes during
1713 execution. By default, Org-mode uses the standard calc modes (precision
1714 12, angular units degrees, fraction and symbolic modes off. The display
1715 format, however, has been changed to @code{(float 5)} to keep tables
1716 compact. The default settings can be configured using the variable
1717 @code{org-calc-default-modes}.
1720 p20 @r{switch the internal precision to 20 digits}
1721 n3 s3 e2 f4 @r{normal, scientific, engineering, or fixed display format}
1722 D R @r{angle modes: degrees, radians}
1723 F S @r{fraction and symbolic modes}
1724 N @r{interpret all fields as numbers, use 0 for non-numbers}
1725 T @r{force text interpretation}
1726 E @r{keep empty fields in ranges}
1730 In addition, you may provide a @code{printf} format specifier to
1731 reformat the final result. A few examples:
1734 $1+$2 @r{Sum of first and second field}
1735 $1+$2;%.2f @r{Same, format result to two decimals}
1736 exp($2)+exp($1) @r{Math functions can be used}
1737 $0;%.1f @r{Reformat current cell to 1 decimal}
1738 ($3-32)*5/9 @r{Degrees F -> C conversion}
1739 $c/$1/$cm @r{Hz -> cm conversion, using @file{constants.el}}
1740 tan($1);Dp3s1 @r{Compute in degrees, precision 3, display SCI 1}
1741 sin($1);Dp3%.1e @r{Same, but use printf specifier for display}
1742 vmean($2..$7) @r{Compute column range mean, using vector function}
1743 vmean($2..$7);EN @r{Same, but treat empty fields as 0}
1744 taylor($3,x=7,2) @r{taylor series of $3, at x=7, second degree}
1747 Calc also contains a complete set of logical operations. For example
1750 if($1<20,teen,string("")) @r{``teen'' if age $1 less than 20, else empty}
1753 @node Formula syntax for Lisp, Field formulas, Formula syntax for Calc, The spreadsheet
1754 @subsection Emacs Lisp forms as formulas
1755 @cindex Lisp forms, as table formulas
1757 It is also possible to write a formula in Emacs Lisp; this can be useful
1758 for string manipulation and control structures, if the Calc's
1759 functionality is not enough. If a formula starts with a single quote
1760 followed by an opening parenthesis, then it is evaluated as a lisp form.
1761 The evaluation should return either a string or a number. Just as with
1762 @file{calc} formulas, you can specify modes and a printf format after a
1763 semicolon. With Emacs Lisp forms, you need to be concious about the way
1764 field references are interpolated into the form. By default, a
1765 reference will be interpolated as a Lisp string (in double quotes)
1766 containing the field. If you provide the @samp{N} mode switch, all
1767 referenced elements will be numbers (non-number fields will be zero) and
1768 interpolated as Lisp numbers, without quotes. If you provide the
1769 @samp{L} flag, all fields will be interpolated literally, without quotes.
1770 I.e., if you want a reference to be interpreted as a string by the Lisp
1771 form, enclode the reference operator itself in double quotes, like
1772 @code{"$3"}. Ranges are inserted as space-separated fields, so you can
1773 embed them in list or vector syntax. A few examples, note how the
1774 @samp{N} mode is used when we do computations in lisp.
1777 @r{Swap the first two characters of the content of column 1}
1778 '(concat (substring $1 1 2) (substring $1 0 1) (substring $1 2))
1779 @r{Add columns 1 and 2, equivalent to the Calc's @code{$1+$2}}
1781 @r{Compute the sum of columns 1-4, like Calc's @code{vsum($1..$4)}}
1782 '(apply '+ '($1..$4));N
1785 @node Field formulas, Column formulas, Formula syntax for Lisp, The spreadsheet
1786 @subsection Field formulas
1787 @cindex field formula
1788 @cindex formula, for individual table field
1790 To assign a formula to a particular field, type it directly into the
1791 field, preceded by @samp{:=}, for example @samp{:=$1+$2}. When you
1792 press @key{TAB} or @key{RET} or @kbd{C-c C-c} with the cursor still in
1793 the field, the formula will be stored as the formula for this field,
1794 evaluated, and the current field replaced with the result.
1796 Formulas are stored in a special line starting with @samp{#+TBLFM:}
1797 directly below the table. If you typed the equation in the 4th field of
1798 the 3rd data line in the table, the formula will look like
1799 @samp{@@3$4=$1+$2}. When inserting/deleting/swapping column and rows
1800 with the appropriate commands, @i{absolute references} (but not relative
1801 ones) in stored formulas are modified in order to still reference the
1802 same field. Of cause this is not true if you edit the table structure
1803 with normal editing commands - then you must fix the equations yourself.
1805 Instead of typing an equation into the field, you may also use the
1811 Install a new formula for the current field. The command prompts for a
1812 formula, with default taken from the @samp{#+TBLFM:} line, applies
1813 it to the current field and stores it.
1816 @node Column formulas, Editing and debugging formulas, Field formulas, The spreadsheet
1817 @subsection Column formulas
1818 @cindex column formula
1819 @cindex formula, for table column
1821 Often in a table, the same formula should be used for all fields in a
1822 particular column. Instead of having to copy the formula to all fields
1823 in that column, org-mode allows to assign a single formula to an entire
1824 column. If the table contains horizontal separator hlines, everything
1825 before the first such line is considered part of the table @emph{header}
1826 and will not be modified by column formulas.
1828 To assign a formula to a column, type it directly into any field in the
1829 column, preceded by an equal sign, like @samp{=$1+$2}. When you press
1830 @key{TAB} or @key{RET} or @kbd{C-c C-c} with the cursor still in the
1831 field, the formula will be stored as the formula for the current column,
1832 evaluated and the current field replaced with the result. If the field
1833 contains only @samp{=}, the previously stored formula for this column is
1834 used. For each column, Org-mode will only remember the most recently
1835 used formula. In the @samp{TBLFM:} line, column formulas will look like
1838 Instead of typing an equation into the field, you may also use the
1844 Install a new formula for the current column and replace current field
1845 with the result of the formula. The command prompts for a formula, with
1846 default taken from the @samp{#+TBLFM} line, applies it to the current
1847 field and stores it. With a numerical prefix (e.g. @kbd{C-5 C-c =})
1848 will apply it to that many consecutive fields in the current column.
1852 @node Editing and debugging formulas, Updating the table, Column formulas, The spreadsheet
1853 @subsection Editing and Debugging formulas
1854 @cindex formula editing
1855 @cindex editing, of table formulas
1857 You can edit individual formulas in the minibuffer or directly in the
1858 field. Org-mode can also prepare a special buffer with all active
1859 formulas of a table. When offering a formula for editing, Org-mode
1860 converts references to the standard format (like @code{B3} or @code{D&})
1861 if possible. If you prefer to only work with the internal format (like
1862 @code{@@3$2} or @code{$4}), configure the variable
1863 @code{org-table-use-standard-references}.
1870 Edit the formula associated with the current column/field in the
1871 minibuffer. See @ref{Column formulas} and @ref{Field formulas}.
1872 @kindex C-u C-u C-c =
1874 Re-insert the active formula (either a
1875 field formula, or a column formula) into the current field, so that you
1876 can edit it directly in the field. The advantage over editing in the
1877 minibuffer is that you can use the command @kbd{C-c ?}.
1880 While editing a formula in a table field, highlight the field(s)
1881 referenced by the reference at the cursor position in the formula.
1884 Toggle the display of row and column numbers for a table, using
1885 overlays. These are updated each time the table is aligned, you can
1886 force it with @kbd{C-c C-c}.
1889 Toggle the formula debugger on and off. See below.
1892 Edit all formulas for the current table in a special buffer, where the
1893 formulas will be displayed one per line. If the current field has an
1894 active formula, the cursor in the formula editor will mark it.
1895 While inside the special buffer, Org-mode will automatically highlight
1896 any field or range reference at the cursor position. You may edit,
1897 remove and add formulas, and use the following commands:
1903 Exit the formula editor and store the modified formulas. With @kbd{C-u}
1904 prefix, also apply the new formulas to the entire table.
1907 Exit the formula editor without installing changes.
1910 Toggle all references in the formula editor between standard (like
1911 @code{B3}) and internal (like @code{@@3$2}).
1914 Pretty-print or indent lisp formula at point. When in a line containing
1915 a lisp formula, format the formula according to Emacs Lisp rules.
1916 Another @key{TAB} collapses the formula back again. In the open
1917 formula, @key{TAB} re-indents just like in Emacs-lisp-mode.
1920 Complete Lisp symbols, just like in Emacs-lisp-mode.
1922 @kindex S-@key{down}
1923 @kindex S-@key{left}
1924 @kindex S-@key{right}
1925 @item S-@key{up}/@key{down}/@key{left}/@key{right}
1926 Shift the reference at point. For example, if the reference is
1927 @code{B3} and you press @kbd{S-@key{right}}, it will become @code{C3}.
1928 This also works for relative references, and for hline references.
1929 @kindex M-S-@key{up}
1930 @kindex M-S-@key{down}
1931 @item M-S-@key{up}/@key{down}
1932 Move the test line for column formulas in the Org-mode buffer up and
1935 @kindex M-@key{down}
1936 @item M-@key{up}/@key{down}
1937 Scroll the window displaying the table.
1940 Turn the coordinate grid in the table on and off.
1944 Making a table field blank does not remove the formula associated with
1945 the field, because that is stored in a different line (the @samp{TBLFM}
1946 line) - during the next recalculation the field will be filled again.
1947 To remove a formula from a field, you have to give an empty reply when
1948 prompted for the formula, or to edit the @samp{#+TBLFM} line.
1951 You may edit the @samp{#+TBLFM} directly and re-apply the changed
1952 equations with @kbd{C-c C-c} in that line, or with the normal
1953 recalculation commands in the table.
1955 @subsubheading Debugging formulas
1956 @cindex formula debugging
1957 @cindex debugging, of table formulas
1958 When the evaluation of a formula leads to an error, the field content
1959 becomes the string @samp{#ERROR}. If you would like see what is going
1960 on during variable substitution and calculation in order to find a bug,
1961 turn on formula debugging in the @code{Tbl} menu and repeat the
1962 calculation, for example by pressing @kbd{C-u C-u C-c = @key{RET}} in a
1963 field. Detailed information will be displayed.
1965 @node Updating the table, Advanced features, Editing and debugging formulas, The spreadsheet
1966 @subsection Updating the Table
1967 @cindex recomputing table fields
1968 @cindex updating, table
1970 Recalculation of a table is normally not automatic, but needs to be
1971 triggered by a command. See @ref{Advanced features} for a way to make
1972 recalculation at least semi-automatically.
1974 In order to recalculate a line of a table or the entire table, use the
1980 Recalculate the current row by first applying the stored column formulas
1981 from left to right, and all field formulas in the current row.
1987 Recompute the entire table, line by line. Any lines before the first
1988 hline are left alone, assuming that these are part of the table header.
1990 @kindex C-u C-u C-c *
1991 @kindex C-u C-u C-c C-c
1993 @itemx C-u C-u C-c C-c
1994 Iterate the table by recomputing it until no further changes occur.
1995 This may be necessary if some computed fields use the value of other
1996 fields that are computed @i{later} in the calculation sequence.
1999 @node Advanced features, , Updating the table, The spreadsheet
2000 @subsection Advanced features
2002 If you want the recalculation of fields to happen automatically, or if
2003 you want to be able to assign @i{names} to fields and columns, you need
2004 to reserve the first column of the table for special marking characters.
2008 Rotate the calculation mark in first column through the states @samp{},
2009 @samp{#}, @samp{*}, @samp{!}, @samp{$}. The meaning of these characters
2010 is discussed below. When there is an active region, change all marks in
2014 Here is an example of a table that collects exam results of students and
2015 makes use of these features:
2019 |---+---------+--------+--------+--------+-------+------|
2020 | | Student | Prob 1 | Prob 2 | Prob 3 | Total | Note |
2021 |---+---------+--------+--------+--------+-------+------|
2022 | ! | | P1 | P2 | P3 | Tot | |
2023 | # | Maximum | 10 | 15 | 25 | 50 | 10.0 |
2024 | ^ | | m1 | m2 | m3 | mt | |
2025 |---+---------+--------+--------+--------+-------+------|
2026 | # | Peter | 10 | 8 | 23 | 41 | 8.2 |
2027 | # | Sara | 6 | 14 | 19 | 39 | 7.8 |
2028 | # | Sam | 2 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 1.8 |
2029 |---+---------+--------+--------+--------+-------+------|
2030 | | Average | | | | 29.7 | |
2031 | ^ | | | | | at | |
2032 | $ | max=50 | | | | | |
2033 |---+---------+--------+--------+--------+-------+------|
2034 #+TBLFM: $6=vsum($P1..$P3)::$7=10*$Tot/$max;%.1f::$at=vmean(@@-II..@@-I);%.1f
2038 @noindent @b{Important}: Please note that for these special tables,
2039 recalculating the table with @kbd{C-u C-c *} will only affect rows that
2040 are marked @samp{#} or @samp{*}, and fields that have a formula assigned
2041 to the field itself. The column formulas are not applied in rows with
2044 @cindex marking characters, tables
2045 The marking characters have the following meaning:
2048 The fields in this line define names for the columns, so that you may
2049 refer to a column as @samp{$Tot} instead of @samp{$6}.
2051 This row defines names for the fields @emph{above} the row. With such
2052 a definition, any formula in the table may use @samp{$m1} to refer to
2053 the value @samp{10}. Also, if you assign a formula to a names field, it
2054 will be stored as @samp{$name=...}.
2056 Similar to @samp{^}, but defines names for the fields in the row
2059 Fields in this row can define @emph{parameters} for formulas. For
2060 example, if a field in a @samp{$} row contains @samp{max=50}, then
2061 formulas in this table can refer to the value 50 using @samp{$max}.
2062 Parameters work exactly like constants, only that they can be defined on
2065 Fields in this row are automatically recalculated when pressing
2066 @key{TAB} or @key{RET} or @kbd{S-@key{TAB}} in this row. Also, this row
2067 is selected for a global recalculation with @kbd{C-u C-c *}. Unmarked
2068 lines will be left alone by this command.
2070 Selects this line for global recalculation with @kbd{C-u C-c *}, but
2071 not for automatic recalculation. Use this when automatic
2072 recalculation slows down editing too much.
2074 Unmarked lines are exempt from recalculation with @kbd{C-u C-c *}.
2075 All lines that should be recalculated should be marked with @samp{#}
2078 Do not export this line. Useful for lines that contain the narrowing
2082 Finally, just to whet your appetite on what can be done with the
2083 fantastic @file{calc} package, here is a table that computes the Taylor
2084 series of degree @code{n} at location @code{x} for a couple of functions
2085 (homework: try that with Excel :-)
2089 |---+-------------+---+-----+--------------------------------------|
2090 | | Func | n | x | Result |
2091 |---+-------------+---+-----+--------------------------------------|
2092 | # | exp(x) | 1 | x | 1 + x |
2093 | # | exp(x) | 2 | x | 1 + x + x^2 / 2 |
2094 | # | exp(x) | 3 | x | 1 + x + x^2 / 2 + x^3 / 6 |
2095 | # | x^2+sqrt(x) | 2 | x=0 | x*(0.5 / 0) + x^2 (2 - 0.25 / 0) / 2 |
2096 | # | x^2+sqrt(x) | 2 | x=1 | 2 + 2.5 x - 2.5 + 0.875 (x - 1)^2 |
2097 | * | tan(x) | 3 | x | 0.0175 x + 1.77e-6 x^3 |
2098 |---+-------------+---+-----+--------------------------------------|
2099 #+TBLFM: $5=taylor($2,$4,$3);n3
2103 @node Hyperlinks, TODO items, Tables, Top
2107 Just like HTML, Org-mode provides links inside a file, and external
2108 links to other files, Usenet articles, emails, and much more.
2111 * Link format:: How links in Org-mode are formatted
2112 * Internal links:: Links to other places in the current file
2113 * External links:: URL-like links to the world
2114 * Handling links:: Creating, inserting and following
2115 * Using links outside Org-mode:: Linking from my C source code?
2116 * Link abbreviations:: Shortcuts for writing complex links
2117 * Search options:: Linking to a specific location
2118 * Custom searches:: When the default search is not enough
2121 @node Link format, Internal links, Hyperlinks, Hyperlinks
2122 @section Link format
2124 @cindex format, of links
2126 Org-mode will recognize plain URL-like links and activate them as
2127 clickable links. The general link format, however, looks like this:
2130 [[link][description]] @r{or alternatively} [[link]]
2133 Once a link in the buffer is complete (all brackets present), Org-mode
2134 will change the display so that @samp{description} is displayed instead
2135 of @samp{[[link][description]]} and @samp{link} is displayed instead of
2136 @samp{[[link]]}. Links will be highlighted in the face @code{org-link},
2137 which by default is an underlined face. You can directly edit the
2138 visible part of a link. Note that this can be either the @samp{link}
2139 part (if there is no description) or the @samp{description} part. To
2140 edit also the invisible @samp{link} part, use @kbd{C-c C-l} with the
2143 If you place the cursor at the beginning or just behind the end of the
2144 displayed text and press @key{BACKSPACE}, you will remove the
2145 (invisible) bracket at that location. This makes the link incomplete
2146 and the internals are again displayed as plain text. Inserting the
2147 missing bracket hides the link internals again. To show the
2148 internal structure of all links, use the menu entry
2149 @code{Org->Hyperlinks->Literal links}.
2151 @node Internal links, External links, Link format, Hyperlinks
2152 @section Internal links
2153 @cindex internal links
2154 @cindex links, internal
2155 @cindex targets, for links
2157 If the link does not look like a URL, it is considered to be internal in
2158 the current file. Links such as @samp{[[My Target]]} or @samp{[[My
2159 Target][Find my target]]} lead to a text search in the current file.
2160 The link can be followed with @kbd{C-c C-o} when the cursor is on the
2161 link, or with a mouse click (@pxref{Handling links}). The preferred
2162 match for such a link is a dedicated target: the same string in double
2163 angular brackets. Targets may be located anywhere; sometimes it is
2164 convenient to put them into a comment line. For example
2170 @noindent In HTML export (@pxref{HTML export}), such targets will become
2171 named anchors for direct access through @samp{http} links@footnote{Note
2172 that text before the first headline is usually not exported, so the
2173 first such target should be after the first headline.}.
2175 If no dedicated target exists, Org-mode will search for the words in the
2176 link. In the above example the search would be for @samp{my target}.
2177 Links starting with a star like @samp{*My Target} restrict the search to
2178 headlines. When searching, Org-mode will first try an exact match, but
2179 then move on to more and more lenient searches. For example, the link
2180 @samp{[[*My Targets]]} will find any of the following:
2184 ** TODO my targets are bright
2185 ** my 20 targets are
2188 To insert a link targeting a headline, in-buffer completion can be used.
2189 Just type a star followed by a few optional letters into the buffer and
2190 press @kbd{M-@key{TAB}}. All headlines in the current buffer will be
2191 offered as completions. @xref{Handling links}, for more commands
2194 Following a link pushes a mark onto Org-mode's own mark ring. You can
2195 return to the previous position with @kbd{C-c &}. Using this command
2196 several times in direct succession goes back to positions recorded
2200 * Radio targets:: Make targets trigger links in plain text.
2203 @node Radio targets, , Internal links, Internal links
2204 @subsection Radio targets
2205 @cindex radio targets
2206 @cindex targets, radio
2207 @cindex links, radio targets
2209 Org-mode can automatically turn any occurrences of certain target names
2210 in normal text into a link. So without explicitly creating a link, the
2211 text connects to the target radioing its position. Radio targets are
2212 enclosed by triple angular brackets. For example, a target @samp{<<<My
2213 Target>>>} causes each occurrence of @samp{my target} in normal text to
2214 become activated as a link. The Org-mode file is scanned automatically
2215 for radio targets only when the file is first loaded into Emacs. To
2216 update the target list during editing, press @kbd{C-c C-c} with the
2217 cursor on or at a target.
2219 @node External links, Handling links, Internal links, Hyperlinks
2220 @section External links
2221 @cindex links, external
2222 @cindex external links
2223 @cindex links, external
2230 @cindex WANDERLUST links
2232 @cindex USENET links
2237 Org-mode supports links to files, websites, Usenet and email messages,
2238 and BBDB database entries. External links are URL-like locators. They
2239 start with a short identifying string followed by a colon. There can be
2240 no space after the colon. The following list shows examples for each
2244 http://www.astro.uva.nl/~dominik @r{on the web}
2245 file:/home/dominik/images/jupiter.jpg @r{file, absolute path}
2246 file:papers/last.pdf @r{file, relative path}
2247 news:comp.emacs @r{Usenet link}
2248 mailto:adent@@galaxy.net @r{Mail link}
2249 vm:folder @r{VM folder link}
2250 vm:folder#id @r{VM message link}
2251 vm://myself@@some.where.org/folder#id @r{VM on remote machine}
2252 wl:folder @r{WANDERLUST folder link}
2253 wl:folder#id @r{WANDERLUST message link}
2254 mhe:folder @r{MH-E folder link}
2255 mhe:folder#id @r{MH-E message link}
2256 rmail:folder @r{RMAIL folder link}
2257 rmail:folder#id @r{RMAIL message link}
2258 gnus:group @r{GNUS group link}
2259 gnus:group#id @r{GNUS article link}
2260 bbdb:Richard Stallman @r{BBDB link}
2261 shell:ls *.org @r{A shell command}
2262 elisp:(find-file-other-frame "Elisp.org") @r{An elisp form to evaluate}
2265 A link should be enclosed in double brackets and may contain a
2266 descriptive text to be displayed instead of the url (@pxref{Link
2267 format}), for example:
2270 [[http://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/][GNU Emacs]]
2274 If the description is a file name or URL that points to an image, HTML
2275 export (@pxref{HTML export}) will inline the image as a clickable
2276 button. If there is no description at all and the link points to an
2278 that image will be inlined into the exported HTML file.
2280 @cindex angular brackets, around links
2281 @cindex plain text external links
2282 Org-mode also finds external links in the normal text and activates them
2283 as links. If spaces must be part of the link (for example in
2284 @samp{bbdb:Richard Stallman}), or if you need to remove ambiguities
2285 about the end of the link, enclose them in angular brackets.
2287 @node Handling links, Using links outside Org-mode, External links, Hyperlinks
2288 @section Handling links
2289 @cindex links, handling
2291 Org-mode provides methods to create a link in the correct syntax, to
2292 insert it into an org-mode file, and to follow the link.
2296 @cindex storing links
2298 Store a link to the current location. This is a @emph{global} command
2299 which can be used in any buffer to create a link. The link will be
2300 stored for later insertion into an Org-mode buffer (see below). For
2301 Org-mode files, if there is a @samp{<<target>>} at the cursor, the link
2302 points to the target. Otherwise it points to the current headline. For
2303 VM, RMAIL, WANDERLUST, MH-E, GNUS and BBDB buffers, the link will
2304 indicate the current article/entry. For W3 and W3M buffers, the link
2305 goes to the current URL. For any other files, the link will point to
2306 the file, with a search string (@pxref{Search options}) pointing to the
2307 contents of the current line. If there is an active region, the
2308 selected words will form the basis of the search string. If the
2309 automatically created link is not working correctly or accurately
2310 enough, you can write custom functions to select the search string and
2311 to do the search for particular file types - see @ref{Custom searches}.
2312 The key binding @kbd{C-c l} is only a suggestion - see @ref{Installation}.
2315 @cindex link completion
2316 @cindex completion, of links
2317 @cindex inserting links
2319 Insert a link. This prompts for a link to be inserted into the buffer.
2320 You can just type a link, using text for an internal link, or one of the
2321 link type prefixes mentioned in the examples above. All links stored
2322 during the current session are part of the history for this prompt, so
2323 you can access them with @key{up} and @key{down} (or @kbd{M-p/n}).
2324 Completion, on the other hand, will help you to insert valid link
2325 prefixes like @samp{http:} or @samp{ftp:}, including the prefixes
2326 defined through link abbreviations (@pxref{Link abbreviations}). The
2327 link will be inserted into the buffer@footnote{After insertion of a
2328 stored link, the link will be removed from the list of stored links. To
2329 keep it in the list later use, use a triple @kbd{C-u} prefix to @kbd{C-c
2330 C-l}, or configure the option
2331 @code{org-keep-stored-link-after-insertion}.}, along with a descriptive
2332 text. If some text was selected when this command is called, the
2333 selected text becomes the default description.@* Note that you don't
2334 have to use this command to insert a link. Links in Org-mode are plain
2335 text, and you can type or paste them straight into the buffer. By using
2336 this command, the links are automatically enclosed in double brackets,
2337 and you will be asked for the optional descriptive text.
2339 @c If the link is a @samp{file:} link and
2340 @c the linked file is located in the same directory as the current file or
2341 @c a subdirectory of it, the path of the file will be inserted relative to
2342 @c the current directory.
2345 @cindex file name completion
2346 @cindex completion, of file names
2348 When @kbd{C-c C-l} is called with a @kbd{C-u} prefix argument, a link to
2349 a file will be inserted and you may use file name completion to select
2350 the name of the file. The path to the file is inserted relative to the
2351 directory of the current org file, if the linked file is in the current
2352 directory or in a subdirectory of it, or if the path is written relative
2353 to the current directory using @samp{../}. Otherwise an absolute path
2354 is used, if possible with @samp{~/} for your home directory. You can
2355 force an absolute path with two @kbd{C-u} prefixes.
2357 @item C-c C-l @r{(with cursor on existing link)}
2358 When the cursor is on an existing link, @kbd{C-c C-l} allows you to edit the
2359 link and description parts of the link.
2361 @cindex following links
2364 Open link at point. This will launch a web browser for URLs (using
2365 @command{browse-url-at-point}), run vm/mh-e/wanderlust/rmail/gnus/bbdb
2366 for the corresponding links, and execute the command in a shell link.
2367 When the cursor is on an internal link, this commands runs the
2368 corresponding search. When the cursor is on a TAG list in a headline,
2369 it creates the corresponding TAGS view. If the cursor is on a time
2370 stamp, it compiles the agenda for that date. Furthermore, it will visit
2371 text and remote files in @samp{file:} links with Emacs and select a
2372 suitable application for local non-text files. Classification of files
2373 is based on file extension only. See option @code{org-file-apps}. If
2374 you want to override the default application and visit the file with
2375 Emacs, use a @kbd{C-u} prefix.
2381 On links, @kbd{mouse-2} will open the link just as @kbd{C-c C-o}
2382 would. Under Emacs 22, also @kbd{mouse-1} will follow a link.
2386 Like @kbd{mouse-2}, but force file links to be opened with Emacs, and
2387 internal links to be displayed in another window@footnote{See the
2388 variable @code{org-display-internal-link-with-indirect-buffer}}.
2393 Push the current position onto the mark ring, to be able to return
2394 easily. Commands following an internal link do this automatically.
2396 @cindex links, returning to
2399 Jump back to a recorded position. A position is recorded by the
2400 commands following internal links, and by @kbd{C-c %}. Using this
2401 command several times in direct succession moves through a ring of
2402 previously recorded positions.
2406 @cindex links, finding next/previous
2409 Move forward/backward to the next link in the buffer. At the limit of
2410 the buffer, the search fails once, and then wraps around. The key
2411 bindings for this are really too long, you might want to bind this also
2412 to @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p}
2414 (add-hook 'org-load-hook
2416 (define-key 'org-mode-map "\C-n" 'org-next-link)
2417 (define-key 'org-mode-map "\C-p" 'org-previous-link)))
2421 @node Using links outside Org-mode, Link abbreviations, Handling links, Hyperlinks
2422 @section Using links outside Org-mode
2424 You can insert and follow links that have Org-mode syntax not only in
2425 Org-mode, but in any Emacs buffer. For this, you should create two
2426 global commands, like this (please select suitable global keys
2430 (global-set-key "\C-c L" 'org-insert-link-global)
2431 (global-set-key "\C-c o" 'org-open-at-point-global)
2434 @node Link abbreviations, Search options, Using links outside Org-mode, Hyperlinks
2435 @section Link abbreviations
2436 @cindex link abbreviations
2437 @cindex abbreviation, links
2439 Long URLs can be cumbersome to type, and often many similar links are
2440 needed in a document. For this you can use link abbreviations. An
2441 abbreviated link looks like this
2444 [[linkword:tag][description]]
2448 where the tag is optional. Such abbreviations are resolved according to
2449 the information in the variable @code{org-link-abbrev-alist} that
2450 relates the linkwords to replacement text. Here is an example:
2454 (setq org-link-abbrev-alist
2455 '(("bugzilla" . "http://10.1.2.9/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=")
2456 ("google" . "http://www.google.com/search?q=")
2457 ("ads" . "http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/
2458 nph-abs_connect?author=%s&db_key=AST")))
2462 If the replacement text contains the string @samp{%s}, it will be
2463 replaced with the tag. Otherwise the tag will be appended to the string
2464 in order to create the link. You may also specify a function that will
2465 be called with the tag as the only argument to create the link.
2467 With the above setting, you could link to a specific bug with
2468 @code{[[bugzilla:129]]}, search the web for @samp{OrgMode} with
2469 @code{[[google:OrgMode]]} and find out what the Org-mode author is
2470 doing besides Emacs hacking with @code{[[ads:Dominik,C]]}.
2472 If you need special abbreviations just for a single Org-mode buffer, you
2473 can define them in the file with
2476 #+LINK: bugzilla http://10.1.2.9/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=
2477 #+LINK: google http://www.google.com/search?q=%s
2481 In-buffer completion @pxref{Completion} can be used after @samp{[} to
2482 complete link abbreviations.
2484 @node Search options, Custom searches, Link abbreviations, Hyperlinks
2485 @section Search options in file links
2486 @cindex search option in file links
2487 @cindex file links, searching
2489 File links can contain additional information to make Emacs jump to a
2490 particular location in the file when following a link. This can be a
2491 line number or a search option after a double@footnote{For backward
2492 compatibility, line numbers can also follow a single colon.} colon. For
2493 example, when the command @kbd{C-c l} creates a link (@pxref{Handling
2494 links}) to a file, it encodes the words in the current line as a search
2495 string that can be used to find this line back later when following the
2496 link with @kbd{C-c C-o}.
2498 Here is the syntax of the different ways to attach a search to a file
2499 link, together with an explanation:
2502 [[file:~/code/main.c::255]]
2503 [[file:~/xx.org::My Target]]
2504 [[file:~/xx.org::*My Target]]
2505 [[file:~/xx.org::/regexp/]]
2512 Search for a link target @samp{<<My Target>>}, or do a text search for
2513 @samp{my target}, similar to the search in internal links, see
2514 @ref{Internal links}. In HTML export (@pxref{HTML export}), such a file
2515 link will become an HTML reference to the corresponding named anchor in
2518 In an Org-mode file, restrict search to headlines.
2520 Do a regular expression search for @code{regexp}. This uses the Emacs
2521 command @code{occur} to list all matches in a separate window. If the
2522 target file is in Org-mode, @code{org-occur} is used to create a
2523 sparse tree with the matches.
2524 @c If the target file is a directory,
2525 @c @code{grep} will be used to search all files in the directory.
2528 As a degenerate case, a file link with an empty file name can be used
2529 to search the current file. For example, @code{[[file:::find me]]} does
2530 a search for @samp{find me} in the current file, just as
2531 @samp{[[find me]]} would.
2533 @node Custom searches, , Search options, Hyperlinks
2534 @section Custom Searches
2535 @cindex custom search strings
2536 @cindex search strings, custom
2538 The default mechanism for creating search strings and for doing the
2539 actual search related to a file link may not work correctly in all
2540 cases. For example, BibTeX database files have many entries like
2541 @samp{year="1993"} which would not result in good search strings,
2542 because the only unique identification for a BibTeX entry is the
2545 If you come across such a problem, you can write custom functions to set
2546 the right search string for a particular file type, and to do the search
2547 for the string in the file. Using @code{add-hook}, these functions need
2548 to be added to the hook variables
2549 @code{org-create-file-search-functions} and
2550 @code{org-execute-file-search-functions}. See the docstring for these
2551 variables for more information. Org-mode actually uses this mechanism
2552 for Bib@TeX{} database files, and you can use the corresponding code as
2553 an implementation example. Search for @samp{BibTeX links} in the source
2558 @node TODO items, Tags, Hyperlinks, Top
2562 Org-mode does not maintain TODO lists as a separate document. TODO
2563 items are an integral part of the notes file, because TODO items
2564 usually come up while taking notes! With Org-mode, you simply mark
2565 any entry in a tree as being a TODO item. In this way, the
2566 information is not duplicated, and the entire context from which the
2567 item emerged is always present when you check.
2569 Of course, this technique causes TODO items to be scattered throughout
2570 your file. Org-mode provides methods to give you an overview over all
2571 things you have to do.
2574 * TODO basics:: Marking and displaying TODO entries
2575 * TODO extensions:: Workflow and assignments
2576 * Progress logging:: Dates and notes for progress
2577 * Priorities:: Some things are more important than others
2578 * Breaking down tasks:: Splitting a task into manageable pieces
2579 * Checkboxes:: Tick-off lists
2582 @node TODO basics, TODO extensions, TODO items, TODO items
2583 @section Basic TODO functionality
2585 Any headline can become a TODO item by starting it with the word TODO,
2589 *** TODO Write letter to Sam Fortune
2593 The most important commands to work with TODO entries are:
2597 @cindex cycling, of TODO states
2599 Rotate the TODO state of the current item among
2602 ,-> (unmarked) -> TODO -> DONE --.
2603 '--------------------------------'
2606 The same rotation can also be done ``remotely'' from the timeline and
2607 agenda buffers with the @kbd{t} command key (@pxref{Agenda commands}).
2611 Select a specific keyword using completion of (if it has been set up)
2612 the fast selection interface.
2614 @kindex S-@key{right}
2615 @kindex S-@key{left}
2618 Select the following/preceding TODO state, similar to cycling. Mostly
2619 useful if more than two TODO states are possible (@pxref{TODO
2623 Use the fast tag interface to quickly and directly select a specific
2624 TODO state. For this you need to assign keys to TODO state, like this:
2626 #+SEQ_TODO: TODO(t) STARTED(s) WAITING(w) | DONE(d)
2628 @noindent See @ref{Per file keywords} and @ref{Setting tags} for more
2632 @cindex sparse tree, for TODO
2635 View TODO items in a @emph{sparse tree} (@pxref{Sparse trees}). Folds
2636 the entire buffer, but shows all TODO items and the headings hierarchy
2637 above them. With prefix arg, search for a specific TODO. You will be
2638 prompted for the keyword, and you can also give a list of keywords like
2639 @code{kwd1|kwd2|...}. With numerical prefix N, show the tree for the
2640 Nth keyword in the variable @code{org-todo-keywords}. With two prefix
2641 args, find all TODO and DONE entries.
2644 Show the global TODO list. This collects the TODO items from all
2645 agenda files (@pxref{Agenda views}) into a single buffer. The buffer is in
2646 @code{agenda-mode}, so there are commands to examine and manipulate
2647 the TODO entries directly from that buffer (@pxref{Agenda commands}).
2648 @xref{Global TODO list}, for more information.
2649 @kindex S-M-@key{RET}
2651 Insert a new TODO entry below the current one.
2654 @node TODO extensions, Progress logging, TODO basics, TODO items
2655 @section Extended use of TODO keywords
2656 @cindex extended TODO keywords
2658 The default implementation of TODO entries is just two states: TODO and
2659 DONE. You can use the TODO feature for more complicated things by
2660 configuring the variable @code{org-todo-keywords}. With special setup,
2661 the TODO keyword system can work differently in different files.
2663 Note that @i{tags} are another way to classify headlines in general and
2664 TODO items in particular (@pxref{Tags}).
2667 * Workflow states:: From TODO to DONE in steps
2668 * TODO types:: I do this, Fred the rest
2669 * Multiple sets in one file:: Mixing it all, and still finding your way
2670 * Fast access to TODO states:: Single letter selection of a state
2671 * Per file keywords:: Different files, different requirements
2672 * Faces for TODO keywords:: Highlighting states
2675 @node Workflow states, TODO types, TODO extensions, TODO extensions
2676 @subsection TODO keywords as workflow states
2677 @cindex TODO workflow
2678 @cindex workflow states as TODO keywords
2680 You can use TODO keywords to indicate different @emph{sequential} states
2681 in the process of working on an item, for example@footnote{Changing
2682 this variable only becomes effective after restarting Org-mode in a
2686 (setq org-todo-keywords
2687 '((sequence "TODO" "FEEDBACK" "VERIFY" "|" "DONE" "DELEGATED")))
2690 The vertical bar separates the TODO keywords (states that @emph{need
2691 action}) from the DONE states (which need @emph{no further action}. If
2692 you don't provide the separator bar, the last state is used as the DONE
2694 @cindex completion, of TODO keywords
2695 With this setup, the command @kbd{C-c C-t} will cycle an entry from TODO
2696 to FEEDBACK, then to VERIFY, and finally to DONE and DELEGATED. You may
2697 also use a prefix argument to quickly select a specific state. For
2698 example @kbd{C-3 C-c C-t} will change the state immediately to VERIFY.
2699 If you define many keywords, you can use in-buffer completion (see
2700 @ref{Completion}) to insert these words into the buffer. Changing a
2701 todo state can be logged with a timestamp, see @ref{Tracking TODO state
2702 changes} for more information.
2704 @node TODO types, Multiple sets in one file, Workflow states, TODO extensions
2705 @subsection TODO keywords as types
2707 @cindex names as TODO keywords
2708 @cindex types as TODO keywords
2710 The second possibility is to use TODO keywords to indicate different
2711 @emph{types} of action items. For example, you might want to indicate
2712 that items are for ``work'' or ``home''. Or, when you work with several
2713 people on a single project, you might want to assign action items
2714 directly to persons, by using their names as TODO keywords. This would
2715 be set up like this:
2718 (setq org-todo-keywords '((type "Fred" "Sara" "Lucy" "|" "DONE")))
2721 In this case, different keywords do not indicate a sequence, but rather
2722 different types. So the normal work flow would be to assign a task to a
2723 person, and later to mark it DONE. Org-mode supports this style by
2724 adapting the workings of the command @kbd{C-c C-t}@footnote{This is also
2725 true for the @kbd{t} command in the timeline and agenda buffers.}. When
2726 used several times in succession, it will still cycle through all names,
2727 in order to first select the right type for a task. But when you return
2728 to the item after some time and execute @kbd{C-c C-t} again, it will
2729 switch from any name directly to DONE. Use prefix arguments or
2730 completion to quickly select a specific name. You can also review the
2731 items of a specific TODO type in a sparse tree by using a numeric prefix
2732 to @kbd{C-c C-v}. For example, to see all things Lucy has to do, you
2733 would use @kbd{C-3 C-c C-v}. To collect Lucy's items from all agenda
2734 files into a single buffer, you would use the prefix arg as well when
2735 creating the global todo list: @kbd{C-3 C-c t}.
2737 @node Multiple sets in one file, Fast access to TODO states, TODO types, TODO extensions
2738 @subsection Multiple keyword sets in one file
2739 @cindex todo keyword sets
2741 Sometimes you may want to use different sets of TODO keywords in
2742 parallel. For example, you may want to have the basic
2743 @code{TODO}/@code{DONE}, but also a workflow for bug fixing, and a
2744 separate state indicating that an item has been canceled (so it is not
2745 DONE, but also does not require action). Your setup would then look
2749 (setq org-todo-keywords
2750 '((sequence "TODO" "|" "DONE")
2751 (sequence "REPORT" "BUG" "KNOWNCAUSE" "|" "FIXED")
2752 (sequence "|" "CANCELED")))
2755 The keywords should all be different, this helps Org-mode to keep track
2756 of which subsequence should be used for a given entry. In this setup,
2757 @kbd{C-c C-t} only operates within a subsequence, so it switches from
2758 @code{DONE} to (nothing) to @code{TODO}, and from @code{FIXED} to
2759 (nothing) to @code{REPORT}. Therefore you need a mechanism to initially
2760 select the correct sequence. Besides the obvious ways like typing a
2761 keyword or using completion, you may also apply the following commands:
2764 @kindex C-S-@key{right}
2765 @kindex C-S-@key{left}
2766 @item C-S-@key{right}
2767 @itemx C-S-@key{left}
2768 These keys jump from one TODO subset to the next. In the above example,
2769 @kbd{C-S-@key{right}} would jump from @code{TODO} or @code{DONE} to
2770 @code{REPORT}, and any of the words in the second row to @code{CANCELED}.
2771 @kindex S-@key{right}
2772 @kindex S-@key{left}
2775 @kbd{S-@key{<left>}} and @kbd{S-@key{<right>}} and walk through
2776 @emph{all} keywords from all sets, so for example @kbd{S-@key{<right>}}
2777 would switch from @code{DONE} to @code{REPORT} in the example above.
2780 @node Fast access to TODO states, Per file keywords, Multiple sets in one file, TODO extensions
2781 @subsection Fast access to TODO states
2783 If you would like to quickly change an entry to an arbitrary TODO state
2784 instead of cycling through the states, you can set up keys for
2785 single-letter access to the states. This is done by adding the section
2786 key after each keyword, in parenthesis. For example:
2789 (setq org-todo-keywords
2790 '((sequence "TODO(t)" "|" "DONE(d)")
2791 (sequence "REPORT(r)" "BUG(b)" "KNOWNCAUSE(k)" "|" "FIXED(f)")
2792 (sequence "|" "CANCELED(c)")))
2795 If you then press @code{C-u C-c C-t} followed by the selection key, the
2796 entry will be switched to this state. @key{SPC} can be used to remove
2797 any TODO keyword from an entry. Should you like this way of selecting
2798 TODO states a lot, you might want to set the variable
2799 @code{org-use-fast-todo-selection} to @code{t} and make this behavior
2800 the default. Check also the variable
2801 @code{org-fast-tag-selection-include-todo}, it allows to change the TODO
2802 state through the tags interface (@pxref{Setting tags}).
2804 @node Per file keywords, Faces for TODO keywords, Fast access to TODO states, TODO extensions
2805 @subsection Setting up keywords for individual files
2806 @cindex keyword options
2807 @cindex per file keywords
2809 It can be very useful to use different aspects of the TODO mechanism in
2810 different files. For file-local settings, you need to add special lines
2811 to the file which set the keywords and interpretation for that file
2812 only. For example, to set one of the two examples discussed above, you
2813 need one of the following lines, starting in column zero anywhere in the
2817 #+SEQ_TODO: TODO FEEDBACK VERIFY | DONE CANCELED
2821 #+TYP_TODO: Fred Sara Lucy Mike | DONE
2824 A setup for using several sets in parallel would be:
2827 #+SEQ_TODO: TODO | DONE
2828 #+SEQ_TODO: REPORT BUG KNOWNCAUSE | FIXED
2829 #+SEQ_TODO: | CANCELED
2832 @cindex completion, of option keywords
2834 @noindent To make sure you are using the correct keyword, type
2835 @samp{#+} into the buffer and then use @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} completion.
2837 @cindex DONE, final TODO keyword
2838 Remember that the keywords after the vertical bar (or the last keyword
2839 if no bar is there) must always mean that the item is DONE (although you
2840 may use a different word). After changing one of these lines, use
2841 @kbd{C-c C-c} with the cursor still in the line to make the changes
2842 known to Org-mode@footnote{Org-mode parses these lines only when
2843 Org-mode is activated after visiting a file. @kbd{C-c C-c} with the
2844 cursor in a line starting with @samp{#+} is simply restarting Org-mode
2845 for the current buffer.}.
2847 @node Faces for TODO keywords, , Per file keywords, TODO extensions
2848 @subsection Faces for TODO keywords
2849 @cindex faces, for TODO keywords
2851 Org-mode highlights TODO keywords with special faces: @code{org-todo}
2852 for keywords indicating that an item still has to be acted upon, and
2853 @code{org-done} for keywords indicating that an item is finished. If
2854 you are using more than 2 different states, you might want to use
2855 special faces for some of them. This can be done using the variable
2856 @code{org-todo-keyword-faces}. For example:
2859 (setq org-todo-keyword-faces
2860 '(("TODO" . org-warning)
2861 ("DEFERRED" . shadow)
2862 ("CANCELED" . (:foreground "blue" :weight bold))))
2866 @node Progress logging, Priorities, TODO extensions, TODO items
2867 @section Progress Logging
2868 @cindex progress logging
2869 @cindex logging, of progress
2871 Org-mode can automatically record a time stamp and even a note when you
2872 mark a TODO item as DONE, or even each time you change the state of
2876 * Closing items:: When was this entry marked DONE?
2877 * Tracking TODO state changes:: When did the status change?
2880 @node Closing items, Tracking TODO state changes, Progress logging, Progress logging
2881 @subsection Closing items
2883 If you want to keep track of @emph{when} a certain TODO item was
2884 finished, turn on logging with@footnote{The corresponding in-buffer
2885 setting is: @code{#+STARTUP: logdone}. You may also set this for the
2886 scope of a subtree by adding a @code{LOGGING} property with one or more
2887 of the logging keywords in the value.}
2890 (setq org-log-done t)
2894 Then each time you turn a TODO entry into DONE using either @kbd{C-c
2895 C-t} in the Org-mode buffer or @kbd{t} in the agenda buffer, a line
2896 @samp{CLOSED: [timestamp]} will be inserted just after the headline. If
2897 you turn the entry back into a TODO item through further state cycling,
2898 that line will be removed again. In the timeline (@pxref{Timeline}) and
2899 in the agenda (@pxref{Weekly/Daily agenda}), you can then use the
2900 @kbd{l} key to display the TODO items closed on each day, giving you an
2901 overview of what has been done on a day. If you want to record a note
2902 along with the timestamp, use@footnote{The corresponding in-buffer
2903 setting is: @code{#+STARTUP: lognotedone}}
2906 (setq org-log-done '(done))
2909 @node Tracking TODO state changes, , Closing items, Progress logging
2910 @subsection Tracking TODO state changes
2912 When TODO keywords are used as workflow states (@pxref{Workflow
2913 states}), you might want to keep track of when a state change occurred
2914 and record a note about this change. With the setting@footnote{The
2915 corresponding in-buffer setting is: @code{#+STARTUP: lognotestate}.}
2918 (setq org-log-done '(state))
2922 each state change will prompt you for a note that will be attached to
2923 the current headline. If you press @kbd{C-c C-c} without typing
2924 anything into the note buffer, only the time of the state change will be
2925 noted. Very likely you do not want this verbose tracking all the time,
2926 so it is probably better to configure this behavior with in-buffer
2927 options. For example, if you are tracking purchases, put these into a
2928 separate file that contains:
2931 #+SEQ_TODO: TODO(t) ORDERED(o) INVOICE(i) PAYED(p) | RECEIVED(r)
2932 #+STARTUP: lognotestate
2935 If you only need to take a note for some of the states, mark those
2936 states with an additional @samp{@@}, like this:
2939 #+SEQ_TODO: TODO(t) ORDERED(o@@) INVOICE(i@@) PAYED(p) | RECEIVED(r)
2940 #+STARTUP: lognotestate
2943 @node Priorities, Breaking down tasks, Progress logging, TODO items
2947 If you use Org-mode extensively to organize your work, you may end up
2948 with a number of TODO entries so large that you'd like to prioritize
2949 them. This can be done by placing a @emph{priority cookie} into the
2953 *** TODO [#A] Write letter to Sam Fortune
2957 With its standard setup, Org-mode supports priorities @samp{A},
2958 @samp{B}, and @samp{C}. @samp{A} is the highest priority. An entry
2959 without a cookie is treated as priority @samp{B}. Priorities make a
2960 difference only in the agenda (@pxref{Weekly/Daily agenda}).
2965 Set the priority of the current headline. The command prompts for a
2966 priority character @samp{A}, @samp{B} or @samp{C}. When you press
2967 @key{SPC} instead, the priority cookie is removed from the headline.
2968 The priorities can also be changed ``remotely'' from the timeline and
2969 agenda buffer with the @kbd{,} command (@pxref{Agenda commands}).
2972 @kindex S-@key{down}
2975 Increase/decrease priority of current headline@footnote{See also the
2976 option @code{org-priority-start-cycle-with-default'}.}. Note that these
2977 keys are also used to modify time stamps (@pxref{Creating timestamps}).
2978 Furthermore, these keys are also used by CUA-mode (@pxref{Conflicts}).
2981 You can change the range of allowed priorities by setting the variables
2982 @code{org-highest-priority}, @code{org-lowest-priority}, and
2983 @code{org-default-priority}. For an individual buffer, you may set
2984 these values (highest, lowest, default) like this (please make sure that
2985 the highest priority is earlier in the alphabet than the lowest
2992 @node Breaking down tasks, Checkboxes, Priorities, TODO items
2993 @section Breaking tasks down into subtasks
2994 @cindex tasks, breaking down
2996 It is often advisable to break down large tasks into smaller, manageable
2997 subtasks. You can do this by creating an outline tree below a TODO
2998 item, with detailed subtasks on the tree@footnote{To keep subtasks out
2999 of the global TODO list, see the
3000 @code{org-agenda-todo-list-sublevels}.}. Another possibility is the use
3001 of checkboxes to identify (a hierarchy of) a large number of subtasks
3002 (@pxref{Checkboxes}).
3005 @node Checkboxes, , Breaking down tasks, TODO items
3009 Every item in a plain list (@pxref{Plain lists}) can be made a checkbox
3010 by starting it with the string @samp{[ ]}. This feature is similar to
3011 TODO items (@pxref{TODO items}), but more lightweight. Checkboxes are
3012 not included into the global TODO list, so they are often great to split
3013 a task into a number of simple steps. Or you can use them in a shopping
3014 list. To toggle a checkbox, use @kbd{C-c C-c}, or try Piotr Zielinski's
3015 @file{org-mouse.el}. Here is an example of a checkbox list.
3018 * TODO Organize party [3/6]
3024 - [ ] think about what music to play
3025 - [X] talk to the neighbors
3028 @cindex statistics, for checkboxes
3029 @cindex checkbox statistics
3030 The @samp{[3/6]} and @samp{[1/3]} in the first and second line are
3031 cookies indicating how many checkboxes are present in this entry, and
3032 how many of them have been checked off. This can give you an idea on
3033 how many checkboxes remain, even without opening a folded entry. The
3034 cookies can be placed into a headline or into (the first line of) a
3035 plain list item. Each cookie covers all checkboxes structurally below
3036 that headline/item. You have to insert the cookie yourself by typing
3037 either @samp{[/]} or @samp{[%]}. In the first case you get an @samp{n
3038 out of m} result, in the second case you get information about the
3039 percentage of checkboxes checked (in the above example, this would be
3040 @samp{[50%]} and @samp{[33%], respectively}).
3042 @noindent The following commands work with checkboxes:
3047 Toggle checkbox at point. With prefix argument, set it to @samp{[-]},
3048 which is considered to be an intermediate state.
3051 Toggle checkbox at point.
3054 If there is an active region, toggle the first checkbox in the region
3055 and set all remaining boxes to the same status as the first. If you
3056 want to toggle all boxes in the region independently, use a prefix
3059 If the cursor is in a headline, toggle checkboxes in the region between
3060 this headline and the next (so @emph{not} the entire subtree).
3062 If there is no active region, just toggle the checkbox at point.
3064 @kindex M-S-@key{RET}
3066 Insert a new item with a checkbox.
3067 This works only if the cursor is already in a plain list item
3068 (@pxref{Plain lists}).
3071 Update the checkbox statistics in the current outline entry. When
3072 called with a @kbd{C-u} prefix, update the entire file. Checkbox
3073 statistic cookies are updated automatically if you toggle checkboxes
3074 with @kbd{C-c C-c} and make new ones with @kbd{M-S-@key{RET}}. If you
3075 delete boxes or add/change them by hand, use this command to get things
3076 back into synch. Or simply toggle any checkbox twice with @kbd{C-c C-c}.
3080 @node Tags, Properties and columns, TODO items, Top
3083 @cindex headline tagging
3084 @cindex matching, tags
3085 @cindex sparse tree, tag based
3087 If you wish to implement a system of labels and contexts for
3088 cross-correlating information, an excellent way is to assign @i{tags} to
3089 headlines. Org-mode has extensive support for using tags.
3091 Every headline can contain a list of tags, at the end of the headline.
3092 Tags are normal words containing letters, numbers, @samp{_}, and
3093 @samp{@@}. Tags must be preceded and followed by a single colon; like
3094 @samp{:WORK:}. Several tags can be specified like @samp{:WORK:URGENT:}.
3097 * Tag inheritance:: Tags use the tree structure of the outline
3098 * Setting tags:: How to assign tags to a headline
3099 * Tag searches:: Searching for combinations of tags
3102 @node Tag inheritance, Setting tags, Tags, Tags
3103 @section Tag inheritance
3104 @cindex tag inheritance
3105 @cindex inheritance, of tags
3106 @cindex sublevels, inclusion into tags match
3108 @i{Tags} make use of the hierarchical structure of outline trees. If a
3109 heading has a certain tag, all subheadings will inherit the tag as
3110 well. For example, in the list
3113 * Meeting with the French group :WORK:
3114 ** Summary by Frank :BOSS:NOTES:
3115 *** TODO Prepare slides for him :ACTION:
3119 the final heading will have the tags @samp{:WORK:}, @samp{:BOSS:},
3120 @samp{:NOTES:}, and @samp{:ACTION:}. When executing tag searches and
3121 Org-mode finds that a certain headline matches the search criterion, it
3122 will not check any sublevel headline, assuming that these likely also
3123 match, and that the list of matches can become very long. This may
3124 not be what you want, however, and you can influence inheritance and
3125 searching using the variables @code{org-use-tag-inheritance} and
3126 @code{org-tags-match-list-sublevels}.
3128 @node Setting tags, Tag searches, Tag inheritance, Tags
3129 @section Setting tags
3130 @cindex setting tags
3131 @cindex tags, setting
3134 Tags can simply be typed into the buffer at the end of a headline.
3135 After a colon, @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} offers completion on tags. There is
3136 also a special command for inserting tags:
3141 @cindex completion, of tags
3142 Enter new tags for the current headline. Org-mode will either offer
3143 completion or a special single-key interface for setting tags, see
3144 below. After pressing @key{RET}, the tags will be inserted and aligned
3145 to @code{org-tags-column}. When called with a @kbd{C-u} prefix, all
3146 tags in the current buffer will be aligned to that column, just to make
3147 things look nice. TAGS are automatically realigned after promotion,
3148 demotion, and TODO state changes (@pxref{TODO basics}).
3151 Org will support tag insertion based on a @emph{list of tags}. By
3152 default this list is constructed dynamically, containing all tags
3153 currently used in the buffer. You may also globally specify a hard list
3154 of tags with the variable @code{org-tag-alist}. Finally you can set
3155 the default tags for a given file with lines like
3158 #+TAGS: @@WORK @@HOME @@TENNISCLUB
3159 #+TAGS: Laptop Car PC Sailboat
3162 If you have globally defined your preferred set of tags using the
3163 variable @code{org-tag-alist}, but would like to use a dynamic tag list
3164 in a specific file: Just add an empty TAGS option line to that file:
3170 The default support method for entering tags is minibuffer completion.
3171 However, Org-mode also implements a much better method: @emph{fast tag
3172 selection}. This method allows to select and deselect tags with a
3173 single key per tag. To function efficiently, you should assign unique
3174 keys to most tags. This can be done globally with
3177 (setq org-tag-alist '(("@@WORK" . ?w) ("@@HOME" . ?h) ("Laptop" . ?l)))
3180 @noindent or on a per-file basis with
3183 #+TAGS: @@WORK(w) @@HOME(h) @@TENNISCLUB(t) Laptop(l) PC(p)
3187 You can also group together tags that are mutually exclusive. With
3188 curly braces@footnote{In @code{org-mode-alist} use
3189 @code{'(:startgroup)} and @code{'(:endgroup)}, respectively. Several
3190 groups are allowed.}
3193 #+TAGS: @{ @@WORK(w) @@HOME(h) @@TENNISCLUB(t) @} Laptop(l) PC(p)
3196 @noindent you indicate that at most one of @samp{@@WORK}, @samp{@@HOME},
3197 and @samp{@@TENNISCLUB} should be selected.
3199 @noindent Don't forget to press @kbd{C-c C-c} with the cursor in one of
3200 these lines to activate any changes.
3202 If at least one tag has a selection key, pressing @kbd{C-c C-c} will
3203 automatically present you with a special interface, listing inherited
3204 tags, the tags of the current headline, and a list of all legal tags
3205 with corresponding keys@footnote{Keys will automatically be assigned to
3206 tags which have no configured keys.}. In this interface, you can use
3211 Pressing keys assigned to tags will add or remove them from the list of
3212 tags in the current line. Selecting a tag in a group of mutually
3213 exclusive tags will turn off any other tags from that group.
3216 Enter a tag in the minibuffer, even if the tag is not in the predefined
3217 list. You will be able to complete on all tags present in the buffer.
3220 Clear all tags for this line.
3223 Accept the modified set.
3225 Abort without installing changes.
3227 If @kbd{q} is not assigned to a tag, it aborts like @kbd{C-g}.
3229 Turn off groups of mutually exclusive tags. Use this to (as an
3230 exception) assign several tags from such a group.
3232 Toggle auto-exit after the next change (see below).
3233 If you are using expert mode, the first @kbd{C-c} will display the
3238 This method lets you assign tags to a headline with very few keys. With
3239 the above setup, you could clear the current tags and set @samp{@@HOME},
3240 @samp{Laptop} and @samp{PC} tags with just the following keys: @kbd{C-c
3241 C-c @key{SPC} h l p @key{RET}}. Switching from @samp{@@HOME} to
3242 @samp{@@WORK} would be done with @kbd{C-c C-c w @key{RET}} or
3243 alternatively with @kbd{C-c C-c C-c w}. Adding the non-predefined tag
3244 @samp{Sarah} could be done with @kbd{C-c C-c @key{TAB} S a r a h
3245 @key{RET} @key{RET}}.
3247 If you find that most of the time, you need only a single keypress to
3248 modify your list of tags, set the variable
3249 @code{org-fast-tag-selection-single-key}. Then you no longer have to
3250 press @key{RET} to exit fast tag selection - it will immediately exit
3251 after the first change. If you then occasionally need more keys, press
3252 @kbd{C-c} to turn off auto-exit for the current tag selection process
3253 (in effect: start selection with @kbd{C-c C-c C-c} instead of @kbd{C-c
3254 C-c}). If you set the variable to the value @code{expert}, the special
3255 window is not even shown for single-key tag selection, it comes up only
3256 when you press an extra @kbd{C-c}.
3258 @node Tag searches, , Setting tags, Tags
3259 @section Tag searches
3260 @cindex tag searches
3261 @cindex searching for tags
3263 Once a tags system has been set up, it can be used to collect related
3264 information into special lists.
3271 Create a sparse tree with all headlines matching a tags search. With a
3272 @kbd{C-u} prefix argument, ignore headlines that are not a TODO line.
3275 Create a global list of tag matches from all agenda files.
3276 @xref{Matching tags and properties}.
3279 Create a global list of tag matches from all agenda files, but check
3280 only TODO items and force checking subitems (see variable
3281 @code{org-tags-match-list-sublevels}).
3284 @cindex Boolean logic, for tag searches
3285 A @i{tags} search string can use Boolean operators @samp{&} for AND and
3286 @samp{|} for OR. @samp{&} binds more strongly than @samp{|}.
3287 Parenthesis are currently not implemented. A tag may also be preceded
3288 by @samp{-}, to select against it, and @samp{+} is syntactic sugar for
3289 positive selection. The AND operator @samp{&} is optional when @samp{+}
3290 or @samp{-} is present. Examples:
3294 Select headlines tagged @samp{:WORK:}, but discard those also tagged
3297 Selects lines tagged @samp{:WORK:} or @samp{:LAPTOP:}.
3298 @item WORK|LAPTOP&NIGHT
3299 Like before, but require the @samp{:LAPTOP:} lines to be tagged also
3303 @cindex TODO keyword matching, with tags search
3304 If you are using multi-state TODO keywords (@pxref{TODO extensions}), it
3305 can be useful to also match on the TODO keyword. This can be done by
3306 adding a condition after a slash to a tags match. The syntax is similar
3307 to the tag matches, but should be applied with consideration: For
3308 example, a positive selection on several TODO keywords can not
3309 meaningfully be combined with boolean AND. However, @emph{negative
3310 selection} combined with AND can be meaningful. To make sure that only
3311 lines are checked that actually have any TODO keyword, use @kbd{C-c a
3312 M}, or equivalently start the todo part after the slash with @samp{!}.
3317 Select @samp{:WORK:}-tagged TODO lines with the specific TODO
3318 keyword @samp{WAITING}.
3319 @item WORK/!-WAITING-NEXT
3320 Select @samp{:WORK:}-tagged TODO lines that are neither @samp{WAITING}
3322 @item WORK/+WAITING|+NEXT
3323 Select @samp{:WORK:}-tagged TODO lines that are either @samp{WAITING} or
3327 @cindex regular expressions, with tags search
3328 Any element of the tag/todo match can be a regular expression - in this
3329 case it must be enclosed in curly braces. For example,
3330 @samp{WORK+@{^BOSS.*@}} matches headlines that contain the tag
3331 @samp{WORK} and any tag @i{starting} with @samp{BOSS}.
3333 @cindex level, require for tags match
3334 You can also require a headline to be of a certain level, by writing
3335 instead of any TAG an expression like @samp{LEVEL=3}. For example, a
3336 search @samp{+LEVEL=3+BOSS/-DONE} lists all level three headlines that
3337 have the tag BOSS and are @emph{not} marked with the todo keyword DONE.
3339 @node Properties and columns, Timestamps, Tags, Top
3340 @chapter Properties and Columns
3343 Properties are a set of key-value pairs associated with an entry. There
3344 are two main applications for properties in Org-mode. First, properties
3345 are like tags, but with a value. For example, in a file where you
3346 document bugs and plan releases of a piece of software, instead of using
3347 tags like @code{:release_1:}, @code{:release_2:}, it can be more
3348 efficient to use a property @code{RELEASE} with a value @code{1.0} or
3349 @code{2.0}. Second, you can use properties to implement (very basic)
3350 database capabilities in an Org-mode buffer, for example to create a
3351 list of Music CD's you own. You can edit and view properties
3352 conveniently in column view (@pxref{Column view}).
3355 * Property syntax:: How properties are spelled out
3356 * Special properties:: Access to other Org-mode features
3357 * Property searches:: Matching property values
3358 * Column view:: Tabular viewing and editing
3359 * Property API:: Properties for Lisp programmers
3362 @node Property syntax, Special properties, Properties and columns, Properties and columns
3363 @section Property Syntax
3364 @cindex property syntax
3365 @cindex drawer, for properties
3367 Properties are key-value pairs. They need to be inserted into a special
3368 drawer (@pxref{Drawers}) with the name @code{PROPERTIES}. Each property
3369 is specified on a single line, with the key (surrounded by colons)
3370 first, and the value after it. Here is an example:
3375 *** Goldberg Variations
3377 :Title: Goldberg Variations
3378 :Composer: J.S. Bach
3380 :Publisher: Deutsche Grammphon
3385 You may define the allowed values for a particular property @samp{XYZ}
3386 by setting a property @samp{XYZ_ALL}. This special property is
3387 @emph{inherited}, so if you set it in a level 1 entry, it will apply to
3388 the entire tree. When allowed values are defined, setting the
3389 corresponding property becomes easier and is less prone to typing
3390 errors. For the example with the CD collection, we can predefine
3391 publishers and the number of disks in a box like this:
3396 :NDisks_ALL: 1 2 3 4
3397 :Publisher_ALL: "Deutsche Grammophon" Phillips EMI
3401 If you want to set properties that can be inherited by any entry in a
3402 file, use a line like
3405 #+PROPERTY: NDisks_ALL 1 2 3 4
3408 Property values set with the global variable
3409 @code{org-global-properties} can be inherited by all entries in all
3413 The following commands help to work with properties:
3418 After an initial colon in a line, complete property keys. All keys used
3419 in the current file will be offered as possible completions.
3422 Set a property. This prompts for a property name and a value. If
3423 necessary, the property drawer is created as well.
3424 @item M-x org-insert-property-drawer
3425 Insert a property drawer into the current entry. The drawer will be
3426 inserted early in the entry, but after the lines with planning
3427 information like deadlines.
3430 With the cursor in a property drawer, this executes property commands.
3432 Set a property in the current entry. Both the property and the value
3433 can be inserted using completion.
3434 @kindex S-@key{right}
3435 @kindex S-@key{left}
3436 @item S-@key{left}/@key{right}
3437 Switch property at point to the next/previous allowed value.
3439 Remove a property from the current entry.
3441 Globally remove a property, from all entries in the current file.
3443 Compute the property at point, using the operator and scope from the
3444 nearest column format definition.
3447 @node Special properties, Property searches, Property syntax, Properties and columns
3448 @section Special Properties
3449 @cindex properties, special
3451 Special properties provide alternative access method to Org-mode
3452 features discussed in the previous chapters, like the TODO state or the
3453 priority of an entry. This interface exists so that you can include
3454 these states into columns view (@pxref{Column view}). The following
3455 property names are special and should not be used as keys in the
3459 TODO @r{The TODO keyword of the entry.}
3460 TAGS @r{The tags defined directly in the headline.}
3461 ALLTAGS @r{All tags, including inherited ones.}
3462 PRIORITY @r{The priority of the entry, a string with a single letter.}
3463 DEADLINE @r{The deadline time string, without the angular brackets.}
3464 SCHEDULED @r{The scheduling time stamp, without the angular brackets.}
3467 @node Property searches, Column view, Special properties, Properties and columns
3468 @section Property searches
3469 @cindex properties, searching
3470 @cindex properties, inheritance
3471 @cindex searching, of properties
3472 @cindex inheritance, of properties
3474 To create sparse trees and special lists with selection based on
3475 properties, the same commands are used as for tag searches (@pxref{Tag
3476 searches}), and the same logic applies. For example, a search string
3479 +WORK-BOSS+PRIORITY="A"+coffee="unlimited"+with=@{Sarah\|Denny@}
3483 finds entries tagged @samp{:WORK:} but not @samp{:BOSS:}, which
3484 also have a priority value @samp{A}, a @samp{:coffee:} property with the
3485 value @samp{unlimited}, and a @samp{:with:} property that is matched by
3486 the regular expression @samp{Sarah\|Denny}.
3488 During a search, properties will be inherited from parent entries only
3489 if you configure the variable @code{org-use-property-inheritance}.
3491 There is also a special command for creating sparse trees based on a
3497 Create a sparse tree based on the value of a property. This first
3498 prompts for the name of a property, and then for a value. A sparse tree
3499 is created with all entries that define this property with the given
3500 value. If you enclose the value into curly braces, it is interpreted as
3501 a regular expression and matched against the property values.
3505 @node Column view, Property API, Property searches, Properties and columns
3506 @section Column View
3508 A great way to view and edit properties in an outline tree is
3509 @emph{column view}. In column view, each outline item is turned into a
3510 table row. Columns in this table provide access to properties of the
3511 entries. Org-mode implements columns by overlaying a tabular structure
3512 over the headline of each item. While the headlines have been turned
3513 into a table row, you can still change the visibility of the outline
3514 tree. For example, you get a compact table by switching to CONTENTS
3515 view (@kbd{S-@key{TAB} S-@key{TAB}}, or simply @kbd{c} while column view
3516 is active), but you can still open, read, and edit the entry below each
3517 headline. Or, you can switch to column view after executing a sparse
3518 tree command and in this way get a table only for the selected items.
3519 Column view also works in agenda buffers (@pxref{Agenda views}) where
3520 queries have collected selected items, possibly from a number of files.
3523 * Defining columns:: The COLUMNS format property
3524 * Using column view:: How to create and use column view
3527 @node Defining columns, Using column view, Column view, Column view
3528 @subsection Defining Columns
3529 @cindex column view, for properties
3530 @cindex properties, column view
3532 Setting up a column view first requires defining the columns. This is
3533 done by defining a column format line.
3536 * Scope of column definitions:: Where defined, where valid?
3537 * Column attributes:: Appearance and content of a column
3540 @node Scope of column definitions, Column attributes, Defining columns, Defining columns
3541 @subsubsection Scope of column definitions
3543 To define a column format for an entire file, use a line like
3546 #+COLUMNS: %25ITEM %TAGS %PRIORITY %TODO
3549 To specify a format that only applies to a specific tree, add a COLUMNS
3550 property to the top node of that tree, for example
3552 ** Top node for columns view
3554 :COLUMNS: %25ITEM %TAGS %PRIORITY %TODO
3558 If a @code{COLUMNS} property is present in an entry, it defines columns
3559 for the entry itself, and for the entire subtree below it. Since the
3560 column definition is part of the hierarchical structure of the document,
3561 you can define columns on level 1 that are general enough for all
3562 sublevels, and more specific columns further down, when you edit a
3563 deeper part of the tree.
3565 @node Column attributes, , Scope of column definitions, Defining columns
3566 @subsubsection Column attributes
3567 A column definition sets the attributes of a column. The general
3568 definition looks like this:
3571 %[width]property[(title)][@{summary-type@}]
3575 Except for the percent sign and the property name, all items are
3576 optional. The individual parts have the following meaning:
3579 width @r{An integer specifying the width of the column in characters.}
3580 @r{If omitted, the width will be determined automatically.}
3581 property @r{The property that should be edited in this column.}
3582 (title) @r{The header text for the column. If omitted, the}
3583 @r{property name is used.}
3584 @{summary-type@} @r{The summary type. If specified, the column values for}
3585 @r{parent nodes are computed from the children.}
3586 @r{Supported summary types are:}
3587 @{+@} @r{Sum numbers in this column.}
3588 @{:@} @r{Sum times, HH:MM:SS, plain numbers are hours.}
3589 @{X@} @r{Checkbox status, [X] if all children are [X].}
3593 Here is an example for a complete columns definition, along with allowed
3597 :COLUMNS: %20ITEM %9Approved(Approved?)@{X@} %Owner %11Status %10Time_Spent@{:@}
3598 :Owner_ALL: Tammy Mark Karl Lisa Don
3599 :Status_ALL: "In progress" "Not started yet" "Finished" ""
3600 :Approved_ALL: "[ ]" "[X]"
3603 The first column, @samp{%25ITEM}, means the first 25 characters of the
3604 item itself, i.e. of the headline. You probably always should start the
3605 column definition with the ITEM specifier. The other specifiers create
3606 columns @samp{Owner} with a list of names as allowed values, for
3607 @samp{Status} with four different possible values, and for a checkbox
3608 field @samp{Approved}. When no width is given after the @samp{%}
3609 character, the column will be exactly as wide as it needs to be in order
3610 to fully display all values. The @samp{Approved} column does have a
3611 modified title (@samp{Approved?}, with a question mark). Summaries will
3612 be created for the @samp{Time_Spent} column by adding time duration
3613 expressions like HH:MM, and for the @samp{Approved} column, by providing
3614 an @samp{[X]} status if all children have been checked.
3616 @node Using column view, , Defining columns, Column view
3617 @subsection Using Column View
3620 @tsubheading{Turning column view on and off}
3623 Create the column view for the local environment. This command searches
3624 the hierarchy, up from point, for a @code{COLUMNS} property that defines
3625 a format. When one is found, the column view table is established for
3626 the entire tree, starting from the entry that contains the @code{COLUMNS}
3627 property. If none is found, the format is taken from the @code{#+COLUMNS}
3628 line or from the variable @code{org-columns-default-format}, and column
3629 view is established for the current entry and its subtree.
3633 @tsubheading{Editing values}
3634 @item @key{left} @key{right} @key{up} @key{down}
3635 Move through the column view from field to field.
3636 @kindex S-@key{left}
3637 @kindex S-@key{right}
3638 @item S-@key{left}/@key{right}
3639 Switch to the next/previous allowed value of the field. For this, you
3640 have to have specified allowed values for a property.
3644 Same as @kbd{S-@key{left}/@key{right}}
3647 Edit the property at point. For the special properties, this will
3648 invoke the same interface that you normally use to change that
3649 property. For example, when editing a TAGS property, the tag completion
3650 or fast selection interface will pop up.
3653 View the full value of this property. This is useful if the width of
3654 the column is smaller than that of the value.
3657 Edit the list of allowed values for this property. If the list is found
3658 in the hierarchy, the modified values is stored there. If no list is
3659 found, the new value is stored in the first entry that is part of the
3660 current column view.
3661 @tsubheading{Modifying the table structure}
3665 Make the column narrower/wider by one character.
3666 @kindex S-M-@key{right}
3667 @item S-M-@key{right}
3668 Insert a new column, to the right of the current column.
3669 @kindex S-M-@key{left}
3670 @item S-M-@key{left}
3671 Delete the current column.
3674 @node Property API, , Column view, Properties and columns
3675 @section The Property API
3676 @cindex properties, API
3677 @cindex API, for properties
3679 There is a full API for accessing and changing properties. This API can
3680 be used by Emacs Lisp programs to work with properties and to implement
3681 features based on them. For more information see @ref{Using the
3684 @node Timestamps, Remember, Properties and columns, Top
3689 Items can be labeled with timestamps to make them useful for project
3693 * Time stamps:: Assigning a time to a tree entry
3694 * Creating timestamps:: Commands which insert timestamps
3695 * Deadlines and scheduling:: Planning your work
3696 * Clocking work time::
3700 @node Time stamps, Creating timestamps, Timestamps, Timestamps
3701 @section Time stamps, deadlines and scheduling
3703 @cindex ranges, time
3708 A time stamp is a specification of a date (possibly with time or a range
3709 of times) in a special format, either @samp{<2003-09-16 Tue>} or
3710 @samp{<2003-09-16 Tue 09:39>} or @samp{<2003-09-16 Tue
3711 12:00-12:30>}@footnote{This is the standard ISO date/time format. If
3712 you cannot get used to these, see @ref{Custom time format}}. A time
3713 stamp can appear anywhere in the headline or body of an org-tree entry.
3714 Its presence causes entries to be shown on specific dates in the agenda
3715 (@pxref{Weekly/Daily agenda}). We distinguish:
3718 @item Plain time stamp, Event, Appointment
3720 A simple time stamp just assigns a date/time to an item. This is just
3721 like writing down an appointment or event in a paper agenda. In the
3722 timeline and agenda displays, the headline of an entry associated with a
3723 plain time stamp will be shown exactly on that date.
3726 * Meet Peter at the movies <2006-11-01 Wed 19:15>
3727 * Discussion on climate change <2006-11-02 Thu 20:00-22:00>
3730 @item Time stamp with repeater interval
3731 @cindex timestamp, with repeater interval
3732 A time stamp may contain a @emph{repeater interval}, indicating that it
3733 applies not only on the given date, but again and again after a certain
3734 interval of N days (d), weeks (w), months(m), or years(y). The
3735 following will show up in the agenda every Wednesday:
3738 * Pick up Sam at school <2007-05-16 Wed 12:30 +1w>
3741 @item Diary-style sexp entries
3742 For more complex date specifications, Org-mode supports using the
3743 special sexp diary entries implemented in the Emacs calendar/diary
3744 package. For example
3747 * The nerd meeting on every 2nd Thursday of the month
3748 <%%(diary-float t 4 2)>
3751 @item Time/Date range
3754 Two time stamps connected by @samp{--} denote a range. The headline
3755 will be shown on the first and last day of the range, and on any dates
3756 that are displayed and fall in the range. Here is an example:
3759 ** Meeting in Amsterdam
3760 <2004-08-23 Mon>--<2004-08-26 Thu>
3763 @item Inactive time stamp
3764 @cindex timestamp, inactive
3765 @cindex inactive timestamp
3766 Just like a plain time stamp, but with square brackets instead of
3767 angular ones. These time stamps are inactive in the sense that they do
3768 @emph{not} trigger an entry to show up in the agenda.
3771 * Gillian comes late for the fifth time [2006-11-01 Wed]
3776 @node Creating timestamps, Deadlines and scheduling, Time stamps, Timestamps
3777 @section Creating timestamps
3778 @cindex creating timestamps
3779 @cindex timestamps, creating
3781 For Org-mode to recognize time stamps, they need to be in the specific
3782 format. All commands listed below produce time stamps in the correct
3788 Prompt for a date and insert a corresponding time stamp. When the
3789 cursor is at a previously used time stamp, it is updated to NOW. When
3790 this command is used twice in succession, a time range is inserted.
3794 Like @kbd{C-c .}, but use the alternative format which contains date
3795 and time. The default time can be rounded to multiples of 5 minutes,
3796 see the option @code{org-time-stamp-rounding-minutes}.
3800 Like @kbd{C-c .}, but insert an inactive time stamp that will not cause
3805 Insert a time stamp corresponding to the cursor date in the Calendar.
3809 Access the Emacs calendar for the current date. If there is a
3810 timestamp in the current line, goto the corresponding date
3815 Access the agenda for the date given by the time stamp or -range at
3816 point (@pxref{Weekly/Daily agenda}).
3818 @kindex S-@key{left}
3819 @kindex S-@key{right}
3821 @itemx S-@key{right}
3822 Change date at cursor by one day. These key bindings conflict with
3823 CUA-mode (@pxref{Conflicts}).
3826 @kindex S-@key{down}
3829 Change the item under the cursor in a timestamp. The cursor can be on a
3830 year, month, day, hour or minute. Note that if the cursor is in a
3831 headline and not at a time stamp, these same keys modify the priority of
3832 an item. (@pxref{Priorities}). The key bindings also conflict with
3833 CUA-mode (@pxref{Conflicts}).
3836 @cindex evaluate time range
3838 Evaluate a time range by computing the difference between start and
3839 end. With prefix arg, insert result after the time range (in a table:
3840 into the following column).
3845 * The date/time prompt:: How org-mode helps you entering date and time
3846 * Custom time format:: Making dates look differently
3849 @node The date/time prompt, Custom time format, Creating timestamps, Creating timestamps
3850 @subsection The date/time prompt
3851 @cindex date, reading in minibuffer
3852 @cindex time, reading in minibuffer
3854 When Org-mode prompts for a date/time, the prompt suggests to enter an
3855 ISO date. But it will in fact accept any string containing some date
3856 and/or time information. You can, for example, use @kbd{C-y} to paste a
3857 (possibly multi-line) string copied from an email message. Org-mode
3858 will find whatever information is in there and will replace anything not
3859 specified with the @emph{default date and time}. The default is usually
3860 the current date and time, but when modifying an existing time stamp, or
3861 when entering the second stamp of a range, it is taken from the stamp in
3862 the buffer. For example:
3865 3-2-5 --> 2003-02-05
3866 feb 15 --> defaultyear-02-15
3867 sep 12 9 --> 2009-09-12
3868 12:45 --> default-date 12:45
3869 22 sept 0:34 --> defaultyear-09-22 0:34
3870 12 --> defaultyear-defaultmonth-12
3871 Fri --> nearest Friday (defaultdate or later)
3874 Furthermore you can specify a relative date by giving, as the
3875 @emph{first} thing in the input: a plus/minus sign, a number and a
3876 letter [dwmy] to indicate change in days weeks, months, years. With a
3877 single plus or minus, the date is always relative to today. With a
3878 double plus or minus, it is relative to the default date. E.g.
3881 +4d --> four days from today
3882 +4 --> same as above
3883 +2w --> two weeks from today
3884 ++5 --> five days from default date
3887 The function understands English month and weekday abbreviations. If
3888 you want to use unabbreviated names and/or other languages, configure
3889 the variables @code{parse-time-months} and @code{parse-time-weekdays}.
3891 @cindex calendar, for selecting date
3892 Parallel to the minibuffer prompt, a calendar is popped up@footnote{If
3893 you don't need/want the calendar, configure the variable
3894 @code{org-popup-calendar-for-date-prompt}.}. When you exit the date
3895 prompt, either by clicking on a date in the calendar, or by pressing
3896 @key{RET}, the date selected in the calendar will be combined with the
3897 information entered at the prompt. You can control the calendar fully
3898 from the minibuffer:
3903 Scroll calendar backwards by one month.
3906 Scroll calendar forwards by one month.
3909 Select date by clicking on it.
3910 @kindex S-@key{right}
3913 @kindex S-@key{left}
3916 @kindex S-@key{down}
3922 @kindex M-S-@key{right}
3923 @item M-S-@key{right}
3925 @kindex M-S-@key{left}
3926 @item M-S-@key{left}
3930 Choose date in calendar (only if nothing was typed into minibuffer).
3933 @node Custom time format, , The date/time prompt, Creating timestamps
3934 @subsection Custom time format
3935 @cindex custom date/time format
3936 @cindex time format, custom
3937 @cindex date format, custom
3939 Org-mode uses the standard ISO notation for dates and times as it is
3940 defined in ISO 8601. If you cannot get used to this and require another
3941 representation of date and time to keep you happy, you can get it by
3942 customizing the variables @code{org-display-custom-times} and
3943 @code{org-time-stamp-custom-formats}.
3948 Toggle the display of custom formats for dates and times.
3952 Org-mode needs the default format for scanning, so the custom date/time
3953 format does not @emph{replace} the default format - instead it is put
3954 @emph{over} the default format using text properties. This has the
3955 following consequences:
3958 You cannot place the cursor onto a time stamp anymore, only before or
3961 The @kbd{S-@key{up}/@key{down}} keys can no longer be used to adjust
3962 each component of a time stamp. If the cursor is at the beginning of
3963 the stamp, @kbd{S-@key{up}/@key{down}} will change the stamp by one day,
3964 just like @kbd{S-@key{left}/@key{right}}. At the end of the stamp, the
3965 time will be changed by one minute.
3967 If the time stamp contains a range of clock times or a repeater, these
3968 will not be overlayed, but remain in the buffer as they were.
3970 When you delete a time stamp character-by-character, it will only
3971 disappear from the buffer after @emph{all} (invisible) characters
3972 belonging to the ISO timestamp have been removed.
3974 If the custom time stamp format is longer than the default and you are
3975 using dates in tables, table alignment will be messed up. If the custom
3976 format is shorter, things do work as expected.
3980 @node Deadlines and scheduling, Clocking work time, Creating timestamps, Timestamps
3981 @section Deadlines and Scheduling
3983 A time stamp may be preceded by special keywords to facilitate planning
3988 @cindex DEADLINE keyword
3989 The task (most likely a TODO item) is supposed to be finished on that
3990 date, and it will be listed then. In addition, the compilation for
3991 @emph{today} will carry a warning about the approaching or missed
3992 deadline, starting @code{org-deadline-warning-days} before the due date,
3993 and continuing until the entry is marked DONE. An example:
3996 *** TODO write article about the Earth for the Guide
3997 The editor in charge is [[bbdb:Ford Prefect]]
3998 DEADLINE: <2004-02-29 Sun>
4001 You can specify a different lead time for warnings for a specific
4002 deadlines using the following syntax. Here is an example with a warning
4003 period of 5 days @code{DEADLINE: <2004-02-29 Sun -5d>}.
4006 @cindex SCHEDULED keyword
4007 You are planning to start working on that task on the given date. The
4008 headline will be listed under the given date@footnote{It will still be
4009 listed on that date after it has been marked DONE. If you don't like
4010 this, set the variable @code{org-agenda-skip-scheduled-if-done}.}. In
4011 addition, a reminder that the scheduled date has passed will be present
4012 in the compilation for @emph{today}, until the entry is marked DONE.
4013 I.e., the task will automatically be forwarded until completed.
4016 *** TODO Call Trillian for a date on New Years Eve.
4017 SCHEDULED: <2004-12-25 Sat>
4021 @b{Important:} Scheduling an item in Org-mode should @i{not} be
4022 understood like @i{Scheduling a meeting}. Setting a date for a meeting
4023 is just a simple appointment, you should mark this entry with a simple
4024 plain time stamp, to get this item shown on the date where it applies.
4025 This is a frequent mis-understanding from Org-users. In Org-mode,
4026 @i{Scheduling} means setting a date when you want to start working on an
4031 * Inserting deadline/schedule:: Planning items
4032 * Repeated tasks:: Items that show up again and again
4035 @node Inserting deadline/schedule, Repeated tasks, Deadlines and scheduling, Deadlines and scheduling
4036 @subsection Inserting deadline/schedule
4038 The following commands allow to quickly insert a deadline or to schedule
4045 Insert @samp{DEADLINE} keyword along with a stamp. The insertion will
4046 happen in the line directly following the headline. When called with a
4047 prefix arg, an existing deadline will be removed from the entry.
4048 @c FIXME Any CLOSED timestamp will be removed.????????
4051 @cindex sparse tree, for deadlines
4053 Create a sparse tree with all deadlines that are either past-due, or
4054 which will become due within @code{org-deadline-warning-days}.
4055 With @kbd{C-u} prefix, show all deadlines in the file. With a numeric
4056 prefix, check that many days. For example, @kbd{C-1 C-c C-w} shows
4057 all deadlines due tomorrow.
4061 Insert @samp{SCHEDULED} keyword along with a stamp. The insertion will
4062 happen in the line directly following the headline. Any CLOSED
4063 timestamp will be removed. When called with a prefix argument, remove
4064 the scheduling date from the entry.
4067 @node Repeated tasks, , Inserting deadline/schedule, Deadlines and scheduling
4068 @subsection Repeated Tasks
4070 Some tasks need to be repeated again and again, and Org-mode therefore
4071 allows to use a repeater in a DEADLINE or SCHEDULED time stamp, for
4074 ** TODO Pay the rent
4075 DEADLINE: <2005-10-01 Sat +1m>
4078 Deadlines and scheduled items produce entries in the agenda when they
4079 are over-due, so it is important to be able to mark such an entry as
4080 completed once you have done so. When you mark a DEADLINE or a SCHEDULE
4081 with the todo keyword DONE, it will no longer produce entries in the
4082 agenda. The problem with this is, however, that then also the
4083 @emph{next} instance of the repeated entry will not be active. Org-mode
4084 deals with this in the following way: When you try to mark such an entry
4085 DONE (using @kbd{C-c C-t}), it will shift the base date of the repeating
4086 time stamp by the repeater interval, and immediately set the entry state
4087 back to TODO. In the example above, setting the state to DONE would
4088 actually switch the date like this:
4091 ** TODO Pay the rent
4092 DEADLINE: <2005-11-01 Tue +1m>
4095 You will also be prompted for a note@footnote{You can change this using
4096 the option @code{org-log-repeat}, or the @code{#+STARTUP} options
4097 @code{logrepeat} and @code{nologrepeat}.} that will be put under the
4098 DEADLINE line to keep a record that you actually acted on the previous
4099 instance of this deadline.
4101 As a consequence of shifting the base date, this entry will no longer be
4102 visible in the agenda when checking past dates, but all future instances
4105 You may have both scheduling and deadline information for a specific
4106 task - just make sure that the repeater intervals on both are the same.
4108 @node Clocking work time, , Deadlines and scheduling, Timestamps
4109 @section Clocking work time
4111 Org-mode allows you to clock the time you spent on specific tasks in a
4112 project. When you start working on an item, you can start the clock.
4113 When you stop working on that task, or when you mark the task done, the
4114 clock is stopped and the corresponding time interval is recorded. It
4115 also computes the total time spent on each subtree of a project.
4120 Start the clock on the current item (clock-in). This inserts the CLOCK
4121 keyword together with a timestamp. If this is not the first clocking of
4122 this item, the multiple CLOCK lines will be wrapped into a
4123 @code{:CLOCK:} drawer (see also the variable
4124 @code{org-clock-into-drawer}.
4127 Stop the clock (clock-out). The inserts another timestamp at the same
4128 location where the clock was last started. It also directly computes
4129 the resulting time in inserts it after the time range as @samp{=>
4130 HH:MM}. See the variable @code{org-log-done} for the possibility to
4131 record an additional note together with the clock-out time
4132 stamp@footnote{The corresponding in-buffer setting is: @code{#+STARTUP:
4136 Recompute the time interval after changing one of the time stamps. This
4137 is only necessary if you edit the time stamps directly. If you change
4138 them with @kbd{S-@key{cursor}} keys, the update is automatic.
4141 Changing the TODO state of an item to DONE automatically stops the clock
4142 if it is running in this same item.
4145 Cancel the current clock. This is useful if a clock was started by
4146 mistake, or if you ended up working on something else.
4149 Jump to the entry that contains the currently running clock, an another
4153 Display time summaries for each subtree in the current buffer. This
4154 puts overlays at the end of each headline, showing the total time
4155 recorded under that heading, including the time of any subheadings. You
4156 can use visibility cycling to study the tree, but the overlays disappear
4157 when you change the buffer (see variable
4158 @code{org-remove-highlights-with-change}) or press @kbd{C-c C-c}.
4161 Insert a dynamic block (@pxref{Dynamic blocks}) containing a clock
4162 report as an org-mode table into the current file. When the cursor is
4163 at an existing clock table, just update it. When called with a prefix
4164 argument, jump to the first clock report in the current document and
4167 #+BEGIN: clocktable :maxlevel 2 :emphasize nil :scope file
4172 If such a block already exists at point, its content is replaced by the
4173 new table. The @samp{BEGIN} line can specify options:
4175 :maxlevel @r{Maximum level depth to which times are listed in the table.}
4176 :emphasize @r{When @code{t}, emphasize level one and level two items}
4177 :scope @r{The scope to consider. This can be any of the following:}
4178 nil @r{the current buffer or narrowed region}
4179 file @r{the full current buffer}
4180 subtree @r{the subtree where the clocktable is located}
4181 treeN @r{the surrounding level N tree, for example @code{tree3}}
4182 tree @r{the surrounding level 1 tree}
4183 agenda @r{all agenda files}
4184 ("file"..) @r{scan these files}
4185 :block @r{The time block to consider. This block is specified relative}
4186 @r{to the current time and may be any of these keywords:}
4187 @r{@code{today}, @code{yesterday}, @code{thisweek}, @code{lastweek},}
4188 @r{@code{thismonth}, @code{lastmonth}, @code{thisyear}, or @code{lastyear}}.
4189 :tstart @r{A time string specifying when to start considering times}
4190 :tend @r{A time string specifying when to stop considering times}
4192 So to get a clock summary of the current level 1 tree, for the current
4193 day, you could write
4195 #+BEGIN: clocktable :maxlevel 2 :block today :scope tree1
4199 and to use a specific time range you could write@footnote{Note that all
4200 parameters must be specified in a single line - the line is broken here
4201 only to fit it onto the manual.}
4203 #+BEGIN: clocktable :tstart "<2006-08-10 Thu 10:00>"
4204 :tend "<2006-08-10 Thu 12:00>"
4212 Update dynamical block at point. The cursor needs to be in the
4213 @code{#+BEGIN} line of the dynamic block.
4214 @kindex C-u C-c C-x C-u
4215 @item C-u C-c C-x C-u
4216 Update all dynamic blocks (@pxref{Dynamic blocks}). This is useful if
4217 you have several clocktable blocks in a buffer.
4220 The @kbd{l} key may be used in the timeline (@pxref{Timeline}) and in
4221 the agenda (@pxref{Weekly/Daily agenda}) to show which tasks have been
4222 worked on or closed during a day.
4224 @node Remember, Agenda views, Timestamps, Top
4226 @cindex @file{remember.el}
4228 The @i{Remember} package by John Wiegley lets you store quick notes with
4229 little interruption of your work flow. See
4230 @uref{http://www.emacswiki.org/cgi-bin/wiki/RememberMode} for more
4231 information. It is an excellent way to add new notes and TODO items to
4232 Org-mode files. Org-mode significantly expands the possibilities of
4233 @i{remember}: You may define templates for different note types, and
4234 associate target files and headlines with specific templates. It also
4235 allows you to select the location where a note should be stored
4236 interactively, on the fly.
4239 * Setting up remember:: Some code for .emacs to get things going
4240 * Remember templates:: Define the outline of different note types
4241 * Storing notes:: Directly get the note to where it belongs
4244 @node Setting up remember, Remember templates, Remember, Remember
4245 @section Setting up remember
4247 The following customization will tell @i{remember} to use org files as
4248 target, and to create annotations compatible with Org-mode links.
4251 (setq org-directory "~/path/to/my/orgfiles/")
4252 (setq org-default-notes-file (concat org-directory "/notes.org"))
4253 (setq remember-annotation-functions '(org-remember-annotation))
4254 (setq remember-handler-functions '(org-remember-handler))
4255 (add-hook 'remember-mode-hook 'org-remember-apply-template)
4259 @node Remember templates, Storing notes, Setting up remember, Remember
4260 @section Remember templates
4261 @cindex templates, for remember
4263 In combination with Org-mode, you can use templates to generate
4264 different types of @i{remember} notes. For example, if you would like
4265 to use one template to create general TODO entries, another one for
4266 journal entries, and a third one for collecting random ideas, you could
4270 (setq org-remember-templates
4271 '(("Todo" ?t "* TODO %?\n %i\n %a" "~/org/TODO.org" "Tasks")
4272 ("Journal" ?j "* %U %?\n\n %i\n %a" "~/org/JOURNAL.org")
4273 ("Idea" ?i "* %^@{Title@}\n %i\n %a" "~/org/JOURNAL.org" "New Ideas")))
4276 @noindent In these entries, the first string is just a name, and the
4277 character specifies how to select the template. It is useful if the
4278 character is also the first letter of the name. The next string
4279 specifies the template. Two more (optional) strings give the file in
4280 which, and the headline under which the new note should be stored. The
4281 file defaults (if not present or @code{nil}) to
4282 @code{org-default-notes-file}, the heading to
4283 @code{org-remember-default-headline}. Both defaults help to get to the
4284 storing location quickly, but you can change the location interactively
4285 while storing the note.
4287 When you call @kbd{M-x remember} (or @kbd{M-x org-remember}) to remember
4288 something, org will prompt for a key to select the template (if you have
4289 more than one template) and then prepare the buffer like
4292 [[file:link to where you called remember]]
4296 During expansion of the template, special @kbd{%}-escapes allow dynamic
4297 insertion of content:
4299 %^@{prompt@} @r{prompt the user for a string and replace this sequence with it.}
4300 %t @r{time stamp, date only}
4301 %T @r{time stamp with date and time}
4302 %u, %U @r{like the above, but inactive time stamps}
4303 %^t @r{like @code{%t}, but prompt for date. Similarly @code{%^T}, @code{%^u}, @code{%^U}}
4304 @r{You may define a prompt like @code{%^@{Birthday@}t}}
4305 %n @r{user name (taken from @code{user-full-name})}
4306 %a @r{annotation, normally the link created with @code{org-store-link}}
4307 %A @r{like @code{%a}, but prompt for the description part}
4308 %i @r{initial content, the region when remember is called with C-u.}
4309 @r{The entire text will be indented like @code{%i} itself.}
4310 %^g @r{prompt for tags, with completion on tags in target file.}
4311 %^G @r{prompt for tags, with completion all tags in all agenda files.}
4312 %:keyword @r{specific information for certain link types, see below}
4316 For specific link types, the following keywords will be
4317 defined@footnote{If you define your own link types (@pxref{Adding
4318 hyperlink types}), any property you store with
4319 @code{org-store-link-props} can be accessed in remember templates in a
4323 Link type | Available keywords
4324 -------------------+----------------------------------------------
4325 bbdb | %:name %:company
4326 vm, wl, mh, rmail | %:type %:subject %:message-id
4327 | %:from %:fromname %:fromaddress
4328 | %:to %:toname %:toaddress
4329 | %: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}.}}
4330 gnus | %:group, @r{for messages also all email fields}
4332 info | %:file %:node
4337 To place the cursor after template expansion use:
4340 %? @r{After completing the template, position cursor here.}
4344 If you change you mind about which template to use, call
4345 @code{org-remember} in the remember buffer. You may then select a new
4346 template that will be filled with the previous context information.
4348 @node Storing notes, , Remember templates, Remember
4349 @section Storing notes
4351 When you are finished preparing a note with @i{remember}, you have to press
4352 @kbd{C-c C-c} to file the note away. The handler will store the note in
4353 the file and under the headline specified in the template, or it will
4354 use the default file and headlines. The window configuration will be
4355 restored, and you are back in the working context before the call to
4356 @code{remember}. To re-use the location found during the last call to
4357 @code{remember}, exit the remember buffer with @kbd{C-u C-u C-c C-c},
4358 i.e. specify a double prefix argument to @kbd{C-c C-c}.
4360 If you want to store the note to a different place, use @kbd{C-u C-c
4361 C-c} instead to exit remember@footnote{Configure the variable
4362 @code{org-remember-store-without-prompt} to make this behavior the
4363 default.}. The handler will then first prompt for a target file - if you
4364 press @key{RET}, the value specified for the template is used. Then the
4365 command offers the headings tree of the selected file, with the cursor
4366 position at the default headline (if you had specified one in the
4367 template). You can either immediately press @key{RET} to get the note
4368 placed there. Or you can use the following keys to find a different
4371 @key{TAB} @r{Cycle visibility.}
4372 @key{down} / @key{up} @r{Next/previous visible headline.}
4373 n / p @r{Next/previous visible headline.}
4374 f / b @r{Next/previous headline same level.}
4376 @c 0-9 @r{Digit argument.}
4379 Pressing @key{RET} or @key{left} or @key{right}
4380 then leads to the following result.
4382 @multitable @columnfractions 0.2 0.15 0.65
4383 @item @b{Cursor position} @tab @b{Key} @tab @b{Note gets inserted}
4384 @item on headline @tab @key{RET} @tab as sublevel of the heading at cursor, first or last
4385 @item @tab @tab depending on @code{org-reverse-note-order}.
4386 @item @tab @key{left}/@key{right} @tab as same level, before/after current heading
4387 @item buffer-start @tab @key{RET} @tab as level 2 heading at end of file or level 1 at beginning
4388 @item @tab @tab depending on @code{org-reverse-note-order}.
4389 @item not on headline @tab @key{RET}
4390 @tab at cursor position, level taken from context.
4393 Before inserting the text into a tree, the function ensures that the
4394 text has a headline, i.e. a first line that starts with a @samp{*}. If
4395 not, a headline is constructed from the current date and some additional
4396 data. If you have indented the text of the note below the headline, the
4397 indentation will be adapted if inserting the note into the tree requires
4398 demotion from level 1.
4400 @node Agenda views, Embedded LaTeX, Remember, Top
4401 @chapter Agenda Views
4402 @cindex agenda views
4404 Due to the way Org-mode works, TODO items, time-stamped items, and
4405 tagged headlines can be scattered throughout a file or even a number of
4406 files. To get an overview over open action items, or over events that
4407 are important for a particular date, this information must be collected,
4408 sorted and displayed in an organized way.
4410 Org-mode can select items based on various criteria, and display them
4411 in a separate buffer. Six different view types are provided:
4415 an @emph{agenda} that is like a calendar and shows information
4418 a @emph{TODO list} that covers all unfinished
4421 a @emph{tags view}, showings headlines based on
4422 the tags associated with them,
4424 a @emph{timeline view} that shows all events in a single Org-mode file,
4425 in time-sorted view,
4427 a @emph{stuck projects view} showing projects that currently don't move
4430 @emph{custom views} that are special tag/keyword searches and
4431 combinations of different views.
4435 The extracted information is displayed in a special @emph{agenda
4436 buffer}. This buffer is read-only, but provides commands to visit the
4437 corresponding locations in the original Org-mode files, and even to
4438 edit these files remotely.
4440 Two variables control how the agenda buffer is displayed and whether the
4441 window configuration is restored when the agenda exits:
4442 @code{org-agenda-window-setup} and
4443 @code{org-agenda-restore-windows-after-quit}.
4446 * Agenda files:: Files being searched for agenda information
4447 * Agenda dispatcher:: Keyboard access to agenda views
4448 * Built-in agenda views:: What is available out of the box?
4449 * Presentation and sorting:: How agenda items are prepared for display
4450 * Agenda commands:: Remote editing of org trees
4451 * Custom agenda views:: Defining special searches and views
4454 @node Agenda files, Agenda dispatcher, Agenda views, Agenda views
4455 @section Agenda files
4456 @cindex agenda files
4457 @cindex files for agenda
4459 The information to be shown is collected from all @emph{agenda files},
4460 the files listed in the variable @code{org-agenda-files}@footnote{If the
4461 value of that variable is not a list, but a single file name, then the
4462 list of agenda files will be maintained in that external file.}. Thus even
4463 if you only work with a single Org-mode file, this file should be put
4464 into that list@footnote{When using the dispatcher, pressing @kbd{1}
4465 before selecting a command will actually limit the command to the
4466 current file, and ignore @code{org-agenda-files} until the next
4467 dispatcher command.}. You can customize @code{org-agenda-files}, but
4468 the easiest way to maintain it is through the following commands
4470 @cindex files, adding to agenda list
4474 Add current file to the list of agenda files. The file is added to
4475 the front of the list. If it was already in the list, it is moved to
4476 the front. With prefix arg, file is added/moved to the end.
4479 Remove current file from the list of agenda files.
4484 Cycle through agenda file list, visiting one file after the other.
4488 The Org menu contains the current list of files and can be used
4489 to visit any of them.
4491 @node Agenda dispatcher, Built-in agenda views, Agenda files, Agenda views
4492 @section The agenda dispatcher
4493 @cindex agenda dispatcher
4494 @cindex dispatching agenda commands
4495 The views are created through a dispatcher that should be bound to a
4496 global key, for example @kbd{C-c a} (@pxref{Installation}). In the
4497 following we will assume that @kbd{C-c a} is indeed how the dispatcher
4498 is accessed and list keyboard access to commands accordingly. After
4499 pressing @kbd{C-c a}, an additional letter is required to execute a
4500 command. The dispatcher offers the following default commands:
4503 Create the calendar-like agenda (@pxref{Weekly/Daily agenda}).
4505 Create a list of all TODO items (@pxref{Global TODO list}).
4507 Create a list of headlines matching a TAGS expression (@pxref{Matching
4508 tags and properties}).
4510 Create the timeline view for the current buffer (@pxref{Timeline}).
4512 Create a list of stuck projects (@pxref{Stuck projects}).
4514 Search for a regular expression in all agenda files and additionally in
4515 the files listed in @code{org-agenda-multi-occur-extra-files}. This
4516 uses the Emacs command @code{multi-occur}. A prefix argument can be
4517 used to specify the number of context lines for each match, default is
4520 Restrict an agenda command to the current buffer. After pressing
4521 @kbd{1}, you still need to press the character selecting the command.
4523 If there is an active region, restrict the following agenda command to
4524 the region. Otherwise, restrict it to the current subtree. After
4525 pressing @kbd{0}, you still need to press the character selecting the
4529 You can also define custom commands that will be accessible through the
4530 dispatcher, just like the default commands. This includes the
4531 possibility to create extended agenda buffers that contain several
4532 blocks together, for example the weekly agenda, the global TODO list and
4533 a number of special tags matches. @xref{Custom agenda views}.
4535 @node Built-in agenda views, Presentation and sorting, Agenda dispatcher, Agenda views
4536 @section The built-in agenda views
4538 In this section we describe the built-in views.
4541 * Weekly/Daily agenda:: The calendar page with current tasks
4542 * Global TODO list:: All unfinished action items
4543 * Matching tags and properties:: Structured information with fine-tuned search
4544 * Timeline:: Time-sorted view for single file
4545 * Stuck projects:: Find projects you need to review
4548 @node Weekly/Daily agenda, Global TODO list, Built-in agenda views, Built-in agenda views
4549 @subsection The weekly/daily agenda
4551 @cindex weekly agenda
4552 @cindex daily agenda
4554 The purpose of the weekly/daily @emph{agenda} is to act like a page of a
4555 paper agenda, showing all the tasks for the current week or day.
4558 @cindex org-agenda, command
4561 Compile an agenda for the current week from a list of org files. The
4562 agenda shows the entries for each day. With a @kbd{C-u} prefix (or
4563 when the variable @code{org-agenda-include-all-todo} is @code{t}), all
4564 unfinished TODO items (including those without a date) are also listed at
4565 the beginning of the buffer, before the first date.@*
4568 Remote editing from the agenda buffer means, for example, that you can
4569 change the dates of deadlines and appointments from the agenda buffer.
4570 The commands available in the Agenda buffer are listed in @ref{Agenda
4573 @subsubheading Calendar/Diary integration
4574 @cindex calendar integration
4575 @cindex diary integration
4577 Emacs contains the calendar and diary by Edward M. Reingold. The
4578 calendar displays a three-month calendar with holidays from different
4579 countries and cultures. The diary allows you to keep track of
4580 anniversaries, lunar phases, sunrise/set, recurrent appointments
4581 (weekly, monthly) and more. In this way, it is quite complementary to
4582 Org-mode. It can be very useful to combine output from Org-mode with
4585 In order to include entries from the Emacs diary into Org-mode's
4586 agenda, you only need to customize the variable
4589 (setq org-agenda-include-diary t)
4592 @noindent After that, everything will happen automatically. All diary
4593 entries including holidays, anniversaries etc will be included in the
4594 agenda buffer created by Org-mode. @key{SPC}, @key{TAB}, and
4595 @key{RET} can be used from the agenda buffer to jump to the diary
4596 file in order to edit existing diary entries. The @kbd{i} command to
4597 insert new entries for the current date works in the agenda buffer, as
4598 well as the commands @kbd{S}, @kbd{M}, and @kbd{C} to display
4599 Sunrise/Sunset times, show lunar phases and to convert to other
4600 calendars, respectively. @kbd{c} can be used to switch back and forth
4601 between calendar and agenda.
4603 If you are using the diary only for sexp entries and holidays, it is
4604 faster to not use the above setting, but instead to copy or even move
4605 the entries into an Org-mode file. Org-mode evaluates diary-style sexp
4606 entries, and does it faster because there is no overhead for first
4607 creating the diary display. Note that the sexp entries must start at
4608 the left margin, no white space is allowed before them. For example,
4609 the following segment of an Org-mode file will be processed and entries
4610 will be made in the agenda:
4613 * Birthdays and similar stuff
4615 %%(org-calendar-holiday) ; special function for holiday names
4617 %%(diary-anniversary 14 5 1956) Arthur Dent is %d years old
4618 %%(diary-anniversary 2 10 1869) Mahatma Gandhi would be %d years old
4621 @subsubheading Appointment reminders
4622 @cindex @file{appt.el}
4623 @cindex appointment reminders
4625 Org can interact with Emacs appointments notification facility.
4627 To add all the appointments of your agenda files, use the command
4628 @code{org-agenda-to-appt}. This commands also lets you filter through
4629 the list of your appointments and add only those belonging to a specific
4630 category or matching a regular expression. See the docstring for
4633 @node Global TODO list, Matching tags and properties, Weekly/Daily agenda, Built-in agenda views
4634 @subsection The global TODO list
4635 @cindex global TODO list
4636 @cindex TODO list, global
4638 The global TODO list contains all unfinished TODO items, formatted and
4639 collected into a single place.
4644 Show the global TODO list. This collects the TODO items from all
4645 agenda files (@pxref{Agenda views}) into a single buffer. The buffer is in
4646 @code{agenda-mode}, so there are commands to examine and manipulate
4647 the TODO entries directly from that buffer (@pxref{Agenda commands}).
4650 @cindex TODO keyword matching
4651 Like the above, but allows selection of a specific TODO keyword. You
4652 can also do this by specifying a prefix argument to @kbd{C-c a t}. With
4653 a @kbd{C-u} prefix you are prompted for a keyword, and you may also
4654 specify several keywords by separating them with @samp{|} as boolean OR
4655 operator. With a numeric prefix, the Nth keyword in
4656 @code{org-todo-keywords} is selected.
4658 The @kbd{r} key in the agenda buffer regenerates it, and you can give
4659 a prefix argument to this command to change the selected TODO keyword,
4660 for example @kbd{3 r}. If you often need a search for a specific
4661 keyword, define a custom command for it (@pxref{Agenda dispatcher}).@*
4662 Matching specific TODO keywords can also be done as part of a tags
4663 search (@pxref{Tag searches}).
4666 Remote editing of TODO items means that you can change the state of a
4667 TODO entry with a single key press. The commands available in the
4668 TODO list are described in @ref{Agenda commands}.
4670 @cindex sublevels, inclusion into todo list
4671 Normally the global todo list simply shows all headlines with TODO
4672 keywords. This list can become very long. There are two ways to keep
4676 Some people view a TODO item that has been @emph{scheduled} for
4677 execution (@pxref{Time stamps}) as no longer @emph{open}. Configure the
4678 variable @code{org-agenda-todo-ignore-scheduled} to exclude scheduled
4679 items from the global TODO list.
4681 TODO items may have sublevels to break up the task into subtasks. In
4682 such cases it may be enough to list only the highest level TODO headline
4683 and omit the sublevels from the global list. Configure the variable
4684 @code{org-agenda-todo-list-sublevels} to get this behavior.
4687 @node Matching tags and properties, Timeline, Global TODO list, Built-in agenda views
4688 @subsection Matching Tags and Properties
4689 @cindex matching, of tags
4690 @cindex matching, of properties
4693 If headlines in the agenda files are marked with @emph{tags}
4694 (@pxref{Tags}), you can select headlines based on the tags that apply
4695 to them and collect them into an agenda buffer.
4700 Produce a list of all headlines that match a given set of tags. The
4701 command prompts for a selection criterion, which is a boolean logic
4702 expression with tags, like @samp{+WORK+URGENT-WITHBOSS} or
4703 @samp{WORK|HOME} (@pxref{Tags}). If you often need a specific search,
4704 define a custom command for it (@pxref{Agenda dispatcher}).
4707 Like @kbd{C-c a m}, but only select headlines that are also TODO items
4708 and force checking subitems (see variable
4709 @code{org-tags-match-list-sublevels}). Matching specific todo keywords
4710 together with a tags match is also possible, see @ref{Tag searches}.
4713 The commands available in the tags list are described in @ref{Agenda
4716 @node Timeline, Stuck projects, Matching tags and properties, Built-in agenda views
4717 @subsection Timeline for a single file
4718 @cindex timeline, single file
4719 @cindex time-sorted view
4721 The timeline summarizes all time-stamped items from a single Org-mode
4722 file in a @emph{time-sorted view}. The main purpose of this command is
4723 to give an overview over events in a project.
4728 Show a time-sorted view of the org file, with all time-stamped items.
4729 When called with a @kbd{C-u} prefix, all unfinished TODO entries
4730 (scheduled or not) are also listed under the current date.
4734 The commands available in the timeline buffer are listed in
4735 @ref{Agenda commands}.
4738 @node Stuck projects, , Timeline, Built-in agenda views
4739 @subsection Stuck projects
4741 If you are following a system like David Allen's GTD to organize your
4742 work, one of the ``duties'' you have is a regular review to make sure
4743 that all projects move along. A @emph{stuck} project is a project that
4744 has no defined next actions, so it will never show up in the TODO lists
4745 Org-mode produces. During the review, you need to identify such
4746 projects and define next actions for them.
4751 List projects that are stuck.
4754 Customize the variable @code{org-stuck-projects} to define what a stuck
4755 project is and how to find it.
4758 You almost certainly will have to configure this view before it will
4759 work for you. The built-in default assumes that all your projects are
4760 level-2 headlines, and that a project is not stuck if it has at least
4761 one entry marked with a todo keyword TODO or NEXT or NEXTACTION.
4763 Lets assume that you, in your own way of using Org-mode, identify
4764 projects with a tag PROJECT, and that you use a todo keyword MAYBE to
4765 indicate a project that should not be considered yet. Lets further
4766 assume that the todo keyword DONE marks finished projects, and that NEXT
4767 and TODO indicate next actions. The tag @@SHOP indicates shopping and
4768 is a next action even without the NEXT tag. Finally, if the project
4769 contains the special word IGNORE anywhere, it should not be listed
4770 either. In this case you would start by identifying eligible projects
4771 with a tags/todo match @samp{+PROJECT/-MAYBE-DONE}, and then check for
4772 TODO, NEXT, @@SHOP, and IGNORE in the subtree to identify projects that
4773 are not stuck. The correct customization for this is
4776 (setq org-stuck-projects
4777 '("+PROJECT/-MAYBE-DONE" ("NEXT" "TODO") ("@@SHOP")
4782 @node Presentation and sorting, Agenda commands, Built-in agenda views, Agenda views
4783 @section Presentation and sorting
4784 @cindex presentation, of agenda items
4786 Before displaying items in an agenda view, Org-mode visually prepares
4787 the items and sorts them. Each item occupies a single line. The line
4788 starts with a @emph{prefix} that contains the @emph{category}
4789 (@pxref{Categories}) of the item and other important information. You can
4790 customize the prefix using the option @code{org-agenda-prefix-format}.
4791 The prefix is followed by a cleaned-up version of the outline headline
4792 associated with the item.
4795 * Categories:: Not all tasks are equal
4796 * Time-of-day specifications:: How the agenda knows the time
4797 * Sorting of agenda items:: The order of things
4800 @node Categories, Time-of-day specifications, Presentation and sorting, Presentation and sorting
4801 @subsection Categories
4804 The category is a broad label assigned to each agenda item. By default,
4805 the category is simply derived from the file name, but you can also
4806 specify it with a special line in the buffer, like this@footnote{If
4807 there are several such lines in a file, each specifies the category for
4808 the text below it. The first category also applies to any text before
4809 the first CATEGORY line. This method is only kept for backward
4810 compatibility. The preferred method for setting multiple categories in
4811 a buffer is using a property.}:
4818 If you would like to have a special CATEGORY for a single entry or a
4819 (sub)tree, give the entry a @code{:CATEGORY:} property with the location
4820 as the value (@pxref{Properties and columns}).
4823 The display in the agenda buffer looks best if the category is not
4824 longer than 10 characters.
4826 @node Time-of-day specifications, Sorting of agenda items, Categories, Presentation and sorting
4827 @subsection Time-of-Day Specifications
4828 @cindex time-of-day specification
4830 Org-mode checks each agenda item for a time-of-day specification. The
4831 time can be part of the time stamp that triggered inclusion into the
4832 agenda, for example as in @w{@samp{<2005-05-10 Tue 19:00>}}. Time
4833 ranges can be specified with two time stamps, like
4835 @w{@samp{<2005-05-10 Tue 20:30>--<2005-05-10 Tue 22:15>}}.
4837 In the headline of the entry itself, a time(range) may also appear as
4838 plain text (like @samp{12:45} or a @samp{8:30-1pm}. If the agenda
4839 integrates the Emacs diary (@pxref{Weekly/Daily agenda}), time
4840 specifications in diary entries are recognized as well.
4842 For agenda display, Org-mode extracts the time and displays it in a
4843 standard 24 hour format as part of the prefix. The example times in
4844 the previous paragraphs would end up in the agenda like this:
4847 8:30-13:00 Arthur Dent lies in front of the bulldozer
4848 12:45...... Ford Prefect arrives and takes Arthur to the pub
4849 19:00...... The Vogon reads his poem
4850 20:30-22:15 Marwin escorts the Hitchhikers to the bridge
4854 If the agenda is in single-day mode, or for the display of today, the
4855 timed entries are embedded in a time grid, like
4858 8:00...... ------------------
4859 8:30-13:00 Arthur Dent lies in front of the bulldozer
4860 10:00...... ------------------
4861 12:00...... ------------------
4862 12:45...... Ford Prefect arrives and takes Arthur to the pub
4863 14:00...... ------------------
4864 16:00...... ------------------
4865 18:00...... ------------------
4866 19:00...... The Vogon reads his poem
4867 20:00...... ------------------
4868 20:30-22:15 Marwin escorts the Hitchhikers to the bridge
4871 The time grid can be turned on and off with the variable
4872 @code{org-agenda-use-time-grid}, and can be configured with
4873 @code{org-agenda-time-grid}.
4875 @node Sorting of agenda items, , Time-of-day specifications, Presentation and sorting
4876 @subsection Sorting of agenda items
4877 @cindex sorting, of agenda items
4878 @cindex priorities, of agenda items
4879 Before being inserted into a view, the items are sorted. How this is
4880 done depends on the type of view.
4883 For the daily/weekly agenda, the items for each day are sorted. The
4884 default order is to first collect all items containing an explicit
4885 time-of-day specification. These entries will be shown at the beginning
4886 of the list, as a @emph{schedule} for the day. After that, items remain
4887 grouped in categories, in the sequence given by @code{org-agenda-files}.
4888 Within each category, items are sorted by priority (@pxref{Priorities}),
4889 which is composed of the base priority (2000 for priority @samp{A}, 1000
4890 for @samp{B}, and 0 for @samp{C}), plus additional increments for
4891 overdue scheduled or deadline items.
4893 For the TODO list, items remain in the order of categories, but within
4894 each category, sorting takes place according to priority
4895 (@pxref{Priorities}).
4897 For tags matches, items are not sorted at all, but just appear in the
4898 sequence in which they are found in the agenda files.
4901 Sorting can be customized using the variable
4902 @code{org-agenda-sorting-strategy}.
4905 @node Agenda commands, Custom agenda views, Presentation and sorting, Agenda views
4906 @section Commands in the agenda buffer
4907 @cindex commands, in agenda buffer
4909 Entries in the agenda buffer are linked back to the org file or diary
4910 file where they originate. You are not allowed to edit the agenda
4911 buffer itself, but commands are provided to show and jump to the
4912 original entry location, and to edit the org-files ``remotely'' from
4913 the agenda buffer. In this way, all information is stored only once,
4914 removing the risk that your agenda and note files may diverge.
4916 Some commands can be executed with mouse clicks on agenda lines. For
4917 the other commands, the cursor needs to be in the desired line.
4920 @tsubheading{Motion}
4921 @cindex motion commands in agenda
4924 Next line (same as @key{up} and @kbd{C-p}).
4927 Previous line (same as @key{down} and @kbd{C-n}).
4928 @tsubheading{View/GoTo org file}
4933 Display the original location of the item in another window.
4937 Display original location and recenter that window.
4945 Go to the original location of the item in another window. Under Emacs
4946 22, @kbd{mouse-1} will also works for this.
4950 Go to the original location of the item and delete other windows.
4954 Toggle Follow mode. In Follow mode, as you move the cursor through
4955 the agenda buffer, the other window always shows the corresponding
4956 location in the org file. The initial setting for this mode in new
4957 agenda buffers can be set with the variable
4958 @code{org-agenda-start-with-follow-mode}.
4962 Display the entire subtree of the current item in an indirect buffer.
4963 With numerical prefix ARG, go up to this level and then take that tree.
4964 If ARG is negative, go up that many levels. With @kbd{C-u} prefix, do
4965 not remove the previously used indirect buffer.
4969 Toggle Logbook mode. In Logbook mode, entries that where marked DONE while
4970 logging was on (variable @code{org-log-done}) are shown in the agenda,
4971 as are entries that have been clocked on that day.
4973 @tsubheading{Change display}
4974 @cindex display changing, in agenda
4977 Delete other windows.
4984 Switch to day/week/month/year view. When switching to day or week view,
4985 this setting becomes the default for subseqent agenda commands. Since
4986 month and year views are slow to create, the do not become the default.
4990 Toggle the inclusion of diary entries. See @ref{Weekly/Daily agenda}.
4994 Toggle the time grid on and off. See also the variables
4995 @code{org-agenda-use-time-grid} and @code{org-agenda-time-grid}.
4999 Recreate the agenda buffer, for example to reflect the changes
5000 after modification of the time stamps of items with S-@key{left} and
5001 S-@key{right}. When the buffer is the global todo list, a prefix
5002 argument is interpreted to create a selective list for a specific TODO
5009 Save all Org-mode buffers in the current Emacs session.
5013 Display the following @code{org-agenda-ndays} days. For example, if
5014 the display covers a week, switch to the following week. With prefix
5015 arg, go forward that many times @code{org-agenda-ndays} days.
5019 Display the previous dates.
5025 @tsubheading{Remote editing}
5026 @cindex remote editing, from agenda
5031 @cindex undoing remote-editing events
5032 @cindex remote editing, undo
5035 Undo a change due to a remote editing command. The change is undone
5036 both in the agenda buffer and in the remote buffer.
5040 Change the TODO state of the item, both in the agenda and in the
5045 Delete the current agenda item along with the entire subtree belonging
5046 to it in the original Org-mode file. If the text to be deleted remotely
5047 is longer than one line, the kill needs to be confirmed by the user. See
5048 variable @code{org-agenda-confirm-kill}.
5052 Archive the subtree corresponding to the current headline.
5056 Show all tags associated with the current item. Because of
5057 inheritance, this may be more than the tags listed in the line itself.
5061 Set tags for the current headline. If there is an active region in the
5062 agenda, change a tag for all headings in the region.
5066 Toggle the ARCHIVE tag for the current headline.
5070 Set the priority for the current item. Org-mode prompts for the
5071 priority character. If you reply with @key{SPC}, the priority cookie
5072 is removed from the entry.
5076 Display weighted priority of current item.
5082 Increase the priority of the current item. The priority is changed in
5083 the original buffer, but the agenda is not resorted. Use the @kbd{r}
5087 @kindex S-@key{down}
5090 Decrease the priority of the current item.
5098 Set a deadline for this item.
5100 @kindex S-@key{right}
5102 Change the time stamp associated with the current line by one day into
5103 the future. With prefix argument, change it by that many days. For
5104 example, @kbd{3 6 5 S-@key{right}} will change it by a year. The
5105 stamp is changed in the original org file, but the change is not
5106 directly reflected in the agenda buffer. Use the
5107 @kbd{r} key to update the buffer.
5109 @kindex S-@key{left}
5111 Change the time stamp associated with the current line by one day
5116 Change the time stamp associated with the current line to today.
5117 The key @kbd{>} has been chosen, because it is the same as @kbd{S-.}
5122 Start the clock on the current item. If a clock is running already, it
5127 Stop the previously started clock.
5131 Cancel the currently running clock.
5135 Jump to the running clock in another window.
5137 @tsubheading{Calendar commands}
5138 @cindex calendar commands, from agenda
5141 Open the Emacs calendar and move to the date at the agenda cursor.
5144 When in the calendar, compute and show the Org-mode agenda for the
5147 @cindex diary entries, creating from agenda
5150 Insert a new entry into the diary. Prompts for the type of entry
5151 (day, weekly, monthly, yearly, anniversary, cyclic) and creates a new
5152 entry in the diary, just as @kbd{i d} etc. would do in the calendar.
5153 The date is taken from the cursor position.
5157 Show the phases of the moon for the three months around current date.
5161 Show sunrise and sunset times. The geographical location must be set
5162 with calendar variables, see documentation of the Emacs calendar.
5166 Convert the date at cursor into many other cultural and historic
5171 Show holidays for three month around the cursor date.
5173 @c FIXME: This should be a different key.
5176 Export a single iCalendar file containing entries from all agenda files.
5178 @tsubheading{Exporting to a file}
5181 @cindex exporting agenda views
5182 @cindex agenda views, exporting
5183 Write the agenda view to a file. Depending on the extension of the
5184 selected file name, the view will be exported as HTML (extension
5185 @file{.html} or @file{.htm}), Postscript (extension @file{.ps}), or
5186 plain text (any other extension). Use the variable
5187 @code{org-agenda-exporter-settings} to set options for @file{ps-print}
5188 and for @file{htmlize} to be used during export.
5190 @tsubheading{Quit and Exit}
5193 Quit agenda, remove the agenda buffer.
5196 @cindex agenda files, removing buffers
5198 Exit agenda, remove the agenda buffer and all buffers loaded by Emacs
5199 for the compilation of the agenda. Buffers created by the user to
5200 visit org files will not be removed.
5204 @node Custom agenda views, , Agenda commands, Agenda views
5205 @section Custom agenda views
5206 @cindex custom agenda views
5207 @cindex agenda views, custom
5209 Custom agenda commands serve two purposes: to store and quickly access
5210 frequently used TODO and tags searches, and to create special composite
5211 agenda buffers. Custom agenda commands will be accessible through the
5212 dispatcher (@pxref{Agenda dispatcher}), just like the default commands.
5215 * Storing searches:: Type once, use often
5216 * Block agenda:: All the stuff you need in a single buffer
5217 * Setting Options:: Changing the rules
5218 * Exporting Agenda Views:: Writing agendas to files.
5219 * Extracting Agenda Information for other programs::
5222 @node Storing searches, Block agenda, Custom agenda views, Custom agenda views
5223 @subsection Storing searches
5225 The first application of custom searches is the definition of keyboard
5226 shortcuts for frequently used searches, either creating an agenda
5227 buffer, or a sparse tree (the latter covering of course only the current
5230 Custom commands are configured in the variable
5231 @code{org-agenda-custom-commands}. You can customize this variable, for
5232 example by pressing @kbd{C-c a C}. You can also directly set it with
5233 Emacs Lisp in @file{.emacs}. The following example contains all valid
5238 (setq org-agenda-custom-commands
5239 '(("w" todo "WAITING")
5240 ("W" todo-tree "WAITING")
5241 ("u" tags "+BOSS-URGENT")
5242 ("v" tags-todo "+BOSS-URGENT")
5243 ("U" tags-tree "+BOSS-URGENT")
5244 ("f" occur-tree "\\<FIXME\\>")))
5249 The initial single-character string in each entry defines the character
5250 you have to press after the dispatcher command @kbd{C-c a} in order to
5251 access the command. The second parameter is the search type, followed
5252 by the string or regular expression to be used for the matching. The
5253 example above will therefore define:
5257 as a global search for TODO entries with @samp{WAITING} as the TODO
5260 as the same search, but only in the current buffer and displaying the
5261 results as a sparse tree
5263 as a global tags search for headlines marked @samp{:BOSS:} but not
5266 as the same search as @kbd{C-c a u}, but limiting the search to
5267 headlines that are also TODO items
5269 as the same search as @kbd{C-c a u}, but only in the current buffer and
5270 displaying the result as a sparse tree
5272 to create a sparse tree (again: current buffer only) with all entries
5273 containing the word @samp{FIXME}.
5276 @node Block agenda, Setting Options, Storing searches, Custom agenda views
5277 @subsection Block agenda
5278 @cindex block agenda
5279 @cindex agenda, with block views
5281 Another possibility is the construction of agenda views that comprise
5282 the results of @emph{several} commands, each of which creates a block in
5283 the agenda buffer. The available commands include @code{agenda} for the
5284 daily or weekly agenda (as created with @kbd{C-c a a}), @code{alltodo}
5285 for the global todo list (as constructed with @kbd{C-c a t}), and the
5286 matching commands discussed above: @code{todo}, @code{tags}, and
5287 @code{tags-todo}. Here are two examples:
5291 (setq org-agenda-custom-commands
5292 '(("h" "Agenda and Home-related tasks"
5296 ("o" "Agenda and Office-related tasks"
5304 This will define @kbd{C-c a h} to create a multi-block view for stuff
5305 you need to attend to at home. The resulting agenda buffer will contain
5306 your agenda for the current week, all TODO items that carry the tag
5307 @samp{HOME}, and also all lines tagged with @samp{GARDEN}. Finally the
5308 command @kbd{C-c a o} provides a similar view for office tasks.
5311 @node Setting Options, Exporting Agenda Views, Block agenda, Custom agenda views
5312 @subsection Setting Options for custom commands
5313 @cindex options, for custom agenda views
5315 Org-mode contains a number of variables regulating agenda construction
5316 and display. The global variables define the behavior for all agenda
5317 commands, including the custom commands. However, if you want to change
5318 some settings just for a single custom view, you can do so. Setting
5319 options requires inserting a list of variable names and values at the
5320 right spot in @code{org-agenda-custom-commands}. For example:
5324 (setq org-agenda-custom-commands
5325 '(("w" todo "WAITING"
5326 ((org-agenda-sorting-strategy '(priority-down))
5327 (org-agenda-prefix-format " Mixed: ")))
5328 ("U" tags-tree "+BOSS-URGENT"
5329 ((org-show-following-heading nil)
5330 (org-show-hierarchy-above nil)))))
5335 Now the @kbd{C-c a w} command will sort the collected entries only by
5336 priority, and the prefix format is modified to just say @samp{ Mixed:}
5337 instead of giving the category of the entry. The sparse tags tree of
5338 @kbd{C-c a U} will now turn out ultra-compact, because neither the
5339 headline hierarchy above the match, nor the headline following the match
5342 For command sets creating a block agenda,
5343 @code{org-agenda-custom-commands} has two separate spots for setting
5344 options. You can add options that should be valid for just a single
5345 command in the set, and options that should be valid for all commands in
5346 the set. The former are just added to the command entry, the latter
5347 must come after the list of command entries. Going back to the block
5348 agenda example (@pxref{Block agenda}), let's change the sorting strategy
5349 for the @kbd{C-c a h} commands to @code{priority-down}, but let's sort
5350 the results for GARDEN tags query in the opposite order,
5351 @code{priority-up}. This would look like this:
5355 (setq org-agenda-custom-commands
5356 '(("h" "Agenda and Home-related tasks"
5360 ((org-agenda-sorting-strategy '(priority-up)))))
5361 ((org-agenda-sorting-strategy '(priority-down))))
5362 ("o" "Agenda and Office-related tasks"
5369 As you see, the values and parenthesis setting is a little complex.
5370 When in doubt, use the customize interface to set this variable - it
5371 fully supports its structure. Just one caveat: When setting options in
5372 this interface, the @emph{values} are just lisp expressions. So if the
5373 value is a string, you need to add the double quotes around the value
5377 @node Exporting Agenda Views, Extracting Agenda Information for other programs, Setting Options, Custom agenda views
5378 @subsection Exporting Agenda Views
5379 @cindex agenda views, exporting
5381 If you are away from your computer, it can be very useful to have a
5382 printed version of some agenda views to carry around. Org-mode can
5383 export custom agenda views as plain text, HTML@footnote{You need to
5384 install Hrvoje Niksic' @file{htmlize.el}.} and postscript. If you want
5385 to do this only occasionally, use the command
5390 @cindex exporting agenda views
5391 @cindex agenda views, exporting
5392 Write the agenda view to a file. Depending on the extension of the
5393 selected file name, the view will be exported as HTML (extension
5394 @file{.html} or @file{.htm}), Postscript (extension @file{.ps}), or
5395 plain text (any other extension). Use the variable
5396 @code{org-agenda-exporter-settings} to set options for @file{ps-print}
5397 and for @file{htmlize} to be used during export, for example
5399 (setq org-agenda-exporter-settings
5400 '((ps-number-of-columns 2)
5401 (ps-landscape-mode t)
5402 (htmlize-output-type 'css)))
5406 If you need to export certain agenda views frequently, you can associate
5407 any custom agenda command with a list of output file names
5408 @footnote{If you want to store standard views like the weekly agenda
5409 or the global TODO list as well, you need to define custom commands for
5410 them in order to be able to specify filenames.}. Here is an example
5411 that first does define custom commands for the agenda and the global
5412 todo list, together with a number of files to which to export them.
5413 Then we define two block agenda commands and specify filenames for them
5414 as well. File names can be relative to the current working directory,
5419 (setq org-agenda-custom-commands
5420 '(("X" agenda "" nil ("agenda.html" "agenda.ps"))
5421 ("Y" alltodo "" nil ("todo.html" "todo.txt" "todo.ps"))
5422 ("h" "Agenda and Home-related tasks"
5427 ("~/views/home.html"))
5428 ("o" "Agenda and Office-related tasks"
5433 ("~/views/office.ps"))))
5437 The extension of the file name determines the type of export. If it is
5438 @file{.html}, Org-mode will use the @file{htmlize.el} package to convert
5439 the buffer to HTML and save it to this file name. If the extension is
5440 @file{.ps}, @code{ps-print-buffer-with-faces} is used to produce
5441 postscript output. Any other extension produces a plain ASCII file.
5443 The export files are @emph{not} created when you use one of those
5444 commands interactively. Instead, there is a special command to produce
5445 @emph{all} specified files in one step:
5450 Export all agenda views that have export filenames associated with
5454 You can use the options section of the custom agenda commands to also
5455 set options for the export commands. For example:
5458 (setq org-agenda-custom-commands
5460 ((ps-number-of-columns 2)
5461 (ps-landscape-mode t)
5462 (org-agenda-prefix-format " [ ] ")
5463 (org-agenda-with-colors nil)
5464 (org-agenda-remove-tags t))
5469 This command sets two options for the postscript exporter, to make it
5470 print in two columns in landscape format - the resulting page can be cut
5471 in two and then used in a paper agenda. The remaining settings modify
5472 the agenda prefix to omit category and scheduling information, and
5473 instead include a checkbox to check off items. We also remove the tags
5474 to make the lines compact, and we don't want to use colors for the
5475 black-and-white printer. Settings specified in
5476 @code{org-agenda-exporter-settings} will also apply, but the settings
5477 in @code{org-agenda-custom-commands} take precedence.
5480 From the command line you may also use
5482 emacs -f org-batch-store-agenda-views -kill
5485 or, if you need to modify some parameters
5487 emacs -eval '(org-batch-store-agenda-views \
5488 org-agenda-ndays 30 \
5489 org-agenda-include-diary nil \
5490 org-agenda-files (quote ("~/org/project.org")))' \
5494 which will create the agenda views restricted to the file
5495 @file{~/org/project.org}, without diary entries and with 30 days
5498 @node Extracting Agenda Information for other programs, , Exporting Agenda Views, Custom agenda views
5499 @subsection Extracting Agenda Information for other programs
5500 @cindex agenda, pipe
5501 @cindex Scripts, for agenda processing
5503 Org-mode provides commands to access agenda information for the command
5504 line in emacs batch mode. This extracted information can be sent
5505 directly to a printer, or it can be read by a program that does further
5506 processing of the data. The first of these commands is the function
5507 @code{org-batch-agenda}, that produces an agenda view and sends it as
5508 ASCII text to STDOUT. The command takes a single string as parameter.
5509 If the string has length 1, it is used as a key to one of the commands
5510 you have configured in @code{org-agenda-custom-commands}, basically any
5511 key you can use after @kbd{C-c a}. For example, to directly print the
5512 current TODO list, you could use
5515 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -eval '(org-batch-agenda "t")' | lpr
5518 If the parameter is a string with 2 or more characters, it is used as a
5519 tags/todo match string. For example, to print your local shopping list
5520 (all items with the tag @samp{shop}, but excluding the tag
5521 @samp{NewYork}), you could use
5524 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs \
5525 -eval '(org-batch-agenda "+shop-NewYork")' | lpr
5529 You may also modify parameters on the fly like this:
5532 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs \
5533 -eval '(org-batch-agenda "a" \
5534 org-agenda-ndays 30 \
5535 org-agenda-include-diary nil \
5536 org-agenda-files (quote ("~/org/project.org")))' \
5541 which will produce a 30 day agenda, fully restricted to the Org file
5542 @file{~/org/projects.org}, not even including the diary.
5544 If you want to process the agenda data in more sophisticated ways, you
5545 can use the command @code{org-batch-agenda-csv} to get a comma-separated
5546 list of values for each agenda item. Each line in the output will
5547 contain a number of fields separated by commas. The fields in a line
5551 category @r{The category of the item}
5552 head @r{The headline, without TODO kwd, TAGS and PRIORITY}
5553 type @r{The type of the agenda entry, can be}
5554 todo @r{selected in TODO match}
5555 tagsmatch @r{selected in tags match}
5556 diary @r{imported from diary}
5557 deadline @r{a deadline}
5558 scheduled @r{scheduled}
5559 timestamp @r{appointment, selected by timestamp}
5560 closed @r{entry was closed on date}
5561 upcoming-deadline @r{warning about nearing deadline}
5562 past-scheduled @r{forwarded scheduled item}
5563 block @r{entry has date block including date}
5564 todo @r{The todo keyword, if any}
5565 tags @r{All tags including inherited ones, separated by colons}
5566 date @r{The relevant date, like 2007-2-14}
5567 time @r{The time, like 15:00-16:50}
5568 extra @r{String with extra planning info}
5569 priority-l @r{The priority letter if any was given}
5570 priority-n @r{The computed numerical priority}
5574 Time and date will only be given if a timestamp (or deadline/scheduled)
5575 lead to the selection of the item.
5577 A CSV list like this is very easy to use in a post processing script.
5578 For example, here is a Perl program that gets the TODO list from
5579 Emacs/org-mode and prints all the items, preceded by a checkbox:
5585 # define the Emacs command to run
5586 $cmd = "emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -eval '(org-batch-agenda-csv \"t\")'";
5588 # run it and capture the output
5589 $agenda = qx@{$cmd 2>/dev/null@};
5591 # loop over all lines
5592 foreach $line (split(/\n/,$agenda)) @{
5594 # get the individual values
5595 ($category,$head,$type,$todo,$tags,$date,$time,$extra,
5596 $priority_l,$priority_n) = split(/,/,$line);
5598 # proccess and print
5599 print "[ ] $head\n";
5604 @node Embedded LaTeX, Exporting, Agenda views, Top
5605 @chapter Embedded LaTeX
5606 @cindex @TeX{} interpretation
5607 @cindex La@TeX{} interpretation
5609 Plain ASCII is normally sufficient for almost all note taking. One
5610 exception, however, are scientific notes which need to be able to
5611 contain mathematical symbols and the occasional formula.
5612 La@TeX{}@footnote{La@TeX{} is a macro system based on Donald E. Knuth's
5613 @TeX{} system. Many of the features described here as ``La@TeX{}'' are
5614 really from @TeX{}, but for simplicity I am blurring this distinction.}
5615 is widely used to typeset scientific documents. Org-mode supports
5616 embedding La@TeX{} code into its files, because many academics are used
5617 to read La@TeX{} source code, and because it can be readily processed
5618 into images for HTML production.
5620 It is not necessary to mark La@TeX{} macros and code in any special way.
5621 If you observe a few conventions, Org-mode knows how to find it and what
5625 * Math symbols:: TeX macros for symbols and Greek letters
5626 * Subscripts and Superscripts:: Simple syntax for raising/lowering text
5627 * LaTeX fragments:: Complex formulas made easy
5628 * Processing LaTeX fragments:: Previewing LaTeX processing
5629 * CDLaTeX mode:: Speed up entering of formulas
5632 @node Math symbols, Subscripts and Superscripts, Embedded LaTeX, Embedded LaTeX
5633 @section Math symbols
5634 @cindex math symbols
5637 You can use La@TeX{} macros to insert special symbols like @samp{\alpha}
5638 to indicate the Greek letter, or @samp{\to} to indicate an arrow.
5639 Completion for these macros is available, just type @samp{\} and maybe a
5640 few letters, and press @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} to see possible completions.
5641 Unlike La@TeX{} code, Org-mode allows these macros to be present
5642 without surrounding math delimiters, for example:
5645 Angles are written as Greek letters \alpha, \beta and \gamma.
5648 During HTML export (@pxref{HTML export}), these symbols are translated
5649 into the proper syntax for HTML, for the above examples this is
5650 @samp{α} and @samp{→}, respectively.
5652 @node Subscripts and Superscripts, LaTeX fragments, Math symbols, Embedded LaTeX
5653 @section Subscripts and Superscripts
5657 Just like in La@TeX{}, @samp{^} and @samp{_} are used to indicate super-
5658 and subscripts. Again, these can be used without embedding them in
5659 math-mode delimiters. To increase the readability of ASCII text, it is
5660 not necessary (but OK) to surround multi-character sub- and superscripts
5661 with curly braces. For example
5664 The mass if the sun is M_sun = 1.989 x 10^30 kg. The radius of
5665 the sun is R_@{sun@} = 6.96 x 10^8 m.
5668 To avoid interpretation as raised or lowered text, you can quote
5669 @samp{^} and @samp{_} with a backslash: @samp{\_} and @samp{\^}.
5671 During HTML export (@pxref{HTML export}), subscript and superscripts
5672 are surrounded with @code{<sub>} and @code{<sup>} tags, respectively.
5674 @node LaTeX fragments, Processing LaTeX fragments, Subscripts and Superscripts, Embedded LaTeX
5675 @section LaTeX fragments
5676 @cindex LaTeX fragments
5678 With symbols, sub- and superscripts, HTML is pretty much at its end when
5679 it comes to representing mathematical formulas@footnote{Yes, there is
5680 MathML, but that is not yet fully supported by many browsers, and there
5681 is no decent converter for turning La@TeX{} or ASCII representations of
5682 formulas into MathML. So for the time being, converting formulas into
5683 images seems the way to go.}. More complex expressions need a dedicated
5684 formula processor. To this end, Org-mode can contain arbitrary La@TeX{}
5685 fragments. It provides commands to preview the typeset result of these
5686 fragments, and upon export to HTML, all fragments will be converted to
5687 images and inlined into the HTML document@footnote{The La@TeX{} export
5688 will not use images for displaying La@TeX{} fragments but include these
5689 fragments directly into the La@TeX{} code.}. For this to work you
5690 need to be on a system with a working La@TeX{} installation. You also
5691 need the @file{dvipng} program, available at
5692 @url{http://sourceforge.net/projects/dvipng/}. The La@TeX{} header that
5693 will be used when processing a fragment can be configured with the
5694 variable @code{org-format-latex-header}.
5696 La@TeX{} fragments don't need any special marking at all. The following
5697 snippets will be identified as La@TeX{} source code:
5700 Environments of any kind. The only requirement is that the
5701 @code{\begin} statement appears on a new line, preceded by only
5704 Text within the usual La@TeX{} math delimiters. To avoid conflicts with
5705 currency specifications, single @samp{$} characters are only recognized
5706 as math delimiters if the enclosed text contains at most two line breaks,
5707 is directly attached to the @samp{$} characters with no whitespace in
5708 between, and if the closing @samp{$} is followed by whitespace or
5709 punctuation. For the other delimiters, there is no such restriction, so
5710 when in doubt, use @samp{\(...\)} as inline math delimiters.
5713 @noindent For example:
5716 \begin@{equation@} % arbitrary environments,
5717 x=\sqrt@{b@} % even tables, figures
5718 \end@{equation@} % etc
5720 If $a^2=b$ and \( b=2 \), then the solution must be
5721 either $$ a=+\sqrt@{2@} $$ or \[ a=-\sqrt@{2@} \].
5725 If you need any of the delimiter ASCII sequences for other purposes, you
5726 can configure the option @code{org-format-latex-options} to deselect the
5727 ones you do not wish to have interpreted by the La@TeX{} converter.
5729 @node Processing LaTeX fragments, CDLaTeX mode, LaTeX fragments, Embedded LaTeX
5730 @section Processing LaTeX fragments
5731 @cindex LaTeX fragments, preview
5733 La@TeX{} fragments can be processed to produce a preview images of the
5734 typeset expressions:
5739 Produce a preview image of the La@TeX{} fragment at point and overlay it
5740 over the source code. If there is no fragment at point, process all
5741 fragments in the current entry (between two headlines). When called
5742 with a prefix argument, process the entire subtree. When called with
5743 two prefix arguments, or when the cursor is before the first headline,
5744 process the entire buffer.
5747 Remove the overlay preview images.
5750 During HTML export (@pxref{HTML export}), all La@TeX{} fragments are
5751 converted into images and inlined into the document if the following
5755 (setq org-export-with-LaTeX-fragments t)
5758 @node CDLaTeX mode, , Processing LaTeX fragments, Embedded LaTeX
5759 @section Using CDLaTeX to enter math
5762 CDLaTeX-mode is a minor mode that is normally used in combination with a
5763 major La@TeX{} mode like AUCTeX in order to speed-up insertion of
5764 environments and math templates. Inside Org-mode, you can make use of
5765 some of the features of cdlatex-mode. You need to install
5766 @file{cdlatex.el} and @file{texmathp.el} (the latter comes also with
5767 AUCTeX) from @url{http://www.astro.uva.nl/~dominik/Tools/cdlatex}.
5768 Don't turn cdlatex-mode itself under Org-mode, but use the light
5769 version @code{org-cdlatex-mode} that comes as part of Org-mode. Turn it
5770 on for the current buffer with @code{M-x org-cdlatex-mode}, or for all
5774 (add-hook 'org-mode-hook 'turn-on-org-cdlatex)
5777 When this mode is enabled, the following features are present (for more
5778 details see the documentation of cdlatex-mode):
5782 Environment templates can be inserted with @kbd{C-c @{}.
5785 The @key{TAB} key will do template expansion if the cursor is inside a
5786 La@TeX{} fragment@footnote{Org-mode has a method to test if the cursor is
5787 inside such a fragment, see the documentation of the function
5788 @code{org-inside-LaTeX-fragment-p}.}. For example, @key{TAB} will
5789 expand @code{fr} to @code{\frac@{@}@{@}} and position the cursor
5790 correctly inside the first brace. Another @key{TAB} will get you into
5791 the second brace. Even outside fragments, @key{TAB} will expand
5792 environment abbreviations at the beginning of a line. For example, if
5793 you write @samp{equ} at the beginning of a line and press @key{TAB},
5794 this abbreviation will be expanded to an @code{equation} environment.
5795 To get a list of all abbreviations, type @kbd{M-x cdlatex-command-help}.
5799 Pressing @kbd{_} and @kbd{^} inside a La@TeX{} fragment will insert these
5800 characters together with a pair of braces. If you use @key{TAB} to move
5801 out of the braces, and if the braces surround only a single character or
5802 macro, they are removed again (depending on the variable
5803 @code{cdlatex-simplify-sub-super-scripts}).
5806 Pressing the backquote @kbd{`} followed by a character inserts math
5807 macros, also outside La@TeX{} fragments. If you wait more than 1.5 seconds
5808 after the backquote, a help window will pop up.
5811 Pressing the normal quote @kbd{'} followed by another character modifies
5812 the symbol before point with an accent or a font. If you wait more than
5813 1.5 seconds after the backquote, a help window will pop up. Character
5814 modification will work only inside La@TeX{} fragments, outside the quote
5818 @node Exporting, Publishing, Embedded LaTeX, Top
5822 Org-mode documents can be exported into a variety of other formats. For
5823 printing and sharing of notes, ASCII export produces a readable and
5824 simple version of an Org-mode file. HTML export allows you to publish a
5825 notes file on the web, while the XOXO format provides a solid base for
5826 exchange with a broad range of other applications. La@TeX{} export lets
5827 you use Org-mode and its structured editing functions to easily create
5828 La@TeX{} files. To incorporate entries with associated times like
5829 deadlines or appointments into a desktop calendar program like iCal,
5830 Org-mode can also produce extracts in the iCalendar format. Currently
5831 Org-mode only supports export, not import of these different formats.
5833 When exporting, Org-mode uses special conventions to enrich the output
5834 produced. @xref{Text interpretation}, for more details.
5839 Dispatcher for export and publishing commands. Displays a help-window
5840 listing the additional key(s) needed to launch an export or publishing
5845 * ASCII export:: Exporting to plain ASCII
5846 * HTML export:: Exporting to HTML
5847 * LaTeX export:: Exporting to LaTeX
5848 * XOXO export:: Exporting to XOXO
5849 * iCalendar export:: Exporting in iCalendar format
5850 * Text interpretation:: How the exporter looks at the file
5853 @node ASCII export, HTML export, Exporting, Exporting
5854 @section ASCII export
5855 @cindex ASCII export
5857 ASCII export produces a simple and very readable version of an Org-mode
5860 @cindex region, active
5861 @cindex active region
5862 @cindex transient-mark-mode
5866 Export as ASCII file. For an org file @file{myfile.org}, the ASCII file
5867 will be @file{myfile.txt}. The file will be overwritten without
5868 warning. If there is an active region, only the region will be
5869 exported. If the selected region is a single tree, the tree head will
5870 become the document title. If the tree head entry has or inherits an
5871 EXPORT_FILE_NAME property, that name will be used for the export.
5874 Export only the visible part of the document.
5877 @cindex headline levels, for exporting
5878 In the exported version, the first 3 outline levels will become
5879 headlines, defining a general document structure. Additional levels
5880 will be exported as itemized lists. If you want that transition to occur
5881 at a different level, specify it with a prefix argument. For example,
5888 creates only top level headlines and does the rest as items. When
5889 headlines are converted to items, the indentation of the text following
5890 the headline is changed to fit nicely under the item. This is done with
5891 the assumption that the first bodyline indicates the base indentation of
5892 the body text. Any indentation larger than this is adjusted to preserve
5893 the layout relative to the first line. Should there be lines with less
5894 indentation than the first, these are left alone.
5896 @node HTML export, LaTeX export, ASCII export, Exporting
5897 @section HTML export
5900 Org-mode contains an HTML (XHTML 1.0 strict) exporter with extensive
5901 HTML formatting, in ways similar to John Grubers @emph{markdown}
5902 language, but with additional support for tables.
5905 * HTML Export commands:: How to invoke LaTeX export
5906 * Quoting HTML tags:: Using direct HTML in Org-mode
5907 * Links:: Transformation of links for HTML
5908 * Images:: How to include images
5909 * CSS support:: Changing the appearence of the output
5912 @node HTML Export commands, Quoting HTML tags, HTML export, HTML export
5913 @subsection HTML export commands
5915 @cindex region, active
5916 @cindex active region
5917 @cindex transient-mark-mode
5921 Export as HTML file @file{myfile.html}. For an org file
5922 @file{myfile.org}, the ASCII file will be @file{myfile.html}. The file
5923 will be overwritten without warning. If there is an active region, only
5924 the region will be exported. If the selected region is a single tree,
5925 the tree head will become the document title. If the tree head entry
5926 has or inherits an EXPORT_FILE_NAME property, that name will be used for
5930 Export as HTML file and immediately open it with a browser.
5933 Export to a temporary buffer, do not create a file.
5936 Export the active region to a temporary buffer. With prefix arg, do not
5937 produce file header and foot, but just the plain HTML section for the
5938 region. This is good for cut-and-paste operations.
5947 Export only the visible part of the document.
5948 @item M-x org-export-region-as-html
5949 Convert the region to HTML under the assumption that it was org-mode
5950 syntax before. This is a global command that can be invoked in any
5952 @item M-x org-replace-region-by-HTML
5953 Replace the active region (assumed to be in Org-mode syntax) by HTML
5957 @cindex headline levels, for exporting
5958 In the exported version, the first 3 outline levels will become
5959 headlines, defining a general document structure. Additional levels
5960 will be exported as itemized lists. If you want that transition to occur
5961 at a different level, specify it with a prefix argument. For example,
5968 creates two levels of headings and does the rest as items.
5970 @node Quoting HTML tags, Links, HTML Export commands, HTML export
5971 @subsection Quoting HTML tags
5973 Plain @samp{<} and @samp{>} are always transformed to @samp{<} and
5974 @samp{>} in HTML export. If you want to include simple HTML tags
5975 which should be interpreted as such, mark them with @samp{@@} as in
5976 @samp{@@<b>bold text@@</b>}. Note that this really works only for
5977 simple tags. For more extensive HTML that should be copied verbatim to
5978 the exported file use either
5981 #+HTML: Literal HTML code for export
5988 All lines between these markers are exported literally
5993 @node Links, Images, Quoting HTML tags, HTML export
5996 @cindex links, in HTML export
5997 @cindex internal links, in HTML export
5998 @cindex external links, in HTML export
5999 Internal links (@pxref{Internal links}) will continue to work in HTML
6000 files only if they match a dedicated @samp{<<target>>}. Automatic links
6001 created by radio targets (@pxref{Radio targets}) will also work in the
6002 HTML file. Links to external files will still work if the HTML file is
6003 in the same directory as the Org-mode file. Links to other @file{.org}
6004 files will be translated into HTML links under the assumption that an
6005 HTML version also exists of the linked file. For information related to
6006 linking files while publishing them to a publishing directory see
6007 @ref{Publishing links}.
6009 @node Images, CSS support, Links, HTML export
6012 @cindex images, inline in HTML
6013 @cindex inlining images in HTML
6014 HTML export can inline images given as links in the Org-mode file, and
6015 it can make an image the clickable part of a link. By
6016 default@footnote{but see the variable
6017 @code{org-export-html-inline-images}}, images are inlined if a link does
6018 not have a description. So @samp{[[file:myimg.jpg]]} will be inlined,
6019 while @samp{[[file:myimg.jpg][the image]]} will just produce a link
6020 @samp{the image} that points to the image. If the description part
6021 itself is a @code{file:} link or a @code{http:} URL pointing to an
6022 image, this image will be inlined and activated so that clicking on the
6023 image will activate the link. For example, to include a thumbnail that
6024 will link to a high resolution version of the image, you could use:
6027 [[file:highres.jpg][file:thumb.jpg]]
6031 and you could use @code{http} addresses just as well.
6033 @node CSS support, , Images, HTML export
6034 @subsection CSS support
6036 You can also give style information for the exported file. The HTML
6037 exporter assigns the following CSS classes to appropriate parts of the
6038 document - your style specifications may change these:
6040 .todo @r{TODO keywords}
6041 .done @r{the DONE keyword}
6042 .timestamp @r{time stamp}
6043 .timestamp-kwd @r{keyword associated with a time stamp, like SCHEDULED}
6044 .tag @r{tag in a headline}
6045 .target @r{target for links}
6048 The default style specification can be configured through the option
6049 @code{org-export-html-style}. If you want to use a file-local style,
6050 you may use file variables, best wrapped into a COMMENT section at the
6051 end of the outline tree. For example@footnote{Under Emacs 21, the
6052 continuation lines for a variable value should have no @samp{#} at the
6053 start of the line.}:
6056 * COMMENT html style specifications
6059 # org-export-html-style: " <style type=\"text/css\">
6060 # p @{font-weight: normal; color: gray; @}
6061 # h1 @{color: black; @}
6066 Remember to execute @kbd{M-x normal-mode} after changing this to make
6067 the new style visible to Emacs. This command restarts org-mode for the
6068 current buffer and forces Emacs to re-evaluate the local variables
6069 section in the buffer.
6071 @c FIXME: More about header and footer styles
6072 @c FIXME: Talk about links and targets.
6074 @node LaTeX export, XOXO export, HTML export, Exporting
6075 @section LaTeX export
6076 @cindex LaTeX export
6078 Org-mode contains a La@TeX{} exporter written by Bastien Guerry.
6081 * LaTeX export commands:: How to invoke LaTeX export
6082 * Quoting LaTeX code:: Incorporating literal LaTeX code
6085 @node LaTeX export commands, Quoting LaTeX code, LaTeX export, LaTeX export
6086 @subsection LaTeX export commands
6091 Export as La@TeX{} file @file{myfile.tex}.
6094 Export to a temporary buffer, do not create a file.
6099 Export only the visible part of the document.
6100 @item M-x org-export-region-as-latex
6101 Convert the region to La@TeX{} under the assumption that it was org-mode
6102 syntax before. This is a global command that can be invoked in any
6104 @item M-x org-replace-region-by-latex
6105 Replace the active region (assumed to be in Org-mode syntax) by La@TeX{}
6109 @cindex headline levels, for exporting
6110 In the exported version, the first 3 outline levels will become
6111 headlines, defining a general document structure. Additional levels
6112 will be exported as description lists. The exporter can ignore them or
6113 convert them to a custom string depending on
6114 @code{org-latex-low-levels}.
6116 If you want that transition to occur at a different level, specify it
6117 with a prefix argument. For example,
6124 creates two levels of headings and does the rest as items.
6126 @node Quoting LaTeX code, , LaTeX export commands, LaTeX export
6127 @subsection Quoting LaTeX code
6129 Embedded La@TeX{} as described in @ref{Embedded LaTeX} will be correctly
6130 inserted into the La@TeX{} file. Forthermore, you can add special code
6131 that should only be present in La@TeX{} export with the following
6135 #+LaTeX: Literal LaTeX code for export
6142 All lines between these markers are exported literally
6145 @node XOXO export, iCalendar export, LaTeX export, Exporting
6146 @section XOXO export
6149 Org-mode contains an exporter that produces XOXO-style output.
6150 Currently, this exporter only handles the general outline structure and
6151 does not interpret any additional Org-mode features.
6156 Export as XOXO file @file{myfile.html}.
6159 Export only the visible part of the document.
6162 @node iCalendar export, Text interpretation, XOXO export, Exporting
6163 @section iCalendar export
6164 @cindex iCalendar export
6166 Some people like to use Org-mode for keeping track of projects, but
6167 still prefer a standard calendar application for anniversaries and
6168 appointments. In this case it can be useful to have deadlines and
6169 other time-stamped items in Org-mode files show up in the calendar
6170 application. Org-mode can export calendar information in the standard
6171 iCalendar format. If you also want to have TODO entries included in the
6172 export, configure the variable @code{org-icalendar-include-todo}.
6177 Create iCalendar entries for the current file and store them in the same
6178 directory, using a file extension @file{.ics}.
6181 Like @kbd{C-c C-e i}, but do this for all files in
6182 @code{org-agenda-files}. For each of these files, a separate iCalendar
6183 file will be written.
6186 Create a single large iCalendar file from all files in
6187 @code{org-agenda-files} and write it to the file given by
6188 @code{org-combined-agenda-icalendar-file}.
6191 The export will honor SUMMARY, DESCRIPTION and LOCATION properties if
6192 the selected entries have them. If not, the summary will be derived
6193 from the headline, and the description from the body (limited to
6194 @code{org-icalendar-include-body} characters).
6196 How this calendar is best read and updated, depends on the application
6197 you are using. The FAQ covers this issue.
6200 @node Text interpretation, , iCalendar export, Exporting
6201 @section Text interpretation by the exporter
6203 The exporter backends interpret additional structure in the Org-mode file
6204 in order to produce better output.
6207 * Comment lines:: Some lines will not be exported
6208 * Initial text:: Text before the first headline
6209 * Footnotes:: Numbers like [1]
6210 * Enhancing text:: Subscripts, symbols and more
6211 * Export options:: How to influence the export settings
6214 @node Comment lines, Initial text, Text interpretation, Text interpretation
6215 @subsection Comment lines
6216 @cindex comment lines
6217 @cindex exporting, not
6219 Lines starting with @samp{#} in column zero are treated as comments
6220 and will never be exported. Also entire subtrees starting with the
6221 word @samp{COMMENT} will never be exported.
6226 Toggle the COMMENT keyword at the beginning of an entry.
6229 @node Initial text, Footnotes, Comment lines, Text interpretation
6230 @subsection Text before the first headline
6232 Org-mode normally ignores any text before the first headline when
6233 exporting, leaving this region for internal links to speed up navigation
6234 etc. However, in publishing-oriented files, you might want to have some
6235 text before the first headline, like a small introduction, special HTML
6236 code with a navigation bar, etc. You can ask to have this part of the
6237 file exported as well by setting the variable
6238 @code{org-export-skip-text-before-1st-heading} to @code{nil}. On a
6239 per-file basis, you can get the same effect with
6245 The text before the first headline will be fully processed
6246 (@pxref{Enhancing text}), and the first non-comment line becomes the
6247 title of the exported document. If you need to include literal HTML,
6248 use the special constructs described in @ref{Quoting HTML tags}. The
6249 table of contents is normally inserted directly before the first
6250 headline of the file. If you would like to get it to a different
6251 location, insert the string @code{[TABLE-OF-CONTENTS]} on a line by
6252 itself at the desired location.
6254 Finally, if you want to use the space before the first headline for
6255 internal purposes, but @emph{still} want to place something before the
6256 first headline when exporting the file, you can use the @code{#+TEXT}
6261 #+TEXT: This text will go before the *first* headline.
6262 #+TEXT: We place the table of contents here:
6263 #+TEXT: [TABLE-OF-CONTENTS]
6264 #+TEXT: This goes between the table of contents and the first headline
6267 @node Footnotes, Enhancing text, Initial text, Text interpretation
6268 @subsection Footnotes
6270 @cindex @file{footnote.el}
6272 Numbers in square brackets are treated as footnotes, so that you can use
6273 the Emacs package @file{footnote.el} to create footnotes. For example:
6276 The org-mode homepage[1] clearly needs help from
6277 a good web designer.
6279 [1] The link is: http://orgmode.org
6284 Note that the @file{footnote} package uses @kbd{C-c !} to invoke its
6285 commands. This binding conflicts with the org-mode command for
6286 inserting inactive time stamps. You could use the variable
6287 @code{footnote-prefix} to switch footnotes commands to another key. Or,
6288 if you are too used to this binding, you could use
6289 @code{org-replace-disputed-keys} and @code{org-disputed-keys} to change
6290 the settings in Org-mode.
6292 @node Enhancing text, Export options, Footnotes, Text interpretation
6293 @subsection Enhancing text for export
6294 @cindex enhancing text
6297 Some of the export backends of Org-mode allow for sophisticated text
6298 formatting, this is true in particular for the HTML and La@TeX{}
6299 backends. Org-mode has a number of typing conventions that allow to
6300 produce a richly formatted output.
6304 @cindex hand-formatted lists
6305 @cindex lists, hand-formatted
6307 Plain lists @samp{-}, @samp{*} or @samp{+} as bullet, or with @samp{1.}
6308 or @samp{2)} as enumerator will be recognized and transformed if the
6309 backend supports lists. See @xref{Plain lists}.
6311 @cindex underlined text
6315 You can make words @b{*bold*}, @i{/italic/}, _underlined_,
6316 @code{=code=}, and even @samp{+strikethrough+}@footnote{but remember
6317 that strikethrough is typographically evil and should @i{never} be
6320 @cindex horizontal rules, in exported files
6322 A line consisting of only dashes, and at least 5 of them, will be
6323 exported as a horizontal line (@samp{<hr/>} in HTML).
6325 @cindex LaTeX fragments, export
6326 @cindex TeX macros, export
6328 Many @TeX{} macros and entire La@TeX{} fragments are converted into HTML
6329 entities or images (@pxref{Embedded LaTeX}).
6331 @cindex tables, export
6333 Tables are transformed into native tables under the exporter, if the
6334 export backend supports this. Data fields before the first horizontal
6335 separator line will be formatted as table header fields.
6339 If a headline starts with the word @samp{QUOTE}, the text below the
6340 headline will be typeset as fixed-width, to allow quoting of computer
6341 codes etc. Lines starting with @samp{:} are also typeset in fixed-width
6346 Toggle fixed-width for entry (QUOTE) or region, see below.
6349 @cindex linebreak, forced
6351 A double backslash @emph{at the end of a line} enforces a line break at
6355 If these conversions conflict with your habits of typing ASCII text,
6356 they can all be turned off with corresponding variables. See the
6357 customization group @code{org-export-general}, and the following section
6358 which explains how to set export options with special lines in a
6362 @node Export options, , Enhancing text, Text interpretation
6363 @subsection Export options
6364 @cindex options, for export
6366 @cindex completion, of option keywords
6367 The exporter recognizes special lines in the buffer which provide
6368 additional information. These lines may be put anywhere in the file.
6369 The whole set of lines can be inserted into the buffer with @kbd{C-c
6370 C-e t}. For individual lines, a good way to make sure the keyword is
6371 correct is to type @samp{#+} and then use @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} completion
6372 (@pxref{Completion}).
6377 Insert template with export options, see example below.
6381 #+TITLE: the title to be shown (default is the buffer name)
6382 #+AUTHOR: the author (default taken from @code{user-full-name})
6383 #+DATE: A date, fixed, of a format string for @code{format-time-string}
6384 #+EMAIL: his/her email address (default from @code{user-mail-address})
6385 #+LANGUAGE: language for HTML, e.g. @samp{en} (@code{org-export-default-language})
6386 #+TEXT: Some descriptive text to be inserted at the beginning.
6387 #+TEXT: Several lines may be given.
6388 #+OPTIONS: H:2 num:t toc:t \n:nil @@:t ::t |:t ^:t f:t TeX:t ...
6392 The OPTIONS line is a compact form to specify export settings. Here
6394 @cindex headline levels
6395 @cindex section-numbers
6396 @cindex table of contents
6397 @cindex linebreak preservation
6398 @cindex quoted HTML tags
6399 @cindex fixed-width sections
6401 @cindex @TeX{}-like syntax for sub- and superscripts
6403 @cindex emphasized text
6404 @cindex @TeX{} macros
6405 @cindex La@TeX{} fragments
6406 @cindex author info, in export
6407 @cindex time info, in export
6409 H: @r{set the number of headline levels for export}
6410 num: @r{turn on/off section-numbers}
6411 toc: @r{turn on/off table of contents, or set level limit (integer)}
6412 \n: @r{turn on/off linebreak-preservation}
6413 @@: @r{turn on/off quoted HTML tags}
6414 :: @r{turn on/off fixed-width sections}
6415 |: @r{turn on/off tables}
6416 ^: @r{turn on/off @TeX{}-like syntax for sub- and superscripts. If}
6417 @r{you write "^:@{@}", @code{a_@{b@}} will be interpreted, but}
6418 @r{the simple @code{a_b} will be left as it is.}
6419 f: @r{turn on/off foototes like this[1].}
6420 *: @r{turn on/off emphasized text (bold, italic, underlined)}
6421 TeX: @r{turn on/off simple @TeX{} macros in plain text}
6422 LaTeX: @r{turn on/off La@TeX{} fragments}
6423 skip: @r{turn on/off skipping the text before the first heading}
6424 author: @r{turn on/off inclusion of author name/email into exported file}
6425 timestamp: @r{turn on/off inclusion creation time into exported file}
6426 p: @r{turn on/off inclusion of tags}
6429 These options take effect in both the HTML and La@TeX{} export, except
6430 for @code{TeX} and @code{LaTeX}, which are respectively @code{t} and
6431 @code{nil} for the La@TeX{} export.
6433 @node Publishing, Miscellaneous, Exporting, Top
6437 Org-mode includes@footnote{@file{org-publish.el} is not distributed with
6438 Emacs 21, if you are still using Emacs 21, you need you need to download
6439 this file separately.} a publishing management system that allows you to
6440 configure automatic HTML conversion of @emph{projects} composed of
6441 interlinked org files. This system is called @emph{org-publish}. You can
6442 also configure org-publish to automatically upload your exported HTML
6443 pages and related attachments, such as images and source code files, to
6444 a web server. Org-publish turns org-mode into a web-site authoring tool.
6446 You can also use Org-publish to convert files into La@TeX{}, or even
6447 combine HTML and La@TeX{} conversion so that files are available in both
6448 formats on the server@footnote{Since La@TeX{} files on a server are not
6449 that helpful, you surely want to perform further conversion on them --
6450 e.g. convert them to @code{PDF} format.}.
6452 Org-publish has been contributed to Org-mode by David O'Toole.
6455 * Configuration:: Defining projects
6456 * Sample configuration:: Example projects
6457 * Triggering publication:: Publication commands
6460 @node Configuration, Sample configuration, Publishing, Publishing
6461 @section Configuration
6463 Publishing needs significant configuration to specify files, destination
6464 and many other properties of a project.
6467 * Project alist:: The central configuration variable
6468 * Sources and destinations:: From here to there
6469 * Selecting files:: What files are part of the project?
6470 * Publishing action:: Setting the function doing the publishing
6471 * Publishing options:: Tweaking HTML export
6472 * Publishing links:: Which links keep working after publishing?
6473 * Project page index:: Publishing a list of project files
6476 @node Project alist, Sources and destinations, Configuration, Configuration
6477 @subsection The variable @code{org-publish-project-alist}
6478 @cindex org-publish-project-alist
6479 @cindex projects, for publishing
6481 Org-publish is configured almost entirely through setting the value of
6482 one variable, called @code{org-publish-project-alist}.
6483 Each element of the list configures one project, and may be in one of
6484 the two following forms:
6487 ("project-name" :property value :property value ...)
6491 ("project-name" :components ("project-name" "project-name" ...))
6495 In both cases, projects are configured by specifying property values.
6496 A project defines the set of files that will be published, as well as
6497 the publishing configuration to use when publishing those files. When
6498 a project takes the second form listed above, the individual members
6499 of the ``components'' property are taken to be components of the
6500 project, which group together files requiring different publishing
6501 options. When you publish such a ``meta-project'' all the components
6504 @node Sources and destinations, Selecting files, Project alist, Configuration
6505 @subsection Sources and destinations for files
6506 @cindex directories, for publishing
6508 Most properties are optional, but some should always be set. In
6509 particular, org-publish needs to know where to look for source files,
6510 and where to put published files.
6512 @multitable @columnfractions 0.3 0.7
6513 @item @code{:base-directory}
6514 @tab Directory containing publishing source files
6515 @item @code{:publishing-directory}
6516 @tab Directory (possibly remote) where output files will be published.
6517 @item @code{:preparation-function}
6518 @tab Function called before starting publishing process, for example to
6519 run @code{make} for updating files to be published.
6523 @node Selecting files, Publishing action, Sources and destinations, Configuration
6524 @subsection Selecting files
6525 @cindex files, selecting for publishing
6527 By default, all files with extension @file{.org} in the base directory
6528 are considered part of the project. This can be modified by setting the
6530 @multitable @columnfractions 0.25 0.75
6531 @item @code{:base-extension}
6532 @tab Extension (without the dot!) of source files. This actually is a
6535 @item @code{:exclude}
6536 @tab Regular expression to match file names that should not be
6537 published, even though they have been selected on the basis of their
6540 @item @code{:include}
6541 @tab List of files to be included regardless of @code{:base-extension}
6542 and @code{:exclude}.
6545 @node Publishing action, Publishing options, Selecting files, Configuration
6546 @subsection Publishing Action
6547 @cindex action, for publishing
6549 Publishing means that a file is copied to the destination directory and
6550 possibly transformed in the process. The default transformation is to
6551 export Org-mode files as HTML files, and this is done by the function
6552 @code{org-publish-org-to-html} which calls the HTML exporter
6553 (@pxref{HTML export}). But you also can publish your files in La@TeX{} by
6554 using the function @code{org-publish-org-to-latex} instead. Other files
6555 like images only need to be copied to the publishing destination. For
6556 non-Org-mode files, you need to specify the publishing function.
6559 @multitable @columnfractions 0.3 0.7
6560 @item @code{:publishing-function}
6561 @tab Function executing the publication of a file. This may also be a
6562 list of functions, which will all be called in turn.
6565 The function must accept two arguments: a property list containing at
6566 least a @code{:publishing-directory} property, and the name of the file
6567 to be published. It should take the specified file, make the necessary
6568 transformation (if any) and place the result into the destination folder.
6569 You can write your own publishing function, but @code{org-publish}
6570 provides one for attachments (files that only need to be copied):
6571 @code{org-publish-attachment}.
6573 @node Publishing options, Publishing links, Publishing action, Configuration
6574 @subsection Options for the HTML/LaTeX exporters
6575 @cindex options, for publishing
6577 The property list can be used to set many export options for the HTML
6578 and La@TeX{} exporters. In most cases, these properties correspond to user
6579 variables in Org-mode. The table below lists these properties along
6580 with the variable they belong to. See the documentation string for the
6581 respective variable for details.
6583 @multitable @columnfractions 0.3 0.7
6584 @item @code{:language} @tab @code{org-export-default-language}
6585 @item @code{:headline-levels} @tab @code{org-export-headline-levels}
6586 @item @code{:section-numbers} @tab @code{org-export-with-section-numbers}
6587 @item @code{:table-of-contents} @tab @code{org-export-with-toc}
6588 @item @code{:archived-trees} @tab @code{org-export-with-archived-trees}
6589 @item @code{:emphasize} @tab @code{org-export-with-emphasize}
6590 @item @code{:sub-superscript} @tab @code{org-export-with-sub-superscripts}
6591 @item @code{:TeX-macros} @tab @code{org-export-with-TeX-macros}
6592 @item @code{:LaTeX-fragments} @tab @code{org-export-with-LaTeX-fragments}
6593 @item @code{:fixed-width} @tab @code{org-export-with-fixed-width}
6594 @item @code{:timestamps} .@tab @code{org-export-with-timestamps}
6595 @item @code{:tags} .@tab @code{org-export-with-tags}
6596 @item @code{:tables} @tab @code{org-export-with-tables}
6597 @item @code{:table-auto-headline} @tab @code{org-export-highlight-first-table-line}
6598 @item @code{:style} @tab @code{org-export-html-style}
6599 @item @code{:convert-org-links} @tab @code{org-export-html-link-org-files-as-html}
6600 @item @code{:inline-images} @tab @code{org-export-html-inline-images}
6601 @item @code{:expand-quoted-html} @tab @code{org-export-html-expand}
6602 @item @code{:timestamp} @tab @code{org-export-html-with-timestamp}
6603 @item @code{:publishing-directory} @tab @code{org-export-publishing-directory}
6604 @item @code{:preamble} @tab @code{org-export-html-preamble}
6605 @item @code{:postamble} @tab @code{org-export-html-postamble}
6606 @item @code{:auto-preamble} @tab @code{org-export-html-auto-preamble}
6607 @item @code{:auto-postamble} @tab @code{org-export-html-auto-postamble}
6608 @item @code{:author} @tab @code{user-full-name}
6609 @item @code{:email} @tab @code{user-mail-address}
6612 Most of the @code{org-export-with-*} variables have the same effect in
6613 both HTML and La@TeX{} exporters, except for @code{:TeX-macros} and
6614 @code{:LaTeX-fragments}, respectively @code{nil} and @code{t} in the
6617 When a property is given a value in org-publish-project-alist, its
6618 setting overrides the value of the corresponding user variable (if any)
6619 during publishing. Options set within a file (@pxref{Export
6620 options}), however, override everything.
6622 @node Publishing links, Project page index, Publishing options, Configuration
6623 @subsection Links between published files
6624 @cindex links, publishing
6626 To create a link from one Org-mode file to another, you would use
6627 something like @samp{[[file:foo.org][The foo]]} or simply
6628 @samp{file:foo.org.} (@pxref{Hyperlinks}). Upon publishing this link
6629 becomes a link to @file{foo.html}. In this way, you can interlink the
6630 pages of your "org web" project and the links will work as expected when
6631 you publish them to HTML.
6633 You may also link to related files, such as images. Provided you are
6634 careful with relative pathnames, and provided you have also configured
6635 org-publish to upload the related files, these links will work
6636 too. @ref{Complex example} for an example of this usage.
6638 Sometime an Org-mode file to be published may contain links that are
6639 only valid in your production environment, but not in the publishing
6640 location. In this case, use the property
6642 @multitable @columnfractions 0.4 0.6
6643 @item @code{:link-validation-function}
6644 @tab Function to validate links
6648 to define a function for checking link validity. This function must
6649 accept two arguments, the file name and a directory relative to which
6650 the file name is interpreted in the production environment. If this
6651 function returns @code{nil}, then the HTML generator will only insert a
6652 description into the HTML file, but no link. One option for this
6653 function is @code{org-publish-validate-link} which checks if the given
6654 file is part of any project in @code{org-publish-project-alist}.
6656 @node Project page index, , Publishing links, Configuration
6657 @subsection Project page index
6658 @cindex index, of published pages
6660 The following properties may be used to control publishing of an
6661 index of files or summary page for a given project.
6663 @multitable @columnfractions 0.25 0.75
6664 @item @code{:auto-index}
6665 @tab When non-nil, publish an index during org-publish-current-project or
6668 @item @code{:index-filename}
6669 @tab Filename for output of index. Defaults to @file{index.org} (which
6670 becomes @file{index.html}).
6672 @item @code{:index-title}
6673 @tab Title of index page. Defaults to name of file.
6675 @item @code{:index-function}
6676 @tab Plugin function to use for generation of index.
6677 Defaults to @code{org-publish-org-index}, which generates a plain list
6678 of links to all files in the project.
6681 @node Sample configuration, Triggering publication, Configuration, Publishing
6682 @section Sample configuration
6684 Below we provide two example configurations. The first one is a simple
6685 project publishing only a set of Org-mode files. The second example is
6686 more complex, with a multi-component project.
6689 * Simple example:: One-component publishing
6690 * Complex example:: A multi-component publishing example
6693 @node Simple example, Complex example, Sample configuration, Sample configuration
6694 @subsection Example: simple publishing configuration
6696 This example publishes a set of Org-mode files to the @file{public_html}
6697 directory on the local machine.
6700 (setq org-publish-project-alist
6702 :base-directory "~/org/"
6703 :publishing-directory "~/public_html"
6704 :section-numbers nil
6705 :table-of-contents nil
6706 :style "<link rel=stylesheet
6707 href=\"../other/mystyle.css\"
6708 type=\"text/css\">")))
6711 @node Complex example, , Simple example, Sample configuration
6712 @subsection Example: complex publishing configuration
6714 This more complicated example publishes an entire website, including
6715 org files converted to HTML, image files, emacs lisp source code, and
6716 stylesheets. The publishing-directory is remote and private files are
6719 To ensure that links are preserved, care should be taken to replicate
6720 your directory structure on the web server, and to use relative file
6721 paths. For example, if your org files are kept in @file{~/org} and your
6722 publishable images in @file{~/images}, you'd link to an image with
6725 file:../images/myimage.png
6728 On the web server, the relative path to the image should be the
6729 same. You can accomplish this by setting up an "images" folder in the
6730 right place on the webserver, and publishing images to it.
6733 (setq org-publish-project-alist
6735 :base-directory "~/org/"
6736 :base-extension "org"
6737 :publishing-directory "/ssh:user@@host:~/html/notebook/"
6738 :publishing-function org-publish-org-to-html
6739 :exclude "PrivatePage.org" ;; regexp
6741 :section-numbers nil
6742 :table-of-contents nil
6743 :style "<link rel=stylesheet
6744 href=\"../other/mystyle.css\" type=\"text/css\">"
6746 :auto-postamble nil)
6749 :base-directory "~/images/"
6750 :base-extension "jpg\\|gif\\|png"
6751 :publishing-directory "/ssh:user@@host:~/html/images/"
6752 :publishing-function org-publish-attachment)
6755 :base-directory "~/other/"
6756 :base-extension "css\\|el"
6757 :publishing-directory "/ssh:user@@host:~/html/other/"
6758 :publishing-function org-publish-attachment)
6759 ("website" :components ("orgfiles" "images" "other"))))
6762 @node Triggering publication, , Sample configuration, Publishing
6763 @section Triggering publication
6765 Once org-publish is properly configured, you can publish with the
6766 following functions:
6770 Prompt for a specific project and publish all files that belong to it.
6772 Publish the project containing the current file.
6774 Publish only the current file.
6776 Publish all projects.
6779 Org uses timestamps to track when a file has changed. The above
6780 functions normally only publish changed files. You can override this and
6781 force publishing of all files by giving a prefix argument.
6783 @node Miscellaneous, Extensions and Hacking, Publishing, Top
6784 @chapter Miscellaneous
6787 * Completion:: M-TAB knows what you need
6788 * Customization:: Adapting Org-mode to your taste
6789 * In-buffer settings:: Overview of the #+KEYWORDS
6790 * The very busy C-c C-c key:: When in doubt, press C-c C-c
6791 * Clean view:: Getting rid of leading stars in the outline
6792 * TTY keys:: Using Org-mode on a tty
6793 * Interaction:: Other Emacs packages
6794 * Bugs:: Things which do not work perfectly
6797 @node Completion, Customization, Miscellaneous, Miscellaneous
6799 @cindex completion, of @TeX{} symbols
6800 @cindex completion, of TODO keywords
6801 @cindex completion, of dictionary words
6802 @cindex completion, of option keywords
6803 @cindex completion, of tags
6804 @cindex completion, of property keys
6805 @cindex completion, of link abbreviations
6806 @cindex @TeX{} symbol completion
6807 @cindex TODO keywords completion
6808 @cindex dictionary word completion
6809 @cindex option keyword completion
6810 @cindex tag completion
6811 @cindex link abbreviations, completion of
6813 Org-mode supports in-buffer completion. This type of completion does
6814 not make use of the minibuffer. You simply type a few letters into
6815 the buffer and use the key to complete text right there.
6820 Complete word at point
6823 At the beginning of a headline, complete TODO keywords.
6825 After @samp{\}, complete @TeX{} symbols supported by the exporter.
6827 After @samp{*}, complete headlines in the current buffer so that they
6828 can be used in search links like @samp{[[*find this headline]]}.
6830 After @samp{:} in a headline, complete tags. The list of tags is taken
6831 from the variable @code{org-tag-alist} (possibly set through the
6832 @samp{#+TAGS} in-buffer option, @pxref{Setting tags}), or it is created
6833 dynamically from all tags used in the current buffer.
6835 After @samp{:} and not in a headline, complete property keys. The list
6836 of keys is constructed dynamically from all keys used in the current
6839 After @samp{[}, complete link abbreviations (@pxref{Link abbreviations}).
6841 After @samp{#+}, complete the special keywords like @samp{TYP_TODO} or
6842 @samp{OPTIONS} which set file-specific options for Org-mode. When the
6843 option keyword is already complete, pressing @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} again
6844 will insert example settings for this keyword.
6846 In the line after @samp{#+STARTUP: }, complete startup keywords,
6847 i.e. valid keys for this line.
6849 Elsewhere, complete dictionary words using ispell.
6853 @node Customization, In-buffer settings, Completion, Miscellaneous
6854 @section Customization
6855 @cindex customization
6856 @cindex options, for customization
6857 @cindex variables, for customization
6859 There are more than 180 variables that can be used to customize
6860 Org-mode. For the sake of compactness of the manual, I am not
6861 describing the variables here. A structured overview of customization
6862 variables is available with @kbd{M-x org-customize}. Or select
6863 @code{Browse Org Group} from the @code{Org->Customization} menu. Many
6864 settings can also be activated on a per-file basis, by putting special
6865 lines into the buffer (@pxref{In-buffer settings}).
6867 @node In-buffer settings, The very busy C-c C-c key, Customization, Miscellaneous
6868 @section Summary of in-buffer settings
6869 @cindex in-buffer settings
6870 @cindex special keywords
6872 Org-mode uses special lines in the buffer to define settings on a
6873 per-file basis. These lines start with a @samp{#+} followed by a
6874 keyword, a colon, and then individual words defining a setting. Several
6875 setting words can be in the same line, but you can also have multiple
6876 lines for the keyword. While these settings are described throughout
6877 the manual, here is a summary. After changing any of those lines in the
6878 buffer, press @kbd{C-c C-c} with the cursor still in the line to
6879 activate the changes immediately. Otherwise they become effective only
6880 when the file is visited again in a new Emacs session.
6883 @item #+ARCHIVE: %s_done::
6884 This line sets the archive location for the agenda file. It applies for
6885 all subsequent lines until the next @samp{#+ARCHIVE} line, or the end
6886 of the file. The first such line also applies to any entries before it.
6887 The corresponding variable is @code{org-archive-location}.
6889 This line sets the category for the agenda file. The category applies
6890 for all subsequent lines until the next @samp{#+CATEGORY} line, or the
6891 end of the file. The first such line also applies to any entries before it.
6892 @item #+COLUMNS: %25ITEM .....
6893 Set the default format for columns view. This format applies when
6894 columns view is invoked in location where no COLUMNS property applies.
6895 @item #+CONSTANTS: name1=value1 ...
6896 Set file-local values for constants to be used in table formulas. This
6897 line set the local variable @code{org-table-formula-constants-local}.
6898 The global version of theis variable is
6899 @code{org-table-formula-constants}.
6901 @item #+LINK: linkword replace
6902 These lines (several are allowed) specify link abbreviations.
6903 @xref{Link abbreviations}. The corresponding variable is
6904 @code{org-link-abbrev-alist}.
6905 @item #+PRIORITIES: highest lowest default
6906 This line sets the limits and the default for the priorities. All three
6907 must be either letters A-Z or numbers 0-9. The highest priority must
6908 have a lower ASCII number that the lowest priority.
6909 @item #+PROPERTY: Property_Name Value
6910 This line sets a default inheritance value for entries in the current
6911 buffer, most useful for specifying the allowed values of a property.
6913 This line sets options to be used at startup of Org-mode, when an
6914 Org-mode file is being visited. The first set of options deals with the
6915 initial visibility of the outline tree. The corresponding variable for
6916 global default settings is @code{org-startup-folded}, with a default
6917 value @code{t}, which means @code{overview}.
6918 @cindex @code{overview}, STARTUP keyword
6919 @cindex @code{content}, STARTUP keyword
6920 @cindex @code{showall}, STARTUP keyword
6922 overview @r{top-level headlines only}
6923 content @r{all headlines}
6924 showall @r{no folding at all, show everything}
6926 Then there are options for aligning tables upon visiting a file. This
6927 is useful in files containing narrowed table columns. The corresponding
6928 variable is @code{org-startup-align-all-tables}, with a default value
6930 @cindex @code{align}, STARTUP keyword
6931 @cindex @code{noalign}, STARTUP keyword
6933 align @r{align all tables}
6934 noalign @r{don't align tables on startup}
6936 Logging TODO state changes and clock intervals (variables
6937 @code{org-log-done} and @code{org-log-repeat}) can be configured using
6939 @cindex @code{logdone}, STARTUP keyword
6940 @cindex @code{nologging}, STARTUP keyword
6941 @cindex @code{lognotedone}, STARTUP keyword
6942 @cindex @code{lognoteclock-out}, STARTUP keyword
6943 @cindex @code{lognotestate}, STARTUP keyword
6944 @cindex @code{logrepeat}, STARTUP keyword
6945 @cindex @code{nologrepeat}, STARTUP keyword
6947 logging @r{record a timestamp when an item is marked DONE}
6948 nologging @r{don't record when items are marked DONE}
6949 lognotedone @r{record timestamp and a note when DONE}
6950 lognotestate @r{record timestamp and a note when TODO state changes}
6951 logrepeat @r{record a note when re-instating a repeating item}
6952 nologrepeat @r{do not record when re-instating repeating item}
6953 lognoteclock-out @r{record timestamp and a note when clocking out}
6955 Here are the options for hiding leading stars in outline headings. The
6956 corresponding variables are @code{org-hide-leading-stars} and
6957 @code{org-odd-levels-only}, both with a default setting @code{nil}
6958 (meaning @code{showstars} and @code{oddeven}).
6959 @cindex @code{hidestars}, STARTUP keyword
6960 @cindex @code{showstars}, STARTUP keyword
6961 @cindex @code{odd}, STARTUP keyword
6962 @cindex @code{even}, STARTUP keyword
6964 hidestars @r{make all but one of the stars starting a headline invisible.}
6965 showstars @r{show all stars starting a headline}
6966 odd @r{allow only odd outline levels (1,3,...)}
6967 oddeven @r{allow all outline levels}
6969 To turn on custom format overlays over time stamps (variables
6970 @code{org-put-time-stamp-overlays} and
6971 @code{org-time-stamp-overlay-formats}), use
6972 @cindex @code{customtime}, STARTUP keyword
6974 customtime @r{overlay custom time format}
6976 The following options influence the table spreadsheet (variable
6977 @code{constants-unit-system}).
6978 @cindex @code{constcgs}, STARTUP keyword
6979 @cindex @code{constSI}, STARTUP keyword
6981 constcgs @r{@file{constants.el} should use the c-g-s unit system}
6982 constSI @r{@file{constants.el} should use the SI unit system}
6984 @item #+TAGS: TAG1(c1) TAG2(c2)
6985 These lines (several such lines are allowed) specify the legal tags in
6986 this file, and (potentially) the corresponding @emph{fast tag selection}
6987 keys. The corresponding variable is @code{org-tag-alist}.
6989 This line contains the formulas for the table directly above the line.
6990 @item #+TITLE:, #+AUTHOR:, #+EMAIL:, #+LANGUAGE:, #+TEXT:, #+OPTIONS, #+DATE:
6991 These lines provide settings for exporting files. For more details see
6992 @ref{Export options}.
6993 @item #+SEQ_TODO: #+TYP_TODO:
6994 These lines set the TODO keywords and their interpretation in the
6995 current file. The corresponding variables are @code{org-todo-keywords}
6996 and @code{org-todo-interpretation}.
6999 @node The very busy C-c C-c key, Clean view, In-buffer settings, Miscellaneous
7000 @section The very busy C-c C-c key
7002 @cindex C-c C-c, overview
7004 The key @kbd{C-c C-c} has many purposes in org-mode, which are all
7005 mentioned scattered throughout this manual. One specific function of
7006 this key is to add @emph{tags} to a headline (@pxref{Tags}). In many
7007 other circumstances it means something like @emph{Hey Org-mode, look
7008 here and update according to what you see here}. Here is a summary of
7009 what this means in different contexts.
7013 If there are highlights in the buffer from the creation of a sparse
7014 tree, or from clock display, remove these highlights.
7016 If the cursor is in one of the special @code{#+KEYWORD} lines, this
7017 triggers scanning the buffer for these lines and updating the
7020 If the cursor is inside a table, realign the table. This command
7021 works even if the automatic table editor has been turned off.
7023 If the cursor is on a @code{#+TBLFM} line, re-apply the formulas to
7026 If the cursor is inside a table created by the @file{table.el} package,
7027 activate that table.
7029 If the current buffer is a remember buffer, close the note and file it.
7030 With a prefix argument, file it, without further interaction, to the
7033 If the cursor is on a @code{<<<target>>>}, update radio targets and
7034 corresponding links in this buffer.
7036 If the cursor is in a property line or at the start or end of a property
7037 drawer, offer property commands.
7039 If the cursor is in a plain list item with a checkbox, toggle the status
7042 If the cursor is on a numbered item in a plain list, renumber the
7045 If the cursor is on the @code{#+BEGIN} line of a dynamical block, the
7049 @node Clean view, TTY keys, The very busy C-c C-c key, Miscellaneous
7050 @section A cleaner outline view
7051 @cindex hiding leading stars
7052 @cindex clean outline view
7054 Some people find it noisy and distracting that the Org-mode headlines
7055 are starting with a potentially large number of stars. For example
7056 the tree from @ref{Headlines}:
7059 * Top level headline
7065 * Another top level headline
7069 Unfortunately this is deeply ingrained into the code of Org-mode and
7070 cannot be easily changed. You can, however, modify the display in such
7071 a way that all leading stars become invisible and the outline more easy
7072 to read. To do this, customize the variable
7073 @code{org-hide-leading-stars} like this:
7076 (setq org-hide-leading-stars t)
7080 or change this on a per-file basis with one of the lines (anywhere in
7084 #+STARTUP: showstars
7085 #+STARTUP: hidestars
7089 Press @kbd{C-c C-c} with the cursor in a @samp{STARTUP} line to activate
7092 With stars hidden, the tree becomes:
7095 * Top level headline
7101 * Another top level headline
7105 Note that the leading stars are not truly replaced by whitespace, they
7106 are only fontified with the face @code{org-hide} that uses the
7107 background color as font color. If you are not using either white or
7108 black background, you may have to customize this face to get the wanted
7109 effect. Another possibility is to set this font such that the extra
7110 stars are @i{almost} invisible, for example using the color
7111 @code{grey90} on a white background.
7113 Things become cleaner still if you skip all the even levels and use only
7114 odd levels 1, 3, 5..., effectively adding two stars to go from one
7115 outline level to the next:
7118 * Top level headline
7124 * Another top level headline
7128 In order to make the structure editing and export commands handle this
7129 convention correctly, use
7132 (setq org-odd-levels-only t)
7136 or set this on a per-file basis with one of the following lines (don't
7137 forget to press @kbd{C-c C-c} with the cursor in the startup line to
7138 activate changes immediately).
7145 You can convert an Org-mode file from single-star-per-level to the
7146 double-star-per-level convention with @kbd{M-x org-convert-to-odd-levels
7147 RET} in that file. The reverse operation is @kbd{M-x
7148 org-convert-to-oddeven-levels}.
7150 @node TTY keys, Interaction, Clean view, Miscellaneous
7151 @section Using org-mode on a tty
7152 @cindex tty keybindings
7154 Org-mode uses a number of keys that are not accessible on a tty. This
7155 applies to most special keys like cursor keys, @key{TAB} and
7156 @key{RET}, when these are combined with modifier keys like @key{Meta}
7157 and/or @key{Shift}. Org-mode uses these bindings because it needs to
7158 provide keys for a large number of commands, and because these keys
7159 appeared particularly easy to remember. In order to still be able to
7160 access the core functionality of Org-mode on a tty, alternative
7161 bindings are provided. Here is a complete list of these bindings,
7162 which are obviously more cumbersome to use. Note that sometimes a
7163 work-around can be better. For example changing a time stamp is
7164 really only fun with @kbd{S-@key{cursor}} keys. On a tty you would
7165 rather use @kbd{C-c .} to re-insert the timestamp.
7167 @multitable @columnfractions 0.15 0.2 0.2
7168 @item @b{Default} @tab @b{Alternative 1} @tab @b{Alternative 2}
7169 @item @kbd{S-@key{TAB}} @tab @kbd{C-u @key{TAB}} @tab
7170 @item @kbd{M-@key{left}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x l} @tab @kbd{@key{Esc} @key{left}}
7171 @item @kbd{M-S-@key{left}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x L} @tab
7172 @item @kbd{M-@key{right}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x r} @tab @kbd{@key{Esc} @key{right}}
7173 @item @kbd{M-S-@key{right}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x R} @tab
7174 @item @kbd{M-@key{up}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x u} @tab @kbd{@key{Esc} @key{up}}
7175 @item @kbd{M-S-@key{up}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x U} @tab
7176 @item @kbd{M-@key{down}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x d} @tab @kbd{@key{Esc} @key{down}}
7177 @item @kbd{M-S-@key{down}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x D} @tab
7178 @item @kbd{S-@key{RET}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x c} @tab
7179 @item @kbd{M-@key{RET}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x m} @tab @kbd{@key{Esc} @key{RET}}
7180 @item @kbd{M-S-@key{RET}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x M} @tab
7181 @item @kbd{S-@key{left}} @tab @kbd{C-c @key{left}} @tab
7182 @item @kbd{S-@key{right}} @tab @kbd{C-c @key{right}} @tab
7183 @item @kbd{S-@key{up}} @tab @kbd{C-c @key{up}} @tab
7184 @item @kbd{S-@key{down}} @tab @kbd{C-c @key{down}} @tab
7185 @item @kbd{C-S-@key{left}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x @key{left}} @tab
7186 @item @kbd{C-S-@key{right}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x @key{right}} @tab
7189 @node Interaction, Bugs, TTY keys, Miscellaneous
7190 @section Interaction with other packages
7191 @cindex packages, interaction with other
7192 Org-mode lives in the world of GNU Emacs and interacts in various ways
7193 with other code out there.
7196 * Cooperation:: Packages Org-mode cooperates with
7197 * Conflicts:: Packages that lead to conflicts
7200 @node Cooperation, Conflicts, Interaction, Interaction
7201 @subsection Packages that Org-mode cooperates with
7204 @cindex @file{calc.el}
7205 @item @file{calc.el} by Dave Gillespie
7206 Org-mode uses the calc package for implementing spreadsheet
7207 functionality in its tables (@pxref{The spreadsheet}). Org-mode
7208 checks for the availability of calc by looking for the function
7209 @code{calc-eval} which should be autoloaded in your setup if calc has
7210 been installed properly. As of Emacs 22, calc is part of the Emacs
7211 distribution. Another possibility for interaction between the two
7212 packages is using calc for embedded calculations. @xref{Embedded Mode,
7213 , Embedded Mode, calc, GNU Emacs Calc Manual}.
7214 @cindex @file{constants.el}
7215 @item @file{constants.el} by Carsten Dominik
7216 In a table formula (@pxref{The spreadsheet}), it is possible to use
7217 names for natural constants or units. Instead of defining your own
7218 constants in the variable @code{org-table-formula-constants}, install
7219 the @file{constants} package which defines a large number of constants
7220 and units, and lets you use unit prefixes like @samp{M} for
7221 @samp{Mega} etc. You will need version 2.0 of this package, available
7222 at @url{http://www.astro.uva.nl/~dominik/Tools}. Org-mode checks for
7223 the function @code{constants-get}, which has to be autoloaded in your
7224 setup. See the installation instructions in the file
7225 @file{constants.el}.
7226 @item @file{cdlatex.el} by Carsten Dominik
7227 @cindex @file{cdlatex.el}
7228 Org-mode can make use of the cdlatex package to efficiently enter
7229 La@TeX{} fragments into Org-mode files. See @ref{CDLaTeX mode}.
7230 @item @file{remember.el} by John Wiegley
7231 @cindex @file{remember.el}
7232 Org mode cooperates with remember, see @ref{Remember}.
7233 @file{Remember.el} is not part of Emacs, find it on the web.
7234 @cindex @file{table.el}
7235 @item @file{table.el} by Takaaki Ota
7237 @cindex table editor, @file{table.el}
7238 @cindex @file{table.el}
7240 Complex ASCII tables with automatic line wrapping, column- and
7241 row-spanning, and alignment can be created using the Emacs table
7242 package by Takaaki Ota (@uref{http://sourceforge.net/projects/table},
7243 and also part of Emacs 22).
7244 When @key{TAB} or @kbd{C-c C-c} is pressed in such a table, Org-mode
7245 will call @command{table-recognize-table} and move the cursor into the
7246 table. Inside a table, the keymap of Org-mode is inactive. In order
7247 to execute Org-mode-related commands, leave the table.
7252 Recognize @file{table.el} table. Works when the cursor is in a
7257 Insert a table.el table. If there is already a table at point, this
7258 command converts it between the table.el format and the Org-mode
7259 format. See the documentation string of the command
7260 @code{org-convert-table} for the restrictions under which this is
7263 @file{table.el} is part of Emacs 22.
7264 @cindex @file{footnote.el}
7265 @item @file{footnote.el} by Steven L. Baur
7266 Org-mode recognizes numerical footnotes as provided by this package
7267 (@pxref{Footnotes}).
7270 @node Conflicts, , Cooperation, Interaction
7271 @subsection Packages that lead to conflicts with Org-mode
7275 @cindex @file{allout.el}
7276 @item @file{allout.el} by Ken Manheimer
7277 Startup of Org-mode may fail with the error message
7278 @code{(wrong-type-argument keymapp nil)} when there is an outdated
7279 version @file{allout.el} on the load path, for example the version
7280 distributed with Emacs 21.x. Upgrade to Emacs 22 and this problem will
7281 disappear. If for some reason you cannot do this, make sure that org.el
7282 is loaded @emph{before} @file{allout.el}, for example by putting
7283 @code{(require 'org)} early enough into your @file{.emacs} file.
7285 @cindex @file{CUA.el}
7286 @item @file{CUA.el} by Kim. F. Storm
7287 Keybindings in Org-mode conflict with the @kbd{S-<cursor>} keys
7288 used by CUA-mode (as well as pc-select-mode and s-region-mode) to
7289 select and extend the region. If you want to use one of these
7290 packages along with Org-mode, configure the variable
7291 @code{org-CUA-compatible}. When set, Org-mode will move the following
7292 keybindings in Org-mode files, and in the agenda buffer (but not
7293 during date selection).
7296 S-UP -> M-p S-DOWN -> M-n
7297 S-LEFT -> M-- S-RIGHT -> M-+
7300 Yes, these are unfortunately more difficult to remember. If you want
7301 to have other replacement keys, look at the variable
7302 @code{org-disputed-keys}.
7303 @item @file{windmove.el} by Hovav Shacham
7304 @cindex @file{windmove.el}
7305 Also this package uses the @kbd{S-<cursor>} keys, so everything written
7306 in the paragraph above about CUA mode also applies here.
7308 @cindex @file{footnote.el}
7309 @item @file{footnote.el} by Steven L. Baur
7310 Org-mode supports the syntax of the footnote package, but only the
7311 numerical footnote markers. Also, the default key for footnote
7312 commands, @kbd{C-c !} is already used by Org-mode. You could use the
7313 variable @code{footnote-prefix} to switch footnotes commands to another
7314 key. Or, you could use @code{org-replace-disputed-keys} and
7315 @code{org-disputed-keys} to change the settings in Org-mode.
7320 @node Bugs, , Interaction, Miscellaneous
7324 Here is a list of things that should work differently, but which I
7325 have found too hard to fix.
7329 If a table field starts with a link, and if the corresponding table
7330 column is narrowed (@pxref{Narrow columns}) to a width too small to
7331 display the link, the field would look entirely empty even though it is
7332 not. To prevent this, Org-mode throws an error. The work-around is to
7333 make the column wide enough to fit the link, or to add some text (at
7334 least 2 characters) before the link in the same field.
7336 Narrowing table columns does not work on XEmacs, because the
7337 @code{format} function does not transport text properties.
7339 Text in an entry protected with the @samp{QUOTE} keyword should not
7342 When the application called by @kbd{C-c C-o} to open a file link fails
7343 (for example because the application does not exist or refuses to open
7344 the file), it does so silently. No error message is displayed.
7346 Recalculating a table line applies the formulas from left to right.
7347 If a formula uses @emph{calculated} fields further down the row,
7348 multiple recalculation may be needed to get all fields consistent. You
7349 may use the command @code{org-table-iterate} (@kbd{C-u C-c *}) to
7350 recalculate until convergence.
7352 A single letter cannot be made bold, for example @samp{*a*}.
7354 The exporters work well, but could be made more efficient.
7358 @node Extensions and Hacking, History and Acknowledgments, Miscellaneous, Top
7359 @appendix Extensions, Hooks and Hacking
7361 This appendix lists extensions for Org-mode written by other authors.
7362 It also covers some aspects where users can extend the functionality of
7366 * Extensions:: Existing 3rd-part extensions
7367 * Adding hyperlink types:: New custom link types
7368 * Tables in arbitrary syntax:: Orgtbl for LaTeX and other programs
7369 * Dynamic blocks:: Automatically filled blocks
7370 * Special agenda views:: Customized views
7371 * Using the property API:: Writing programs that use entry properties
7374 @node Extensions, Adding hyperlink types, Extensions and Hacking, Extensions and Hacking
7375 @section Third-party extensions for Org-mode
7376 @cindex extension, third-party
7378 The following extensions for Org-mode have been written by other people:
7381 @cindex @file{org-publish.el}
7382 @item @file{org-publish.el} by David O'Toole
7383 This package provides facilities for publishing related sets of Org-mode
7384 files together with linked files like images as webpages. It is
7385 highly configurable and can be used for other publishing purposes as
7386 well. As of Org-mode version 4.30, @file{org-publish.el} is part of the
7387 Org-mode distribution. It is not yet part of Emacs, however, a delay
7388 caused by the preparations for the 22.1 release. In the mean time,
7389 @file{org-publish.el} can be downloaded from David's site:
7390 @url{http://dto.freeshell.org/e/org-publish.el}.
7391 @cindex @file{org-mouse.el}
7392 @item @file{org-mouse.el} by Piotr Zielinski
7393 This package implements extended mouse functionality for Org-mode. It
7394 allows you to cycle visibility and to edit the document structure with
7395 the mouse. Best of all, it provides a context-sensitive menu on
7396 @key{mouse-3} that changes depending on the context of a mouse-click.
7397 As of Org-mode version 4.53, @file{org-mouse.el} is part of the
7398 Org-mode distribution. It is not yet part of Emacs, however, a delay
7399 caused by the preparations for the 22.1 release. In the mean time,
7400 @file{org-mouse.el} can be downloaded from Piotr's site:
7401 @url{http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~pz215/files/org-mouse.el}.
7402 @cindex @file{org-blog.el}
7403 @item @file{org-blog.el} by David O'Toole
7404 A blogging plug-in for @file{org-publish.el}.@*
7405 @url{http://dto.freeshell.org/notebook/OrgMode.html}.
7406 @cindex @file{blorg.el}
7407 @item @file{blorg.el} by Bastien Guerry
7408 Publish Org-mode files as
7409 blogs. @url{http://www.cognition.ens.fr/~guerry/blorg.html}.
7410 @cindex @file{org2rem.el}
7411 @item @file{org2rem.el} by Bastien Guerry
7412 Translates Org-mode files into something readable by
7413 Remind. @url{http://www.cognition.ens.fr/~guerry/u/org2rem.el}.
7414 @item @file{org-toc.el} by Bastien Guerry
7415 Produces a simple table of contents of an Org-mode file, for easy
7416 navigation. @url{http://www.cognition.ens.fr/~guerry/u/org2rem.el}.
7417 @item @file{org-registry.el} by Bastien Guerry
7418 Find which Org-file link to a certain document.
7419 @url{http://www.cognition.ens.fr/~guerry/u/org2rem.el}.
7424 @node Adding hyperlink types, Tables in arbitrary syntax, Extensions, Extensions and Hacking
7425 @section Adding hyperlink types
7426 @cindex hyperlinks, adding new types
7428 Org-mode has a large number of hyperlink types built-in
7429 (@pxref{Hyperlinks}). If you would like to add new link types, it
7430 provides an interface for doing so. Lets look at an example file
7431 @file{org-man.el} that will add support for creating links like
7432 @samp{[[man:printf][The printf manpage]]} to show unix manual pages inside
7436 ;;; org-man.el - Support for links to manpages in Org-mode
7440 (org-add-link-type "man" 'org-man-open)
7441 (add-hook 'org-store-link-functions 'org-man-store-link)
7443 (defcustom org-man-command 'man
7444 "The Emacs command to be used to display a man page."
7446 :type '(choice (const man) (const woman)))
7448 (defun org-man-open (path)
7449 "Visit the manpage on PATH.
7450 PATH should be a topic that can be thrown at the man command."
7451 (funcall org-man-command path))
7453 (defun org-man-store-link ()
7454 "Store a link to a manpage."
7455 (when (memq major-mode '(Man-mode woman-mode))
7456 ;; This is a man page, we do make this link
7457 (let* ((page (org-man-get-page-name))
7458 (link (concat "man:" page))
7459 (description (format "Manpage for %s" page)))
7460 (org-store-link-props
7463 :description description))))
7465 (defun org-man-get-page-name ()
7466 "Extract the page name from the buffer name."
7467 ;; This works for both `Man-mode' and `woman-mode'.
7468 (if (string-match " \\(\\S-+\\)\\*" (buffer-name))
7469 (match-string 1 (buffer-name))
7470 (error "Cannot create link to this man page")))
7474 ;;; org-man.el ends here
7478 You would activate this new link type in @file{.emacs} with
7485 Lets go through the file and see what it does.
7488 It does @code{(require 'org)} to make sure that @file{org.el} has been
7491 The next line calls @code{org-add-link-type} to define a new link type
7492 with prefix @samp{man}. The call also contains the name of a function
7493 that will be called to follow such a link.
7495 The next line adds a function to @code{org-store-link-functions}, in
7496 order to allow the command @kbd{C-c l} to record a useful link in a
7497 buffer displaying a man page.
7500 The rest of the file defines the necessary variables and functions.
7501 First there is a customization variable that determines which emacs
7502 command should be used to display manpages. There are two options,
7503 @code{man} and @code{woman}. Then the function to follow a link is
7504 defined. It gets the link path as an argument - in this case the link
7505 path is just a topic for the manual command. The function calls the
7506 value of @code{org-man-command} to display the man page.
7508 Finally the function @code{org-man-store-link} is defined. When you try
7509 to store a link with @kbd{C-c l}, also this function will be called to
7510 try to make a link. The function must first decide if it is supposed to
7511 create the link for this buffer type, we do this by checking the value
7512 of the variable @code{major-mode}. If not, the function must exit and
7513 retunr the value @code{nil}. If yes, the link is created by getting the
7514 manual tpoic from the buffer name and prefixing it with the string
7515 @samp{man:}. Then it must call the command @code{org-store-link-props}
7516 and set the @code{:type} and @code{:link} properties. Optionally you
7517 can also set the @code{:description} property to provide a default for
7518 the link description when the link is later inserted into tan Org-mode
7519 buffer with @kbd{C-c C-l}.
7521 @node Tables in arbitrary syntax, Dynamic blocks, Adding hyperlink types, Extensions and Hacking
7522 @section Tables in arbitrary syntax
7523 @cindex tables, in other modes
7526 Since Orgtbl-mode can be used as a minor mode in arbitrary buffers, a
7527 frequent feature request has been to make it work with native tables in
7528 specific languages, for example La@TeX{}. However, this is extremely hard
7529 to do in a general way, would lead to a customization nightmare, and
7530 would take away much of the simplicity of the Orgtbl-mode table editor.
7532 This appendix describes a different approach. We keep the Orgtbl-mode
7533 table in its native format (the @i{source table}), and use a custom
7534 function to @i{translate} the table to the correct syntax, and to
7535 @i{install} it in the right location (the @i{target table}). This puts
7536 the burden of writing conversion functions on the user, but it allows
7537 for a very flexible system.
7540 * Radio tables:: Sending and receiving
7541 * A LaTeX example:: Step by step, almost a tutorial
7542 * Translator functions:: Copy and modify
7545 @node Radio tables, A LaTeX example, Tables in arbitrary syntax, Tables in arbitrary syntax
7546 @subsection Radio tables
7547 @cindex radio tables
7549 To define the location of the target table, you first need to create two
7550 lines that are comments in the current mode, but contain magic words for
7551 Orgtbl-mode to find. Orgtbl-mode will insert the translated table
7552 between these lines, replacing whatever was there before. For example:
7555 /* BEGIN RECEIVE ORGTBL table_name */
7556 /* END RECEIVE ORGTBL table_name */
7560 Just above the source table, we put a special line that tells
7561 Orgtbl-mode how to translate this table and where to install it. For
7564 #+ORGTBL: SEND table_name translation_function arguments....
7568 @code{table_name} is the reference name for the table that is also used
7569 in the receiver lines. @code{translation_function} is the Lisp function
7570 that does the translation. Furthermore, the line can contain a list of
7571 arguments (alternating key and value) at the end. The arguments will be
7572 passed as a property list to the translation function for
7573 interpretation. A few standard parameters are already recognized and
7574 acted upon before the translation function is called:
7578 Skip the first N lines of the table. Hlines do count!
7579 @item :skipcols (n1 n2 ...)
7580 List of columns that should be skipped. If the table has a column with
7581 calculation marks, that column is automatically discarded as well.
7582 Please note that the translator function sees the table @emph{after} the
7583 removal of these columns, the function never knows that there have been
7588 The one problem remaining is how to keep the source table in the buffer
7589 without disturbing the normal workings of the file, for example during
7590 compilation of a C file or processing of a La@TeX{} file. There are a
7591 number of different solutions:
7595 The table could be placed in a block comment if that is supported by the
7596 language. For example, in C-mode you could wrap the table between
7597 @samp{/*} and @samp{*/} lines.
7599 Sometimes it is possible to put the table after some kind of @i{END}
7600 statement, for example @samp{\bye} in TeX and @samp{\end@{document@}}
7603 You can just comment the table line by line whenever you want to process
7604 the file, and uncomment it whenever you need to edit the table. This
7605 only sounds tedious - the command @kbd{M-x orgtbl-toggle-comment} does
7606 make this comment-toggling very easy, in particular if you bind it to a
7610 @node A LaTeX example, Translator functions, Radio tables, Tables in arbitrary syntax
7611 @subsection A LaTeX example
7612 @cindex LaTeX, and orgtbl-mode
7614 The best way to wrap the source table in La@TeX{} is to use the
7615 @code{comment} environment provided by @file{comment.sty}. It has to be
7616 activated by placing @code{\usepackage@{comment@}} into the document
7617 header. Orgtbl-mode can insert a radio table skeleton@footnote{By
7618 default this works only for La@TeX{}, HTML, and TeXInfo. Configure the
7619 variable @code{orgtbl-radio-tables} to install templates for other
7620 modes.} with the command @kbd{M-x orgtbl-insert-radio-table}. You will
7621 be prompted for a table name, lets say we use @samp{salesfigures}. You
7622 will then get the following template:
7625 % BEGIN RECEIVE ORGTBL salesfigures
7626 % END RECEIVE ORGTBL salesfigures
7628 #+ORGTBL: SEND salesfigures orgtbl-to-latex
7634 The @code{#+ORGTBL: SEND} line tells orgtbl-mode to use the function
7635 @code{orgtbl-to-latex} to convert the table into La@TeX{} and to put it
7636 into the receiver location with name @code{salesfigures}. You may now
7637 fill in the table, feel free to use the spreadsheet features@footnote{If
7638 the @samp{#+TBLFM} line contains an odd number of dollar characters,
7639 this may cause problems with font-lock in latex-mode. As shown in the
7640 example you can fix this by adding an extra line inside the
7641 @code{comment} environment that is used to balance the dollar
7642 expressions. If you are using AUCTeX with the font-latex library, a
7643 much better solution is to add the @code{comment} environment to the
7644 variable @code{LaTeX-verbatim-environments}.}:
7647 % BEGIN RECEIVE ORGTBL salesfigures
7648 % END RECEIVE ORGTBL salesfigures
7650 #+ORGTBL: SEND salesfigures orgtbl-to-latex
7651 | Month | Days | Nr sold | per day |
7652 |-------+------+---------+---------|
7653 | Jan | 23 | 55 | 2.4 |
7654 | Feb | 21 | 16 | 0.8 |
7655 | March | 22 | 278 | 12.6 |
7656 #+TBLFM: $4=$3/$2;%.1f
7657 % $ (optional extra dollar to keep font-lock happy, see footnote)
7662 When you are done, press @kbd{C-c C-c} in the table to get the converted
7663 table inserted between the two marker lines.
7665 Now lets assume you want to make the table header by hand, because you
7666 want to control how columns are aligned etc. In this case we make sure
7667 that the table translator does skip the first 2 lines of the source
7668 table, and tell the command to work as a @i{splice}, i.e. to not produce
7669 header and footer commands of the target table:
7672 \begin@{tabular@}@{lrrr@}
7673 Month & \multicolumn@{1@}@{c@}@{Days@} & Nr.\ sold & per day\\
7674 % BEGIN RECEIVE ORGTBL salesfigures
7675 % END RECEIVE ORGTBL salesfigures
7679 #+ORGTBL: SEND salesfigures orgtbl-to-latex :splice t :skip 2
7680 | Month | Days | Nr sold | per day |
7681 |-------+------+---------+---------|
7682 | Jan | 23 | 55 | 2.4 |
7683 | Feb | 21 | 16 | 0.8 |
7684 | March | 22 | 278 | 12.6 |
7685 #+TBLFM: $4=$3/$2;%.1f
7689 The La@TeX{} translator function @code{orgtbl-to-latex} is already part of
7690 Orgtbl-mode. It uses a @code{tabular} environment to typeset the table
7691 and marks horizontal lines with @code{\hline}. Furthermore, it
7692 interprets the following parameters:
7696 When set to t, return only table body lines, don't wrap them into a
7697 tabular environment. Default is nil.
7700 A format to be used to wrap each field, should contain @code{%s} for the
7701 original field value. For example, to wrap each field value in dollars,
7702 you could use @code{:fmt "$%s$"}. This may also be a property list with
7703 column numbers and formats. for example @code{:fmt (2 "$%s$" 4 "%s\\%%")}.
7706 Use this format to print numbers with exponentials. The format should
7707 have @code{%s} twice for inserting mantissa and exponent, for example
7708 @code{"%s\\times10^@{%s@}"}. The default is @code{"%s\\,(%s)"}. This
7709 may also be a property list with column numbers and formats, for example
7710 @code{:efmt (2 "$%s\\times10^@{%s@}$" 4 "$%s\\cdot10^@{%s@}$")}. After
7711 @code{efmt} has been applied to a value, @code{fmt} will also be
7715 @node Translator functions, , A LaTeX example, Tables in arbitrary syntax
7716 @subsection Translator functions
7717 @cindex HTML, and orgtbl-mode
7718 @cindex translator function
7720 Orgtbl-mode has several translator functions built-in:
7721 @code{orgtbl-to-latex}, @code{orgtbl-to-html}, and
7722 @code{orgtbl-to-texinfo}. Except for @code{orgtbl-to-html}@footnote{The
7723 HTML translator uses the same code that produces tables during HTML
7724 export.}, these all use a generic translator, @code{orgtbl-to-generic}.
7725 For example, @code{orgtbl-to-latex} itself is a very short function that
7726 computes the column definitions for the @code{tabular} environment,
7727 defines a few field and line separators and then hands over to the
7728 generic translator. Here is the entire code:
7732 (defun orgtbl-to-latex (table params)
7733 "Convert the orgtbl-mode TABLE to LaTeX."
7734 (let* ((alignment (mapconcat (lambda (x) (if x "r" "l"))
7735 org-table-last-alignment ""))
7738 :tstart (concat "\\begin@{tabular@}@{" alignment "@}")
7739 :tend "\\end@{tabular@}"
7740 :lstart "" :lend " \\\\" :sep " & "
7741 :efmt "%s\\,(%s)" :hline "\\hline")))
7742 (orgtbl-to-generic table (org-combine-plists params2 params))))
7746 As you can see, the properties passed into the function (variable
7747 @var{PARAMS}) are combined with the ones newly defined in the function
7748 (variable @var{PARAMS2}). The ones passed into the function (i.e. the
7749 ones set by the @samp{ORGTBL SEND} line) take precedence. So if you
7750 would like to use the La@TeX{} translator, but wanted the line endings to
7751 be @samp{\\[2mm]} instead of the default @samp{\\}, you could just
7752 overrule the default with
7755 #+ORGTBL: SEND test orgtbl-to-latex :lend " \\\\[2mm]"
7758 For a new language, you can either write your own converter function in
7759 analogy with the La@TeX{} translator, or you can use the generic function
7760 directly. For example, if you have a language where a table is started
7761 with @samp{!BTBL!}, ended with @samp{!ETBL!}, and where table lines are
7762 started with @samp{!BL!}, ended with @samp{!EL!} and where the field
7763 separator is a TAB, you could call the generic translator like this (on
7767 #+ORGTBL: SEND test orgtbl-to-generic :tstart "!BTBL!" :tend "!ETBL!"
7768 :lstart "!BL! " :lend " !EL!" :sep "\t"
7772 Please check the documentation string of the function
7773 @code{orgtbl-to-generic} for a full list of parameters understood by
7774 that function and remember that you can pass each of them into
7775 @code{orgtbl-to-latex}, @code{orgtbl-to-texinfo}, and any other function
7776 using the generic function.
7778 Of course you can also write a completely new function doing complicated
7779 things the generic translator cannot do. A translator function takes
7780 two arguments. The first argument is the table, a list of lines, each
7781 line either the symbol @code{hline} or a list of fields. The second
7782 argument is the property list containing all parameters specified in the
7783 @samp{#+ORGTBL: SEND} line. The function must return a single string
7784 containing the formatted table. If you write a generally useful
7785 translator, please post it on @code{emacs-orgmode@@gnu.org} so that
7786 others can benefit from your work.
7788 @node Dynamic blocks, Special agenda views, Tables in arbitrary syntax, Extensions and Hacking
7789 @section Dynamic blocks
7790 @cindex dynamic blocks
7792 Org-mode documents can contain @emph{dynamic blocks}. These are
7793 specially marked regions that are updated by some user-written function.
7794 A good example for such a block is the clock table inserted by the
7795 command @kbd{C-c C-x C-r} (@pxref{Clocking work time}).
7797 Dynamic block are enclosed by a BEGIN-END structure that assigns a name
7798 to the block and can also specify parameters for the function producing
7799 the content of the block.
7802 #+BEGIN: myblock :parameter1 value1 :parameter2 value2 ...
7807 Dynamic blocks are updated with the following commands
7812 Update dynamic block at point.
7813 @kindex C-u C-c C-x C-u
7814 @item C-u C-c C-x C-u
7815 Update all dynamic blocks in the current file.
7818 Updating a dynamic block means to remove all the text between BEGIN and
7819 END, parse the BEGIN line for parameters and then call the specific
7820 writer function for this block to insert the new content. For a block
7821 with name @code{myblock}, the writer function is
7822 @code{org-dblock-write:myblock} with as only parameter a property list
7823 with the parameters given in the begin line. Here is a trivial example
7824 of a block that keeps track of when the block update function was last
7828 #+BEGIN: block-update-time :format "on %m/%d/%Y at %H:%M"
7834 The corresponding block writer function could look like this:
7837 (defun org-dblock-write:block-update-time (params)
7838 (let ((fmt (or (plist-get params :format) "%d. %m. %Y")))
7839 (insert "Last block update at: "
7840 (format-time-string fmt (current-time)))))
7843 If you want to make sure that all dynamic blocks are always up-to-date,
7844 you could add the function @code{org-update-all-dblocks} to a hook, for
7845 example @code{before-save-hook}. @code{org-update-all-dblocks} is
7846 written in a way that is does nothing in buffers that are not in Org-mode.
7848 @node Special agenda views, Using the property API, Dynamic blocks, Extensions and Hacking
7849 @section Special Agenda Views
7850 @cindex agenda views, user-defined
7852 Org-mode provides a special hook that can be used to narrow down the
7853 selection made by any of the agenda views. You may specify a function
7854 that is used at each match to verify if the match should indeed be part
7855 of the agenda view, and if not, how much should be skipped.
7857 Let's say you want to produce a list of projects that contain a WAITING
7858 tag anywhere in the project tree. Let's further assume that you have
7859 marked all tree headings that define a project with the todo keyword
7860 PROJECT. In this case you would run a todo search for the keyword
7861 PROJECT, but skip the match unless there is a WAITING tag anywhere in
7862 the subtree belonging to the project line.
7864 To achieve this, you must write a function that searches the subtree for
7865 the tag. If the tag is found, the function must return @code{nil} to
7866 indicate that this match should not be skipped. If there is no such
7867 tag, return the location of the end of the subtree, to indicate that
7868 search should continue from there.
7871 (defun my-skip-unless-waiting ()
7872 "Skip trees that are not waiting"
7873 (let ((subtree-end (save-excursion (org-end-of-subtree t))))
7874 (if (re-search-forward ":WAITING:" subtree-end t)
7875 nil ; tag found, do not skip
7876 subtree-end))) ; tag not found, continue after end of subtree
7879 Now you may use this function in an agenda custom command, for example
7883 (org-add-agenda-custom-command
7884 '("b" todo "PROJECT"
7885 ((org-agenda-skip-function 'my-org-waiting-projects)
7886 (org-agenda-overriding-header "Projects waiting for something: "))))
7889 Note that this also binds @code{org-agenda-overriding-header} to get a
7890 meaningful header in the agenda view.
7892 You may also put a Lisp form into @code{org-agenda-skip-function}. In
7893 particular, you may use the functions @code{org-agenda-skip-entry-if}
7894 and @code{org-agenda-skip-subtree-if} in this form, for example:
7897 @item '(org-agenda-skip-entry-if 'scheduled)
7898 Skip current entry if it has been scheduled.
7899 @item '(org-agenda-skip-entry-if 'notscheduled)
7900 Skip current entry if it has not been scheduled.
7901 @item '(org-agenda-skip-entry-if 'deadline)
7902 Skip current entry if it has a deadline.
7903 @item '(org-agenda-skip-entry-if 'scheduled 'deadline)
7904 Skip current entry if it has a deadline, or if it is scheduled.
7905 @item '(org-agenda-skip-entry 'regexp "regular expression")
7906 Skip current entry if the regular expression matches in the entry.
7907 @item '(org-agenda-skip-entry 'notregexp "regular expression")
7908 Skip current entry unless the regular expression matches.
7909 @item '(org-agenda-skip-subtree-if 'regexp "regular expression")
7910 Same as above, but check and skip the entire subtree.
7913 Therefore we could also have written the search for WAITING projects
7914 like this, even without defining a special function:
7917 (org-add-agenda-custom-command
7918 '("b" todo "PROJECT"
7919 ((org-agenda-skip-function '(org-agenda-skip-subtree-if
7920 'regexp ":WAITING:"))
7921 (org-agenda-overriding-header "Projects waiting for something: "))))
7925 @node Using the property API, , Special agenda views, Extensions and Hacking
7926 @section Using the property API
7927 @cindex API, for properties
7928 @cindex properties, API
7930 Here is a description of the functions that can be used to work with
7933 @defun org-entry-properties &optional pom which
7934 Get all properties of the entry at point-or-marker POM.
7935 This includes the TODO keyword, the tags, time strings for deadline,
7936 scheduled, and clocking, and any additional properties defined in the
7937 entry. The return value is an alist, keys may occur multiple times
7938 if the property key was used several times.
7939 POM may also be nil, in which case the current entry is used.
7940 If WHICH is nil or `all', get all properties. If WHICH is
7941 `special' or `standard', only get that subclass.
7943 @defun org-entry-get pom property &optional inherit
7944 Get value of PROPERTY for entry at point-or-marker POM.
7945 If INHERIT is non-nil and the entry does not have the property,
7946 then also check higher levels of the hierarchy.
7949 @defun org-entry-delete pom property
7950 Delete the property PROPERTY from entry at point-or-marker POM.
7953 @defun org-entry-put pom property value
7954 Set PROPERTY to VALUE for entry at point-or-marker POM.
7957 @defun org-buffer-property-keys &optional include-specials
7958 Get all property keys in the current buffer.
7961 @defun org-insert-property-drawer
7962 Insert a property drawer at point.
7965 @node History and Acknowledgments, Index, Extensions and Hacking, Top
7966 @appendix History and Acknowledgments
7967 @cindex acknowledgments
7971 Org-mode was borne in 2003, out of frustration over the user interface
7972 of the Emacs outline-mode. I was trying to organize my notes and
7973 projects, and using Emacs seemed to be the natural way to go. However,
7974 having to remember eleven different commands with two or three keys per
7975 command, only to hide and unhide parts of the outline tree, that seemed
7976 entirely unacceptable to me. Also, when using outlines to take notes, I
7977 constantly want to restructure the tree, organizing it parallel to my
7978 thoughts and plans. @emph{Visibility cycling} and @emph{structure
7979 editing} were originally implemented in the package
7980 @file{outline-magic.el}, but quickly moved to the more general
7981 @file{org.el}. As this environment became comfortable for project
7982 planning, the next step was adding @emph{TODO entries}, basic @emph{time
7983 stamps}, and @emph{table support}. These areas highlight the two main
7984 goals that Org-mode still has today: To create a new, outline-based,
7985 plain text mode with innovative and intuitive editing features, and to
7986 incorporate project planning functionality directly into a notes file.
7988 Since the first release, literally thousands of emails to me or on
7989 @code{emacs-orgmode@@gnu.org} have provided a constant stream of bug
7990 reports, feedback, new ideas, and sometimes patches and add-on code.
7991 Many thanks to everyone who has helped to improve this package. I am
7992 trying to keep here a list of the people who had significant influence
7993 in shaping one or more aspects of Org-mode. The list may not be
7994 complete, if I have forgotten someone, please accept my apologies and
8000 @i{Russel Adams} came up with the idea for drawers.
8002 @i{Thomas Baumann} contributed the code for links to the MH-E email
8005 @i{Alex Bochannek} provided a patch for rounding time stamps.
8007 @i{Charles Cave}'s suggestion sparked the implementation of templates
8010 @i{Pavel Chalmoviansky} influenced the agenda treatment of items with
8013 @i{Gregory Chernov} patched support for lisp forms into table
8014 calculations and improved XEmacs compatibility, in particular by porting
8015 @file{nouline.el} to XEmacs.
8017 @i{Sacha Chua} suggested to copy some linking code from Planner.
8019 @i{Eddward DeVilla} proposed and tested checkbox statistics. He also
8020 came up with the idea of properties, and that there should be an API for
8023 @i{Kees Dullemond} used to edit projects lists directly in HTML and so
8024 inspired some of the early development, including HTML export. He also
8025 asked for a way to narrow wide table columns.
8027 @i{Christian Egli} converted the documentation into TeXInfo format,
8028 patched CSS formatting into the HTML exporter, and inspired the agenda.
8030 @i{David Emery} provided a patch for custom CSS support in exported
8033 @i{Nic Ferrier} contributed mailcap and XOXO support.
8035 @i{John Foerch} figured out how to make incremental search show context
8036 around a match in a hidden outline tree.
8038 @i{Niels Giessen} had the idea to automatically archive DONE trees.
8040 @i{Bastien Guerry} wrote the La@TeX{} exporter and has been prolific
8041 with patches, ideas, and bug reports.
8043 @i{Kai Grossjohann} pointed out key-binding conflicts with other packages.
8045 @i{Scott Jaderholm} proposed footnotes, control over whitespace between
8046 folded entries, and column view for properties.
8048 @i{Shidai Liu} ("Leo") asked for embedded La@TeX{} and tested it. He also
8049 provided frequent feedback and some patches.
8051 @i{Jason F. McBrayer} suggested agenda export to CSV format.
8053 @i{Dmitri Minaev} sent a patch to set priority limits on a per-file
8056 @i{Stefan Monnier} provided a patch to keep the Emacs-Lisp compiler
8059 @i{Rick Moynihan} proposed to allow multiple TODO sequences in a file.
8061 @i{Todd Neal} provided patches for links to Info files and elisp forms.
8063 @i{Tim O'Callaghan} suggested in-file links, search options for general
8064 file links, and TAGS.
8066 @i{Takeshi Okano} translated the manual and David O'Toole's tutorial
8069 @i{Oliver Oppitz} suggested multi-state TODO items.
8071 @i{Scott Otterson} sparked the introduction of descriptive text for
8072 links, among other things.
8074 @i{Pete Phillips} helped during the development of the TAGS feature, and
8075 provided frequent feedback.
8077 @i{T.V. Raman} reported bugs and suggested improvements.
8079 @i{Matthias Rempe} (Oelde) provided ideas, Windows support, and quality
8082 @i{Kevin Rogers} contributed code to access VM files on remote hosts.
8084 @i{Frank Ruell} solved the mystery of the @code{keymapp nil} bug, a
8085 conflict with @file{allout.el}.
8087 @i{Jason Riedy} sent a patch to fix a bug with export of TODO keywords.
8089 @i{Philip Rooke} created the Org-mode reference card and provided lots
8092 @i{Christian Schlauer} proposed angular brackets around links, among
8095 Linking to VM/BBDB/GNUS was inspired by @i{Tom Shannon}'s
8096 @file{organizer-mode.el}.
8098 @i{Daniel Sinder} came up with the idea of internal archiving by locking
8101 @i{Dale Smith} proposed link abbreviations.
8103 @i{Adam Spiers} asked for global linking commands and inspired the link
8104 extension system. support mairix.
8106 @i{David O'Toole} wrote @file{org-publish.el} and drafted the manual
8107 chapter about publishing.
8109 @i{J@"urgen Vollmer} contributed code generating the table of contents
8112 @i{Chris Wallace} provided a patch implementing the @samp{QUOTE}
8115 @i{David Wainberg} suggested archiving, and improvements to the linking
8118 @i{John Wiegley} wrote @file{emacs-wiki.el} and @file{planner.el}. The
8119 development of Org-mode was fully independent, and both systems are
8120 really different beasts in their basic ideas and implementation details.
8121 I later looked at John's code, however, and learned from his
8122 implementation of (i) links where the link itself is hidden and only a
8123 description is shown, and (ii) popping up a calendar to select a date.
8124 John has also contributed a number of great ideas directly to Org-mode.
8126 @i{Carsten Wimmer} suggested some changes and helped fix a bug in
8129 @i{Roland Winkler} requested additional keybindings to make Org-mode
8132 @i{Piotr Zielinski} wrote @file{org-mouse.el}, proposed agenda blocks
8133 and contributed various ideas and code snippets.
8137 @node Index, Key Index, History and Acknowledgments, Top
8142 @node Key Index, , Index, Top
8143 @unnumbered Key Index
8150 arch-tag: 7893d1fe-cc57-4d13-b5e5-f494a1bcc7ac