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1 \input texinfo
2 @c %**start of header
3 @setfilename ../../info/org
4 @settitle The Org Manual
5
6 @set VERSION 6.06b
7 @set DATE July 2008
8
9 @dircategory Emacs
10 @direntry
11 * Org Mode: (org). Outline-based notes management and organizer
12 @end direntry
13
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}
20 @c %**end of header
21 @finalout
22
23 @c Macro definitions
24
25 @c Subheadings inside a table.
26 @macro tsubheading{text}
27 @ifinfo
28 @subsubheading \text\
29 @end ifinfo
30 @ifnotinfo
31 @item @b{\text\}
32 @end ifnotinfo
33 @end macro
34
35 @copying
36 This manual is for Org (version @value{VERSION}).
37
38 Copyright @copyright{} 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 Free Software Foundation
39
40 @quotation
41 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
42 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 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 license
46 is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation License.''
47
48 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have the freedom to copy and
49 modify this GNU manual. Buying copies from the FSF supports it in
50 developing GNU and promoting software freedom.''
51
52 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
53 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
54 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
55 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
56 @end quotation
57 @end copying
58
59 @titlepage
60 @title The Org Manual
61
62 @subtitle Release @value{VERSION}
63 @author by Carsten Dominik
64
65 @c The following two commands start the copyright page.
66 @page
67 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
68 @insertcopying
69 @end titlepage
70
71 @c Output the table of contents at the beginning.
72 @contents
73
74 @ifnottex
75 @node Top, Introduction, (dir), (dir)
76 @top Org Mode Manual
77
78 @insertcopying
79 @end ifnottex
80
81 @menu
82 * Introduction:: Getting started
83 * Document Structure:: A tree works like your brain
84 * Tables:: Pure magic for quick formatting
85 * Hyperlinks:: Notes in context
86 * TODO Items:: Every tree branch can be a TODO item
87 * Tags:: Tagging headlines and matching sets of tags
88 * Properties and Columns:: Storing information about an entry
89 * Dates and Times:: Making items useful for planning
90 * Remember:: Quickly adding nodes to the outline tree
91 * Agenda Views:: Collecting information into views
92 * Embedded LaTeX:: LaTeX fragments and formulas
93 * Exporting:: Sharing and publishing of notes
94 * Publishing:: Create a web site of linked Org files
95 * Miscellaneous:: All the rest which did not fit elsewhere
96 * Extensions:: Add-ons for Org mode
97 * Hacking:: How hack your way around
98 * History and Acknowledgments:: How Org came into being
99 * Main Index:: An index of Org's concepts and features
100 * Key Index:: Key bindings and where they are described
101
102 @detailmenu
103 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
104
105 Introduction
106
107 * Summary:: Brief summary of what Org does
108 * Installation:: How to install a downloaded version of Org
109 * Activation:: How to activate Org for certain buffers
110 * Feedback:: Bug reports, ideas, patches etc.
111 * Conventions:: Type-setting conventions in the manual
112
113 Document Structure
114
115 * Outlines:: Org is based on Outline mode
116 * Headlines:: How to typeset Org tree headlines
117 * Visibility cycling:: Show and hide, much simplified
118 * Motion:: Jumping to other headlines
119 * Structure editing:: Changing sequence and level of headlines
120 * Archiving:: Move done task trees to a different place
121 * Sparse trees:: Matches embedded in context
122 * Plain lists:: Additional structure within an entry
123 * Drawers:: Tucking stuff away
124 * Orgstruct mode:: Structure editing outside Org
125
126 Archiving
127
128 * ARCHIVE tag:: Marking a tree as inactive
129 * Moving subtrees:: Moving a tree to an archive file
130
131 Tables
132
133 * Built-in table editor:: Simple tables
134 * Narrow columns:: Stop wasting space in tables
135 * Column groups:: Grouping to trigger vertical lines
136 * Orgtbl mode:: The table editor as minor mode
137 * The spreadsheet:: The table editor has spreadsheet capabilities
138
139 The spreadsheet
140
141 * References:: How to refer to another field or range
142 * Formula syntax for Calc:: Using Calc to compute stuff
143 * Formula syntax for Lisp:: Writing formulas in Emacs Lisp
144 * Field formulas:: Formulas valid for a single field
145 * Column formulas:: Formulas valid for an entire column
146 * Editing and debugging formulas:: Fixing formulas
147 * Updating the table:: Recomputing all dependent fields
148 * Advanced features:: Field names, parameters and automatic recalc
149
150 Hyperlinks
151
152 * Link format:: How links in Org are formatted
153 * Internal links:: Links to other places in the current file
154 * External links:: URL-like links to the world
155 * Handling links:: Creating, inserting and following
156 * Using links outside Org:: Linking from my C source code?
157 * Link abbreviations:: Shortcuts for writing complex links
158 * Search options:: Linking to a specific location
159 * Custom searches:: When the default search is not enough
160
161 Internal links
162
163 * Radio targets:: Make targets trigger links in plain text
164
165 TODO Items
166
167 * TODO basics:: Marking and displaying TODO entries
168 * TODO extensions:: Workflow and assignments
169 * Progress logging:: Dates and notes for progress
170 * Priorities:: Some things are more important than others
171 * Breaking down tasks:: Splitting a task into manageable pieces
172 * Checkboxes:: Tick-off lists
173
174 Extended use of TODO keywords
175
176 * Workflow states:: From TODO to DONE in steps
177 * TODO types:: I do this, Fred does the rest
178 * Multiple sets in one file:: Mixing it all, and still finding your way
179 * Fast access to TODO states:: Single letter selection of a state
180 * Per-file keywords:: Different files, different requirements
181 * Faces for TODO keywords:: Highlighting states
182
183 Progress logging
184
185 * Closing items:: When was this entry marked DONE?
186 * Tracking TODO state changes:: When did the status change?
187
188 Tags
189
190 * Tag inheritance:: Tags use the tree structure of the outline
191 * Setting tags:: How to assign tags to a headline
192 * Tag searches:: Searching for combinations of tags
193
194 Properties and Columns
195
196 * Property syntax:: How properties are spelled out
197 * Special properties:: Access to other Org mode features
198 * Property searches:: Matching property values
199 * Property inheritance:: Passing values down the tree
200 * Column view:: Tabular viewing and editing
201 * Property API:: Properties for Lisp programmers
202
203 Column view
204
205 * Defining columns:: The COLUMNS format property
206 * Using column view:: How to create and use column view
207 * Capturing column view:: A dynamic block for column view
208
209 Defining columns
210
211 * Scope of column definitions:: Where defined, where valid?
212 * Column attributes:: Appearance and content of a column
213
214 Dates and Times
215
216 * Timestamps:: Assigning a time to a tree entry
217 * Creating timestamps:: Commands which insert timestamps
218 * Deadlines and scheduling:: Planning your work
219 * Clocking work time:: Tracking how long you spend on a task
220 * Effort estimates:: Planning work effort in advance
221
222 Creating timestamps
223
224 * The date/time prompt:: How Org mode helps you entering date and time
225 * Custom time format:: Making dates look different
226
227 Deadlines and scheduling
228
229 * Inserting deadline/schedule:: Planning items
230 * Repeated tasks:: Items that show up again and again
231
232 Remember
233
234 * Setting up Remember:: Some code for .emacs to get things going
235 * Remember templates:: Define the outline of different note types
236 * Storing notes:: Directly get the note to where it belongs
237 * Refiling notes:: Moving a note or task to a project
238
239 Agenda Views
240
241 * Agenda files:: Files being searched for agenda information
242 * Agenda dispatcher:: Keyboard access to agenda views
243 * Built-in agenda views:: What is available out of the box?
244 * Presentation and sorting:: How agenda items are prepared for display
245 * Agenda commands:: Remote editing of Org trees
246 * Custom agenda views:: Defining special searches and views
247 * Agenda column view:: Using column view for collected entries
248
249 The built-in agenda views
250
251 * Weekly/daily agenda:: The calendar page with current tasks
252 * Global TODO list:: All unfinished action items
253 * Matching tags and properties:: Structured information with fine-tuned search
254 * Timeline:: Time-sorted view for single file
255 * Keyword search:: Finding entries by keyword
256 * Stuck projects:: Find projects you need to review
257
258 Presentation and sorting
259
260 * Categories:: Not all tasks are equal
261 * Time-of-day specifications:: How the agenda knows the time
262 * Sorting of agenda items:: The order of things
263
264 Custom agenda views
265
266 * Storing searches:: Type once, use often
267 * Block agenda:: All the stuff you need in a single buffer
268 * Setting Options:: Changing the rules
269 * Exporting Agenda Views:: Writing agendas to files
270 * Using the agenda elsewhere:: Using agenda information in other programs
271
272 Embedded LaTeX
273
274 * Math symbols:: TeX macros for symbols and Greek letters
275 * Subscripts and superscripts:: Simple syntax for raising/lowering text
276 * LaTeX fragments:: Complex formulas made easy
277 * Processing LaTeX fragments:: Previewing LaTeX processing
278 * CDLaTeX mode:: Speed up entering of formulas
279
280 Exporting
281
282 * Markup rules:: Which structures are recognized?
283 * Export options:: Per-file export settings
284 * The export dispatcher:: How to access exporter commands
285 * ASCII export:: Exporting to plain ASCII
286 * HTML export:: Exporting to HTML
287 * LaTeX export:: Exporting to LaTeX
288 * XOXO export:: Exporting to XOXO
289 * iCalendar export:: Exporting in iCalendar format
290
291 Markup rules
292
293 * Document title:: How the document title is determined
294 * Headings and sections:: The main structure of the exported document
295 * Table of contents:: If, where, how to create a table of contents
296 * Initial text:: Text before the first headline
297 * Lists:: Plain lists are exported
298 * Paragraphs:: What determines beginning and ending
299 * Literal examples:: Source code and other examples
300 * Include files:: Include the contents of a file during export
301 * Tables exported:: Tables are exported richly
302 * Footnotes:: Numbers like [1]
303 * Emphasis and monospace:: To bold or not to bold
304 * TeX macros and LaTeX fragments:: Create special, rich export.
305 * Horizontal rules:: A line across the page
306 * Comment lines:: Some lines will not be exported
307
308 HTML export
309
310 * HTML Export commands:: How to invoke HTML export
311 * Quoting HTML tags:: Using direct HTML in Org mode
312 * Links:: Transformation of links for HTML
313 * Images:: How to include images
314 * CSS support:: Changing the appearance of the output
315 * Javascript support:: Info and Folding in a web browser
316
317 LaTeX export
318
319 * LaTeX export commands:: How to invoke LaTeX export
320 * Quoting LaTeX code:: Incorporating literal LaTeX code
321 * Sectioning structure:: Changing sectioning in LaTeX output
322
323 Publishing
324
325 * Configuration:: Defining projects
326 * Sample configuration:: Example projects
327 * Triggering publication:: Publication commands
328
329 Configuration
330
331 * Project alist:: The central configuration variable
332 * Sources and destinations:: From here to there
333 * Selecting files:: What files are part of the project?
334 * Publishing action:: Setting the function doing the publishing
335 * Publishing options:: Tweaking HTML export
336 * Publishing links:: Which links keep working after publishing?
337 * Project page index:: Publishing a list of project files
338
339 Sample configuration
340
341 * Simple example:: One-component publishing
342 * Complex example:: A multi-component publishing example
343
344 Miscellaneous
345
346 * Completion:: M-TAB knows what you need
347 * Customization:: Adapting Org to your taste
348 * In-buffer settings:: Overview of the #+KEYWORDS
349 * The very busy C-c C-c key:: When in doubt, press C-c C-c
350 * Clean view:: Getting rid of leading stars in the outline
351 * TTY keys:: Using Org on a tty
352 * Interaction:: Other Emacs packages
353 * Bugs:: Things which do not work perfectly
354
355 Interaction with other packages
356
357 * Cooperation:: Packages Org cooperates with
358 * Conflicts:: Packages that lead to conflicts
359
360 Extensions
361
362 * Extensions in the contrib directory:: These come with the Org distro
363 * Other extensions:: These you have to find on the web.
364
365 Hacking
366
367 * Adding hyperlink types:: New custom link types
368 * Tables in arbitrary syntax:: Orgtbl for LaTeX and other programs
369 * Dynamic blocks:: Automatically filled blocks
370 * Special agenda views:: Customized views
371 * Using the property API:: Writing programs that use entry properties
372 * Using the mapping API:: Mapping over all or selected entries
373
374 Tables and lists in arbitrary syntax
375
376 * Radio tables:: Sending and receiving
377 * A LaTeX example:: Step by step, almost a tutorial
378 * Translator functions:: Copy and modify
379 * Radio lists:: Doing the same for lists
380
381 @end detailmenu
382 @end menu
383
384 @node Introduction, Document Structure, Top, Top
385 @chapter Introduction
386 @cindex introduction
387
388 @menu
389 * Summary:: Brief summary of what Org does
390 * Installation:: How to install a downloaded version of Org
391 * Activation:: How to activate Org for certain buffers
392 * Feedback:: Bug reports, ideas, patches etc.
393 * Conventions:: Type-setting conventions in the manual
394 @end menu
395
396 @node Summary, Installation, Introduction, Introduction
397 @section Summary
398 @cindex summary
399
400 Org is a mode for keeping notes, maintaining TODO lists, and doing
401 project planning with a fast and effective plain-text system.
402
403 Org develops organizational tasks around NOTES files that contain
404 lists or information about projects as plain text. Org is
405 implemented on top of Outline mode, which makes it possible to keep the
406 content of large files well structured. Visibility cycling and
407 structure editing help to work with the tree. Tables are easily created
408 with a built-in table editor. Org supports TODO items, deadlines,
409 time stamps, and scheduling. It dynamically compiles entries into an
410 agenda that utilizes and smoothly integrates much of the Emacs calendar
411 and diary. Plain text URL-like links connect to websites, emails,
412 Usenet messages, BBDB entries, and any files related to the projects.
413 For printing and sharing of notes, an Org file can be exported as a
414 structured ASCII file, as HTML, or (TODO and agenda items only) as an
415 iCalendar file. It can also serve as a publishing tool for a set of
416 linked web pages.
417
418 An important design aspect that distinguishes Org from for example
419 Planner/Muse is that it encourages to store every piece of information
420 only once. In Planner, you have project pages, day pages and possibly
421 other files, duplicating some information such as tasks. In Org,
422 you only have notes files. In your notes you mark entries as tasks,
423 label them with tags and timestamps. All necessary lists like a
424 schedule for the day, the agenda for a meeting, tasks lists selected by
425 tags etc are created dynamically when you need them.
426
427 Org keeps simple things simple. When first fired up, it should
428 feel like a straightforward, easy to use outliner. Complexity is not
429 imposed, but a large amount of functionality is available when you need
430 it. Org is a toolbox and can be used in different ways, for
431 example as:
432
433 @example
434 @r{@bullet{} outline extension with visibility cycling and structure editing}
435 @r{@bullet{} ASCII system and table editor for taking structured notes}
436 @r{@bullet{} ASCII table editor with spreadsheet-like capabilities}
437 @r{@bullet{} TODO list editor}
438 @r{@bullet{} full agenda and planner with deadlines and work scheduling}
439 @r{@bullet{} environment to implement David Allen's GTD system}
440 @r{@bullet{} a basic database application}
441 @r{@bullet{} simple hypertext system, with HTML and LaTeX export}
442 @r{@bullet{} publishing tool to create a set of interlinked webpages}
443 @end example
444
445 Org's automatic, context sensitive table editor with spreadsheet
446 capabilities can be integrated into any major mode by activating the
447 minor Orgtbl mode. Using a translation step, it can be used to maintain
448 tables in arbitrary file types, for example in La@TeX{}. The structure
449 editing and list creation capabilities can be used outside Org with
450 the minor Orgstruct mode.
451
452 @cindex FAQ
453 There is a website for Org which provides links to the newest
454 version of Org, as well as additional information, frequently asked
455 questions (FAQ), links to tutorials etc. This page is located at
456 @uref{http://orgmode.org}.
457
458 @page
459
460
461 @node Installation, Activation, Summary, Introduction
462 @section Installation
463 @cindex installation
464 @cindex XEmacs
465
466 @b{Important:} @i{If Org is part of the Emacs distribution or an
467 XEmacs package, please skip this section and go directly to
468 @ref{Activation}.}
469
470 If you have downloaded Org from the Web, either as a distribution @file{.zip}
471 or @file{.tar} file, or as a GIT archive, you must take the following steps
472 to install it: Go into the unpacked Org distribution directory and edit the
473 top section of the file @file{Makefile}. You must set the name of the Emacs
474 binary (likely either @file{emacs} or @file{xemacs}), and the paths to the
475 directories where local Lisp and Info files are kept. If you don't have
476 access to the system-wide directories, you can simply run Org directly from
477 the distribution directory by adding the @file{lisp} subdirectory to the
478 Emacs load path. To do this, add the following line to @file{.emacs}:
479
480 @example
481 (setq load-path (cons "~/path/to/orgdir/lisp" load-path))
482 @end example
483
484 @noindent
485 If you plan to use code from the @file{contrib} subdirectory, do a similar
486 step for this directory:
487
488 @example
489 (setq load-path (cons "~/path/to/orgdir/contrib/lisp" load-path))
490 @end example
491
492 @b{XEmacs users now need to install the file @file{noutline.el} from
493 the @file{xemacs} sub-directory of the Org distribution. Use the
494 command:}
495
496 @example
497 @b{make install-noutline}
498 @end example
499
500 @noindent Now byte-compile the Lisp files with the shell command:
501
502 @example
503 make
504 @end example
505
506 @noindent If you are running Org from the distribution directory, this is
507 all. If you want to install into the system directories, use
508
509 @example
510 make install
511 make install-info
512 @end example
513
514 @noindent Then add to @file{.emacs}:
515
516 @lisp
517 ;; This line only if Org is not part of the X/Emacs distribution.
518 (require 'org-install)
519 @end lisp
520
521
522 @node Activation, Feedback, Installation, Introduction
523 @section Activation
524 @cindex activation
525 @cindex autoload
526 @cindex global key bindings
527 @cindex key bindings, global
528
529 @iftex
530 @b{Important:} @i{If you use copy-and-paste to copy lisp code from the
531 PDF documentation as viewed by some PDF viewers to your .emacs file, the
532 single quote character comes out incorrectly and the code will not work.
533 You need to fix the single quotes by hand, or copy from Info
534 documentation.}
535 @end iftex
536
537 Add the following lines to your @file{.emacs} file. The last two lines
538 define @emph{global} keys for the commands @command{org-store-link},
539 @command{org-agenda}, and @command{org-iswitchb} - please choose suitable
540 keys yourself.
541
542 @lisp
543 ;; The following lines are always needed. Choose your own keys.
544 (add-to-list 'auto-mode-alist '("\\.org\\'" . org-mode))
545 (global-set-key "\C-cl" 'org-store-link)
546 (global-set-key "\C-ca" 'org-agenda)
547 (global-set-key "\C-cb" 'org-iswitchb)
548 @end lisp
549
550 Furthermore, you must activate @code{font-lock-mode} in Org
551 buffers, because significant functionality depends on font-locking being
552 active. You can do this with either one of the following two lines
553 (XEmacs user must use the second option):
554 @lisp
555 (global-font-lock-mode 1) ; for all buffers
556 (add-hook 'org-mode-hook 'turn-on-font-lock) ; Org buffers only
557 @end lisp
558
559 @cindex Org mode, turning on
560 With this setup, all files with extension @samp{.org} will be put
561 into Org mode. As an alternative, make the first line of a file look
562 like this:
563
564 @example
565 MY PROJECTS -*- mode: org; -*-
566 @end example
567
568 @noindent which will select Org mode for this buffer no matter what
569 the file's name is. See also the variable
570 @code{org-insert-mode-line-in-empty-file}.
571
572 @node Feedback, Conventions, Activation, Introduction
573 @section Feedback
574 @cindex feedback
575 @cindex bug reports
576 @cindex maintainer
577 @cindex author
578
579 If you find problems with Org, or if you have questions, remarks, or ideas
580 about it, please mail to the Org mailing list @code{emacs-orgmode@@gnu.org}.
581 If you are not a member of the mailing list, your mail will be reviewed by a
582 moderator and then passed through to the list.
583
584 For bug reports, please provide as much information as possible,
585 including the version information of Emacs (@kbd{C-h v emacs-version
586 @key{RET}}) and Org (@kbd{C-h v org-version @key{RET}}), as well as
587 the Org related setup in @file{.emacs}. If an error occurs, a
588 backtrace can be very useful (see below on how to create one). Often a
589 small example file helps, along with clear information about:
590
591 @enumerate
592 @item What exactly did you do?
593 @item What did you expect to happen?
594 @item What happened instead?
595 @end enumerate
596 @noindent Thank you for helping to improve this mode.
597
598 @subsubheading How to create a useful backtrace
599
600 @cindex backtrace of an error
601 If working with Org produces an error with a message you don't
602 understand, you may have hit a bug. The best way to report this is by
603 providing, in addition to what was mentioned above, a @emph{Backtrace}.
604 This is information from the built-in debugger about where and how the
605 error occurred. Here is how to produce a useful backtrace:
606
607 @enumerate
608 @item
609 Start a fresh Emacs or XEmacs, and make sure that it will load the
610 original Lisp code in @file{org.el} instead of the compiled version in
611 @file{org.elc}. The backtrace contains much more information if it is
612 produced with uncompiled code. To do this, either rename @file{org.elc}
613 to something else before starting Emacs, or ask Emacs explicitly to load
614 @file{org.el} by using the command line
615 @example
616 emacs -l /path/to/org.el
617 @end example
618 @item
619 Go to the @code{Options} menu and select @code{Enter Debugger on Error}
620 (XEmacs has this option in the @code{Troubleshooting} sub-menu).
621 @item
622 Do whatever you have to do to hit the error. Don't forget to
623 document the steps you take.
624 @item
625 When you hit the error, a @file{*Backtrace*} buffer will appear on the
626 screen. Save this buffer to a file (for example using @kbd{C-x C-w}) and
627 attach it to your bug report.
628 @end enumerate
629
630 @node Conventions, , Feedback, Introduction
631 @section Typesetting conventions used in this manual
632
633 Org uses three types of keywords: TODO keywords, tags, and property
634 names. In this manual we use the following conventions:
635
636 @table @code
637 @item TODO
638 @itemx WAITING
639 TODO keywords are written with all capitals, even if they are
640 user-defined.
641 @item boss
642 @itemx ARCHIVE
643 User-defined tags are written in lowercase; built-in tags with special
644 meaning are written with all capitals.
645 @item Release
646 @itemx PRIORITY
647 User-defined properties are capitalized; built-in properties with
648 special meaning are written with all capitals.
649 @end table
650
651 @node Document Structure, Tables, Introduction, Top
652 @chapter Document Structure
653 @cindex document structure
654 @cindex structure of document
655
656 Org is based on outline mode and provides flexible commands to
657 edit the structure of the document.
658
659 @menu
660 * Outlines:: Org is based on Outline mode
661 * Headlines:: How to typeset Org tree headlines
662 * Visibility cycling:: Show and hide, much simplified
663 * Motion:: Jumping to other headlines
664 * Structure editing:: Changing sequence and level of headlines
665 * Archiving:: Move done task trees to a different place
666 * Sparse trees:: Matches embedded in context
667 * Plain lists:: Additional structure within an entry
668 * Drawers:: Tucking stuff away
669 * Orgstruct mode:: Structure editing outside Org
670 @end menu
671
672 @node Outlines, Headlines, Document Structure, Document Structure
673 @section Outlines
674 @cindex outlines
675 @cindex Outline mode
676
677 Org is implemented on top of Outline mode. Outlines allow a
678 document to be organized in a hierarchical structure, which (at least
679 for me) is the best representation of notes and thoughts. An overview
680 of this structure is achieved by folding (hiding) large parts of the
681 document to show only the general document structure and the parts
682 currently being worked on. Org greatly simplifies the use of
683 outlines by compressing the entire show/hide functionality into a single
684 command @command{org-cycle}, which is bound to the @key{TAB} key.
685
686 @node Headlines, Visibility cycling, Outlines, Document Structure
687 @section Headlines
688 @cindex headlines
689 @cindex outline tree
690
691 Headlines define the structure of an outline tree. The headlines in
692 Org start with one or more stars, on the left margin@footnote{See
693 the variable @code{org-special-ctrl-a/e} to configure special behavior
694 of @kbd{C-a} and @kbd{C-e} in headlines.}. For example:
695
696 @example
697 * Top level headline
698 ** Second level
699 *** 3rd level
700 some text
701 *** 3rd level
702 more text
703
704 * Another top level headline
705 @end example
706
707 @noindent Some people find the many stars too noisy and would prefer an
708 outline that has whitespace followed by a single star as headline
709 starters. @ref{Clean view} describes a setup to realize this.
710
711 An empty line after the end of a subtree is considered part of it and
712 will be hidden when the subtree is folded. However, if you leave at
713 least two empty lines, one empty line will remain visible after folding
714 the subtree, in order to structure the collapsed view. See the
715 variable @code{org-cycle-separator-lines} to modify this behavior.
716
717 @node Visibility cycling, Motion, Headlines, Document Structure
718 @section Visibility cycling
719 @cindex cycling, visibility
720 @cindex visibility cycling
721 @cindex trees, visibility
722 @cindex show hidden text
723 @cindex hide text
724
725 Outlines make it possible to hide parts of the text in the buffer.
726 Org uses just two commands, bound to @key{TAB} and
727 @kbd{S-@key{TAB}} to change the visibility in the buffer.
728
729 @cindex subtree visibility states
730 @cindex subtree cycling
731 @cindex folded, subtree visibility state
732 @cindex children, subtree visibility state
733 @cindex subtree, subtree visibility state
734 @table @kbd
735 @kindex @key{TAB}
736 @item @key{TAB}
737 @emph{Subtree cycling}: Rotate current subtree among the states
738
739 @example
740 ,-> FOLDED -> CHILDREN -> SUBTREE --.
741 '-----------------------------------'
742 @end example
743
744 The cursor must be on a headline for this to work@footnote{see, however,
745 the option @code{org-cycle-emulate-tab}.}. When the cursor is at the
746 beginning of the buffer and the first line is not a headline, then
747 @key{TAB} actually runs global cycling (see below)@footnote{see the
748 option @code{org-cycle-global-at-bob}.}. Also when called with a prefix
749 argument (@kbd{C-u @key{TAB}}), global cycling is invoked.
750
751 @cindex global visibility states
752 @cindex global cycling
753 @cindex overview, global visibility state
754 @cindex contents, global visibility state
755 @cindex show all, global visibility state
756 @kindex S-@key{TAB}
757 @item S-@key{TAB}
758 @itemx C-u @key{TAB}
759 @emph{Global cycling}: Rotate the entire buffer among the states
760
761 @example
762 ,-> OVERVIEW -> CONTENTS -> SHOW ALL --.
763 '--------------------------------------'
764 @end example
765
766 When @kbd{S-@key{TAB}} is called with a numeric prefix argument N, the
767 CONTENTS view up to headlines of level N will be shown. Note that inside
768 tables, @kbd{S-@key{TAB}} jumps to the previous field.
769
770 @cindex show all, command
771 @kindex C-c C-a
772 @item C-c C-a
773 Show all.
774 @kindex C-c C-r
775 @item C-c C-r
776 Reveal context around point, showing the current entry, the following heading
777 and the hierarchy above. Useful for working near a location that has been
778 exposed by a sparse tree command (@pxref{Sparse trees}) or an agenda command
779 (@pxref{Agenda commands}). With a prefix argument show, on each
780 level, all sibling headings.
781 @kindex C-c C-x b
782 @item C-c C-x b
783 Show the current subtree in an indirect buffer@footnote{The indirect
784 buffer
785 @ifinfo
786 (@pxref{Indirect Buffers,,,emacs,GNU Emacs Manual})
787 @end ifinfo
788 @ifnotinfo
789 (see the Emacs manual for more information about indirect buffers)
790 @end ifnotinfo
791 will contain the entire buffer, but will be narrowed to the current
792 tree. Editing the indirect buffer will also change the original buffer,
793 but without affecting visibility in that buffer.}. With a numeric
794 prefix argument N, go up to level N and then take that tree. If N is
795 negative then go up that many levels. With a @kbd{C-u} prefix, do not remove
796 the previously used indirect buffer.
797 @end table
798
799 When Emacs first visits an Org file, the global state is set to
800 OVERVIEW, i.e. only the top level headlines are visible. This can be
801 configured through the variable @code{org-startup-folded}, or on a
802 per-file basis by adding one of the following lines anywhere in the
803 buffer:
804
805 @example
806 #+STARTUP: overview
807 #+STARTUP: content
808 #+STARTUP: showall
809 @end example
810
811 @noindent
812 Forthermore, any entries with a @samp{VISIBILITY} property (@pxref{Properties
813 and Columns}) will get their visibility adapted accordingly. Allowed values
814 for this property are @code{folded}, @code{children}, @code{content}, and
815 @code{all}.
816 @table @kbd
817 @kindex C-u C-u @key{TAB}
818 @item C-u C-u @key{TAB}
819 Switch back to the startup visibility of the buffer, i.e. whatever is
820 requested by startup options and @samp{VISIBILITY} properties in individual
821 entries.
822 @end table
823
824 @node Motion, Structure editing, Visibility cycling, Document Structure
825 @section Motion
826 @cindex motion, between headlines
827 @cindex jumping, to headlines
828 @cindex headline navigation
829 The following commands jump to other headlines in the buffer.
830
831 @table @kbd
832 @kindex C-c C-n
833 @item C-c C-n
834 Next heading.
835 @kindex C-c C-p
836 @item C-c C-p
837 Previous heading.
838 @kindex C-c C-f
839 @item C-c C-f
840 Next heading same level.
841 @kindex C-c C-b
842 @item C-c C-b
843 Previous heading same level.
844 @kindex C-c C-u
845 @item C-c C-u
846 Backward to higher level heading.
847 @kindex C-c C-j
848 @item C-c C-j
849 Jump to a different place without changing the current outline
850 visibility. Shows the document structure in a temporary buffer, where
851 you can use the following keys to find your destination:
852 @example
853 @key{TAB} @r{Cycle visibility.}
854 @key{down} / @key{up} @r{Next/previous visible headline.}
855 n / p @r{Next/previous visible headline.}
856 f / b @r{Next/previous headline same level.}
857 u @r{One level up.}
858 0-9 @r{Digit argument.}
859 @key{RET} @r{Select this location.}
860 @end example
861 @end table
862
863 @node Structure editing, Archiving, Motion, Document Structure
864 @section Structure editing
865 @cindex structure editing
866 @cindex headline, promotion and demotion
867 @cindex promotion, of subtrees
868 @cindex demotion, of subtrees
869 @cindex subtree, cut and paste
870 @cindex pasting, of subtrees
871 @cindex cutting, of subtrees
872 @cindex copying, of subtrees
873 @cindex subtrees, cut and paste
874
875 @table @kbd
876 @kindex M-@key{RET}
877 @item M-@key{RET}
878 Insert new heading with same level as current. If the cursor is in a
879 plain list item, a new item is created (@pxref{Plain lists}). To force
880 creation of a new headline, use a prefix argument, or first press @key{RET}
881 to get to the beginning of the next line. When this command is used in
882 the middle of a line, the line is split and the rest of the line becomes
883 the new headline@footnote{If you do not want the line to be split,
884 customize the variable @code{org-M-RET-may-split-line}.}. If the
885 command is used at the beginning of a headline, the new headline is
886 created before the current line. If at the beginning of any other line,
887 the content of that line is made the new heading. If the command is
888 used at the end of a folded subtree (i.e. behind the ellipses at the end
889 of a headline), then a headline like the current one will be inserted
890 after the end of the subtree.
891 @kindex C-@key{RET}
892 @item C-@key{RET}
893 Insert a new heading after the current subtree, same level as the
894 current headline. This command works from anywhere in the entry.
895 @kindex M-S-@key{RET}
896 @item M-S-@key{RET}
897 Insert new TODO entry with same level as current heading.
898 @kindex M-@key{left}
899 @item M-@key{left}
900 Promote current heading by one level.
901 @kindex M-@key{right}
902 @item M-@key{right}
903 Demote current heading by one level.
904 @kindex M-S-@key{left}
905 @item M-S-@key{left}
906 Promote the current subtree by one level.
907 @kindex M-S-@key{right}
908 @item M-S-@key{right}
909 Demote the current subtree by one level.
910 @kindex M-S-@key{up}
911 @item M-S-@key{up}
912 Move subtree up (swap with previous subtree of same
913 level).
914 @kindex M-S-@key{down}
915 @item M-S-@key{down}
916 Move subtree down (swap with next subtree of same level).
917 @kindex C-c C-x C-w
918 @kindex C-c C-x C-k
919 @item C-c C-x C-w
920 @itemx C-c C-x C-k
921 Kill subtree, i.e. remove it from buffer but save in kill ring.
922 With a numeric prefix argument N, kill N sequential subtrees.
923 @kindex C-c C-x M-w
924 @item C-c C-x M-w
925 Copy subtree to kill ring. With a numeric prefix argument N, copy the N
926 sequential subtrees.
927 @kindex C-c C-x C-y
928 @item C-c C-x C-y
929 Yank subtree from kill ring. This does modify the level of the subtree to
930 make sure the tree fits in nicely at the yank position. The yank level can
931 also be specified with a numeric prefix argument, or by yanking after a
932 headline marker like @samp{****}.
933 @kindex C-c C-w
934 @item C-c C-w
935 Refile entry to a different location. @xref{Refiling notes}.
936 @kindex C-c ^
937 @item C-c ^
938 Sort same-level entries. When there is an active region, all entries in the
939 region will be sorted. Otherwise the children of the current headline are
940 sorted. The command prompts for the sorting method, which can be
941 alphabetically, numerically, by time (using the first time stamp in each
942 entry), by priority, or by TODO keyword (in the sequence the keywords have
943 been defined in the setup). Reverse sorting is possible as well. You can
944 also supply your own function to extract the sorting key. With a @kbd{C-u}
945 prefix, sorting will be case-sensitive. With two @kbd{C-u C-u} prefixes,
946 duplicate entries will also be removed.
947 @kindex C-x n s
948 @item C-x n s
949 Narrow buffer to current subtree.
950 @kindex C-x n w
951 @item C-x n w
952 Widen buffer to remove a narrowing.
953 @kindex C-c *
954 @item C-c *
955 Turn a normal line or plain list item into a headline (so that it
956 becomes a subheading at its location). Also turn a headline into a
957 normal line by removing the stars. If there is an active region, turn
958 all lines in the region into headlines. Or, if the first line is a
959 headline, remove the stars from all headlines in the region.
960 @end table
961
962 @cindex region, active
963 @cindex active region
964 @cindex Transient mark mode
965 When there is an active region (Transient mark mode), promotion and
966 demotion work on all headlines in the region. To select a region of
967 headlines, it is best to place both point and mark at the beginning of a
968 line, mark at the beginning of the first headline, and point at the line
969 just after the last headline to change. Note that when the cursor is
970 inside a table (@pxref{Tables}), the Meta-Cursor keys have different
971 functionality.
972
973 @node Archiving, Sparse trees, Structure editing, Document Structure
974 @section Archiving
975 @cindex archiving
976
977 When a project represented by a (sub)tree is finished, you may want
978 to move the tree out of the way and to stop it from contributing to the
979 agenda. Org mode knows two ways of archiving. You can mark a tree with
980 the ARCHIVE tag, or you can move an entire (sub)tree to a different
981 location.
982
983 @menu
984 * ARCHIVE tag:: Marking a tree as inactive
985 * Moving subtrees:: Moving a tree to an archive file
986 @end menu
987
988 @node ARCHIVE tag, Moving subtrees, Archiving, Archiving
989 @subsection The ARCHIVE tag
990 @cindex internal archiving
991
992 A headline that is marked with the ARCHIVE tag (@pxref{Tags}) stays at
993 its location in the outline tree, but behaves in the following way:
994 @itemize @minus
995 @item
996 It does not open when you attempt to do so with a visibility cycling
997 command (@pxref{Visibility cycling}). You can force cycling archived
998 subtrees with @kbd{C-@key{TAB}}, or by setting the option
999 @code{org-cycle-open-archived-trees}. Also normal outline commands like
1000 @code{show-all} will open archived subtrees.
1001 @item
1002 During sparse tree construction (@pxref{Sparse trees}), matches in
1003 archived subtrees are not exposed, unless you configure the option
1004 @code{org-sparse-tree-open-archived-trees}.
1005 @item
1006 During agenda view construction (@pxref{Agenda Views}), the content of
1007 archived trees is ignored unless you configure the option
1008 @code{org-agenda-skip-archived-trees}, in which case these trees will always
1009 be included. In the agenda you can press the @kbd{v} key to get archives
1010 temporarily included.
1011 @item
1012 Archived trees are not exported (@pxref{Exporting}), only the headline
1013 is. Configure the details using the variable
1014 @code{org-export-with-archived-trees}.
1015 @end itemize
1016
1017 The following commands help managing the ARCHIVE tag:
1018
1019 @table @kbd
1020 @kindex C-c C-x a
1021 @item C-c C-x a
1022 Toggle the ARCHIVE tag for the current headline. When the tag is set,
1023 the headline changes to a shadowed face, and the subtree below it is
1024 hidden.
1025 @kindex C-u C-c C-x a
1026 @item C-u C-c C-x a
1027 Check if any direct children of the current headline should be archived.
1028 To do this, each subtree is checked for open TODO entries. If none are
1029 found, the command offers to set the ARCHIVE tag for the child. If the
1030 cursor is @emph{not} on a headline when this command is invoked, the
1031 level 1 trees will be checked.
1032 @kindex C-@kbd{TAB}
1033 @item C-@kbd{TAB}
1034 Cycle a tree even if it is tagged with ARCHIVE.
1035 @end table
1036
1037 @node Moving subtrees, , ARCHIVE tag, Archiving
1038 @subsection Moving subtrees
1039 @cindex external archiving
1040
1041 Once an entire project is finished, you may want to move it to a different
1042 location. Org can move it to an @emph{Archive Sibling} in the same tree, to a
1043 different tree in the current file, or to a different file, the archive file.
1044
1045 @table @kbd
1046 @kindex C-c C-x A
1047 @item C-c C-x A
1048 Move the current entry to the @emph{Archive Sibling}. This is a sibling of
1049 the entry with the heading @samp{Archive} and the tag @samp{ARCHIVE}
1050 (@pxref{ARCHIVE tag}). The entry becomes a child of that sibling and in this
1051 way retains a lot of its original context, including inherited tags and
1052 approximate position in the outline.
1053 @kindex C-c C-x C-s
1054 @item C-c C-x C-s
1055 Archive the subtree starting at the cursor position to the location
1056 given by @code{org-archive-location}. Context information that could be
1057 lost like the file name, the category, inherited tags, and the TODO
1058 state will be store as properties in the entry.
1059 @kindex C-u C-c C-x C-s
1060 @item C-u C-c C-x C-s
1061 Check if any direct children of the current headline could be moved to
1062 the archive. To do this, each subtree is checked for open TODO entries.
1063 If none are found, the command offers to move it to the archive
1064 location. If the cursor is @emph{not} on a headline when this command
1065 is invoked, the level 1 trees will be checked.
1066 @end table
1067
1068 @cindex archive locations
1069 The default archive location is a file in the same directory as the
1070 current file, with the name derived by appending @file{_archive} to the
1071 current file name. For information and examples on how to change this,
1072 see the documentation string of the variable
1073 @code{org-archive-location}. There is also an in-buffer option for
1074 setting this variable, for example@footnote{For backward compatibility,
1075 the following also works: If there are several such lines in a file,
1076 each specifies the archive location for the text below it. The first
1077 such line also applies to any text before its definition. However,
1078 using this method is @emph{strongly} deprecated as it is incompatible
1079 with the outline structure of the document. The correct method for
1080 setting multiple archive locations in a buffer is using a property.}:
1081
1082 @example
1083 #+ARCHIVE: %s_done::
1084 @end example
1085
1086 @noindent
1087 If you would like to have a special ARCHIVE location for a single entry
1088 or a (sub)tree, give the entry an @code{:ARCHIVE:} property with the
1089 location as the value (@pxref{Properties and Columns}).
1090
1091 When a subtree is moved, it receives a number of special properties that
1092 record context information like the file from where the entry came, it's
1093 outline path the archiving time etc. Configure the variable
1094 @code{org-archive-save-context-info} to adjust the amount of information
1095 added.
1096
1097 @node Sparse trees, Plain lists, Archiving, Document Structure
1098 @section Sparse trees
1099 @cindex sparse trees
1100 @cindex trees, sparse
1101 @cindex folding, sparse trees
1102 @cindex occur, command
1103
1104 An important feature of Org mode is the ability to construct @emph{sparse
1105 trees} for selected information in an outline tree, so that the entire
1106 document is folded as much as possible, but the selected information is made
1107 visible along with the headline structure above it@footnote{See also the
1108 variables @code{org-show-hierarchy-above}, @code{org-show-following-heading},
1109 @code{org-show-siblings}, and @code{org-show-entry-below} for detailed
1110 control on how much context is shown around each match.}. Just try it out
1111 and you will see immediately how it works.
1112
1113 Org mode contains several commands creating such trees, all these
1114 commands can be accessed through a dispatcher:
1115
1116 @table @kbd
1117 @kindex C-c /
1118 @item C-c /
1119 This prompts for an extra key to select a sparse-tree creating command.
1120 @kindex C-c / r
1121 @item C-c / r
1122 Occur. Prompts for a regexp and shows a sparse tree with all matches. If
1123 the match is in a headline, the headline is made visible. If the match is in
1124 the body of an entry, headline and body are made visible. In order to
1125 provide minimal context, also the full hierarchy of headlines above the match
1126 is shown, as well as the headline following the match. Each match is also
1127 highlighted; the highlights disappear when the buffer is changed by an
1128 editing command@footnote{depending on the option
1129 @code{org-remove-highlights-with-change}}, or by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}.
1130 When called with a @kbd{C-u} prefix argument, previous highlights are kept,
1131 so several calls to this command can be stacked.
1132 @end table
1133
1134 @noindent
1135 For frequently used sparse trees of specific search strings, you can
1136 use the variable @code{org-agenda-custom-commands} to define fast
1137 keyboard access to specific sparse trees. These commands will then be
1138 accessible through the agenda dispatcher (@pxref{Agenda dispatcher}).
1139 For example:
1140
1141 @lisp
1142 (setq org-agenda-custom-commands
1143 '(("f" occur-tree "FIXME")))
1144 @end lisp
1145
1146 @noindent will define the key @kbd{C-c a f} as a shortcut for creating
1147 a sparse tree matching the string @samp{FIXME}.
1148
1149 The other sparse tree commands select headings based on TODO keywords,
1150 tags, or properties and will be discussed later in this manual.
1151
1152 @kindex C-c C-e v
1153 @cindex printing sparse trees
1154 @cindex visible text, printing
1155 To print a sparse tree, you can use the Emacs command
1156 @code{ps-print-buffer-with-faces} which does not print invisible parts
1157 of the document @footnote{This does not work under XEmacs, because
1158 XEmacs uses selective display for outlining, not text properties.}.
1159 Or you can use the command @kbd{C-c C-e v} to export only the visible
1160 part of the document and print the resulting file.
1161
1162 @node Plain lists, Drawers, Sparse trees, Document Structure
1163 @section Plain lists
1164 @cindex plain lists
1165 @cindex lists, plain
1166 @cindex lists, ordered
1167 @cindex ordered lists
1168
1169 Within an entry of the outline tree, hand-formatted lists can provide
1170 additional structure. They also provide a way to create lists of
1171 checkboxes (@pxref{Checkboxes}). Org supports editing such lists,
1172 and the HTML exporter (@pxref{Exporting}) parses and formats them.
1173
1174 Org knows ordered lists, unordered lists, and description lists.
1175 @itemize @bullet
1176 @item
1177 @emph{Unordered} list items start with @samp{-}, @samp{+}, or
1178 @samp{*}@footnote{When using @samp{*} as a bullet, lines must be indented or
1179 they will be seen as top-level headlines. Also, when you are hiding leading
1180 stars to get a clean outline view, plain list items starting with a star are
1181 visually indistinguishable from true headlines. In short: even though
1182 @samp{*} is supported, it may be better to not use it for plain list items.}
1183 as bullets.
1184 @item
1185 @emph{Ordered} list items start with a numeral followed by either a period or
1186 a right parenthesis, such as @samp{1.} or @samp{1)}.
1187 @item
1188 @emph{Description} list items are like unordered list items, but contain the
1189 separator @samp{ :: } to separate the description @emph{term} from the
1190 desciption.
1191 @end itemize
1192
1193 Items belonging to the same list must have the same indentation on the first
1194 line. In particular, if an ordered list reaches number @samp{10.}, then the
1195 2--digit numbers must be written left-aligned with the other numbers in the
1196 list. Indentation also determines the end of a list item. It ends before
1197 the next line that is indented like the bullet/number, or less. Empty lines
1198 are part of the previous item, so you can have several paragraphs in one
1199 item. If you would like an empty line to terminate all currently open plain
1200 lists, configure the variable @code{org-empty-line-terminates-plain-lists}.
1201 Here is an example:
1202
1203 @example
1204 @group
1205 ** Lord of the Rings
1206 My favorite scenes are (in this order)
1207 1. The attack of the Rohirrim
1208 2. Eowyns fight with the witch king
1209 + this was already my favorite scene in the book
1210 + I really like Miranda Otto.
1211 3. Peter Jackson being shot by Legolas
1212 - on DVD only
1213 He makes a really funny face when it happens.
1214 But in the end, not individual scenes matter but the film as a whole.
1215 Important actors in this film are:
1216 - @b{Elijah Wood} :: He plays the Frodo
1217 - @b{Sean Austin} :: He plays the Sam, Frodos friend. I still remember
1218 him very well from his role as Mikey Walsh a in the Goonies.
1219 @end group
1220 @end example
1221
1222 Org supports these lists by tuning filling and wrapping commands to
1223 deal with them correctly@footnote{Org only changes the filling
1224 settings for Emacs. For XEmacs, you should use Kyle E. Jones'
1225 @file{filladapt.el}. To turn this on, put into @file{.emacs}:
1226 @code{(require 'filladapt)}}, and by exporting them properly
1227 (@pxref{Exporting}).
1228
1229 The following commands act on items when the cursor is in the first line
1230 of an item (the line with the bullet or number).
1231
1232 @table @kbd
1233 @kindex @key{TAB}
1234 @item @key{TAB}
1235 Items can be folded just like headline levels if you set the variable
1236 @code{org-cycle-include-plain-lists}. The level of an item is then
1237 given by the indentation of the bullet/number. Items are always
1238 subordinate to real headlines, however; the hierarchies remain
1239 completely separated.
1240
1241 If @code{org-cycle-include-plain-lists} has not been set, @key{TAB}
1242 fixes the indentation of the current line in a heuristic way.
1243 @kindex M-@key{RET}
1244 @item M-@key{RET}
1245 Insert new item at current level. With a prefix argument, force a new
1246 heading (@pxref{Structure editing}). If this command is used in the middle
1247 of a line, the line is @emph{split} and the rest of the line becomes the new
1248 item@footnote{If you do not want the line to be split, customize the variable
1249 @code{org-M-RET-may-split-line}.}. If this command is executed in the
1250 @emph{whitespace before a bullet or number}, the new item is created
1251 @emph{before} the current item. If the command is executed in the white
1252 space before the text that is part of an item but does not contain the
1253 bullet, a bullet is added to the current line.
1254 @kindex M-S-@key{RET}
1255 @item M-S-@key{RET}
1256 Insert a new item with a checkbox (@pxref{Checkboxes}).
1257 @kindex S-@key{up}
1258 @kindex S-@key{down}
1259 @item S-@key{up}
1260 @itemx S-@key{down}
1261 Jump to the previous/next item in the current list.
1262 @kindex M-S-@key{up}
1263 @kindex M-S-@key{down}
1264 @item M-S-@key{up}
1265 @itemx M-S-@key{down}
1266 Move the item including subitems up/down (swap with previous/next item
1267 of same indentation). If the list is ordered, renumbering is
1268 automatic.
1269 @kindex M-S-@key{left}
1270 @kindex M-S-@key{right}
1271 @item M-S-@key{left}
1272 @itemx M-S-@key{right}
1273 Decrease/increase the indentation of the item, including subitems.
1274 Initially, the item tree is selected based on current indentation.
1275 When these commands are executed several times in direct succession,
1276 the initially selected region is used, even if the new indentation
1277 would imply a different hierarchy. To use the new hierarchy, break
1278 the command chain with a cursor motion or so.
1279 @kindex C-c C-c
1280 @item C-c C-c
1281 If there is a checkbox (@pxref{Checkboxes}) in the item line, toggle the
1282 state of the checkbox. If not, this command makes sure that all the
1283 items on this list level use the same bullet. Furthermore, if this is
1284 an ordered list, make sure the numbering is OK.
1285 @kindex C-c -
1286 @item C-c -
1287 Cycle the entire list level through the different itemize/enumerate bullets
1288 (@samp{-}, @samp{+}, @samp{*}, @samp{1.}, @samp{1)}). With a numeric prefix
1289 argument N, select the Nth bullet from this list. If there is an active
1290 region when calling this, all lines will be converted to list items. If the
1291 first line already was a list item, any item markers will be removed from the
1292 list. Finally, even without an active region, a normal line will be
1293 converted into a list item.
1294 @end table
1295
1296 @node Drawers, Orgstruct mode, Plain lists, Document Structure
1297 @section Drawers
1298 @cindex drawers
1299 @cindex visibility cycling, drawers
1300
1301 Sometimes you want to keep information associated with an entry, but you
1302 normally don't want to see it. For this, Org mode has @emph{drawers}.
1303 Drawers need to be configured with the variable
1304 @code{org-drawers}@footnote{You can define drawers on a per-file basis
1305 with a line like @code{#+DRAWERS: HIDDEN PROPERTIES STATE}}. Drawers
1306 look like this:
1307
1308 @example
1309 ** This is a headline
1310 Still outside the drawer
1311 :DRAWERNAME:
1312 This is inside the drawer.
1313 :END:
1314 After the drawer.
1315 @end example
1316
1317 Visibility cycling (@pxref{Visibility cycling}) on the headline will
1318 hide and show the entry, but keep the drawer collapsed to a single line.
1319 In order to look inside the drawer, you need to move the cursor to the
1320 drawer line and press @key{TAB} there. Org mode uses a drawer for
1321 storing properties (@pxref{Properties and Columns}), and another one for
1322 storing clock times (@pxref{Clocking work time}).
1323
1324 @node Orgstruct mode, , Drawers, Document Structure
1325 @section The Orgstruct minor mode
1326 @cindex Orgstruct mode
1327 @cindex minor mode for structure editing
1328
1329 If you like the intuitive way the Org mode structure editing and list
1330 formatting works, you might want to use these commands in other modes
1331 like Text mode or Mail mode as well. The minor mode Orgstruct mode
1332 makes this possible. You can always toggle the mode with @kbd{M-x
1333 orgstruct-mode}. To turn it on by default, for example in Mail mode,
1334 use
1335
1336 @lisp
1337 (add-hook 'mail-mode-hook 'turn-on-orgstruct)
1338 @end lisp
1339
1340 When this mode is active and the cursor is on a line that looks to
1341 Org like a headline of the first line of a list item, most
1342 structure editing commands will work, even if the same keys normally
1343 have different functionality in the major mode you are using. If the
1344 cursor is not in one of those special lines, Orgstruct mode lurks
1345 silently in the shadow.
1346
1347 @node Tables, Hyperlinks, Document Structure, Top
1348 @chapter Tables
1349 @cindex tables
1350 @cindex editing tables
1351
1352 Org comes with a fast and intuitive table editor. Spreadsheet-like
1353 calculations are supported in connection with the Emacs @file{calc}
1354 package
1355 @ifinfo
1356 (@pxref{Top,Calc,,Calc,Gnu Emacs Calculator Manual}).
1357 @end ifinfo
1358 @ifnotinfo
1359 (see the Emacs Calculator manual for more information about the Emacs
1360 calculator).
1361 @end ifnotinfo
1362
1363 @menu
1364 * Built-in table editor:: Simple tables
1365 * Narrow columns:: Stop wasting space in tables
1366 * Column groups:: Grouping to trigger vertical lines
1367 * Orgtbl mode:: The table editor as minor mode
1368 * The spreadsheet:: The table editor has spreadsheet capabilities
1369 @end menu
1370
1371 @node Built-in table editor, Narrow columns, Tables, Tables
1372 @section The built-in table editor
1373 @cindex table editor, built-in
1374
1375 Org makes it easy to format tables in plain ASCII. Any line with
1376 @samp{|} as the first non-whitespace character is considered part of a
1377 table. @samp{|} is also the column separator. A table might look like
1378 this:
1379
1380 @example
1381 | Name | Phone | Age |
1382 |-------+-------+-----|
1383 | Peter | 1234 | 17 |
1384 | Anna | 4321 | 25 |
1385 @end example
1386
1387 A table is re-aligned automatically each time you press @key{TAB} or
1388 @key{RET} or @kbd{C-c C-c} inside the table. @key{TAB} also moves to
1389 the next field (@key{RET} to the next row) and creates new table rows
1390 at the end of the table or before horizontal lines. The indentation
1391 of the table is set by the first line. Any line starting with
1392 @samp{|-} is considered as a horizontal separator line and will be
1393 expanded on the next re-align to span the whole table width. So, to
1394 create the above table, you would only type
1395
1396 @example
1397 |Name|Phone|Age|
1398 |-
1399 @end example
1400
1401 @noindent and then press @key{TAB} to align the table and start filling in
1402 fields.
1403
1404 When typing text into a field, Org treats @key{DEL},
1405 @key{Backspace}, and all character keys in a special way, so that
1406 inserting and deleting avoids shifting other fields. Also, when
1407 typing @emph{immediately after the cursor was moved into a new field
1408 with @kbd{@key{TAB}}, @kbd{S-@key{TAB}} or @kbd{@key{RET}}}, the
1409 field is automatically made blank. If this behavior is too
1410 unpredictable for you, configure the variables
1411 @code{org-enable-table-editor} and @code{org-table-auto-blank-field}.
1412
1413 @table @kbd
1414 @tsubheading{Creation and conversion}
1415 @kindex C-c |
1416 @item C-c |
1417 Convert the active region to table. If every line contains at least one
1418 TAB character, the function assumes that the material is tab separated.
1419 If every line contains a comma, comma-separated values (CSV) are assumed.
1420 If not, lines are split at whitespace into fields. You can use a prefix
1421 argument to force a specific separator: @kbd{C-u} forces CSV, @kbd{C-u
1422 C-u} forces TAB, and a numeric argument N indicates that at least N
1423 consecutive spaces, or alternatively a TAB will be the separator.
1424 @*
1425 If there is no active region, this command creates an empty Org
1426 table. But it's easier just to start typing, like
1427 @kbd{|Name|Phone|Age @key{RET} |- @key{TAB}}.
1428
1429 @tsubheading{Re-aligning and field motion}
1430 @kindex C-c C-c
1431 @item C-c C-c
1432 Re-align the table without moving the cursor.
1433 @c
1434 @kindex @key{TAB}
1435 @item @key{TAB}
1436 Re-align the table, move to the next field. Creates a new row if
1437 necessary.
1438 @c
1439 @kindex S-@key{TAB}
1440 @item S-@key{TAB}
1441 Re-align, move to previous field.
1442 @c
1443 @kindex @key{RET}
1444 @item @key{RET}
1445 Re-align the table and move down to next row. Creates a new row if
1446 necessary. At the beginning or end of a line, @key{RET} still does
1447 NEWLINE, so it can be used to split a table.
1448
1449 @tsubheading{Column and row editing}
1450 @kindex M-@key{left}
1451 @kindex M-@key{right}
1452 @item M-@key{left}
1453 @itemx M-@key{right}
1454 Move the current column left/right.
1455 @c
1456 @kindex M-S-@key{left}
1457 @item M-S-@key{left}
1458 Kill the current column.
1459 @c
1460 @kindex M-S-@key{right}
1461 @item M-S-@key{right}
1462 Insert a new column to the left of the cursor position.
1463 @c
1464 @kindex M-@key{up}
1465 @kindex M-@key{down}
1466 @item M-@key{up}
1467 @itemx M-@key{down}
1468 Move the current row up/down.
1469 @c
1470 @kindex M-S-@key{up}
1471 @item M-S-@key{up}
1472 Kill the current row or horizontal line.
1473 @c
1474 @kindex M-S-@key{down}
1475 @item M-S-@key{down}
1476 Insert a new row above the current row. With a prefix argument, the line is
1477 created below the current one.
1478 @c
1479 @kindex C-c -
1480 @item C-c -
1481 Insert a horizontal line below current row. With a prefix argument, the line
1482 is created above the current line.
1483 @c
1484 @kindex C-c ^
1485 @item C-c ^
1486 Sort the table lines in the region. The position of point indicates the
1487 column to be used for sorting, and the range of lines is the range
1488 between the nearest horizontal separator lines, or the entire table. If
1489 point is before the first column, you will be prompted for the sorting
1490 column. If there is an active region, the mark specifies the first line
1491 and the sorting column, while point should be in the last line to be
1492 included into the sorting. The command prompts for the sorting type
1493 (alphabetically, numerically, or by time). When called with a prefix
1494 argument, alphabetic sorting will be case-sensitive.
1495
1496 @tsubheading{Regions}
1497 @kindex C-c C-x M-w
1498 @item C-c C-x M-w
1499 Copy a rectangular region from a table to a special clipboard. Point
1500 and mark determine edge fields of the rectangle. The process ignores
1501 horizontal separator lines.
1502 @c
1503 @kindex C-c C-x C-w
1504 @item C-c C-x C-w
1505 Copy a rectangular region from a table to a special clipboard, and
1506 blank all fields in the rectangle. So this is the ``cut'' operation.
1507 @c
1508 @kindex C-c C-x C-y
1509 @item C-c C-x C-y
1510 Paste a rectangular region into a table.
1511 The upper right corner ends up in the current field. All involved fields
1512 will be overwritten. If the rectangle does not fit into the present table,
1513 the table is enlarged as needed. The process ignores horizontal separator
1514 lines.
1515 @c
1516 @kindex C-c C-q
1517 @kindex M-@key{RET}
1518 @item C-c C-q
1519 @itemx M-@kbd{RET}
1520 Wrap several fields in a column like a paragraph. If there is an active
1521 region, and both point and mark are in the same column, the text in the
1522 column is wrapped to minimum width for the given number of lines. A numeric
1523 prefix argument may be used to change the number of desired lines. If there
1524 is no region, the current field is split at the cursor position and the text
1525 fragment to the right of the cursor is prepended to the field one line
1526 down. If there is no region, but you specify a prefix argument, the current
1527 field is made blank, and the content is appended to the field above.
1528
1529 @tsubheading{Calculations}
1530 @cindex formula, in tables
1531 @cindex calculations, in tables
1532 @cindex region, active
1533 @cindex active region
1534 @cindex Transient mark mode
1535 @kindex C-c +
1536 @item C-c +
1537 Sum the numbers in the current column, or in the rectangle defined by
1538 the active region. The result is shown in the echo area and can
1539 be inserted with @kbd{C-y}.
1540 @c
1541 @kindex S-@key{RET}
1542 @item S-@key{RET}
1543 When current field is empty, copy from first non-empty field above.
1544 When not empty, copy current field down to next row and move cursor
1545 along with it. Depending on the variable
1546 @code{org-table-copy-increment}, integer field values will be
1547 incremented during copy. This key is also used by CUA mode
1548 (@pxref{Cooperation}).
1549
1550 @tsubheading{Miscellaneous}
1551 @kindex C-c `
1552 @item C-c `
1553 Edit the current field in a separate window. This is useful for fields
1554 that are not fully visible (@pxref{Narrow columns}). When called with a
1555 @kbd{C-u} prefix, just make the full field visible, so that it can be
1556 edited in place.
1557 @c
1558 @item M-x org-table-import
1559 Import a file as a table. The table should be TAB- or whitespace
1560 separated. Useful, for example, to import a spreadsheet table or data
1561 from a database, because these programs generally can write
1562 TAB-separated text files. This command works by inserting the file into
1563 the buffer and then converting the region to a table. Any prefix
1564 argument is passed on to the converter, which uses it to determine the
1565 separator.
1566 @item C-c |
1567 Tables can also be imported by pasting tabular text into the Org
1568 buffer, selecting the pasted text with @kbd{C-x C-x} and then using the
1569 @kbd{C-c |} command (see above under @i{Creation and conversion}).
1570 @c
1571 @item M-x org-table-export
1572 Export the table, by default as a TAB-separated file. Useful for data
1573 exchange with, for example, spreadsheet or database programs. The format
1574 used to export the file can be configured in the variable
1575 @code{org-table-export-default-format}. You may also use properties
1576 @code{TABLE_EXPORT_FILE} and @code{TABLE_EXPORT_FORMAT} to specify the file
1577 name and the format for table export in a subtree. Org supports quite
1578 general formats for exported tables. The exporter format is the same as the
1579 format used by Orgtbl radio tables, see @ref{Translator functions} for a
1580 detailed description.
1581 @end table
1582
1583 If you don't like the automatic table editor because it gets in your
1584 way on lines which you would like to start with @samp{|}, you can turn
1585 it off with
1586
1587 @lisp
1588 (setq org-enable-table-editor nil)
1589 @end lisp
1590
1591 @noindent Then the only table command that still works is
1592 @kbd{C-c C-c} to do a manual re-align.
1593
1594 @node Narrow columns, Column groups, Built-in table editor, Tables
1595 @section Narrow columns
1596 @cindex narrow columns in tables
1597
1598 The width of columns is automatically determined by the table editor.
1599 Sometimes a single field or a few fields need to carry more text,
1600 leading to inconveniently wide columns. To limit@footnote{This feature
1601 does not work on XEmacs.} the width of a column, one field anywhere in
1602 the column may contain just the string @samp{<N>} where @samp{N} is an
1603 integer specifying the width of the column in characters. The next
1604 re-align will then set the width of this column to no more than this
1605 value.
1606
1607 @example
1608 @group
1609 |---+------------------------------| |---+--------|
1610 | | | | | <6> |
1611 | 1 | one | | 1 | one |
1612 | 2 | two | ----\ | 2 | two |
1613 | 3 | This is a long chunk of text | ----/ | 3 | This=> |
1614 | 4 | four | | 4 | four |
1615 |---+------------------------------| |---+--------|
1616 @end group
1617 @end example
1618
1619 @noindent
1620 Fields that are wider become clipped and end in the string @samp{=>}.
1621 Note that the full text is still in the buffer, it is only invisible.
1622 To see the full text, hold the mouse over the field - a tool-tip window
1623 will show the full content. To edit such a field, use the command
1624 @kbd{C-c `} (that is @kbd{C-c} followed by the backquote). This will
1625 open a new window with the full field. Edit it and finish with @kbd{C-c
1626 C-c}.
1627
1628 When visiting a file containing a table with narrowed columns, the
1629 necessary character hiding has not yet happened, and the table needs to
1630 be aligned before it looks nice. Setting the option
1631 @code{org-startup-align-all-tables} will realign all tables in a file
1632 upon visiting, but also slow down startup. You can also set this option
1633 on a per-file basis with:
1634
1635 @example
1636 #+STARTUP: align
1637 #+STARTUP: noalign
1638 @end example
1639
1640 @node Column groups, Orgtbl mode, Narrow columns, Tables
1641 @section Column groups
1642 @cindex grouping columns in tables
1643
1644 When Org exports tables, it does so by default without vertical
1645 lines because that is visually more satisfying in general. Occasionally
1646 however, vertical lines can be useful to structure a table into groups
1647 of columns, much like horizontal lines can do for groups of rows. In
1648 order to specify column groups, you can use a special row where the
1649 first field contains only @samp{/}. The further fields can either
1650 contain @samp{<} to indicate that this column should start a group,
1651 @samp{>} to indicate the end of a column, or @samp{<>} to make a column
1652 a group of its own. Boundaries between column groups will upon export be
1653 marked with vertical lines. Here is an example:
1654
1655 @example
1656 | | N | N^2 | N^3 | N^4 | sqrt(n) | sqrt[4](N) |
1657 |---+----+-----+-----+-----+---------+------------|
1658 | / | <> | < | | > | < | > |
1659 | # | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
1660 | # | 2 | 4 | 8 | 16 | 1.4142 | 1.1892 |
1661 | # | 3 | 9 | 27 | 81 | 1.7321 | 1.3161 |
1662 |---+----+-----+-----+-----+---------+------------|
1663 #+TBLFM: $3=$2^2::$4=$2^3::$5=$2^4::$6=sqrt($2)::$7=sqrt(sqrt(($2)))
1664 @end example
1665
1666 It is also sufficient to just insert the column group starters after
1667 every vertical line you'd like to have:
1668
1669 @example
1670 | N | N^2 | N^3 | N^4 | sqrt(n) | sqrt[4](N) |
1671 |----+-----+-----+-----+---------+------------|
1672 | / | < | | | < | |
1673 @end example
1674
1675 @node Orgtbl mode, The spreadsheet, Column groups, Tables
1676 @section The Orgtbl minor mode
1677 @cindex Orgtbl mode
1678 @cindex minor mode for tables
1679
1680 If you like the intuitive way the Org table editor works, you
1681 might also want to use it in other modes like Text mode or Mail mode.
1682 The minor mode Orgtbl mode makes this possible. You can always toggle
1683 the mode with @kbd{M-x orgtbl-mode}. To turn it on by default, for
1684 example in mail mode, use
1685
1686 @lisp
1687 (add-hook 'mail-mode-hook 'turn-on-orgtbl)
1688 @end lisp
1689
1690 Furthermore, with some special setup, it is possible to maintain tables
1691 in arbitrary syntax with Orgtbl mode. For example, it is possible to
1692 construct La@TeX{} tables with the underlying ease and power of
1693 Orgtbl mode, including spreadsheet capabilities. For details, see
1694 @ref{Tables in arbitrary syntax}.
1695
1696 @node The spreadsheet, , Orgtbl mode, Tables
1697 @section The spreadsheet
1698 @cindex calculations, in tables
1699 @cindex spreadsheet capabilities
1700 @cindex @file{calc} package
1701
1702 The table editor makes use of the Emacs @file{calc} package to implement
1703 spreadsheet-like capabilities. It can also evaluate Emacs Lisp forms to
1704 derive fields from other fields. While fully featured, Org's
1705 implementation is not identical to other spreadsheets. For example,
1706 Org knows the concept of a @emph{column formula} that will be
1707 applied to all non-header fields in a column without having to copy the
1708 formula to each relevant field.
1709
1710 @menu
1711 * References:: How to refer to another field or range
1712 * Formula syntax for Calc:: Using Calc to compute stuff
1713 * Formula syntax for Lisp:: Writing formulas in Emacs Lisp
1714 * Field formulas:: Formulas valid for a single field
1715 * Column formulas:: Formulas valid for an entire column
1716 * Editing and debugging formulas:: Fixing formulas
1717 * Updating the table:: Recomputing all dependent fields
1718 * Advanced features:: Field names, parameters and automatic recalc
1719 @end menu
1720
1721 @node References, Formula syntax for Calc, The spreadsheet, The spreadsheet
1722 @subsection References
1723 @cindex references
1724
1725 To compute fields in the table from other fields, formulas must
1726 reference other fields or ranges. In Org, fields can be referenced
1727 by name, by absolute coordinates, and by relative coordinates. To find
1728 out what the coordinates of a field are, press @kbd{C-c ?} in that
1729 field, or press @kbd{C-c @}} to toggle the display of a grid.
1730
1731 @subsubheading Field references
1732 @cindex field references
1733 @cindex references, to fields
1734
1735 Formulas can reference the value of another field in two ways. Like in
1736 any other spreadsheet, you may reference fields with a letter/number
1737 combination like @code{B3}, meaning the 2nd field in the 3rd row.
1738 @c Such references are always fixed to that field, they don't change
1739 @c when you copy and paste a formula to a different field. So
1740 @c Org's @code{B3} behaves like @code{$B$3} in other spreadsheets.
1741
1742 @noindent
1743 Org also uses another, more general operator that looks like this:
1744 @example
1745 @@row$column
1746 @end example
1747
1748 @noindent
1749 Column references can be absolute like @samp{1}, @samp{2},...@samp{N},
1750 or relative to the current column like @samp{+1} or @samp{-2}.
1751
1752 The row specification only counts data lines and ignores horizontal
1753 separator lines (hlines). You can use absolute row numbers
1754 @samp{1}...@samp{N}, and row numbers relative to the current row like
1755 @samp{+3} or @samp{-1}. Or specify the row relative to one of the
1756 hlines: @samp{I} refers to the first hline@footnote{Note that only
1757 hlines are counted that @emph{separate} table lines. If the table
1758 starts with a hline above the header, it does not count.}, @samp{II} to
1759 the second etc. @samp{-I} refers to the first such line above the
1760 current line, @samp{+I} to the first such line below the current line.
1761 You can also write @samp{III+2} which is the second data line after the
1762 third hline in the table. Relative row numbers like @samp{-3} will not
1763 cross hlines if the current line is too close to the hline. Instead,
1764 the value directly at the hline is used.
1765
1766 @samp{0} refers to the current row and column. Also, if you omit
1767 either the column or the row part of the reference, the current
1768 row/column is implied.
1769
1770 Org's references with @emph{unsigned} numbers are fixed references
1771 in the sense that if you use the same reference in the formula for two
1772 different fields, the same field will be referenced each time.
1773 Org's references with @emph{signed} numbers are floating
1774 references because the same reference operator can reference different
1775 fields depending on the field being calculated by the formula.
1776
1777 Here are a few examples:
1778
1779 @example
1780 @@2$3 @r{2nd row, 3rd column}
1781 C2 @r{same as previous}
1782 $5 @r{column 5 in the current row}
1783 E& @r{same as previous}
1784 @@2 @r{current column, row 2}
1785 @@-1$-3 @r{the field one row up, three columns to the left}
1786 @@-I$2 @r{field just under hline above current row, column 2}
1787 @end example
1788
1789 @subsubheading Range references
1790 @cindex range references
1791 @cindex references, to ranges
1792
1793 You may reference a rectangular range of fields by specifying two field
1794 references connected by two dots @samp{..}. If both fields are in the
1795 current row, you may simply use @samp{$2..$7}, but if at least one field
1796 is in a different row, you need to use the general @code{@@row$column}
1797 format at least for the first field (i.e the reference must start with
1798 @samp{@@} in order to be interpreted correctly). Examples:
1799
1800 @example
1801 $1..$3 @r{First three fields in the current row.}
1802 $P..$Q @r{Range, using column names (see under Advanced)}
1803 @@2$1..@@4$3 @r{6 fields between these two fields.}
1804 A2..C4 @r{Same as above.}
1805 @@-1$-2..@@-1 @r{3 numbers from the column to the left, 2 up to current row}
1806 @end example
1807
1808 @noindent Range references return a vector of values that can be fed
1809 into Calc vector functions. Empty fields in ranges are normally
1810 suppressed, so that the vector contains only the non-empty fields (but
1811 see the @samp{E} mode switch below). If there are no non-empty fields,
1812 @samp{[0]} is returned to avoid syntax errors in formulas.
1813
1814 @subsubheading Named references
1815 @cindex named references
1816 @cindex references, named
1817 @cindex name, of column or field
1818 @cindex constants, in calculations
1819
1820 @samp{$name} is interpreted as the name of a column, parameter or
1821 constant. Constants are defined globally through the variable
1822 @code{org-table-formula-constants}, and locally (for the file) through a
1823 line like
1824
1825 @example
1826 #+CONSTANTS: c=299792458. pi=3.14 eps=2.4e-6
1827 @end example
1828
1829 @noindent
1830 Also properties (@pxref{Properties and Columns}) can be used as
1831 constants in table formulas: For a property @samp{:Xyz:} use the name
1832 @samp{$PROP_Xyz}, and the property will be searched in the current
1833 outline entry and in the hierarchy above it. If you have the
1834 @file{constants.el} package, it will also be used to resolve constants,
1835 including natural constants like @samp{$h} for Planck's constant, and
1836 units like @samp{$km} for kilometers@footnote{@file{Constant.el} can
1837 supply the values of constants in two different unit systems, @code{SI}
1838 and @code{cgs}. Which one is used depends on the value of the variable
1839 @code{constants-unit-system}. You can use the @code{#+STARTUP} options
1840 @code{constSI} and @code{constcgs} to set this value for the current
1841 buffer.}. Column names and parameters can be specified in special table
1842 lines. These are described below, see @ref{Advanced features}. All
1843 names must start with a letter, and further consist of letters and
1844 numbers.
1845
1846 @node Formula syntax for Calc, Formula syntax for Lisp, References, The spreadsheet
1847 @subsection Formula syntax for Calc
1848 @cindex formula syntax, Calc
1849 @cindex syntax, of formulas
1850
1851 A formula can be any algebraic expression understood by the Emacs
1852 @file{Calc} package. @b{Note that @file{calc} has the
1853 non-standard convention that @samp{/} has lower precedence than
1854 @samp{*}, so that @samp{a/b*c} is interpreted as @samp{a/(b*c)}.} Before
1855 evaluation by @code{calc-eval} (@pxref{Calling Calc from
1856 Your Programs,calc-eval,Calling Calc from Your Lisp Programs,Calc,GNU
1857 Emacs Calc Manual}),
1858 @c FIXME: The link to the Calc manual in HTML does not work.
1859 variable substitution takes place according to the rules described above.
1860 @cindex vectors, in table calculations
1861 The range vectors can be directly fed into the Calc vector functions
1862 like @samp{vmean} and @samp{vsum}.
1863
1864 @cindex format specifier
1865 @cindex mode, for @file{calc}
1866 A formula can contain an optional mode string after a semicolon. This
1867 string consists of flags to influence Calc and other modes during
1868 execution. By default, Org uses the standard Calc modes (precision
1869 12, angular units degrees, fraction and symbolic modes off). The display
1870 format, however, has been changed to @code{(float 5)} to keep tables
1871 compact. The default settings can be configured using the variable
1872 @code{org-calc-default-modes}.
1873
1874 @example
1875 p20 @r{switch the internal precision to 20 digits}
1876 n3 s3 e2 f4 @r{normal, scientific, engineering, or fixed display format}
1877 D R @r{angle modes: degrees, radians}
1878 F S @r{fraction and symbolic modes}
1879 N @r{interpret all fields as numbers, use 0 for non-numbers}
1880 T @r{force text interpretation}
1881 E @r{keep empty fields in ranges}
1882 @end example
1883
1884 @noindent
1885 In addition, you may provide a @code{printf} format specifier to
1886 reformat the final result. A few examples:
1887
1888 @example
1889 $1+$2 @r{Sum of first and second field}
1890 $1+$2;%.2f @r{Same, format result to two decimals}
1891 exp($2)+exp($1) @r{Math functions can be used}
1892 $0;%.1f @r{Reformat current cell to 1 decimal}
1893 ($3-32)*5/9 @r{Degrees F -> C conversion}
1894 $c/$1/$cm @r{Hz -> cm conversion, using @file{constants.el}}
1895 tan($1);Dp3s1 @r{Compute in degrees, precision 3, display SCI 1}
1896 sin($1);Dp3%.1e @r{Same, but use printf specifier for display}
1897 vmean($2..$7) @r{Compute column range mean, using vector function}
1898 vmean($2..$7);EN @r{Same, but treat empty fields as 0}
1899 taylor($3,x=7,2) @r{taylor series of $3, at x=7, second degree}
1900 @end example
1901
1902 Calc also contains a complete set of logical operations. For example
1903
1904 @example
1905 if($1<20,teen,string("")) @r{``teen'' if age $1 less than 20, else empty}
1906 @end example
1907
1908 @node Formula syntax for Lisp, Field formulas, Formula syntax for Calc, The spreadsheet
1909 @subsection Emacs Lisp forms as formulas
1910 @cindex Lisp forms, as table formulas
1911
1912 It is also possible to write a formula in Emacs Lisp; this can be useful
1913 for string manipulation and control structures, if the Calc's
1914 functionality is not enough. If a formula starts with a single quote
1915 followed by an opening parenthesis, then it is evaluated as a lisp form.
1916 The evaluation should return either a string or a number. Just as with
1917 @file{calc} formulas, you can specify modes and a printf format after a
1918 semicolon. With Emacs Lisp forms, you need to be conscious about the way
1919 field references are interpolated into the form. By default, a
1920 reference will be interpolated as a Lisp string (in double quotes)
1921 containing the field. If you provide the @samp{N} mode switch, all
1922 referenced elements will be numbers (non-number fields will be zero) and
1923 interpolated as Lisp numbers, without quotes. If you provide the
1924 @samp{L} flag, all fields will be interpolated literally, without quotes.
1925 I.e., if you want a reference to be interpreted as a string by the Lisp
1926 form, enclose the reference operator itself in double quotes, like
1927 @code{"$3"}. Ranges are inserted as space-separated fields, so you can
1928 embed them in list or vector syntax. A few examples, note how the
1929 @samp{N} mode is used when we do computations in lisp.
1930
1931 @example
1932 @r{Swap the first two characters of the content of column 1}
1933 '(concat (substring $1 1 2) (substring $1 0 1) (substring $1 2))
1934 @r{Add columns 1 and 2, equivalent to the Calc's @code{$1+$2}}
1935 '(+ $1 $2);N
1936 @r{Compute the sum of columns 1-4, like Calc's @code{vsum($1..$4)}}
1937 '(apply '+ '($1..$4));N
1938 @end example
1939
1940 @node Field formulas, Column formulas, Formula syntax for Lisp, The spreadsheet
1941 @subsection Field formulas
1942 @cindex field formula
1943 @cindex formula, for individual table field
1944
1945 To assign a formula to a particular field, type it directly into the
1946 field, preceded by @samp{:=}, for example @samp{:=$1+$2}. When you
1947 press @key{TAB} or @key{RET} or @kbd{C-c C-c} with the cursor still in
1948 the field, the formula will be stored as the formula for this field,
1949 evaluated, and the current field replaced with the result.
1950
1951 Formulas are stored in a special line starting with @samp{#+TBLFM:}
1952 directly below the table. If you typed the equation in the 4th field of
1953 the 3rd data line in the table, the formula will look like
1954 @samp{@@3$4=$1+$2}. When inserting/deleting/swapping column and rows
1955 with the appropriate commands, @i{absolute references} (but not relative
1956 ones) in stored formulas are modified in order to still reference the
1957 same field. Of cause this is not true if you edit the table structure
1958 with normal editing commands - then you must fix the equations yourself.
1959
1960 Instead of typing an equation into the field, you may also use the
1961 following command
1962
1963 @table @kbd
1964 @kindex C-u C-c =
1965 @item C-u C-c =
1966 Install a new formula for the current field. The command prompts for a
1967 formula, with default taken from the @samp{#+TBLFM:} line, applies
1968 it to the current field and stores it.
1969 @end table
1970
1971 @node Column formulas, Editing and debugging formulas, Field formulas, The spreadsheet
1972 @subsection Column formulas
1973 @cindex column formula
1974 @cindex formula, for table column
1975
1976 Often in a table, the same formula should be used for all fields in a
1977 particular column. Instead of having to copy the formula to all fields
1978 in that column, Org allows to assign a single formula to an entire
1979 column. If the table contains horizontal separator hlines, everything
1980 before the first such line is considered part of the table @emph{header}
1981 and will not be modified by column formulas.
1982
1983 To assign a formula to a column, type it directly into any field in the
1984 column, preceded by an equal sign, like @samp{=$1+$2}. When you press
1985 @key{TAB} or @key{RET} or @kbd{C-c C-c} with the cursor still in the
1986 field, the formula will be stored as the formula for the current column,
1987 evaluated and the current field replaced with the result. If the field
1988 contains only @samp{=}, the previously stored formula for this column is
1989 used. For each column, Org will only remember the most recently
1990 used formula. In the @samp{TBLFM:} line, column formulas will look like
1991 @samp{$4=$1+$2}.
1992
1993 Instead of typing an equation into the field, you may also use the
1994 following command:
1995
1996 @table @kbd
1997 @kindex C-c =
1998 @item C-c =
1999 Install a new formula for the current column and replace current field with
2000 the result of the formula. The command prompts for a formula, with default
2001 taken from the @samp{#+TBLFM} line, applies it to the current field and
2002 stores it. With a numeric prefix argument(e.g. @kbd{C-5 C-c =}) the command
2003 will apply it to that many consecutive fields in the current column.
2004 @end table
2005
2006 @node Editing and debugging formulas, Updating the table, Column formulas, The spreadsheet
2007 @subsection Editing and debugging formulas
2008 @cindex formula editing
2009 @cindex editing, of table formulas
2010
2011 You can edit individual formulas in the minibuffer or directly in the
2012 field. Org can also prepare a special buffer with all active
2013 formulas of a table. When offering a formula for editing, Org
2014 converts references to the standard format (like @code{B3} or @code{D&})
2015 if possible. If you prefer to only work with the internal format (like
2016 @code{@@3$2} or @code{$4}), configure the variable
2017 @code{org-table-use-standard-references}.
2018
2019 @table @kbd
2020 @kindex C-c =
2021 @kindex C-u C-c =
2022 @item C-c =
2023 @itemx C-u C-c =
2024 Edit the formula associated with the current column/field in the
2025 minibuffer. See @ref{Column formulas} and @ref{Field formulas}.
2026 @kindex C-u C-u C-c =
2027 @item C-u C-u C-c =
2028 Re-insert the active formula (either a
2029 field formula, or a column formula) into the current field, so that you
2030 can edit it directly in the field. The advantage over editing in the
2031 minibuffer is that you can use the command @kbd{C-c ?}.
2032 @kindex C-c ?
2033 @item C-c ?
2034 While editing a formula in a table field, highlight the field(s)
2035 referenced by the reference at the cursor position in the formula.
2036 @kindex C-c @}
2037 @item C-c @}
2038 Toggle the display of row and column numbers for a table, using
2039 overlays. These are updated each time the table is aligned, you can
2040 force it with @kbd{C-c C-c}.
2041 @kindex C-c @{
2042 @item C-c @{
2043 Toggle the formula debugger on and off. See below.
2044 @kindex C-c '
2045 @item C-c '
2046 Edit all formulas for the current table in a special buffer, where the
2047 formulas will be displayed one per line. If the current field has an
2048 active formula, the cursor in the formula editor will mark it.
2049 While inside the special buffer, Org will automatically highlight
2050 any field or range reference at the cursor position. You may edit,
2051 remove and add formulas, and use the following commands:
2052 @table @kbd
2053 @kindex C-c C-c
2054 @kindex C-x C-s
2055 @item C-c C-c
2056 @itemx C-x C-s
2057 Exit the formula editor and store the modified formulas. With @kbd{C-u}
2058 prefix, also apply the new formulas to the entire table.
2059 @kindex C-c C-q
2060 @item C-c C-q
2061 Exit the formula editor without installing changes.
2062 @kindex C-c C-r
2063 @item C-c C-r
2064 Toggle all references in the formula editor between standard (like
2065 @code{B3}) and internal (like @code{@@3$2}).
2066 @kindex @key{TAB}
2067 @item @key{TAB}
2068 Pretty-print or indent lisp formula at point. When in a line containing
2069 a lisp formula, format the formula according to Emacs Lisp rules.
2070 Another @key{TAB} collapses the formula back again. In the open
2071 formula, @key{TAB} re-indents just like in Emacs lisp mode.
2072 @kindex M-@key{TAB}
2073 @item M-@key{TAB}
2074 Complete Lisp symbols, just like in Emacs lisp mode.
2075 @kindex S-@key{up}
2076 @kindex S-@key{down}
2077 @kindex S-@key{left}
2078 @kindex S-@key{right}
2079 @item S-@key{up}/@key{down}/@key{left}/@key{right}
2080 Shift the reference at point. For example, if the reference is
2081 @code{B3} and you press @kbd{S-@key{right}}, it will become @code{C3}.
2082 This also works for relative references, and for hline references.
2083 @kindex M-S-@key{up}
2084 @kindex M-S-@key{down}
2085 @item M-S-@key{up}/@key{down}
2086 Move the test line for column formulas in the Org buffer up and
2087 down.
2088 @kindex M-@key{up}
2089 @kindex M-@key{down}
2090 @item M-@key{up}/@key{down}
2091 Scroll the window displaying the table.
2092 @kindex C-c @}
2093 @item C-c @}
2094 Turn the coordinate grid in the table on and off.
2095 @end table
2096 @end table
2097
2098 Making a table field blank does not remove the formula associated with
2099 the field, because that is stored in a different line (the @samp{TBLFM}
2100 line) - during the next recalculation the field will be filled again.
2101 To remove a formula from a field, you have to give an empty reply when
2102 prompted for the formula, or to edit the @samp{#+TBLFM} line.
2103
2104 @kindex C-c C-c
2105 You may edit the @samp{#+TBLFM} directly and re-apply the changed
2106 equations with @kbd{C-c C-c} in that line, or with the normal
2107 recalculation commands in the table.
2108
2109 @subsubheading Debugging formulas
2110 @cindex formula debugging
2111 @cindex debugging, of table formulas
2112 When the evaluation of a formula leads to an error, the field content
2113 becomes the string @samp{#ERROR}. If you would like see what is going
2114 on during variable substitution and calculation in order to find a bug,
2115 turn on formula debugging in the @code{Tbl} menu and repeat the
2116 calculation, for example by pressing @kbd{C-u C-u C-c = @key{RET}} in a
2117 field. Detailed information will be displayed.
2118
2119 @node Updating the table, Advanced features, Editing and debugging formulas, The spreadsheet
2120 @subsection Updating the table
2121 @cindex recomputing table fields
2122 @cindex updating, table
2123
2124 Recalculation of a table is normally not automatic, but needs to be
2125 triggered by a command. See @ref{Advanced features} for a way to make
2126 recalculation at least semi-automatically.
2127
2128 In order to recalculate a line of a table or the entire table, use the
2129 following commands:
2130
2131 @table @kbd
2132 @kindex C-c *
2133 @item C-c *
2134 Recalculate the current row by first applying the stored column formulas
2135 from left to right, and all field formulas in the current row.
2136 @c
2137 @kindex C-u C-c *
2138 @item C-u C-c *
2139 @kindex C-u C-c C-c
2140 @itemx C-u C-c C-c
2141 Recompute the entire table, line by line. Any lines before the first
2142 hline are left alone, assuming that these are part of the table header.
2143 @c
2144 @kindex C-u C-u C-c *
2145 @kindex C-u C-u C-c C-c
2146 @item C-u C-u C-c *
2147 @itemx C-u C-u C-c C-c
2148 Iterate the table by recomputing it until no further changes occur.
2149 This may be necessary if some computed fields use the value of other
2150 fields that are computed @i{later} in the calculation sequence.
2151 @end table
2152
2153 @node Advanced features, , Updating the table, The spreadsheet
2154 @subsection Advanced features
2155
2156 If you want the recalculation of fields to happen automatically, or if
2157 you want to be able to assign @i{names} to fields and columns, you need
2158 to reserve the first column of the table for special marking characters.
2159 @table @kbd
2160 @kindex C-#
2161 @item C-#
2162 Rotate the calculation mark in first column through the states @samp{},
2163 @samp{#}, @samp{*}, @samp{!}, @samp{$}. The meaning of these characters
2164 is discussed below. When there is an active region, change all marks in
2165 the region.
2166 @end table
2167
2168 Here is an example of a table that collects exam results of students and
2169 makes use of these features:
2170
2171 @example
2172 @group
2173 |---+---------+--------+--------+--------+-------+------|
2174 | | Student | Prob 1 | Prob 2 | Prob 3 | Total | Note |
2175 |---+---------+--------+--------+--------+-------+------|
2176 | ! | | P1 | P2 | P3 | Tot | |
2177 | # | Maximum | 10 | 15 | 25 | 50 | 10.0 |
2178 | ^ | | m1 | m2 | m3 | mt | |
2179 |---+---------+--------+--------+--------+-------+------|
2180 | # | Peter | 10 | 8 | 23 | 41 | 8.2 |
2181 | # | Sara | 6 | 14 | 19 | 39 | 7.8 |
2182 | # | Sam | 2 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 1.8 |
2183 |---+---------+--------+--------+--------+-------+------|
2184 | | Average | | | | 29.7 | |
2185 | ^ | | | | | at | |
2186 | $ | max=50 | | | | | |
2187 |---+---------+--------+--------+--------+-------+------|
2188 #+TBLFM: $6=vsum($P1..$P3)::$7=10*$Tot/$max;%.1f::$at=vmean(@@-II..@@-I);%.1f
2189 @end group
2190 @end example
2191
2192 @noindent @b{Important}: Please note that for these special tables,
2193 recalculating the table with @kbd{C-u C-c *} will only affect rows that
2194 are marked @samp{#} or @samp{*}, and fields that have a formula assigned
2195 to the field itself. The column formulas are not applied in rows with
2196 empty first field.
2197
2198 @cindex marking characters, tables
2199 The marking characters have the following meaning:
2200 @table @samp
2201 @item !
2202 The fields in this line define names for the columns, so that you may
2203 refer to a column as @samp{$Tot} instead of @samp{$6}.
2204 @item ^
2205 This row defines names for the fields @emph{above} the row. With such
2206 a definition, any formula in the table may use @samp{$m1} to refer to
2207 the value @samp{10}. Also, if you assign a formula to a names field, it
2208 will be stored as @samp{$name=...}.
2209 @item _
2210 Similar to @samp{^}, but defines names for the fields in the row
2211 @emph{below}.
2212 @item $
2213 Fields in this row can define @emph{parameters} for formulas. For
2214 example, if a field in a @samp{$} row contains @samp{max=50}, then
2215 formulas in this table can refer to the value 50 using @samp{$max}.
2216 Parameters work exactly like constants, only that they can be defined on
2217 a per-table basis.
2218 @item #
2219 Fields in this row are automatically recalculated when pressing
2220 @key{TAB} or @key{RET} or @kbd{S-@key{TAB}} in this row. Also, this row
2221 is selected for a global recalculation with @kbd{C-u C-c *}. Unmarked
2222 lines will be left alone by this command.
2223 @item *
2224 Selects this line for global recalculation with @kbd{C-u C-c *}, but
2225 not for automatic recalculation. Use this when automatic
2226 recalculation slows down editing too much.
2227 @item
2228 Unmarked lines are exempt from recalculation with @kbd{C-u C-c *}.
2229 All lines that should be recalculated should be marked with @samp{#}
2230 or @samp{*}.
2231 @item /
2232 Do not export this line. Useful for lines that contain the narrowing
2233 @samp{<N>} markers.
2234 @end table
2235
2236 Finally, just to whet your appetite on what can be done with the
2237 fantastic @file{calc} package, here is a table that computes the Taylor
2238 series of degree @code{n} at location @code{x} for a couple of
2239 functions.
2240
2241 @example
2242 @group
2243 |---+-------------+---+-----+--------------------------------------|
2244 | | Func | n | x | Result |
2245 |---+-------------+---+-----+--------------------------------------|
2246 | # | exp(x) | 1 | x | 1 + x |
2247 | # | exp(x) | 2 | x | 1 + x + x^2 / 2 |
2248 | # | exp(x) | 3 | x | 1 + x + x^2 / 2 + x^3 / 6 |
2249 | # | x^2+sqrt(x) | 2 | x=0 | x*(0.5 / 0) + x^2 (2 - 0.25 / 0) / 2 |
2250 | # | x^2+sqrt(x) | 2 | x=1 | 2 + 2.5 x - 2.5 + 0.875 (x - 1)^2 |
2251 | * | tan(x) | 3 | x | 0.0175 x + 1.77e-6 x^3 |
2252 |---+-------------+---+-----+--------------------------------------|
2253 #+TBLFM: $5=taylor($2,$4,$3);n3
2254 @end group
2255 @end example
2256
2257 @node Hyperlinks, TODO Items, Tables, Top
2258 @chapter Hyperlinks
2259 @cindex hyperlinks
2260
2261 Like HTML, Org provides links inside a file, external links to
2262 other files, Usenet articles, emails, and much more.
2263
2264 @menu
2265 * Link format:: How links in Org are formatted
2266 * Internal links:: Links to other places in the current file
2267 * External links:: URL-like links to the world
2268 * Handling links:: Creating, inserting and following
2269 * Using links outside Org:: Linking from my C source code?
2270 * Link abbreviations:: Shortcuts for writing complex links
2271 * Search options:: Linking to a specific location
2272 * Custom searches:: When the default search is not enough
2273 @end menu
2274
2275 @node Link format, Internal links, Hyperlinks, Hyperlinks
2276 @section Link format
2277 @cindex link format
2278 @cindex format, of links
2279
2280 Org will recognize plain URL-like links and activate them as
2281 clickable links. The general link format, however, looks like this:
2282
2283 @example
2284 [[link][description]] @r{or alternatively} [[link]]
2285 @end example
2286
2287 Once a link in the buffer is complete (all brackets present), Org
2288 will change the display so that @samp{description} is displayed instead
2289 of @samp{[[link][description]]} and @samp{link} is displayed instead of
2290 @samp{[[link]]}. Links will be highlighted in the face @code{org-link},
2291 which by default is an underlined face. You can directly edit the
2292 visible part of a link. Note that this can be either the @samp{link}
2293 part (if there is no description) or the @samp{description} part. To
2294 edit also the invisible @samp{link} part, use @kbd{C-c C-l} with the
2295 cursor on the link.
2296
2297 If you place the cursor at the beginning or just behind the end of the
2298 displayed text and press @key{BACKSPACE}, you will remove the
2299 (invisible) bracket at that location. This makes the link incomplete
2300 and the internals are again displayed as plain text. Inserting the
2301 missing bracket hides the link internals again. To show the
2302 internal structure of all links, use the menu entry
2303 @code{Org->Hyperlinks->Literal links}.
2304
2305 @node Internal links, External links, Link format, Hyperlinks
2306 @section Internal links
2307 @cindex internal links
2308 @cindex links, internal
2309 @cindex targets, for links
2310
2311 If the link does not look like a URL, it is considered to be internal in
2312 the current file. Links such as @samp{[[My Target]]} or @samp{[[My
2313 Target][Find my target]]} lead to a text search in the current file.
2314 The link can be followed with @kbd{C-c C-o} when the cursor is on the
2315 link, or with a mouse click (@pxref{Handling links}). The preferred
2316 match for such a link is a dedicated target: the same string in double
2317 angular brackets. Targets may be located anywhere; sometimes it is
2318 convenient to put them into a comment line. For example
2319
2320 @example
2321 # <<My Target>>
2322 @end example
2323
2324 @noindent In HTML export (@pxref{HTML export}), such targets will become
2325 named anchors for direct access through @samp{http} links@footnote{Note
2326 that text before the first headline is usually not exported, so the
2327 first such target should be after the first headline.}.
2328
2329 If no dedicated target exists, Org will search for the words in the
2330 link. In the above example the search would be for @samp{my target}.
2331 Links starting with a star like @samp{*My Target} restrict the search to
2332 headlines. When searching, Org mode will first try an exact match, but
2333 then move on to more and more lenient searches. For example, the link
2334 @samp{[[*My Targets]]} will find any of the following:
2335
2336 @example
2337 ** My targets
2338 ** TODO my targets are bright
2339 ** my 20 targets are
2340 @end example
2341
2342 To insert a link targeting a headline, in-buffer completion can be used.
2343 Just type a star followed by a few optional letters into the buffer and
2344 press @kbd{M-@key{TAB}}. All headlines in the current buffer will be
2345 offered as completions. @xref{Handling links}, for more commands
2346 creating links.
2347
2348 Following a link pushes a mark onto Org's own mark ring. You can
2349 return to the previous position with @kbd{C-c &}. Using this command
2350 several times in direct succession goes back to positions recorded
2351 earlier.
2352
2353 @menu
2354 * Radio targets:: Make targets trigger links in plain text
2355 @end menu
2356
2357 @node Radio targets, , Internal links, Internal links
2358 @subsection Radio targets
2359 @cindex radio targets
2360 @cindex targets, radio
2361 @cindex links, radio targets
2362
2363 Org can automatically turn any occurrences of certain target names
2364 in normal text into a link. So without explicitly creating a link, the
2365 text connects to the target radioing its position. Radio targets are
2366 enclosed by triple angular brackets. For example, a target @samp{<<<My
2367 Target>>>} causes each occurrence of @samp{my target} in normal text to
2368 become activated as a link. The Org file is scanned automatically
2369 for radio targets only when the file is first loaded into Emacs. To
2370 update the target list during editing, press @kbd{C-c C-c} with the
2371 cursor on or at a target.
2372
2373 @node External links, Handling links, Internal links, Hyperlinks
2374 @section External links
2375 @cindex links, external
2376 @cindex external links
2377 @cindex links, external
2378 @cindex Gnus links
2379 @cindex BBDB links
2380 @cindex IRC links
2381 @cindex URL links
2382 @cindex file links
2383 @cindex VM links
2384 @cindex RMAIL links
2385 @cindex WANDERLUST links
2386 @cindex MH-E links
2387 @cindex USENET links
2388 @cindex SHELL links
2389 @cindex Info links
2390 @cindex elisp links
2391
2392 Org supports links to files, websites, Usenet and email messages,
2393 BBDB database entries and links to both IRC conversations and their
2394 logs. External links are URL-like locators. They start with a short
2395 identifying string followed by a colon. There can be no space after
2396 the colon. The following list shows examples for each link type.
2397
2398 @example
2399 http://www.astro.uva.nl/~dominik @r{on the web}
2400 file:/home/dominik/images/jupiter.jpg @r{file, absolute path}
2401 /home/dominik/images/jupiter.jpg @r{same as above}
2402 file:papers/last.pdf @r{file, relative path}
2403 ./papers/last.pdf @r{same as above}
2404 news:comp.emacs @r{Usenet link}
2405 mailto:adent@@galaxy.net @r{Mail link}
2406 vm:folder @r{VM folder link}
2407 vm:folder#id @r{VM message link}
2408 vm://myself@@some.where.org/folder#id @r{VM on remote machine}
2409 wl:folder @r{WANDERLUST folder link}
2410 wl:folder#id @r{WANDERLUST message link}
2411 mhe:folder @r{MH-E folder link}
2412 mhe:folder#id @r{MH-E message link}
2413 rmail:folder @r{RMAIL folder link}
2414 rmail:folder#id @r{RMAIL message link}
2415 gnus:group @r{Gnus group link}
2416 gnus:group#id @r{Gnus article link}
2417 bbdb:Richard Stallman @r{BBDB link}
2418 irc:/irc.com/#emacs/bob @r{IRC link}
2419 shell:ls *.org @r{A shell command}
2420 elisp:(find-file-other-frame "Elisp.org") @r{An elisp form to evaluate}
2421 @end example
2422
2423 A link should be enclosed in double brackets and may contain a
2424 descriptive text to be displayed instead of the URL (@pxref{Link
2425 format}), for example:
2426
2427 @example
2428 [[http://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/][GNU Emacs]]
2429 @end example
2430
2431 @noindent
2432 If the description is a file name or URL that points to an image, HTML
2433 export (@pxref{HTML export}) will inline the image as a clickable
2434 button. If there is no description at all and the link points to an
2435 image,
2436 that image will be inlined into the exported HTML file.
2437
2438 @cindex angular brackets, around links
2439 @cindex plain text external links
2440 Org also finds external links in the normal text and activates them
2441 as links. If spaces must be part of the link (for example in
2442 @samp{bbdb:Richard Stallman}), or if you need to remove ambiguities
2443 about the end of the link, enclose them in angular brackets.
2444
2445 @node Handling links, Using links outside Org, External links, Hyperlinks
2446 @section Handling links
2447 @cindex links, handling
2448
2449 Org provides methods to create a link in the correct syntax, to
2450 insert it into an Org file, and to follow the link.
2451
2452 @table @kbd
2453 @kindex C-c l
2454 @cindex storing links
2455 @item C-c l
2456 Store a link to the current location. This is a @emph{global} command
2457 which can be used in any buffer to create a link. The link will be
2458 stored for later insertion into an Org buffer (see below). For
2459 Org files, if there is a @samp{<<target>>} at the cursor, the
2460 link points to the target. Otherwise it points to the current
2461 headline. For VM, Rmail, Wanderlust, MH-E, Gnus and BBDB buffers, the
2462 link will indicate the current article/entry. For W3 and W3M buffers,
2463 the link goes to the current URL. For IRC links, if you set the
2464 variable @code{org-irc-link-to-logs} to non-nil then @kbd{C-c l} will
2465 store a @samp{file:/} style link to the relevant point in the logs for
2466 the current conversation. Otherwise an @samp{irc:/} style link to the
2467 user/channel/server under the point will be stored. For any other
2468 files, the link will point to the file, with a search string
2469 (@pxref{Search options}) pointing to the contents of the current line.
2470 If there is an active region, the selected words will form the basis
2471 of the search string. If the automatically created link is not
2472 working correctly or accurately enough, you can write custom functions
2473 to select the search string and to do the search for particular file
2474 types - see @ref{Custom searches}. The key binding @kbd{C-c l} is
2475 only a suggestion - see @ref{Installation}.
2476 @c
2477 @kindex C-c C-l
2478 @cindex link completion
2479 @cindex completion, of links
2480 @cindex inserting links
2481 @item C-c C-l
2482 Insert a link. This prompts for a link to be inserted into the buffer. You
2483 can just type a link, using text for an internal link, or one of the link
2484 type prefixes mentioned in the examples above. All links stored during the
2485 current session are part of the history for this prompt, so you can access
2486 them with @key{up} and @key{down} (or @kbd{M-p/n}). Completion, on the other
2487 hand, will help you to insert valid link prefixes like @samp{http:} or
2488 @samp{ftp:}, including the prefixes defined through link abbreviations
2489 (@pxref{Link abbreviations}). The link will be inserted into the
2490 buffer@footnote{After insertion of a stored link, the link will be removed
2491 from the list of stored links. To keep it in the list later use, use a
2492 triple @kbd{C-u} prefix argument to @kbd{C-c C-l}, or configure the option
2493 @code{org-keep-stored-link-after-insertion}.}, along with a descriptive text.
2494 If some text was selected when this command is called, the selected text
2495 becomes the default description.@* Note that you don't have to use this
2496 command to insert a link. Links in Org are plain text, and you can type
2497 or paste them straight into the buffer. By using this command, the links are
2498 automatically enclosed in double brackets, and you will be asked for the
2499 optional descriptive text.
2500 @c
2501 @c If the link is a @samp{file:} link and
2502 @c the linked file is located in the same directory as the current file or
2503 @c a subdirectory of it, the path of the file will be inserted relative to
2504 @c the current directory.
2505 @c
2506 @kindex C-u C-c C-l
2507 @cindex file name completion
2508 @cindex completion, of file names
2509 @item C-u C-c C-l
2510 When @kbd{C-c C-l} is called with a @kbd{C-u} prefix argument, a link to
2511 a file will be inserted and you may use file name completion to select
2512 the name of the file. The path to the file is inserted relative to the
2513 directory of the current org file, if the linked file is in the current
2514 directory or in a sub-directory of it, or if the path is written relative
2515 to the current directory using @samp{../}. Otherwise an absolute path
2516 is used, if possible with @samp{~/} for your home directory. You can
2517 force an absolute path with two @kbd{C-u} prefixes.
2518 @c
2519 @item C-c C-l @r{(with cursor on existing link)}
2520 When the cursor is on an existing link, @kbd{C-c C-l} allows you to edit the
2521 link and description parts of the link.
2522 @c
2523 @cindex following links
2524 @kindex C-c C-o
2525 @item C-c C-o
2526 Open link at point. This will launch a web browser for URLs (using
2527 @command{browse-url-at-point}), run VM/MH-E/Wanderlust/Rmail/Gnus/BBDB
2528 for the corresponding links, and execute the command in a shell link.
2529 When the cursor is on an internal link, this commands runs the
2530 corresponding search. When the cursor is on a TAG list in a headline,
2531 it creates the corresponding TAGS view. If the cursor is on a time
2532 stamp, it compiles the agenda for that date. Furthermore, it will visit
2533 text and remote files in @samp{file:} links with Emacs and select a
2534 suitable application for local non-text files. Classification of files
2535 is based on file extension only. See option @code{org-file-apps}. If
2536 you want to override the default application and visit the file with
2537 Emacs, use a @kbd{C-u} prefix.
2538 @c
2539 @kindex mouse-2
2540 @kindex mouse-1
2541 @item mouse-2
2542 @itemx mouse-1
2543 On links, @kbd{mouse-2} will open the link just as @kbd{C-c C-o}
2544 would. Under Emacs 22, also @kbd{mouse-1} will follow a link.
2545 @c
2546 @kindex mouse-3
2547 @item mouse-3
2548 Like @kbd{mouse-2}, but force file links to be opened with Emacs, and
2549 internal links to be displayed in another window@footnote{See the
2550 variable @code{org-display-internal-link-with-indirect-buffer}}.
2551 @c
2552 @cindex mark ring
2553 @kindex C-c %
2554 @item C-c %
2555 Push the current position onto the mark ring, to be able to return
2556 easily. Commands following an internal link do this automatically.
2557 @c
2558 @cindex links, returning to
2559 @kindex C-c &
2560 @item C-c &
2561 Jump back to a recorded position. A position is recorded by the
2562 commands following internal links, and by @kbd{C-c %}. Using this
2563 command several times in direct succession moves through a ring of
2564 previously recorded positions.
2565 @c
2566 @kindex C-c C-x C-n
2567 @kindex C-c C-x C-p
2568 @cindex links, finding next/previous
2569 @item C-c C-x C-n
2570 @itemx C-c C-x C-p
2571 Move forward/backward to the next link in the buffer. At the limit of
2572 the buffer, the search fails once, and then wraps around. The key
2573 bindings for this are really too long, you might want to bind this also
2574 to @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p}
2575 @lisp
2576 (add-hook 'org-load-hook
2577 (lambda ()
2578 (define-key 'org-mode-map "\C-n" 'org-next-link)
2579 (define-key 'org-mode-map "\C-p" 'org-previous-link)))
2580 @end lisp
2581 @end table
2582
2583 @node Using links outside Org, Link abbreviations, Handling links, Hyperlinks
2584 @section Using links outside Org
2585
2586 You can insert and follow links that have Org syntax not only in
2587 Org, but in any Emacs buffer. For this, you should create two
2588 global commands, like this (please select suitable global keys
2589 yourself):
2590
2591 @lisp
2592 (global-set-key "\C-c L" 'org-insert-link-global)
2593 (global-set-key "\C-c o" 'org-open-at-point-global)
2594 @end lisp
2595
2596 @node Link abbreviations, Search options, Using links outside Org, Hyperlinks
2597 @section Link abbreviations
2598 @cindex link abbreviations
2599 @cindex abbreviation, links
2600
2601 Long URLs can be cumbersome to type, and often many similar links are
2602 needed in a document. For this you can use link abbreviations. An
2603 abbreviated link looks like this
2604
2605 @example
2606 [[linkword:tag][description]]
2607 @end example
2608
2609 @noindent
2610 where the tag is optional. Such abbreviations are resolved according to
2611 the information in the variable @code{org-link-abbrev-alist} that
2612 relates the linkwords to replacement text. Here is an example:
2613
2614 @lisp
2615 @group
2616 (setq org-link-abbrev-alist
2617 '(("bugzilla" . "http://10.1.2.9/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=")
2618 ("google" . "http://www.google.com/search?q=")
2619 ("ads" . "http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/
2620 nph-abs_connect?author=%s&db_key=AST")))
2621 @end group
2622 @end lisp
2623
2624 If the replacement text contains the string @samp{%s}, it will be
2625 replaced with the tag. Otherwise the tag will be appended to the string
2626 in order to create the link. You may also specify a function that will
2627 be called with the tag as the only argument to create the link.
2628
2629 With the above setting, you could link to a specific bug with
2630 @code{[[bugzilla:129]]}, search the web for @samp{OrgMode} with
2631 @code{[[google:OrgMode]]} and find out what the Org author is
2632 doing besides Emacs hacking with @code{[[ads:Dominik,C]]}.
2633
2634 If you need special abbreviations just for a single Org buffer, you
2635 can define them in the file with
2636
2637 @example
2638 #+LINK: bugzilla http://10.1.2.9/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=
2639 #+LINK: google http://www.google.com/search?q=%s
2640 @end example
2641
2642 @noindent
2643 In-buffer completion @pxref{Completion} can be used after @samp{[} to
2644 complete link abbreviations.
2645
2646 @node Search options, Custom searches, Link abbreviations, Hyperlinks
2647 @section Search options in file links
2648 @cindex search option in file links
2649 @cindex file links, searching
2650
2651 File links can contain additional information to make Emacs jump to a
2652 particular location in the file when following a link. This can be a
2653 line number or a search option after a double@footnote{For backward
2654 compatibility, line numbers can also follow a single colon.} colon. For
2655 example, when the command @kbd{C-c l} creates a link (@pxref{Handling
2656 links}) to a file, it encodes the words in the current line as a search
2657 string that can be used to find this line back later when following the
2658 link with @kbd{C-c C-o}.
2659
2660 Here is the syntax of the different ways to attach a search to a file
2661 link, together with an explanation:
2662
2663 @example
2664 [[file:~/code/main.c::255]]
2665 [[file:~/xx.org::My Target]]
2666 [[file:~/xx.org::*My Target]]
2667 [[file:~/xx.org::/regexp/]]
2668 @end example
2669
2670 @table @code
2671 @item 255
2672 Jump to line 255.
2673 @item My Target
2674 Search for a link target @samp{<<My Target>>}, or do a text search for
2675 @samp{my target}, similar to the search in internal links, see
2676 @ref{Internal links}. In HTML export (@pxref{HTML export}), such a file
2677 link will become an HTML reference to the corresponding named anchor in
2678 the linked file.
2679 @item *My Target
2680 In an Org file, restrict search to headlines.
2681 @item /regexp/
2682 Do a regular expression search for @code{regexp}. This uses the Emacs
2683 command @code{occur} to list all matches in a separate window. If the
2684 target file is in Org mode, @code{org-occur} is used to create a
2685 sparse tree with the matches.
2686 @c If the target file is a directory,
2687 @c @code{grep} will be used to search all files in the directory.
2688 @end table
2689
2690 As a degenerate case, a file link with an empty file name can be used
2691 to search the current file. For example, @code{[[file:::find me]]} does
2692 a search for @samp{find me} in the current file, just as
2693 @samp{[[find me]]} would.
2694
2695 @node Custom searches, , Search options, Hyperlinks
2696 @section Custom Searches
2697 @cindex custom search strings
2698 @cindex search strings, custom
2699
2700 The default mechanism for creating search strings and for doing the
2701 actual search related to a file link may not work correctly in all
2702 cases. For example, BibTeX database files have many entries like
2703 @samp{year="1993"} which would not result in good search strings,
2704 because the only unique identification for a BibTeX entry is the
2705 citation key.
2706
2707 If you come across such a problem, you can write custom functions to set
2708 the right search string for a particular file type, and to do the search
2709 for the string in the file. Using @code{add-hook}, these functions need
2710 to be added to the hook variables
2711 @code{org-create-file-search-functions} and
2712 @code{org-execute-file-search-functions}. See the docstring for these
2713 variables for more information. Org actually uses this mechanism
2714 for Bib@TeX{} database files, and you can use the corresponding code as
2715 an implementation example. See the file @file{org-bibtex.el}.
2716
2717 @node TODO Items, Tags, Hyperlinks, Top
2718 @chapter TODO Items
2719 @cindex TODO items
2720
2721 Org mode does not maintain TODO lists as separate documents@footnote{Of
2722 course, you can make a document that contains inly long lists of TODO items,
2723 but this is not required.}. Instead, TODO items are an integral part of the
2724 notes file, because TODO items usually come up while taking notes! With Org
2725 mode, simply mark any entry in a tree as being a TODO item. In this way,
2726 information is not duplicated, and the entire context from which the TODO
2727 item emerged is always present.
2728
2729 Of course, this technique for managing TODO items scatters them
2730 throughout your notes file. Org mode compensates for this by providing
2731 methods to give you an overview of all the things that you have to do.
2732
2733 @menu
2734 * TODO basics:: Marking and displaying TODO entries
2735 * TODO extensions:: Workflow and assignments
2736 * Progress logging:: Dates and notes for progress
2737 * Priorities:: Some things are more important than others
2738 * Breaking down tasks:: Splitting a task into manageable pieces
2739 * Checkboxes:: Tick-off lists
2740 @end menu
2741
2742 @node TODO basics, TODO extensions, TODO Items, TODO Items
2743 @section Basic TODO functionality
2744
2745 Any headline becomes a TODO item when it starts with the word
2746 @samp{TODO}, for example:
2747
2748 @example
2749 *** TODO Write letter to Sam Fortune
2750 @end example
2751
2752 @noindent
2753 The most important commands to work with TODO entries are:
2754
2755 @table @kbd
2756 @kindex C-c C-t
2757 @cindex cycling, of TODO states
2758 @item C-c C-t
2759 Rotate the TODO state of the current item among
2760
2761 @example
2762 ,-> (unmarked) -> TODO -> DONE --.
2763 '--------------------------------'
2764 @end example
2765
2766 The same rotation can also be done ``remotely'' from the timeline and
2767 agenda buffers with the @kbd{t} command key (@pxref{Agenda commands}).
2768
2769 @kindex C-u C-c C-t
2770 @item C-u C-c C-t
2771 Select a specific keyword using completion or (if it has been set up)
2772 the fast selection interface. For the latter, you need to assign keys
2773 to TODO states, see @ref{Per-file keywords} and @ref{Setting tags} for
2774 more information.
2775
2776 @kindex S-@key{right}
2777 @kindex S-@key{left}
2778 @item S-@key{right}
2779 @itemx S-@key{left}
2780 Select the following/preceding TODO state, similar to cycling. Useful
2781 mostly if more than two TODO states are possible (@pxref{TODO
2782 extensions}).
2783 @kindex C-c C-v
2784 @kindex C-c / t
2785 @cindex sparse tree, for TODO
2786 @item C-c C-v
2787 @itemx C-c / t
2788 View TODO items in a @emph{sparse tree} (@pxref{Sparse trees}). Folds
2789 the entire buffer, but shows all TODO items and the headings hierarchy
2790 above them. With a prefix argument, search for a specific TODO. You will be
2791 prompted for the keyword, and you can also give a list of keywords like
2792 @code{KWD1|KWD2|...}. With numeric prefix argument N, show the tree for the
2793 Nth keyword in the variable @code{org-todo-keywords}. With two prefix
2794 arguments, find all TODO and DONE entries.
2795 @kindex C-c a t
2796 @item C-c a t
2797 Show the global TODO list. Collects the TODO items from all agenda
2798 files (@pxref{Agenda Views}) into a single buffer. The new buffer will
2799 be in @code{agenda-mode}, which provides commands to examine and
2800 manipulate the TODO entries from the new buffer (@pxref{Agenda
2801 commands}). @xref{Global TODO list}, for more information.
2802 @kindex S-M-@key{RET}
2803 @item S-M-@key{RET}
2804 Insert a new TODO entry below the current one.
2805 @end table
2806
2807 @node TODO extensions, Progress logging, TODO basics, TODO Items
2808 @section Extended use of TODO keywords
2809 @cindex extended TODO keywords
2810
2811 By default, marked TODO entries have one of only two states: TODO and
2812 DONE. Org mode allows you to classify TODO items in more complex ways
2813 with @emph{TODO keywords} (stored in @code{org-todo-keywords}). With
2814 special setup, the TODO keyword system can work differently in different
2815 files.
2816
2817 Note that @i{tags} are another way to classify headlines in general and
2818 TODO items in particular (@pxref{Tags}).
2819
2820 @menu
2821 * Workflow states:: From TODO to DONE in steps
2822 * TODO types:: I do this, Fred does the rest
2823 * Multiple sets in one file:: Mixing it all, and still finding your way
2824 * Fast access to TODO states:: Single letter selection of a state
2825 * Per-file keywords:: Different files, different requirements
2826 * Faces for TODO keywords:: Highlighting states
2827 @end menu
2828
2829 @node Workflow states, TODO types, TODO extensions, TODO extensions
2830 @subsection TODO keywords as workflow states
2831 @cindex TODO workflow
2832 @cindex workflow states as TODO keywords
2833
2834 You can use TODO keywords to indicate different @emph{sequential} states
2835 in the process of working on an item, for example@footnote{Changing
2836 this variable only becomes effective after restarting Org mode in a
2837 buffer.}:
2838
2839 @lisp
2840 (setq org-todo-keywords
2841 '((sequence "TODO" "FEEDBACK" "VERIFY" "|" "DONE" "DELEGATED")))
2842 @end lisp
2843
2844 The vertical bar separates the TODO keywords (states that @emph{need
2845 action}) from the DONE states (which need @emph{no further action}). If
2846 you don't provide the separator bar, the last state is used as the DONE
2847 state.
2848 @cindex completion, of TODO keywords
2849 With this setup, the command @kbd{C-c C-t} will cycle an entry from TODO
2850 to FEEDBACK, then to VERIFY, and finally to DONE and DELEGATED. You may
2851 also use a numeric prefix argument to quickly select a specific state. For
2852 example @kbd{C-3 C-c C-t} will change the state immediately to VERIFY.
2853 Or you can use @kbd{S-left} to go backward through the sequence. If you
2854 define many keywords, you can use in-buffer completion
2855 (@pxref{Completion}) or even a special one-key selection scheme
2856 (@pxref{Fast access to TODO states}) to insert these words into the
2857 buffer. Changing a TODO state can be logged with a timestamp, see
2858 @ref{Tracking TODO state changes} for more information.
2859
2860 @node TODO types, Multiple sets in one file, Workflow states, TODO extensions
2861 @subsection TODO keywords as types
2862 @cindex TODO types
2863 @cindex names as TODO keywords
2864 @cindex types as TODO keywords
2865
2866 The second possibility is to use TODO keywords to indicate different
2867 @emph{types} of action items. For example, you might want to indicate
2868 that items are for ``work'' or ``home''. Or, when you work with several
2869 people on a single project, you might want to assign action items
2870 directly to persons, by using their names as TODO keywords. This would
2871 be set up like this:
2872
2873 @lisp
2874 (setq org-todo-keywords '((type "Fred" "Sara" "Lucy" "|" "DONE")))
2875 @end lisp
2876
2877 In this case, different keywords do not indicate a sequence, but rather
2878 different types. So the normal work flow would be to assign a task to a
2879 person, and later to mark it DONE. Org mode supports this style by adapting
2880 the workings of the command @kbd{C-c C-t}@footnote{This is also true for the
2881 @kbd{t} command in the timeline and agenda buffers.}. When used several
2882 times in succession, it will still cycle through all names, in order to first
2883 select the right type for a task. But when you return to the item after some
2884 time and execute @kbd{C-c C-t} again, it will switch from any name directly
2885 to DONE. Use prefix arguments or completion to quickly select a specific
2886 name. You can also review the items of a specific TODO type in a sparse tree
2887 by using a numeric prefix to @kbd{C-c C-v}. For example, to see all things
2888 Lucy has to do, you would use @kbd{C-3 C-c C-v}. To collect Lucy's items
2889 from all agenda files into a single buffer, you would use the numeric prefix
2890 argument as well when creating the global TODO list: @kbd{C-3 C-c t}.
2891
2892 @node Multiple sets in one file, Fast access to TODO states, TODO types, TODO extensions
2893 @subsection Multiple keyword sets in one file
2894 @cindex TODO keyword sets
2895
2896 Sometimes you may want to use different sets of TODO keywords in
2897 parallel. For example, you may want to have the basic
2898 @code{TODO}/@code{DONE}, but also a workflow for bug fixing, and a
2899 separate state indicating that an item has been canceled (so it is not
2900 DONE, but also does not require action). Your setup would then look
2901 like this:
2902
2903 @lisp
2904 (setq org-todo-keywords
2905 '((sequence "TODO" "|" "DONE")
2906 (sequence "REPORT" "BUG" "KNOWNCAUSE" "|" "FIXED")
2907 (sequence "|" "CANCELED")))
2908 @end lisp
2909
2910 The keywords should all be different, this helps Org mode to keep track
2911 of which subsequence should be used for a given entry. In this setup,
2912 @kbd{C-c C-t} only operates within a subsequence, so it switches from
2913 @code{DONE} to (nothing) to @code{TODO}, and from @code{FIXED} to
2914 (nothing) to @code{REPORT}. Therefore you need a mechanism to initially
2915 select the correct sequence. Besides the obvious ways like typing a
2916 keyword or using completion, you may also apply the following commands:
2917
2918 @table @kbd
2919 @kindex C-S-@key{right}
2920 @kindex C-S-@key{left}
2921 @item C-S-@key{right}
2922 @itemx C-S-@key{left}
2923 These keys jump from one TODO subset to the next. In the above example,
2924 @kbd{C-S-@key{right}} would jump from @code{TODO} or @code{DONE} to
2925 @code{REPORT}, and any of the words in the second row to @code{CANCELED}.
2926 @kindex S-@key{right}
2927 @kindex S-@key{left}
2928 @item S-@key{right}
2929 @itemx S-@key{left}
2930 @kbd{S-@key{<left>}} and @kbd{S-@key{<right>}} and walk through
2931 @emph{all} keywords from all sets, so for example @kbd{S-@key{<right>}}
2932 would switch from @code{DONE} to @code{REPORT} in the example above.
2933 @end table
2934
2935 @node Fast access to TODO states, Per-file keywords, Multiple sets in one file, TODO extensions
2936 @subsection Fast access to TODO states
2937
2938 If you would like to quickly change an entry to an arbitrary TODO state
2939 instead of cycling through the states, you can set up keys for
2940 single-letter access to the states. This is done by adding the section
2941 key after each keyword, in parenthesis. For example:
2942
2943 @lisp
2944 (setq org-todo-keywords
2945 '((sequence "TODO(t)" "|" "DONE(d)")
2946 (sequence "REPORT(r)" "BUG(b)" "KNOWNCAUSE(k)" "|" "FIXED(f)")
2947 (sequence "|" "CANCELED(c)")))
2948 @end lisp
2949
2950 If you then press @code{C-u C-c C-t} followed by the selection key, the
2951 entry will be switched to this state. @key{SPC} can be used to remove
2952 any TODO keyword from an entry. Should you like this way of selecting
2953 TODO states a lot, you might want to set the variable
2954 @code{org-use-fast-todo-selection} to @code{t} and make this behavior
2955 the default. Check also the variable
2956 @code{org-fast-tag-selection-include-todo}, it allows to change the TODO
2957 state through the tags interface (@pxref{Setting tags}), in case you
2958 like to mingle the two concepts.
2959
2960 @node Per-file keywords, Faces for TODO keywords, Fast access to TODO states, TODO extensions
2961 @subsection Setting up keywords for individual files
2962 @cindex keyword options
2963 @cindex per-file keywords
2964
2965 It can be very useful to use different aspects of the TODO mechanism in
2966 different files. For file-local settings, you need to add special lines
2967 to the file which set the keywords and interpretation for that file
2968 only. For example, to set one of the two examples discussed above, you
2969 need one of the following lines, starting in column zero anywhere in the
2970 file:
2971
2972 @example
2973 #+SEQ_TODO: TODO FEEDBACK VERIFY | DONE CANCELED
2974 @end example
2975 or
2976 @example
2977 #+TYP_TODO: Fred Sara Lucy Mike | DONE
2978 @end example
2979
2980 A setup for using several sets in parallel would be:
2981
2982 @example
2983 #+SEQ_TODO: TODO | DONE
2984 #+SEQ_TODO: REPORT BUG KNOWNCAUSE | FIXED
2985 #+SEQ_TODO: | CANCELED
2986 @end example
2987
2988 @cindex completion, of option keywords
2989 @kindex M-@key{TAB}
2990 @noindent To make sure you are using the correct keyword, type
2991 @samp{#+} into the buffer and then use @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} completion.
2992
2993 @cindex DONE, final TODO keyword
2994 Remember that the keywords after the vertical bar (or the last keyword
2995 if no bar is there) must always mean that the item is DONE (although you
2996 may use a different word). After changing one of these lines, use
2997 @kbd{C-c C-c} with the cursor still in the line to make the changes
2998 known to Org mode@footnote{Org mode parses these lines only when
2999 Org mode is activated after visiting a file. @kbd{C-c C-c} with the
3000 cursor in a line starting with @samp{#+} is simply restarting Org mode
3001 for the current buffer.}.
3002
3003 @node Faces for TODO keywords, , Per-file keywords, TODO extensions
3004 @subsection Faces for TODO keywords
3005 @cindex faces, for TODO keywords
3006
3007 Org mode highlights TODO keywords with special faces: @code{org-todo}
3008 for keywords indicating that an item still has to be acted upon, and
3009 @code{org-done} for keywords indicating that an item is finished. If
3010 you are using more than 2 different states, you might want to use
3011 special faces for some of them. This can be done using the variable
3012 @code{org-todo-keyword-faces}. For example:
3013
3014 @lisp
3015 (setq org-todo-keyword-faces
3016 '(("TODO" . org-warning)
3017 ("DEFERRED" . shadow)
3018 ("CANCELED" . (:foreground "blue" :weight bold))))
3019 @end lisp
3020
3021 While using a list with face properties as shown for CANCELED
3022 @emph{should} work, this does not aways seem to be the case. If
3023 necessary, define a special face and use that.
3024
3025 @page
3026 @node Progress logging, Priorities, TODO extensions, TODO Items
3027 @section Progress logging
3028 @cindex progress logging
3029 @cindex logging, of progress
3030
3031 Org mode can automatically record a time stamp and possibly a note when
3032 you mark a TODO item as DONE, or even each time you change the state of
3033 a TODO item. This system is highly configurable, settings can be on a
3034 per-keyword basis and can be localized to a file or even a subtree. For
3035 information on how to clock working time for a task, see @ref{Clocking
3036 work time}.
3037
3038 @menu
3039 * Closing items:: When was this entry marked DONE?
3040 * Tracking TODO state changes:: When did the status change?
3041 @end menu
3042
3043 @node Closing items, Tracking TODO state changes, Progress logging, Progress logging
3044 @subsection Closing items
3045
3046 The most basic logging is to keep track of @emph{when} a certain TODO
3047 item was finished. This is achieved with@footnote{The corresponding
3048 in-buffer setting is: @code{#+STARTUP: logdone}}.
3049
3050 @lisp
3051 (setq org-log-done 'time)
3052 @end lisp
3053
3054 @noindent
3055 Then each time you turn an entry from a TODO (not-done) state into any
3056 of the DONE states, a line @samp{CLOSED: [timestamp]} will be inserted
3057 just after the headline. If you turn the entry back into a TODO item
3058 through further state cycling, that line will be removed again. If you
3059 want to record a note along with the timestamp, use@footnote{The
3060 corresponding in-buffer setting is: @code{#+STARTUP: lognotedone}}
3061
3062 @lisp
3063 (setq org-log-done 'note)
3064 @end lisp
3065
3066 @noindent
3067 You will then be prompted for a note, and that note will be stored below
3068 the entry with a @samp{Closing Note} heading.
3069
3070 In the timeline (@pxref{Timeline}) and in the agenda
3071 (@pxref{Weekly/daily agenda}), you can then use the @kbd{l} key to
3072 display the TODO items with a @samp{CLOSED} timestamp on each day,
3073 giving you an overview of what has been done.
3074
3075 @node Tracking TODO state changes, , Closing items, Progress logging
3076 @subsection Tracking TODO state changes
3077
3078 When TODO keywords are used as workflow states (@pxref{Workflow
3079 states}), you might want to keep track of when a state change occurred
3080 and maybe take a note about this change. Since it is normally too much
3081 to record a note for every state, Org mode expects configuration on a
3082 per-keyword basis for this. This is achieved by adding special markers
3083 @samp{!} (for a time stamp) and @samp{@@} (for a note) in parenthesis
3084 after each keyword. For example, with the setting
3085
3086 @lisp
3087 (setq org-todo-keywords
3088 '((sequence "TODO(t)" "WAIT(w@@/!)" "|" "DONE(d!)" "CANCELED(c@@)")))
3089 @end lisp
3090
3091 @noindent
3092 you not only define global TODO keywords and fast access keys, but also
3093 request that a time is recorded when the entry is turned into
3094 DONE@footnote{It is possible that Org mode will record two time stamps
3095 when you are using both @code{org-log-done} and state change logging.
3096 However, it will never prompt for two notes - if you have configured
3097 both, the state change recording note will take precedence and cancel
3098 the @samp{Closing Note}.}, and that a note is recorded when switching to
3099 WAIT or CANCELED. The setting for WAIT is even more special: The
3100 @samp{!} after the slash means that in addition to the note taken when
3101 entering the state, a time stamp should be recorded when @i{leaving} the
3102 WAIT state, if and only if the @i{target} state does not configure
3103 logging for entering it. So it has no effect when switching from WAIT
3104 to DONE, because DONE is configured to record a timestamp only. But
3105 when switching from WAIT back to TODO, the @samp{/!} in the WAIT
3106 setting now triggers a timestamp even though TODO has no logging
3107 configured.
3108
3109 You can use the exact same syntax for setting logging preferences local
3110 to a buffer:
3111 @example
3112 #+SEQ_TODO: TODO(t) WAIT(w@@/!) | DONE(d!) CANCELED(c@@)
3113 @end example
3114
3115 In order to define logging settings that are local to a subtree or a
3116 single item, define a LOGGING property in this entry. Any non-empty
3117 LOGGING property resets all logging settings to nil. You may then turn
3118 on logging for this specific tree using STARTUP keywords like
3119 @code{lognotedone} or @code{logrepeat}, as well as adding state specific
3120 settings like @code{TODO(!)}. For example
3121
3122 @example
3123 * TODO Log each state with only a time
3124 :PROPERTIES:
3125 :LOGGING: TODO(!) WAIT(!) DONE(!) CANCELED(!)
3126 :END:
3127 * TODO Only log when switching to WAIT, and when repeating
3128 :PROPERTIES:
3129 :LOGGING: WAIT(@@) logrepeat
3130 :END:
3131 * TODO No logging at all
3132 :PROPERTIES:
3133 :LOGGING: nil
3134 :END:
3135 @end example
3136
3137
3138 @node Priorities, Breaking down tasks, Progress logging, TODO Items
3139 @section Priorities
3140 @cindex priorities
3141
3142 If you use Org mode extensively, you may end up enough TODO items that
3143 it starts to make sense to prioritize them. Prioritizing can be done by
3144 placing a @emph{priority cookie} into the headline of a TODO item, like
3145 this
3146
3147 @example
3148 *** TODO [#A] Write letter to Sam Fortune
3149 @end example
3150
3151 @noindent
3152 By default, Org mode supports three priorities: @samp{A}, @samp{B}, and
3153 @samp{C}. @samp{A} is the highest priority. An entry without a cookie
3154 is treated as priority @samp{B}. Priorities make a difference only in
3155 the agenda (@pxref{Weekly/daily agenda}); outside the agenda, they have
3156 no inherent meaning to Org mode.
3157
3158 Priorities can be attached to any outline tree entries; they do not need
3159 to be TODO items.
3160
3161 @table @kbd
3162 @kindex @kbd{C-c ,}
3163 @item @kbd{C-c ,}
3164 Set the priority of the current headline. The command prompts for a
3165 priority character @samp{A}, @samp{B} or @samp{C}. When you press
3166 @key{SPC} instead, the priority cookie is removed from the headline.
3167 The priorities can also be changed ``remotely'' from the timeline and
3168 agenda buffer with the @kbd{,} command (@pxref{Agenda commands}).
3169 @c
3170 @kindex S-@key{up}
3171 @kindex S-@key{down}
3172 @item S-@key{up}
3173 @itemx S-@key{down}
3174 Increase/decrease priority of current headline@footnote{See also the
3175 option @code{org-priority-start-cycle-with-default'}.}. Note that these
3176 keys are also used to modify time stamps (@pxref{Creating timestamps}).
3177 Furthermore, these keys are also used by CUA mode (@pxref{Conflicts}).
3178 @end table
3179
3180 You can change the range of allowed priorities by setting the variables
3181 @code{org-highest-priority}, @code{org-lowest-priority}, and
3182 @code{org-default-priority}. For an individual buffer, you may set
3183 these values (highest, lowest, default) like this (please make sure that
3184 the highest priority is earlier in the alphabet than the lowest
3185 priority):
3186
3187 @example
3188 #+PRIORITIES: A C B
3189 @end example
3190
3191 @node Breaking down tasks, Checkboxes, Priorities, TODO Items
3192 @section Breaking tasks down into subtasks
3193 @cindex tasks, breaking down
3194
3195 It is often advisable to break down large tasks into smaller, manageable
3196 subtasks. You can do this by creating an outline tree below a TODO item,
3197 with detailed subtasks on the tree@footnote{To keep subtasks out of the
3198 global TODO list, see the @code{org-agenda-todo-list-sublevels}.}. To keep
3199 the overview over the fraction of subtasks that are already completed, insert
3200 either @samp{[/]} or @samp{[%]} anywhere in the headline. These cookies will
3201 be updates each time the todo status of a child changes. For example:
3202
3203 @example
3204 * Organize Party [33%]
3205 ** TODO Call people [1/2]
3206 *** TODO Peter
3207 *** DONE Sarah
3208 ** TODO Buy food
3209 ** DONE Talk to neighbor
3210 @end example
3211
3212 If you would like a TODO entry to automatically change to DONE when all
3213 chilrden are done, you can use the following setup:
3214
3215 @example
3216 (defun org-summary-todo (n-done n-not-done)
3217 "Switch entry to DONE when all subentries are done, to TODO otherwise."
3218 (let (org-log-done org-log-states) ; turn off logging
3219 (org-todo (if (= n-not-done 0) "DONE" "TODO"))))
3220
3221 (add-hook 'org-after-todo-statistics-hook 'org-summary-todo)
3222 @end example
3223
3224
3225 Another possibility is the use of checkboxes to identify (a hierarchy of) a
3226 large number of subtasks (@pxref{Checkboxes}).
3227
3228
3229 @node Checkboxes, , Breaking down tasks, TODO Items
3230 @section Checkboxes
3231 @cindex checkboxes
3232
3233 Every item in a plain list (@pxref{Plain lists}) can be made into a
3234 checkbox by starting it with the string @samp{[ ]}. This feature is
3235 similar to TODO items (@pxref{TODO Items}), but is more lightweight.
3236 Checkboxes are not included into the global TODO list, so they are often
3237 great to split a task into a number of simple steps. Or you can use
3238 them in a shopping list. To toggle a checkbox, use @kbd{C-c C-c}, or
3239 use the mouse (thanks to Piotr Zielinski's @file{org-mouse.el}).
3240
3241 Here is an example of a checkbox list.
3242
3243 @example
3244 * TODO Organize party [2/4]
3245 - [-] call people [1/3]
3246 - [ ] Peter
3247 - [X] Sarah
3248 - [ ] Sam
3249 - [X] order food
3250 - [ ] think about what music to play
3251 - [X] talk to the neighbors
3252 @end example
3253
3254 Checkboxes work hierarchically, so if a checkbox item has children that
3255 are checkboxes, toggling one of the children checkboxes will make the
3256 parent checkbox reflect if none, some, or all of the children are
3257 checked.
3258
3259 @cindex statistics, for checkboxes
3260 @cindex checkbox statistics
3261 The @samp{[2/4]} and @samp{[1/3]} in the first and second line are
3262 cookies indicating how many checkboxes present in this entry have been
3263 checked off, and the total number of checkboxes are present. This can
3264 give you an idea on how many checkboxes remain, even without opening a
3265 folded entry. The cookies can be placed into a headline or into (the
3266 first line of) a plain list item. Each cookie covers all checkboxes
3267 structurally below the headline/item on which the cookie appear. You
3268 have to insert the cookie yourself by typing either @samp{[/]} or
3269 @samp{[%]}. With @samp{[/]} you get an @samp{n out of m} result, as in
3270 the examples above. With @samp{[%]} you get information about the
3271 percentage of checkboxes checked (in the above example, this would be
3272 @samp{[50%]} and @samp{[33%]}, respectively).
3273
3274 @noindent The following commands work with checkboxes:
3275
3276 @table @kbd
3277 @kindex C-c C-c
3278 @item C-c C-c
3279 Toggle checkbox at point. With a prefix argument, set it to @samp{[-]},
3280 which is considered to be an intermediate state.
3281 @kindex C-c C-x C-b
3282 @item C-c C-x C-b
3283 Toggle checkbox at point.
3284 @itemize @minus
3285 @item
3286 If there is an active region, toggle the first checkbox in the region
3287 and set all remaining boxes to the same status as the first. If you
3288 want to toggle all boxes in the region independently, use a prefix
3289 argument.
3290 @item
3291 If the cursor is in a headline, toggle checkboxes in the region between
3292 this headline and the next (so @emph{not} the entire subtree).
3293 @item
3294 If there is no active region, just toggle the checkbox at point.
3295 @end itemize
3296 @kindex M-S-@key{RET}
3297 @item M-S-@key{RET}
3298 Insert a new item with a checkbox.
3299 This works only if the cursor is already in a plain list item
3300 (@pxref{Plain lists}).
3301 @kindex C-c #
3302 @item C-c #
3303 Update the checkbox statistics in the current outline entry. When
3304 called with a @kbd{C-u} prefix, update the entire file. Checkbox
3305 statistic cookies are updated automatically if you toggle checkboxes
3306 with @kbd{C-c C-c} and make new ones with @kbd{M-S-@key{RET}}. If you
3307 delete boxes or add/change them by hand, use this command to get things
3308 back into synch. Or simply toggle any checkbox twice with @kbd{C-c C-c}.
3309 @end table
3310
3311 @node Tags, Properties and Columns, TODO Items, Top
3312 @chapter Tags
3313 @cindex tags
3314 @cindex headline tagging
3315 @cindex matching, tags
3316 @cindex sparse tree, tag based
3317
3318 An excellent way to implement labels and contexts for cross-correlating
3319 information is to assign @i{tags} to headlines. Org mode has extensive
3320 support for tags.
3321
3322 Every headline can contain a list of tags; they occur at the end of the
3323 headline. Tags are normal words containing letters, numbers, @samp{_},
3324 and @samp{@@}. Tags must be preceded and followed by a single colon,
3325 e.g., @samp{:work:}. Several tags can be specified, as in
3326 @samp{:work:urgent:}.
3327
3328 @menu
3329 * Tag inheritance:: Tags use the tree structure of the outline
3330 * Setting tags:: How to assign tags to a headline
3331 * Tag searches:: Searching for combinations of tags
3332 @end menu
3333
3334 @node Tag inheritance, Setting tags, Tags, Tags
3335 @section Tag inheritance
3336 @cindex tag inheritance
3337 @cindex inheritance, of tags
3338 @cindex sublevels, inclusion into tags match
3339
3340 @i{Tags} make use of the hierarchical structure of outline trees. If a
3341 heading has a certain tag, all subheadings will inherit the tag as
3342 well. For example, in the list
3343
3344 @example
3345 * Meeting with the French group :work:
3346 ** Summary by Frank :boss:notes:
3347 *** TODO Prepare slides for him :action:
3348 @end example
3349
3350 @noindent
3351 the final heading will have the tags @samp{:work:}, @samp{:boss:},
3352 @samp{:notes:}, and @samp{:action:} even though the final heading is not
3353 explicitly marked with those tags. You can also set tags that all entries in
3354 a file should inherit as if these tags would be defined in a hypothetical
3355 level zero that surounds the entire file.
3356
3357 @example
3358 #+FILETAGS: :Peter:Boss:Secret:
3359 @end example
3360
3361 @noindent
3362 To limit tag inheritance to specific tags, or to turn it off entirely, use
3363 the variable @code{org-use-tag-inheritance}.
3364
3365 When a headline matches during a tags search while tag inheritance is turned
3366 on, all the sublevels in the same tree will match as well@footnote{This is
3367 only true if the the search does not involve more complex tests including
3368 properties (@pxref{Property searches}).}. The list of matches may then
3369 become very long. If you only want to see the first tags match in a subtree,
3370 configure the variable @code{org-tags-match-list-sublevels}.
3371
3372 @node Setting tags, Tag searches, Tag inheritance, Tags
3373 @section Setting tags
3374 @cindex setting tags
3375 @cindex tags, setting
3376
3377 @kindex M-@key{TAB}
3378 Tags can simply be typed into the buffer at the end of a headline.
3379 After a colon, @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} offers completion on tags. There is
3380 also a special command for inserting tags:
3381
3382 @table @kbd
3383 @kindex C-c C-c
3384 @item C-c C-c
3385 @cindex completion, of tags
3386 Enter new tags for the current headline. Org mode will either offer
3387 completion or a special single-key interface for setting tags, see
3388 below. After pressing @key{RET}, the tags will be inserted and aligned
3389 to @code{org-tags-column}. When called with a @kbd{C-u} prefix, all
3390 tags in the current buffer will be aligned to that column, just to make
3391 things look nice. TAGS are automatically realigned after promotion,
3392 demotion, and TODO state changes (@pxref{TODO basics}).
3393 @end table
3394
3395 Org will support tag insertion based on a @emph{list of tags}. By
3396 default this list is constructed dynamically, containing all tags
3397 currently used in the buffer. You may also globally specify a hard list
3398 of tags with the variable @code{org-tag-alist}. Finally you can set
3399 the default tags for a given file with lines like
3400
3401 @example
3402 #+TAGS: @@work @@home @@tennisclub
3403 #+TAGS: laptop car pc sailboat
3404 @end example
3405
3406 If you have globally defined your preferred set of tags using the
3407 variable @code{org-tag-alist}, but would like to use a dynamic tag list
3408 in a specific file, add an empty TAGS option line to that file:
3409
3410 @example
3411 #+TAGS:
3412 @end example
3413
3414 By default Org mode uses the standard minibuffer completion facilities for
3415 entering tags. However, it also implements another, quicker, tag selection
3416 method called @emph{fast tag selection}. This allows you to select and
3417 deselect tags with just a single key press. For this to work well you should
3418 assign unique letters to most of your commonly used tags. You can do this
3419 globally by configuring the variable @code{org-tag-alist} in your
3420 @file{.emacs} file. For example, you may find the need to tag many items in
3421 different files with @samp{:@@home:}. In this case you can set something
3422 like:
3423
3424 @lisp
3425 (setq org-tag-alist '(("@@work" . ?w) ("@@home" . ?h) ("laptop" . ?l)))
3426 @end lisp
3427
3428 @noindent If the tag is only relevant to the file you are working on then you
3429 can, instead, set the TAGS option line as:
3430
3431 @example
3432 #+TAGS: @@work(w) @@home(h) @@tennisclub(t) laptop(l) pc(p)
3433 @end example
3434
3435 @noindent
3436 You can also group together tags that are mutually exclusive. By using
3437 braces, as in:
3438
3439 @example
3440 #+TAGS: @{ @@work(w) @@home(h) @@tennisclub(t) @} laptop(l) pc(p)
3441 @end example
3442
3443 @noindent you indicate that at most one of @samp{@@work}, @samp{@@home},
3444 and @samp{@@tennisclub} should be selected. Multiple such groups are allowed.
3445
3446 @noindent Don't forget to press @kbd{C-c C-c} with the cursor in one of
3447 these lines to activate any changes.
3448
3449 @noindent
3450 To set these mutually exclusive groups in the variable @code{org-mode-alist}
3451 you must use the dummy tags @code{:startgroup} and @code{:endgroup} instead
3452 of the braces. The previous example would be set globally by the following
3453 configuration:
3454
3455 @lisp
3456 (setq org-tag-alist '((:startgroup . nil)
3457 ("@@work" . ?w) ("@@home" . ?h)
3458 ("@@tennisclub" . ?t)
3459 (:endgroup . nil)
3460 ("laptop" . ?l) ("pc" . ?p)))
3461 @end lisp
3462
3463 If at least one tag has a selection key then pressing @kbd{C-c C-c} will
3464 automatically present you with a special interface, listing inherited tags,
3465 the tags of the current headline, and a list of all valid tags with
3466 corresponding keys@footnote{Keys will automatically be assigned to tags which
3467 have no configured keys.}. In this interface, you can use the following
3468 keys:
3469
3470 @table @kbd
3471 @item a-z...
3472 Pressing keys assigned to tags will add or remove them from the list of
3473 tags in the current line. Selecting a tag in a group of mutually
3474 exclusive tags will turn off any other tags from that group.
3475 @kindex @key{TAB}
3476 @item @key{TAB}
3477 Enter a tag in the minibuffer, even if the tag is not in the predefined
3478 list. You will be able to complete on all tags present in the buffer.
3479 @kindex @key{SPC}
3480 @item @key{SPC}
3481 Clear all tags for this line.
3482 @kindex @key{RET}
3483 @item @key{RET}
3484 Accept the modified set.
3485 @item C-g
3486 Abort without installing changes.
3487 @item q
3488 If @kbd{q} is not assigned to a tag, it aborts like @kbd{C-g}.
3489 @item !
3490 Turn off groups of mutually exclusive tags. Use this to (as an
3491 exception) assign several tags from such a group.
3492 @item C-c
3493 Toggle auto-exit after the next change (see below).
3494 If you are using expert mode, the first @kbd{C-c} will display the
3495 selection window.
3496 @end table
3497
3498 @noindent
3499 This method lets you assign tags to a headline with very few keys. With
3500 the above setup, you could clear the current tags and set @samp{@@home},
3501 @samp{laptop} and @samp{pc} tags with just the following keys: @kbd{C-c
3502 C-c @key{SPC} h l p @key{RET}}. Switching from @samp{@@home} to
3503 @samp{@@work} would be done with @kbd{C-c C-c w @key{RET}} or
3504 alternatively with @kbd{C-c C-c C-c w}. Adding the non-predefined tag
3505 @samp{Sarah} could be done with @kbd{C-c C-c @key{TAB} S a r a h
3506 @key{RET} @key{RET}}.
3507
3508 If you find that most of the time, you need only a single key press to
3509 modify your list of tags, set the variable
3510 @code{org-fast-tag-selection-single-key}. Then you no longer have to
3511 press @key{RET} to exit fast tag selection - it will immediately exit
3512 after the first change. If you then occasionally need more keys, press
3513 @kbd{C-c} to turn off auto-exit for the current tag selection process
3514 (in effect: start selection with @kbd{C-c C-c C-c} instead of @kbd{C-c
3515 C-c}). If you set the variable to the value @code{expert}, the special
3516 window is not even shown for single-key tag selection, it comes up only
3517 when you press an extra @kbd{C-c}.
3518
3519 @node Tag searches, , Setting tags, Tags
3520 @section Tag searches
3521 @cindex tag searches
3522 @cindex searching for tags
3523
3524 Once a system of tags has been set up, it can be used to collect related
3525 information into special lists.
3526
3527 @table @kbd
3528 @kindex C-c \
3529 @kindex C-c / T
3530 @item C-c \
3531 @itemx C-c / T
3532 Create a sparse tree with all headlines matching a tags search. With a
3533 @kbd{C-u} prefix argument, ignore headlines that are not a TODO line.
3534 @kindex C-c a m
3535 @item C-c a m
3536 Create a global list of tag matches from all agenda files.
3537 @xref{Matching tags and properties}.
3538 @kindex C-c a M
3539 @item C-c a M
3540 Create a global list of tag matches from all agenda files, but check
3541 only TODO items and force checking subitems (see variable
3542 @code{org-tags-match-list-sublevels}).
3543 @end table
3544
3545 @cindex Boolean logic, for tag searches
3546 A @i{tags} search string can use Boolean operators @samp{&} for AND and
3547 @samp{|} for OR. @samp{&} binds more strongly than @samp{|}.
3548 Parenthesis are currently not implemented. A tag may also be preceded
3549 by @samp{-}, to select against it, and @samp{+} is syntactic sugar for
3550 positive selection. The AND operator @samp{&} is optional when @samp{+}
3551 or @samp{-} is present. Examples:
3552
3553 @table @samp
3554 @item +work-boss
3555 Select headlines tagged @samp{:work:}, but discard those also tagged
3556 @samp{:boss:}.
3557 @item work|laptop
3558 Selects lines tagged @samp{:work:} or @samp{:laptop:}.
3559 @item work|laptop&night
3560 Like before, but require the @samp{:laptop:} lines to be tagged also
3561 @samp{:night:}.
3562 @end table
3563
3564 @cindex TODO keyword matching, with tags search
3565 If you are using multi-state TODO keywords (@pxref{TODO extensions}), it
3566 can be useful to also match on the TODO keyword. This can be done by
3567 adding a condition after a slash to a tags match. The syntax is similar
3568 to the tag matches, but should be applied with consideration: For
3569 example, a positive selection on several TODO keywords can not
3570 meaningfully be combined with boolean AND. However, @emph{negative
3571 selection} combined with AND can be meaningful. To make sure that only
3572 lines are checked that actually have any TODO keyword, use @kbd{C-c a
3573 M}, or equivalently start the TODO part after the slash with @samp{!}.
3574 Examples:
3575
3576 @table @samp
3577 @item work/WAITING
3578 Select @samp{:work:}-tagged TODO lines with the specific TODO
3579 keyword @samp{WAITING}.
3580 @item work/!-WAITING-NEXT
3581 Select @samp{:work:}-tagged TODO lines that are neither @samp{WAITING}
3582 nor @samp{NEXT}
3583 @item work/+WAITING|+NEXT
3584 Select @samp{:work:}-tagged TODO lines that are either @samp{WAITING} or
3585 @samp{NEXT}.
3586 @end table
3587
3588 @cindex regular expressions, with tags search
3589 Any element of the tag/todo match can be a regular expression - in this
3590 case it must be enclosed in curly braces. For example,
3591 @samp{work+@{^boss.*@}} matches headlines that contain the tag
3592 @samp{:work:} and any tag @i{starting} with @samp{boss}.
3593
3594 @cindex level, require for tags/property match
3595 @cindex category, require for tags/property match
3596 You can also require a headline to be of a certain level or category, by
3597 writing instead of any TAG an expression like @samp{LEVEL=3} or
3598 @samp{CATEGORY="work"}, respectively. For example, a search
3599 @samp{+LEVEL=3+boss/-DONE} lists all level three headlines that have the
3600 tag @samp{boss} and are @emph{not} marked with the TODO keyword DONE.
3601
3602 @node Properties and Columns, Dates and Times, Tags, Top
3603 @chapter Properties and Columns
3604 @cindex properties
3605
3606 Properties are a set of key-value pairs associated with an entry. There
3607 are two main applications for properties in Org mode. First, properties
3608 are like tags, but with a value. Second, you can use properties to
3609 implement (very basic) database capabilities in an Org buffer. For
3610 an example of the first application, imagine maintaining a file where
3611 you document bugs and plan releases of a piece of software. Instead of
3612 using tags like @code{:release_1:}, @code{:release_2:}, one can use a
3613 property, say @code{:Release:}, that in different subtrees has different
3614 values, such as @code{1.0} or @code{2.0}. For an example of the second
3615 application of properties, imagine keeping track of your music CD's,
3616 where properties could be things such as the album artist, date of
3617 release, number of tracks, and so on.
3618
3619 Properties can be conveniently edited and viewed in column view
3620 (@pxref{Column view}).
3621
3622 Properties are like tags, but with a value. For example, in a file
3623 where you document bugs and plan releases of a piece of software,
3624 instead of using tags like @code{:release_1:}, @code{:release_2:}, it
3625 can be more efficient to use a property @code{:Release:} with a value
3626 @code{1.0} or @code{2.0}. Second, you can use properties to implement
3627 (very basic) database capabilities in an Org buffer, for example to
3628 create a list of Music CD's you own. You can edit and view properties
3629 conveniently in column view (@pxref{Column view}).
3630
3631 @menu
3632 * Property syntax:: How properties are spelled out
3633 * Special properties:: Access to other Org mode features
3634 * Property searches:: Matching property values
3635 * Property inheritance:: Passing values down the tree
3636 * Column view:: Tabular viewing and editing
3637 * Property API:: Properties for Lisp programmers
3638 @end menu
3639
3640 @node Property syntax, Special properties, Properties and Columns, Properties and Columns
3641 @section Property syntax
3642 @cindex property syntax
3643 @cindex drawer, for properties
3644
3645 Properties are key-value pairs. They need to be inserted into a special
3646 drawer (@pxref{Drawers}) with the name @code{PROPERTIES}. Each property
3647 is specified on a single line, with the key (surrounded by colons)
3648 first, and the value after it. Here is an example:
3649
3650 @example
3651 * CD collection
3652 ** Classic
3653 *** Goldberg Variations
3654 :PROPERTIES:
3655 :Title: Goldberg Variations
3656 :Composer: J.S. Bach
3657 :Artist: Glen Gould
3658 :Publisher: Deutsche Grammphon
3659 :NDisks: 1
3660 :END:
3661 @end example
3662
3663 You may define the allowed values for a particular property @samp{:Xyz:}
3664 by setting a property @samp{:Xyz_ALL:}. This special property is
3665 @emph{inherited}, so if you set it in a level 1 entry, it will apply to
3666 the entire tree. When allowed values are defined, setting the
3667 corresponding property becomes easier and is less prone to typing
3668 errors. For the example with the CD collection, we can predefine
3669 publishers and the number of disks in a box like this:
3670
3671 @example
3672 * CD collection
3673 :PROPERTIES:
3674 :NDisks_ALL: 1 2 3 4
3675 :Publisher_ALL: "Deutsche Grammophon" Phillips EMI
3676 :END:
3677 @end example
3678
3679 If you want to set properties that can be inherited by any entry in a
3680 file, use a line like
3681
3682 @example
3683 #+PROPERTY: NDisks_ALL 1 2 3 4
3684 @end example
3685
3686 Property values set with the global variable
3687 @code{org-global-properties} can be inherited by all entries in all
3688 Org files.
3689
3690 @noindent
3691 The following commands help to work with properties:
3692
3693 @table @kbd
3694 @kindex M-@key{TAB}
3695 @item M-@key{TAB}
3696 After an initial colon in a line, complete property keys. All keys used
3697 in the current file will be offered as possible completions.
3698 @kindex C-c C-x p
3699 @item C-c C-x p
3700 Set a property. This prompts for a property name and a value. If
3701 necessary, the property drawer is created as well.
3702 @item M-x org-insert-property-drawer
3703 Insert a property drawer into the current entry. The drawer will be
3704 inserted early in the entry, but after the lines with planning
3705 information like deadlines.
3706 @kindex C-c C-c
3707 @item C-c C-c
3708 With the cursor in a property drawer, this executes property commands.
3709 @item C-c C-c s
3710 Set a property in the current entry. Both the property and the value
3711 can be inserted using completion.
3712 @kindex S-@key{right}
3713 @kindex S-@key{left}
3714 @item S-@key{left}/@key{right}
3715 Switch property at point to the next/previous allowed value.
3716 @item C-c C-c d
3717 Remove a property from the current entry.
3718 @item C-c C-c D
3719 Globally remove a property, from all entries in the current file.
3720 @item C-c C-c c
3721 Compute the property at point, using the operator and scope from the
3722 nearest column format definition.
3723 @end table
3724
3725 @node Special properties, Property searches, Property syntax, Properties and Columns
3726 @section Special properties
3727 @cindex properties, special
3728
3729 Special properties provide alternative access method to Org mode
3730 features discussed in the previous chapters, like the TODO state or the
3731 priority of an entry. This interface exists so that you can include
3732 these states into columns view (@pxref{Column view}), or to use them in
3733 queries. The following property names are special and should not be
3734 used as keys in the properties drawer:
3735
3736 @example
3737 TODO @r{The TODO keyword of the entry.}
3738 TAGS @r{The tags defined directly in the headline.}
3739 ALLTAGS @r{All tags, including inherited ones.}
3740 PRIORITY @r{The priority of the entry, a string with a single letter.}
3741 DEADLINE @r{The deadline time string, without the angular brackets.}
3742 SCHEDULED @r{The scheduling time stamp, without the angular brackets.}
3743 TIMESTAMP @r{The first keyword-less time stamp in the entry.}
3744 TIMESTAMP_IA @r{The first inactive time stamp in the entry.}
3745 CLOCKSUM @r{The sum of CLOCK intervals in the subtree. @code{org-clock-sum}}
3746 @r{must be run first to compute the values.}
3747 @end example
3748
3749 @node Property searches, Property inheritance, Special properties, Properties and Columns
3750 @section Property searches
3751 @cindex properties, searching
3752 @cindex searching, of properties
3753
3754 To create sparse trees and special lists with selection based on properties,
3755 the same commands are used as for tag searches (@pxref{Tag searches}), and
3756 the same logic applies. For example, here is a search string:
3757
3758 @example
3759 +work-boss+PRIORITY="A"+Coffee="unlimited"+Effort<2 \
3760 +With=@{Sarah\|Denny@}+SCHEDULED>="<2008-10-11>"
3761 @end example
3762
3763 @noindent
3764 The type of comparison will depend on how the comparison value is written:
3765 @itemize @minus
3766 @item
3767 If the comparison value is a plain number, a numerical comparison is done,
3768 and the allowed operators are @samp{<}, @samp{=}, @samp{>}, @samp{<=},
3769 @samp{>=}, and @samp{<>}.
3770 @item
3771 If the comparison value is enclosed in double
3772 quotes, a string comparison is done, and the same operators are allowed.
3773 @item
3774 If the comparison value is enclosed in double quotes @emph{and} angular
3775 brackets (like @samp{DEADLINE<="<2008-12-24 18:30>"}), both values are
3776 assumed to be date/time specifications in the standard Org way@footnote{The
3777 only special values that will be recognized are @samp{"<now>"} for now, and
3778 @samp{"<today"} today at 0:00 hours, i.e. without a time specification.}, and
3779 the comparison will be done accordingly.
3780 @item
3781 If the comparison value is enclosed
3782 in curly braces, a regexp match is performed, with @samp{=} meaning that the
3783 regexp matches the property value, and @samp{<>} meaning that it does not
3784 match.
3785 @end itemize
3786
3787 So the search string in the example finds entries tagged @samp{:work:} but
3788 not @samp{:boss:}, which also have a priority value @samp{A}, a
3789 @samp{:Coffee:} property with the value @samp{unlimited}, an @samp{Effort}
3790 property that is numerically smaller than 2, a @samp{:With:} property that is
3791 matched by the regular expression @samp{Sarah\|Denny}, and that are scheduled
3792 on or after October 11, 2008.
3793
3794 You can configure Org mode to use property inheritance during a search, but
3795 beware that this can slow down searches considerably. See @ref{Property
3796 inheritance} for details.
3797
3798 There is also a special command for creating sparse trees based on a
3799 single property:
3800
3801 @table @kbd
3802 @kindex C-c / p
3803 @item C-c / p
3804 Create a sparse tree based on the value of a property. This first
3805 prompts for the name of a property, and then for a value. A sparse tree
3806 is created with all entries that define this property with the given
3807 value. If you enclose the value into curly braces, it is interpreted as
3808 a regular expression and matched against the property values.
3809 @end table
3810
3811 @node Property inheritance, Column view, Property searches, Properties and Columns
3812 @section Property Inheritance
3813 @cindex properties, inheritance
3814 @cindex inheritance, of properties
3815
3816 The outline structure of Org mode documents lends itself for an
3817 inheritance model of properties: If the parent in a tree has a certain
3818 property, the children can inherit this property. Org mode does not
3819 turn this on by default, because it can slow down property searches
3820 significantly and is often not needed. However, if you find inheritance
3821 useful, you can turn it on by setting the variable
3822 @code{org-use-property-inheritance}. It may be set to @code{t}, to make
3823 all properties inherited from the parent, to a list of properties
3824 that should be inherited, or to a regular expression that matches
3825 inherited properties.
3826
3827 Org mode has a few properties for which inheritance is hard-coded, at
3828 least for the special applications for which they are used:
3829
3830 @table @code
3831 @item COLUMNS
3832 The @code{:COLUMNS:} property defines the format of column view
3833 (@pxref{Column view}). It is inherited in the sense that the level
3834 where a @code{:COLUMNS:} property is defined is used as the starting
3835 point for a column view table, independently of the location in the
3836 subtree from where columns view is turned on.
3837 @item CATEGORY
3838 For agenda view, a category set through a @code{:CATEGORY:} property
3839 applies to the entire subtree.
3840 @item ARCHIVE
3841 For archiving, the @code{:ARCHIVE:} property may define the archive
3842 location for the entire subtree (@pxref{Moving subtrees}).
3843 @item LOGGING
3844 The LOGGING property may define logging settings for an entry or a
3845 subtree (@pxref{Tracking TODO state changes}).
3846 @end table
3847
3848 @node Column view, Property API, Property inheritance, Properties and Columns
3849 @section Column view
3850
3851 A great way to view and edit properties in an outline tree is
3852 @emph{column view}. In column view, each outline item is turned into a
3853 table row. Columns in this table provide access to properties of the
3854 entries. Org mode implements columns by overlaying a tabular structure
3855 over the headline of each item. While the headlines have been turned
3856 into a table row, you can still change the visibility of the outline
3857 tree. For example, you get a compact table by switching to CONTENTS
3858 view (@kbd{S-@key{TAB} S-@key{TAB}}, or simply @kbd{c} while column view
3859 is active), but you can still open, read, and edit the entry below each
3860 headline. Or, you can switch to column view after executing a sparse
3861 tree command and in this way get a table only for the selected items.
3862 Column view also works in agenda buffers (@pxref{Agenda Views}) where
3863 queries have collected selected items, possibly from a number of files.
3864
3865 @menu
3866 * Defining columns:: The COLUMNS format property
3867 * Using column view:: How to create and use column view
3868 * Capturing column view:: A dynamic block for column view
3869 @end menu
3870
3871 @node Defining columns, Using column view, Column view, Column view
3872 @subsection Defining columns
3873 @cindex column view, for properties
3874 @cindex properties, column view
3875
3876 Setting up a column view first requires defining the columns. This is
3877 done by defining a column format line.
3878
3879 @menu
3880 * Scope of column definitions:: Where defined, where valid?
3881 * Column attributes:: Appearance and content of a column
3882 @end menu
3883
3884 @node Scope of column definitions, Column attributes, Defining columns, Defining columns
3885 @subsubsection Scope of column definitions
3886
3887 To define a column format for an entire file, use a line like
3888
3889 @example
3890 #+COLUMNS: %25ITEM %TAGS %PRIORITY %TODO
3891 @end example
3892
3893 To specify a format that only applies to a specific tree, add a
3894 @code{:COLUMNS:} property to the top node of that tree, for example:
3895
3896 @example
3897 ** Top node for columns view
3898 :PROPERTIES:
3899 :COLUMNS: %25ITEM %TAGS %PRIORITY %TODO
3900 :END:
3901 @end example
3902
3903 If a @code{:COLUMNS:} property is present in an entry, it defines columns
3904 for the entry itself, and for the entire subtree below it. Since the
3905 column definition is part of the hierarchical structure of the document,
3906 you can define columns on level 1 that are general enough for all
3907 sublevels, and more specific columns further down, when you edit a
3908 deeper part of the tree.
3909
3910 @node Column attributes, , Scope of column definitions, Defining columns
3911 @subsubsection Column attributes
3912 A column definition sets the attributes of a column. The general
3913 definition looks like this:
3914
3915 @example
3916 %[width]property[(title)][@{summary-type@}]
3917 @end example
3918
3919 @noindent
3920 Except for the percent sign and the property name, all items are
3921 optional. The individual parts have the following meaning:
3922
3923 @example
3924 width @r{An integer specifying the width of the column in characters.}
3925 @r{If omitted, the width will be determined automatically.}
3926 property @r{The property that should be edited in this column.}
3927 (title) @r{The header text for the column. If omitted, the}
3928 @r{property name is used.}
3929 @{summary-type@} @r{The summary type. If specified, the column values for}
3930 @r{parent nodes are computed from the children.}
3931 @r{Supported summary types are:}
3932 @{+@} @r{Sum numbers in this column.}
3933 @{+;%.1f@} @r{Like @samp{+}, but format result with @samp{%.1f}.}
3934 @{$@} @r{Currency, short for @samp{+;%.2f}.}
3935 @{:@} @r{Sum times, HH:MM:SS, plain numbers are hours.}
3936 @{X@} @r{Checkbox status, [X] if all children are [X].}
3937 @{X/@} @r{Checkbox status, [n/m].}
3938 @{X%@} @r{Checkbox status, [n%].}
3939 @end example
3940
3941 @noindent
3942 Here is an example for a complete columns definition, along with allowed
3943 values.
3944
3945 @example
3946 :COLUMNS: %20ITEM %9Approved(Approved?)@{X@} %Owner %11Status \@footnote{Please note that the COLUMNS definition must be on a single line - it is wrapped here only because of formatting constraints.}
3947 %10Time_Estimate@{:@} %CLOCKSUM
3948 :Owner_ALL: Tammy Mark Karl Lisa Don
3949 :Status_ALL: "In progress" "Not started yet" "Finished" ""
3950 :Approved_ALL: "[ ]" "[X]"
3951 @end example
3952
3953 The first column, @samp{%25ITEM}, means the first 25 characters of the
3954 item itself, i.e. of the headline. You probably always should start the
3955 column definition with the @samp{ITEM} specifier. The other specifiers
3956 create columns @samp{Owner} with a list of names as allowed values, for
3957 @samp{Status} with four different possible values, and for a checkbox
3958 field @samp{Approved}. When no width is given after the @samp{%}
3959 character, the column will be exactly as wide as it needs to be in order
3960 to fully display all values. The @samp{Approved} column does have a
3961 modified title (@samp{Approved?}, with a question mark). Summaries will
3962 be created for the @samp{Time_Estimate} column by adding time duration
3963 expressions like HH:MM, and for the @samp{Approved} column, by providing
3964 an @samp{[X]} status if all children have been checked. The
3965 @samp{CLOCKSUM} column is special, it lists the sum of CLOCK intervals
3966 in the subtree.
3967
3968 @node Using column view, Capturing column view, Defining columns, Column view
3969 @subsection Using column view
3970
3971 @table @kbd
3972 @tsubheading{Turning column view on and off}
3973 @kindex C-c C-x C-c
3974 @item C-c C-x C-c
3975 Create the column view for the local environment. This command searches
3976 the hierarchy, up from point, for a @code{:COLUMNS:} property that defines
3977 a format. When one is found, the column view table is established for
3978 the entire tree, starting from the entry that contains the @code{:COLUMNS:}
3979 property. If none is found, the format is taken from the @code{#+COLUMNS}
3980 line or from the variable @code{org-columns-default-format}, and column
3981 view is established for the current entry and its subtree.
3982 @kindex r
3983 @item r
3984 Recreate the column view, to include recent changes made in the buffer.
3985 @kindex g
3986 @item g
3987 Same as @kbd{r}.
3988 @kindex q
3989 @item q
3990 Exit column view.
3991 @tsubheading{Editing values}
3992 @item @key{left} @key{right} @key{up} @key{down}
3993 Move through the column view from field to field.
3994 @kindex S-@key{left}
3995 @kindex S-@key{right}
3996 @item S-@key{left}/@key{right}
3997 Switch to the next/previous allowed value of the field. For this, you
3998 have to have specified allowed values for a property.
3999 @item 1..9,0
4000 Directly select the nth allowed value, @kbd{0} selects the 10th value.
4001 @kindex n
4002 @kindex p
4003 @itemx n / p
4004 Same as @kbd{S-@key{left}/@key{right}}
4005 @kindex e
4006 @item e
4007 Edit the property at point. For the special properties, this will
4008 invoke the same interface that you normally use to change that
4009 property. For example, when editing a TAGS property, the tag completion
4010 or fast selection interface will pop up.
4011 @kindex C-c C-c
4012 @item C-c C-c
4013 When there is a checkbox at point, toggle it.
4014 @kindex v
4015 @item v
4016 View the full value of this property. This is useful if the width of
4017 the column is smaller than that of the value.
4018 @kindex a
4019 @item a
4020 Edit the list of allowed values for this property. If the list is found
4021 in the hierarchy, the modified values is stored there. If no list is
4022 found, the new value is stored in the first entry that is part of the
4023 current column view.
4024 @tsubheading{Modifying the table structure}
4025 @kindex <
4026 @kindex >
4027 @item < / >
4028 Make the column narrower/wider by one character.
4029 @kindex S-M-@key{right}
4030 @item S-M-@key{right}
4031 Insert a new column, to the right of the current column.
4032 @kindex S-M-@key{left}
4033 @item S-M-@key{left}
4034 Delete the current column.
4035 @end table
4036
4037 @node Capturing column view, , Using column view, Column view
4038 @subsection Capturing column view
4039
4040 Since column view is just an overlay over a buffer, it cannot be
4041 exported or printed directly. If you want to capture a column view, use
4042 this @code{columnview} dynamic block (@pxref{Dynamic blocks}). The frame
4043 of this block looks like this:
4044
4045 @cindex #+BEGIN: columnview
4046 @example
4047 * The column view
4048 #+BEGIN: columnview :hlines 1 :id "label"
4049
4050 #+END:
4051 @end example
4052
4053 @noindent This dynamic block has the following parameters:
4054
4055 @table @code
4056 @item :id
4057 This is most important parameter. Column view is a feature that is
4058 often localized to a certain (sub)tree, and the capture block might be
4059 in a different location in the file. To identify the tree whose view to
4060 capture, you can use 3 values:
4061 @example
4062 local @r{use the tree in which the capture block is located}
4063 global @r{make a global view, including all headings in the file}
4064 "label" @r{call column view in the tree that has an @code{:ID:}}
4065 @r{property with the value @i{label}. You can use}
4066 @r{@kbd{M-x org-id-copy} to create a globally unique ID for}
4067 @r{the current entry and copy it to the kill-ring.}
4068 @end example
4069 @item :hlines
4070 When @code{t}, insert a hline after every line. When a number N, insert
4071 a hline before each headline with level @code{<= N}.
4072 @item :vlines
4073 When set to @code{t}, enforce column groups to get vertical lines.
4074 @item :maxlevel
4075 When set to a number, don't capture entries below this level.
4076 @item :skip-empty-rows
4077 When set to @code{t}, skip row where the only non-empty specifier of the
4078 column view is @code{ITEM}.
4079
4080 @end table
4081
4082 @noindent
4083 The following commands insert or update the dynamic block:
4084
4085 @table @kbd
4086 @kindex C-c C-x r
4087 @item C-c C-x r
4088 Insert a dynamic block capturing a column view. You will be prompted
4089 for the scope or id of the view.
4090 @kindex C-c C-c
4091 @item C-c C-c
4092 @kindex C-c C-x C-u
4093 @itemx C-c C-x C-u
4094 Update dynamical block at point. The cursor needs to be in the
4095 @code{#+BEGIN} line of the dynamic block.
4096 @kindex C-u C-c C-x C-u
4097 @item C-u C-c C-x C-u
4098 Update all dynamic blocks (@pxref{Dynamic blocks}). This is useful if
4099 you have several clock table blocks in a buffer.
4100 @end table
4101
4102 @node Property API, , Column view, Properties and Columns
4103 @section The Property API
4104 @cindex properties, API
4105 @cindex API, for properties
4106
4107 There is a full API for accessing and changing properties. This API can
4108 be used by Emacs Lisp programs to work with properties and to implement
4109 features based on them. For more information see @ref{Using the
4110 property API}.
4111
4112 @node Dates and Times, Remember, Properties and Columns, Top
4113 @chapter Dates and Times
4114 @cindex dates
4115 @cindex times
4116 @cindex time stamps
4117 @cindex date stamps
4118
4119 To assist project planning, TODO items can be labeled with a date and/or
4120 a time. The specially formatted string carrying the date and time
4121 information is called a @emph{timestamp} in Org mode. This may be a
4122 little confusing because timestamp is often used as indicating when
4123 something was created or last changed. However, in Org mode this term
4124 is used in a much wider sense.
4125
4126 @menu
4127 * Timestamps:: Assigning a time to a tree entry
4128 * Creating timestamps:: Commands which insert timestamps
4129 * Deadlines and scheduling:: Planning your work
4130 * Clocking work time:: Tracking how long you spend on a task
4131 * Effort estimates:: Planning work effort in advance
4132 @end menu
4133
4134
4135 @node Timestamps, Creating timestamps, Dates and Times, Dates and Times
4136 @section Timestamps, deadlines and scheduling
4137 @cindex time stamps
4138 @cindex ranges, time
4139 @cindex date stamps
4140 @cindex deadlines
4141 @cindex scheduling
4142
4143 A time stamp is a specification of a date (possibly with time or a range
4144 of times) in a special format, either @samp{<2003-09-16 Tue>} or
4145 @samp{<2003-09-16 Tue 09:39>} or @samp{<2003-09-16 Tue
4146 12:00-12:30>}@footnote{This is the standard ISO date/time format. To
4147 use an alternative format, see @ref{Custom time format}.}. A time stamp
4148 can appear anywhere in the headline or body of an Org tree entry. Its
4149 presence causes entries to be shown on specific dates in the agenda
4150 (@pxref{Weekly/daily agenda}). We distinguish:
4151
4152 @table @var
4153 @item Plain time stamp; Event; Appointment
4154 @cindex timestamp
4155 A simple time stamp just assigns a date/time to an item. This is just
4156 like writing down an appointment or event in a paper agenda. In the
4157 timeline and agenda displays, the headline of an entry associated with a
4158 plain time stamp will be shown exactly on that date.
4159
4160 @example
4161 * Meet Peter at the movies <2006-11-01 Wed 19:15>
4162 * Discussion on climate change <2006-11-02 Thu 20:00-22:00>
4163 @end example
4164
4165 @item Time stamp with repeater interval
4166 @cindex timestamp, with repeater interval
4167 A time stamp may contain a @emph{repeater interval}, indicating that it
4168 applies not only on the given date, but again and again after a certain
4169 interval of N days (d), weeks (w), months(m), or years(y). The
4170 following will show up in the agenda every Wednesday:
4171
4172 @example
4173 * Pick up Sam at school <2007-05-16 Wed 12:30 +1w>
4174 @end example
4175
4176 @item Diary-style sexp entries
4177 For more complex date specifications, Org mode supports using the
4178 special sexp diary entries implemented in the Emacs calendar/diary
4179 package. For example
4180
4181 @example
4182 * The nerd meeting on every 2nd Thursday of the month
4183 <%%(diary-float t 4 2)>
4184 @end example
4185
4186 @item Time/Date range
4187 @cindex timerange
4188 @cindex date range
4189 Two time stamps connected by @samp{--} denote a range. The headline
4190 will be shown on the first and last day of the range, and on any dates
4191 that are displayed and fall in the range. Here is an example:
4192
4193 @example
4194 ** Meeting in Amsterdam
4195 <2004-08-23 Mon>--<2004-08-26 Thu>
4196 @end example
4197
4198 @item Inactive time stamp
4199 @cindex timestamp, inactive
4200 @cindex inactive timestamp
4201 Just like a plain time stamp, but with square brackets instead of
4202 angular ones. These time stamps are inactive in the sense that they do
4203 @emph{not} trigger an entry to show up in the agenda.
4204
4205 @example
4206 * Gillian comes late for the fifth time [2006-11-01 Wed]
4207 @end example
4208
4209 @end table
4210
4211 @node Creating timestamps, Deadlines and scheduling, Timestamps, Dates and Times
4212 @section Creating timestamps
4213 @cindex creating timestamps
4214 @cindex timestamps, creating
4215
4216 For Org mode to recognize time stamps, they need to be in the specific
4217 format. All commands listed below produce time stamps in the correct
4218 format.
4219
4220 @table @kbd
4221 @kindex C-c .
4222 @item C-c .
4223 Prompt for a date and insert a corresponding time stamp. When the
4224 cursor is at a previously used time stamp, it is updated to NOW. When
4225 this command is used twice in succession, a time range is inserted.
4226 @c
4227 @kindex C-u C-c .
4228 @item C-u C-c .
4229 Like @kbd{C-c .}, but use the alternative format which contains date
4230 and time. The default time can be rounded to multiples of 5 minutes,
4231 see the option @code{org-time-stamp-rounding-minutes}.
4232 @c
4233 @kindex C-c !
4234 @item C-c !
4235 Like @kbd{C-c .}, but insert an inactive time stamp that will not cause
4236 an agenda entry.
4237 @c
4238 @kindex C-c <
4239 @item C-c <
4240 Insert a time stamp corresponding to the cursor date in the Calendar.
4241 @c
4242 @kindex C-c >
4243 @item C-c >
4244 Access the Emacs calendar for the current date. If there is a
4245 timestamp in the current line, go to the corresponding date
4246 instead.
4247 @c
4248 @kindex C-c C-o
4249 @item C-c C-o
4250 Access the agenda for the date given by the time stamp or -range at
4251 point (@pxref{Weekly/daily agenda}).
4252 @c
4253 @kindex S-@key{left}
4254 @kindex S-@key{right}
4255 @item S-@key{left}
4256 @itemx S-@key{right}
4257 Change date at cursor by one day. These key bindings conflict with
4258 CUA mode (@pxref{Conflicts}).
4259 @c
4260 @kindex S-@key{up}
4261 @kindex S-@key{down}
4262 @item S-@key{up}
4263 @itemx S-@key{down}
4264 Change the item under the cursor in a timestamp. The cursor can be on a
4265 year, month, day, hour or minute. Note that if the cursor is in a
4266 headline and not at a time stamp, these same keys modify the priority of
4267 an item. (@pxref{Priorities}). The key bindings also conflict with
4268 CUA mode (@pxref{Conflicts}).
4269 @c
4270 @kindex C-c C-y
4271 @cindex evaluate time range
4272 @item C-c C-y
4273 Evaluate a time range by computing the difference between start and end.
4274 With a prefix argument, insert result after the time range (in a table: into
4275 the following column).
4276 @end table
4277
4278
4279 @menu
4280 * The date/time prompt:: How Org mode helps you entering date and time
4281 * Custom time format:: Making dates look different
4282 @end menu
4283
4284 @node The date/time prompt, Custom time format, Creating timestamps, Creating timestamps
4285 @subsection The date/time prompt
4286 @cindex date, reading in minibuffer
4287 @cindex time, reading in minibuffer
4288
4289 When Org mode prompts for a date/time, the default is shown as an ISO
4290 date, and the prompt therefore seems to ask for an ISO date. But it
4291 will in fact accept any string containing some date and/or time
4292 information, and it is really smart about interpreting your input. You
4293 can, for example, use @kbd{C-y} to paste a (possibly multi-line) string
4294 copied from an email message. Org mode will find whatever information
4295 is in there and derive anything you have not specified from the
4296 @emph{default date and time}. The default is usually the current date
4297 and time, but when modifying an existing time stamp, or when entering
4298 the second stamp of a range, it is taken from the stamp in the buffer.
4299 When filling in information, Org mode assumes that most of the time you
4300 will want to enter a date in the future: If you omit the month/year and
4301 the given day/month is @i{before} today, it will assume that you mean a
4302 future date@footnote{See the variable
4303 @code{org-read-date-prefer-future}.}.
4304
4305 For example, lets assume that today is @b{June 13, 2006}. Here is how
4306 various inputs will be interpreted, the items filled in by Org mode are
4307 in @b{bold}.
4308
4309 @example
4310 3-2-5 --> 2003-02-05
4311 14 --> @b{2006}-@b{06}-14
4312 12 --> @b{2006}-@b{07}-12
4313 Fri --> nearest Friday (defaultdate or later)
4314 sep 15 --> @b{2006}-11-15
4315 feb 15 --> @b{2007}-02-15
4316 sep 12 9 --> 2009-09-12
4317 12:45 --> @b{2006}-@b{06}-@b{13} 12:45
4318 22 sept 0:34 --> @b{2006}-09-22 0:34
4319 w4 --> ISO week for of the current year @b{2006}
4320 2012 w4 fri --> Friday of ISO week 4 in 2012
4321 2012-w04-5 --> Same as above
4322 @end example
4323
4324 Furthermore you can specify a relative date by giving, as the
4325 @emph{first} thing in the input: a plus/minus sign, a number and a
4326 letter [dwmy] to indicate change in days weeks, months, years. With a
4327 single plus or minus, the date is always relative to today. With a
4328 double plus or minus, it is relative to the default date. If instead of
4329 a single letter, you use the abbreviation of day name, the date will be
4330 the nth such day. E.g.
4331
4332 @example
4333 +0 --> today
4334 . --> today
4335 +4d --> four days from today
4336 +4 --> same as above
4337 +2w --> two weeks from today
4338 ++5 --> five days from default date
4339 +2tue --> second tuesday from now.
4340 @end example
4341
4342 The function understands English month and weekday abbreviations. If
4343 you want to use unabbreviated names and/or other languages, configure
4344 the variables @code{parse-time-months} and @code{parse-time-weekdays}.
4345
4346 @cindex calendar, for selecting date
4347 Parallel to the minibuffer prompt, a calendar is popped up@footnote{If
4348 you don't need/want the calendar, configure the variable
4349 @code{org-popup-calendar-for-date-prompt}.}. When you exit the date
4350 prompt, either by clicking on a date in the calendar, or by pressing
4351 @key{RET}, the date selected in the calendar will be combined with the
4352 information entered at the prompt. You can control the calendar fully
4353 from the minibuffer:
4354
4355 @kindex <
4356 @kindex >
4357 @kindex mouse-1
4358 @kindex S-@key{right}
4359 @kindex S-@key{left}
4360 @kindex S-@key{down}
4361 @kindex S-@key{up}
4362 @kindex M-S-@key{right}
4363 @kindex M-S-@key{left}
4364 @kindex @key{RET}
4365 @example
4366 > / < @r{Scroll calendar forward/backward by one month.}
4367 mouse-1 @r{Select date by clicking on it.}
4368 S-@key{right}/@key{left} @r{One day forward/backward.}
4369 S-@key{down}/@key{up} @r{One week forward/backward.}
4370 M-S-@key{right}/@key{left} @r{One month forward/backward.}
4371 @key{RET} @r{Choose date in calendar.}
4372 @end example
4373
4374 The actions of the date/time prompt may seem complex, but I assure you they
4375 will grow on you, and you will start getting annoyed by pretty much any other
4376 way of entering a date/time out there. To help you understand what is going
4377 on, the current interpretation of your input will be displayed live in the
4378 minibuffer@footnote{If you find this distracting, turn the display of with
4379 @code{org-read-date-display-live}.}.
4380
4381 @node Custom time format, , The date/time prompt, Creating timestamps
4382 @subsection Custom time format
4383 @cindex custom date/time format
4384 @cindex time format, custom
4385 @cindex date format, custom
4386
4387 Org mode uses the standard ISO notation for dates and times as it is
4388 defined in ISO 8601. If you cannot get used to this and require another
4389 representation of date and time to keep you happy, you can get it by
4390 customizing the variables @code{org-display-custom-times} and
4391 @code{org-time-stamp-custom-formats}.
4392
4393 @table @kbd
4394 @kindex C-c C-x C-t
4395 @item C-c C-x C-t
4396 Toggle the display of custom formats for dates and times.
4397 @end table
4398
4399 @noindent
4400 Org mode needs the default format for scanning, so the custom date/time
4401 format does not @emph{replace} the default format - instead it is put
4402 @emph{over} the default format using text properties. This has the
4403 following consequences:
4404 @itemize @bullet
4405 @item
4406 You cannot place the cursor onto a time stamp anymore, only before or
4407 after.
4408 @item
4409 The @kbd{S-@key{up}/@key{down}} keys can no longer be used to adjust
4410 each component of a time stamp. If the cursor is at the beginning of
4411 the stamp, @kbd{S-@key{up}/@key{down}} will change the stamp by one day,
4412 just like @kbd{S-@key{left}/@key{right}}. At the end of the stamp, the
4413 time will be changed by one minute.
4414 @item
4415 If the time stamp contains a range of clock times or a repeater, these
4416 will not be overlayed, but remain in the buffer as they were.
4417 @item
4418 When you delete a time stamp character-by-character, it will only
4419 disappear from the buffer after @emph{all} (invisible) characters
4420 belonging to the ISO timestamp have been removed.
4421 @item
4422 If the custom time stamp format is longer than the default and you are
4423 using dates in tables, table alignment will be messed up. If the custom
4424 format is shorter, things do work as expected.
4425 @end itemize
4426
4427
4428 @node Deadlines and scheduling, Clocking work time, Creating timestamps, Dates and Times
4429 @section Deadlines and scheduling
4430
4431 A time stamp may be preceded by special keywords to facilitate planning:
4432
4433 @table @var
4434 @item DEADLINE
4435 @cindex DEADLINE keyword
4436
4437 Meaning: the task (most likely a TODO item, though not necessarily) is supposed
4438 to be finished on that date.
4439
4440 On the deadline date, the task will be listed in the agenda. In
4441 addition, the agenda for @emph{today} will carry a warning about the
4442 approaching or missed deadline, starting
4443 @code{org-deadline-warning-days} before the due date, and continuing
4444 until the entry is marked DONE. An example:
4445
4446 @example
4447 *** TODO write article about the Earth for the Guide
4448 The editor in charge is [[bbdb:Ford Prefect]]
4449 DEADLINE: <2004-02-29 Sun>
4450 @end example
4451
4452 You can specify a different lead time for warnings for a specific
4453 deadlines using the following syntax. Here is an example with a warning
4454 period of 5 days @code{DEADLINE: <2004-02-29 Sun -5d>}.
4455
4456 @item SCHEDULED
4457 @cindex SCHEDULED keyword
4458
4459 Meaning: you are planning to start working on that task on the given
4460 date.
4461
4462 The headline will be listed under the given date@footnote{It will still
4463 be listed on that date after it has been marked DONE. If you don't like
4464 this, set the variable @code{org-agenda-skip-scheduled-if-done}.}. In
4465 addition, a reminder that the scheduled date has passed will be present
4466 in the compilation for @emph{today}, until the entry is marked DONE.
4467 I.e., the task will automatically be forwarded until completed.
4468
4469 @example
4470 *** TODO Call Trillian for a date on New Years Eve.
4471 SCHEDULED: <2004-12-25 Sat>
4472 @end example
4473
4474 @noindent
4475 @b{Important:} Scheduling an item in Org mode should @i{not} be
4476 understood in the same way that we understand @i{scheduling a meeting}.
4477 Setting a date for a meeting is just a simple appointment, you should
4478 mark this entry with a simple plain time stamp, to get this item shown
4479 on the date where it applies. This is a frequent mis-understanding from
4480 Org-users. In Org mode, @i{scheduling} means setting a date when you
4481 want to start working on an action item.
4482 @end table
4483
4484 You may use time stamps with repeaters in scheduling and deadline
4485 entries. Org mode will issue early and late warnings based on the
4486 assumption that the time stamp represents the @i{nearest instance} of
4487 the repeater. However, the use of diary sexp entries like
4488 @c
4489 @code{<%%(diary-float t 42)>}
4490 @c
4491 in scheduling and deadline timestamps is limited. Org mode does not
4492 know enough about the internals of each sexp function to issue early and
4493 late warnings. However, it will show the item on each day where the
4494 sexp entry matches.
4495
4496 @menu
4497 * Inserting deadline/schedule:: Planning items
4498 * Repeated tasks:: Items that show up again and again
4499 @end menu
4500
4501 @node Inserting deadline/schedule, Repeated tasks, Deadlines and scheduling, Deadlines and scheduling
4502 @subsection Inserting deadlines or schedules
4503
4504 The following commands allow to quickly insert a deadline or to schedule
4505 an item:
4506
4507 @table @kbd
4508 @c
4509 @kindex C-c C-d
4510 @item C-c C-d
4511 Insert @samp{DEADLINE} keyword along with a stamp. The insertion will
4512 happen in the line directly following the headline. When called with a
4513 prefix arg, an existing deadline will be removed from the entry.
4514 @c FIXME Any CLOSED timestamp will be removed.????????
4515 @c
4516 @kindex C-c / d
4517 @cindex sparse tree, for deadlines
4518 @item C-c / d
4519 Create a sparse tree with all deadlines that are either past-due, or
4520 which will become due within @code{org-deadline-warning-days}.
4521 With @kbd{C-u} prefix, show all deadlines in the file. With a numeric
4522 prefix, check that many days. For example, @kbd{C-1 C-c / d} shows
4523 all deadlines due tomorrow.
4524 @c
4525 @kindex C-c C-s
4526 @item C-c C-s
4527 Insert @samp{SCHEDULED} keyword along with a stamp. The insertion will
4528 happen in the line directly following the headline. Any CLOSED
4529 timestamp will be removed. When called with a prefix argument, remove
4530 the scheduling date from the entry.
4531 @c
4532 @kindex C-c C-x C-k
4533 @kindex k a
4534 @kindex k s
4535 @item C-c C-x C-k
4536 Mark the current entry for agenda action. After you have marked the entry
4537 like this, you can open the agenda or the calendar to find an appropriate
4538 date. With the cursor on the selected date, press @kbd{k s} or @kbd{k d} to
4539 schedule the marked item.
4540 @end table
4541
4542 @node Repeated tasks, , Inserting deadline/schedule, Deadlines and scheduling
4543 @subsection Repeated tasks
4544
4545 Some tasks need to be repeated again and again. Org mode helps to
4546 organize such tasks using a so-called repeater in a DEADLINE, SCHEDULED,
4547 or plain time stamp. In the following example
4548 @example
4549 ** TODO Pay the rent
4550 DEADLINE: <2005-10-01 Sat +1m>
4551 @end example
4552 the @code{+1m} is a repeater; the intended interpretation is that the
4553 task has a deadline on <2005-10-01> and repeats itself every (one) month
4554 starting from that time. If you need both a repeater and a special
4555 warning period in a deadline entry, the repeater comes first and the
4556 warning period last: @code{DEADLINE: <2005-10-01 Sat +1m -3d>}.
4557
4558 Deadlines and scheduled items produce entries in the agenda when they
4559 are over-due, so it is important to be able to mark such an entry as
4560 completed once you have done so. When you mark a DEADLINE or a SCHEDULE
4561 with the TODO keyword DONE, it will no longer produce entries in the
4562 agenda. The problem with this is, however, that then also the
4563 @emph{next} instance of the repeated entry will not be active. Org mode
4564 deals with this in the following way: When you try to mark such an entry
4565 DONE (using @kbd{C-c C-t}), it will shift the base date of the repeating
4566 time stamp by the repeater interval, and immediately set the entry state
4567 back to TODO. In the example above, setting the state to DONE would
4568 actually switch the date like this:
4569
4570 @example
4571 ** TODO Pay the rent
4572 DEADLINE: <2005-11-01 Tue +1m>
4573 @end example
4574
4575 A timestamp@footnote{You can change this using the option
4576 @code{org-log-repeat}, or the @code{#+STARTUP} options @code{logrepeat},
4577 @code{lognoterepeat}, and @code{nologrepeat}. With @code{lognoterepeat}, you
4578 will aslo be prompted for a note.} will be added under the deadline, to keep
4579 a record that you actually acted on the previous instance of this deadline.
4580
4581 As a consequence of shifting the base date, this entry will no longer be
4582 visible in the agenda when checking past dates, but all future instances
4583 will be visible.
4584
4585 With the @samp{+1m} cookie, the date shift will always be exactly one
4586 month. So if you have not payed the rent for three months, marking this
4587 entry DONE will still keep it as an overdue deadline. Depending on the
4588 task, this may not be the best way to handle it. For example, if you
4589 forgot to call you father for 3 weeks, it does not make sense to call
4590 him 3 times in a single day to make up for it. Finally, there are tasks
4591 like changing batteries which should always repeat a certain time
4592 @i{after} the last time you did it. For these tasks, Org mode has
4593 special repeaters markers with @samp{++} and @samp{.+}. For example:
4594
4595 @example
4596 ** TODO Call Father
4597 DEADLINE: <2008-02-10 Sun ++1w>
4598 Marking this DONE will shift the date by at least one week,
4599 but also by as many weeks as it takes to get this date into
4600 the future. However, it stays on a Sunday, even if you called
4601 and marked it done on Saturday.
4602 ** TODO Check the batteries in the smoke detectors
4603 DEADLINE: <2005-11-01 Tue .+1m>
4604 Marking this DONE will shift the date to one month after
4605 today.
4606 @end example
4607
4608 You may have both scheduling and deadline information for a specific
4609 task - just make sure that the repeater intervals on both are the same.
4610
4611 @node Clocking work time, Effort estimates, Deadlines and scheduling, Dates and Times
4612 @section Clocking work time
4613
4614 Org mode allows you to clock the time you spent on specific tasks in a
4615 project. When you start working on an item, you can start the clock.
4616 When you stop working on that task, or when you mark the task done, the
4617 clock is stopped and the corresponding time interval is recorded. It
4618 also computes the total time spent on each subtree of a project.
4619
4620 @table @kbd
4621 @kindex C-c C-x C-i
4622 @item C-c C-x C-i
4623 Start the clock on the current item (clock-in). This inserts the CLOCK
4624 keyword together with a timestamp. If this is not the first clocking of
4625 this item, the multiple CLOCK lines will be wrapped into a
4626 @code{:CLOCK:} drawer (see also the variable
4627 @code{org-clock-into-drawer}). When called with a @kbd{C-u} prefix argument,
4628 select the task from a list of recently clocked tasks. With two @kbd{C-u
4629 C-u} prefixes, clock into the task at point and mark it as the default task.
4630 The default task will always be available when selecting a clocking task,
4631 with letter @kbd{d}.
4632 @kindex C-c C-x C-o
4633 @item C-c C-x C-o
4634 Stop the clock (clock-out). The inserts another timestamp at the same
4635 location where the clock was last started. It also directly computes
4636 the resulting time in inserts it after the time range as @samp{=>
4637 HH:MM}. See the variable @code{org-log-note-clock-out} for the
4638 possibility to record an additional note together with the clock-out
4639 time stamp@footnote{The corresponding in-buffer setting is:
4640 @code{#+STARTUP: lognoteclock-out}}.
4641 @kindex C-c C-y
4642 @item C-c C-y
4643 Recompute the time interval after changing one of the time stamps. This
4644 is only necessary if you edit the time stamps directly. If you change
4645 them with @kbd{S-@key{cursor}} keys, the update is automatic.
4646 @kindex C-c C-t
4647 @item C-c C-t
4648 Changing the TODO state of an item to DONE automatically stops the clock
4649 if it is running in this same item.
4650 @kindex C-c C-x C-x
4651 @item C-c C-x C-x
4652 Cancel the current clock. This is useful if a clock was started by
4653 mistake, or if you ended up working on something else.
4654 @kindex C-c C-x C-j
4655 @item C-c C-x C-j
4656 Jump to the entry that contains the currently running clock. With a
4657 @kbd{C-u} prefix arg, select the target task from a list of recently clocked
4658 tasks.
4659 @kindex C-c C-x C-d
4660 @item C-c C-x C-d
4661 Display time summaries for each subtree in the current buffer. This
4662 puts overlays at the end of each headline, showing the total time
4663 recorded under that heading, including the time of any subheadings. You
4664 can use visibility cycling to study the tree, but the overlays disappear
4665 when you change the buffer (see variable
4666 @code{org-remove-highlights-with-change}) or press @kbd{C-c C-c}.
4667 @kindex C-c C-x C-r
4668 @item C-c C-x C-r
4669 Insert a dynamic block (@pxref{Dynamic blocks}) containing a clock
4670 report as an Org mode table into the current file. When the cursor is
4671 at an existing clock table, just update it. When called with a prefix
4672 argument, jump to the first clock report in the current document and
4673 update it.
4674 @cindex #+BEGIN: clocktable
4675 @example
4676 #+BEGIN: clocktable :maxlevel 2 :emphasize nil :scope file
4677 #+END: clocktable
4678 @end example
4679 @noindent
4680 If such a block already exists at point, its content is replaced by the
4681 new table. The @samp{BEGIN} line can specify options:
4682 @example
4683 :maxlevel @r{Maximum level depth to which times are listed in the table.}
4684 :emphasize @r{When @code{t}, emphasize level one and level two items}
4685 :scope @r{The scope to consider. This can be any of the following:}
4686 nil @r{the current buffer or narrowed region}
4687 file @r{the full current buffer}
4688 subtree @r{the subtree where the clocktable is located}
4689 treeN @r{the surrounding level N tree, for example @code{tree3}}
4690 tree @r{the surrounding level 1 tree}
4691 agenda @r{all agenda files}
4692 ("file"..) @r{scan these files}
4693 file-with-archives @r{current file and its archives}
4694 agenda-with-archives @r{all agenda files, including archives}
4695 :block @r{The time block to consider. This block is specified either}
4696 @r{absolute, or relative to the current time and may be any of}
4697 @r{these formats:}
4698 2007-12-31 @r{New year eve 2007}
4699 2007-12 @r{December 2007}
4700 2007-W50 @r{ISO-week 50 in 2007}
4701 2007 @r{the year 2007}
4702 today, yesterday, today-N @r{a relative day}
4703 thisweek, lastweek, thisweek-N @r{a relative week}
4704 thismonth, lastmonth, thismonth-N @r{a relative month}
4705 thisyear, lastyear, thisyear-N @r{a relative year}
4706 @r{Use @kbd{S-@key{left}/@key{right}} keys to shift the time interval.}
4707 :tstart @r{A time string specifying when to start considering times}
4708 :tend @r{A time string specifying when to stop considering times}
4709 :step @r{@code{week} or @code{day}, to split the table into chunks.}
4710 @r{To use this, @code{:block} or @code{:tstart}, @code{:tend} are needed.}
4711 :link @r{Link the item headlines in the table to their origins}
4712 @end example
4713 So to get a clock summary of the current level 1 tree, for the current
4714 day, you could write
4715 @example
4716 #+BEGIN: clocktable :maxlevel 2 :block today :scope tree1 :link t
4717 #+END: clocktable
4718 @end example
4719 and to use a specific time range you could write@footnote{Note that all
4720 parameters must be specified in a single line - the line is broken here
4721 only to fit it onto the manual.}
4722 @example
4723 #+BEGIN: clocktable :tstart "<2006-08-10 Thu 10:00>"
4724 :tend "<2006-08-10 Thu 12:00>"
4725 #+END: clocktable
4726 @end example
4727 @kindex C-c C-c
4728 @item C-c C-c
4729 @kindex C-c C-x C-u
4730 @itemx C-c C-x C-u
4731 Update dynamical block at point. The cursor needs to be in the
4732 @code{#+BEGIN} line of the dynamic block.
4733 @kindex C-u C-c C-x C-u
4734 @item C-u C-c C-x C-u
4735 Update all dynamic blocks (@pxref{Dynamic blocks}). This is useful if
4736 you have several clock table blocks in a buffer.
4737 @kindex S-@key{left}
4738 @kindex S-@key{right}
4739 @item S-@key{left}
4740 @itemx S-@key{right}
4741 Shift the current @code{:block} interval and update the table. The cursor
4742 needs to be in the @code{#+BEGIN: clocktable} line for this command. If
4743 @code{:block} is @code{today}, it will be shifted to @code{today-1} etc.
4744 @end table
4745
4746 The @kbd{l} key may be used in the timeline (@pxref{Timeline}) and in
4747 the agenda (@pxref{Weekly/daily agenda}) to show which tasks have been
4748 worked on or closed during a day.
4749
4750 @node Effort estimates, , Clocking work time, Dates and Times
4751 @section Effort estimates
4752 @cindex Effort estimates
4753
4754 If you want to plan your work in a very detailed way, or if you need to
4755 produce offers with quotations of the estimated work effort, you may want to
4756 assign effort estimates to entries. If you are also clocking your work, you
4757 may later want to compare the planned effort with the actual working time, a
4758 great way to improve planning estimates. Effort estimates are stored in a
4759 special property @samp{Effort}@footnote{You may change the property being
4760 used with the variable @code{org-effort-property}.}. Clearly the best way to
4761 work with effort estimates is through column view (@pxref{Column view}). You
4762 should start by setting up discrete values for effort estimates, and a
4763 @code{COLUMNS} format that displays these values together with clock sums (if
4764 you want to clock your time). For a specific buffer you can use
4765
4766 @example
4767 #+PROPERTY: Effort_ALL 0 0:10 0:30 1:00 2:00 3:00 4:00 5:00 6:00 7:00 8:00
4768 #+COLUMNS: %40ITEM(Task) %17Effort(Estimated Effort)@{:@} %CLOCKSUM
4769 @end example
4770
4771 @noindent
4772 or you can set up these values globally by customizing the variables
4773 @code{org-global-properties} and @code{org-columns-default-format}. In
4774 particular if you want to use this setup also in the agenda, a global setup
4775 may be advised.
4776
4777 The way to assign estimates to individual items is then to switch to column
4778 mode, and to use @kbd{S-@key{right}} and @kbd{S-@key{left}} to change the
4779 value. The values you enter will immediately be summed up in the hierarchy.
4780 In the column next to it, any clocked time will be displayed.
4781
4782 If you switch to column view in the daily/weekly agenda, the effort column
4783 will summarize the estimated work effort for each day@footnote{Please note
4784 the pitfalls of summing hierarchical data in a flat list (@pxref{Agenda
4785 column view}).}, and you can use this to find space in your schedule. To get
4786 an overview of the entire part of the day that is committed, you can set the
4787 option @code{org-agenda-columns-add-appointments-to-effort-sum}. The
4788 appointments on a day that take place over a specified time interval will
4789 then also be added to the load estimate of the day.
4790
4791 @node Remember, Agenda Views, Dates and Times, Top
4792 @chapter Remember
4793 @cindex @file{remember.el}
4794
4795 The @i{Remember} package by John Wiegley lets you store quick notes with
4796 little interruption of your work flow. See
4797 @uref{http://www.emacswiki.org/cgi-bin/wiki/RememberMode} for more
4798 information. It is an excellent way to add new notes and tasks to
4799 Org files. Org significantly expands the possibilities of
4800 @i{remember}: You may define templates for different note types, and
4801 associate target files and headlines with specific templates. It also
4802 allows you to select the location where a note should be stored
4803 interactively, on the fly.
4804
4805 @menu
4806 * Setting up Remember:: Some code for .emacs to get things going
4807 * Remember templates:: Define the outline of different note types
4808 * Storing notes:: Directly get the note to where it belongs
4809 * Refiling notes:: Moving a note or task to a project
4810 @end menu
4811
4812 @node Setting up Remember, Remember templates, Remember, Remember
4813 @section Setting up Remember
4814
4815 The following customization will tell @i{remember} to use org files as
4816 target, and to create annotations compatible with Org links.
4817
4818 @example
4819 (org-remember-insinuate)
4820 (setq org-directory "~/path/to/my/orgfiles/")
4821 (setq org-default-notes-file (concat org-directory "/notes.org"))
4822 (define-key global-map "\C-cr" 'org-remember)
4823 @end example
4824
4825 The last line binds the command @code{org-remember} to a global
4826 key@footnote{Please select your own key, @kbd{C-c r} is only a
4827 suggestion.}. @code{org-remember} basically just calls @code{remember},
4828 but it makes a few things easier: If there is an active region, it will
4829 automatically copy the region into the remember buffer. It also allows
4830 to jump to the buffer and location where remember notes are being
4831 stored: Just call @code{org-remember} with a prefix argument. If you
4832 use two prefix arguments, Org jumps to the location where the last
4833 remember note was stored.
4834
4835 You can also call @code{org-remember} in a special way from the agenda,
4836 using the @kbd{k r} key combination. With this access, any time stamps
4837 inserted by the selected remember template (see below) will default to
4838 the cursor date in the agenda, rather than to the current date.
4839
4840 @node Remember templates, Storing notes, Setting up Remember, Remember
4841 @section Remember templates
4842 @cindex templates, for remember
4843
4844 In combination with Org, you can use templates to generate
4845 different types of @i{remember} notes. For example, if you would like
4846 to use one template to create general TODO entries, another one for
4847 journal entries, and a third one for collecting random ideas, you could
4848 use:
4849
4850 @example
4851 (setq org-remember-templates
4852 '(("Todo" ?t "* TODO %?\n %i\n %a" "~/org/TODO.org" "Tasks")
4853 ("Journal" ?j "* %U %?\n\n %i\n %a" "~/org/JOURNAL.org")
4854 ("Idea" ?i "* %^@{Title@}\n %i\n %a" "~/org/JOURNAL.org" "New Ideas")))
4855 @end example
4856
4857 @noindent In these entries, the first string is just a name, and the
4858 character specifies how to select the template. It is useful if the
4859 character is also the first letter of the name. The next string specifies
4860 the template. Two more (optional) strings give the file in which, and the
4861 headline under which the new note should be stored. The file (if not present
4862 or @code{nil}) defaults to @code{org-default-notes-file}, the heading to
4863 @code{org-remember-default-headline}. If the file name is not an absolute
4864 path, it will be interpreted relative to @code{org-directory}. The heading
4865 can also be the symbols @code{top} or @code{bottom} to send note as level 1
4866 entries to the beginning or end of the file, respectively.
4867
4868 An optional sixth element specifies the contexts in which the user can select
4869 the template. This element can be a list of major modes or a function.
4870 @code{org-remember} will first check whether the function returns @code{t} or
4871 if we are in any of the listed major mode, and exclude templates fo which
4872 this condition is not fulfilled. Templates that do not specify this element
4873 at all, or that use @code{nil} or @code{t} as a value will always be
4874 selectable.
4875
4876 So for example:
4877
4878 @example
4879 (setq org-remember-templates
4880 '(("Bug" ?b "* BUG %?\n %i\n %a" "~/org/BUGS.org" "Bugs" (emacs-lisp-mode))
4881 ("Journal" ?j "* %U %?\n\n %i\n %a" "~/org/JOURNAL.org" "X" my-check)
4882 ("Idea" ?i "* %^@{Title@}\n %i\n %a" "~/org/JOURNAL.org" "New Ideas")))
4883 @end example
4884
4885 The first template will only be available when invoking @code{org-remember}
4886 from an buffer in @code{emacs-lisp-mode}. The second template will only be
4887 available when the function @code{my-check} returns @code{t}. The third
4888 template will be proposed in any context.
4889
4890 When you call @kbd{M-x org-remember} (or @kbd{M-x remember}) to remember
4891 something, Org will prompt for a key to select the template (if you have
4892 more than one template) and then prepare the buffer like
4893 @example
4894 * TODO
4895 [[file:link to where you called remember]]
4896 @end example
4897
4898 @noindent
4899 During expansion of the template, special @kbd{%}-escapes allow dynamic
4900 insertion of content:
4901 @example
4902 %^@{prompt@} @r{prompt the user for a string and replace this sequence with it.}
4903 @r{You may specify a default value and a completion table with}
4904 @r{%^@{prompt|default|completion2|completion3...@}}
4905 @r{The arrow keys access a prompt-specific history.}
4906 %a @r{annotation, normally the link created with @code{org-store-link}}
4907 %A @r{like @code{%a}, but prompt for the description part}
4908 %i @r{initial content, the region when remember is called with C-u.}
4909 @r{The entire text will be indented like @code{%i} itself.}
4910 %t @r{time stamp, date only}
4911 %T @r{time stamp with date and time}
4912 %u, %U @r{like the above, but inactive time stamps}
4913 %^t @r{like @code{%t}, but prompt for date. Similarly @code{%^T}, @code{%^u}, @code{%^U}}
4914 @r{You may define a prompt like @code{%^@{Birthday@}t}}
4915 %n @r{user name (taken from @code{user-full-name})}
4916 %c @r{Current kill ring head.}
4917 %x @r{Content of the X clipboard.}
4918 %^C @r{Interactive selection of which kill or clip to use.}
4919 %^L @r{Like @code{%^C}, but insert as link.}
4920 %^g @r{prompt for tags, with completion on tags in target file.}
4921 %^G @r{prompt for tags, with completion all tags in all agenda files.}
4922 %:keyword @r{specific information for certain link types, see below}
4923 %[pathname] @r{insert the contents of the file given by @code{pathname}}
4924 %(sexp) @r{evaluate elisp @code{(sexp)} and replace with the result}
4925 %! @r{immediately store note after completing the template}
4926 @r{(skipping the @kbd{C-c C-c} that normally triggers storing)}
4927 %& @r{jump to target location immediately after storing note}
4928 @end example
4929
4930 @noindent
4931 For specific link types, the following keywords will be
4932 defined@footnote{If you define your own link types (@pxref{Adding
4933 hyperlink types}), any property you store with
4934 @code{org-store-link-props} can be accessed in remember templates in a
4935 similar way.}:
4936
4937 @example
4938 Link type | Available keywords
4939 -------------------+----------------------------------------------
4940 bbdb | %:name %:company
4941 bbdb | %::server %:port %:nick
4942 vm, wl, mh, rmail | %:type %:subject %:message-id
4943 | %:from %:fromname %:fromaddress
4944 | %:to %:toname %:toaddress
4945 | %: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}.}}
4946 gnus | %:group, @r{for messages also all email fields}
4947 w3, w3m | %:url
4948 info | %:file %:node
4949 calendar | %:date"
4950 @end example
4951
4952 @noindent
4953 To place the cursor after template expansion use:
4954
4955 @example
4956 %? @r{After completing the template, position cursor here.}
4957 @end example
4958
4959 @noindent
4960 If you change your mind about which template to use, call
4961 @code{org-remember} in the remember buffer. You may then select a new
4962 template that will be filled with the previous context information.
4963
4964 @node Storing notes, Refiling notes, Remember templates, Remember
4965 @section Storing notes
4966
4967 When you are finished preparing a note with @i{remember}, you have to press
4968 @kbd{C-c C-c} to file the note away. If you have started the clock in the
4969 remember buffer, you will first be asked if you want to clock out
4970 now@footnote{To avoid this query, configure the variable
4971 @code{org-remember-clock-out-on-exit}.}. If you answer @kbd{n}, the clock
4972 will continue to run after the note was filed away.
4973
4974 The handler will then store the note in the file and under the headline
4975 specified in the template, or it will use the default file and headlines.
4976 The window configuration will be restored, sending you back to the working
4977 context before the call to @code{remember}. To re-use the location found
4978 during the last call to @code{remember}, exit the remember buffer with
4979 @kbd{C-u C-u C-c C-c}, i.e. specify a double prefix argument to @kbd{C-c
4980 C-c}.
4981
4982 If you want to store the note directly to a different place, use
4983 @kbd{C-u C-c C-c} instead to exit remember@footnote{Configure the
4984 variable @code{org-remember-store-without-prompt} to make this behavior
4985 the default.}. The handler will then first prompt for a target file -
4986 if you press @key{RET}, the value specified for the template is used.
4987 Then the command offers the headings tree of the selected file, with the
4988 cursor position at the default headline (if you had specified one in the
4989 template). You can either immediately press @key{RET} to get the note
4990 placed there. Or you can use the following keys to find a different
4991 location:
4992 @example
4993 @key{TAB} @r{Cycle visibility.}
4994 @key{down} / @key{up} @r{Next/previous visible headline.}
4995 n / p @r{Next/previous visible headline.}
4996 f / b @r{Next/previous headline same level.}
4997 u @r{One level up.}
4998 @c 0-9 @r{Digit argument.}
4999 @end example
5000 @noindent
5001 Pressing @key{RET} or @key{left} or @key{right}
5002 then leads to the following result.
5003
5004 @multitable @columnfractions 0.2 0.15 0.65
5005 @item @b{Cursor position} @tab @b{Key} @tab @b{Note gets inserted}
5006 @item on headline @tab @key{RET} @tab as sublevel of the heading at cursor, first or last
5007 @item @tab @tab depending on @code{org-reverse-note-order}.
5008 @item @tab @key{left}/@key{right} @tab as same level, before/after current heading
5009 @item buffer-start @tab @key{RET} @tab as level 2 heading at end of file or level 1 at beginning
5010 @item @tab @tab depending on @code{org-reverse-note-order}.
5011 @item not on headline @tab @key{RET}
5012 @tab at cursor position, level taken from context.
5013 @end multitable
5014
5015 Before inserting the text into a tree, the function ensures that the
5016 text has a headline, i.e. a first line that starts with a @samp{*}. If
5017 not, a headline is constructed from the current date and some additional
5018 data. If you have indented the text of the note below the headline, the
5019 indentation will be adapted if inserting the note into the tree requires
5020 demotion from level 1.
5021
5022 @node Refiling notes, , Storing notes, Remember
5023 @section Refiling notes
5024 @cindex refiling notes
5025
5026 Remember is usually used to quickly capture notes and tasks into one or
5027 a few capture lists. When reviewing the captured data, you may want to
5028 refile some of the entries into a different list, for example into a
5029 project. Cutting, finding the right location and then pasting the note
5030 is cumbersome. To simplify this process, you can use the following
5031 special command:
5032
5033 @table @kbd
5034 @kindex C-c C-w
5035 @item C-c C-w
5036 Refile the entry at point. This command offers possible locations for
5037 refiling the entry and lets you select one with completion. The item is
5038 filed below the target heading as a subitem. Depending on
5039 @code{org-reverse-note-order}, it will be either the first of last
5040 subitem.@* By default, all level 1 headlines in the current buffer are
5041 considered to be targets, but you can have more complex definitions
5042 across a number of files. See the variable @code{org-refile-targets}
5043 for details. If you would like to select a location via a file-pathlike
5044 completion along the outline path, see the variable
5045 @code{org-refile-use-outline-path}.
5046 @kindex C-u C-c C-w
5047 @item C-u C-c C-w
5048 Use the refile interface to jump to a heading.
5049 @kindex C-u C-u C-c C-w
5050 @item C-u C-u C-c C-w
5051 Jump to the location where @code{org-refile} last moved a tree to.
5052 @end table
5053
5054 @node Agenda Views, Embedded LaTeX, Remember, Top
5055 @chapter Agenda Views
5056 @cindex agenda views
5057
5058 Due to the way Org works, TODO items, time-stamped items, and
5059 tagged headlines can be scattered throughout a file or even a number of
5060 files. To get an overview of open action items, or of events that are
5061 important for a particular date, this information must be collected,
5062 sorted and displayed in an organized way.
5063
5064 Org can select items based on various criteria, and display them
5065 in a separate buffer. Seven different view types are provided:
5066
5067 @itemize @bullet
5068 @item
5069 an @emph{agenda} that is like a calendar and shows information
5070 for specific dates,
5071 @item
5072 a @emph{TODO list} that covers all unfinished
5073 action items,
5074 @item
5075 a @emph{tags view}, showings headlines based on
5076 the tags associated with them,
5077 @item
5078 a @emph{timeline view} that shows all events in a single Org file,
5079 in time-sorted view,
5080 @item
5081 a @emph{keyword search view} that shows all entries from multiple files
5082 that contain specified keywords.
5083 @item
5084 a @emph{stuck projects view} showing projects that currently don't move
5085 along, and
5086 @item
5087 @emph{custom views} that are special tag/keyword searches and
5088 combinations of different views.
5089 @end itemize
5090
5091 @noindent
5092 The extracted information is displayed in a special @emph{agenda
5093 buffer}. This buffer is read-only, but provides commands to visit the
5094 corresponding locations in the original Org files, and even to
5095 edit these files remotely.
5096
5097 Two variables control how the agenda buffer is displayed and whether the
5098 window configuration is restored when the agenda exits:
5099 @code{org-agenda-window-setup} and
5100 @code{org-agenda-restore-windows-after-quit}.
5101
5102 @menu
5103 * Agenda files:: Files being searched for agenda information
5104 * Agenda dispatcher:: Keyboard access to agenda views
5105 * Built-in agenda views:: What is available out of the box?
5106 * Presentation and sorting:: How agenda items are prepared for display
5107 * Agenda commands:: Remote editing of Org trees
5108 * Custom agenda views:: Defining special searches and views
5109 * Agenda column view:: Using column view for collected entries
5110 @end menu
5111
5112 @node Agenda files, Agenda dispatcher, Agenda Views, Agenda Views
5113 @section Agenda files
5114 @cindex agenda files
5115 @cindex files for agenda
5116
5117 The information to be shown is normally collected from all @emph{agenda
5118 files}, the files listed in the variable
5119 @code{org-agenda-files}@footnote{If the value of that variable is not a
5120 list, but a single file name, then the list of agenda files will be
5121 maintained in that external file.}. If a directory is part of this list,
5122 all files with the extension @file{.org} in this directory will be part
5123 of the list.
5124
5125 Thus even if you only work with a single Org file, this file should
5126 be put into that list@footnote{When using the dispatcher, pressing
5127 @kbd{<} before selecting a command will actually limit the command to
5128 the current file, and ignore @code{org-agenda-files} until the next
5129 dispatcher command.}. You can customize @code{org-agenda-files}, but
5130 the easiest way to maintain it is through the following commands
5131
5132 @cindex files, adding to agenda list
5133 @table @kbd
5134 @kindex C-c [
5135 @item C-c [
5136 Add current file to the list of agenda files. The file is added to
5137 the front of the list. If it was already in the list, it is moved to
5138 the front. With a prefix argument, file is added/moved to the end.
5139 @kindex C-c ]
5140 @item C-c ]
5141 Remove current file from the list of agenda files.
5142 @kindex C-,
5143 @kindex C-'
5144 @item C-,
5145 @itemx C-'
5146 Cycle through agenda file list, visiting one file after the other.
5147 @kindex M-x org-iswitchb
5148 @item M-x org-iswitchb
5149 Command to use an @code{iswitchb}-like interface to switch to and between Org
5150 buffers.
5151 @end table
5152
5153 @noindent
5154 The Org menu contains the current list of files and can be used
5155 to visit any of them.
5156
5157 If you would like to focus the agenda temporarily onto a file not in
5158 this list, or onto just one file in the list or even only a subtree in a
5159 file, this can be done in different ways. For a single agenda command,
5160 you may press @kbd{<} once or several times in the dispatcher
5161 (@pxref{Agenda dispatcher}). To restrict the agenda scope for an
5162 extended period, use the following commands:
5163
5164 @table @kbd
5165 @kindex C-c C-x <
5166 @item C-c C-x <
5167 Permanently restrict the agenda to the current subtree. When with a
5168 prefix argument, or with the cursor before the first headline in a file,
5169 the agenda scope is set to the entire file. This restriction remains in
5170 effect until removed with @kbd{C-c C-x >}, or by typing either @kbd{<}
5171 or @kbd{>} in the agenda dispatcher. If there is a window displaying an
5172 agenda view, the new restriction takes effect immediately.
5173 @kindex C-c C-x <
5174 @item C-c C-x <
5175 Remove the permanent restriction created by @kbd{C-c C-x <}.
5176 @end table
5177
5178 @noindent
5179 When working with @file{Speedbar}, you can use the following commands in
5180 the Speedbar frame:
5181 @table @kbd
5182 @kindex <
5183 @item < @r{in the speedbar frame}
5184 Permanently restrict the agenda to the item at the cursor in the
5185 Speedbar frame, either an Org file or a subtree in such a file.
5186 If there is a window displaying an agenda view, the new restriction takes
5187 effect immediately.
5188 @kindex <
5189 @item > @r{in the speedbar frame}
5190 Lift the restriction again.
5191 @end table
5192
5193 @node Agenda dispatcher, Built-in agenda views, Agenda files, Agenda Views
5194 @section The agenda dispatcher
5195 @cindex agenda dispatcher
5196 @cindex dispatching agenda commands
5197 The views are created through a dispatcher that should be bound to a
5198 global key, for example @kbd{C-c a} (@pxref{Installation}). In the
5199 following we will assume that @kbd{C-c a} is indeed how the dispatcher
5200 is accessed and list keyboard access to commands accordingly. After
5201 pressing @kbd{C-c a}, an additional letter is required to execute a
5202 command. The dispatcher offers the following default commands:
5203 @table @kbd
5204 @item a
5205 Create the calendar-like agenda (@pxref{Weekly/daily agenda}).
5206 @item t @r{/} T
5207 Create a list of all TODO items (@pxref{Global TODO list}).
5208 @item m @r{/} M
5209 Create a list of headlines matching a TAGS expression (@pxref{Matching
5210 tags and properties}).
5211 @item L
5212 Create the timeline view for the current buffer (@pxref{Timeline}).
5213 @item s
5214 Create a list of entries selected by a boolean expression of keywords
5215 and/or regular expressions that must or must not occur in the entry.
5216 @item /
5217 Search for a regular expression in all agenda files and additionally in
5218 the files listed in @code{org-agenda-multi-occur-extra-files}. This
5219 uses the Emacs command @code{multi-occur}. A prefix argument can be
5220 used to specify the number of context lines for each match, default is
5221 1.
5222 @item # @r{/} !
5223 Create a list of stuck projects (@pxref{Stuck projects}).
5224 @item <
5225 Restrict an agenda command to the current buffer@footnote{For backward
5226 compatibility, you can also press @kbd{1} to restrict to the current
5227 buffer.}. After pressing @kbd{<}, you still need to press the character
5228 selecting the command.
5229 @item < <
5230 If there is an active region, restrict the following agenda command to
5231 the region. Otherwise, restrict it to the current subtree@footnote{For
5232 backward compatibility, you can also press @kbd{0} to restrict to the
5233 current buffer.}. After pressing @kbd{< <}, you still need to press the
5234 character selecting the command.
5235 @end table
5236
5237 You can also define custom commands that will be accessible through the
5238 dispatcher, just like the default commands. This includes the
5239 possibility to create extended agenda buffers that contain several
5240 blocks together, for example the weekly agenda, the global TODO list and
5241 a number of special tags matches. @xref{Custom agenda views}.
5242
5243 @node Built-in agenda views, Presentation and sorting, Agenda dispatcher, Agenda Views
5244 @section The built-in agenda views
5245
5246 In this section we describe the built-in views.
5247
5248 @menu
5249 * Weekly/daily agenda:: The calendar page with current tasks
5250 * Global TODO list:: All unfinished action items
5251 * Matching tags and properties:: Structured information with fine-tuned search
5252 * Timeline:: Time-sorted view for single file
5253 * Keyword search:: Finding entries by keyword
5254 * Stuck projects:: Find projects you need to review
5255 @end menu
5256
5257 @node Weekly/daily agenda, Global TODO list, Built-in agenda views, Built-in agenda views
5258 @subsection The weekly/daily agenda
5259 @cindex agenda
5260 @cindex weekly agenda
5261 @cindex daily agenda
5262
5263 The purpose of the weekly/daily @emph{agenda} is to act like a page of a
5264 paper agenda, showing all the tasks for the current week or day.
5265
5266 @table @kbd
5267 @cindex org-agenda, command
5268 @kindex C-c a a
5269 @item C-c a a
5270 Compile an agenda for the current week from a list of org files. The
5271 agenda shows the entries for each day. With a numeric
5272 prefix@footnote{For backward compatibility, the universal prefix
5273 @kbd{C-u} causes all TODO entries to be listed before the agenda. This
5274 feature is deprecated, use the dedicated TODO list, or a block agenda
5275 instead.} (like @kbd{C-u 2 1 C-c a a}) you may set the number of days
5276 to be displayed (see also the variable @code{org-agenda-ndays})
5277 @end table
5278
5279 Remote editing from the agenda buffer means, for example, that you can
5280 change the dates of deadlines and appointments from the agenda buffer.
5281 The commands available in the Agenda buffer are listed in @ref{Agenda
5282 commands}.
5283
5284 @subsubheading Calendar/Diary integration
5285 @cindex calendar integration
5286 @cindex diary integration
5287
5288 Emacs contains the calendar and diary by Edward M. Reingold. The
5289 calendar displays a three-month calendar with holidays from different
5290 countries and cultures. The diary allows you to keep track of
5291 anniversaries, lunar phases, sunrise/set, recurrent appointments
5292 (weekly, monthly) and more. In this way, it is quite complementary to
5293 Org. It can be very useful to combine output from Org with
5294 the diary.
5295
5296 In order to include entries from the Emacs diary into Org mode's
5297 agenda, you only need to customize the variable
5298
5299 @lisp
5300 (setq org-agenda-include-diary t)
5301 @end lisp
5302
5303 @noindent After that, everything will happen automatically. All diary
5304 entries including holidays, anniversaries etc will be included in the
5305 agenda buffer created by Org mode. @key{SPC}, @key{TAB}, and
5306 @key{RET} can be used from the agenda buffer to jump to the diary
5307 file in order to edit existing diary entries. The @kbd{i} command to
5308 insert new entries for the current date works in the agenda buffer, as
5309 well as the commands @kbd{S}, @kbd{M}, and @kbd{C} to display
5310 Sunrise/Sunset times, show lunar phases and to convert to other
5311 calendars, respectively. @kbd{c} can be used to switch back and forth
5312 between calendar and agenda.
5313
5314 If you are using the diary only for sexp entries and holidays, it is
5315 faster to not use the above setting, but instead to copy or even move
5316 the entries into an Org file. Org mode evaluates diary-style sexp
5317 entries, and does it faster because there is no overhead for first
5318 creating the diary display. Note that the sexp entries must start at
5319 the left margin, no white space is allowed before them. For example,
5320 the following segment of an Org file will be processed and entries
5321 will be made in the agenda:
5322
5323 @example
5324 * Birthdays and similar stuff
5325 #+CATEGORY: Holiday
5326 %%(org-calendar-holiday) ; special function for holiday names
5327 #+CATEGORY: Ann
5328 %%(diary-anniversary 14 5 1956) Arthur Dent is %d years old
5329 %%(diary-anniversary 2 10 1869) Mahatma Gandhi would be %d years old
5330 @end example
5331
5332 @subsubheading Appointment reminders
5333 @cindex @file{appt.el}
5334 @cindex appointment reminders
5335
5336 Org can interact with Emacs appointments notification facility.
5337
5338 To add all the appointments of your agenda files, use the command
5339 @code{org-agenda-to-appt}. This commands also lets you filter through
5340 the list of your appointments and add only those belonging to a specific
5341 category or matching a regular expression. See the docstring for
5342 details.
5343
5344 @node Global TODO list, Matching tags and properties, Weekly/daily agenda, Built-in agenda views
5345 @subsection The global TODO list
5346 @cindex global TODO list
5347 @cindex TODO list, global
5348
5349 The global TODO list contains all unfinished TODO items, formatted and
5350 collected into a single place.
5351
5352 @table @kbd
5353 @kindex C-c a t
5354 @item C-c a t
5355 Show the global TODO list. This collects the TODO items from all
5356 agenda files (@pxref{Agenda Views}) into a single buffer. The buffer is in
5357 @code{agenda-mode}, so there are commands to examine and manipulate
5358 the TODO entries directly from that buffer (@pxref{Agenda commands}).
5359 @kindex C-c a T
5360 @item C-c a T
5361 @cindex TODO keyword matching
5362 Like the above, but allows selection of a specific TODO keyword. You
5363 can also do this by specifying a prefix argument to @kbd{C-c a t}. With
5364 a @kbd{C-u} prefix you are prompted for a keyword, and you may also
5365 specify several keywords by separating them with @samp{|} as boolean OR
5366 operator. With a numeric prefix, the Nth keyword in
5367 @code{org-todo-keywords} is selected.
5368 @kindex r
5369 The @kbd{r} key in the agenda buffer regenerates it, and you can give
5370 a prefix argument to this command to change the selected TODO keyword,
5371 for example @kbd{3 r}. If you often need a search for a specific
5372 keyword, define a custom command for it (@pxref{Agenda dispatcher}).@*
5373 Matching specific TODO keywords can also be done as part of a tags
5374 search (@pxref{Tag searches}).
5375 @end table
5376
5377 Remote editing of TODO items means that you can change the state of a
5378 TODO entry with a single key press. The commands available in the
5379 TODO list are described in @ref{Agenda commands}.
5380
5381 @cindex sublevels, inclusion into TODO list
5382 Normally the global TODO list simply shows all headlines with TODO
5383 keywords. This list can become very long. There are two ways to keep
5384 it more compact:
5385 @itemize @minus
5386 @item
5387 Some people view a TODO item that has been @emph{scheduled} for
5388 execution (@pxref{Timestamps}) as no longer @emph{open}. Configure the
5389 variable @code{org-agenda-todo-ignore-scheduled} to exclude scheduled
5390 items from the global TODO list.
5391 @item
5392 TODO items may have sublevels to break up the task into subtasks. In
5393 such cases it may be enough to list only the highest level TODO headline
5394 and omit the sublevels from the global list. Configure the variable
5395 @code{org-agenda-todo-list-sublevels} to get this behavior.
5396 @end itemize
5397
5398 @node Matching tags and properties, Timeline, Global TODO list, Built-in agenda views
5399 @subsection Matching tags and properties
5400 @cindex matching, of tags
5401 @cindex matching, of properties
5402 @cindex tags view
5403
5404 If headlines in the agenda files are marked with @emph{tags}
5405 (@pxref{Tags}), you can select headlines based on the tags that apply
5406 to them and collect them into an agenda buffer.
5407
5408 @table @kbd
5409 @kindex C-c a m
5410 @item C-c a m
5411 Produce a list of all headlines that match a given set of tags. The
5412 command prompts for a selection criterion, which is a boolean logic
5413 expression with tags, like @samp{+work+urgent-withboss} or
5414 @samp{work|home} (@pxref{Tags}). If you often need a specific search,
5415 define a custom command for it (@pxref{Agenda dispatcher}).
5416 @kindex C-c a M
5417 @item C-c a M
5418 Like @kbd{C-c a m}, but only select headlines that are also TODO items
5419 and force checking subitems (see variable
5420 @code{org-tags-match-list-sublevels}). Matching specific TODO keywords
5421 together with a tags match is also possible, see @ref{Tag searches}.
5422 @end table
5423
5424 The commands available in the tags list are described in @ref{Agenda
5425 commands}.
5426
5427 @node Timeline, Keyword search, Matching tags and properties, Built-in agenda views
5428 @subsection Timeline for a single file
5429 @cindex timeline, single file
5430 @cindex time-sorted view
5431
5432 The timeline summarizes all time-stamped items from a single Org mode
5433 file in a @emph{time-sorted view}. The main purpose of this command is
5434 to give an overview over events in a project.
5435
5436 @table @kbd
5437 @kindex C-c a L
5438 @item C-c a L
5439 Show a time-sorted view of the org file, with all time-stamped items.
5440 When called with a @kbd{C-u} prefix, all unfinished TODO entries
5441 (scheduled or not) are also listed under the current date.
5442 @end table
5443
5444 @noindent
5445 The commands available in the timeline buffer are listed in
5446 @ref{Agenda commands}.
5447
5448 @node Keyword search, Stuck projects, Timeline, Built-in agenda views
5449 @subsection Keyword search
5450 @cindex keyword search
5451 @cindex searching, for keywords
5452
5453 This agenda view is a general text search facility for Org mode entries.
5454 It is particularly useful to find notes.
5455
5456 @table @kbd
5457 @kindex C-c a s
5458 @item C-c a s
5459 This is a special search that lets you select entries by keywords or
5460 regular expression, using a boolean logic. For example, the search
5461 string
5462
5463 @example
5464 +computer +wifi -ethernet -@{8\.11[bg]@}
5465 @end example
5466
5467 @noindent
5468 will search for note entries that contain the keywords @code{computer}
5469 and @code{wifi}, but not the keyword @code{ethernet}, and which are also
5470 not matched by the regular expression @code{8\.11[bg]}, meaning to
5471 exclude both 8.11b and 8.11g.
5472
5473 Note that in addition to the agenda files, this command will also search
5474 the files listed in @code{org-agenda-text-search-extra-files}.
5475 @end table
5476
5477 @node Stuck projects, , Keyword search, Built-in agenda views
5478 @subsection Stuck projects
5479
5480 If you are following a system like David Allen's GTD to organize your
5481 work, one of the ``duties'' you have is a regular review to make sure
5482 that all projects move along. A @emph{stuck} project is a project that
5483 has no defined next actions, so it will never show up in the TODO lists
5484 Org mode produces. During the review, you need to identify such
5485 projects and define next actions for them.
5486
5487 @table @kbd
5488 @kindex C-c a #
5489 @item C-c a #
5490 List projects that are stuck.
5491 @kindex C-c a !
5492 @item C-c a !
5493 Customize the variable @code{org-stuck-projects} to define what a stuck
5494 project is and how to find it.
5495 @end table
5496
5497 You almost certainly will have to configure this view before it will
5498 work for you. The built-in default assumes that all your projects are
5499 level-2 headlines, and that a project is not stuck if it has at least
5500 one entry marked with a TODO keyword TODO or NEXT or NEXTACTION.
5501
5502 Lets assume that you, in your own way of using Org mode, identify
5503 projects with a tag PROJECT, and that you use a TODO keyword MAYBE to
5504 indicate a project that should not be considered yet. Lets further
5505 assume that the TODO keyword DONE marks finished projects, and that NEXT
5506 and TODO indicate next actions. The tag @@SHOP indicates shopping and
5507 is a next action even without the NEXT tag. Finally, if the project
5508 contains the special word IGNORE anywhere, it should not be listed
5509 either. In this case you would start by identifying eligible projects
5510 with a tags/todo match @samp{+PROJECT/-MAYBE-DONE}, and then check for
5511 TODO, NEXT, @@SHOP, and IGNORE in the subtree to identify projects that
5512 are not stuck. The correct customization for this is
5513
5514 @lisp
5515 (setq org-stuck-projects
5516 '("+PROJECT/-MAYBE-DONE" ("NEXT" "TODO") ("@@SHOP")
5517 "\\<IGNORE\\>"))
5518 @end lisp
5519
5520
5521 @node Presentation and sorting, Agenda commands, Built-in agenda views, Agenda Views
5522 @section Presentation and sorting
5523 @cindex presentation, of agenda items
5524
5525 Before displaying items in an agenda view, Org mode visually prepares
5526 the items and sorts them. Each item occupies a single line. The line
5527 starts with a @emph{prefix} that contains the @emph{category}
5528 (@pxref{Categories}) of the item and other important information. You can
5529 customize the prefix using the option @code{org-agenda-prefix-format}.
5530 The prefix is followed by a cleaned-up version of the outline headline
5531 associated with the item.
5532
5533 @menu
5534 * Categories:: Not all tasks are equal
5535 * Time-of-day specifications:: How the agenda knows the time
5536 * Sorting of agenda items:: The order of things
5537 @end menu
5538
5539 @node Categories, Time-of-day specifications, Presentation and sorting, Presentation and sorting
5540 @subsection Categories
5541
5542 @cindex category
5543 The category is a broad label assigned to each agenda item. By default,
5544 the category is simply derived from the file name, but you can also
5545 specify it with a special line in the buffer, like this@footnote{For
5546 backward compatibility, the following also works: If there are several
5547 such lines in a file, each specifies the category for the text below it.
5548 The first category also applies to any text before the first CATEGORY
5549 line. However, using this method is @emph{strongly} deprecated as it is
5550 incompatible with the outline structure of the document. The correct
5551 method for setting multiple categories in a buffer is using a
5552 property.}:
5553
5554 @example
5555 #+CATEGORY: Thesis
5556 @end example
5557
5558 @noindent
5559 If you would like to have a special CATEGORY for a single entry or a
5560 (sub)tree, give the entry a @code{:CATEGORY:} property with the location
5561 as the value (@pxref{Properties and Columns}).
5562
5563 @noindent
5564 The display in the agenda buffer looks best if the category is not
5565 longer than 10 characters.
5566
5567 @node Time-of-day specifications, Sorting of agenda items, Categories, Presentation and sorting
5568 @subsection Time-of-day specifications
5569 @cindex time-of-day specification
5570
5571 Org mode checks each agenda item for a time-of-day specification. The
5572 time can be part of the time stamp that triggered inclusion into the
5573 agenda, for example as in @w{@samp{<2005-05-10 Tue 19:00>}}. Time
5574 ranges can be specified with two time stamps, like
5575 @c
5576 @w{@samp{<2005-05-10 Tue 20:30>--<2005-05-10 Tue 22:15>}}.
5577
5578 In the headline of the entry itself, a time(range) may also appear as
5579 plain text (like @samp{12:45} or a @samp{8:30-1pm}). If the agenda
5580 integrates the Emacs diary (@pxref{Weekly/daily agenda}), time
5581 specifications in diary entries are recognized as well.
5582
5583 For agenda display, Org mode extracts the time and displays it in a
5584 standard 24 hour format as part of the prefix. The example times in
5585 the previous paragraphs would end up in the agenda like this:
5586
5587 @example
5588 8:30-13:00 Arthur Dent lies in front of the bulldozer
5589 12:45...... Ford Prefect arrives and takes Arthur to the pub
5590 19:00...... The Vogon reads his poem
5591 20:30-22:15 Marwin escorts the Hitchhikers to the bridge
5592 @end example
5593
5594 @cindex time grid
5595 If the agenda is in single-day mode, or for the display of today, the
5596 timed entries are embedded in a time grid, like
5597
5598 @example
5599 8:00...... ------------------
5600 8:30-13:00 Arthur Dent lies in front of the bulldozer
5601 10:00...... ------------------
5602 12:00...... ------------------
5603 12:45...... Ford Prefect arrives and takes Arthur to the pub
5604 14:00...... ------------------
5605 16:00...... ------------------
5606 18:00...... ------------------
5607 19:00...... The Vogon reads his poem
5608 20:00...... ------------------
5609 20:30-22:15 Marwin escorts the Hitchhikers to the bridge
5610 @end example
5611
5612 The time grid can be turned on and off with the variable
5613 @code{org-agenda-use-time-grid}, and can be configured with
5614 @code{org-agenda-time-grid}.
5615
5616 @node Sorting of agenda items, , Time-of-day specifications, Presentation and sorting
5617 @subsection Sorting of agenda items
5618 @cindex sorting, of agenda items
5619 @cindex priorities, of agenda items
5620 Before being inserted into a view, the items are sorted. How this is
5621 done depends on the type of view.
5622 @itemize @bullet
5623 @item
5624 For the daily/weekly agenda, the items for each day are sorted. The
5625 default order is to first collect all items containing an explicit
5626 time-of-day specification. These entries will be shown at the beginning
5627 of the list, as a @emph{schedule} for the day. After that, items remain
5628 grouped in categories, in the sequence given by @code{org-agenda-files}.
5629 Within each category, items are sorted by priority (@pxref{Priorities}),
5630 which is composed of the base priority (2000 for priority @samp{A}, 1000
5631 for @samp{B}, and 0 for @samp{C}), plus additional increments for
5632 overdue scheduled or deadline items.
5633 @item
5634 For the TODO list, items remain in the order of categories, but within
5635 each category, sorting takes place according to priority
5636 (@pxref{Priorities}).
5637 @item
5638 For tags matches, items are not sorted at all, but just appear in the
5639 sequence in which they are found in the agenda files.
5640 @end itemize
5641
5642 Sorting can be customized using the variable
5643 @code{org-agenda-sorting-strategy}, and may also include criteria based on
5644 the estimated effort of an entry.
5645 @c FIXME: link!!!!!!!!
5646
5647
5648 @node Agenda commands, Custom agenda views, Presentation and sorting, Agenda Views
5649 @section Commands in the agenda buffer
5650 @cindex commands, in agenda buffer
5651
5652 Entries in the agenda buffer are linked back to the org file or diary
5653 file where they originate. You are not allowed to edit the agenda
5654 buffer itself, but commands are provided to show and jump to the
5655 original entry location, and to edit the org-files ``remotely'' from
5656 the agenda buffer. In this way, all information is stored only once,
5657 removing the risk that your agenda and note files may diverge.
5658
5659 Some commands can be executed with mouse clicks on agenda lines. For
5660 the other commands, the cursor needs to be in the desired line.
5661
5662 @table @kbd
5663 @tsubheading{Motion}
5664 @cindex motion commands in agenda
5665 @kindex n
5666 @item n
5667 Next line (same as @key{up} and @kbd{C-p}).
5668 @kindex p
5669 @item p
5670 Previous line (same as @key{down} and @kbd{C-n}).
5671 @tsubheading{View/Go to org file}
5672 @kindex mouse-3
5673 @kindex @key{SPC}
5674 @item mouse-3
5675 @itemx @key{SPC}
5676 Display the original location of the item in another window.
5677 @c
5678 @kindex L
5679 @item L
5680 Display original location and recenter that window.
5681 @c
5682 @kindex mouse-2
5683 @kindex mouse-1
5684 @kindex @key{TAB}
5685 @item mouse-2
5686 @itemx mouse-1
5687 @itemx @key{TAB}
5688 Go to the original location of the item in another window. Under Emacs
5689 22, @kbd{mouse-1} will also works for this.
5690 @c
5691 @kindex @key{RET}
5692 @itemx @key{RET}
5693 Go to the original location of the item and delete other windows.
5694 @c
5695 @kindex f
5696 @item f
5697 Toggle Follow mode. In Follow mode, as you move the cursor through
5698 the agenda buffer, the other window always shows the corresponding
5699 location in the org file. The initial setting for this mode in new
5700 agenda buffers can be set with the variable
5701 @code{org-agenda-start-with-follow-mode}.
5702 @c
5703 @kindex b
5704 @item b
5705 Display the entire subtree of the current item in an indirect buffer. With a
5706 numeric prefix argument N, go up to level N and then take that tree. If N is
5707 negative, go up that many levels. With a @kbd{C-u} prefix, do not remove the
5708 previously used indirect buffer.
5709 @c
5710 @kindex l
5711 @item l
5712 Toggle Logbook mode. In Logbook mode, entries that where marked DONE while
5713 logging was on (variable @code{org-log-done}) are shown in the agenda,
5714 as are entries that have been clocked on that day.
5715 @c
5716 @kindex v
5717 @item v
5718 Toggle Archives mode. In archives mode, trees that are marked are also
5719 scanned when producing the agenda. When you call this command with a
5720 @kbd{C-u} prefix argument, even all archive files are included. To exit
5721 archives mode, press @kbd{v} again.
5722 @c
5723 @kindex R
5724 @item R
5725 Toggle Clockreport mode. In clockreport mode, the daily/weekly agenda will
5726 always show a table with the clocked times for the timespan and file scope
5727 covered by the current agenda view. The initial setting for this mode in new
5728 agenda buffers can be set with the variable
5729 @code{org-agenda-start-with-clockreport-mode}.
5730
5731 @tsubheading{Change display}
5732 @cindex display changing, in agenda
5733 @kindex o
5734 @item o
5735 Delete other windows.
5736 @c
5737 @kindex d
5738 @kindex w
5739 @kindex m
5740 @kindex y
5741 @item d w m y
5742 Switch to day/week/month/year view. When switching to day or week view,
5743 this setting becomes the default for subsequent agenda commands. Since
5744 month and year views are slow to create, they do not become the default.
5745 A numeric prefix argument may be used to jump directly to a specific day
5746 of the year, ISO week, month, or year, respectively. For example,
5747 @kbd{32 d} jumps to February 1st, @kbd{9 w} to ISO week number 9. When
5748 setting day, week, or month view, a year may be encoded in the prefix
5749 argument as well. For example, @kbd{200712 w} will jump to week 12 in
5750 2007. If such a year specification has only one or two digits, it will
5751 be mapped to the interval 1938-2037.
5752 @c
5753 @kindex D
5754 @item D
5755 Toggle the inclusion of diary entries. See @ref{Weekly/daily agenda}.
5756 @c
5757 @kindex G
5758 @item G
5759 Toggle the time grid on and off. See also the variables
5760 @code{org-agenda-use-time-grid} and @code{org-agenda-time-grid}.
5761 @c
5762 @kindex r
5763 @item r
5764 Recreate the agenda buffer, for example to reflect the changes
5765 after modification of the time stamps of items with S-@key{left} and
5766 S-@key{right}. When the buffer is the global TODO list, a prefix
5767 argument is interpreted to create a selective list for a specific TODO
5768 keyword.
5769 @kindex g
5770 @item g
5771 Same as @kbd{r}.
5772 @c
5773 @kindex s
5774 @kindex C-x C-s
5775 @item s
5776 @itemx C-x C-s
5777 Save all Org buffers in the current Emacs session.
5778 @c
5779 @kindex @key{right}
5780 @item @key{right}
5781 Display the following @code{org-agenda-ndays} days. For example, if
5782 the display covers a week, switch to the following week. With prefix
5783 arg, go forward that many times @code{org-agenda-ndays} days.
5784 @c
5785 @kindex @key{left}
5786 @item @key{left}
5787 Display the previous dates.
5788 @c
5789 @kindex .
5790 @item .
5791 Go to today.
5792 @c
5793 @kindex C-c C-x C-c
5794 @item C-c C-x C-c
5795 Invoke column view (@pxref{Column view}) in the agenda buffer. The column
5796 view format is taken from the entry at point, or (if there is no entry at
5797 point), from the first entry in the agenda view. So whatever the format for
5798 that entry would be in the original buffer (taken from a property, from a
5799 @code{#+COLUMNS} line, or from the default variable
5800 @code{org-columns-default-format}), will be used in the agenda.
5801
5802 @tsubheading{Query editing}
5803 @cindex query editing, in agenda
5804
5805 @kindex [
5806 @kindex ]
5807 @kindex @{
5808 @kindex @}
5809 @item [ ] @{ @}
5810 In the @i{search view} (@pxref{Keyword search}), these keys add new
5811 search words (@kbd{[} and @kbd{]}) or new regular expressions (@kbd{@{}
5812 and @kbd{@}}) to the query string. The opening bracket/brace will add a
5813 positive search term prefixed by @samp{+}, indicating that this search
5814 term @i{must} occur/match in the entry. Closing bracket/brace add a
5815 negative search term which @i{must not} occur/match in the entry for it
5816 to be selected.
5817
5818
5819 @tsubheading{Remote editing}
5820 @cindex remote editing, from agenda
5821
5822 @item 0-9
5823 Digit argument.
5824 @c
5825 @cindex undoing remote-editing events
5826 @cindex remote editing, undo
5827 @kindex C-_
5828 @item C-_
5829 Undo a change due to a remote editing command. The change is undone
5830 both in the agenda buffer and in the remote buffer.
5831 @c
5832 @kindex t
5833 @item t
5834 Change the TODO state of the item, both in the agenda and in the
5835 original org file.
5836 @c
5837 @kindex C-k
5838 @item C-k
5839 Delete the current agenda item along with the entire subtree belonging
5840 to it in the original Org file. If the text to be deleted remotely
5841 is longer than one line, the kill needs to be confirmed by the user. See
5842 variable @code{org-agenda-confirm-kill}.
5843 @c
5844 @kindex a
5845 @item a
5846 Toggle the ARCHIVE tag for the current headline.
5847 @c
5848 @kindex A
5849 @item A
5850 Move the subtree corresponding to the current entry to its @emph{Archive
5851 Sibling}.
5852 @c
5853 @kindex $
5854 @item $
5855 Archive the subtree corresponding to the current headline. This means the
5856 entry will be moved to the configured archive location, most likely a
5857 different file.
5858 @c
5859 @kindex T
5860 @item T
5861 Show all tags associated with the current item. Because of
5862 inheritance, this may be more than the tags listed in the line itself.
5863 @c
5864 @kindex :
5865 @item :
5866 Set tags for the current headline. If there is an active region in the
5867 agenda, change a tag for all headings in the region.
5868 @c
5869 @kindex ,
5870 @item ,
5871 Set the priority for the current item. Org mode prompts for the
5872 priority character. If you reply with @key{SPC}, the priority cookie
5873 is removed from the entry.
5874 @c
5875 @kindex P
5876 @item P
5877 Display weighted priority of current item.
5878 @c
5879 @kindex +
5880 @kindex S-@key{up}
5881 @item +
5882 @itemx S-@key{up}
5883 Increase the priority of the current item. The priority is changed in
5884 the original buffer, but the agenda is not resorted. Use the @kbd{r}
5885 key for this.
5886 @c
5887 @kindex -
5888 @kindex S-@key{down}
5889 @item -
5890 @itemx S-@key{down}
5891 Decrease the priority of the current item.
5892 @c
5893 @kindex C-c C-s
5894 @item C-c C-s
5895 Schedule this item
5896 @c
5897 @kindex C-c C-d
5898 @item C-c C-d
5899 Set a deadline for this item.
5900 @c
5901 @kindex k
5902 @item k
5903 Agenda actions, to set dates for selected items to the cursor date.
5904 This command also works in the calendar! The command prompts for an
5905 additonal key:
5906 @example
5907 m @r{Mark the entry at point for action. You can also make entries}
5908 @r{in Org files with @kbd{C-c C-x C-k}.}
5909 d @r{Set the deadline of the marked entry to the date at point.}
5910 s @r{Schedule the marked entry at the date at point.}
5911 r @r{Call @code{org-remember} with the cursor date as default date.}
5912 @end example
5913 Press @kbd{r} afterwards to refresh the agenda and see the effect of the
5914 command.
5915 @c
5916 @kindex S-@key{right}
5917 @item S-@key{right}
5918 Change the time stamp associated with the current line by one day into the
5919 future. With a numeric prefix argument, change it by that many days. For
5920 example, @kbd{3 6 5 S-@key{right}} will change it by a year. The stamp is
5921 changed in the original org file, but the change is not directly reflected in
5922 the agenda buffer. Use the @kbd{r} key to update the buffer.
5923 @c
5924 @kindex S-@key{left}
5925 @item S-@key{left}
5926 Change the time stamp associated with the current line by one day
5927 into the past.
5928 @c
5929 @kindex >
5930 @item >
5931 Change the time stamp associated with the current line to today.
5932 The key @kbd{>} has been chosen, because it is the same as @kbd{S-.}
5933 on my keyboard.
5934 @c
5935 @kindex I
5936 @item I
5937 Start the clock on the current item. If a clock is running already, it
5938 is stopped first.
5939 @c
5940 @kindex O
5941 @item O
5942 Stop the previously started clock.
5943 @c
5944 @kindex X
5945 @item X
5946 Cancel the currently running clock.
5947
5948 @kindex J
5949 @item J
5950 Jump to the running clock in another window.
5951
5952 @tsubheading{Calendar commands}
5953 @cindex calendar commands, from agenda
5954 @kindex c
5955 @item c
5956 Open the Emacs calendar and move to the date at the agenda cursor.
5957 @c
5958 @item c
5959 When in the calendar, compute and show the Org mode agenda for the
5960 date at the cursor.
5961 @c
5962 @cindex diary entries, creating from agenda
5963 @kindex i
5964 @item i
5965 Insert a new entry into the diary. Prompts for the type of entry
5966 (day, weekly, monthly, yearly, anniversary, cyclic) and creates a new
5967 entry in the diary, just as @kbd{i d} etc. would do in the calendar.
5968 The date is taken from the cursor position.
5969 @c
5970 @kindex M
5971 @item M
5972 Show the phases of the moon for the three months around current date.
5973 @c
5974 @kindex S
5975 @item S
5976 Show sunrise and sunset times. The geographical location must be set
5977 with calendar variables, see documentation of the Emacs calendar.
5978 @c
5979 @kindex C
5980 @item C
5981 Convert the date at cursor into many other cultural and historic
5982 calendars.
5983 @c
5984 @kindex H
5985 @item H
5986 Show holidays for three month around the cursor date.
5987
5988 @item M-x org-export-icalendar-combine-agenda-files
5989 Export a single iCalendar file containing entries from all agenda files.
5990 This is a globally available command, and also available in the agenda menu.
5991
5992 @tsubheading{Exporting to a file}
5993 @kindex C-x C-w
5994 @item C-x C-w
5995 @cindex exporting agenda views
5996 @cindex agenda views, exporting
5997 Write the agenda view to a file. Depending on the extension of the
5998 selected file name, the view will be exported as HTML (extension
5999 @file{.html} or @file{.htm}), Postscript (extension @file{.ps}), or
6000 plain text (any other extension). Use the variable
6001 @code{org-agenda-exporter-settings} to set options for @file{ps-print}
6002 and for @file{htmlize} to be used during export.
6003
6004 @tsubheading{Quit and Exit}
6005 @kindex q
6006 @item q
6007 Quit agenda, remove the agenda buffer.
6008 @c
6009 @kindex x
6010 @cindex agenda files, removing buffers
6011 @item x
6012 Exit agenda, remove the agenda buffer and all buffers loaded by Emacs
6013 for the compilation of the agenda. Buffers created by the user to
6014 visit org files will not be removed.
6015 @end table
6016
6017
6018 @node Custom agenda views, Agenda column view, Agenda commands, Agenda Views
6019 @section Custom agenda views
6020 @cindex custom agenda views
6021 @cindex agenda views, custom
6022
6023 Custom agenda commands serve two purposes: to store and quickly access
6024 frequently used TODO and tags searches, and to create special composite
6025 agenda buffers. Custom agenda commands will be accessible through the
6026 dispatcher (@pxref{Agenda dispatcher}), just like the default commands.
6027
6028 @menu
6029 * Storing searches:: Type once, use often
6030 * Block agenda:: All the stuff you need in a single buffer
6031 * Setting Options:: Changing the rules
6032 * Exporting Agenda Views:: Writing agendas to files
6033 * Using the agenda elsewhere:: Using agenda information in other programs
6034 @end menu
6035
6036 @node Storing searches, Block agenda, Custom agenda views, Custom agenda views
6037 @subsection Storing searches
6038
6039 The first application of custom searches is the definition of keyboard
6040 shortcuts for frequently used searches, either creating an agenda
6041 buffer, or a sparse tree (the latter covering of course only the current
6042 buffer).
6043 @kindex C-c a C
6044 Custom commands are configured in the variable
6045 @code{org-agenda-custom-commands}. You can customize this variable, for
6046 example by pressing @kbd{C-c a C}. You can also directly set it with
6047 Emacs Lisp in @file{.emacs}. The following example contains all valid
6048 search types:
6049
6050 @lisp
6051 @group
6052 (setq org-agenda-custom-commands
6053 '(("w" todo "WAITING")
6054 ("W" todo-tree "WAITING")
6055 ("u" tags "+boss-urgent")
6056 ("v" tags-todo "+boss-urgent")
6057 ("U" tags-tree "+boss-urgent")
6058 ("f" occur-tree "\\<FIXME\\>")
6059 ("h" . "HOME+Name tags searches") ; description for "h" prefix
6060 ("hl" tags "+home+Lisa")
6061 ("hp" tags "+home+Peter")
6062 ("hk" tags "+home+Kim")))
6063 @end group
6064 @end lisp
6065
6066 @noindent
6067 The initial string in each entry defines the keys you have to press
6068 after the dispatcher command @kbd{C-c a} in order to access the command.
6069 Usually this will be just a single character, but if you have many
6070 similar commands, you can also define two-letter combinations where the
6071 first character is the same in several combinations and serves as a
6072 prefix key@footnote{You can provide a description for a prefix key by
6073 inserting a cons cell with the prefix and the description.}. The second
6074 parameter is the search type, followed by the string or regular
6075 expression to be used for the matching. The example above will
6076 therefore define:
6077
6078 @table @kbd
6079 @item C-c a w
6080 as a global search for TODO entries with @samp{WAITING} as the TODO
6081 keyword
6082 @item C-c a W
6083 as the same search, but only in the current buffer and displaying the
6084 results as a sparse tree
6085 @item C-c a u
6086 as a global tags search for headlines marked @samp{:boss:} but not
6087 @samp{:urgent:}
6088 @item C-c a v
6089 as the same search as @kbd{C-c a u}, but limiting the search to
6090 headlines that are also TODO items
6091 @item C-c a U
6092 as the same search as @kbd{C-c a u}, but only in the current buffer and
6093 displaying the result as a sparse tree
6094 @item C-c a f
6095 to create a sparse tree (again: current buffer only) with all entries
6096 containing the word @samp{FIXME}
6097 @item C-c a h
6098 as a prefix command for a HOME tags search where you have to press an
6099 additional key (@kbd{l}, @kbd{p} or @kbd{k}) to select a name (Lisa,
6100 Peter, or Kim) as additional tag to match.
6101 @end table
6102
6103 @node Block agenda, Setting Options, Storing searches, Custom agenda views
6104 @subsection Block agenda
6105 @cindex block agenda
6106 @cindex agenda, with block views
6107
6108 Another possibility is the construction of agenda views that comprise
6109 the results of @emph{several} commands, each of which creates a block in
6110 the agenda buffer. The available commands include @code{agenda} for the
6111 daily or weekly agenda (as created with @kbd{C-c a a}), @code{alltodo}
6112 for the global TODO list (as constructed with @kbd{C-c a t}), and the
6113 matching commands discussed above: @code{todo}, @code{tags}, and
6114 @code{tags-todo}. Here are two examples:
6115
6116 @lisp
6117 @group
6118 (setq org-agenda-custom-commands
6119 '(("h" "Agenda and Home-related tasks"
6120 ((agenda "")
6121 (tags-todo "home")
6122 (tags "garden")))
6123 ("o" "Agenda and Office-related tasks"
6124 ((agenda "")
6125 (tags-todo "work")
6126 (tags "office")))))
6127 @end group
6128 @end lisp
6129
6130 @noindent
6131 This will define @kbd{C-c a h} to create a multi-block view for stuff
6132 you need to attend to at home. The resulting agenda buffer will contain
6133 your agenda for the current week, all TODO items that carry the tag
6134 @samp{home}, and also all lines tagged with @samp{garden}. Finally the
6135 command @kbd{C-c a o} provides a similar view for office tasks.
6136
6137 @node Setting Options, Exporting Agenda Views, Block agenda, Custom agenda views
6138 @subsection Setting options for custom commands
6139 @cindex options, for custom agenda views
6140
6141 Org mode contains a number of variables regulating agenda construction
6142 and display. The global variables define the behavior for all agenda
6143 commands, including the custom commands. However, if you want to change
6144 some settings just for a single custom view, you can do so. Setting
6145 options requires inserting a list of variable names and values at the
6146 right spot in @code{org-agenda-custom-commands}. For example:
6147
6148 @lisp
6149 @group
6150 (setq org-agenda-custom-commands
6151 '(("w" todo "WAITING"
6152 ((org-agenda-sorting-strategy '(priority-down))
6153 (org-agenda-prefix-format " Mixed: ")))
6154 ("U" tags-tree "+boss-urgent"
6155 ((org-show-following-heading nil)
6156 (org-show-hierarchy-above nil)))
6157 ("N" search ""
6158 ((org-agenda-files '("~org/notes.org"))
6159 (org-agenda-text-search-extra-files nil)))))
6160 @end group
6161 @end lisp
6162
6163 @noindent
6164 Now the @kbd{C-c a w} command will sort the collected entries only by
6165 priority, and the prefix format is modified to just say @samp{ Mixed: }
6166 instead of giving the category of the entry. The sparse tags tree of
6167 @kbd{C-c a U} will now turn out ultra-compact, because neither the
6168 headline hierarchy above the match, nor the headline following the match
6169 will be shown. The command @kbd{C-c a N} will do a text search limited
6170 to only a single file.
6171
6172 For command sets creating a block agenda,
6173 @code{org-agenda-custom-commands} has two separate spots for setting
6174 options. You can add options that should be valid for just a single
6175 command in the set, and options that should be valid for all commands in
6176 the set. The former are just added to the command entry, the latter
6177 must come after the list of command entries. Going back to the block
6178 agenda example (@pxref{Block agenda}), let's change the sorting strategy
6179 for the @kbd{C-c a h} commands to @code{priority-down}, but let's sort
6180 the results for GARDEN tags query in the opposite order,
6181 @code{priority-up}. This would look like this:
6182
6183 @lisp
6184 @group
6185 (setq org-agenda-custom-commands
6186 '(("h" "Agenda and Home-related tasks"
6187 ((agenda)
6188 (tags-todo "home")
6189 (tags "garden"
6190 ((org-agenda-sorting-strategy '(priority-up)))))
6191 ((org-agenda-sorting-strategy '(priority-down))))
6192 ("o" "Agenda and Office-related tasks"
6193 ((agenda)
6194 (tags-todo "work")
6195 (tags "office")))))
6196 @end group
6197 @end lisp
6198
6199 As you see, the values and parenthesis setting is a little complex.
6200 When in doubt, use the customize interface to set this variable - it
6201 fully supports its structure. Just one caveat: When setting options in
6202 this interface, the @emph{values} are just lisp expressions. So if the
6203 value is a string, you need to add the double quotes around the value
6204 yourself.
6205
6206
6207 @node Exporting Agenda Views, Using the agenda elsewhere, Setting Options, Custom agenda views
6208 @subsection Exporting Agenda Views
6209 @cindex agenda views, exporting
6210
6211 If you are away from your computer, it can be very useful to have a
6212 printed version of some agenda views to carry around. Org mode can
6213 export custom agenda views as plain text, HTML@footnote{You need to
6214 install Hrvoje Niksic' @file{htmlize.el}.} postscript, and iCalendar
6215 files. If you want to do this only occasionally, use the command
6216
6217 @table @kbd
6218 @kindex C-x C-w
6219 @item C-x C-w
6220 @cindex exporting agenda views
6221 @cindex agenda views, exporting
6222 Write the agenda view to a file. Depending on the extension of the
6223 selected file name, the view will be exported as HTML (extension
6224 @file{.html} or @file{.htm}), Postscript (extension @file{.ps}),
6225 iCalendar (extension @file{.ics}), or plain text (any other extension).
6226 Use the variable @code{org-agenda-exporter-settings} to
6227 set options for @file{ps-print} and for @file{htmlize} to be used during
6228 export, for example
6229
6230 @lisp
6231 (setq org-agenda-exporter-settings
6232 '((ps-number-of-columns 2)
6233 (ps-landscape-mode t)
6234 (htmlize-output-type 'css)))
6235 @end lisp
6236 @end table
6237
6238 If you need to export certain agenda views frequently, you can associate
6239 any custom agenda command with a list of output file names
6240 @footnote{If you want to store standard views like the weekly agenda
6241 or the global TODO list as well, you need to define custom commands for
6242 them in order to be able to specify file names.}. Here is an example
6243 that first does define custom commands for the agenda and the global
6244 todo list, together with a number of files to which to export them.
6245 Then we define two block agenda commands and specify file names for them
6246 as well. File names can be relative to the current working directory,
6247 or absolute.
6248
6249 @lisp
6250 @group
6251 (setq org-agenda-custom-commands
6252 '(("X" agenda "" nil ("agenda.html" "agenda.ps"))
6253 ("Y" alltodo "" nil ("todo.html" "todo.txt" "todo.ps"))
6254 ("h" "Agenda and Home-related tasks"
6255 ((agenda "")
6256 (tags-todo "home")
6257 (tags "garden"))
6258 nil
6259 ("~/views/home.html"))
6260 ("o" "Agenda and Office-related tasks"
6261 ((agenda)
6262 (tags-todo "work")
6263 (tags "office"))
6264 nil
6265 ("~/views/office.ps" "~/calendars/office.ics"))))
6266 @end group
6267 @end lisp
6268
6269 The extension of the file name determines the type of export. If it is
6270 @file{.html}, Org mode will use the @file{htmlize.el} package to convert
6271 the buffer to HTML and save it to this file name. If the extension is
6272 @file{.ps}, @code{ps-print-buffer-with-faces} is used to produce
6273 postscript output. If the extension is @file{.ics}, iCalendar export is
6274 run export over all files that were used to construct the agenda, and
6275 limit the export to entries listed in the agenda now. Any other
6276 extension produces a plain ASCII file.
6277
6278 The export files are @emph{not} created when you use one of those
6279 commands interactively because this might use too much overhead.
6280 Instead, there is a special command to produce @emph{all} specified
6281 files in one step:
6282
6283 @table @kbd
6284 @kindex C-c a e
6285 @item C-c a e
6286 Export all agenda views that have export file names associated with
6287 them.
6288 @end table
6289
6290 You can use the options section of the custom agenda commands to also
6291 set options for the export commands. For example:
6292
6293 @lisp
6294 (setq org-agenda-custom-commands
6295 '(("X" agenda ""
6296 ((ps-number-of-columns 2)
6297 (ps-landscape-mode t)
6298 (org-agenda-prefix-format " [ ] ")
6299 (org-agenda-with-colors nil)
6300 (org-agenda-remove-tags t))
6301 ("theagenda.ps"))))
6302 @end lisp
6303
6304 @noindent
6305 This command sets two options for the postscript exporter, to make it
6306 print in two columns in landscape format - the resulting page can be cut
6307 in two and then used in a paper agenda. The remaining settings modify
6308 the agenda prefix to omit category and scheduling information, and
6309 instead include a checkbox to check off items. We also remove the tags
6310 to make the lines compact, and we don't want to use colors for the
6311 black-and-white printer. Settings specified in
6312 @code{org-agenda-exporter-settings} will also apply, but the settings
6313 in @code{org-agenda-custom-commands} take precedence.
6314
6315 @noindent
6316 From the command line you may also use
6317 @example
6318 emacs -f org-batch-store-agenda-views -kill
6319 @end example
6320 @noindent
6321 or, if you need to modify some parameters
6322 @example
6323 emacs -eval '(org-batch-store-agenda-views \
6324 org-agenda-ndays 30 \
6325 org-agenda-start-day "2007-11-01" \
6326 org-agenda-include-diary nil \
6327 org-agenda-files (quote ("~/org/project.org")))' \
6328 -kill
6329 @end example
6330 @noindent
6331 which will create the agenda views restricted to the file
6332 @file{~/org/project.org}, without diary entries and with 30 days
6333 extent.
6334
6335 @node Using the agenda elsewhere, , Exporting Agenda Views, Custom agenda views
6336 @subsection Using agenda information outside of Org
6337 @cindex agenda, pipe
6338 @cindex Scripts, for agenda processing
6339
6340 Org provides commands to access agenda information for the command
6341 line in emacs batch mode. This extracted information can be sent
6342 directly to a printer, or it can be read by a program that does further
6343 processing of the data. The first of these commands is the function
6344 @code{org-batch-agenda}, that produces an agenda view and sends it as
6345 ASCII text to STDOUT. The command takes a single string as parameter.
6346 If the string has length 1, it is used as a key to one of the commands
6347 you have configured in @code{org-agenda-custom-commands}, basically any
6348 key you can use after @kbd{C-c a}. For example, to directly print the
6349 current TODO list, you could use
6350
6351 @example
6352 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -eval '(org-batch-agenda "t")' | lpr
6353 @end example
6354
6355 If the parameter is a string with 2 or more characters, it is used as a
6356 tags/todo match string. For example, to print your local shopping list
6357 (all items with the tag @samp{shop}, but excluding the tag
6358 @samp{NewYork}), you could use
6359
6360 @example
6361 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs \
6362 -eval '(org-batch-agenda "+shop-NewYork")' | lpr
6363 @end example
6364
6365 @noindent
6366 You may also modify parameters on the fly like this:
6367
6368 @example
6369 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs \
6370 -eval '(org-batch-agenda "a" \
6371 org-agenda-ndays 30 \
6372 org-agenda-include-diary nil \
6373 org-agenda-files (quote ("~/org/project.org")))' \
6374 | lpr
6375 @end example
6376
6377 @noindent
6378 which will produce a 30 day agenda, fully restricted to the Org file
6379 @file{~/org/projects.org}, not even including the diary.
6380
6381 If you want to process the agenda data in more sophisticated ways, you
6382 can use the command @code{org-batch-agenda-csv} to get a comma-separated
6383 list of values for each agenda item. Each line in the output will
6384 contain a number of fields separated by commas. The fields in a line
6385 are:
6386
6387 @example
6388 category @r{The category of the item}
6389 head @r{The headline, without TODO kwd, TAGS and PRIORITY}
6390 type @r{The type of the agenda entry, can be}
6391 todo @r{selected in TODO match}
6392 tagsmatch @r{selected in tags match}
6393 diary @r{imported from diary}
6394 deadline @r{a deadline}
6395 scheduled @r{scheduled}
6396 timestamp @r{appointment, selected by timestamp}
6397 closed @r{entry was closed on date}
6398 upcoming-deadline @r{warning about nearing deadline}
6399 past-scheduled @r{forwarded scheduled item}
6400 block @r{entry has date block including date}
6401 todo @r{The TODO keyword, if any}
6402 tags @r{All tags including inherited ones, separated by colons}
6403 date @r{The relevant date, like 2007-2-14}
6404 time @r{The time, like 15:00-16:50}
6405 extra @r{String with extra planning info}
6406 priority-l @r{The priority letter if any was given}
6407 priority-n @r{The computed numerical priority}
6408 @end example
6409
6410 @noindent
6411 Time and date will only be given if a timestamp (or deadline/scheduled)
6412 lead to the selection of the item.
6413
6414 A CSV list like this is very easy to use in a post processing script.
6415 For example, here is a Perl program that gets the TODO list from
6416 Emacs/Org and prints all the items, preceded by a checkbox:
6417
6418 @example
6419 @group
6420 #!/usr/bin/perl
6421
6422 # define the Emacs command to run
6423 $cmd = "emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -eval '(org-batch-agenda-csv \"t\")'";
6424
6425 # run it and capture the output
6426 $agenda = qx@{$cmd 2>/dev/null@};
6427
6428 # loop over all lines
6429 foreach $line (split(/\n/,$agenda)) @{
6430
6431 # get the individual values
6432 ($category,$head,$type,$todo,$tags,$date,$time,$extra,
6433 $priority_l,$priority_n) = split(/,/,$line);
6434
6435 # proccess and print
6436 print "[ ] $head\n";
6437 @}
6438 @end group
6439 @end example
6440
6441 @node Agenda column view, , Custom agenda views, Agenda Views
6442 @section Using column view in the agenda
6443 @cindex column view, in agenda
6444 @cindex agenda, column view
6445
6446 Column view (@pxref{Column view}) is normally used to view and edit
6447 properties embedded in the hierarchical structure of an Org file. It can be
6448 quite useful to use column view also from the agenda, where entries are
6449 collected by certain criteria.
6450
6451 @table @kbd
6452 @kindex C-c C-x C-c
6453 @item C-c C-x C-c
6454 Turn on column view in the agenda.
6455 @end table
6456
6457 To understand how to use this properly, it is important to realize that the
6458 entries in the agenda are no longer in their proper outline environment.
6459 This causes the following issues:
6460
6461 @enumerate
6462 @item
6463 Org needs to make a decision which @code{COLUMNS} format to use. Since the
6464 entries in the agenda are collected from different files, and different files
6465 may have different @code{COLUMNS} formats, this is a non-trivial problem.
6466 Org first checks if the variable @code{org-overriding-columns-format} is
6467 currently set, and if yes takes the format from there. Otherwise it takes
6468 the format associated with the first item in the agenda, or, if that item
6469 does not have a specific format (defined in a property, or in it's file), it
6470 uses @code{org-columns-default-format}.
6471 @item
6472 If any of the columns has a summary type defined (@pxref{Column attributes}),
6473 turning on column view in the agenda will visit all relevant agenda files and
6474 make sure that the computations of this property are up to date. This is
6475 also true for the special @code{CLOCKSUM} property. Org will then sum the
6476 values displayed in the agenda. In the daily/weekly agenda, the sums will
6477 cover a single day, in all other views they cover the entire block. It is
6478 vital to realize that the agenda may show the same entry @emph{twice} (for
6479 example as scheduled and as a deadline), and it may show two entries from the
6480 same hierarchy (for example a @emph{parent} and it's @emph{child}). In these
6481 cases, the summation in the agenda will lead to incorrect results because
6482 some values will count double.
6483 @item
6484 When the column view in the agenda shows the @code{CLOCKSUM}, that is always
6485 the entire clocked time for this item. So even in the daily/weekly agenda,
6486 the clocksum listed in column view may originate from times outside the
6487 current view. This has the advantage that you can compare these values with
6488 a column listing the planned total effort for a task - one of the major
6489 applications for column view in the agenda. If you want information about
6490 clocked time in the displayed period use clock table mode (press @kbd{R} in
6491 the agenda).
6492 @end enumerate
6493
6494
6495 @node Embedded LaTeX, Exporting, Agenda Views, Top
6496 @chapter Embedded LaTeX
6497 @cindex @TeX{} interpretation
6498 @cindex La@TeX{} interpretation
6499
6500 Plain ASCII is normally sufficient for almost all note taking. One
6501 exception, however, are scientific notes which need to be able to contain
6502 mathematical symbols and the occasional formula. La@TeX{}@footnote{La@TeX{}
6503 is a macro system based on Donald E. Knuth's @TeX{} system. Many of the
6504 features described here as ``La@TeX{}'' are really from @TeX{}, but for
6505 simplicity I am blurring this distinction.} is widely used to typeset
6506 scientific documents. Org mode supports embedding La@TeX{} code into its
6507 files, because many academics are used to reading La@TeX{} source code, and
6508 because it can be readily processed into images for HTML production.
6509
6510 It is not necessary to mark La@TeX{} macros and code in any special way.
6511 If you observe a few conventions, Org mode knows how to find it and what
6512 to do with it.
6513
6514 @menu
6515 * Math symbols:: TeX macros for symbols and Greek letters
6516 * Subscripts and superscripts:: Simple syntax for raising/lowering text
6517 * LaTeX fragments:: Complex formulas made easy
6518 * Processing LaTeX fragments:: Previewing LaTeX processing
6519 * CDLaTeX mode:: Speed up entering of formulas
6520 @end menu
6521
6522 @node Math symbols, Subscripts and superscripts, Embedded LaTeX, Embedded LaTeX
6523 @section Math symbols
6524 @cindex math symbols
6525 @cindex TeX macros
6526
6527 You can use La@TeX{} macros to insert special symbols like @samp{\alpha}
6528 to indicate the Greek letter, or @samp{\to} to indicate an arrow.
6529 Completion for these macros is available, just type @samp{\} and maybe a
6530 few letters, and press @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} to see possible completions.
6531 Unlike La@TeX{} code, Org mode allows these macros to be present
6532 without surrounding math delimiters, for example:
6533
6534 @example
6535 Angles are written as Greek letters \alpha, \beta and \gamma.
6536 @end example
6537
6538 During HTML export (@pxref{HTML export}), these symbols are translated
6539 into the proper syntax for HTML, for the above examples this is
6540 @samp{&alpha;} and @samp{&rarr;}, respectively.
6541
6542 @node Subscripts and superscripts, LaTeX fragments, Math symbols, Embedded LaTeX
6543 @section Subscripts and superscripts
6544 @cindex subscript
6545 @cindex superscript
6546
6547 Just like in La@TeX{}, @samp{^} and @samp{_} are used to indicate super-
6548 and subscripts. Again, these can be used without embedding them in
6549 math-mode delimiters. To increase the readability of ASCII text, it is
6550 not necessary (but OK) to surround multi-character sub- and superscripts
6551 with curly braces. For example
6552
6553 @example
6554 The mass if the sun is M_sun = 1.989 x 10^30 kg. The radius of
6555 the sun is R_@{sun@} = 6.96 x 10^8 m.
6556 @end example
6557
6558 To avoid interpretation as raised or lowered text, you can quote
6559 @samp{^} and @samp{_} with a backslash: @samp{\_} and @samp{\^}.
6560
6561 During HTML export (@pxref{HTML export}), subscript and superscripts
6562 are surrounded with @code{<sub>} and @code{<sup>} tags, respectively.
6563
6564 @node LaTeX fragments, Processing LaTeX fragments, Subscripts and superscripts, Embedded LaTeX
6565 @section LaTeX fragments
6566 @cindex LaTeX fragments
6567
6568 With symbols, sub- and superscripts, HTML is pretty much at its end when
6569 it comes to representing mathematical formulas@footnote{Yes, there is
6570 MathML, but that is not yet fully supported by many browsers, and there
6571 is no decent converter for turning La@TeX{} or ASCII representations of
6572 formulas into MathML. So for the time being, converting formulas into
6573 images seems the way to go.}. More complex expressions need a dedicated
6574 formula processor. To this end, Org mode can contain arbitrary La@TeX{}
6575 fragments. It provides commands to preview the typeset result of these
6576 fragments, and upon export to HTML, all fragments will be converted to
6577 images and inlined into the HTML document@footnote{The La@TeX{} export
6578 will not use images for displaying La@TeX{} fragments but include these
6579 fragments directly into the La@TeX{} code.}. For this to work you
6580 need to be on a system with a working La@TeX{} installation. You also
6581 need the @file{dvipng} program, available at
6582 @url{http://sourceforge.net/projects/dvipng/}. The La@TeX{} header that
6583 will be used when processing a fragment can be configured with the
6584 variable @code{org-format-latex-header}.
6585
6586 La@TeX{} fragments don't need any special marking at all. The following
6587 snippets will be identified as La@TeX{} source code:
6588 @itemize @bullet
6589 @item
6590 Environments of any kind. The only requirement is that the
6591 @code{\begin} statement appears on a new line, preceded by only
6592 whitespace.
6593 @item
6594 Text within the usual La@TeX{} math delimiters. To avoid conflicts with
6595 currency specifications, single @samp{$} characters are only recognized
6596 as math delimiters if the enclosed text contains at most two line breaks,
6597 is directly attached to the @samp{$} characters with no whitespace in
6598 between, and if the closing @samp{$} is followed by whitespace or
6599 punctuation. For the other delimiters, there is no such restriction, so
6600 when in doubt, use @samp{\(...\)} as inline math delimiters.
6601 @end itemize
6602
6603 @noindent For example:
6604
6605 @example
6606 \begin@{equation@} % arbitrary environments,
6607 x=\sqrt@{b@} % even tables, figures
6608 \end@{equation@} % etc
6609
6610 If $a^2=b$ and \( b=2 \), then the solution must be
6611 either $$ a=+\sqrt@{2@} $$ or \[ a=-\sqrt@{2@} \].
6612 @end example
6613
6614 @noindent
6615 If you need any of the delimiter ASCII sequences for other purposes, you
6616 can configure the option @code{org-format-latex-options} to deselect the
6617 ones you do not wish to have interpreted by the La@TeX{} converter.
6618
6619 @node Processing LaTeX fragments, CDLaTeX mode, LaTeX fragments, Embedded LaTeX
6620 @section Processing LaTeX fragments
6621 @cindex LaTeX fragments, preview
6622
6623 La@TeX{} fragments can be processed to produce a preview images of the
6624 typeset expressions:
6625
6626 @table @kbd
6627 @kindex C-c C-x C-l
6628 @item C-c C-x C-l
6629 Produce a preview image of the La@TeX{} fragment at point and overlay it
6630 over the source code. If there is no fragment at point, process all
6631 fragments in the current entry (between two headlines). When called
6632 with a prefix argument, process the entire subtree. When called with
6633 two prefix arguments, or when the cursor is before the first headline,
6634 process the entire buffer.
6635 @kindex C-c C-c
6636 @item C-c C-c
6637 Remove the overlay preview images.
6638 @end table
6639
6640 During HTML export (@pxref{HTML export}), all La@TeX{} fragments are
6641 converted into images and inlined into the document if the following
6642 setting is active:
6643
6644 @lisp
6645 (setq org-export-with-LaTeX-fragments t)
6646 @end lisp
6647
6648 @node CDLaTeX mode, , Processing LaTeX fragments, Embedded LaTeX
6649 @section Using CDLaTeX to enter math
6650 @cindex CDLaTeX
6651
6652 CDLaTeX mode is a minor mode that is normally used in combination with a
6653 major La@TeX{} mode like AUCTeX in order to speed-up insertion of
6654 environments and math templates. Inside Org mode, you can make use of
6655 some of the features of CDLaTeX mode. You need to install
6656 @file{cdlatex.el} and @file{texmathp.el} (the latter comes also with
6657 AUCTeX) from @url{http://www.astro.uva.nl/~dominik/Tools/cdlatex}.
6658 Don't use CDLaTeX mode itself under Org mode, but use the light
6659 version @code{org-cdlatex-mode} that comes as part of Org mode. Turn it
6660 on for the current buffer with @code{M-x org-cdlatex-mode}, or for all
6661 Org files with
6662
6663 @lisp
6664 (add-hook 'org-mode-hook 'turn-on-org-cdlatex)
6665 @end lisp
6666
6667 When this mode is enabled, the following features are present (for more
6668 details see the documentation of CDLaTeX mode):
6669 @itemize @bullet
6670 @kindex C-c @{
6671 @item
6672 Environment templates can be inserted with @kbd{C-c @{}.
6673 @item
6674 @kindex @key{TAB}
6675 The @key{TAB} key will do template expansion if the cursor is inside a
6676 La@TeX{} fragment@footnote{Org mode has a method to test if the cursor is
6677 inside such a fragment, see the documentation of the function
6678 @code{org-inside-LaTeX-fragment-p}.}. For example, @key{TAB} will
6679 expand @code{fr} to @code{\frac@{@}@{@}} and position the cursor
6680 correctly inside the first brace. Another @key{TAB} will get you into
6681 the second brace. Even outside fragments, @key{TAB} will expand
6682 environment abbreviations at the beginning of a line. For example, if
6683 you write @samp{equ} at the beginning of a line and press @key{TAB},
6684 this abbreviation will be expanded to an @code{equation} environment.
6685 To get a list of all abbreviations, type @kbd{M-x cdlatex-command-help}.
6686 @item
6687 @kindex _
6688 @kindex ^
6689 Pressing @kbd{_} and @kbd{^} inside a La@TeX{} fragment will insert these
6690 characters together with a pair of braces. If you use @key{TAB} to move
6691 out of the braces, and if the braces surround only a single character or
6692 macro, they are removed again (depending on the variable
6693 @code{cdlatex-simplify-sub-super-scripts}).
6694 @item
6695 @kindex `
6696 Pressing the backquote @kbd{`} followed by a character inserts math
6697 macros, also outside La@TeX{} fragments. If you wait more than 1.5 seconds
6698 after the backquote, a help window will pop up.
6699 @item
6700 @kindex '
6701 Pressing the normal quote @kbd{'} followed by another character modifies
6702 the symbol before point with an accent or a font. If you wait more than
6703 1.5 seconds after the backquote, a help window will pop up. Character
6704 modification will work only inside La@TeX{} fragments, outside the quote
6705 is normal.
6706 @end itemize
6707
6708 @node Exporting, Publishing, Embedded LaTeX, Top
6709 @chapter Exporting
6710 @cindex exporting
6711
6712 Org mode documents can be exported into a variety of other formats. For
6713 printing and sharing of notes, ASCII export produces a readable and
6714 simple version of an Org file. HTML export allows you to publish a
6715 notes file on the web, while the XOXO format provides a solid base for
6716 exchange with a broad range of other applications. La@TeX{} export lets
6717 you use Org mode and its structured editing functions to easily create
6718 La@TeX{} files. To incorporate entries with associated times like
6719 deadlines or appointments into a desktop calendar program like iCal,
6720 Org mode can also produce extracts in the iCalendar format. Currently
6721 Org mode only supports export, not import of these different formats.
6722
6723 @menu
6724 * Markup rules:: Which structures are recognized?
6725 * Export options:: Per-file export settings
6726 * The export dispatcher:: How to access exporter commands
6727 * ASCII export:: Exporting to plain ASCII
6728 * HTML export:: Exporting to HTML
6729 * LaTeX export:: Exporting to LaTeX
6730 * XOXO export:: Exporting to XOXO
6731 * iCalendar export:: Exporting in iCalendar format
6732 @end menu
6733
6734 @node Markup rules, Export options, Exporting, Exporting
6735 @section Markup rules
6736
6737 When exporting Org mode documents, the exporter tries to reflect the
6738 structure of the document as accurately as possible in the back-end. Since
6739 export targets like HTML or La@TeX{} allow much richer formatting, Org mode
6740 has rules how to prepare text for rich export. This section summarizes the
6741 markup rule used in an Org mode buffer.
6742
6743 @menu
6744 * Document title:: How the document title is determined
6745 * Headings and sections:: The main structure of the exported document
6746 * Table of contents:: If, where, how to create a table of contents
6747 * Initial text:: Text before the first headline
6748 * Lists:: Plain lists are exported
6749 * Paragraphs:: What determines beginning and ending
6750 * Literal examples:: Source code and other examples
6751 * Include files:: Include the contents of a file during export
6752 * Tables exported:: Tables are exported richly
6753 * Footnotes:: Numbers like [1]
6754 * Emphasis and monospace:: To bold or not to bold
6755 * TeX macros and LaTeX fragments:: Create special, rich export.
6756 * Horizontal rules:: A line across the page
6757 * Comment lines:: Some lines will not be exported
6758 @end menu
6759
6760 @node Document title, Headings and sections, Markup rules, Markup rules
6761 @subheading Document title
6762 @cindex document title, markup rules
6763
6764 @noindent
6765 The title of the exported document is taken from the special line
6766
6767 @example
6768 #+TITLE: This is the title of the document
6769 @end example
6770
6771 @noindent
6772 If this line does not exist, the title is derived from the first non-empty,
6773 non-comment line in the buffer. If no such line exists, or if you have
6774 turned off exporting of the text before the first headline (see below), the
6775 title will be the file name without extension.
6776
6777 If you are exporting only a subtree by marking is as the region, the heading
6778 of the subtree will become the title of the document. If the subtree has a
6779 property @code{EXPORT_TITLE}, that will take precedence.
6780
6781 @node Headings and sections, Table of contents, Document title, Markup rules
6782 @subheading Headings and sections
6783 @cindex headings and sections, markup rules
6784
6785 The outline structure of the document as described in @ref{Document
6786 Structure} forms the basis for defining sections of the exported document.
6787 However, since the outline structure is also used for (for example) lists of
6788 tasks, only the first three outline levels will be used as headings. Deeper
6789 levels will become itemized lists. You can change the location of this
6790 switch, globally by setting the variable @code{org-headline-levels}, or on a
6791 per file basis with a line
6792
6793 @example
6794 #+OPTIONS: H:4
6795 @end example
6796
6797 @node Table of contents, Initial text, Headings and sections, Markup rules
6798 @subheading Table of contents
6799 @cindex table of contents, markup rules
6800
6801 The table of contents is normally inserted directly before the first headline
6802 of the file. If you would like to get it to a different location, insert the
6803 string @code{[TABLE-OF-CONTENTS]} on a line by itself at the desired
6804 location. The depth of the table of contents is by default the same as the
6805 number of headline levels, but you can choose a smaller number or turn off
6806 the table of contents entirely by configuring the variable
6807 @code{org-export-with-toc}, or on a per-file basis with a line like
6808
6809 @example
6810 #+OPTIONS: toc:2 (only to two levels in TOC)
6811 #+OPTIONS: toc:nil (no TOC at all)
6812 @end example
6813
6814 @node Initial text, Lists, Table of contents, Markup rules
6815 @subheading Text before the first headline
6816 @cindex text before first headline, markup rules
6817 @cindex #+TEXT
6818
6819 Org mode normally exports the text before the first headline, and even uses
6820 the first line as the document title. The text will be fully marked up. If
6821 you need to include literal HTML or La@TeX{} code, use the special constructs
6822 described below in the sections for the individual exporters.
6823
6824 Some people like to use the space before the first headline for setup and
6825 internal links and therefore would like to control the exported text before
6826 the first headline in a different way. You can do so by setting the variable
6827 @code{org-export-skip-text-before-1st-heading} to @code{t}. On a per-file
6828 basis, you can get the same effect with @samp{#+OPTIONS: skip:t}.
6829
6830 @noindent
6831 If you still want to have some text before the first headline, use the
6832 @code{#+TEXT} construct:
6833
6834 @example
6835 #+OPTIONS: skip:t
6836 #+TEXT: This text will go before the *first* headline.
6837 #+TEXT: [TABLE-OF-CONTENTS]
6838 #+TEXT: This goes between the table of contents and the first headline
6839 @end example
6840
6841 @node Lists, Paragraphs, Initial text, Markup rules
6842 @subheading Lists
6843 @cindex lists, markup rules
6844
6845 Plain lists as described in @ref{Plain lists} are translated to the back-ends
6846 syntax for such lists. Most back-ends support unordered, ordered, and
6847 description lists.
6848
6849 @node Paragraphs, Literal examples, Lists, Markup rules
6850 @subheading Paragraphs, line breaks, and quoting
6851 @cindex paragraphs, markup rules
6852
6853 Paragraphs are separated by at least one empty line. If you need to enforce
6854 a line break within a paragraph, use @samp{\\} at the end of a line.
6855
6856 To keep the line breaks in a region, but otherwise use normal formatting, you
6857 can use this construct, which can also be used to format poetry.
6858
6859 @example
6860 #+BEGIN_VERSE
6861 Everything should be made as simple as possible,
6862 but not any simpler -- Albert Einstein
6863 #+END_VERSE
6864 @end example
6865
6866 When quoting a passage from another document, it is customary to format this
6867 as a paragraph that is indented on both the left and the right margin. You
6868 can include quotations in Org mode documents like this:
6869
6870 @example
6871 #+BEGIN_QUOTE
6872 Everything should be made as simple as possible,
6873 but not any simpler -- Albert Einstein
6874 #+END_QUOTE
6875 @end example
6876
6877
6878 @node Literal examples, Include files, Paragraphs, Markup rules
6879 @subheading Literal examples
6880 @cindex literal examples, markup rules
6881
6882 You can include literal examples that should not be subjected to
6883 markup. Such examples will be typeset in monospace, so this is well suited
6884 for source code and similar examples.
6885 @cindex #+BEGIN_EXAMPLE
6886
6887 @example
6888 #+BEGIN_EXAMPLE
6889 Some example from a text file.
6890 #+END_EXAMPLE
6891 @end example
6892
6893 For simplicity when using small examples, you can also start the example
6894 lines with a colon:
6895
6896 @example
6897 : Some example from a text file.
6898 @end example
6899
6900 @cindex formatting source code, markup rules
6901 If the example is source code from a programming language, or any other text
6902 that can be marked up by font-lock in Emacs, you can ask for the example to
6903 look like the fontified Emacs buffer@footnote{Currently this works only for
6904 the HTML back-end, and requires the @file{htmlize.el} package version 1.34 or
6905 later.}. This is done with the @samp{src} block, where you also need to
6906 specify the name of the major mode that should be used to fontify the
6907 example:
6908 @cindex #+BEGIN_SRC
6909
6910 @example
6911 #+BEGIN_SRC emacs-lisp
6912 (defun org-xor (a b)
6913 "Exclusive or."
6914 (if a (not b) b))
6915 #+END_SRC
6916 @end example
6917
6918 @table @kbd
6919 @kindex C-c '
6920 @item C-c '
6921 Edit the source code example at point in its native mode. This works by
6922 switching to an indirect buffer, narrowing the buffer and switching to the
6923 other mode. You need to exit by pressing @kbd{C-c '} again.
6924 @end table
6925
6926
6927 @node Include files, Tables exported, Literal examples, Markup rules
6928 @subheading Include files
6929 @cindex include files, markup rules
6930
6931 During export, you can include the content of another file. For example, to
6932 include your .emacs file, you could use:
6933 @cindex #+INCLUDE
6934
6935 @example
6936 #+INCLUDE: "~/.emacs" src emacs-lisp
6937 @end example
6938
6939 The optional second and third parameter are the markup (@samp{quote},
6940 @samp{example}, or @samp{src}), and, if the markup is @samp{src}, the
6941 language for formatting the contents. The markup is optional, if it is not
6942 given, the text will be assumed to be in Org mode format and will be
6943 processed normally. The include line will also allow additional keyword
6944 parameters @code{:prefix1} and @code{:prefix} to specify prefixes for the
6945 first line and for each following line. For example, to include a file as an
6946 item, use
6947
6948 @example
6949 #+INCLUDE: "~/snippets/xx" :prefix1 " + " :prefix " "
6950 @end example
6951
6952 @table @kbd
6953 @kindex C-c '
6954 @item C-c '
6955 Visit the include file at point.
6956 @end table
6957
6958 @node Tables exported, Footnotes, Include files, Markup rules
6959 @subheading Tables
6960 @cindex tables, markup rules
6961
6962 Both the native Org mode tables (@pxref{Tables}) and tables formatted with
6963 the @file{table.el} package will be exported properly. For Org mode tables,
6964 the lines before the first horizontal separator line will become table header
6965 lines.
6966
6967 @node Footnotes, Emphasis and monospace, Tables exported, Markup rules
6968 @subheading Footnotes
6969 @cindex footnotes, markup rules
6970 @cindex @file{footnote.el}
6971
6972 @kindex C-c !
6973 Numbers in square brackets are treated as footnote markers, and lines
6974 starting with such a marker are interpreted as the footnote itself. You can
6975 use the Emacs package @file{footnote.el} to create footnotes@footnote{The
6976 @file{footnote} package uses @kbd{C-c !} to invoke its commands. This
6977 binding conflicts with the Org mode command for inserting inactive time
6978 stamps. You could use the variable @code{footnote-prefix} to switch
6979 footnotes commands to another key. Or, if you are too used to this binding,
6980 you could use @code{org-replace-disputed-keys} and @code{org-disputed-keys}
6981 to change the settings in Org.}. For example:
6982
6983 @example
6984 The Org homepage[1] now looks a lot better than it used to.
6985
6986 [1] The link is: http://orgmode.org
6987 @end example
6988
6989 @node Emphasis and monospace, TeX macros and LaTeX fragments, Footnotes, Markup rules
6990 @subheading Emphasis and monospace
6991
6992 @cindex underlined text, markup rules
6993 @cindex bold text, markup rules
6994 @cindex italic text, markup rules
6995 @cindex verbatim text, markup rules
6996 @cindex code text, markup rules
6997 @cindex strike-through text, markup rules
6998 You can make words @b{*bold*}, @i{/italic/}, _underlined_, @code{=code=}
6999 and @code{~verbatim~}, and, if you must, @samp{+strike-through+}. Text
7000 in the code and verbatim string is not processed for Org mode specific
7001 syntax, it is exported verbatim.
7002
7003 @node TeX macros and LaTeX fragments, Horizontal rules, Emphasis and monospace, Markup rules
7004 @subheading @TeX{} macros and La@TeX{} fragments
7005 @cindex LaTeX fragments, markup rules
7006 @cindex TeX macros, markup rules
7007 @cindex HTML entities
7008 @cindex LaTeX entities
7009
7010 A @TeX{}-like syntax is used to specify special characters. Where possible,
7011 these will be transformed into the native format of the exporter back-end.
7012 Strings like @code{\alpha} will be exported as @code{&alpha;} in the HTML
7013 output, and as @code{$\alpha$} in the La@TeX{} output. Similarly,
7014 @code{\nbsp} will become @code{&nbsp;} in HTML and @code{~} in La@TeX{}.
7015 This applies for a large number of entities, with names taken from both HTML
7016 and La@TeX{}, see the variable @code{org-html-entities} for the complete
7017 list. If you are unsure about a name, use @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} for completion
7018 after having types the backslash and maybe a few characters
7019 (@pxref{Completion}).
7020
7021 La@TeX{} fragments are converted into images for HTML export, and they are
7022 written literally into the La@TeX{} export. See also @ref{Embedded LaTeX}.
7023
7024 Finally, @samp{\-} is treated as a shy hyphen, and @samp{--}, @samp{---}, and
7025 @samp{...} are all converted into special commands creating hyphens of
7026 different lengths or a compact set of dots.
7027
7028 @node Horizontal rules, Comment lines, TeX macros and LaTeX fragments, Markup rules
7029 @subheading Horizontal rules
7030 @cindex horizontal rules, markup rules
7031 A line consisting of only dashes, and at least 5 of them, will be
7032 exported as a horizontal line (@samp{<hr/>} in HTML).
7033
7034 @node Comment lines, , Horizontal rules, Markup rules
7035 @subheading Comment lines
7036 @cindex comment lines
7037 @cindex exporting, not
7038
7039 Lines starting with @samp{#} in column zero are treated as comments and will
7040 never be exported. Also entire subtrees starting with the word
7041 @samp{COMMENT} will never be exported. Finally, regions surrounded by
7042 @samp{#+BEGIN_COMMENT} ... @samp{#+END_COMMENT} will not be exported.
7043
7044 @table @kbd
7045 @kindex C-c ;
7046 @item C-c ;
7047 Toggle the COMMENT keyword at the beginning of an entry.
7048 @end table
7049
7050 @node Export options, The export dispatcher, Markup rules, Exporting
7051 @section Export options
7052 @cindex options, for export
7053
7054 @cindex completion, of option keywords
7055 The exporter recognizes special lines in the buffer which provide
7056 additional information. These lines may be put anywhere in the file.
7057 The whole set of lines can be inserted into the buffer with @kbd{C-c
7058 C-e t}. For individual lines, a good way to make sure the keyword is
7059 correct is to type @samp{#+} and then use @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} completion
7060 (@pxref{Completion}).
7061
7062 @table @kbd
7063 @kindex C-c C-e t
7064 @item C-c C-e t
7065 Insert template with export options, see example below.
7066 @end table
7067
7068 @cindex #+TITLE:
7069 @cindex #+AUTHOR:
7070 @cindex #+DATE:
7071 @cindex #+EMAIL:
7072 @cindex #+LANGUAGE:
7073 @cindex #+TEXT:
7074 @cindex #+OPTIONS:
7075 @cindex #+LINK_UP:
7076 @cindex #+LINK_HOME:
7077 @example
7078 #+TITLE: the title to be shown (default is the buffer name)
7079 #+AUTHOR: the author (default taken from @code{user-full-name})
7080 #+DATE: A date, fixed, of a format string for @code{format-time-string}
7081 #+EMAIL: his/her email address (default from @code{user-mail-address})
7082 #+LANGUAGE: language for HTML, e.g. @samp{en} (@code{org-export-default-language})
7083 #+TEXT: Some descriptive text to be inserted at the beginning.
7084 #+TEXT: Several lines may be given.
7085 #+OPTIONS: H:2 num:t toc:t \n:nil @@:t ::t |:t ^:t f:t TeX:t ...
7086 #+LINK_UP: the ``up'' link of an exported page
7087 #+LINK_HOME: the ``home'' link of an exported page
7088 @end example
7089
7090 @noindent
7091 The OPTIONS line is a compact@footnote{If you want to configure many options
7092 this way, you can use several OPTIONS lines.} form to specify export settings. Here
7093 you can:
7094 @cindex headline levels
7095 @cindex section-numbers
7096 @cindex table of contents
7097 @cindex line-break preservation
7098 @cindex quoted HTML tags
7099 @cindex fixed-width sections
7100 @cindex tables
7101 @cindex @TeX{}-like syntax for sub- and superscripts
7102 @cindex footnotes
7103 @cindex special strings
7104 @cindex emphasized text
7105 @cindex @TeX{} macros
7106 @cindex La@TeX{} fragments
7107 @cindex author info, in export
7108 @cindex time info, in export
7109 @example
7110 H: @r{set the number of headline levels for export}
7111 num: @r{turn on/off section-numbers}
7112 toc: @r{turn on/off table of contents, or set level limit (integer)}
7113 \n: @r{turn on/off line-break-preservation}
7114 @@: @r{turn on/off quoted HTML tags}
7115 :: @r{turn on/off fixed-width sections}
7116 |: @r{turn on/off tables}
7117 ^: @r{turn on/off @TeX{}-like syntax for sub- and superscripts. If}
7118 @r{you write "^:@{@}", @code{a_@{b@}} will be interpreted, but}
7119 @r{the simple @code{a_b} will be left as it is.}
7120 -: @r{turn on/off conversion of special strings.}
7121 f: @r{turn on/off footnotes like this[1].}
7122 *: @r{turn on/off emphasized text (bold, italic, underlined)}
7123 TeX: @r{turn on/off simple @TeX{} macros in plain text}
7124 LaTeX: @r{turn on/off La@TeX{} fragments}
7125 skip: @r{turn on/off skipping the text before the first heading}
7126 author: @r{turn on/off inclusion of author name/email into exported file}
7127 creator: @r{turn on/off inclusion of creator info into exported file}
7128 timestamp: @r{turn on/off inclusion creation time into exported file}
7129 d: @r{turn on/off inclusion of drawers}
7130 @end example
7131
7132 These options take effect in both the HTML and La@TeX{} export, except
7133 for @code{TeX} and @code{LaTeX}, which are respectively @code{t} and
7134 @code{nil} for the La@TeX{} export.
7135
7136 When exporting only a single subtree by selecting it with @kbd{C-c @@} before
7137 calling an export command, the subtree can overrule some of the file's export
7138 settings with properties @code{EXPORT_FILE_NAME}, @code{EXPORT_TITLE},
7139 @code{EXPORT_TEXT}, and @code{EXPORT_OPTIONS}.
7140
7141 @node The export dispatcher, ASCII export, Export options, Exporting
7142 @section The export dispatcher
7143 @cindex dispatcher, for export commands
7144
7145 All export commands can be reached using the export dispatcher, which is a
7146 prefix key that prompts for an additional key specifying the command.
7147 Normally the entire file is exported, but if there is an active region that
7148 contains one outline tree, the first heading is used as document title and
7149 the subtrees are exported.
7150
7151 @table @kbd
7152 @kindex C-c C-e
7153 @item C-c C-e
7154 Dispatcher for export and publishing commands. Displays a help-window
7155 listing the additional key(s) needed to launch an export or publishing
7156 command. The prefix arg is passed through to the exporter. If the option
7157 @code{org-export-run-in-background} is set, Org will run the command in the
7158 background if that seems useful for the specific command (i.e. commands that
7159 write to a file).
7160 @kindex C-c C-e v
7161 @item C-c C-e v
7162 Like @kbd{C-c C-e}, but only export the text that is currently visible
7163 (i.e. not hidden by outline visibility).
7164 @kindex C-u C-u C-c C-e
7165 @item C-u C-u C-c C-e
7166 Call an the exporter, but reverse the setting of
7167 @code{org-export-run-in-background}, i.e. request background processing if
7168 not set, or force processing in the current Emacs process if st.
7169 @end table
7170
7171 @node ASCII export, HTML export, The export dispatcher, Exporting
7172 @section ASCII export
7173 @cindex ASCII export
7174
7175 ASCII export produces a simple and very readable version of an Org mode
7176 file.
7177
7178 @cindex region, active
7179 @cindex active region
7180 @cindex Transient mark mode
7181 @table @kbd
7182 @kindex C-c C-e a
7183 @item C-c C-e a
7184 Export as ASCII file. For an org file @file{myfile.org}, the ASCII file
7185 will be @file{myfile.txt}. The file will be overwritten without
7186 warning. If there is an active region, only the region will be
7187 exported. If the selected region is a single tree@footnote{To select the
7188 current subtree, use @kbd{C-c @@}.}, the tree head will
7189 become the document title. If the tree head entry has or inherits an
7190 @code{EXPORT_FILE_NAME} property, that name will be used for the
7191 export.
7192 @kindex C-c C-e v a
7193 @item C-c C-e v a
7194 Export only the visible part of the document.
7195 @end table
7196
7197 @cindex headline levels, for exporting
7198 In the exported version, the first 3 outline levels will become
7199 headlines, defining a general document structure. Additional levels
7200 will be exported as itemized lists. If you want that transition to occur
7201 at a different level, specify it with a prefix argument. For example,
7202
7203 @example
7204 @kbd{C-1 C-c C-e a}
7205 @end example
7206
7207 @noindent
7208 creates only top level headlines and does the rest as items. When
7209 headlines are converted to items, the indentation of the text following
7210 the headline is changed to fit nicely under the item. This is done with
7211 the assumption that the first body line indicates the base indentation of
7212 the body text. Any indentation larger than this is adjusted to preserve
7213 the layout relative to the first line. Should there be lines with less
7214 indentation than the first, these are left alone.
7215
7216 @node HTML export, LaTeX export, ASCII export, Exporting
7217 @section HTML export
7218 @cindex HTML export
7219
7220 Org mode contains an HTML (XHTML 1.0 strict) exporter with extensive
7221 HTML formatting, in ways similar to John Grubers @emph{markdown}
7222 language, but with additional support for tables.
7223
7224 @menu
7225 * HTML Export commands:: How to invoke HTML export
7226 * Quoting HTML tags:: Using direct HTML in Org mode
7227 * Links:: Transformation of links for HTML
7228 * Images:: How to include images
7229 * CSS support:: Changing the appearance of the output
7230 * Javascript support:: Info and Folding in a web browser
7231 @end menu
7232
7233 @node HTML Export commands, Quoting HTML tags, HTML export, HTML export
7234 @subsection HTML export commands
7235
7236 @cindex region, active
7237 @cindex active region
7238 @cindex Transient mark mode
7239 @table @kbd
7240 @kindex C-c C-e h
7241 @item C-c C-e h
7242 Export as HTML file @file{myfile.html}. For an org file @file{myfile.org},
7243 the ASCII file will be @file{myfile.html}. The file will be overwritten
7244 without warning. If there is an active region, only the region will be
7245 exported. If the selected region is a single tree@footnote{To select the
7246 current subtree, use @kbd{C-c @@}.}, the tree head will become the document
7247 title. If the tree head entry has or inherits an @code{EXPORT_FILE_NAME}
7248 property, that name will be used for the export.
7249 @kindex C-c C-e b
7250 @item C-c C-e b
7251 Export as HTML file and immediately open it with a browser.
7252 @kindex C-c C-e H
7253 @item C-c C-e H
7254 Export to a temporary buffer, do not create a file.
7255 @kindex C-c C-e R
7256 @item C-c C-e R
7257 Export the active region to a temporary buffer. With a prefix argument, do
7258 not produce the file header and footer, but just the plain HTML section for
7259 the region. This is good for cut-and-paste operations.
7260 @kindex C-c C-e v h
7261 @kindex C-c C-e v b
7262 @kindex C-c C-e v H
7263 @kindex C-c C-e v R
7264 @item C-c C-e v h
7265 @item C-c C-e v b
7266 @item C-c C-e v H
7267 @item C-c C-e v R
7268 Export only the visible part of the document.
7269 @item M-x org-export-region-as-html
7270 Convert the region to HTML under the assumption that it was Org mode
7271 syntax before. This is a global command that can be invoked in any
7272 buffer.
7273 @item M-x org-replace-region-by-HTML
7274 Replace the active region (assumed to be in Org mode syntax) by HTML
7275 code.
7276 @end table
7277
7278 @cindex headline levels, for exporting
7279 In the exported version, the first 3 outline levels will become headlines,
7280 defining a general document structure. Additional levels will be exported as
7281 itemized lists. If you want that transition to occur at a different level,
7282 specify it with a numeric prefix argument. For example,
7283
7284 @example
7285 @kbd{C-2 C-c C-e b}
7286 @end example
7287
7288 @noindent
7289 creates two levels of headings and does the rest as items.
7290
7291 @node Quoting HTML tags, Links, HTML Export commands, HTML export
7292 @subsection Quoting HTML tags
7293
7294 Plain @samp{<} and @samp{>} are always transformed to @samp{&lt;} and
7295 @samp{&gt;} in HTML export. If you want to include simple HTML tags
7296 which should be interpreted as such, mark them with @samp{@@} as in
7297 @samp{@@<b>bold text@@</b>}. Note that this really works only for
7298 simple tags. For more extensive HTML that should be copied verbatim to
7299 the exported file use either
7300
7301 @example
7302 #+HTML: Literal HTML code for export
7303 @end example
7304
7305 @noindent or
7306 @cindex #+BEGIN_HTML
7307
7308 @example
7309 #+BEGIN_HTML
7310 All lines between these markers are exported literally
7311 #+END_HTML
7312 @end example
7313
7314
7315 @node Links, Images, Quoting HTML tags, HTML export
7316 @subsection Links
7317
7318 @cindex links, in HTML export
7319 @cindex internal links, in HTML export
7320 @cindex external links, in HTML export
7321 Internal links (@pxref{Internal links}) will continue to work in HTML
7322 files only if they match a dedicated @samp{<<target>>}. Automatic links
7323 created by radio targets (@pxref{Radio targets}) will also work in the
7324 HTML file. Links to external files will still work if the HTML file is
7325 in the same directory as the Org file. Links to other @file{.org}
7326 files will be translated into HTML links under the assumption that an
7327 HTML version also exists of the linked file. For information related to
7328 linking files while publishing them to a publishing directory see
7329 @ref{Publishing links}.
7330
7331 If you want to specify attributes for links, you can do so using a special
7332 syntax. Here is an example that sets @code{alt} and @code{title} attributes
7333 for an inlined image:
7334
7335 @example
7336 [[./img/a.jpg@{@{alt="This is image A" title="Image with no action"@}@}]]
7337 @end example
7338
7339 @node Images, CSS support, Links, HTML export
7340 @subsection Images
7341
7342 @cindex images, inline in HTML
7343 @cindex inlining images in HTML
7344 HTML export can inline images given as links in the Org file, and
7345 it can make an image the clickable part of a link. By
7346 default@footnote{but see the variable
7347 @code{org-export-html-inline-images}}, images are inlined if a link does
7348 not have a description. So @samp{[[file:myimg.jpg]]} will be inlined,
7349 while @samp{[[file:myimg.jpg][the image]]} will just produce a link
7350 @samp{the image} that points to the image. If the description part
7351 itself is a @code{file:} link or a @code{http:} URL pointing to an
7352 image, this image will be inlined and activated so that clicking on the
7353 image will activate the link. For example, to include a thumbnail that
7354 will link to a high resolution version of the image, you could use:
7355
7356 @example
7357 [[file:highres.jpg][file:thumb.jpg]]
7358 @end example
7359
7360 @noindent
7361 and you could use @code{http} addresses just as well.
7362
7363 @node CSS support, Javascript support, Images, HTML export
7364 @subsection CSS support
7365 @cindex CSS, for HTML export
7366 @cindex HTML export, CSS
7367
7368 You can also give style information for the exported file. The HTML
7369 exporter assigns the following CSS classes to appropriate parts of the
7370 document - your style specifications may change these:
7371 @example
7372 .todo @r{TODO keywords}
7373 .done @r{the DONE keyword}
7374 .timestamp @r{time stamp}
7375 .timestamp-kwd @r{keyword associated with a time stamp, like SCHEDULED}
7376 .tag @r{tag in a headline}
7377 .target @r{target for links}
7378 @end example
7379
7380 Each exported files contains a compact default style that defines these
7381 classes in a basic way. You may overwrite these settings, or add to them by
7382 using the variables @code{org-export-html-style} (for Org-wide settings) and
7383 @code{org-export-html-style-extra} (for more granular settings, like
7384 file-local settings). If you want to use a file-local style, you may use
7385 file variables, best wrapped into a COMMENT section at the end of the outline
7386 tree. For example@footnote{Under Emacs 21, the continuation lines for a
7387 variable value should have no @samp{#} at the start of the line.}:
7388
7389 @example
7390 * COMMENT html style specifications
7391
7392 # Local Variables:
7393 # org-export-html-style-extra:
7394 # "<style>
7395 # p @{font-weight: normal; color: gray; @}
7396 # h1 @{color: black; @}
7397 # </style>"
7398 # End:
7399 @end example
7400
7401 Remember to execute @kbd{M-x normal-mode} after changing this to make the new
7402 style immediately visible to Emacs. This command restarts Org mode for the
7403 current buffer and forces Emacs to re-evaluate the local variables section in
7404 the buffer.
7405
7406 @c FIXME: More about header and footer styles
7407 @c FIXME: Talk about links and targets.
7408
7409 @node Javascript support, , CSS support, HTML export
7410 @subsection Javascript supported display of web pages
7411
7412 @emph{Sebastian Rose} has written a JavaScript program especially designed to
7413 enhance the web viewing experience of HTML files created with Org. This
7414 program allows to view large files in two different ways. The first one is
7415 an @emph{Info}-like mode where each section is displayed separately and
7416 navigation can be done with the @kbd{n} and @kbd{p} keys (and some other keys
7417 as well, press @kbd{?} for an overview of the available keys). The second
7418 view type is a @emph{folding} view much like Org provides it inside Emacs.
7419 The script is available at @url{http://orgmode.org/org-info.js} and you can
7420 find the documentation for it at
7421 @url{http://orgmode.org/worg/code/org-info-js/org-info.js.html}. We are
7422 serving the script from our site, but if you use it a lot, you might not want
7423 to be dependent on @url{orgmode.org} and prefer to install a local copy on
7424 your own web server.
7425
7426 To use the script, you need to make sure that the @file{org-jsinfo.el} module
7427 gets loaded. It should be loaded by default, try @kbd{M-x customize-variable
7428 @key{RET} org-modules @key{RET}} to convince yourself that this is indeed the
7429 case. All it then takes to make use of the program is adding a single line
7430 to the Org file:
7431
7432 @example
7433 #+INFOJS_OPT: view:info toc:nil
7434 @end example
7435
7436 @noindent
7437 If this line is found, the HTML header will automatically contain the code
7438 needed to invoke the script. Using the line above, you can set the following
7439 viewing options:
7440
7441 @example
7442 path: @r{The path to the script. The default is to grab the script from}
7443 @r{@url{http://orgmode.org/org-info.js}, but you might want to have}
7444 @r{a local copy and use a path like @samp{../scripts/org-info.js}.}
7445 view: @r{Initial view when website is first shown. Possible values are:}
7446 info @r{Info-like interface with one section per page.}
7447 overview @r{Folding interface, initially showing only top-level.}
7448 content @r{Folding interface, starting with all headlines visible.}
7449 showall @r{Folding interface, all headlines and text visible.}
7450 sdepth: @r{Maximum headline level that will still become an independent}
7451 @r{section for info and folding modes. The default is taken from}
7452 @r{@code{org-headline-levels} (= the @code{H} switch in @code{#+OPTIONS}).}
7453 @r{If this is smaller than in @code{org-headline-levels}, each}
7454 @r{info/folding section can still contain children headlines.}
7455 toc: @r{Should the table of content @emph{initially} be visible?}
7456 @r{Even when @code{nil}, you can always get to the toc with @kbd{i}.}
7457 tdepth: @r{The depth of the table of contents. The defaults are taken from}
7458 @r{the variables @code{org-headline-levels} and @code{org-export-with-toc}.}
7459 ftoc: @r{Does the css of the page specify a fixed position for the toc?}
7460 @r{If yes, the toc will never be displayed as a section.}
7461 ltoc: @r{Should there be short contents (children) in each section?}
7462 mouse: @r{Headings are highlighted when the mouse is over them. Should be}
7463 @r{@samp{underline} (default) or a background color like @samp{#cccccc}.}
7464 buttons: @r{Should view-toggle buttons be everywhere? When @code{nil} (the}
7465 @r{default), only one such button will be present.}
7466 @end example
7467
7468 You can choose default values for these options by customizing the variable
7469 @code{org-infojs-options}. If you always want to apply the script to your
7470 pages, configure the variable @code{org-export-html-use-infojs}.
7471
7472 @node LaTeX export, XOXO export, HTML export, Exporting
7473 @section LaTeX export
7474 @cindex LaTeX export
7475
7476 Org mode contains a La@TeX{} exporter written by Bastien Guerry.
7477
7478 @menu
7479 * LaTeX export commands:: How to invoke LaTeX export
7480 * Quoting LaTeX code:: Incorporating literal LaTeX code
7481 * Sectioning structure:: Changing sectioning in LaTeX output
7482 @end menu
7483
7484 @node LaTeX export commands, Quoting LaTeX code, LaTeX export, LaTeX export
7485 @subsection LaTeX export commands
7486
7487 @table @kbd
7488 @kindex C-c C-e l
7489 @item C-c C-e l
7490 Export as La@TeX{} file @file{myfile.tex}. For an org file
7491 @file{myfile.org}, the ASCII file will be @file{myfile.tex}. The file will
7492 be overwritten without warning. If there is an active region, only the
7493 region will be exported. If the selected region is a single tree@footnote{To
7494 select the current subtree, use @kbd{C-c @@}.}, the tree head will become the
7495 document title. If the tree head entry has or inherits an
7496 @code{EXPORT_FILE_NAME} property, that name will be used for the export.
7497 @kindex C-c C-e L
7498 @item C-c C-e L
7499 Export to a temporary buffer, do not create a file.
7500 @kindex C-c C-e v l
7501 @kindex C-c C-e v L
7502 @item C-c C-e v l
7503 @item C-c C-e v L
7504 Export only the visible part of the document.
7505 @item M-x org-export-region-as-latex
7506 Convert the region to La@TeX{} under the assumption that it was Org mode
7507 syntax before. This is a global command that can be invoked in any
7508 buffer.
7509 @item M-x org-replace-region-by-latex
7510 Replace the active region (assumed to be in Org mode syntax) by La@TeX{}
7511 code.
7512 @end table
7513
7514 @cindex headline levels, for exporting
7515 In the exported version, the first 3 outline levels will become
7516 headlines, defining a general document structure. Additional levels
7517 will be exported as description lists. The exporter can ignore them or
7518 convert them to a custom string depending on
7519 @code{org-latex-low-levels}.
7520
7521 If you want that transition to occur at a different level, specify it
7522 with a numeric prefix argument. For example,
7523
7524 @example
7525 @kbd{C-2 C-c C-e l}
7526 @end example
7527
7528 @noindent
7529 creates two levels of headings and does the rest as items.
7530
7531 @node Quoting LaTeX code, Sectioning structure, LaTeX export commands, LaTeX export
7532 @subsection Quoting LaTeX code
7533
7534 Embedded La@TeX{} as described in @ref{Embedded LaTeX} will be correctly
7535 inserted into the La@TeX{} file. Furthermore, you can add special code
7536 that should only be present in La@TeX{} export with the following
7537 constructs:
7538
7539 @example
7540 #+LaTeX: Literal LaTeX code for export
7541 @end example
7542
7543 @noindent or
7544 @cindex #+BEGIN_LaTeX
7545
7546 @example
7547 #+BEGIN_LaTeX
7548 All lines between these markers are exported literally
7549 #+END_LaTeX
7550 @end example
7551
7552 @node Sectioning structure, , Quoting LaTeX code, LaTeX export
7553 @subsection Sectioning structure
7554 @cindex LaTeX class
7555 @cindex LaTeX sectioning structure
7556
7557 By default, the La@TeX{} output uses the class @code{article}.
7558
7559 You can change this globally by setting a different value for
7560 @code{org-export-latex-default-class} or locally by adding an option
7561 like @code{#+LaTeX_CLASS: myclass} in your file. The class should be
7562 listed in @code{org-export-latex-classes}, where you can also define the
7563 sectioning structure for each class.
7564
7565
7566 @node XOXO export, iCalendar export, LaTeX export, Exporting
7567 @section XOXO export
7568 @cindex XOXO export
7569
7570 Org mode contains an exporter that produces XOXO-style output.
7571 Currently, this exporter only handles the general outline structure and
7572 does not interpret any additional Org mode features.
7573
7574 @table @kbd
7575 @kindex C-c C-e x
7576 @item C-c C-e x
7577 Export as XOXO file @file{myfile.html}.
7578 @kindex C-c C-e v
7579 @item C-c C-e v x
7580 Export only the visible part of the document.
7581 @end table
7582
7583 @node iCalendar export, , XOXO export, Exporting
7584 @section iCalendar export
7585 @cindex iCalendar export
7586
7587 Some people like to use Org mode for keeping track of projects, but still
7588 prefer a standard calendar application for anniversaries and appointments.
7589 In this case it can be useful to have deadlines and other time-stamped items
7590 in Org files show up in the calendar application. Org mode can export
7591 calendar information in the standard iCalendar format. If you also want to
7592 have TODO entries included in the export, configure the variable
7593 @code{org-icalendar-include-todo}. iCalendar export will export plain time
7594 stamps as VEVENT, and TODO items as VTODO. It will also create events from
7595 deadlines that are in non-TODO items. Deadlines and scheduling dates in TODO
7596 items will be used to set the start and due dates for the todo
7597 entry@footnote{See the variables @code{org-icalendar-use-deadline} and
7598 @code{org-icalendar-use-scheduled}.}.
7599
7600 The iCalendar standard requires each entry to have a globally unique
7601 identifier (UID). Org creates these identifiers during export. If you set
7602 the variable @code{org-icalendar-store-UID}, the UID will be stored in the
7603 @code{:ID:} property of the entry and re-used next time you report this
7604 entry. Since a single entry can give rise to multiple iCalendar entries (as
7605 a timestamp, a deadline, a scheduled item, and as a TODO item), Org adds
7606 prefixes to the UID, depending on what triggered the inclusion of the entry.
7607 In this way the UID remains unique, but a synchronization program can still
7608 figure out from which entry all the different instances originate.
7609
7610 @table @kbd
7611 @kindex C-c C-e i
7612 @item C-c C-e i
7613 Create iCalendar entries for the current file and store them in the same
7614 directory, using a file extension @file{.ics}.
7615 @kindex C-c C-e I
7616 @item C-c C-e I
7617 Like @kbd{C-c C-e i}, but do this for all files in
7618 @code{org-agenda-files}. For each of these files, a separate iCalendar
7619 file will be written.
7620 @kindex C-c C-e c
7621 @item C-c C-e c
7622 Create a single large iCalendar file from all files in
7623 @code{org-agenda-files} and write it to the file given by
7624 @code{org-combined-agenda-icalendar-file}.
7625 @end table
7626
7627 The export will honor SUMMARY, DESCRIPTION and LOCATION properties if
7628 the selected entries have them. If not, the summary will be derived
7629 from the headline, and the description from the body (limited to
7630 @code{org-icalendar-include-body} characters).
7631
7632 How this calendar is best read and updated, that depends on the application
7633 you are using. The FAQ covers this issue.
7634
7635 @node Publishing, Miscellaneous, Exporting, Top
7636 @chapter Publishing
7637 @cindex publishing
7638
7639 Org includes@footnote{@file{org-publish.el} is not distributed with
7640 Emacs 21, if you are still using Emacs 21, you need you need to download
7641 this file separately.} a publishing management system that allows you to
7642 configure automatic HTML conversion of @emph{projects} composed of
7643 interlinked org files. This system is called @emph{org-publish}. You can
7644 also configure org-publish to automatically upload your exported HTML
7645 pages and related attachments, such as images and source code files, to
7646 a web server. Org-publish turns Org into a web-site authoring tool.
7647
7648 You can also use Org-publish to convert files into La@TeX{}, or even
7649 combine HTML and La@TeX{} conversion so that files are available in both
7650 formats on the server@footnote{Since La@TeX{} files on a server are not
7651 that helpful, you surely want to perform further conversion on them --
7652 e.g. convert them to @code{PDF} format.}.
7653
7654 Org-publish has been contributed to Org by David O'Toole.
7655
7656 @menu
7657 * Configuration:: Defining projects
7658 * Sample configuration:: Example projects
7659 * Triggering publication:: Publication commands
7660 @end menu
7661
7662 @node Configuration, Sample configuration, Publishing, Publishing
7663 @section Configuration
7664
7665 Publishing needs significant configuration to specify files, destination
7666 and many other properties of a project.
7667
7668 @menu
7669 * Project alist:: The central configuration variable
7670 * Sources and destinations:: From here to there
7671 * Selecting files:: What files are part of the project?
7672 * Publishing action:: Setting the function doing the publishing
7673 * Publishing options:: Tweaking HTML export
7674 * Publishing links:: Which links keep working after publishing?
7675 * Project page index:: Publishing a list of project files
7676 @end menu
7677
7678 @node Project alist, Sources and destinations, Configuration, Configuration
7679 @subsection The variable @code{org-publish-project-alist}
7680 @cindex org-publish-project-alist
7681 @cindex projects, for publishing
7682
7683 Org-publish is configured almost entirely through setting the value of
7684 one variable, called @code{org-publish-project-alist}.
7685 Each element of the list configures one project, and may be in one of
7686 the two following forms:
7687
7688 @lisp
7689 ("project-name" :property value :property value ...)
7690
7691 @r{or}
7692
7693 ("project-name" :components ("project-name" "project-name" ...))
7694
7695 @end lisp
7696
7697 In both cases, projects are configured by specifying property values.
7698 A project defines the set of files that will be published, as well as
7699 the publishing configuration to use when publishing those files. When
7700 a project takes the second form listed above, the individual members
7701 of the ``components'' property are taken to be components of the
7702 project, which group together files requiring different publishing
7703 options. When you publish such a ``meta-project'' all the components
7704 will also publish.
7705
7706 @node Sources and destinations, Selecting files, Project alist, Configuration
7707 @subsection Sources and destinations for files
7708 @cindex directories, for publishing
7709
7710 Most properties are optional, but some should always be set. In
7711 particular, org-publish needs to know where to look for source files,
7712 and where to put published files.
7713
7714 @multitable @columnfractions 0.3 0.7
7715 @item @code{:base-directory}
7716 @tab Directory containing publishing source files
7717 @item @code{:publishing-directory}
7718 @tab Directory (possibly remote) where output files will be published.
7719 @item @code{:preparation-function}
7720 @tab Function called before starting the publishing process, for example to
7721 run @code{make} for updating files to be published.
7722 @item @code{:completion-function}
7723 @tab Function called after finishing the publishing process, for example to
7724 change permissions of the resulting files.
7725 @end multitable
7726 @noindent
7727
7728 @node Selecting files, Publishing action, Sources and destinations, Configuration
7729 @subsection Selecting files
7730 @cindex files, selecting for publishing
7731
7732 By default, all files with extension @file{.org} in the base directory
7733 are considered part of the project. This can be modified by setting the
7734 properties
7735 @multitable @columnfractions 0.25 0.75
7736 @item @code{:base-extension}
7737 @tab Extension (without the dot!) of source files. This actually is a
7738 regular expression.
7739
7740 @item @code{:exclude}
7741 @tab Regular expression to match file names that should not be
7742 published, even though they have been selected on the basis of their
7743 extension.
7744
7745 @item @code{:include}
7746 @tab List of files to be included regardless of @code{:base-extension}
7747 and @code{:exclude}.
7748 @end multitable
7749
7750 @node Publishing action, Publishing options, Selecting files, Configuration
7751 @subsection Publishing action
7752 @cindex action, for publishing
7753
7754 Publishing means that a file is copied to the destination directory and
7755 possibly transformed in the process. The default transformation is to
7756 export Org files as HTML files, and this is done by the function
7757 @code{org-publish-org-to-html} which calls the HTML exporter
7758 (@pxref{HTML export}). But you also can publish your files in La@TeX{} by
7759 using the function @code{org-publish-org-to-latex} instead. Other files
7760 like images only need to be copied to the publishing destination. For
7761 non-Org files, you need to specify the publishing function.
7762
7763
7764 @multitable @columnfractions 0.3 0.7
7765 @item @code{:publishing-function}
7766 @tab Function executing the publication of a file. This may also be a
7767 list of functions, which will all be called in turn.
7768 @end multitable
7769
7770 The function must accept two arguments: a property list containing at
7771 least a @code{:publishing-directory} property, and the name of the file
7772 to be published. It should take the specified file, make the necessary
7773 transformation (if any) and place the result into the destination folder.
7774 You can write your own publishing function, but @code{org-publish}
7775 provides one for attachments (files that only need to be copied):
7776 @code{org-publish-attachment}.
7777
7778 @node Publishing options, Publishing links, Publishing action, Configuration
7779 @subsection Options for the HTML/LaTeX exporters
7780 @cindex options, for publishing
7781
7782 The property list can be used to set many export options for the HTML
7783 and La@TeX{} exporters. In most cases, these properties correspond to user
7784 variables in Org. The table below lists these properties along
7785 with the variable they belong to. See the documentation string for the
7786 respective variable for details.
7787
7788 @multitable @columnfractions 0.3 0.7
7789 @item @code{:language} @tab @code{org-export-default-language}
7790 @item @code{:headline-levels} @tab @code{org-export-headline-levels}
7791 @item @code{:section-numbers} @tab @code{org-export-with-section-numbers}
7792 @item @code{:table-of-contents} @tab @code{org-export-with-toc}
7793 @item @code{:archived-trees} @tab @code{org-export-with-archived-trees}
7794 @item @code{:emphasize} @tab @code{org-export-with-emphasize}
7795 @item @code{:sub-superscript} @tab @code{org-export-with-sub-superscripts}
7796 @item @code{:special-strings} @tab @code{org-export-with-special-strings}
7797 @item @code{:TeX-macros} @tab @code{org-export-with-TeX-macros}
7798 @item @code{:LaTeX-fragments} @tab @code{org-export-with-LaTeX-fragments}
7799 @item @code{:fixed-width} @tab @code{org-export-with-fixed-width}
7800 @item @code{:timestamps} @tab @code{org-export-with-timestamps}
7801 @item @code{:author-info} @tab @code{org-export-author-info}
7802 @item @code{:creator-info} @tab @code{org-export-creator-info}
7803 @item @code{:tags} @tab @code{org-export-with-tags}
7804 @item @code{:tables} @tab @code{org-export-with-tables}
7805 @item @code{:table-auto-headline} @tab @code{org-export-highlight-first-table-line}
7806 @item @code{:style} @tab @code{org-export-html-style}
7807 @item @code{:style-extra} @tab @code{org-export-html-style-extra}
7808 @item @code{:convert-org-links} @tab @code{org-export-html-link-org-files-as-html}
7809 @item @code{:inline-images} @tab @code{org-export-html-inline-images}
7810 @item @code{:expand-quoted-html} @tab @code{org-export-html-expand}
7811 @item @code{:timestamp} @tab @code{org-export-html-with-timestamp}
7812 @item @code{:publishing-directory} @tab @code{org-export-publishing-directory}
7813 @item @code{:preamble} @tab @code{org-export-html-preamble}
7814 @item @code{:postamble} @tab @code{org-export-html-postamble}
7815 @item @code{:auto-preamble} @tab @code{org-export-html-auto-preamble}
7816 @item @code{:auto-postamble} @tab @code{org-export-html-auto-postamble}
7817 @item @code{:author} @tab @code{user-full-name}
7818 @item @code{:email} @tab @code{user-mail-address}
7819 @end multitable
7820
7821 If you use several email addresses, separate them by a semi-column.
7822
7823 Most of the @code{org-export-with-*} variables have the same effect in
7824 both HTML and La@TeX{} exporters, except for @code{:TeX-macros} and
7825 @code{:LaTeX-fragments}, respectively @code{nil} and @code{t} in the
7826 La@TeX{} export.
7827
7828 When a property is given a value in @code{org-publish-project-alist},
7829 its setting overrides the value of the corresponding user variable (if
7830 any) during publishing. Options set within a file (@pxref{Export
7831 options}), however, override everything.
7832
7833 @node Publishing links, Project page index, Publishing options, Configuration
7834 @subsection Links between published files
7835 @cindex links, publishing
7836
7837 To create a link from one Org file to another, you would use
7838 something like @samp{[[file:foo.org][The foo]]} or simply
7839 @samp{file:foo.org.} (@pxref{Hyperlinks}). Upon publishing this link
7840 becomes a link to @file{foo.html}. In this way, you can interlink the
7841 pages of your "org web" project and the links will work as expected when
7842 you publish them to HTML.
7843
7844 You may also link to related files, such as images. Provided you are
7845 careful with relative pathnames, and provided you have also configured
7846 @code{org-publish} to upload the related files, these links will work
7847 too. @ref{Complex example} for an example of this usage.
7848
7849 Sometime an Org file to be published may contain links that are
7850 only valid in your production environment, but not in the publishing
7851 location. In this case, use the property
7852
7853 @multitable @columnfractions 0.4 0.6
7854 @item @code{:link-validation-function}
7855 @tab Function to validate links
7856 @end multitable
7857
7858 @noindent
7859 to define a function for checking link validity. This function must
7860 accept two arguments, the file name and a directory relative to which
7861 the file name is interpreted in the production environment. If this
7862 function returns @code{nil}, then the HTML generator will only insert a
7863 description into the HTML file, but no link. One option for this
7864 function is @code{org-publish-validate-link} which checks if the given
7865 file is part of any project in @code{org-publish-project-alist}.
7866
7867 @node Project page index, , Publishing links, Configuration
7868 @subsection Project page index
7869 @cindex index, of published pages
7870
7871 The following properties may be used to control publishing of an
7872 index of files or summary page for a given project.
7873
7874 @multitable @columnfractions 0.25 0.75
7875 @item @code{:auto-index}
7876 @tab When non-nil, publish an index during org-publish-current-project or
7877 org-publish-all.
7878
7879 @item @code{:index-filename}
7880 @tab Filename for output of index. Defaults to @file{index.org} (which
7881 becomes @file{index.html}).
7882
7883 @item @code{:index-title}
7884 @tab Title of index page. Defaults to name of file.
7885
7886 @item @code{:index-function}
7887 @tab Plug-in function to use for generation of index.
7888 Defaults to @code{org-publish-org-index}, which generates a plain list
7889 of links to all files in the project.
7890 @end multitable
7891
7892 @node Sample configuration, Triggering publication, Configuration, Publishing
7893 @section Sample configuration
7894
7895 Below we provide two example configurations. The first one is a simple
7896 project publishing only a set of Org files. The second example is
7897 more complex, with a multi-component project.
7898
7899 @menu
7900 * Simple example:: One-component publishing
7901 * Complex example:: A multi-component publishing example
7902 @end menu
7903
7904 @node Simple example, Complex example, Sample configuration, Sample configuration
7905 @subsection Example: simple publishing configuration
7906
7907 This example publishes a set of Org files to the @file{public_html}
7908 directory on the local machine.
7909
7910 @lisp
7911 (setq org-publish-project-alist
7912 '(("org"
7913 :base-directory "~/org/"
7914 :publishing-directory "~/public_html"
7915 :section-numbers nil
7916 :table-of-contents nil
7917 :style "<link rel=stylesheet
7918 href=\"../other/mystyle.css\"
7919 type=\"text/css\">")))
7920 @end lisp
7921
7922 @node Complex example, , Simple example, Sample configuration
7923 @subsection Example: complex publishing configuration
7924
7925 This more complicated example publishes an entire website, including
7926 org files converted to HTML, image files, emacs lisp source code, and
7927 style sheets. The publishing-directory is remote and private files are
7928 excluded.
7929
7930 To ensure that links are preserved, care should be taken to replicate
7931 your directory structure on the web server, and to use relative file
7932 paths. For example, if your org files are kept in @file{~/org} and your
7933 publishable images in @file{~/images}, you'd link to an image with
7934 @c
7935 @example
7936 file:../images/myimage.png
7937 @end example
7938 @c
7939 On the web server, the relative path to the image should be the
7940 same. You can accomplish this by setting up an "images" folder in the
7941 right place on the web server, and publishing images to it.
7942
7943 @lisp
7944 (setq org-publish-project-alist
7945 '(("orgfiles"
7946 :base-directory "~/org/"
7947 :base-extension "org"
7948 :publishing-directory "/ssh:user@@host:~/html/notebook/"
7949 :publishing-function org-publish-org-to-html
7950 :exclude "PrivatePage.org" ;; regexp
7951 :headline-levels 3
7952 :section-numbers nil
7953 :table-of-contents nil
7954 :style "<link rel=stylesheet
7955 href=\"../other/mystyle.css\" type=\"text/css\">"
7956 :auto-preamble t
7957 :auto-postamble nil)
7958
7959 ("images"
7960 :base-directory "~/images/"
7961 :base-extension "jpg\\|gif\\|png"
7962 :publishing-directory "/ssh:user@@host:~/html/images/"
7963 :publishing-function org-publish-attachment)
7964
7965 ("other"
7966 :base-directory "~/other/"
7967 :base-extension "css\\|el"
7968 :publishing-directory "/ssh:user@@host:~/html/other/"
7969 :publishing-function org-publish-attachment)
7970 ("website" :components ("orgfiles" "images" "other"))))
7971 @end lisp
7972
7973 @node Triggering publication, , Sample configuration, Publishing
7974 @section Triggering publication
7975
7976 Once org-publish is properly configured, you can publish with the
7977 following functions:
7978
7979 @table @kbd
7980 @item C-c C-e C
7981 Prompt for a specific project and publish all files that belong to it.
7982 @item C-c C-e P
7983 Publish the project containing the current file.
7984 @item C-c C-e F
7985 Publish only the current file.
7986 @item C-c C-e A
7987 Publish all projects.
7988 @end table
7989
7990 Org uses timestamps to track when a file has changed. The above
7991 functions normally only publish changed files. You can override this and
7992 force publishing of all files by giving a prefix argument.
7993
7994 @node Miscellaneous, Extensions, Publishing, Top
7995 @chapter Miscellaneous
7996
7997 @menu
7998 * Completion:: M-TAB knows what you need
7999 * Customization:: Adapting Org to your taste
8000 * In-buffer settings:: Overview of the #+KEYWORDS
8001 * The very busy C-c C-c key:: When in doubt, press C-c C-c
8002 * Clean view:: Getting rid of leading stars in the outline
8003 * TTY keys:: Using Org on a tty
8004 * Interaction:: Other Emacs packages
8005 * Bugs:: Things which do not work perfectly
8006 @end menu
8007
8008 @node Completion, Customization, Miscellaneous, Miscellaneous
8009 @section Completion
8010 @cindex completion, of @TeX{} symbols
8011 @cindex completion, of TODO keywords
8012 @cindex completion, of dictionary words
8013 @cindex completion, of option keywords
8014 @cindex completion, of tags
8015 @cindex completion, of property keys
8016 @cindex completion, of link abbreviations
8017 @cindex @TeX{} symbol completion
8018 @cindex TODO keywords completion
8019 @cindex dictionary word completion
8020 @cindex option keyword completion
8021 @cindex tag completion
8022 @cindex link abbreviations, completion of
8023
8024 Org supports in-buffer completion. This type of completion does
8025 not make use of the minibuffer. You simply type a few letters into
8026 the buffer and use the key to complete text right there.
8027
8028 @table @kbd
8029 @kindex M-@key{TAB}
8030 @item M-@key{TAB}
8031 Complete word at point
8032 @itemize @bullet
8033 @item
8034 At the beginning of a headline, complete TODO keywords.
8035 @item
8036 After @samp{\}, complete @TeX{} symbols supported by the exporter.
8037 @item
8038 After @samp{*}, complete headlines in the current buffer so that they
8039 can be used in search links like @samp{[[*find this headline]]}.
8040 @item
8041 After @samp{:} in a headline, complete tags. The list of tags is taken
8042 from the variable @code{org-tag-alist} (possibly set through the
8043 @samp{#+TAGS} in-buffer option, @pxref{Setting tags}), or it is created
8044 dynamically from all tags used in the current buffer.
8045 @item
8046 After @samp{:} and not in a headline, complete property keys. The list
8047 of keys is constructed dynamically from all keys used in the current
8048 buffer.
8049 @item
8050 After @samp{[}, complete link abbreviations (@pxref{Link abbreviations}).
8051 @item
8052 After @samp{#+}, complete the special keywords like @samp{TYP_TODO} or
8053 @samp{OPTIONS} which set file-specific options for Org mode. When the
8054 option keyword is already complete, pressing @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} again
8055 will insert example settings for this keyword.
8056 @item
8057 In the line after @samp{#+STARTUP: }, complete startup keywords,
8058 i.e. valid keys for this line.
8059 @item
8060 Elsewhere, complete dictionary words using Ispell.
8061 @end itemize
8062 @end table
8063
8064 @node Customization, In-buffer settings, Completion, Miscellaneous
8065 @section Customization
8066 @cindex customization
8067 @cindex options, for customization
8068 @cindex variables, for customization
8069
8070 There are more than 180 variables that can be used to customize
8071 Org. For the sake of compactness of the manual, I am not
8072 describing the variables here. A structured overview of customization
8073 variables is available with @kbd{M-x org-customize}. Or select
8074 @code{Browse Org Group} from the @code{Org->Customization} menu. Many
8075 settings can also be activated on a per-file basis, by putting special
8076 lines into the buffer (@pxref{In-buffer settings}).
8077
8078 @node In-buffer settings, The very busy C-c C-c key, Customization, Miscellaneous
8079 @section Summary of in-buffer settings
8080 @cindex in-buffer settings
8081 @cindex special keywords
8082
8083 Org mode uses special lines in the buffer to define settings on a
8084 per-file basis. These lines start with a @samp{#+} followed by a
8085 keyword, a colon, and then individual words defining a setting. Several
8086 setting words can be in the same line, but you can also have multiple
8087 lines for the keyword. While these settings are described throughout
8088 the manual, here is a summary. After changing any of those lines in the
8089 buffer, press @kbd{C-c C-c} with the cursor still in the line to
8090 activate the changes immediately. Otherwise they become effective only
8091 when the file is visited again in a new Emacs session.
8092
8093 @table @kbd
8094 @item #+ARCHIVE: %s_done::
8095 This line sets the archive location for the agenda file. It applies for
8096 all subsequent lines until the next @samp{#+ARCHIVE} line, or the end
8097 of the file. The first such line also applies to any entries before it.
8098 The corresponding variable is @code{org-archive-location}.
8099 @item #+CATEGORY:
8100 This line sets the category for the agenda file. The category applies
8101 for all subsequent lines until the next @samp{#+CATEGORY} line, or the
8102 end of the file. The first such line also applies to any entries before it.
8103 @item #+COLUMNS: %25ITEM .....
8104 Set the default format for columns view. This format applies when
8105 columns view is invoked in location where no @code{COLUMNS} property
8106 applies.
8107 @item #+CONSTANTS: name1=value1 ...
8108 Set file-local values for constants to be used in table formulas. This
8109 line set the local variable @code{org-table-formula-constants-local}.
8110 The global version of this variable is
8111 @code{org-table-formula-constants}.
8112 @item #+FILETAGS: :tag1:tag2:tag3:
8113 Set tags that can be inherited by any entry in the file, including the
8114 top-level entries.
8115 @item #+DRAWERS: NAME1 .....
8116 Set the file-local set of drawers. The corresponding global variable is
8117 @code{org-drawers}.
8118 @item #+LINK: linkword replace
8119 These lines (several are allowed) specify link abbreviations.
8120 @xref{Link abbreviations}. The corresponding variable is
8121 @code{org-link-abbrev-alist}.
8122 @item #+PRIORITIES: highest lowest default
8123 This line sets the limits and the default for the priorities. All three
8124 must be either letters A-Z or numbers 0-9. The highest priority must
8125 have a lower ASCII number that the lowest priority.
8126 @item #+PROPERTY: Property_Name Value
8127 This line sets a default inheritance value for entries in the current
8128 buffer, most useful for specifying the allowed values of a property.
8129 @item #+SETUPFILE: file
8130 This line defines a file that holds more in-buffer setup. Normally this is
8131 entirely ignored. Only when the buffer is parsed for option-setting lines
8132 (i.e. when starting Org mode for a file, when pressing @kbd{C-c C-c} in a
8133 settings line, or when exporting), then the contents of this file are parsed
8134 as if they had been included in the buffer. In particlar, the file can be
8135 any other Org mode file with internal setup. You can visit the file the
8136 cursor is in the line with @kbd{C-c '}.
8137 @item #+STARTUP:
8138 This line sets options to be used at startup of Org mode, when an
8139 Org file is being visited. The first set of options deals with the
8140 initial visibility of the outline tree. The corresponding variable for
8141 global default settings is @code{org-startup-folded}, with a default
8142 value @code{t}, which means @code{overview}.
8143 @cindex @code{overview}, STARTUP keyword
8144 @cindex @code{content}, STARTUP keyword
8145 @cindex @code{showall}, STARTUP keyword
8146 @example
8147 overview @r{top-level headlines only}
8148 content @r{all headlines}
8149 showall @r{no folding at all, show everything}
8150 @end example
8151 Then there are options for aligning tables upon visiting a file. This
8152 is useful in files containing narrowed table columns. The corresponding
8153 variable is @code{org-startup-align-all-tables}, with a default value
8154 @code{nil}.
8155 @cindex @code{align}, STARTUP keyword
8156 @cindex @code{noalign}, STARTUP keyword
8157 @example
8158 align @r{align all tables}
8159 noalign @r{don't align tables on startup}
8160 @end example
8161 Logging closing and reinstating TODO items, and clock intervals
8162 (variables @code{org-log-done}, @code{org-log-note-clock-out}, and
8163 @code{org-log-repeat}) can be configured using these options.
8164 @cindex @code{logdone}, STARTUP keyword
8165 @cindex @code{lognotedone}, STARTUP keyword
8166 @cindex @code{nologdone}, STARTUP keyword
8167 @cindex @code{lognoteclock-out}, STARTUP keyword
8168 @cindex @code{nolognoteclock-out}, STARTUP keyword
8169 @cindex @code{logrepeat}, STARTUP keyword
8170 @cindex @code{lognoterepeat}, STARTUP keyword
8171 @cindex @code{nologrepeat}, STARTUP keyword
8172 @example
8173 logdone @r{record a timestamp when an item is marked DONE}
8174 lognotedone @r{record timestamp and a note when DONE}
8175 nologdone @r{don't record when items are marked DONE}
8176 logrepeat @r{record a time when reinstating a repeating item}
8177 lognoterepeat @r{record a note when reinstating a repeating item}
8178 nologrepeat @r{do not record when reinstating repeating item}
8179 lognoteclock-out @r{record a note when clocking out}
8180 nolognoteclock-out @r{don't record a note when clocking out}
8181 @end example
8182 Here are the options for hiding leading stars in outline headings, and for
8183 indenting outlines. The corresponding variables are
8184 @code{org-hide-leading-stars} and @code{org-odd-levels-only}, both with a
8185 default setting @code{nil} (meaning @code{showstars} and @code{oddeven}).
8186 @cindex @code{hidestars}, STARTUP keyword
8187 @cindex @code{showstars}, STARTUP keyword
8188 @cindex @code{odd}, STARTUP keyword
8189 @cindex @code{even}, STARTUP keyword
8190 @example
8191 hidestars @r{make all but one of the stars starting a headline invisible.}
8192 showstars @r{show all stars starting a headline}
8193 indent @r{virtual indentation according to outline level}
8194 noindent @r{no virtual indentation according to outline level}
8195 odd @r{allow only odd outline levels (1,3,...)}
8196 oddeven @r{allow all outline levels}
8197 @end example
8198 To turn on custom format overlays over time stamps (variables
8199 @code{org-put-time-stamp-overlays} and
8200 @code{org-time-stamp-overlay-formats}), use
8201 @cindex @code{customtime}, STARTUP keyword
8202 @example
8203 customtime @r{overlay custom time format}
8204 @end example
8205 The following options influence the table spreadsheet (variable
8206 @code{constants-unit-system}).
8207 @cindex @code{constcgs}, STARTUP keyword
8208 @cindex @code{constSI}, STARTUP keyword
8209 @example
8210 constcgs @r{@file{constants.el} should use the c-g-s unit system}
8211 constSI @r{@file{constants.el} should use the SI unit system}
8212 @end example
8213 @item #+TAGS: TAG1(c1) TAG2(c2)
8214 These lines (several such lines are allowed) specify the valid tags in
8215 this file, and (potentially) the corresponding @emph{fast tag selection}
8216 keys. The corresponding variable is @code{org-tag-alist}.
8217 @item #+TBLFM:
8218 This line contains the formulas for the table directly above the line.
8219 @item #+TITLE:, #+AUTHOR:, #+EMAIL:, #+LANGUAGE:, #+TEXT:, #+OPTIONS, #+DATE:
8220 These lines provide settings for exporting files. For more details see
8221 @ref{Export options}.
8222 @item #+SEQ_TODO: #+TYP_TODO:
8223 These lines set the TODO keywords and their interpretation in the
8224 current file. The corresponding variables are @code{org-todo-keywords}
8225 and @code{org-todo-interpretation}.
8226 @end table
8227
8228 @node The very busy C-c C-c key, Clean view, In-buffer settings, Miscellaneous
8229 @section The very busy C-c C-c key
8230 @kindex C-c C-c
8231 @cindex C-c C-c, overview
8232
8233 The key @kbd{C-c C-c} has many purposes in Org, which are all
8234 mentioned scattered throughout this manual. One specific function of
8235 this key is to add @emph{tags} to a headline (@pxref{Tags}). In many
8236 other circumstances it means something like @emph{Hey Org, look
8237 here and update according to what you see here}. Here is a summary of
8238 what this means in different contexts.
8239
8240 @itemize @minus
8241 @item
8242 If there are highlights in the buffer from the creation of a sparse
8243 tree, or from clock display, remove these highlights.
8244 @item
8245 If the cursor is in one of the special @code{#+KEYWORD} lines, this
8246 triggers scanning the buffer for these lines and updating the
8247 information.
8248 @item
8249 If the cursor is inside a table, realign the table. This command
8250 works even if the automatic table editor has been turned off.
8251 @item
8252 If the cursor is on a @code{#+TBLFM} line, re-apply the formulas to
8253 the entire table.
8254 @item
8255 If the cursor is inside a table created by the @file{table.el} package,
8256 activate that table.
8257 @item
8258 If the current buffer is a remember buffer, close the note and file it.
8259 With a prefix argument, file it, without further interaction, to the
8260 default location.
8261 @item
8262 If the cursor is on a @code{<<<target>>>}, update radio targets and
8263 corresponding links in this buffer.
8264 @item
8265 If the cursor is in a property line or at the start or end of a property
8266 drawer, offer property commands.
8267 @item
8268 If the cursor is in a plain list item with a checkbox, toggle the status
8269 of the checkbox.
8270 @item
8271 If the cursor is on a numbered item in a plain list, renumber the
8272 ordered list.
8273 @item
8274 If the cursor is on the @code{#+BEGIN} line of a dynamical block, the
8275 block is updated.
8276 @end itemize
8277
8278 @node Clean view, TTY keys, The very busy C-c C-c key, Miscellaneous
8279 @section A cleaner outline view
8280 @cindex hiding leading stars
8281 @cindex dynamic indentation
8282 @cindex odd-levels-only outlines
8283 @cindex clean outline view
8284
8285 Some people find it noisy and distracting that the Org headlines are starting
8286 with a potentially large number of stars, and that text below the headlines
8287 is not indented. This is not really a problem when you are writing a book
8288 where the outline headings are really section headlines. However, in a more
8289 list-oriented outline, it is clear that an indented structure is a lot
8290 cleaner, as can be seen by comparing the two columns in the following
8291 example:
8292
8293 @example
8294 @group
8295 * Top level headline | * Top level headline
8296 ** Second level | * Second level
8297 *** 3rd level | * 3rd level
8298 some text | some text
8299 *** 3rd level | * 3rd level
8300 more text | more text
8301 * Another top level headline | * Another top level headline
8302 @end group
8303 @end example
8304
8305 @noindent
8306 It is non-trivial to make such a look work in Emacs, but Org contains three
8307 separate features that, combined, achieve just that.
8308
8309 @enumerate
8310 @item
8311 @emph{Indentation of text below headlines}@*
8312 You may indent text below each headline to make the left boundary line up
8313 with the headline, like
8314
8315 @example
8316 *** 3rd level
8317 more text, now indented
8318 @end example
8319
8320 A good way to get this indentation is by hand, and Org supports this with
8321 paragraph filling, line wrapping, and structure editing@footnote{See also the
8322 variable @code{org-adapt-indentation}.} preserving or adapting the
8323 indentation appropriate. A different approach would be to have a way to
8324 automatically indent lines according to outline structure by adding overlays
8325 or text properties. But I have not yet found a robust and efficient way to
8326 do this in large files.
8327
8328 @item
8329 @emph{Hiding leading stars}@* You can modify the display in such a way that
8330 all leading stars become invisible. To do this in a global way, configure
8331 the variable @code{org-hide-leading-stars} or change this on a per-file basis
8332 with
8333
8334 @example
8335 #+STARTUP: showstars
8336 #+STARTUP: hidestars
8337 @end example
8338
8339 With hidden stars, the tree becomes:
8340
8341 @example
8342 @group
8343 * Top level headline
8344 * Second level
8345 * 3rd level
8346 ...
8347 @end group
8348 @end example
8349
8350 @noindent
8351 Note that the leading stars are not truly replaced by whitespace, they
8352 are only fontified with the face @code{org-hide} that uses the
8353 background color as font color. If you are not using either white or
8354 black background, you may have to customize this face to get the wanted
8355 effect. Another possibility is to set this font such that the extra
8356 stars are @i{almost} invisible, for example using the color
8357 @code{grey90} on a white background.
8358
8359 @item
8360 Things become cleaner still if you skip all the even levels and use only odd
8361 levels 1, 3, 5..., effectively adding two stars to go from one outline level
8362 to the next. In this way we get the outline view shown at the beginning of
8363 this section. In order to make the structure editing and export commands
8364 handle this convention correctly, configure the variable
8365 @code{org-odd-levels-only}, or set this on a per-file basis with one of the
8366 following lines:
8367
8368 @example
8369 #+STARTUP: odd
8370 #+STARTUP: oddeven
8371 @end example
8372
8373 You can convert an Org file from single-star-per-level to the
8374 double-star-per-level convention with @kbd{M-x org-convert-to-odd-levels
8375 RET} in that file. The reverse operation is @kbd{M-x
8376 org-convert-to-oddeven-levels}.
8377 @end enumerate
8378
8379 @node TTY keys, Interaction, Clean view, Miscellaneous
8380 @section Using Org on a tty
8381 @cindex tty key bindings
8382
8383 Because Org contains a large number of commands, by default much of
8384 Org's core commands are bound to keys that are generally not
8385 accessible on a tty, such as the cursor keys (@key{left}, @key{right},
8386 @key{up}, @key{down}), @key{TAB} and @key{RET}, in particular when used
8387 together with modifiers like @key{Meta} and/or @key{Shift}. To access
8388 these commands on a tty when special keys are unavailable, the following
8389 alternative bindings can be used. The tty bindings below will likely be
8390 more cumbersome; you may find for some of the bindings below that a
8391 customized work-around suits you better. For example, changing a time
8392 stamp is really only fun with @kbd{S-@key{cursor}} keys, whereas on a
8393 tty you would rather use @kbd{C-c .} to re-insert the timestamp.
8394
8395 @multitable @columnfractions 0.15 0.2 0.2
8396 @item @b{Default} @tab @b{Alternative 1} @tab @b{Alternative 2}
8397 @item @kbd{S-@key{TAB}} @tab @kbd{C-u @key{TAB}} @tab
8398 @item @kbd{M-@key{left}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x l} @tab @kbd{@key{Esc} @key{left}}
8399 @item @kbd{M-S-@key{left}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x L} @tab
8400 @item @kbd{M-@key{right}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x r} @tab @kbd{@key{Esc} @key{right}}
8401 @item @kbd{M-S-@key{right}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x R} @tab
8402 @item @kbd{M-@key{up}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x u} @tab @kbd{@key{Esc} @key{up}}
8403 @item @kbd{M-S-@key{up}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x U} @tab
8404 @item @kbd{M-@key{down}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x d} @tab @kbd{@key{Esc} @key{down}}
8405 @item @kbd{M-S-@key{down}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x D} @tab
8406 @item @kbd{S-@key{RET}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x c} @tab
8407 @item @kbd{M-@key{RET}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x m} @tab @kbd{@key{Esc} @key{RET}}
8408 @item @kbd{M-S-@key{RET}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x M} @tab
8409 @item @kbd{S-@key{left}} @tab @kbd{C-c @key{left}} @tab
8410 @item @kbd{S-@key{right}} @tab @kbd{C-c @key{right}} @tab
8411 @item @kbd{S-@key{up}} @tab @kbd{C-c @key{up}} @tab
8412 @item @kbd{S-@key{down}} @tab @kbd{C-c @key{down}} @tab
8413 @item @kbd{C-S-@key{left}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x @key{left}} @tab
8414 @item @kbd{C-S-@key{right}} @tab @kbd{C-c C-x @key{right}} @tab
8415 @end multitable
8416
8417 @node Interaction, Bugs, TTY keys, Miscellaneous
8418 @section Interaction with other packages
8419 @cindex packages, interaction with other
8420 Org lives in the world of GNU Emacs and interacts in various ways
8421 with other code out there.
8422
8423 @menu
8424 * Cooperation:: Packages Org cooperates with
8425 * Conflicts:: Packages that lead to conflicts
8426 @end menu
8427
8428 @node Cooperation, Conflicts, Interaction, Interaction
8429 @subsection Packages that Org cooperates with
8430
8431 @table @asis
8432 @cindex @file{calc.el}
8433 @item @file{calc.el} by Dave Gillespie
8434 Org uses the Calc package for implementing spreadsheet
8435 functionality in its tables (@pxref{The spreadsheet}). Org
8436 checks for the availability of Calc by looking for the function
8437 @code{calc-eval} which should be autoloaded in your setup if Calc has
8438 been installed properly. As of Emacs 22, Calc is part of the Emacs
8439 distribution. Another possibility for interaction between the two
8440 packages is using Calc for embedded calculations. @xref{Embedded Mode,
8441 , Embedded Mode, Calc, GNU Emacs Calc Manual}.
8442 @cindex @file{constants.el}
8443 @item @file{constants.el} by Carsten Dominik
8444 In a table formula (@pxref{The spreadsheet}), it is possible to use
8445 names for natural constants or units. Instead of defining your own
8446 constants in the variable @code{org-table-formula-constants}, install
8447 the @file{constants} package which defines a large number of constants
8448 and units, and lets you use unit prefixes like @samp{M} for
8449 @samp{Mega} etc. You will need version 2.0 of this package, available
8450 at @url{http://www.astro.uva.nl/~dominik/Tools}. Org checks for
8451 the function @code{constants-get}, which has to be autoloaded in your
8452 setup. See the installation instructions in the file
8453 @file{constants.el}.
8454 @item @file{cdlatex.el} by Carsten Dominik
8455 @cindex @file{cdlatex.el}
8456 Org mode can make use of the CDLaTeX package to efficiently enter
8457 La@TeX{} fragments into Org files. See @ref{CDLaTeX mode}.
8458 @item @file{imenu.el} by Ake Stenhoff and Lars Lindberg
8459 @cindex @file{imenu.el}
8460 Imenu allows menu access to an index of items in a file. Org mode
8461 supports Imenu - all you need to do to get the index is the following:
8462 @lisp
8463 (add-hook 'org-mode-hook
8464 (lambda () (imenu-add-to-menubar "Imenu")))
8465 @end lisp
8466 By default the index is two levels deep - you can modify the depth using
8467 the option @code{org-imenu-depth}.
8468 @item @file{remember.el} by John Wiegley
8469 @cindex @file{remember.el}
8470 Org cooperates with remember, see @ref{Remember}.
8471 @file{Remember.el} is not part of Emacs, find it on the web.
8472 @item @file{speedbar.el} by Eric M. Ludlam
8473 @cindex @file{speedbar.el}
8474 Speedbar is a package that creates a special frame displaying files and
8475 index items in files. Org mode supports Speedbar and allows you to
8476 drill into Org files directly from the Speedbar. It also allows to
8477 restrict the scope of agenda commands to a file or a subtree by using
8478 the command @kbd{<} in the Speedbar frame.
8479 @cindex @file{table.el}
8480 @item @file{table.el} by Takaaki Ota
8481 @kindex C-c C-c
8482 @cindex table editor, @file{table.el}
8483 @cindex @file{table.el}
8484
8485 Complex ASCII tables with automatic line wrapping, column- and
8486 row-spanning, and alignment can be created using the Emacs table
8487 package by Takaaki Ota (@uref{http://sourceforge.net/projects/table},
8488 and also part of Emacs 22).
8489 When @key{TAB} or @kbd{C-c C-c} is pressed in such a table, Org mode
8490 will call @command{table-recognize-table} and move the cursor into the
8491 table. Inside a table, the keymap of Org mode is inactive. In order
8492 to execute Org mode-related commands, leave the table.
8493
8494 @table @kbd
8495 @kindex C-c C-c
8496 @item C-c C-c
8497 Recognize @file{table.el} table. Works when the cursor is in a
8498 table.el table.
8499 @c
8500 @kindex C-c ~
8501 @item C-c ~
8502 Insert a table.el table. If there is already a table at point, this
8503 command converts it between the table.el format and the Org mode
8504 format. See the documentation string of the command
8505 @code{org-convert-table} for the restrictions under which this is
8506 possible.
8507 @end table
8508 @file{table.el} is part of Emacs 22.
8509 @cindex @file{footnote.el}
8510 @item @file{footnote.el} by Steven L. Baur
8511 Org mode recognizes numerical footnotes as provided by this package
8512 (@pxref{Footnotes}).
8513 @end table
8514
8515 @node Conflicts, , Cooperation, Interaction
8516 @subsection Packages that lead to conflicts with Org mode
8517
8518 @table @asis
8519
8520 @cindex @file{allout.el}
8521 @item @file{allout.el} by Ken Manheimer
8522 Startup of Org may fail with the error message
8523 @code{(wrong-type-argument keymapp nil)} when there is an outdated
8524 version @file{allout.el} on the load path, for example the version
8525 distributed with Emacs 21.x. Upgrade to Emacs 22 and this problem will
8526 disappear. If for some reason you cannot do this, make sure that org.el
8527 is loaded @emph{before} @file{allout.el}, for example by putting
8528 @code{(require 'org)} early enough into your @file{.emacs} file.
8529
8530 @cindex @file{CUA.el}
8531 @item @file{CUA.el} by Kim. F. Storm
8532 Key bindings in Org conflict with the @kbd{S-<cursor>} keys used by
8533 CUA mode (as well as pc-select-mode and s-region-mode) to select and
8534 extend the region. If you want to use one of these packages along with
8535 Org, configure the variable @code{org-replace-disputed-keys}. When
8536 set, Org will move the following key bindings in Org files, and
8537 in the agenda buffer (but not during date selection).
8538
8539 @example
8540 S-UP -> M-p S-DOWN -> M-n
8541 S-LEFT -> M-- S-RIGHT -> M-+
8542 @end example
8543
8544 Yes, these are unfortunately more difficult to remember. If you want
8545 to have other replacement keys, look at the variable
8546 @code{org-disputed-keys}.
8547 @item @file{windmove.el} by Hovav Shacham
8548 @cindex @file{windmove.el}
8549 Also this package uses the @kbd{S-<cursor>} keys, so everything written
8550 in the paragraph above about CUA mode also applies here.
8551
8552 @cindex @file{footnote.el}
8553 @item @file{footnote.el} by Steven L. Baur
8554 Org supports the syntax of the footnote package, but only the
8555 numerical footnote markers. Also, the default key for footnote
8556 commands, @kbd{C-c !} is already used by Org. You could use the
8557 variable @code{footnote-prefix} to switch footnotes commands to another
8558 key. Or, you could use @code{org-replace-disputed-keys} and
8559 @code{org-disputed-keys} to change the settings in Org.
8560
8561 @end table
8562
8563
8564 @node Bugs, , Interaction, Miscellaneous
8565 @section Bugs
8566 @cindex bugs
8567
8568 Here is a list of things that should work differently, but which I
8569 have found too hard to fix.
8570
8571 @itemize @bullet
8572 @item
8573 If a table field starts with a link, and if the corresponding table
8574 column is narrowed (@pxref{Narrow columns}) to a width too small to
8575 display the link, the field would look entirely empty even though it is
8576 not. To prevent this, Org throws an error. The work-around is to
8577 make the column wide enough to fit the link, or to add some text (at
8578 least 2 characters) before the link in the same field.
8579 @item
8580 Narrowing table columns does not work on XEmacs, because the
8581 @code{format} function does not transport text properties.
8582 @item
8583 Text in an entry protected with the @samp{QUOTE} keyword should not
8584 autowrap.
8585 @item
8586 When the application called by @kbd{C-c C-o} to open a file link fails
8587 (for example because the application does not exist or refuses to open
8588 the file), it does so silently. No error message is displayed.
8589 @item
8590 Recalculating a table line applies the formulas from left to right.
8591 If a formula uses @emph{calculated} fields further down the row,
8592 multiple recalculation may be needed to get all fields consistent. You
8593 may use the command @code{org-table-iterate} (@kbd{C-u C-c *}) to
8594 recalculate until convergence.
8595 @item
8596 The exporters work well, but could be made more efficient.
8597 @end itemize
8598
8599
8600 @node Extensions, Hacking, Miscellaneous, Top
8601 @appendix Extensions
8602
8603 This appendix lists the extension modules that have been written for Org.
8604 Many of these extensions live in the @file{contrib} directory of the Org
8605 distribution, others are available somewhere on the web.
8606
8607 @menu
8608 * Extensions in the contrib directory:: These come with the Org distro
8609 * Other extensions:: These you have to find on the web.
8610 @end menu
8611
8612 @node Extensions in the contrib directory, Other extensions, Extensions, Extensions
8613 @section Extensions in the @file{contrib} directory
8614
8615 @table @asis
8616 @item @file{org-annotate-file.el} by @i{Philip Jackson}
8617 Annotate a file with org syntax, in a separate file, with links back to
8618 the annotated file.
8619 @item @file{org-annotation-helper.el} by @i{Bastien Guerry and Daniel E. German}
8620 Call @i{remember} directly from Firefox/Opera, or from Adobe Reader.
8621 When activating a special link or bookmark, Emacs receives a trigger to
8622 create a note with a link back to the website. Requires some setup, a
8623 detailes description is in
8624 @file{contrib/packages/org-annotation-helper}.
8625 @item @file{org-bookmark.el} by @i{Tokuya Kameshima}
8626 Support for links to Emacs bookmarks.
8627 @item @file{org-depend.el} by @i{Carsten Dominik}
8628 TODO dependencies for Org-mode. Make TODO state changes in one entry
8629 trigger changes in another, or be blocked by the state of another
8630 entry. Also, easily create chains of TODO items with exactly one
8631 active item at any time.
8632 @item @file{org-elisp-symbol.el} by @i{Bastien Guerry}
8633 Org links to emacs-lisp symbols. This can create annotated links that
8634 exactly point to the definition location of a variable of function.
8635 @item @file{org-eval.el} by @i{Carsten Dominik}
8636 The @code{<lisp>} tag, adapted from Emacs Wiki and Emacs Muse, allows
8637 to include text in a document that is the result of evaluating some
8638 code. Other scripting languages like @code{perl} can be supported with
8639 this package as well.
8640 @item @file{org-expiry.el} by @i{Bastien Guerry}
8641 Expiry mechanism for Org entries.
8642 @item @file{org-indent.el} by @i{Carsten Dominik}
8643 Dynamic indentation of Org outlines. The plan is to indent an outline
8644 according to level, but so far this is too hard for a proper and stable
8645 implementation. Still, it works somewhat.
8646 @item @file{org-interactive-query.el} by @i{Christopher League}
8647 Interactive modification of tags queries. After running a general
8648 query in Org, this package allows to narrow down the results by adding
8649 more tags or keywords.
8650 @item @file{org-mairix.el} by @i{Georg C. F. Greve}
8651 Hook mairix search into Org for different MUAs.
8652 @item @file{org-man.el} by @i{Carsten Dominik}
8653 Support for links to manpages in Org-mode.
8654 @item @file{org-mtags.el} by @i{Carsten Dominik}
8655 Support for some Muse-like tags in Org-mode. This package allows you
8656 to write @code{<example>} and @code{<src>} and other syntax copied from
8657 Emacs Muse, right inside an Org file. The goal here is to make it easy
8658 to publish the same file using either org-publish or Muse.
8659 @item @file{org-panel.el} by @i{Lennard Borgman}
8660 Simplified and display-aided access to some Org commands.
8661 @item @file{org-registry.el} by @i{Bastien Guerry}
8662 A registry for Org links, to find out from where links point to a given
8663 file or location.
8664 @item @file{org2rem.el} by @i{Bastien Guerry}
8665 Convert org appointments into reminders for the @file{remind} program.
8666 @item @file{org-screen.el} by @i{Andrew Hyatt}
8667 Visit screen sessions through Org-mode links.
8668 @item @file{org-toc.el} by @i{Bastien Guerry}
8669 Table of contents in a separate buffer, with fast access to sections
8670 and easy visibility cycling.
8671 @item @file{orgtbl-sqlinsert.el} by @i{Jason Riedy}
8672 Convert Org-mode tables to SQL insertions. Documentation for this can
8673 be found on the Worg pages.
8674 @end table
8675
8676
8677 @node Other extensions, , Extensions in the contrib directory, Extensions
8678 @section Other extensions
8679
8680 @i{TO BE DONE}
8681
8682 @node Hacking, History and Acknowledgments, Extensions, Top
8683 @appendix Hacking
8684
8685 This appendix covers some aspects where users can extend the functionality of
8686 Org.
8687
8688 @menu
8689 * Adding hyperlink types:: New custom link types
8690 * Tables in arbitrary syntax:: Orgtbl for LaTeX and other programs
8691 * Dynamic blocks:: Automatically filled blocks
8692 * Special agenda views:: Customized views
8693 * Using the property API:: Writing programs that use entry properties
8694 * Using the mapping API:: Mapping over all or selected entries
8695 @end menu
8696
8697 @node Adding hyperlink types, Tables in arbitrary syntax, Hacking, Hacking
8698 @section Adding hyperlink types
8699 @cindex hyperlinks, adding new types
8700
8701 Org has a large number of hyperlink types built-in
8702 (@pxref{Hyperlinks}). If you would like to add new link types, it
8703 provides an interface for doing so. Lets look at an example file
8704 @file{org-man.el} that will add support for creating links like
8705 @samp{[[man:printf][The printf manpage]]} to show Unix manual pages inside
8706 emacs:
8707
8708 @lisp
8709 ;;; org-man.el - Support for links to manpages in Org
8710
8711 (require 'org)
8712
8713 (org-add-link-type "man" 'org-man-open)
8714 (add-hook 'org-store-link-functions 'org-man-store-link)
8715
8716 (defcustom org-man-command 'man
8717 "The Emacs command to be used to display a man page."
8718 :group 'org-link
8719 :type '(choice (const man) (const woman)))
8720
8721 (defun org-man-open (path)
8722 "Visit the manpage on PATH.
8723 PATH should be a topic that can be thrown at the man command."
8724 (funcall org-man-command path))
8725
8726 (defun org-man-store-link ()
8727 "Store a link to a manpage."
8728 (when (memq major-mode '(Man-mode woman-mode))
8729 ;; This is a man page, we do make this link
8730 (let* ((page (org-man-get-page-name))
8731 (link (concat "man:" page))
8732 (description (format "Manpage for %s" page)))
8733 (org-store-link-props
8734 :type "man"
8735 :link link
8736 :description description))))
8737
8738 (defun org-man-get-page-name ()
8739 "Extract the page name from the buffer name."
8740 ;; This works for both `Man-mode' and `woman-mode'.
8741 (if (string-match " \\(\\S-+\\)\\*" (buffer-name))
8742 (match-string 1 (buffer-name))
8743 (error "Cannot create link to this man page")))
8744
8745 (provide 'org-man)
8746
8747 ;;; org-man.el ends here
8748 @end lisp
8749
8750 @noindent
8751 You would activate this new link type in @file{.emacs} with
8752
8753 @lisp
8754 (require 'org-man)
8755 @end lisp
8756
8757 @noindent
8758 Lets go through the file and see what it does.
8759 @enumerate
8760 @item
8761 It does @code{(require 'org)} to make sure that @file{org.el} has been
8762 loaded.
8763 @item
8764 The next line calls @code{org-add-link-type} to define a new link type
8765 with prefix @samp{man}. The call also contains the name of a function
8766 that will be called to follow such a link.
8767 @item
8768 The next line adds a function to @code{org-store-link-functions}, in
8769 order to allow the command @kbd{C-c l} to record a useful link in a
8770 buffer displaying a man page.
8771 @end enumerate
8772
8773 The rest of the file defines the necessary variables and functions.
8774 First there is a customization variable that determines which emacs
8775 command should be used to display man pages. There are two options,
8776 @code{man} and @code{woman}. Then the function to follow a link is
8777 defined. It gets the link path as an argument - in this case the link
8778 path is just a topic for the manual command. The function calls the
8779 value of @code{org-man-command} to display the man page.
8780
8781 Finally the function @code{org-man-store-link} is defined. When you try
8782 to store a link with @kbd{C-c l}, also this function will be called to
8783 try to make a link. The function must first decide if it is supposed to
8784 create the link for this buffer type, we do this by checking the value
8785 of the variable @code{major-mode}. If not, the function must exit and
8786 return the value @code{nil}. If yes, the link is created by getting the
8787 manual topic from the buffer name and prefixing it with the string
8788 @samp{man:}. Then it must call the command @code{org-store-link-props}
8789 and set the @code{:type} and @code{:link} properties. Optionally you
8790 can also set the @code{:description} property to provide a default for
8791 the link description when the link is later inserted into an Org
8792 buffer with @kbd{C-c C-l}.
8793
8794 @node Tables in arbitrary syntax, Dynamic blocks, Adding hyperlink types, Hacking
8795 @section Tables and lists in arbitrary syntax
8796 @cindex tables, in other modes
8797 @cindex lists, in other modes
8798 @cindex Orgtbl mode
8799
8800 Since Orgtbl mode can be used as a minor mode in arbitrary buffers, a
8801 frequent feature request has been to make it work with native tables in
8802 specific languages, for example La@TeX{}. However, this is extremely
8803 hard to do in a general way, would lead to a customization nightmare,
8804 and would take away much of the simplicity of the Orgtbl mode table
8805 editor.
8806
8807
8808 This appendix describes a different approach. We keep the Orgtbl mode
8809 table in its native format (the @i{source table}), and use a custom
8810 function to @i{translate} the table to the correct syntax, and to
8811 @i{install} it in the right location (the @i{target table}). This puts
8812 the burden of writing conversion functions on the user, but it allows
8813 for a very flexible system.
8814
8815 Bastien added the ability to do the same with lists. You can use Org's
8816 facilities to edit and structure lists by turning @code{orgstruct-mode}
8817 on, then locally exporting such lists in another format (HTML, La@TeX{}
8818 or Texinfo.)
8819
8820
8821 @menu
8822 * Radio tables:: Sending and receiving
8823 * A LaTeX example:: Step by step, almost a tutorial
8824 * Translator functions:: Copy and modify
8825 * Radio lists:: Doing the same for lists
8826 @end menu
8827
8828 @node Radio tables, A LaTeX example, Tables in arbitrary syntax, Tables in arbitrary syntax
8829 @subsection Radio tables
8830 @cindex radio tables
8831
8832 To define the location of the target table, you first need to create two
8833 lines that are comments in the current mode, but contain magic words for
8834 Orgtbl mode to find. Orgtbl mode will insert the translated table
8835 between these lines, replacing whatever was there before. For example:
8836
8837 @example
8838 /* BEGIN RECEIVE ORGTBL table_name */
8839 /* END RECEIVE ORGTBL table_name */
8840 @end example
8841
8842 @noindent
8843 Just above the source table, we put a special line that tells
8844 Orgtbl mode how to translate this table and where to install it. For
8845 example:
8846 @example
8847 #+ORGTBL: SEND table_name translation_function arguments....
8848 @end example
8849
8850 @noindent
8851 @code{table_name} is the reference name for the table that is also used
8852 in the receiver lines. @code{translation_function} is the Lisp function
8853 that does the translation. Furthermore, the line can contain a list of
8854 arguments (alternating key and value) at the end. The arguments will be
8855 passed as a property list to the translation function for
8856 interpretation. A few standard parameters are already recognized and
8857 acted upon before the translation function is called:
8858
8859 @table @code
8860 @item :skip N
8861 Skip the first N lines of the table. Hlines do count as separate lines for
8862 this parameter!
8863
8864 @item :skipcols (n1 n2 ...)
8865 List of columns that should be skipped. If the table has a column with
8866 calculation marks, that column is automatically discarded as well.
8867 Please note that the translator function sees the table @emph{after} the
8868 removal of these columns, the function never knows that there have been
8869 additional columns.
8870 @end table
8871
8872 @noindent
8873 The one problem remaining is how to keep the source table in the buffer
8874 without disturbing the normal workings of the file, for example during
8875 compilation of a C file or processing of a La@TeX{} file. There are a
8876 number of different solutions:
8877
8878 @itemize @bullet
8879 @item
8880 The table could be placed in a block comment if that is supported by the
8881 language. For example, in C mode you could wrap the table between
8882 @samp{/*} and @samp{*/} lines.
8883 @item
8884 Sometimes it is possible to put the table after some kind of @i{END}
8885 statement, for example @samp{\bye} in TeX and @samp{\end@{document@}}
8886 in La@TeX{}.
8887 @item
8888 You can just comment the table line by line whenever you want to process
8889 the file, and uncomment it whenever you need to edit the table. This
8890 only sounds tedious - the command @kbd{M-x orgtbl-toggle-comment} does
8891 make this comment-toggling very easy, in particular if you bind it to a
8892 key.
8893 @end itemize
8894
8895 @node A LaTeX example, Translator functions, Radio tables, Tables in arbitrary syntax
8896 @subsection A LaTeX example of radio tables
8897 @cindex LaTeX, and Orgtbl mode
8898
8899 The best way to wrap the source table in La@TeX{} is to use the
8900 @code{comment} environment provided by @file{comment.sty}. It has to be
8901 activated by placing @code{\usepackage@{comment@}} into the document
8902 header. Orgtbl mode can insert a radio table skeleton@footnote{By
8903 default this works only for La@TeX{}, HTML, and Texinfo. Configure the
8904 variable @code{orgtbl-radio-tables} to install templates for other
8905 modes.} with the command @kbd{M-x orgtbl-insert-radio-table}. You will
8906 be prompted for a table name, lets say we use @samp{salesfigures}. You
8907 will then get the following template:
8908
8909 @cindex #+ORGTBL: SEND
8910 @example
8911 % BEGIN RECEIVE ORGTBL salesfigures
8912 % END RECEIVE ORGTBL salesfigures
8913 \begin@{comment@}
8914 #+ORGTBL: SEND salesfigures orgtbl-to-latex
8915 | | |
8916 \end@{comment@}
8917 @end example
8918
8919 @noindent
8920 The @code{#+ORGTBL: SEND} line tells Orgtbl mode to use the function
8921 @code{orgtbl-to-latex} to convert the table into La@TeX{} and to put it
8922 into the receiver location with name @code{salesfigures}. You may now
8923 fill in the table, feel free to use the spreadsheet features@footnote{If
8924 the @samp{#+TBLFM} line contains an odd number of dollar characters,
8925 this may cause problems with font-lock in LaTeX mode. As shown in the
8926 example you can fix this by adding an extra line inside the
8927 @code{comment} environment that is used to balance the dollar
8928 expressions. If you are using AUCTeX with the font-latex library, a
8929 much better solution is to add the @code{comment} environment to the
8930 variable @code{LaTeX-verbatim-environments}.}:
8931
8932 @example
8933 % BEGIN RECEIVE ORGTBL salesfigures
8934 % END RECEIVE ORGTBL salesfigures
8935 \begin@{comment@}
8936 #+ORGTBL: SEND salesfigures orgtbl-to-latex
8937 | Month | Days | Nr sold | per day |
8938 |-------+------+---------+---------|
8939 | Jan | 23 | 55 | 2.4 |
8940 | Feb | 21 | 16 | 0.8 |
8941 | March | 22 | 278 | 12.6 |
8942 #+TBLFM: $4=$3/$2;%.1f
8943 % $ (optional extra dollar to keep font-lock happy, see footnote)
8944 \end@{comment@}
8945 @end example
8946
8947 @noindent
8948 When you are done, press @kbd{C-c C-c} in the table to get the converted
8949 table inserted between the two marker lines.
8950
8951 Now lets assume you want to make the table header by hand, because you
8952 want to control how columns are aligned etc. In this case we make sure
8953 that the table translator does skip the first 2 lines of the source
8954 table, and tell the command to work as a @i{splice}, i.e. to not produce
8955 header and footer commands of the target table:
8956
8957 @example
8958 \begin@{tabular@}@{lrrr@}
8959 Month & \multicolumn@{1@}@{c@}@{Days@} & Nr.\ sold & per day\\
8960 % BEGIN RECEIVE ORGTBL salesfigures
8961 % END RECEIVE ORGTBL salesfigures
8962 \end@{tabular@}
8963 %
8964 \begin@{comment@}
8965 #+ORGTBL: SEND salesfigures orgtbl-to-latex :splice t :skip 2
8966 | Month | Days | Nr sold | per day |
8967 |-------+------+---------+---------|
8968 | Jan | 23 | 55 | 2.4 |
8969 | Feb | 21 | 16 | 0.8 |
8970 | March | 22 | 278 | 12.6 |
8971 #+TBLFM: $4=$3/$2;%.1f
8972 \end@{comment@}
8973 @end example
8974
8975 The La@TeX{} translator function @code{orgtbl-to-latex} is already part of
8976 Orgtbl mode. It uses a @code{tabular} environment to typeset the table
8977 and marks horizontal lines with @code{\hline}. Furthermore, it
8978 interprets the following parameters (see also @ref{Translator functions}):
8979
8980 @table @code
8981 @item :splice nil/t
8982 When set to t, return only table body lines, don't wrap them into a
8983 tabular environment. Default is nil.
8984
8985 @item :fmt fmt
8986 A format to be used to wrap each field, should contain @code{%s} for the
8987 original field value. For example, to wrap each field value in dollars,
8988 you could use @code{:fmt "$%s$"}. This may also be a property list with
8989 column numbers and formats. for example @code{:fmt (2 "$%s$" 4 "%s\\%%")}.
8990 A function of one argument can be used in place of the strings; the
8991 function must return a formatted string.
8992
8993 @item :efmt efmt
8994 Use this format to print numbers with exponentials. The format should
8995 have @code{%s} twice for inserting mantissa and exponent, for example
8996 @code{"%s\\times10^@{%s@}"}. The default is @code{"%s\\,(%s)"}. This
8997 may also be a property list with column numbers and formats, for example
8998 @code{:efmt (2 "$%s\\times10^@{%s@}$" 4 "$%s\\cdot10^@{%s@}$")}. After
8999 @code{efmt} has been applied to a value, @code{fmt} will also be
9000 applied. Similar to @code{fmt}, functions of two arguments can be
9001 supplied instead of strings.
9002 @end table
9003
9004 @node Translator functions, Radio lists, A LaTeX example, Tables in arbitrary syntax
9005 @subsection Translator functions
9006 @cindex HTML, and Orgtbl mode
9007 @cindex translator function
9008
9009 Orgtbl mode has several translator functions built-in: @code{orgtbl-to-csv}
9010 (comma-separated values), @code{orgtbl-to-tsv} (TAB-separated values)
9011 @code{orgtbl-to-latex}, @code{orgtbl-to-html}, and @code{orgtbl-to-texinfo}.
9012 Except for @code{orgtbl-to-html}@footnote{The HTML translator uses the same
9013 code that produces tables during HTML export.}, these all use a generic
9014 translator, @code{orgtbl-to-generic}. For example, @code{orgtbl-to-latex}
9015 itself is a very short function that computes the column definitions for the
9016 @code{tabular} environment, defines a few field and line separators and then
9017 hands over to the generic translator. Here is the entire code:
9018
9019 @lisp
9020 @group
9021 (defun orgtbl-to-latex (table params)
9022 "Convert the Orgtbl mode TABLE to LaTeX."
9023 (let* ((alignment (mapconcat (lambda (x) (if x "r" "l"))
9024 org-table-last-alignment ""))
9025 (params2
9026 (list
9027 :tstart (concat "\\begin@{tabular@}@{" alignment "@}")
9028 :tend "\\end@{tabular@}"
9029 :lstart "" :lend " \\\\" :sep " & "
9030 :efmt "%s\\,(%s)" :hline "\\hline")))
9031 (orgtbl-to-generic table (org-combine-plists params2 params))))
9032 @end group
9033 @end lisp
9034
9035 As you can see, the properties passed into the function (variable
9036 @var{PARAMS}) are combined with the ones newly defined in the function
9037 (variable @var{PARAMS2}). The ones passed into the function (i.e. the
9038 ones set by the @samp{ORGTBL SEND} line) take precedence. So if you
9039 would like to use the La@TeX{} translator, but wanted the line endings to
9040 be @samp{\\[2mm]} instead of the default @samp{\\}, you could just
9041 overrule the default with
9042
9043 @example
9044 #+ORGTBL: SEND test orgtbl-to-latex :lend " \\\\[2mm]"
9045 @end example
9046
9047 For a new language, you can either write your own converter function in
9048 analogy with the La@TeX{} translator, or you can use the generic function
9049 directly. For example, if you have a language where a table is started
9050 with @samp{!BTBL!}, ended with @samp{!ETBL!}, and where table lines are
9051 started with @samp{!BL!}, ended with @samp{!EL!} and where the field
9052 separator is a TAB, you could call the generic translator like this (on
9053 a single line!):
9054
9055 @example
9056 #+ORGTBL: SEND test orgtbl-to-generic :tstart "!BTBL!" :tend "!ETBL!"
9057 :lstart "!BL! " :lend " !EL!" :sep "\t"
9058 @end example
9059
9060 @noindent
9061 Please check the documentation string of the function
9062 @code{orgtbl-to-generic} for a full list of parameters understood by
9063 that function and remember that you can pass each of them into
9064 @code{orgtbl-to-latex}, @code{orgtbl-to-texinfo}, and any other function
9065 using the generic function.
9066
9067 Of course you can also write a completely new function doing complicated
9068 things the generic translator cannot do. A translator function takes
9069 two arguments. The first argument is the table, a list of lines, each
9070 line either the symbol @code{hline} or a list of fields. The second
9071 argument is the property list containing all parameters specified in the
9072 @samp{#+ORGTBL: SEND} line. The function must return a single string
9073 containing the formatted table. If you write a generally useful
9074 translator, please post it on @code{emacs-orgmode@@gnu.org} so that
9075 others can benefit from your work.
9076
9077 @node Radio lists, , Translator functions, Tables in arbitrary syntax
9078 @subsection Radio lists
9079 @cindex radio lists
9080 @cindex org-list-insert-radio-list
9081
9082 Sending and receiving radio lists works exactly the same way than
9083 sending and receiving radio tables (@pxref{Radio tables}) @footnote{You
9084 need to load the @code{org-export-latex.el} package to use radio lists
9085 since the relevant code is there for now.}. As for radio tables, you
9086 can insert radio lists templates in HTML, La@TeX{} and Texinfo modes by
9087 calling @code{org-list-insert-radio-list}.
9088
9089 Here are the differences with radio tables:
9090
9091 @itemize @minus
9092 @item
9093 Use @code{ORGLST} instead of @code{ORGTBL}.
9094 @item
9095 The available translation functions for radio lists don't take
9096 parameters.
9097 @item
9098 `C-c C-c' will work when pressed on the first item of the list.
9099 @end itemize
9100
9101 Here is a La@TeX{} example. Let's say that you have this in your
9102 La@TeX{} file:
9103
9104 @example
9105 % BEGIN RECEIVE ORGLST to-buy
9106 % END RECEIVE ORGLST to-buy
9107 \begin@{comment@}
9108 #+ORGLIST: SEND to-buy orgtbl-to-latex
9109 - a new house
9110 - a new computer
9111 + a new keyboard
9112 + a new mouse
9113 - a new life
9114 \end@{comment@}
9115 @end example
9116
9117 Pressing `C-c C-c' on @code{a new house} and will insert the converted
9118 La@TeX{} list between the two marker lines.
9119
9120 @node Dynamic blocks, Special agenda views, Tables in arbitrary syntax, Hacking
9121 @section Dynamic blocks
9122 @cindex dynamic blocks
9123
9124 Org documents can contain @emph{dynamic blocks}. These are
9125 specially marked regions that are updated by some user-written function.
9126 A good example for such a block is the clock table inserted by the
9127 command @kbd{C-c C-x C-r} (@pxref{Clocking work time}).
9128
9129 Dynamic block are enclosed by a BEGIN-END structure that assigns a name
9130 to the block and can also specify parameters for the function producing
9131 the content of the block.
9132
9133 #+BEGIN:dynamic block
9134 @example
9135 #+BEGIN: myblock :parameter1 value1 :parameter2 value2 ...
9136
9137 #+END:
9138 @end example
9139
9140 Dynamic blocks are updated with the following commands
9141
9142 @table @kbd
9143 @kindex C-c C-x C-u
9144 @item C-c C-x C-u
9145 Update dynamic block at point.
9146 @kindex C-u C-c C-x C-u
9147 @item C-u C-c C-x C-u
9148 Update all dynamic blocks in the current file.
9149 @end table
9150
9151 Updating a dynamic block means to remove all the text between BEGIN and
9152 END, parse the BEGIN line for parameters and then call the specific
9153 writer function for this block to insert the new content. If you want
9154 to use the original content in the writer function, you can use the
9155 extra parameter @code{:content}.
9156
9157 For a block with name @code{myblock}, the writer function is
9158 @code{org-dblock-write:myblock} with as only parameter a property list
9159 with the parameters given in the begin line. Here is a trivial example
9160 of a block that keeps track of when the block update function was last
9161 run:
9162
9163 @example
9164 #+BEGIN: block-update-time :format "on %m/%d/%Y at %H:%M"
9165
9166 #+END:
9167 @end example
9168
9169 @noindent
9170 The corresponding block writer function could look like this:
9171
9172 @lisp
9173 (defun org-dblock-write:block-update-time (params)
9174 (let ((fmt (or (plist-get params :format) "%d. %m. %Y")))
9175 (insert "Last block update at: "
9176 (format-time-string fmt (current-time)))))
9177 @end lisp
9178
9179 If you want to make sure that all dynamic blocks are always up-to-date,
9180 you could add the function @code{org-update-all-dblocks} to a hook, for
9181 example @code{before-save-hook}. @code{org-update-all-dblocks} is
9182 written in a way that is does nothing in buffers that are not in
9183 @code{org-mode}.
9184
9185 @node Special agenda views, Using the property API, Dynamic blocks, Hacking
9186 @section Special agenda views
9187 @cindex agenda views, user-defined
9188
9189 Org provides a special hook that can be used to narrow down the
9190 selection made by any of the agenda views. You may specify a function
9191 that is used at each match to verify if the match should indeed be part
9192 of the agenda view, and if not, how much should be skipped.
9193
9194 Let's say you want to produce a list of projects that contain a WAITING
9195 tag anywhere in the project tree. Let's further assume that you have
9196 marked all tree headings that define a project with the TODO keyword
9197 PROJECT. In this case you would run a TODO search for the keyword
9198 PROJECT, but skip the match unless there is a WAITING tag anywhere in
9199 the subtree belonging to the project line.
9200
9201 To achieve this, you must write a function that searches the subtree for
9202 the tag. If the tag is found, the function must return @code{nil} to
9203 indicate that this match should not be skipped. If there is no such
9204 tag, return the location of the end of the subtree, to indicate that
9205 search should continue from there.
9206
9207 @lisp
9208 (defun my-skip-unless-waiting ()
9209 "Skip trees that are not waiting"
9210 (let ((subtree-end (save-excursion (org-end-of-subtree t))))
9211 (if (re-search-forward ":waiting:" subtree-end t)
9212 nil ; tag found, do not skip
9213 subtree-end))) ; tag not found, continue after end of subtree
9214 @end lisp
9215
9216 Now you may use this function in an agenda custom command, for example
9217 like this:
9218
9219 @lisp
9220 (org-add-agenda-custom-command
9221 '("b" todo "PROJECT"
9222 ((org-agenda-skip-function 'my-org-waiting-projects)
9223 (org-agenda-overriding-header "Projects waiting for something: "))))
9224 @end lisp
9225
9226 Note that this also binds @code{org-agenda-overriding-header} to get a
9227 meaningful header in the agenda view.
9228
9229 A general way to create custom searches is to base them on a search for
9230 entries with a certain level limit. If you want to study all entries with
9231 your custom search function, simply do a search for @samp{LEVEL>0}, and then
9232 use @code{org-agenda-skip-function} to select the entries you really want to
9233 have.
9234
9235 You may also put a Lisp form into @code{org-agenda-skip-function}. In
9236 particular, you may use the functions @code{org-agenda-skip-entry-if}
9237 and @code{org-agenda-skip-subtree-if} in this form, for example:
9238
9239 @table @code
9240 @item '(org-agenda-skip-entry-if 'scheduled)
9241 Skip current entry if it has been scheduled.
9242 @item '(org-agenda-skip-entry-if 'notscheduled)
9243 Skip current entry if it has not been scheduled.
9244 @item '(org-agenda-skip-entry-if 'deadline)
9245 Skip current entry if it has a deadline.
9246 @item '(org-agenda-skip-entry-if 'scheduled 'deadline)
9247 Skip current entry if it has a deadline, or if it is scheduled.
9248 @item '(org-agenda-skip-entry 'regexp "regular expression")
9249 Skip current entry if the regular expression matches in the entry.
9250 @item '(org-agenda-skip-entry 'notregexp "regular expression")
9251 Skip current entry unless the regular expression matches.
9252 @item '(org-agenda-skip-subtree-if 'regexp "regular expression")
9253 Same as above, but check and skip the entire subtree.
9254 @end table
9255
9256 Therefore we could also have written the search for WAITING projects
9257 like this, even without defining a special function:
9258
9259 @lisp
9260 (org-add-agenda-custom-command
9261 '("b" todo "PROJECT"
9262 ((org-agenda-skip-function '(org-agenda-skip-subtree-if
9263 'regexp ":waiting:"))
9264 (org-agenda-overriding-header "Projects waiting for something: "))))
9265 @end lisp
9266
9267 @node Using the property API, Using the mapping API, Special agenda views, Hacking
9268 @section Using the property API
9269 @cindex API, for properties
9270 @cindex properties, API
9271
9272 Here is a description of the functions that can be used to work with
9273 properties.
9274
9275 @defun org-entry-properties &optional pom which
9276 Get all properties of the entry at point-or-marker POM.
9277 This includes the TODO keyword, the tags, time strings for deadline,
9278 scheduled, and clocking, and any additional properties defined in the
9279 entry. The return value is an alist, keys may occur multiple times
9280 if the property key was used several times.
9281 POM may also be nil, in which case the current entry is used.
9282 If WHICH is nil or `all', get all properties. If WHICH is
9283 `special' or `standard', only get that subclass.
9284 @end defun
9285 @defun org-entry-get pom property &optional inherit
9286 Get value of PROPERTY for entry at point-or-marker POM. By default,
9287 this only looks at properties defined locally in the entry. If INHERIT
9288 is non-nil and the entry does not have the property, then also check
9289 higher levels of the hierarchy. If INHERIT is the symbol
9290 @code{selective}, use inheritance if and only if the setting of
9291 @code{org-use-property-inheritance} selects PROPERTY for inheritance.
9292 @end defun
9293
9294 @defun org-entry-delete pom property
9295 Delete the property PROPERTY from entry at point-or-marker POM.
9296 @end defun
9297
9298 @defun org-entry-put pom property value
9299 Set PROPERTY to VALUE for entry at point-or-marker POM.
9300 @end defun
9301
9302 @defun org-buffer-property-keys &optional include-specials
9303 Get all property keys in the current buffer.
9304 @end defun
9305
9306 @defun org-insert-property-drawer
9307 Insert a property drawer at point.
9308 @end defun
9309
9310 @defun org-entry-add-to-multivalued-property pom property value
9311 Treat the value of the property PROPERTY as a whitespace-separated list of
9312 values and make sure that VALUE is in this list.
9313 @end defun
9314
9315 @defun org-entry-remove-from-multivalued-property pom property value
9316 Treat the value of the property PROPERTY as a whitespace-separated list of
9317 values and make sure that VALUE is @emph{not} in this list.
9318 @end defun
9319
9320 @defun org-entry-member-in-multivalued-property pom property value
9321 Treat the value of the property PROPERTY as a whitespace-separated list of
9322 values and check if VALUE is in this list.
9323 @end defun
9324
9325 @node Using the mapping API, , Using the property API, Hacking
9326 @section Using the mapping API
9327 @cindex API, for mapping
9328 @cindex mapping entries, API
9329
9330 Org has sophisticated mapping capabilities to find all entries satisfying
9331 certain criteria. Internally, this functionality is used to produce agenda
9332 views, but there is also an API that can be used to execute arbitrary
9333 functions for each or selected entries. The main entry point for this API
9334 is:
9335
9336 @defun org-map-entries func &optional match scope &rest skip
9337 Call FUNC at each headline selected by MATCH in SCOPE.
9338
9339 FUNC is a function or a lisp form. The function will be called without
9340 arguments, with the cursor positioned at the beginning of the headline.
9341 The return values of all calls to the function will be collected and
9342 returned as a list.
9343
9344 MATCH is a tags/property/todo match as it is used in the agenda tags view.
9345 Only headlines that are matched by this query will be considered during
9346 the iteration. When MATCH is nil or t, all headlines will be
9347 visited by the iteration.
9348
9349 SCOPE determines the scope of this command. It can be any of:
9350
9351 @example
9352 nil @r{the current buffer, respecting the restriction if any}
9353 tree @r{the subtree started with the entry at point}
9354 file @r{the current buffer, without restriction}
9355 file-with-archives
9356 @r{the current buffer, and any archives associated with it}
9357 agenda @r{all agenda files}
9358 agenda-with-archives
9359 @r{all agenda files with any archive files associated with them}
9360 (file1 file2 ...)
9361 @r{if this is a list, all files in the list will be scanned}
9362 @end example
9363
9364 The remaining args are treated as settings for the skipping facilities of
9365 the scanner. The following items can be given here:
9366
9367 @example
9368 archive @r{skip trees with the archive tag}
9369 comment @r{skip trees with the COMMENT keyword}
9370 function or Lisp form
9371 @r{will be used as value for @code{org-agenda-skip-function},}
9372 @r{so whenever the the function returns t, FUNC}
9373 @r{will not be called for that entry and search will}
9374 @r{continue from the point where the function leaves it}
9375 @end example
9376 @end defun
9377
9378 The function given to that mapping routine can really do anything you like.
9379 It can uce the property API (@pxref{Using the property API}) to gather more
9380 information about the entry, or in order to change metadate in the entry.
9381 Here are a couple of functions that might be handy:
9382
9383 @defun org-todo &optional arg
9384 Change the TODO state of the entry, see the docstring of the functions for
9385 the many possible values for the argument ARG.
9386 @end defun
9387
9388 @defun org-priority &optional action
9389 Change the priority of the entry, see the docstring of this function for the
9390 possible values for ACTION.
9391 @end defun
9392
9393 @defun org-toggle-tag tag &optional onoff
9394 Toggle the tag TAG in the current entry. Setting ONOFF to either @code{on}
9395 or @code{off} will not toggle tag, but ensure that it is either on or off.
9396 @end defun
9397
9398 @defun org-promote
9399 Promote the current entry.
9400 @end defun
9401
9402 @defun org-demote
9403 Demote the current entry.
9404 @end defun
9405
9406 Here is a simple example that will turn all entries in the current file with
9407 a tag @code{TOMORROW} into TODO entries with the keyword @code{UPCOMING}.
9408 Entries in comment trees and in archive trees will be ignored.
9409
9410 @lisp
9411 (org-map-entries
9412 '(org-todo "UPCOMING")
9413 "+TOMORROW" 'file 'archive 'comment)
9414 @end lisp
9415
9416 The following example counts the number of entries with TODO keyword
9417 @code{WAITING}, in all agenda files.
9418
9419 @lisp
9420 (length (org-map-entries t "/+WAITING" nil 'agenda))
9421 @end lisp
9422
9423 @node History and Acknowledgments, Main Index, Hacking, Top
9424 @appendix History and Acknowledgments
9425 @cindex acknowledgments
9426 @cindex history
9427 @cindex thanks
9428
9429 Org was borne in 2003, out of frustration over the user interface
9430 of the Emacs Outline mode. I was trying to organize my notes and
9431 projects, and using Emacs seemed to be the natural way to go. However,
9432 having to remember eleven different commands with two or three keys per
9433 command, only to hide and show parts of the outline tree, that seemed
9434 entirely unacceptable to me. Also, when using outlines to take notes, I
9435 constantly want to restructure the tree, organizing it parallel to my
9436 thoughts and plans. @emph{Visibility cycling} and @emph{structure
9437 editing} were originally implemented in the package
9438 @file{outline-magic.el}, but quickly moved to the more general
9439 @file{org.el}. As this environment became comfortable for project
9440 planning, the next step was adding @emph{TODO entries}, basic @emph{time
9441 stamps}, and @emph{table support}. These areas highlight the two main
9442 goals that Org still has today: To create a new, outline-based,
9443 plain text mode with innovative and intuitive editing features, and to
9444 incorporate project planning functionality directly into a notes file.
9445
9446 A special thanks goes to @i{Bastien Guerry} who has not only writen a large
9447 number of extensions to Org (most of them integrated into the core by now),
9448 but has also helped the development and maintenance of Org so much that he
9449 should be considered co-author of this package.
9450
9451 Since the first release, literally thousands of emails to me or on
9452 @code{emacs-orgmode@@gnu.org} have provided a constant stream of bug
9453 reports, feedback, new ideas, and sometimes patches and add-on code.
9454 Many thanks to everyone who has helped to improve this package. I am
9455 trying to keep here a list of the people who had significant influence
9456 in shaping one or more aspects of Org. The list may not be
9457 complete, if I have forgotten someone, please accept my apologies and
9458 let me know.
9459
9460 @itemize @bullet
9461
9462 @item
9463 @i{Russel Adams} came up with the idea for drawers.
9464 @item
9465 @i{Thomas Baumann} wrote @file{org-bbdb.el} and @file{org-mhe.el}.
9466 @item
9467 @i{Christophe Bataillon} created the great unicorn logo that we use on the
9468 Org-mode website.
9469 @item
9470 @i{Alex Bochannek} provided a patch for rounding time stamps.
9471 @item
9472 @i{Charles Cave}'s suggestion sparked the implementation of templates
9473 for Remember.
9474 @item
9475 @i{Pavel Chalmoviansky} influenced the agenda treatment of items with
9476 specified time.
9477 @item
9478 @i{Gregory Chernov} patched support for lisp forms into table
9479 calculations and improved XEmacs compatibility, in particular by porting
9480 @file{nouline.el} to XEmacs.
9481 @item
9482 @i{Sacha Chua} suggested to copy some linking code from Planner.
9483 @item
9484 @i{Eddward DeVilla} proposed and tested checkbox statistics. He also
9485 came up with the idea of properties, and that there should be an API for
9486 them.
9487 @item
9488 @i{Kees Dullemond} used to edit projects lists directly in HTML and so
9489 inspired some of the early development, including HTML export. He also
9490 asked for a way to narrow wide table columns.
9491 @item
9492 @i{Christian Egli} converted the documentation into Texinfo format,
9493 patched CSS formatting into the HTML exporter, and inspired the agenda.
9494 @item
9495 @i{David Emery} provided a patch for custom CSS support in exported
9496 HTML agendas.
9497 @item
9498 @i{Nic Ferrier} contributed mailcap and XOXO support.
9499 @item
9500 @i{Miguel A. Figueroa-Villanueva} implemented hierarchical checkboxes.
9501 @item
9502 @i{John Foerch} figured out how to make incremental search show context
9503 around a match in a hidden outline tree.
9504 @item
9505 @i{Niels Giesen} had the idea to automatically archive DONE trees.
9506 @item
9507 @i{Bastien Guerry} wrote the La@TeX{} exporter and @file{org-bibtex.el}, and
9508 has been prolific with patches, ideas, and bug reports.
9509 @item
9510 @i{Kai Grossjohann} pointed out key-binding conflicts with other packages.
9511 @item
9512 @i{Bernt Hansen} has driven much of the support for auto-repeating tasks,
9513 task state change logging, and the clocktable. His clear explanations have
9514 been critical when we started to adopt the GIT version control system.
9515 @item
9516 @i{Phil Jackson} wrote @file{org-irc.el}.
9517 @item
9518 @i{Scott Jaderholm} proposed footnotes, control over whitespace between
9519 folded entries, and column view for properties.
9520 @item
9521 @i{Tokuya Kameshima} wrote @file{org-wl.el} and @file{org-mew.el}.
9522 @item
9523 @i{Shidai Liu} ("Leo") asked for embedded La@TeX{} and tested it. He also
9524 provided frequent feedback and some patches.
9525 @item
9526 @i{Jason F. McBrayer} suggested agenda export to CSV format.
9527 @item
9528 @i{Max Mikhanosha} came up with the idea of refiling.
9529 @item
9530 @i{Dmitri Minaev} sent a patch to set priority limits on a per-file
9531 basis.
9532 @item
9533 @i{Stefan Monnier} provided a patch to keep the Emacs-Lisp compiler
9534 happy.
9535 @item
9536 @i{Rick Moynihan} proposed to allow multiple TODO sequences in a file
9537 and to be able to quickly restrict the agenda to a subtree.
9538 @item
9539 @i{Todd Neal} provided patches for links to Info files and elisp forms.
9540 @item
9541 @i{Tim O'Callaghan} suggested in-file links, search options for general
9542 file links, and TAGS.
9543 @item
9544 @i{Takeshi Okano} translated the manual and David O'Toole's tutorial
9545 into Japanese.
9546 @item
9547 @i{Oliver Oppitz} suggested multi-state TODO items.
9548 @item
9549 @i{Scott Otterson} sparked the introduction of descriptive text for
9550 links, among other things.
9551 @item
9552 @i{Pete Phillips} helped during the development of the TAGS feature, and
9553 provided frequent feedback.
9554 @item
9555 @i{T.V. Raman} reported bugs and suggested improvements.
9556 @item
9557 @i{Matthias Rempe} (Oelde) provided ideas, Windows support, and quality
9558 control.
9559 @item
9560 @i{Kevin Rogers} contributed code to access VM files on remote hosts.
9561 @item
9562 @i{Sebastian Rose} wrote @file{org-info.js}, a Java script for displaying
9563 webpages derived from Org using an Info-like, or a folding interface with
9564 single key navigation.
9565 @item
9566 @i{Frank Ruell} solved the mystery of the @code{keymapp nil} bug, a
9567 conflict with @file{allout.el}.
9568 @item
9569 @i{Jason Riedy} generalized the send-receive mechanism for orgtbl tables with
9570 extensive patches.
9571 @item
9572 @i{Philip Rooke} created the Org reference card, provided lots
9573 of feedback, developed and applied standards to the Org documentation.
9574 @item
9575 @i{Christian Schlauer} proposed angular brackets around links, among
9576 other things.
9577 @item
9578 Linking to VM/BBDB/Gnus was first inspired by @i{Tom Shannon}'s
9579 @file{organizer-mode.el}.
9580 @item
9581 @i{Ilya Shlyakhter} proposed the Archive Sibling.
9582 @item
9583 @i{Daniel Sinder} came up with the idea of internal archiving by locking
9584 subtrees.
9585 @item
9586 @i{Dale Smith} proposed link abbreviations.
9587 @item
9588 @i{Adam Spiers} asked for global linking commands, inspired the link
9589 extension system, added support for mairix, and proposed the mapping API.
9590 @item
9591 @i{David O'Toole} wrote @file{org-publish.el} and drafted the manual
9592 chapter about publishing.
9593 @item
9594 @i{J@"urgen Vollmer} contributed code generating the table of contents
9595 in HTML output.
9596 @item
9597 @i{Chris Wallace} provided a patch implementing the @samp{QUOTE}
9598 keyword.
9599 @item
9600 @i{David Wainberg} suggested archiving, and improvements to the linking
9601 system.
9602 @item
9603 @i{John Wiegley} wrote @file{emacs-wiki.el}, @file{planner.el}, and
9604 @file{muse.el}, which have similar goals as Org. Initially the
9605 development of Org was fully independent because I was not aware of the
9606 existence of these packages. But with time I have accasionally looked
9607 at John's code and learned a lot from it. John has also contributed a
9608 number of great ideas and patches directly to Org, including the file
9609 @code{org-mac-message.el}'
9610 @item
9611 @i{Carsten Wimmer} suggested some changes and helped fix a bug in
9612 linking to Gnus.
9613 @item
9614 @i{Roland Winkler} requested additional key bindings to make Org
9615 work on a tty.
9616 @item
9617 @i{Piotr Zielinski} wrote @file{org-mouse.el}, proposed agenda blocks
9618 and contributed various ideas and code snippets.
9619 @end itemize
9620
9621
9622 @node Main Index, Key Index, History and Acknowledgments, Top
9623 @unnumbered The Main Index
9624
9625 @printindex cp
9626
9627 @node Key Index, , Main Index, Top
9628 @unnumbered Key Index
9629
9630 @printindex ky
9631
9632 @bye
9633
9634 @ignore
9635 arch-tag: 7893d1Fe-cc57-4d13-b5e5-f494a1CBC7ac
9636 @end ignore
9637
9638 @c Local variables:
9639 @c ispell-local-dictionary: "en_US-w_accents"
9640 @c ispell-local-pdict: "./.aspell.org.pws"
9641 @c fill-column: 77
9642 @c End:
9643