Org-mode Summary v0.91

• S-tab for global open/collapse of all headings.
  
• tab for local open/collapse of a heading.
  
• A-<arrow> for moving an item up/down and also change indentation.
  

Also note that C-x C-v RET reloads file.

First set TODO sequence like this: #+SEQ_TODO: TODO(t) NEXT(n) WAITING(w) | CANCELLED(C) DONE(d). Put cursor on it and C-c C-c to take effect.

Here is an example checklist. The parent TODO has a counter tallying total number of checked sub-items. You toggle checklist item by C-c C-c.

Tag is attached to heading by C-c C-q. You can 'tab' to enter custom tag.

We create a drawer by wrapping the content with :ANY_NAME: and :END:.

Here's a drawer I named :inventory::

I have the following tools:

• 2x screws
  
• 1x electric saw
  
• 10 packs of nails
  

Of course, you can open/close a drawer by TAB.

You start a quick note by C-c C-z and finish with C-c C-c.

If org-log-into-drawer is non-nil, quick notes are inserted inside a drawer. Particularly, if it is set to LOGBOOK, all quick notes will be inserted inside a drawer named LOGBOOK.

You can have multiple LOGBOOKs in the same org file. If you place the cursor at a particular LOGBOOK and create a quick note, the note will be placed inside that LOGBOOK.

Let's try that out. I have written a LOGBOOK below and I have placed the cursor on it then created a new quick note C-c C-z. See the content by TAB.

• Note taken on [2020-10-02 Fri 15:32]
  This is a quick note C-c C-z. It is placed inside the LOGBOOK that the cursor was on.
  

Here's the content:

• Note taken on [2020-10-02 Fri 15:32]
  This is a quick note C-c C-z. It is placed inside the LOGBOOK that the cursor was on.
  

Before you can use agenda with current file, file needs to be added to org-agenda-files. This can be done within the current file by C-c [. This adds it to org-agenda-files.

C-c ] removes current file from the list.

After this, you may invoke agenda by C-c a. Pressing 'a' from menu enters Agenda for current week or day. This lists all non-closed TODO items inside chronological framework. It lists items for each day in a week.

From inside 'f' or 'b' to move forward/backward a week.

S-f toggles follow mode. In follow mode the TODO item you select from agenda will be followed from within your org file. It highlights the selected item that you follow from agenda.

C-c C-t on a selected TODO item from inside agenda view toggles the state, like you would from inside an org mode document. You can mark a TODO item DONE from within agenda view this way.

'q' to quit agenda view.

We can filter the items that are shown inside agenda.

We can filter by matching tags for example. For this end, let's create some headings and TODOs with tags attached. We can attach a tag by C-c C-q.

1. Write #+BEGIN_SRC language
   
   • for example #+BEGIN_SRC js for javascript.
     
2. Write #+END_SRC
   
3. Enter C-c ' to write code then C-c ' again to finish.
   

Refiling is moving/copying an item to a different file/heading.

• C-c C-w moves the item.
  
• C-c A-w copies the item.
  

Items that can be copied or moved are headings.

You may need to set up org-refile-targets, org-refile-use-outline-path, and org-refile-allow-creating-parent-nodes.

• C-c C-e then choose from menu.
  

Archiving is moving a heading item to potentially a different file/heading. It is like refiling but this time we are purposely archiving it.

First we need to set up #+archive. This sets org-archive-location variable.

Let's investigate the syntax of #+archive.

The basic form of it is #+archive: FILENAME::HEADING. If FILENAME contains %s this is translated as current file. If FILENAME is ommitted it is %s. HEADING is normal heading like * heading or ** heading.

datetree arranges archived items inside a date tree(eg. year 2020/month jan/day 20/time 1300/item).

Let's look at some examples.

1. #+archive: %s_archived::
   
   • Let's say current file name is 'mylife'.
     
   • All archived items will be exported to file named 'mylife_archived'.
     
2. #+archive: ::** Archived stuff
   
   • All archived items will be exported to the current file under heading ** Archived stuff.
     
3. #+archive: %s_archived::** Archived stuff
   
   • Let's assume the current file as 'mylife' again.
     
   • All archived itms will be exported to mylife_archived/** Archived stuff. In other words, they will be exported to mylife_archived file under the heading ** Archived stuff.
     

To archive a heading, place the cursor on it then C-c C-x C-s or C-c C-x C-a. They seem to do the same thing.

For demonstration, we have set #+archive: ::/** Archived stuff on this document. We do C-c C-x C-s on * Children of Abraham.

You first define #+SEQ_TODO.

Here's an example: #+SEQ_TODO: NEXT(n@/!) TODO(t/!) | DONE(d@) CANCELLED(c@).
C-c C-c on it to make it effective on this document.

Let's explain.

1. TODO: a todo item defined in SEQ_TODO.
   
2. t: as usual, hotkey assigned to that TODO state.
   
3. @: log a timestamp and a note when TODO state is enetered.
   
4. !: log a timestamp when TODO state is left.
   

Addition to these, we have:

1. org-log-done: action to do when TODO is DONE.
   
2. org-log-reschedule: action to do when TODO is rescheduled. These two are separate from TODO(t@/!) defined above.
   

Org capture template is a template for inserting structured text. We use template for dynaimcally filling the text with live information like prompting for text and current date/time.

We add new templates by customizing org-capture-templates variable.

We insert a template by M-x org-capture.

It is useful to configure org-directory variable beforehand so we can just type file name without having to specify full path (when configuring org-capture-templates).

It is useful to set 'multi-key description'. For example, if you want your menu to look like 'Favorite sports(f)' -> 'Rugby(r)' you set first, multi-key description for 'Favorite sport' with key f, then set 'Template entry' for 'Rugby' with key fr. Note this is not just key r but fr.

We can match custom properties from agenda view.

Consider the following example. We will match it from agenda view by the value of :FAV: property.

You can confrigure archiving by #+ARCHIVE: file :: heading as we have learned earlier. But there is another way. You can do the same by defining :ARCHIVE: property.

It is defined with the same syntax. Here's an example: :ARCHIVE: track-books.org::* Read books.

You define the ARCHIVE property on the parent header and all the children items inherit it.

To archive a sub-item, place cursor on it and C-c C-x C-a.

Ordered tasks can't be completed without completing them in order.

To create ordered tasks you must first define a top-level heading and add sub-items that are TODO items below it.

Place cursor at the top-level item and C-c C-x o toggles that all sub-items are ordered or not ordered. This action inserts :ORDERED: property and set to true like this: :ORDERED: t.

When this is set, you can't close the next task until the previous task is closed.

We may need to customize org-enforce-todo-dependencies and org-track-ordered-property-with-tag to true.

With timer, you can count down or measure how long time has passed since timer was started.

You can stop/resume timer and you can also insert timestamps.

Clocking (tracking) is a function that measures how long a task took to reach completion for you. You simply put cursor on a heading then clock in C-c C-x i and some time later clock out C-c C-x o. This inserts clocking information into a drawer beneath the heading being tracked.

If you set org-clock-into-drawer to "CLOCKING" for instance, this will save clocking information to a drawer :CLOCKING: beneath the header that is being tracked.

Clocking measures a task in hours/minutes not seconds.

Once you clock in on a task, you can leave it and do other things in other parts of the document. Then C-c C-x C-j jumps you back to the tracked task (it places the cursor on the tracked task).

You can manually edit CLOCK timestamps and recalculate the duration by first editing the time(s) then C-c C-c on it.

You can cancel the clock C-c C-x C-q.

Column view is very useful when you want to inspect values of PROPS. It lists the items in a table, with each column a PROP.

You can define columns in two ways. Either, #+COLUMNS or define it inside PROPERTIES/COLUMNS.

You can use column view to insert predefined values into a column, like pre-set durations or ratings like poor, good, excellent.

These will be inserted into PROPERTIES drawer of the item selected as property.

Example,

A link is a hyperlink to a different location. An internal link can refer to a heading, an #ID or a #+name.

There are three internal targets for a link. A headline, a line marked with #+NAME:, and an item with a :CUSTOM_ID: property.

Here are the targets.

Try creating an ID M-x org-id-get-create. This generated id can be accessed from outside current file. This is different from #id that we've covered in Linking (internal) section, which is accessible only from current file.

We link to the id by creating a link id:<hash>.

It seems to add files into org-id-locations-file, we customize org-id-extra-files.

I had to fix an issue by adding (require 'org-id) to .emacs file. But now it seems to work very well as expected :)

C-h i to get access to built-in elisp book.

You can enter the attachment menu C-c C-a.

C-c C-a c <file> copies the file under ./data. It first creates an ID xx<hash> and stores the file under ./data/xx/<hash>.

Currently org-attach-method is set to 'copy'.

C-c C-a m moves the file under ./data/xx/<hash>.

C-c C-a o opens the attachment file. C-c C-a f opens the attachement file directory. C-c C-a d selects and deletes an attachment file. C-c C-a D deletes all attachment files.

You can cycle through priorities with S-up or S-down. The priority is marked [#<n>].

You can also set priority thourgh C-c ,

You can set custom priority with #+priorities <n> <m> <d> where n: highest priority, m: lowest priority and d: default. For example #+priorities 1 5 3. You can activate that setting with C-c C-c.

You could try #+priorities A E C.

Delete column with A-S-left. Insert new column with A-S-right.

Move columns with A-left, A-right.

Insert horizontal line below with C-c -.

Move line with A-top, A-down.

You can also define #+CONSTANTS and #+TBLFM.

The above example writes action update if curr BIOS is less than bios.

org-file-apps determines the application to open files.

To export do C-c C-e.

You can set options to change the way the org file is exported.

Add a line with #+OPTIONS: with the following options.

To turn off an option do 'option:nil'.

You can choose to export only subtree.

Additional options

You enable option by 'option:t' and turn off option by 'option:nil'.

There is an option to export 'beamer mode' which is like slides from MS Powerpoint. You can enable beamer mode by cusotmizing group org-export under 'org export backends'.

You can set up so that you can 'publish' all org files in a directory to, say, public_html folder.

Call export dispatcher with C-c C-e then P for publish.

This action exports, for example, selected org files to html pages inside public_html folder.

First enable 'habits' from org-modules.

You can enter agenda view M-x org-agenda. Then 't' to list all TODO items.

You can then do bulk actions on them by:

Then you call bulk action by pressing 'B'.

First we need to customize variable org-babel-load-languages. This defines which languages can be evaluated inside an org file.

We surround the code block between #+BEGIN_SRC and #+END_SRC.

We execute the code block by putting cursor at it then C-c C-c.

For example,

whoami

The :results parameter shows how the results are shown.

This section seems important in that it is very practical. Here is the youtube.

You can do something like #+TAGS: [ Goal : {G@.+} ]. And then you could tag an item with something like G@2018_slimdown and the Goal tag matches that regex. Another example could be G@2018_bulkup.

Then we could search for Goals tags that match the regex. Inside agenda view we could match just 'Goal' and it will list all items that matches {G@.+} regex.

You can also just click on the tag and it will list all the matched items (from org file outside of agenda view).