1 #+EMAIL: mdl AT imapmail DOT org
4 #+TITLE: Org-mode Frequently Asked Questions
7 [[file:index.org][{Back to Worg's index}]]
11 :CUSTOM_ID: What-is-org-mode
13 ** Can Org-mode do "x"? Does org have "x" feature?
15 :CUSTOM_ID: can-org-do-x
18 In its default setup, Org-mode offers a simple outlining and task
19 management environment. But it also has a huge number of features and
20 settings "under the hood." Advanced users have configured Org-mode for
21 almost every conceivable use scenario.
23 Org-mode has a very active community and rich and extensive
24 documentation. Before emailing the mailing list to ask whether
25 Org-mode has a particular feature or setting, please consult the
28 - Read/search the manual.
30 - http://orgmode.org/manual/index.html
32 - Make sure to check out the following indexes:
34 - [[http://orgmode.org/manual/Main-Index.html#Main-Index][Main Index]]
35 - [[http://orgmode.org/manual/Key-Index.html#Key-Index][Key Index]]
36 - [[http://orgmode.org/manual/Variable-Index.html#Variable-Index][Variable Index]]
38 - The manual is also easily available from within emacs.
40 To read the manual within emacs, you can evaluate =(info
41 "(org)")= within emacs---i.e., type =C-x C-e= after the closing
42 paragraph of the info expression above.
44 You can also type =M-x info= and navigate to "Org Mode".
46 You can search the entire manual by typing ~C-s term~. Keep
47 pressing ~C-s~ to cycle through the results
49 - Search the [[http://dir.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.orgmode][mailing list archives]].
51 There is a good chance that the feature you are looking for has
52 already been discussed (most likely several times).
54 - Check for features from within emacs.
56 - Emacs has a wonderful built-in help system.
58 - You can browse (and change) most customization options by typing
61 - You can check for a feature by typing =M-x apropos [RET] [word]= or
62 =C-h a word=. This will search for all functions and variables
63 matching the term (or regexp) you enter.
65 - You can browse (and search for) org functions, variables, and
66 faces by using =M-x describe-variable= (=C-h v=), =M-x
67 describe-function= (=C-h f=), or =M-x describe-face=.
69 After invoking one of these commands, simply type =org-[TAB]= to
70 see a full list of relevant functions or variables or faces. You
71 can then drill down further: e.g., =org-export-[TAB]= for export
74 - Checkout the [[file:org-tutorials/index.org][tutorials on Worg]].
76 Several of these tutorials discuss advanced features (e.g.,
77 searching, custom agenda commands, tables, publishing) of Org-mode
80 There are many other resources on Worg as well:
82 - [[http://orgmode.org/worg/org-configs/index.html][Org Customization]] :: Includes a guide for beginners.
84 - [[http://orgmode.org/worg/org-hacks.html][Org Hacks]] :: User-generated modifications and add-ons.
86 - [[http://orgmode.org/worg/org-glossary.html][Org Glossary]] :: An explanation of basic Org-mode terms and
89 ** Can I implement a GTD workflow with Org-mode?
91 :CUSTOM_ID: GTD-workflow-with-Org-mode
94 Yes, you can. Check for discussions and pointers [[http://orgmode.org/worg/org-gtd-etc.html][here]].
96 ** What is the difference between Org and TaskPaper?
98 :CUSTOM_ID: Org-and-TaskPaper
101 There is really no difference. Org is as /simple/ as [[http://hogbaysoftware.com/products/taskpaper][TaskPaper]]. It
102 is just that, when using Org within Emacs, it lets you do many things
103 that you wouldn't be able to do with TaskPaper. Yes, TaskPaper is
104 fiddle-proof and people using Emacs tends to like fiddling (which is
105 orthogonal to the idea of using todo-list efficiently), but this is
106 just a matter of discipline and common sense, not one of Org's design.
108 Read [[http://article.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.orgmode/6224][Carsten's enlightening statement]] on this.
109 ** What is the meaning of the Unicorn on Org's website?
114 The Unicorn is the logo of Org-mode because:
116 - Org-mode is the UNICs of ORgaNizers.
118 - Org-mode is an Emacs mode, so it makes sense to use an animal
119 similar or related to the gnu used for GNU Emacs.
121 - Org-mode is meant to show you the way, and an animal with two horns
122 can not do this very well, can it?
124 - Unicorn tears are said to reverse petrification, and wasn't this how
125 we all felt before getting to some degree of time and task
128 - It will take forever to learn everything there is to know about a
131 - A unicorn is a fabulous creature. Org-mode wants to be a fabulous
134 Using a unicorn was originally /Bastien Guerry's/ idea. His friend,
135 the french artist [[http://intemperies.over-blog.com/][Christophe Bataillon]], designed the logo for us, and
136 /Greg Newman/ gave it a refresh some time later. Bastien writes why
140 The first reason is not linked to the animal, but to the sounding of the
141 word "Unicorn" - because Org gives you a /uni/que way of producing files
142 in several format (HTML, LaTeX, etc.)
144 The second reason is that a Unicorn doesn't really exist, it is just
145 something you can dream about, and make others believe it does exist.
146 Just like the perfect organizer.
149 There was a [[http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.orgmode/11641/focus%3D11641][thread about unicorns]] on the mailing list. [[http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.orgmode/11641/focus%3D11641][Christopher
150 Suckling]] posted a link showing how to make a simple foldable unicorn
151 (very appropriate for an outlining program!).
153 [[http://article.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.orgmode/11735][Tim Burt]] made a very complicated one which is now a treasured
154 possession of the Org-mode author.
156 - Official logo: [[http://orgmode.org/img/org-mode-unicorn.png]]
157 This logo is available in a number of different formats including
158 Photoshop /.psd/ and scaleable vector graphics /.svg/ [[http://orgmode.org/img/][here]].
160 - An [[http://orgmode.org/img/nrocinu4.jpg][alternative version]] from Christophe Bataillon (c):
162 - [[http://article.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.orgmode/14293][Chris Randle]] made a [[http://orgmode.org/img/nrocinu.txt][text version]] using the logo and [[http://glassgiant.com][glassgiant.com]]:
164 - [[http://article.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.orgmode/14362][Stefan Vollmar]] made a [[http://orgmode.org/img/nrocinu.pdf][pdf version]] (here in [[http://orgmode.org/img/nrocinu_pdf.png][png]]) using "a simple
165 threshold technique".
167 - [[http://article.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.orgmode/11735/match%3D][Tim Burt]] made a folded Unicorn to match the spirit of Org - see the
168 whole set of pictures [[http://www.flickr.com/photos/tcburt/sets/72157614543357071/][on his flickr page]].
170 - Are unicorns real? Answer [[http://article.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.orgmode/11687/match%3Drosslaird%2Bunicorn][here]] by Ross Laird.
172 ** Is Org's documentation written in Org?
174 No. Org's documentation is written in TeXinfo, which is the standard
175 format for Emacs documentation. There is no export mechanism from Org
178 ** I think my Org-mode is broken! How do I report a bug?
180 :CUSTOM_ID: bug-reporting
183 1. Make sure you are running [[#updating-org][the latest version of Org-mode]].
185 2. Read [[http://orgmode.org/manual/Feedback.html][this section]] of the manual.
187 3. Provide a minimal example that duplicates the bug.
189 - Create a minimal .emacs file and start emacs with that file as
190 detailed in [[#minimal-emacs][these instructions]].
192 - Create a sample, minimal .org file that reliably reproduces the
193 problem and post it to the mailing list.
195 - Some users call this an "[[#ecm][ECM]]", a French acronym that means a
196 "complete minimal example".
203 This is a French acronym used by some mailing list members; it stands
204 for "Exemple Complet Minimal", or "Complete Minimal Example". The term
205 refers to test files that can reliably reproduce a bug with the
206 minimal amount of code. When you report a bug to the mailing list, you
207 should provide a minimal .org file (with no more text than necessary)
208 that demonstrates the bug. See [[http://permalink.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.orgmode/41281][this post]] for more information.
210 ** What should I do before contacting the mailing list?
212 :CUSTOM_ID: when-to-contact-mailing-list
215 The Org-mode mailing list is a high volume list, in which community
216 members discuss use cases, configuration, bugs, and developments.
218 If you are new to Org-mode, please read/search the excellent [[http://orgmode.org/manual/index.html][manual]]
219 (and pay special attention to the indexes) before asking your
222 You should also [[http://dir.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.orgmode][search the mailing list]] to see if your issue has
223 already been discussed.
225 See [[#can-org-do-x][this faq]] for more details.
227 ** Why hasn't my email to the mailing list shown up yet?
229 :CUSTOM_ID: ml-post-delay
232 The org-mode mailing list is moderated. Thus, if you are not
233 subscribed to the mailing list, your mail will only appear on the list
234 after it has been approved by a moderator. To ensure that your mail
235 appears quickly, please [[http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/emacs-orgmode][subscribe to the list]].
237 ** I read the mailing list through gmane. Should I subscribe?
239 :CUSTOM_ID: ml-subscription-and-gmane
242 The org-mode mailing list is available via nntp at [[http://dir.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.orgmode][Gmane]]. Many
243 participants in the list prefer read the list in a newsreader, such as
244 Gnus, instead of receiving emails. If you choose to read the list via
245 nntp, you can still [[http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/emacs-orgmode][subscribe]] to the list and then opt not to receive
246 any emails on the mailman settings page (see the "Mail Delivery"
249 This will ensure that your messages to the list get through quickly,
250 reduce the work load of the mailing list moderators (who need to clear
251 every mail from non-members), and provide more accurate information
252 about the number of list readers.
256 :CUSTOM_ID: Keeping-current
258 ** My Emacs ships with an older version Org-mode! How do I upgrade?
260 :CUSTOM_ID: updating-org
263 Org-mode develops quickly, which means that versions of Org-mode
264 shipped with Emacs are more or less out-of-date. If you'd like to
265 upgrade to the most recent version of org-mode, you have a number of
268 1. Download the most recent release of org-mode ([[http://orgmode.org/org-7.3.zip][zip]] or [[http://orgmode.org/org-7.3.tar.gz][tarball]]) and
269 follow the [[http://orgmode.org/manual/Installation.html#Installation][installation instructions]] in the manual.
270 2. Clone and install the development git repository as [[#keeping-current-with-Org-mode-development][explained
271 here]]. If you don't want to run the bleeding edge, you can still
272 use git [[#using-stable-releases-only][to track the most recent stable releases]].
273 3. Install and updated org-mode automatically through the Emacs
274 Package Manager as [[#installing-via-elpa][explained in this FAQ]].
276 ** How do I keep current with bleeding edge development?
278 :CUSTOM_ID: keeping-current-with-Org-mode-development
281 Org mode is developed in [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Git_(software)][Git]]. You can keep up-to-date with Org-mode
282 developement by cloning Org mode repository and refreshing your
283 copy with latest changes whenever you wish. You only need to use
284 two Git commands (clone and pull.) Here are the steps in brief
285 (please customize locations to suit your setup):
287 1. Select a location to house the Org mode repository (approx. 40
288 MB; includes documentation, compiled elisp files and history
289 going all the way back to v4.12a)
291 : $ mkdir $HOME/elisp && cd $HOME/elisp
293 2. Clone the Org mode Git repository.
295 Recommended approach:
297 : $ git clone git://orgmode.org/org-mode.git
299 You can also clone from this mirror (lagging one hour behind
302 : $ git clone git://repo.or.cz/org-mode.git
304 For those of you behind a firewall that allows only HTTP, you can
305 clone like this (can be somewhat slow), either from orgmode.org or
308 : $ git clone http://orgmode.org/org-mode.git
309 : $ git clone http://repo.or.cz/r/org-mode.git
311 3. Compile and install Org mode and build documentation.
313 : $ cd org-mode && make && make doc && make install
315 Please note that you can choose to /not/ compile at all and run
316 using source =.el= files only. Compiled files speed things up.
318 Also note that running =make install= is necessary only if you'd
319 like to install org-mode system-wide.
321 4. This is where you configure Org mode with Emacs. Please refer
322 to [[./org-tutorials/index.org][Org tutorials]].
324 5. Keeping up-to-date.
326 Cloning the repository is a one time activity. From this point
327 onwards you only need to /pull/ the latest changes.
329 : $ cd $HOME/elisp/org-mode
333 : $ git pull && make clean && make && make doc && make install
335 6. You should restart org mode to have the changes take effect (if
336 you are not rebooting Emacs.) Also since the intention is to
337 "keep up" with Org mode, you should visit updated sections of
338 documentation for latest updates (use =git log=.)
340 7. As you use your repository over time it will accumulate loose objects.
341 You can reduce the total size of your git repository with
345 which will consolidate loose git objects into pack files. This
346 reduces the size of the repository and speeds up data access to
349 ** How can I keep local changes and still track Org mode development?
351 :CUSTOM_ID: keeping-local-changes-current-with-Org-mode-development
354 Say you want to make minor changes to the Makefile to reflect your
355 location for =emacs=.
357 Create a local branch for your changes on top of origin/master as
360 : $ git checkout -b local origin/master
361 : $ git config branch.local.rebase true
362 : # Make your changes to the Makefile and create a new commit
364 : $ git commit -m 'My local Makefile configurations'
365 : # Update git to a newer version
368 Now each time you pull new commits from the distribution repository
369 your local commits will be rewound and replayed on top of the new
374 You would normally work on your =local= branch which includes your
375 custom commits; there's no need to switch back to the =master=
380 Here is an example of dealing with conflict resolution during git pull.
382 If you get a conflict during a =git pull= you will need to edit the
383 file with the conflict to fix up the conflicting lines and then tell
384 git that you have resolved the conflict.
386 Conflict resolution goes something like this:
388 1. =git pull= fails with a conflict
390 3. =git add= the file to mark the conflict resolved
391 4. =git rebase --continue=
392 5. lather, rinse, and repeat 2-4 as needed
394 For this example we have the following Makefile:
404 and we need to change the =EMACS=emacs= line to =EMACS=myemacs= to
405 make it work well on our system.
409 - create a local branch for our work
411 : $ git checkout -b local origin/master
412 : $ git config branch.local.rebase true
414 This marks the branch so that all local commits on it are rebased
415 on top of any new commits we get in origin/master during a =git
418 - Make our custom changes
420 Edit the makefile so it looks like this:
430 - Create a commit with our custom changes
432 : $ git commit -m 'My local Makefile configurations'
434 - Later we do a =git pull= but that fails with conflicts.
437 : remote: Counting objects: 5, done.
439 : Patch failed at 0001.
441 : When you have resolved this problem run "git rebase --continue".
442 : If you would prefer to skip this patch, instead run "git rebase --skip".
443 : To restore the original branch and stop rebasing run "git rebase --abort".
445 - Fix the conflict in your favourite editor
447 Conflict markers look like this:
449 : <<<<<<< HEAD:Makefile
453 : >>>>>>> Change emacs location:Makefile
455 This attempted =git pull= caused a conflict. Fire up your
456 favourite editor and fix the conflict in the Makefile. The
457 conflict markers are <<<<<<<<<< , ======= , and >>>>>>>>>>. Fix
458 the Makefile appropriately and delete the conflict markers. You
459 already edited these lines earlier so fixing it should be trivial.
461 In this case we changed =EMACS=emacs= to =EMACS=myemacs= and
462 upstream changed =EMACS=emacs= to =EMACS=emacs22=. Just fix the
463 file and save it by deleting the conflict markers and keeping the
464 code you need (in this case the =EMACS=myemacs= line which we
465 originally modified.)
467 - Mark the file's conflict resolved
471 You use =git add= because you are adding new content to be tracked - you're not adding a file, but you are adding changes in content.
473 - Continue the rebase operation
475 : $ git rebase --continue
477 If any other conflicts arise you fix them the same way - edit the file, mark the conflict resolved, and continue.
479 At anytime during the rebase conflict resolution you can say "oops this is all wrong - put it back the way it was before I did a pull"
481 : $ git rebase --abort
483 ** How can I use a stable release version instead of the bleeding edge master?
485 :CUSTOM_ID: using-stable-releases-only
488 The master branch of the git repository always contains the bleeding
489 edge development code. This is important for Org's fast development,
490 because code on master gets checked out by many people daily and we
491 quickly receive bug reports if something is wrong. On rare occasions,
492 this code may not function perfectly for a limited time while we are
493 trying to fix things.
495 Not everyone like to use this bleeding-edge code and face the danger
496 to hit a surprising bug.
498 Therefore, from time to time, we make a release. This typically
499 happens when the maintainers feel that
501 1. they have reached a good point in the development
502 2. the code has a feature set that should stay and be supported in the
505 Stable releases are used as the basis for [[http://orgmode.org/index.html#sec-3_3][alternative distributions]] of
506 Org, and they are also the code that gets merged into the Emacs
507 distribution. If you want to work only with stable releases, you can
508 always download [[http://orgmode.org/index.html#sec-3][them here]], but you can also also use the git
509 repository to keep automatically up-to-date with the most recent
510 stable releases (and save bandwidth!). Here's how to do so:
512 *** Run a specific stable release
514 In the repository, do
519 To see which release tags are available. Let's say you decide to use
522 : $ git checkout release_7.01f
524 This set the working tree of the repository to the state of Org at the
525 moment of release 7.01f. You can then run Org from the repository be
526 sure to use the stable release while development continues on the
529 Later, when we release 7.02, you can switch to that using
531 : $ git fetch --tags # to get all the new stuff
533 : $ git checkout release_7.02
535 *** Always run the most recent stable release
537 Alternatively, if you just want to always run whatever the latest
538 stable release is, you can do
540 : $ git checkout -b stable origin/maint
542 and then regularly update this branch by doing
546 ** How can I install an up-to-date version of org-mode without "make" tools?
548 :CUSTOM_ID: installing-org-without-make-tools
551 If you are using org-mode on a computer that lacks developer tools for
552 compiling software, such as [[http://www.gnu.org/software/make/][GNU Make]], you will have to use a
553 *different* installation method than [[http://orgmode.org/manual/Installation.html#Installation][the one outlined in the manual]].
555 Please see [[http://article.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.orgmode/15264][this thread]] on the mailing list for several different ways
556 you can install a recent version of org-mode without using the
557 customary =make clean && make && make install=.
559 The result of that discussion is the file/function found in
560 [[http://orgmode.org/worg/org-hacks.html#compiling-org-without-make]].
562 ** I don't use git. Can I download bleeding edge .zip and .tar.gz archives?
564 Yes. You can download [[http://orgmode.org/org-latest.zip][org-latest.zip]] or [[http://orgmode.org/org-latest.tar.gz][org-latest.tar.gz]] of Org-mode --
565 these archives are udpated every day at midnight.
567 Alternatively, you can download a [[http://orgmode.org/w/org-mode.git/snapshot][tar.gz snapshot from orgmode.org]].
569 ** How do I install Org-mode through Emacs' Package Manager?
571 :CUSTOM_ID: installing-via-elpa
574 Daily builds of Org-mode is distributed as an ELPA package from
575 both [[http://elpa.gnu.org/packages/][GNU Emacs Lisp Package Archive]] as well as from [[http://orgmode.org/pkg/daily/][Org-mode Emacs
578 Steps for installing Org with package manager:
579 1) Do =M-x list-packages= to browse available packages
580 2) If the above command is unavailable you need to [[#installing-elpa][install package
581 manager]] before proceeding ahead.
582 3) If you see =org= as available package skip to step 5.
583 4) If you are here it means that org is unavailable in the GNU's
584 archives. Report this discrepancy to [[mailto:emacs-orgmode@gnu.org][Orgmode mailing list.]]
586 In the meanwhile, you can manually download the tarball and
587 install it. Refer [[Installing%20from%20ELPA-tar][this FAQ entry]] for further information.
588 5) Press =i= to mark the package for installation
589 6) Press =x= to install
591 8) Use =M-x locate-library RET org=. If your installation is
592 successful you would something like the following:
594 =Library is file ~/.emacs.d/elpa/org-20110403/org.elc=
596 # 7) If you get the following error "*Failed to download `Org-mode'
597 # archive.*" in step 2, you can manually download the tarball and
598 # install it. Refer [[Installing from ELPA-tar][this FAQ entry]] for more information.
600 # 8) Add Orgmode as a package archive. This can be done in two ways:
601 # 9) Use =M-x customize-variable RET package-archives=
602 # 10) Add the following line to your =.emacs= and reload Emacs.
603 # #+begin_src emacs-lisp
604 # (add-to-list 'package-archives '("Org-mode" . "http://orgmode.org/pkg/daily/"))
608 ** How do I install Emacs package manager?
610 :CUSTOM_ID: installing-elpa
613 If you are running Emacs 24 or find the command =M-x list-packages=
614 available you already have the package manager installed.
616 Steps for installing package manager on emacs-23:
617 1. Download the package manager [[http://repo.or.cz/w/emacs.git/blob_plain/1a0a666f941c99882093d7bd08ced15033bc3f0c:/lisp/emacs-lisp/package.el][package.el]]
619 2. Add the following to your =.emacs= and reload Emacs.
620 #+begin_src emacs-lisp
621 ;; change "~/elisp/" as appropiate
622 (setq load-path (cons "~/elisp" load-path))
624 ;; Add the below lines *at the end* of your .emacs. This
625 ;; ensures that packages installed with package manager
626 ;; overrides other local installation
631 ** I don't see Org-mode as an installation option in Package Manager Menu?
633 :CUSTOM_ID: why-no-org-in-elpa
636 Emacs Package Manager is a very recent addition to Emacs. Work is
637 under way to have have Org-mode seamlessly integrate with Emacs'
638 Package Manager. As a result, it will be some time before the
639 Org-mode packages are available and usable from either GNU or
640 Org-mode package archives.
642 In the meanwhile, you can install Org-mode via package manager
643 through ELPA-compatible tar. Refer [[Installing from ELPA-tar][this FAQ entry]] for more information.
645 ** How do I install Org-mode from a ELPA-compatible tarball?
647 :CUSTOM_ID: installing-from-elpa-tarball
649 # <<Installing from ELPA-tar>>
651 Org-mode is distributed as an ELPA-compatible tar which can be used
652 in conjunction with Emacs' package manager.
654 1. If you are already running Org-mode, note the current version
655 reported by M-x org-version.
656 2. Download the latest tarball from [[http://orgmode.org/pkg/daily/][Org-mode repo]].
657 3. Do =M-x package-install-file=. When prompted for =Package file
658 name=, point it to .tar file downloaded in step 2.
660 You will now see Package Manager compiling the files and
662 4. Reload emacs. This step is very important.
663 5. Note the version of the new installation using M-x
664 org-version. If the new and old versions are different, the
665 installation is done and you are all set to enjoy the updated
666 Org-mode. Otherwise skip to step 6.
667 6. Review you load-path using =C-h v load-path=. Most likely that
668 your old installation path takes precedence over the path chosen
669 by package manager (which is typically
670 =~/.emacs.d/elpa/...=). Fix this anamoly by moving
671 =(package-initialize)= line in .emacs to a more appropriate
674 - Additional Note on =org-install.el= :: Functionality of Org-mode's
675 =org-install.el= is supplanted by Package Manager's
676 =org-autoloads.el=. Since Package Manager autoloads Org-mode for
677 you, the following line =(require 'org-install)= in your =.emacs=
678 is no longer required and can be safely removed.
680 ** Why would I use ELPA tarballs instead of the snapshot tarballs?
685 ELPA-tarballs automate much the process of upgrading org-mode. Much
686 of the following grunt work is done automatically by the Package
689 1. Downloading, compiling, and activating of org-mode (including
690 setting org-mode's =load-path= and autoloads).
691 2. Updating info files.
697 ** How can I quickly browse all Org options?
699 =M-x org-customize RET=
701 See also [[file:org-tutorials/org-customize.org][Carsten's Org customize tutorial]] and [[file:org-configs/org-customization-guide.org][this customization guide]]
704 ** Can I use the editing features of org-mode in other modes?
706 :CUSTOM_ID: use-editing-features-in-other-modes
709 Not really---but there are a few editing features you can use in
712 - For tables there is =orgtbl-mode= which implements the table
713 editor as a minor mode. (To enable, type =M-x orgtbl-mode=)
714 - For ordered lists there is =orgstruct-mode= which allows for easy
715 list editing as a minor mode. (To enable, type =M-x
718 You can activate these modes automatically by using hooks:
720 : (add-hook 'mail-mode-hook 'turn-on-orgtbl)
721 : (add-hook 'mail-mode-hook 'turn-on-orgstruct)
723 For footnotes, there is the function =org-footnote-action=, which
724 works in non-org buffers. This function is a powerful tool for
725 creating and sorting footnotes. To use it globally, you can add the
726 following keybinding to your =.emacs= file (requires Org 6.17 or
729 : (global-set-key (kbd "C-c f") 'org-footnote-action)
731 For other features you need to switch to Org-mode temporarily, or
732 prepare text in a different buffer.
734 ** Why isn't feature "X" working the way it is described in the manual?
736 :CUSTOM_ID: making-sure-org-mode-is-up-to-date
739 Org-mode develops very quickly. If you are using a version of Org-mode
740 that shipped with emacs, there is a good chance that it is somewhat
743 Many of the users on the Org-mode mailing list are using either a
744 recent release of Org-mode or the
745 [[http://orgmode.org/index.html#sec-3.2][development version of
746 org-mode from the git repository]].
748 If some settings and features aren't working the way you expect, make
749 sure that the version of the manual you are consulting matches the
750 version of Org-mode you are using.
752 - You can check which version of Org-mode you are using by
753 selection =Org --> Documentation --> Show Version= in the Emacs
756 - The [[http://orgmode.org/manual/index.html][online manual]] at [[http://orgmode.org][orgmode.org]] corresponds to the most recent
759 - The [[http://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/manual/html_node/org/index.html][manual]] at [[http://www.gnu.org][www.gnu.org]] corresponds to the version of Org-mode
760 released with the latest official Gnu Emacs release. Compared
761 with the manual at the orgmode.org, the manual at www.gnu.org is
762 somewhat out of date.
764 For instructions on how to stay current with Org-mode, consult [[keeping-current-with-Org-mode-development][this
765 FAQ]] or follow the instructions on [[http://orgmode.org][the official Org-mode site]].
767 ** Can I get the visibility-cycling features in outline-mode and outline-minor-mode?
769 :CUSTOM_ID: use-visibility-cycling-in-outline-mode
772 Yes, these functions are written in a way that they are independent of
773 the outline setup. The following setup provides standard Org-mode
774 functionality in outline-mode on =TAB= and =S-TAB=. For
775 outline-minor-mode, we use =C-TAB= instead of =TAB=,
776 because =TAB= usually has mode-specific tasks.
778 #+BEGIN_SRC emacs-lisp
779 (add-hook 'outline-minor-mode-hook
781 (define-key outline-minor-mode-map [(control tab)] 'org-cycle)
782 (define-key outline-minor-mode-map [(shift tab)] 'org-global-cycle)))
783 (add-hook 'outline-mode-hook
785 (define-key outline-mode-map [(tab)] 'org-cycle)
786 (define-key outline-mode-map [(shift tab)] 'org-global-cycle)))
789 Or check out /outline-magic.el/, which does this and also provides
790 promotion and demotion functionality. /outline-magic.el/ is
791 available at [[http://www.astro.uva.nl/~dominik/Tools/outline-magic.el][Outline Magic]].
793 ** Can I save/restore the visibility state of an org-mode buffer?
795 :CUSTOM_ID: saving-visibility-state
798 Well, no---at least not automatically. You can, however, control the
799 visibility of an org-file or of individual trees by adding
800 instructions to your org file. See [[http://orgmode.org/manual/Visibility-cycling.html#Visibility-cycling][this section of the manual]] for more
803 ** How can I keep track of changes in my Org files?
805 :CUSTOM_ID: track-of-changes-in-Org-files
808 Use git to track the history of the files, use a cronjob to check in
809 changes regularly. Such a setup is described by Bernt Hansen
810 in [[http://article.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.orgmode/6233][this message]] on [[http://dir.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.orgmode][emacs-orgmode]].
812 ** Can I use Org-mode as the default mode for all README files?
814 :CUSTOM_ID: Org-mode-as-default-mode
817 Add the following to your .emacs file:
819 : (add-to-list 'auto-mode-alist '("README$" . org-mode))
821 You can even make it the default mode for any files with unspecified
824 : (setq default-major-mode 'org-mode)
826 ** Can I use ido.el for completing stuff in Org?
828 :CUSTOM_ID: ido-complete
831 Yes, you can. If you are an ido user and ido-mode is active, the
832 following setting will make Org use =ido-completing-read= for most
833 of its completing prompts.
835 : (setq org-completion-use-ido t)
837 ** Should I use one big org file or multiple files?
839 :CUSTOM_ID: how-to-organize-org-mode-files
842 Org-mode is flexible enough to accomodate a variety of organizational
843 and time management schemes. Org's [[http://orgmode.org/manual/Document-Structure.html#Document-Structure][outline cycling and convenient
844 editing and navigation commands]] make it possible to maintain all of
845 your projects and notes in a single file. But org-mode's [[http://orgmode.org/manual/Hyperlinks.html#Hyperlinks][quick and
846 easy hyperlinks]], along with [[http://orgmode.org/manual/Refiling-notes.html#Refiling-notes][easy refiling of notes and todos]], also
847 make it a delight to maintain a private "wiki" consisting of multiple
850 No matter how you organize your org files, org-mode's agenda commands
851 make it easy to search all your notes and gather together crucial data
854 Moreover, several org-mode settings can be configured either globally
855 in your =.emacs= file or locally (per file or per outline tree). See
856 the [[http://orgmode.org/manual/index.html#Top][manual]] for more details. For an example of local customizations
857 see [[limit-agenda-with-category-match][this FAQ]].
859 Here are a few ideas for organizing org-mode files:
861 - A single file for all your projects and notes.
862 - One file per project.
863 - One file per client.
864 - One file per area of responsibility or type of work (e.g.,
865 household, health, work, etc.).
866 - One file for projects, one for appointments, one for reference
867 material, one for someday/maybe items, etc.
868 - A wiki of hyperlinked files that grows and adapts to meet your
871 For more ideas, see some of the links on the [[file:org-tutorials/index.org][org-tutorial index]] or
872 [[file:org-gtd-etc.org][this page on org-mode and GTD]].
874 ** Why doesn't C-c a call the agenda? Why don't some org keybindings work?
876 :CUSTOM_ID: setting-global-keybindings
879 Org-mode has a few global keybindings that the user must set
880 explicitly in an =.emacs= file. These keybindings include the
881 customary shortcut for calling the agenda (=C-c a=). If nothing
882 happens when you type =C-c a=, then make sure that the following lines
883 are in your =.emacs= file:
885 #+BEGIN_SRC emacs-lisp
886 ;; The following lines are always needed. Choose your own keys.
887 (add-to-list 'auto-mode-alist '("\\.org\\'" . org-mode))
888 (global-set-key "\C-cl" 'org-store-link)
889 (global-set-key "\C-ca" 'org-agenda)
890 (global-set-key "\C-cb" 'org-iswitchb)
893 You may, of course, choose whatever keybindings work best for you
894 and do not conflict with other modes.
896 Please see [[http://orgmode.org/manual/Activation.html][this section of the manual]] if you have additional
899 ** Why aren't some of the variables I've customized having an effect?
901 :CUSTOM_ID: load-org-after-setting-variables
904 Some org variables have to be set before org.el is loaded or else they
905 will not work. (An example is the new variable
906 =org-enforce-todo-dependencies=.)
908 To make sure all your variables work you should not use =(require
909 'org)=. Instead use the following setting:
911 : (require 'org-install)
913 You should also make sure that you do not require any other =org-...=
914 files in your =.emacs= file before you have set your org variables,
915 since these will also cause org.el to be loaded. To be safe, load org
916 files *after* you have set your variables.
918 ** How can I make sure that timestamps appear in English?
920 :CUSTOM_ID: timestamps-and-system-time-locale
923 If your system's locale is not set to English, but you would like the
924 timestamps in your org-mode files to appear in English, you can set
925 the following variable:
927 #+begin_src emacs-lisp
928 (setq system-time-locale "C")
931 ** What does a minimal .emacs look like?
933 :CUSTOM_ID: minimal-emacs
936 Using a stripped down minimal .emacs files removes broken custom
937 settings as the cause of an issue and makes it easy to reproduce for
938 other people. The example below has system-specific paths that you'll
939 need to change for your own use.
940 #+begin_src emacs-lisp
941 (add-to-list 'load-path (expand-file-name "~/git/org-mode/lisp"))
942 (add-to-list 'auto-mode-alist '("\\.\\(org\\ |org_archive\\|txt\\)$" . org-mode))
943 (setq org-agenda-files '("/tmp/test.org"))
944 (require 'org-install)
947 (global-set-key "\C-cl" 'org-store-link)
948 (global-set-key "\C-ca" 'org-agenda)
949 (global-set-key "\C-cb" 'org-iswitchb)
952 You can save the minimal .emacs file to ~/minimal.emacs, add suspect
953 configuration code to it, then start emacs something like this:
955 emacs -Q -l ~/minimal.emacs
958 On OS X, starting emacs with minimal configuration might look
961 /Applications/emacs.app/Contents/MacOS/Emacs -Q -l ~/minimal.emacs
964 ** Can I migrate from Planner?
966 Yes. This [[http://www.c0t0d0s0.de/plan2org/plan2org.pl][perl script]] or [[http://gitorious.org/bkuhn-small-hacks/org-mode/blobs/master/planner2org.plx
967 ][this Perl script]] can help.
969 * Errors and general problems
973 ** Opening Org files in Emacs leads to a crash
975 :CUSTOM_ID: Emacs-crashes-with-org-indent-mode
977 The only known case where Org-mode can crash Emacs is when you are
978 using =org-indent-mode= with Emacs 23.1 (in fact, any version of
979 Emacs before version 23.1.50.3). Upgrade to Emacs 23.2 and the
980 problem should go away.
982 ** When I try to use Org-mode, I always get the error message =(wrong-type-argument keymapp nil)=
984 :CUSTOM_ID: wrong-type-argument-keymapp
987 This is a conflict with an outdated version of the /allout.el/, see
988 the [[http://orgmode.org/manual/Conflicts.html#Conflicts][Conflicts]] section in the manual
990 ** How can I control the application launched by Org-mode to open a certain file type like pdf, html....
992 :CUSTOM_ID: external-application-launched-to-open-file-link
995 If you want special control about how Org-mode opens files, see the
996 variables =org-file-apps=, =org-file-apps-defaults-gnu=,
997 =org-file-apps-defaults-macosx=, =org-file-apps-defaults-windowsnt=.
999 *However*, normally it is best to just use the mechanism the
1000 operating-system provides:
1002 *** GNU/Linux systems
1003 You you have to check your mailcap settings, find the files:
1011 and modify them accordingly. Please read their manual entry.
1014 + for html pages you may configure the =browse-url-= variables through
1015 the Customize interface,
1016 + the pdf files are automatically opened with Acrobat Reader (if it is
1020 Change the application responsible for this file type by selecting
1021 such a file in the Finder, select =File->Get Info= from the menu
1022 and select the application to open this file with. Then, to
1023 propagate the change to all files with the same extension, select
1024 the =Change all= button.
1026 ** Org-mode takes over the TAB key. I also want to use YASnippet, is there a way to fix this conflict?
1028 :CUSTOM_ID: YASnippet
1031 [[http://code.google.com/p/yasnippet/][yasnippet]] is yet another snippet expansion system for Emacs. It is
1032 inspired by TextMate's templating syntax.
1033 - watch the [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOj7btx3ATg][video on YouTube]]
1034 - see the [[http://yasnippet.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/doc/index.html][intro and tutorial]]
1036 *Note*: yasnippet is not compatible with =org-indent-mode= currently
1037 there is no known way to use both successfully with =yas/trigger-key=
1038 set to =TAB= (or =[tab]= etc...)
1040 The way Org-mode binds the =TAB= key (binding to =[tab]= instead of
1041 =\t=) overrules yasnippets' access to this key. The following code
1044 #+begin_src emacs-lisp
1045 (add-hook 'org-mode-hook
1047 (org-set-local 'yas/trigger-key [tab])
1048 (define-key yas/keymap [tab] 'yas/next-field-group)))
1051 If the above code doesn't work (which it may not with later versions
1052 of yasnippet). Then try the following
1054 #+begin_src emacs-lisp
1055 (defun yas/org-very-safe-expand ()
1056 (let ((yas/fallback-behavior 'return-nil)) (yas/expand)))
1058 (add-hook 'org-mode-hook
1060 ;; yasnippet (using the new org-cycle hooks)
1061 (make-variable-buffer-local 'yas/trigger-key)
1062 (setq yas/trigger-key [tab])
1063 (add-to-list 'org-tab-first-hook 'yas/org-very-safe-expand)
1064 (define-key yas/keymap [tab] 'yas/next-field)))
1067 Rick Moynihan maintains a [[http://github.com/RickMoynihan/yasnippet-org-mode][git repository]] (or [[http://github.com/eschulte/yasnippet-org-mode][Eric's fork of the same]])
1068 with YASnippets for Org-mode.
1070 ** Org-mode takes over the S-cursor keys. I also want to use CUA-mode, is there a way to fix this conflict?
1072 :CUSTOM_ID: CUA-mode
1075 Yes, see the [[http://orgmode.org/manual/Conflicts.html#Conflicts][Conflicts]] section of the manual.
1077 ** Org-mode takes over the S-cursor keys. I also want to use windmove.el, is there a way to fix this conflict?
1079 :CUSTOM_ID: windmove.el
1082 Yes, see the [[http://orgmode.org/manual/Conflicts.html#Conflicts][Conflicts]] section of the manual.
1084 ** Org behaves strangely: some keys don't work, some features are missing, my settings have no effect, ...
1086 :CUSTOM_ID: loaded-old-org
1089 When this sort of things happen, it probably is because Emacs is
1090 loading an old version of Org-mode instead of the one you expected.
1091 Check it with =M-x org-version=.
1093 This happens because Emacs loads first the system org-mode (the one
1094 included with Emacs) before the one in your directory. Check the
1095 =load-path= variable; you might see that your org-mode appears /after/
1096 the system-wide path; this is bad.
1098 You should add your directories to the =load-path= at the beginning:
1100 : (add-to-list 'load-path "~/.emacs.d/org-mode/lisp") (require 'org-install)
1102 Function =add-to-list= adds at the beginning. Don't use =append=
1103 because it appends at the end. Also be sure to use =(require
1104 'org-install)= and not =(require 'org)=.
1106 This wrong version loading may also happen if you have a byte-compiled
1107 =org.elc= from an old version together with a new =org.el=. Since
1108 Emacs prefers loading byte-compiled files (even if the =.el= is
1109 newer), it will load the old Org-mode.
1111 ** Why doesn't org-batch-agenda work under Win32?
1113 :CUSTOM_ID: org-batch-agenda-under-win32
1116 When I run the example batch files to print my agenda to the console
1117 under Win32 I get the failure:
1119 : End of file during parsing
1121 and no agenda is printed.
1123 The problem is the use of single quotes surrounding the eval in the
1124 emacs command-line. This gets confused under Win32. All string
1125 parameters with spaces must be surrounded in double quotes. This means
1126 that double quotes being passed to the eval must be escaped.
1128 Therefore, instead of the following:
1130 : <path to emacs>\emacs.exe -batch -l ~/_emacs_org \
1131 : -eval '(org-batch-agenda "a")'
1133 you need to use the following:
1135 : <path to emacs>\emacs.exe -batch -l ~/_emacs_org \
1136 : -eval "(org-batch-agenda \"a\")"
1138 (all on one line, of course).
1140 ** Org agenda seems very slow
1142 :CUSTOM_ID: slow-agenda
1145 If it takes a long time to generate or refresh the agenda, you might
1146 want first check which version of org-mode you are using. There have
1147 been major optimizations of org-agenda since 6.21b, which was the
1148 version of org-mode released with Emacs 23. If you are using 6.21b or
1149 earlier (you can check with =M-x org-version=), then you might want to
1150 consider upgrading to a more recent version of org-mode.
1152 Here are some other ideas for speeding up the agenda:
1154 1. Use a one day agenda view (rather than a seven day view).
1156 =(setq org-agenda-ndays 1)=
1158 2. Archive inactive items to separate files.
1160 =C-c C-x C-s= (org-archive-subtree)
1162 3. Do not include the global todo list in your agenda view.
1164 (setq org-agenda-include-all-todo nil)
1166 4. Make sure that your org files are byte-compiled.
1168 I.e., make sure there are files ending in =.elc= in your org
1169 installation directory.
1171 5. Limit your agenda files (=org-agenda-files=) to files that have
1172 active todos and or projects.
1174 If you have a number of older reference files---i.e., files you
1175 search only occasionally---in your agenda files list, consider
1176 removing them from your agenda files and adding them to
1177 =org-agenda-text-search-extra-files= instead. Similarly, you might
1178 consider searching some of your older reference files with =M-x
1179 grep= so that Org-mode does not have to load them into memory when
1180 the agenda is called.
1182 ** Visual-line-mode doesn't work well with org-mode
1184 :CUSTOM_ID: visual-line-mode
1187 Visual-line-mode "soft wraps" lines so that the visual edge of the
1188 buffer is considered a line break for purposes of navigation, even
1189 though there is no line break in reality.
1191 In older versions of org-mode, org-beginning-of-line and
1192 org-end-of-line do not work well with visual line mode. (The two
1193 commands disregard soft line breaks and move to the beginning and end
1194 of the hard line break.) A patch was introduces to fix this behavior
1197 If you are using an older version of org mode, you can:
1199 1. Add a hook to turn off visual line mode.
1201 2. Add the following to your =.emacs=:
1203 #+begin_src emacs-lisp
1205 (add-hook 'org-mode-hook
1207 (define-key org-mode-map "\C-a" 'move-beginning-of-line)
1208 (define-key org-mode-map "\C-e" 'move-end-of-line)))
1211 ** Can I hide blocks at startup?
1215 #+begin_src emacs-lisp
1216 (setq org-hide-block-startup t)
1222 ,#+STARTUP: hideblocks
1225 on a per-file basis.
1227 * Faces and highlighting
1231 ** Org-mode has a lot of colors? How can I change them?
1233 :CUSTOM_ID: customizing-org-faces
1236 This is a question that applies to Emacs as a whole, but it comes up
1237 quite frequently on the org-mode mailing list, so it is appropriate to
1240 If you would like to change the style of a face in org-mode (or any
1241 other Emacs mode), simply type =M-x customize-face [RET]= while the
1242 cursor is on the color/style you are interested in modifying. You will
1243 be given the opportunity to customize all the faces located at that
1246 If you would like an overview of all the faces in org-mode, you can
1247 type =C-u M-x list-faces-display [RET] org= and you will be shown all
1248 the faces defined by org-mode along with an illustration of their
1251 If you would like to customize org-faces and other aspects of
1252 org-appearance, type =M-x customize-group org-font-lock [RET]=.
1254 Finally, if you would like verbose information about the properties of
1255 the text under the cursor, you can type =C-u C-x ==.
1257 See the Worg page on [[file:org-tutorials/org-appearance.org][customizing Org appearance]] for further information.
1258 ** Why do I get a tiny font in column view when using emacs daemon?
1260 :CUSTOM_ID: column-view-tiny-font
1263 When using emacs in daemon mode (=emacs --daemon=), client frames
1264 sometimes override the column view face settings, resulting in very
1265 small fonts. Here is a fix:
1267 #+begin_src emacs-lisp
1268 (defun org-column-view-uses-fixed-width-face ()
1269 ;; copy from org-faces.el
1270 (when (fboundp 'set-face-attribute)
1271 ;; Make sure that a fixed-width face is used when we have a column
1273 (set-face-attribute 'org-column nil
1274 :height (face-attribute 'default :height)
1275 :family (face-attribute 'default :family))))
1277 (when (and (fboundp 'daemonp) (daemonp))
1278 (add-hook 'org-mode-hook 'org-column-view-uses-fixed-width-face))
1281 This fix was provided in the following mailing list post:
1283 http://article.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.orgmode/27560
1284 ** How can I stop the mouse cursor from highlighting lines in the agenda?
1286 :CUSTOM_ID: ratpoison-for-agenda-highlighting
1289 You can add the following to your =.emacs=:
1291 #+begin_src emacs-lisp
1292 (add-hook 'org-finalize-agenda-hook
1293 (lambda () (remove-text-properties
1294 (point-min) (point-max) '(mouse-face t))))
1301 ** Can I close an outline section without starting a new section?
1303 :CUSTOM_ID: closing-outline-sections
1306 Can I have nested, closed outline sections, similar to xml? This
1307 question comes up quite frequently on the mailing list.
1309 See the following threads:
1311 - http://permalink.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.orgmode/40182
1312 - http://permalink.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.orgmode/36719
1313 - http://permalink.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.orgmode/24092
1314 - http://permalink.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.orgmode/12425
1316 The desired behavior looks something like this:
1331 ,# end Subsection Two
1333 ,Continue text in section one.
1336 The short answer to the question is no. Org-mode adheres to the
1337 cascading logic of outlines, in which a section is closed only by
1338 another section that occupies an equal or greater level.
1340 Here are some workarounds:
1342 1. You can use inline tasks to create non-folding subsections. See the
1343 documentation in org-inlinetask.el, which is part of the org-mode
1345 2. You can create a temporary heading, such as "** Continue main
1346 section" and then remove it when you are ready to export.
1347 3. You can create a separate outline heading (e.g., * ACTIONS),
1348 creating TODOs there with links to the relevant sections of your
1351 ** Can I add a TODO to a list item?
1353 :CUSTOM_ID: list-item-as-todo
1356 No. When generating agenda views, org-mode treats only headlines as
1359 You can, however, use a status cookie together with checkboxes to
1360 monitor your progress on a series of subtasks:
1363 ,** TODO Big task [1/3]
1370 If you would like to embed a TODO within text without treating it as
1371 an outline heading, you can use inline tasks. Simply add...
1373 : (require 'org-inlinetask)
1375 ...to your =.emacs= and then type C-c C-x C-t to insert an inline task.
1377 ** Can I have two windows on the same Org-mode file, with different outline visibilities?
1379 :CUSTOM_ID: indirect-buffers
1382 You may use /indirect buffers/ which do exactly this. See the
1383 documentation on the command =make-indirect-buffer=.
1385 Org-mode has built-in commands that allow you create an indirect
1386 buffer from a subtree of an outline. To open a subtree in new
1387 window, type =C-c C-x b=. Any changes you make in the new window
1388 will be saved to the original file, but the visibility of both
1389 buffers will remain independent of one another.
1391 For multiple indirect buffers from the same file, you must use the
1392 prefix =C-u= when creating the second (or third) buffer. Otherwise
1393 the new indirect buffer will replace the old.
1395 You can also create an independent view of an outline subtree by
1396 typing =b= on an item in the agenda.
1398 ** Emacs outlines are unreadable. Can I get rid of all those stars?
1400 :CUSTOM_ID: Emacs-outlines-are-unreadable
1403 See the section [[http://orgmode.org/manual/Clean-view.html#Clean-view][Clean outline view]] in the manual.
1404 ** C-k is killing whole subtrees! I lost my work!
1406 :CUSTOM_ID: C-k-is-killing-subtrees
1409 =(setq org-ctrl-k-protect-subtree t)= before losing your work.
1411 ** Why aren't commands working on regions?
1413 :CUSTOM_ID: transient-mark-mode
1416 Some org-mode commands, such as M-right and M-left for demoting or
1417 promoting headlines (see [[demote-multiple-headlines][this FAQ]]), can be applied to entire regions.
1418 These commands, however, will only work on active regions set with
1419 [[http://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/manual/html_node/emacs/Transient-Mark.html#Transient-Mark][transient mark mode]]. Transient mark mode is enabled by default in
1420 Emacs 23. To enable it in earlier versions of emacs, put the following
1421 in your =.emacs= file:
1423 : (transient-mark-mode 1)
1425 Alternatively, you may turn off transient mark mode and use [[http://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/manual/html_node/emacs/Momentary-Mark.html][a
1426 momentary mark]] (=C-<SPC> C-<SPC>=).
1428 ** Why is a blank line inserted after headlines and list items?
1430 :ID: 2463F4D8-F686-4CF3-AA07-08976F8A4972
1433 :CUSTOM_ID: blank-line-after-headlines-and-list-items
1436 In org-mode, typing =M-RET= at the end of a headline will create a new
1437 headline of the same level on a new line. The same is true for plain
1438 lists. By default org-mode uses context to determine if a blank line
1439 should be inserted after each headline or plain list item when =M-RET=
1440 is pressed. For instance, if a there is a blank line before a
1441 headline, then typing =M-RET= at the end of the line will insert a
1442 blank line before the new headline. For instance, hitting =M-RET=
1443 at the end of "Headline Two" below inserts a new headline without a
1450 If there is a blank line between Headline One and Headline Two,
1451 however, the results will be as follows:
1459 If you do not like the default behavior you can change it with the
1460 variable =org-blank-before-new-entry=. You can set headings and/or
1461 plain lists to auto (the default setting), t (always), or nil (never).
1463 ** How can I promote or demote multiple headlines at once?
1465 :CUSTOM_ID: demote-multiple-headlines
1468 If you have a long list of first level headlines that you'd like to
1469 demote to second level headlines, you can select the headlines as a
1470 region and then hit =M-<right>= to demote all the headlines at once.
1472 Note: =M-S-<right>= will not work on a selected region. Its use is to
1473 demote a single subtree (i.e., a headline and all sub-headlines).
1475 If M-<right> doesn't seem to work, make sure transient mark mode is
1476 enabled. See [[transient-mark-mode][this FAQ]].
1478 ** What's the deal with all the ellipses in my org outlines?
1480 :CUSTOM_ID: org-ellipses
1483 Org-mode uses ellipses to indicate folded (and thus hidden) text. Most
1484 commonly, ellispes occur at the end of headings with folded content:
1488 Or, for instance, they may indicate closed drawers:
1492 Sometimes, as a result of editing and cycling an outline, ellipses may
1493 appear in unexpected places. You should *never* delete these ellipses,
1494 as you may accidentally delete hidden text. Instead, you can type =C-c
1495 C-r= (org-reveal) to display all hidden text in the vicinity. Or you
1496 may type =M-x RET show-all= to reveal all text in the org file.
1498 If you would prefer a symbol or face for indicating hidden text, you
1499 can customize the variable org-ellipses.
1501 ** How do I yank a subtree so it's indented according to the point's location?
1503 :CUSTOM_ID: yank-indent-subtree
1506 You can either use =C-c C-w= with a working [[http://orgmode.org/manual/Refiling-notes.html#Refiling-notes][refile-targets]] setup.
1508 Or set =org-yank-adjusted-subtrees= to =t= which will adjust the
1509 yanked headline's level correctly.
1511 Just use =C-k= and =C-y= as you would everywhere else in Emacs.
1513 ** Can I read org-mode outlines in vim?
1515 :CUSTOM_ID: org-outlines-in-vim
1518 Yes, there is a script that enables one to view and navigate folded
1519 outline/org files in vim (though without most of org-mode's
1520 functionality, of course).
1522 - [[http://www.vim.org/scripts/script.php?script_id%3D1266][Emacs outline mode - Imitates Emacsen : vim online]]
1524 For instructions on how to set it up, please see [[http://mid.gmane.org/EA275862-B97A-4BAC-B879-177FD07A2D56@gaillourdet.net][this mailing list
1527 Work is also underway on an org-mode clone for Vim. You can check it
1530 https://github.com/hsitz/VimOrganizer
1534 :CUSTOM_ID: Todos-and-Tags
1536 ** How can I cycle through the TODO keyword of an entry?
1538 :CUSTOM_ID: cycle-TODO-keywords
1541 =C-c C-t= or =S-<left/right>= is what you need.
1543 ** How do I track state changes for tasks in Org?
1545 :CUSTOM_ID: track-state-changes-for-tasks
1548 Take a look at the [[http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.orgmode/6082][post by Bernt Hansen]] for setting up TODO keyword
1549 states and logging timestamps for task state changes.
1551 ** Can I select the TODO keywords with a tag-like interface?
1553 :CUSTOM_ID: select-TODO-keywords-with-tag-like-interface
1556 Yes. Use =(setq org-use-fast-todo-selection t)=
1558 If you want to set both your todos and your tags using a single
1559 interface, then check out the variable
1560 =org-fast-tag-selection-include-todo=.
1562 See [[http://orgmode.org/manual/Fast-access-to-TODO-states.html][this section of the manual]] for more details.
1564 ** How can I quickly set the tag of an entry?
1566 :CUSTOM_ID: quickly-set-tag-of-entry
1569 Use =C-c C-c= or =C-c C-q= on the headline. =C-c C-q= is useful for
1570 setting tabs in a [[http://orgmode.org/manual/Remember.html#Remember][remember]] buffer, since =C-c C-c= is the default
1571 keybinding for filing a note from the remember buffer.
1573 You can set tags even more quickly by setting one of the character
1574 shortcuts for [[http://orgmode.org/manual/Setting-tags.html#Setting-tags][fast tag selection]].
1576 To set tag shortcuts for all org buffers, put something like the
1577 following in your =.emacs= file (or create the same settings by
1578 typing =M-x customize-variable RET org-tag-alist=):
1580 : (setq org-tag-alist '(("computer" . ?c) ("office" . ?o) ("home" . ?h)))
1582 To set tag shortcuts for a single buffer, put something like the
1583 following at the top of your org file:
1585 : #+TAGS: computer(c) office(o) home(h)
1587 ** How can I change the colors of TODO keywords?
1589 You can use the variable org-todo-keyword-faces. Here are some sample
1592 #+begin_src emacs-lisp
1593 (setq org-todo-keyword-faces
1595 ("TODO" . (:foreground "firebrick2" :weight bold))
1596 ("WAITING" . (:foreground "olivedrab" :weight bold))
1597 ("LATER" . (:foreground "sienna" :weight bold))
1598 ("PROJECT" . (:foreground "steelblue" :weight bold))
1599 ("DONE" . (:foreground "forestgreen" :weight bold))
1600 ("MAYBE" . (:foreground "dimgrey" :weight bold))
1601 ("CANCELED" . shadow)
1605 If you want to change the color of all active todos or all inactive
1608 : M-x customize-face RET org-todo
1609 : M-x customize-face RET org-done
1611 You can also set values for each of these in your =.emacs= file:
1613 : (set-face-foreground 'org-todo "firebrick2")
1614 : (set-face-foreground 'org-done "forestgreen")
1618 :CUSTOM_ID: Hyperlinks
1620 ** Why do I have to confirm the execution of each shell/elisp link?
1622 :CUSTOM_ID: confirm-shell/elisp-link
1625 The confirmation is there to protect you from unwantingly execute
1626 potentially dangerous commands. For example, imagine a link
1628 : [[shell:rm -rf ~/*][Google Search]]
1630 In an Org-mode buffer, this command would look like /Google Search/,
1631 but really it would remove your home directory. If you wish, you can
1632 make it easier to respond to the query by setting
1634 : (setq org-confirm-shell-link-function 'y-or-n-p
1635 : org-confirm-elisp-link-function 'y-or-n-p).
1637 Then a single keypress will be enough to confirm those links. It is
1638 also possible to turn off this check entirely, but I strongly
1639 recommend against this. Be warned.
1641 ** Can I use RET or TAB to follow a link?
1643 :CUSTOM_ID: RET-or-TAB-to-follow-link
1648 : (setq org-return-follows-link t)
1649 : (setq org-tab-follows-link t)
1651 ** Can I keep mouse-1 clicks from following a link?
1653 :CUSTOM_ID: mouse-1-following-link
1656 Activating links with =mouse-1= is a new feature in Emacs 22, to make
1657 link behavior similar to other applications like web browsers. If
1658 you hold the mouse button down a bit longer, the cursor will be set
1659 without following the link. If you cannot get used to this behavior,
1660 you can (as in Emacs 21) use =mouse-2= to follow links and turn off
1661 link activation for =mouse-1= with
1663 : (setq org-mouse-1-follows-link nil)
1665 ** How can I get completion of file names when creating a link?
1667 :CUSTOM_ID: completion-of-file-links
1670 You can use org-insert-link with a prefix argument:
1674 You will be greeted with prompt in the minibuffer that allows for file
1675 completion using your preferred Emacs method for finding files.
1677 ** How can I use invisible targets within lists?
1679 :CUSTOM_ID: invisible-targets-in-lists
1682 The usual way of turning radio links invisible is to comment them, but
1683 Org comments need to be at the beginning of the line, which breaks list
1686 The workaround here is to add (INVISIBLE) after your <<target>>
1690 : 11. <<target>>(INVISIBLE)
1692 : 12. More text [[target][go to]]
1694 ** Org-mode is not opening mailto links in my default mail client
1696 :CUSTOM_ID: mailto-links
1699 You can customize the function org-mode uses to open mailto links by
1700 setting the variable =org-link-mailto-program=:
1702 =M-x customize-variable org-link-mailto-program=
1704 The default function called is =browse-url=, which opens a mail
1705 composition buffer within Emacs. The type of buffer opened by
1706 browse-url depends on the setting of the variable =mail-user-agent=.
1707 Thus, if you want to ensure that mailto links use Gnus to open a
1708 message buffer, you could add the following to your =.emacs=:
1711 (setq mail-user-agent 'gnus-user-agent)
1714 ** Can I use CamelCase links?
1716 :CUSTOM_ID: CamelCase-links
1719 Yes, you can with the contributed package org-wikinodes.el. Please
1720 consult the [[http://orgmode.org/worg/org-contrib/org-wikinodes.html][documentation]].
1724 :CUSTOM_ID: Plain-Lists
1726 ** How can I insert an empty line before each newly inserted headline, but not before each newly inserted plain-list item?
1728 :CUSTOM_ID: empty-line-before-each-new-headline-but-not-item
1731 : (setq org-blank-before-new-entry
1732 : '((heading . t) (plain-list-item . nil))
1734 See also [[id:2463F4D8-F686-4CF3-AA07-08976F8A4972][Why is a blank line inserted after headlines and list items?]].
1736 ** How can I convert itemized lists to enumerated lists?
1738 :CUSTOM_ID: convert-itemized-to-enumerated-lists
1741 You can use =C-c -= or =S-<left>/<right>= to cycle through the various
1742 bullet headlines available for lists: =-, +, *, 1., 1)=.
1744 See [[http://orgmode.org/manual/Plain-lists.html#Plain-lists][this section of the manual]] for more information.
1746 ** How can I convert plain lists to headlines and vice versa?
1748 :CUSTOM_ID: convert-plain-lists-to-headlines
1751 To convert a plain list item or line to a headline, type =C-c *= on
1752 the headline. This will make the line a subheading of the current
1755 To convert a headline to a plain list item, type =C-c -= while the
1756 cursor is on the headline.
1758 To convert a headline to an unadorned line of text, type =C-c *= on
1761 You can use query replace to accomplish the same things, as Bernt
1762 Hansen explains in [[http://article.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.orgmode/10148][this mailing list post]].
1764 ** Is there a good way to create a description list?
1766 :CUSTOM_ID: description-lists
1769 Yes, these are now built-in:
1772 - item1 :: Description of this item 1
1773 - item2 :: Description of this item 2
1774 - item1 :: Description of this item 3
1775 also in multiple lines
1782 ** Will there ever be support for multiple lines in a table field?
1784 :CUSTOM_ID: table-multiline-fields
1789 You can embed tables created with the table.el package in org-mode
1790 buffers, with mixed success when it comes to export and publishing.
1792 ** How can I make table alignment work with Asian character sets
1794 :CUSTOM_ID: table-alignment-asian-characters
1797 When table alignment fails, it usually has to do with character sets
1798 where some characters have non-integer width. Org will deal correctly
1799 with characters that are one or two or three ASCII characters wide,
1800 but not with characters that are, for example, 1.5 ASCII characters
1801 wide. To make table alignment work you need to switch to a different
1804 ** Can I plot data from a table?
1806 :CUSTOM_ID: plotting-table-data
1809 Yes, you can, using org-plot.el written by Eric Schulte and now
1810 bundled with Org. See [[http://orgmode.org/manual/Org_002dPlot.html#Org-Plot][the manual section about this]].
1812 See also [[file:org-tutorials/org-plot.org][this excellent tutorial]] by Eric Schulte.
1814 ** How can I fill a table column with incremental numbers?
1816 :CUSTOM_ID: fill-table-column-with-incremental-numbers
1819 Here is how: Use a field formula to set the first value in the column:
1831 Then define a column formula in the second field:
1843 After recomputing the table, the column will be filled with
1844 incremental numbers:
1853 ,#+TBLFM: $1=@-1 + 1::@2$1=1
1856 Note that you could use arbitrary starting values and column formulas.
1858 ** Why does my table column get filled with #ERROR?
1860 :CUSTOM_ID: table-column-filled-with-ERROR
1863 Org-mode tried to compute the column from other fields using a
1864 formula stored in the =#+TBLFM:= line just below the table, and
1865 the evaluation of the formula fails. Fix the fields used in the
1866 formula, or fix the formula, or remove it!
1868 ** How can I stop the table editor from creating new lines?
1870 :CUSTOM_ID: table-editor-creates-new-lines
1873 When I am in the last column of a table and just above a horizontal
1874 line in the table, pressing TAB creates a new table line before the
1875 horizontal line. To move to the line below the
1876 horizontal line instead, do this:
1878 Press =down= (to get on the separator line) and then =TAB=.
1879 Or configure the variable
1881 : (setq org-table-tab-jumps-over-hlines t)
1883 ** How can I get table fields starting with "="?
1885 :CUSTOM_ID: table-fields-starting-with-=
1890 : (setq org-table-formula-evaluate-inline nil)
1892 this will no longer happen. You can still use formulas using the
1893 commands ~C-c =~ and ~C-u C-c =~
1895 ** How can I get a vertical bar "|" inside a table field?
1897 :CUSTOM_ID: table-fields-with-vertical-bar
1900 You can use =\vert= to put a vertical bar inside a table field.
1901 This will be converted for export. To use it inside a word use
1902 =abc\vert{}def=. If you need something that looks like a bar in
1903 the Org mode buffer, you can use the unicode character brvbar which
1904 looks like this: \brvbar{}.
1907 ** How can I change the indentation of an entire table without fixing every line by hand?
1909 :CUSTOM_ID: change-indentation-entire-table
1912 The indentation of a table is set by the first line. So just fix the
1913 indentation of the first line and realign with =TAB=.
1915 ** In my huge table the realigning after each TAB takes too long. What can I do?
1917 :CUSTOM_ID: table-realigning-after-TAB-takes-long
1920 Either split the table into several by inserting an empty line every
1921 100 lines or so. Or turn off the automatic re-align with
1923 : (setq org-table-automatic-realign nil)
1925 After this the only way to realign a table is to press =C-c C-c=. It
1926 will no longer happen automatically, removing the corresponding delays
1929 ** Recalculation of my table takes too long. What can I do?
1931 :CUSTOM_ID: Recalculation-of-my-table-takes-too-long
1934 Nothing, really. The spreadsheet in org is mostly done to make
1935 calculations possible, not so much to make them fast. Since Org-mode
1936 is firmly committed to the ASCII format, nothing is stopping you from
1937 editing the table by hand. Therefore, there is no internal
1938 representation of the data. Each time Org-mode starts a computation,
1939 it must scan the table for special lines, find the fields etc. This
1940 is slow. Furthermore, Calc is slow compared to hardware
1941 computations. To make this work with normal editing, recalculation
1942 is not happening automatically, or only for the current line, so that
1943 the long wait for a full table iteration only happens when you ask
1946 So for really complex tables, moving to a "real" spreadsheet may
1947 still be the best option.
1949 That said, there are some ways to optimize things in Org-mode, and I
1950 have been thinking about moving a bit further down this line.
1951 However, for my applications this has so far not been an issue at
1952 all. If you have a good case, you could try to convince me.
1954 ** =S-RET= in a table keeps increasing the copied numbers. How can I stop this?
1956 :CUSTOM_ID: S-RET-in-a-table-increases-copied-numbers
1959 Well, it is /supposed/ to be a feature, to make it easy to create a
1960 column with increasing numbers. If this gets into your way, turn it
1963 : (setq org-org-table-copy-increment nil)
1965 ** When I export tables to html, they don't have borders.
1967 :CUSTOM_ID: table-borders-in-html-export
1970 By default, org mode exports tables without borders.
1972 You can changed this by placing an =#+ATTR_HTML= line before the
1975 : #+ATTR_HTML: border="2" rules="all" frame="all"
1977 See [[http://orgmode.org/manual/Tables-in-HTML-export.html#Tables-in-HTML-export][the manual]] for more details.
1979 ** Why does the Calc high precision (e. g. =p20=) not work like expected?
1981 :CUSTOM_ID: table-high-precision
1987 : | 1 / 2 * 3 | 0.16666667000000 |
1988 : #+TBLFM: $2 = $1; p20 %.14f
1991 : | 1 / 2 * 3 | 0.16666666666667 |
1992 : #+TBLFM: $2 = $1 +.0; p20 f-14
1996 It is important to distinguish between the precision of
1997 1) =p20=: Calc internal calculation (=calc-internal-prec=)
1998 2) =f-14=: Calc float formatting, unlimited in precision (=calc-float-format=)
1999 3) =%.14f=: the =printf= reformatting, limited in precision
2001 See [[http://orgmode.org/manual/Formula-syntax-for-Calc.html#Formula-syntax-for-Calc][the Org manual]] (org-version 6.35 or newer) for more details.
2003 Use =C-h v org-calc-default-modes RET= to check the Org default settings
2004 which are used if no format specifiers are added to a table formula.
2005 The examples below have been made with the out_of_the_box Org defaults
2006 =calc-internal-prec = 12= and =calc-float-format = 8=.
2008 Remember the formula debugger, toggled with =C-c {=,
2009 to view the processing stages like:
2010 | | formula debugger label | processing stage |
2012 |---+------------------------+----------------------------|
2013 | | Result: | output of Calc |
2014 | | Format: | reformatting with =printf= |
2016 Following are some examples to demonstrate
2017 the interaction of the three precisions.
2019 - *display precision limitations for Calc formulas*
2020 - limited by Calc internal calculation precision from Org default
2022 : | 0.16666666666700 |
2023 : #+TBLFM: $1 = 1 / 2 * 3; f-14
2025 : | 0.1666666666670000000 |
2026 : #+TBLFM: $1 = 1 / 2 * 3; f-19
2028 - limited by Calc float format from Org default (here =f8=)
2030 : #+TBLFM: $1 = 1 / 2 * 3
2033 : #+TBLFM: $1 = 1 / 2 * 3; p20
2035 : | 0.16666667000000 |
2036 : #+TBLFM: $1 = 1 / 2 * 3; %.14f
2038 : | 0.16666667000000 |
2039 : #+TBLFM: $1 = 1 / 2 * 3; p20 %.14f
2041 - limited by Calc float format specified
2043 : #+TBLFM: $1 = 1 / 2 * 3; f-6
2045 : | 0.16666666666667 |
2046 : #+TBLFM: $1 = 1 / 2 * 3; p20 f-14
2048 : | 0.1666666666666666667 |
2049 : #+TBLFM: $1 = 1 / 2 * 3; p20 f-19
2051 - limited by =printf= conversion to Emacs Lisp float
2052 : | 0.1666666699999999900 | the inaccuracy is platform dependent |
2053 : #+TBLFM: $1 = 1 / 2 * 3; %.19f
2055 : | 0.1666666699999999900 | the inaccuracy is platform dependent |
2056 : #+TBLFM: $1 = 1 / 2 * 3; p20 %.19f
2058 : | 0.1666666666666666600 | the inaccuracy is platform dependent |
2059 : #+TBLFM: $1 = 1 / 2 * 3; p20 f-20 %.19f
2061 - limited by =printf= format specified
2063 : #+TBLFM: $1 = 1 / 2 * 3; %.6f
2065 - *display precision limitations for Emacs Lisp formulas*
2066 - limited by Emacs Lisp float
2067 : | 0.16666666666666666 |
2068 : #+TBLFM: $1 = '(/ 1.0 (* 2 3))
2070 : | 0.1666666666666666574 | the inaccuracy is platform dependent |
2071 : #+TBLFM: $1 = '(/ 1.0 (* 2 3)); %.19f
2073 - limited by =printf= format specified
2074 : | 0.16666666666667 |
2075 : #+TBLFM: $1 = '(/ 1.0 (* 2 3)); %.14f
2077 This FAQ entry is based on this [[http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.orgmode/22642][mailing list thread]]
2078 and is continued in the [[#table-float-fraction][next FAQ entry]].
2080 ** Which float format shows the fraction part also when the latter is zero?
2082 :CUSTOM_ID: table-float-fraction
2089 : #+TBLFM: $2 = $1; f-3
2092 : #+TBLFM: $2 = $1 +.0; f-3
2096 For =f3= and =f-3= see =`d f' (`calc-fix-notation')= in [[http://www.delorie.com/gnu/docs/calc/calc.html#SEC_Top][the Calc manual]]
2097 in the section Mode Settings -> Display Modes -> Float Formats
2098 [[http://www.delorie.com/gnu/docs/calc/calc_163.html][found here as long as the section numbering is unchanged]].
2100 Remember the formula debugger, toggled with =C-c {=,
2101 to view the processing stages like:
2102 | | formula debugger label | processing stage |
2104 |---+------------------------+----------------------------|
2105 | | Result: | output of Calc |
2106 | | Format: | reformatting with =printf= |
2108 Following are some examples to demonstrate different float formats.
2111 : |-----------+---------+-------+---------+----------+-------|
2112 : | number | f3 | f-3 | +.0; f3 | +.0; f-3 | %.3f |
2113 : |-----------+---------+-------+---------+----------+-------|
2114 : | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1.000 | 1.000 | 1.000 |
2115 : | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 |
2116 : |-----------+---------+-------+---------+----------+-------|
2117 : | 1.0 | 1.000 | 1.000 | 1.000 | 1.000 | 1.000 |
2118 : | 0.0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 |
2119 : |-----------+---------+-------+---------+----------+-------|
2120 : | 1.0001666 | 1.000 | 1.000 | 1.000 | 1.000 | 1.000 |
2121 : | 0.0001666 | 1.67e-4 | 0.000 | 1.67e-4 | 0.000 | 0.000 |
2122 : |-----------+---------+-------+---------+----------+-------|
2123 : | 1.0016666 | 1.002 | 1.002 | 1.002 | 1.002 | 1.002 |
2124 : | 0.0016666 | 0.002 | 0.002 | 0.002 | 0.002 | 0.002 |
2125 : |-----------+---------+-------+---------+----------+-------|
2126 : #+TBLFM: $2 = $1; f3 :: $3 = $1; f-3 :: $4 = $1 +.0; f3 :: $5 = $1 +.0; f-3 :: $6 = $1; %.3f
2129 : |----------------------+--------------------------+-----------------------|
2130 : | number | f19 | f-19 |
2131 : |----------------------+--------------------------+-----------------------|
2134 : |----------------------+--------------------------+-----------------------|
2135 : | 1.0 | 1.0000000000000000000 | 1.0000000000000000000 |
2136 : | 0.0 | 0.0000000000000000000 | 0.0000000000000000000 |
2137 : |----------------------+--------------------------+-----------------------|
2138 : | 1 + 1 / 2 * 3 * 1e19 | 1.0000000000000000000 | 1.0000000000000000000 |
2139 : | 0 + 1 / 2 * 3 * 1e19 | 1.666666666666666667e-20 | 0.0000000000000000000 |
2140 : |----------------------+--------------------------+-----------------------|
2141 : | 1 + 1 / 2 * 3 * 1e18 | 1.0000000000000000002 | 1.0000000000000000002 |
2142 : | 0 + 1 / 2 * 3 * 1e18 | 0.0000000000000000002 | 0.0000000000000000002 |
2143 : |----------------------+--------------------------+-----------------------|
2144 : #+TBLFM: $2 = $1; p20 f19 :: $3 = $1; p20 f-19
2146 : |----------------------+--------------------------+-----------------------|
2147 : | number | +.0; f19 | +.0; f-19 |
2148 : |----------------------+--------------------------+-----------------------|
2149 : | 1 | 1.0000000000000000000 | 1.0000000000000000000 |
2150 : | 0 | 0.0000000000000000000 | 0.0000000000000000000 |
2151 : |----------------------+--------------------------+-----------------------|
2152 : | 1.0 | 1.0000000000000000000 | 1.0000000000000000000 |
2153 : | 0.0 | 0.0000000000000000000 | 0.0000000000000000000 |
2154 : |----------------------+--------------------------+-----------------------|
2155 : | 1 + 1 / 2 * 3 * 1e19 | 1.0000000000000000000 | 1.0000000000000000000 |
2156 : | 0 + 1 / 2 * 3 * 1e19 | 1.666666666666666667e-20 | 0.0000000000000000000 |
2157 : |----------------------+--------------------------+-----------------------|
2158 : | 1 + 1 / 2 * 3 * 1e18 | 1.0000000000000000002 | 1.0000000000000000002 |
2159 : | 0 + 1 / 2 * 3 * 1e18 | 0.0000000000000000002 | 0.0000000000000000002 |
2160 : |----------------------+--------------------------+-----------------------|
2161 : #+TBLFM: $2 = $1 +.0; p20 f19 :: $3 = $1 +.0; p20 f-19
2163 The =printf= reformatting (=%.19f=) cannot be used with high precision,
2164 see the [[#table-high-precision][previous FAQ entry]].
2166 ** How can I center tables in LaTeX output?
2168 :CATEGORY: centered-tables-in-latex
2171 Set the `org-export-latex-tables-centered' to `t':
2173 : (defcustom org-export-latex-tables-centered t
2174 : "When non-nil, tables are exported in a center environment."
2175 : :group 'org-export-latex
2180 :CUSTOM_ID: Footnotes
2182 ** How can I get automatic renumbering of footnotes in org-mode?
2184 :CUSTOM_ID: footnote-auto-adjust
2187 You can add the following line to your .emacs file:
2189 : (setq org-footnote-auto-adjust t)
2191 Or, if you prefer, you can turn this option on locally by placing the
2192 following line at the top of your org file:
2194 : #+STARTUP: fnadjust
2196 When auto-adjust is turned on, footnotes in the file with numerical
2197 labels will be renumbered whenever a new footnote is added. Meanwhile,
2198 all footnotes, including those with custom labels such
2199 =[fn:custom-label ]=, will be sorted in the order of their appearance
2202 This emulates the footnote behavior that many users may be familiar
2203 with from word-processing programs or from the footnote-mode included
2206 If you do not turn on org-footnote-auto-adjust, you sort and/or
2207 renumber footnotes at any time by calling org-footnote-action with a
2210 ** Why isn't auto renumbering of footnotes turned on by default?
2212 :CUSTOM_ID: why-no-default-auto-adjust
2215 Org mode has a very robust footnote mechanism allowing for a variety
2216 of types of footnotes. With some of the following footnote notations,
2217 auto-adjust may be either irrelevant or undesired:
2219 - Automatically numbered
2220 - Footnotes with custom labels
2223 In addition, org mode can be customized to place footnotes either at
2224 the end of a document or at the end of the outline heading in which
2225 they appear. Users who change this setting while editing a document
2226 may be disconcerted to find all of their footnotes rearranged
2229 ** I have auto-fill-mode set and org-mode is inserting unwanted comment markers!
2231 :CUSTOM_ID: auto-fill-and-unwanted-comments
2234 If the following occurs:
2239 ,# More entered tex.
2242 Make sure that the variable comment-start is nil.
2244 ** Are there any shortcuts for entering source blocks and comment lines?
2246 :CUSTOM_ID: shortcuts-for-entering-source-blocks
2249 Org mode has some [[http://orgmode.org/manual/Literal-examples.html#Literal-examples][very convenient markup]] for including literal blocks
2250 and lines of code in a file. (This is especially useful when exporting
2251 documents or using the contributed package [[file:org-contrib/babel/index.org][org-babel]] for executing
2256 , print "Hello, world!\n";
2260 It can be tiresome to enter the block comment lines manually. There
2261 are several possible shortcuts you can use to enter them:
2263 1) Built-in expansion
2265 - Org mode has a "secret" method of expanding source code blocks
2268 - If you type "<s" followed by =TAB= or =M-TAB=, a source block will
2271 - For a full list of expansions, type =M-x describe-variable
2272 [RET] org-structure-template-alist=.
2274 2) [[http://orgmode.org/manual/Literal-examples.html#Literal-examples][Registers]]
2276 - Add the following line to your emacs file:
2278 =(set-register ?p "#+begin_src\n\n#+end_src perl")=
2280 - Then type =C-x r i p= to insert the source block. Please note: if
2281 you save another value to the register "p" with =C-x r s p=, it
2282 will overwrite the setting above for the current emacs session.
2284 3) [[http://orgmode.org/manual/Literal-examples.html#Literal-examples][Abbrevs]]
2286 - Activate the abbrev minor-mode in org-mode:
2292 + =(add-hook 'org-mode-hook (lambda () (abbrev-mode 1)))=
2294 - In org-mode, type "sbp" (a sample abbreviation for a perl source
2297 - Immediately after "sbp" type =C-x a i l=.
2299 - Enter the expansion:
2301 - =#+begin_src perl[C-q C-j][C-q C-j]#+end_src=
2303 - Note: =C-q C-j= creates a new line in the minibuffer
2305 - Now, whenever, you type sbp followed by =SPACE= or =RET= in an
2306 org-mode buffer, the src block will magically appear.
2308 - To review your list of abbrevs, type =M-x edit-abbrevs=.
2310 4) [[http://www.slashgear.com/nokia-n900-android-dual-boot-hack-video-2371099/][Skeletons]]
2312 - Skeletons offer a simple way of automatically entering text.
2313 Here's a skeleton that queries for the type of block and wraps
2314 the active region inside it:
2317 (define-skeleton skel-org-block
2318 "Insert an org block, querying for type."
2325 - Simply type skel-org-block to insert the block.
2327 - You can bind this to a key.
2329 - You can also create an abbrev that invokes this function:
2331 : (define-abbrev org-mode-abbrev-table "blk" "" 'skel-org-block)
2333 5) [[http://code.google.com/p/yasnippet/][Yasnippet]]
2335 - Several org-mode users install yasnippet for convenient, complex
2338 - See Bernt Hansen's [[http://doc.norang.ca/org-mode.html#Yasnippets][org-mode setup]] for a good introduction to
2341 * Capture and remember
2343 :CUSTOM_ID: Remember
2345 ** Can I use a variable or a function inside the `org-capture-templates' variable?
2347 :CUSTOM_ID: variable-inside-capture-templates
2350 Yes. Use [[http://www.gnu.org/s/emacs/manual/html_node/elisp/Backquote.html][backquotes]].
2352 E.g. if you have a variable called =org-test-file= and you want the
2353 variable =org-capture-templates= to "understand" (i.e. evaluate)
2354 =org-test-file= when Emacs evaluates the =(setq org-capture-templates
2355 [...])= expression, use backquotes like this:
2357 #+begin_src emacs-lisp
2358 (setq org-capture-templates
2359 `(("t" "Todo" entry (file+headline ,org-test-file "Tasks")
2360 "* TODO %?\n %i\n %a")
2361 ("b" "Buy" item (file+olp ,org-test-file "Stuff to Buy" "House")
2365 ** Can I use the remember buffer to clock a customer phone call?
2367 :CUSTOM_ID: use-remember-buffer-to-clock-phone-call
2370 Yes, you can. Take a look at the [[http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.orgmode/5482][setup described by Bernt Hansen]]
2371 and check out (in the same thread) what Nick Docos had to fix to
2372 make Bernt's set-up work for him.
2373 ** Can I automatically start the clock when opening a remember template?
2375 :CUSTOM_ID: start-clock-when-opening-remember-template
2378 Yes, this is possible. Use the following code and make sure that
2379 after executing it, `my-start-clock-if-needed' is in
2380 `remember-mode-hook' /after/ `org-remember-apply-template'.
2382 : (add-hook 'remember-mode-hook 'my-start-clock-if-needed 'append)
2383 : (defun my-start-clock-if-needed ()
2385 : (goto-char (point-min))
2386 : (when (re-search-forward " *CLOCK-IN *" nil t)
2387 : (replace-match "")
2390 Then, when a template contains the key string CLOCK-IN, the clock
2391 will be started. Starting with Org-mode version 5.20, the clock will
2392 automatically be stopped when storing the remember buffer.
2396 :CUSTOM_ID: Searches
2398 ** Isearch does not find string hidden in links. What can I do?
2400 :CUSTOM_ID: isearch-in-links
2403 M-x =visible-mode= will display the full link, making them searchable.
2405 ** How can I reduce the amount of context shown in sparse trees?
2407 :CUSTOM_ID: context-in-sparse-trees
2410 Take a look at the following variables:
2412 - =org-show-hierarchy-above=
2413 - =org-show-following-headline=
2414 - =org-show-siblings=
2415 - =org-show-entry-blow=
2417 which give command-dependent control over how much context is shown
2418 by a particular operation.
2420 ** How can I combine the results of two calls to =org-occur=?
2422 :CUSTOM_ID: two-calls-to-org-occur
2425 You can construct a regular expression that matches all targets you
2426 want. Alternatively, use a =C-u= prefix with the second and any
2427 further calls to =org-occur= to keep the current visibility and
2428 highlighting in addition to the new ones.
2434 ** How can I change the advanced warning time for deadlines?
2436 :CUSTOM_ID: warning-period-for-deadlines
2438 ##<<warning-period-for-deadlines>>
2440 Deadline warnings appear in the daily agenda view a specified number
2441 of days before the deadline is due. The default setting is 14 days.
2442 You can change this with the variable =org-deadline-warning-days=.
2443 (See [[http://orgmode.org/manual/Deadlines-and-scheduling.html#Deadlines-and-scheduling][this section]] of the manual.)
2447 : (setq org-deadline-warning-days 30)
2449 would cause warnings for each deadline to appear 30 days in advance.
2451 Naturally, you might not want warnings for all of your deadlines to
2452 appear so far in advance. Thus, you can change the lead time for
2453 individual items as follows:
2455 : * TODO Get a gift for the party
2456 : DEADLINE: <2009-01-16 Fri -2d>
2458 The "-2d" above changes the lead time for this deadline warning to two
2459 days in advance. You can also use "w" for weeks and "m" for months.
2460 ** How can I postpone a task until a certain date?
2462 :CUSTOM_ID: deferring-tasks
2465 The easiest way to postpone a task is to schedule it in the future.
2466 For instance, typing =C-c C-s +2w= on a headline will push a task two
2467 weeks into the future, so that it won't show up on the daily agenda
2468 until two weeks from now.
2470 If you'd like to prevent the task from showing up on your global todo
2471 list, you have a couple of options.
2473 1. You can set the variable =org-agenda-todo-ignore-scheduled= to =t=.
2474 This will exclude any scheduled items from your global list of
2475 active todos (=C-c a t=). (The variable
2476 =org-agenda-todo-ignore-with-date= will exclude both scheduled and
2477 deadline items from your todo list).
2478 2. You can remove the todo keyword from the item (C-c C-t <SPC>). The
2479 item will still appear on your agenda two weeks from today, but it
2480 won't show up on your todo lists.
2481 ** Can I send myself an email containing tasks or other agenda info?
2483 :CUSTOM_ID: email-containing-tasks-or-other-agenda-info
2486 Yes. See [[http://article.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.orgmode/6112][this thread]] on the list.
2488 ** How can I limit the agenda view to my "work" tasks?
2490 :CUSTOM_ID: limit-agenda-with-tag-filtering
2493 It is often convenient to group org files into separate categories,
2494 such as "home" and "work" (or "personal" and "professional"). One
2495 of the main reasons for such classification is to create agenda
2496 views that are limited by type of work or area of responsibility.
2497 For instance, while at work, one may want to see only professional
2498 tasks; while away from work, one may want to see only personal
2501 One way to categorize files and tasks is to use a "#+FILETAGS"
2502 declaration at the top of each file, such as:
2506 As long as org-use-tag-inheritance is turned on, the filetags will
2507 be inherited by all tasks in the file. A file can have multiple
2508 filetags. And, of course, tags can be added to individual headings.
2510 Tasks can be quickly filtered by tag from within the agenda by
2511 typing "/" and the name of the tag. The full key sequence to filter
2512 for work items in an agenda view would be:
2514 : C-c a a / work [or a tag shortcut]
2516 ** How can I limit the agenda view to a particular category?
2518 :CUSTOM_ID: limit-agenda-with-category-match
2521 Another way to filter agenda views by type of work is to use a
2522 "#+CATEGORY" declaration at the top of each file, such as:
2526 Categories can also be added to individual headings within a file:
2533 All todos belonging to the category "work" can be found a with a
2534 simple tags-todo search:
2538 At the prompt, type:
2542 The same results can be achieved with custom agenda commands, such as:
2544 #+BEGIN_SRC emacs-lisp
2545 (setq org-agenda-custom-commands
2546 '(("h" tags-todo "CATEGORY=\"home\"")
2547 ("w" tags-todo "CATEGORY=\"work\"")
2548 ;; other custom agenda commands here
2552 ** How can include all org files in a directory in my agenda?
2554 :CUSTOM_ID: set-agenda-files-using-wildcards
2557 You can simply include the directory (as one of the items) in the
2558 value of the variable org-agenda-files:
2560 : (setq org-agenda-files '("/my/special/path/org/"))
2562 There is another way of accomplishing the same end:
2564 : (setq org-agenda-files (file-expand-wildcards "/my/special/path/org/*.org"))
2566 ** Why aren't items disappearing from my agenda once they are marked done?
2568 :CUSTOM_ID: removing-done-items-from-agenda
2571 If items remain on your daily/weekly agenda after they are marked
2572 done, check the configuration of the following variables:
2574 : org-agenda-skip-scheduled-if-done
2575 : org-agenda-skip-deadline-if-done
2576 : org-agenda-skip-timestamp-if-done
2580 : M-x customize-variable RET org-agenda-skip-scheduled-if-done
2582 If this variable is turned off (=nil=), then scheduled items will
2583 remain on the agenda even after they are marked done.
2585 If the variable is turned on (=t=), then scheduled items will
2586 disappear from the agenda after they are marked done.
2588 If these settings seem not to behave the way you expect, then make
2589 sure you understand [[scheduled-vs-deadline-vs-timestamp][the
2590 difference between SCHEDULED, DEADLINE, and timestamps]].
2592 ** How do I keep repeating timestamps from being displayed multiple times?
2594 :CUSTOM_ID: repeating-timestamps-show-once
2597 To show only the /current/ instance of a repeating timestamp, put the
2598 following in your .emacs:
2600 #+begin_src emacs-lisp
2601 (setq org-agenda-repeating-timestamp-show-all nil)
2604 ** What is the difference between SCHEDULED, DEADLINE, and plain timestamps?
2606 :CUSTOM_ID: scheduled-vs-deadline-vs-timestamp
2609 1. SCHEDULED items (set with =C-c C-s=) will appear on your agenda on
2610 the day they are scheduled and on every day thereafter until they
2611 are done. Schedule a task if you want to be reminded to do
2612 something beginning on a certain day and until it is done.
2614 : ** TODO Scheduled item
2615 : SCHEDULED: <2009-03-01 Sun>
2617 2. Items with a DEADLINE timestamp (set with =C-c C-d=) appear on your
2618 agenda in advance of the when they are due and remain on your
2619 agenda until they are done. Add a DEADLINE to an item if you want
2620 to make sure to complete it by a certain date. (The variable
2621 org-deadline-warning-days determines how far in advance items with
2622 deadlines will show up in the agenda. See [[warning-period-for-deadlines][this FAQ]] for more
2625 : ** TODO Item with a deadline
2626 : DEADLINE: <2009-01-20 Tue>
2628 3. An active timestamp (set with =C-c .=) will appear on your agenda
2629 only on the day it is scheduled. Use a timestamp for appointments
2630 or any reminders you want to show up only on a particular day.
2632 : ** TODO Item with an active timestamp
2635 Note: items with inactive timestamps (set with C-c ! and marked by
2636 square brackets) will not show up in the agenda at all.
2638 ** Can I add files recursively to my list of agenda files?
2640 :CUSTOM_ID: set-agenda-files-recursively
2643 Yes, you can use the library "find-lisp."
2645 : (load-library "find-lisp")
2646 : (setq org-agenda-files (find-lisp-find-files "~/org" "\.org$"))
2648 This will add all files ending in =org= in the directory "~/org"
2649 and all of its subdirectories to your list of agenda files.
2651 If on a *nix machine, you can also use the find utility, which can be
2652 faster than the find-lisp library:
2654 : (setq org-agenda-files
2655 : (mapcar 'abbreviate-file-name
2657 : (shell-command-to-string "find ~/org -name \"*.org\"") "\n")))
2660 See [[http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.orgmode/8992][this thread]] on the mailing list for more information.
2662 ** Why does an item appearing at the wrong time of day in my agenda?
2664 :CUSTOM_ID: agenda-wrong-time-of-day
2667 When preparing the agenda view, org-mode scans each relevant headline
2668 for a time designation. This approach is very nice for adding
2669 free-form timestamps to an item for scheduling. Thus, either of the
2670 following work would work to schedule an item at 10:00am:
2673 ,** 10:00am Get dried ice at the magic store
2674 , SCHEDULED: <2009-05-27 Wed>
2678 ,** Get dried ice at the magic store
2679 , SCHEDULED: <2009-05-27 Wed 10:00>
2682 To enable this flexibility, org-mode scans the entire headline for
2683 time of day notation. A potential problem can arise if you use
2684 inactive timestamps in the headline to note when an item was created.
2688 ,** Get dried ice at the magic store [2009-05-26 Tue 12:58]
2689 , SCHEDULED: <2009-05-27 Wed>
2692 Org mode would interpret the time in the inactive timestamp as a
2693 time-of-day indicator and the entry would appear in your agenda at
2696 If you would like to turn off the time-of-day search, you can
2697 configure the variable =org-agenda-search-headline-for-time= (requires
2700 ** How can I change the visibility of an item from the agenda?
2702 :CUSTOM_ID: cycling-visibility-from-agenda
2705 You can add a keybinding as follows:
2707 #+begin_src emacs-lisp
2708 (add-hook 'org-agenda-mode-hook
2710 (define-key org-agenda-mode-map " " 'org-agenda-cycle-show)))
2713 Then, as you press SPACE on an item on the agenda, it will cycle the
2714 visibility of its original location.
2716 ** Is there any way to set org-mode so that tags don't appear in the agenda view?
2718 See the =org-agenda-remove-tags= variable.
2720 ** I work late at night! How can I extend my current day past midnight?
2722 :CUSTOM_ID: org-extend-today-until
2725 If you work past midnight, you may not want your daily agenda view to
2726 switch to the next day at 12 a.m. (the default). To extend your day,
2727 simply set the value of org-extend-today-until to a positive number
2728 corresponding to the number of hours you work past midnight. For
2729 example, the following setting will cause the current day to extend
2732 : (setq org-extend-today-until 6)
2734 * Appointments/Diary
2736 :CUSTOM_ID: Appointments/Diary
2738 ** Is it possible to include entries from org-mode files into my emacs diary?
2740 :CUSTOM_ID: include-entries-from-org-mode-files-into-emacs-diary
2743 Since the org-mode agenda is much more powerful and can contain the
2744 diary, you should think twice before deciding to do this. If you
2745 insist, however, integrating Org-mode information into the diary is
2746 possible. You need to turn on /fancy diary display/ by setting in
2749 : (add-hook 'diary-display-hook 'diary-fancy-display)
2751 Then include the following line into your ~/diary file, in
2752 order to get the entries from all files listed in the variable
2757 You may also select specific files with
2759 : &%%(org-diary) ~/path/to/some/org-file.org
2760 : &%%(org-diary) ~/path/to/another/org-file.org
2762 If you now launch the calendar and press ~d~ to display a
2763 diary, the headlines of entries containing a timestamp, date range,
2764 schedule, or deadline referring to the selected date will be listed.
2765 Just like Org-mode's agenda view, the diary for /today/ contains
2766 additional entries for overdue deadlines and scheduled items. See
2767 also the documentation of the =org-diary= function. Under XEmacs, it
2768 is not possible to jump back from the diary to the org, this works
2769 only in the agenda buffer.
2770 ** I want to add my Org scheduled/deadlined entries in my diary!
2772 :CUSTOM_ID: add-Org-scheduled/deadlined-entries-to-diary!
2775 Put this in your ~/.diary:
2777 : &%%(org-diary :scheduled :timestamp :deadline)
2779 ** How can I set up automatic reminders based on Org information?
2781 :CUSTOM_ID: automatic-reminders
2784 See [[http://article.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.orgmode/5271][this post]] by N. Dokos on the list. See also Russell Adams's hack in [[file:org-hacks.org::#agenda-appt-zenity][org-hacks]].
2785 ** How can I make =appt= notice my Org appointments?
2787 :CUSTOM_ID: appt-notice-my-Org-appointments
2790 : M-x org-agenda-to-appt RET
2792 ** How can I create more complex appointments in my org-files?
2794 :CUSTOM_ID: diary-sexp-in-org-files
2797 Org-mode's active timestamps work very well for scheduling individual
2798 or recurring appointments, such as:
2801 ,* 8:00am Dentist appointment <2009-01-16 Fri>
2807 , <2009-03-20 Fri>--<2009-04-01 Wed>
2813 ,* Weekly meeting with boss
2814 , <2009-01-20 Tue 14:00 +1w>
2817 Sometimes, however, you need to set up more complicated recurring
2818 appointments. Org-mode has built-in support for many of
2819 [[http://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/manual/html_node/emacs/Sexp-Diary-Entries.html][the
2820 powerful sexp entries]] that work in [[http://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/manual/html_node/emacs/Diary.html#Diary][Emacs diary]]. Let's say, for
2821 instance, that you teach a class that meets every Monday evening
2822 between February 16 and April 20, 2009. The way to enter this an
2826 ,** Class 7:00pm-9:00pm
2827 , <%%(and (= 1 (calendar-day-of-week date)) (diary-block 2 16 2009 4 20 2009))>
2830 The expression above designates all Mondays that fall between February
2831 16 and April 20. How exactly does it work?
2833 - (and... :: Indicates that *both* of the conditions that follow have
2836 - (= 1 (calendar-day-of-week date)) :: Is the day of the week a
2839 - Note: the function calendar-day-of-week converts the date to the day of week
2840 expressed in numeric form, where 0 = Sunday, 1 = Monday, and so on.
2842 - (diary-block 2 16 2009 4 20 2009) :: Does the date fall between
2845 You can make a sexp as complex as you like. If you wanted to omit a
2846 week because of holidays, for instance, you could add another
2847 condition to the sexp:
2850 ,** Class 7:00pm-9:00pm
2851 , <%%(unless (diary-block 3 9 2009 3 13 2009) (and (= 1 (calendar-day-of-week date)) (diary-block 2 16 2009 4 20 2009)))>
2854 The sexp above would omit Monday during the week of March 9, 2009. For
2855 another way to accomplish the same thing, see [[org-diary-class][this FAQ]].
2857 Another diary function commonly used for more complex scheduling is
2858 diary-float. For instance,
2862 , <%%(diary-float t 3 3)>
2865 ...would appear on the third Wednesday of every month.
2867 For more ideas on how to create diary special expressions, see [[http://www.emacswiki.org/cgi-bin/wiki/DiaryMode][this
2868 page on the Emacs wiki]].
2870 ** How can I schedule a weekly class that lasts for a limited period of time?
2872 :CUSTOM_ID: org-diary-class
2875 Org-mode offers a convenient diary sexp function for setting up a
2876 recurring appointment that lasts for a certain period of time, such as
2877 a class. It is called org-diary-class and it can be entered as
2881 ,** Class 7:00pm-9:00pm
2882 , <%%(org-diary-class 2 16 2009 4 20 2009 1 10)>
2885 The function above schedules an appointment for every Monday (1)
2886 between February 16 and April 20, 2009, except for ISO week 10 (March
2889 If you would prefer not to place the timestamp in the headline, you
2890 can use the following format:
2894 ,%%(org-diary-class 2 16 2009 4 20 2009 1 10) 7:00pm-9:00pm Class
2898 In this case, the string following the sexp will be displayed in the
2901 The function org-diary-class has the following format:
2903 : (org-diary-class M1 D1 Y1 M2 D2 Y2 DAYNAME &rest SKIP-WEEKS)
2905 M1/2, D1/2, and Y1/2 indicate the beginning and ending dates. Dayname
2906 takes the form of a number indicating the day of the week (0 = Sunday,
2907 1 = Monday, and so on...). In addition, one can add an optional
2908 argument SKIP-WEEKS to indicate weeks on the calendar that should be
2909 skipped. This argument should be expressed as an ISO week number. You
2910 can find the number by invoking emacs' built-in calendar (=M-x
2911 calendar=), navigating to the appropriate week, and typing =p c=
2912 (calendar-iso-print-date).
2914 Please note: the order of the month, day, and year arguments depends
2915 on the variables =calendar-date-style= and/or
2916 =european=calendar=style=. (See the documentation for these variables
2917 with C-h v or M-x describe variable.) For instance, the example above
2918 works if =calendar-date-style= is set to ='american=. If
2919 =calendar-date-style= is set to ='iso=, then the arguments to the
2920 org-diary-class sexp would have the following format:
2922 : (org-diary-class Y1 M1 D1 Y2 M2 D2 DAYNAME &rest SKIP-WEEKS)
2924 Here is an alternative method, shared by Paul Sexton on the org
2927 Let's say you are taking night classes in Spanish. The class is every
2928 Wednesday evening at 7pm, starting on 18 August, and runs for 8 weeks.
2929 Org-mode's timestamps do not support limited occurrences of recurrent
2930 items -- you have to schedule the item with infinite recurrences, then
2931 delete it when it finishes.
2933 To schedule the Spanish classes, put the following in your =.emacs=:
2935 #+begin_src emacs-lisp
2936 (defun diary-limited-cyclic (recurrences interval m d y)
2937 "For use in emacs diary. Cyclic item with limited number of recurrences.
2938 Occurs every INTERVAL days, starting on YYYY-MM-DD, for a total of
2939 RECURRENCES occasions."
2940 (let ((startdate (calendar-absolute-from-gregorian (list m d y)))
2941 (today (calendar-absolute-from-gregorian date)))
2942 (and (not (minusp (- today startdate)))
2943 (zerop (% (- today startdate) interval))
2944 (< (floor (- today startdate) interval) recurrences))))
2946 The item in the org file looks like this:
2949 ,** 19:00-21:00 Spanish lessons
2950 , <%%(diary-limited-cyclic 8 7 8 18 2010)>
2953 ** How can I set an event to occur every day except Saturday and Sunday?
2957 , <%%(memq (calendar-day-of-week date) '(1 2 3 4 5))>
2960 ** How do I schedule events relative to Easter Sunday?
2962 Easter's date moves around from year to year according to a
2963 complicated set of criteria which I do not claim to understand.
2964 However the following code will allow you to schedule recurring
2965 events relative to Easter Sunday.
2967 Note: the function da-easter is from:
2968 http://github.com/soren/elisp/blob/master/da-kalender.el
2970 Put the following in your .emacs:
2972 #+begin_src emacs-lisp
2973 (defun da-easter (year)
2974 "Calculate the date for Easter Sunday in YEAR. Returns the date in the
2975 Gregorian calendar, ie (MM DD YY) format."
2976 (let* ((century (1+ (/ year 100)))
2977 (shifted-epact (% (+ 14 (* 11 (% year 19))
2978 (- (/ (* 3 century) 4))
2979 (/ (+ 5 (* 8 century)) 25)
2982 (adjusted-epact (if (or (= shifted-epact 0)
2983 (and (= shifted-epact 1)
2984 (< 10 (% year 19))))
2987 (paschal-moon (- (calendar-absolute-from-gregorian
2990 (calendar-dayname-on-or-before 0 (+ paschal-moon 7))))
2993 (defun da-easter-gregorian (year)
2994 (calendar-gregorian-from-absolute (da-easter year)))
2996 (defun calendar-days-from-easter ()
2997 "When used in a diary sexp, this function will calculate how many days
2998 are between the current date (DATE) and Easter Sunday."
2999 (- (calendar-absolute-from-gregorian date)
3000 (da-easter (calendar-extract-year date))))
3003 Now we can schedule the public holidays associated with Easter as
3004 recurring events. Good Friday is 2 days before "Easter", Easter
3005 Monday is one day after.
3009 , <%%(= -2 (calendar-days-from-easter))>
3012 , <%%(= 0 (calendar-days-from-easter))>
3015 , <%%(= 1 (calendar-days-from-easter))>
3017 [Source: Posted by Paul Sexton on Org-mode mailing list.]
3019 ** How to schedule public holiday that is "the nearest Monday to DATE"?
3021 In New Zealand each regional capital has an "Anniversary Day". The
3022 date of Auckland's anniversary day is "the nearest Monday to 29
3025 Put this in your =.emacs=:
3027 #+begin_src emacs-lisp
3028 (defun calendar-nearest-to (target-dayname target-day target-month)
3029 "Recurring event that occurs in the nearest TARGET-DAYNAME to
3030 the date TARGET-DAY, TARGET-MONTH each year."
3032 (let* ((dayname (calendar-day-of-week date))
3033 (target-date (list target-month target-day (calendar-extract-year date)))
3034 (days-diff (abs (- (calendar-day-number date)
3035 (calendar-day-number target-date)))))
3036 (and (= dayname target-dayname)
3040 Now we can schedule Auckland Anniversary Day. The first argument,
3041 1, means Monday (days of the week are numbered starting with
3044 [Source: Originally posted by Paul Sexton on Org-mode mailing list.]
3046 ** How to schedule public holiday on "the 4th Monday in October"?
3048 This does not require any additions to =.emacs=:
3052 , <%%(diary-float 10 1 4)>
3055 ** Why isn't the agenda showing all the times I put under a single entry?
3057 :CATEGORY: multiple-timestamps-same-entry
3060 Probably because you have not set the following variable:
3062 : org-agenda-skip-additional-timestamps-same-entry
3064 The default value of this variable is t, which means that entries with
3065 multiple timestamps, such as the following...
3068 ,* Work really, really hard
3069 , <2010-11-20 Sat 10:00>
3070 , <2010-11-20 Sat 14:00>
3073 ...will only appear in the agenda at the time specified by the first
3074 timestamp. If you set org-agenda-skip-additional-timestamps-same-entry
3075 to nil, the item will appear will appear at all the times you specify.
3077 ** Can I import iCal events/appts from Gnus?
3079 Yes. Vagn Johansen wrote [[http://ozymandias.dk/emacs/org-import-calendar.el][org-import-calendar.el]] which lets you do this.
3085 ** Can I get TODO items exported to HTML as lists, rather than as headlines?
3087 :CUSTOM_ID: export-TODO-items-as-lists
3090 If you plan to use ASCII or HTML export, make sure things you want to
3091 be exported as item lists are level 4 at least, even if that does
3092 mean there is a level jump. For example:
3094 : * Todays top priorities
3095 : **** TODO write a letter to xyz
3096 : **** TODO Finish the paper
3097 : **** Pick up kids at the school
3099 Alternatively, if you need a specific value for the heading/item
3100 transition in a particular file, use the =#+OPTIONS= line to
3101 configure the H switch.
3103 : #+OPTIONS: H:2; ...
3105 ** Can I export only a single subtree?
3107 :CUSTOM_ID: export-single-subtree
3110 If you want to export a subtree, mark the subtree as region and then
3111 export. Marking can be done with =C-c @ C-x C-x=, for example.
3113 Alternatively, you can select option =1= in the org export dispatcher
3114 (e.g.., =C-c C-e 1 h= to export the current subtree to html).
3116 By default, the title of the exported file will be set to the heading
3117 of the subtree. You can, however, [[#export-options-for-subtree][customize the title and other export
3120 ** How can I customize export options for a single subtree?
3122 :CUSTOM_ID: export-options-for-subtree
3125 You can set unique export options for a [[#export-single-subtree][single subtree]] by using
3126 properties. Relevant properties include:
3132 - EXPORT_OPTIONS (corresponds to the =#+OPTIONS:= [[http://orgmode.org/manual/Export-options.html#Export-options][configuration line]])
3134 ** How can I tell my calendar web application about appointments in my agenda files?
3136 Here is what you need to do:
3138 1. a script that calls Emacs in batch mode and produce a .ics file
3139 2. a script that uploads this .ics file somewhere on the web
3140 3. tell your webapp to fetch this .ics file on the web
3142 Here is the script I use for the first step:
3144 #+begin_src shell-script-mode
3147 /usr/local/bin/emacs --batch --eval \
3148 "(progn (load-file \"~/install/git/org-mode/org.el\") \
3149 (load-file \"~/elisp/config/org-batch-config.el\") \
3150 (setq org-combined-agenda-icalendar-file \"~/org/cal/org.ics\")
3151 (setq org-agenda-files (quote (\"~/org/bzg.org\"))))" \
3152 -f org-export-icalendar-combine-agenda-files
3155 Depending on your configuration, you might change the load sequence.
3157 Here is the script I use for the second step:
3159 #+begin_src shell-script-mode
3161 /usr/bin/rsync -rtv ~/org/org.ics -e ssh me@my_server:/home/me/public_html/
3164 Note: if you want to cron this rsync script, you will need to let
3165 =my_server= to know about your SSH public key. Check [[http://troy.jdmz.net/rsync/index.html][this page]] as a
3168 Now you can cron the two scripts above and your webapp will always be
3169 up to date with your Org agendas.
3171 Also see [[http://orgmode.org/org.html#Exporting-Agenda-Views][Exporting agenda views]] from Org manual.
3173 ** How can I get Mac OSX 10.3 iCal to import my Org-exported .ics files?
3175 :CUSTOM_ID: iCal-import-ics-files-old
3178 When using iCal under Apple MacOS X Tiger, you can create a new
3179 calendar /OrgMode/ (the default name for the calendar created by =C-c
3180 C-e c=, see the variables =org-icalendar-combined-name= and
3181 =org-combined-agenda-icalendar-file=). Then set Org-mode to
3182 overwrite the corresponding file /~/Library/Calendars/OrgMode.ics/.
3183 You may even use AppleScript to make iCal re-read the calendar files
3184 each time a new version of /OrgMode.ics/ is produced. Here is the
3185 setup needed for this:
3187 : (setq org-combined-agenda-icalendar-file
3188 : "~/Library/Calendars/OrgMode.ics")
3189 : (add-hook 'org-after-save-iCalendar-file-hook
3192 : "osascript -e 'tell application \"iCal\" to reload calendars'")))
3194 ** How can I get Mac OSX 10.4 or later iCal to import my Org-exported .ics files?
3196 :CUSTOM_ID: iCal-import-ics-files-new
3199 For Mac OS X 10.4, you need to write the ics file to
3200 =/Library/WebServer/Documents/= and then subscribe iCalendar to
3201 =http: //localhost/orgmode.ics=
3203 ** How can I remove timestamps and todo keywords from my exported file?
3205 :CUSTOM_ID: export-options-remove-timestamps
3208 You can place an options line at the top of your org file:
3210 : #+OPTIONS: <:nil todo:nil
3212 There is a whole host of export options you can set with an in-buffer
3213 options or via global variables. See [[http://orgmode.org/manual/Export-options.html#Export-options][this section]] of the manual for a
3216 ** How can I preserve faces when I export an agenda from the command line?
3218 :CUSTOM_ID: preserving-faces-during-batch-export
3221 Normally, when you export an org file or an agenda view from within
3222 emacs, htmlize will convert your face definitions to direct color css
3223 styles inlined into each =<span>= object, resulting in an HTML output
3224 that preserves the general look of your Org buffers and agenda views.
3226 Let's say you generate an export from the command line, such as the
3229 : emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -eval '(org-batch-agenda "e")'
3233 : emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -eval '(org-publish-all)'
3235 In such an instance, the exported HTML will contain only very basic
3236 color styles. The reason is that when Emacs is run in batch mode, it
3237 does not have a display and therefore only rudimentary face
3238 definitions. If you'd like to use more complex styles, you'll have to
3239 make sure that the export process only assigns classes instead of
3240 direct color values. This can be done by binding the variable
3241 =org-export-htmlize-output-style= to =css= for the duration of the
3242 export, for example with
3244 : emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs
3245 : -eval '(let ((org-export-htmlize-generate-css (quote css)))
3246 : (org-batch-agenda "e"))'
3248 Then you can use a style file to make these classes look any way you
3249 like. To generate face definitions for a CSS file based on any faces
3250 you are currently using in Emacs, you can use the following command:
3252 : M-x org-export-htmlize-generate-css RET
3254 This will generate a =<style>...</style>= section, the content of
3255 which you can add to your style file.
3257 ** How can I avoid dark color background when exporting agenda to ps format?
3259 :CUSTOM_ID: avoiding-dark-background-when-exporting-agenda
3262 Add this to your .emacs and evaluate it.
3264 #+BEGIN_SRC emacs-lisp
3265 (setq org-agenda-exporter-settings
3266 '((ps-print-color-p 'black-white)))
3269 ** How can I include e.g. an abstract in export to Latex and HTML?
3271 :CUSTOM_ID: include-abstract-in-export-to-latex-and-html
3274 Org does not currently have special markup for abstracts, but for
3275 export purposes, you can extend the block-level structural and
3276 semantic markup in Org with the contributed package [[file:org-contrib/org-special-blocks.org][org-special-blocks]]
3277 (by Chris Gray). To turn it on, put this in your =.emacs=:
3279 : (require 'org-special-blocks)
3281 Now, you can mark up the abstract of your article like this:
3284 : Falling apples were observed and compared with pears. Newton's laws
3285 : were confirmed at the 95% confidence level.
3288 Exporting to Latex wraps this in a
3289 =\begin{abstract}....\end{abstract}= environment, which just works.
3291 HTML export wraps it in a ~<div class="abstract">...</div>~
3292 element. The HTML result won't look like anything special until you
3293 style it. Here is some sample CSS to get you started; put these in
3294 your document header:
3296 : #+STYLE: <style>.abstract {margin: 1em; padding: 1em; border: 1px solid black}
3297 : #+STYLE: .abstract:before {content: "Abstract: "; font-weight: bold}</style>
3299 Generally, =#+begin_foo= will work for any simple Latex =foo=
3300 environment not supported by existing Org markup.
3302 If you need to pass parameters, process the block content in some way,
3303 or support other exporters, you may want to consider whether you can
3304 customize it using Eric Schulte's [[file:org-contrib/org-exp-blocks.org][org-exp-blocks]] instead.
3306 ** How can I get colored source code when exporting to LaTeX?
3308 :CUSTOM_ID: fontified_source_code_w_latex
3311 As of Sun Aug 9 2009 the "current" version of Org-mode (see
3312 [[keeping-current-with-Org-mode-development]]) supports exporting
3313 source code to LaTeX using the listings package.
3315 To turn on listing export add the following to your Org-mode
3317 #+begin_src emacs-lisp
3318 ;; requite org-latex so that the following variables are defined
3319 (require 'org-latex)
3321 ;; tell org to use listings
3322 (setq org-export-latex-listings t)
3324 ;; you must include the listings package
3325 (add-to-list 'org-export-latex-packages-alist '("" "listings"))
3327 ;; if you want colored source code then you need to include the color package
3328 (add-to-list 'org-export-latex-packages-alist '("" "color"))
3331 The listings package will now be used to fontify source code in your
3332 LaTeX documents. By default listings will not color any of your
3333 source code. If you would like to set colors for keywords and
3334 comments in your latex documents you can do so using LaTeX directives
3337 \lstset{keywordstyle=\color{blue},
3338 commentstyle=\color{red},
3339 stringstyle=\color{green}
3343 of if you want to get even fancier with your colors you can try
3344 something like the following
3346 \definecolor{keywords}{RGB}{255,0,90}
3347 \definecolor{comments}{RGB}{60,179,113}
3348 \definecolor{fore}{RGB}{249,242,215}
3349 \definecolor{back}{RGB}{51,51,51}
3351 basicstyle=\color{fore},
3352 keywordstyle=\color{keywords},
3353 commentstyle=\color{comments},
3354 backgroundcolor=\color{back}
3358 For more complex listings use cases consult the [[ftp://ftp.tex.ac.uk/tex-archive/macros/latex/contrib/listings/listings.pdf][listings manual]].
3360 ** How can I export to Latex Beamer
3364 The latex [[http://latex-beamer.sourceforge.net/][Beamer Class]] is a useful class for generating slide shows.
3365 The following can be used to export Org-mode documents to LaTeX
3368 Add the following to your Emacs initialization file.
3369 #+begin_src emacs-lisp
3370 (unless (boundp 'org-export-latex-classes)
3371 (setq org-export-latex-classes nil))
3372 (add-to-list 'org-export-latex-classes
3374 "\\documentclass[11pt]{beamer}\n\\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}\n\\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}\n\\usepackage{hyperref}\n\\usepackage{verbatim}\n"
3375 ("\\section{%s}" . "\\section*{%s}")
3376 ("\\begin{frame}\\frametitle{%s}" "\\end{frame}"
3377 "\\begin{frame}\\frametitle{%s}" "\\end{frame}")))
3381 : #+LaTeX_CLASS: beamer
3382 in the header of your Org-mode document it will automatically export
3383 to the Beamer document class on LaTeX export. With the above
3384 configuration top-level headers will be mapped to sections in the
3385 Beamer document, second-level headers will be mapped to frames, and
3386 lower level headlines will be mapped to itemize objects.
3388 This above is adapted from an [[http://article.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.orgmode/15077/match=beamer+dokos][email by Nick Dokos]], and an [[http://article.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.orgmode/17767/match=beamer+dokos][email by
3389 Thomas Dye]]. For a much more complex Beamer setup see the [[http://article.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.orgmode/17767/match=beamer+dokos][email by
3392 ** How can I use RefTeX in Org-mode files for LaTeX export and in Org-babel LaTeX code blocks?
3394 :CUSTOM_ID: using-reftex-in-org-mode
3397 [[http://www.gnu.org/software/auctex/reftex.html][RefTeX]] is an indispensable tool for the author of LaTeX documents. It
3398 aids in creation of bibliographies, cross-references, indexes, and
3399 glossaries. RefTeX understands the structure of multi-file LaTeX
3400 documents and is able to collect from them information about the
3401 location(s) of external data stores used in creation of the final
3402 document. RefTeX was written by Carsten Dominik and is currently
3403 being maintained by the [[http://www.gnu.org/software/auctex/index.html][AucTeX]] project.
3405 *** Using RefTeX In Org-mode Files for LaTeX Export
3406 In Org-mode files for LaTeX export, the trick is to find a way to tell
3407 RefTeX the locations of external data stores. One way is to set the
3408 variable, =reftex-default-bibliography=. Add lines like these to
3411 #+begin_src emacs-lisp
3412 (setq reftex-default-bibliography
3414 ("default.bib" "other-default.bib")))
3417 In practice, this is a limited solution and the
3418 typical user will want to pass this information on a per-file basis.
3419 Two solutions to this problem were posted on a blog, [[http://www.mfasold.net/blog/2009/02/using-emacs-org-mode-to-draft-papers/][Mario's
3422 The first solution, proposed by Mario, enables the RefTeX citation
3423 function in Org-mode. Add these lines to .emacs:
3425 #+begin_src emacs-lisp
3426 (defun org-mode-reftex-setup ()
3427 (load-library "reftex")
3428 (and (buffer-file-name)
3429 (file-exists-p (buffer-file-name))
3431 (define-key org-mode-map (kbd "C-c )") 'reftex-citation))
3432 (add-hook 'org-mode-hook 'org-mode-reftex-setup)
3435 Then add the following lines anywhere in the Org-mode file (Org-mode
3436 will recognize them as LaTeX commands):
3439 \bibliographystyle{plain}
3440 \bibliography{BIB-NAME}
3443 With this setup, =C-c )= will invoke =reftex-citation= which will
3444 insert a reference in the usual way:
3449 ,This is a citation \cite{tierney90}.
3451 ,\bibliographystyle{plain}
3455 This Org-mode file will export the following LaTeX output:
3457 #+begin_src latex :exports code
3458 % Created 2010-03-22 Mon 14:34
3459 \documentclass[11pt,letter]{article}
3460 \usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
3461 \usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
3462 \usepackage{hyperref}
3466 \date{2010-03-22 Mon}
3472 \setcounter{tocdepth}{3}
3476 \section{test reftex}
3480 This is a citation \cite{tierney90}.
3482 \bibliographystyle{plain}
3489 A second solution, to activate the RefTeX minor mode on a per-file
3490 basis, was posted by Kevin Brubeck Unhammer in response to this idea.
3491 Add the following lines to .emacs:
3493 #+begin_src emacs-lisp
3494 (add-hook ‘org-mode-hook
3496 (if (member “WRITE” org-todo-keywords-1)
3497 (org-mode-article-modes))))
3500 where =org-mode-article-modes= is defined as follows:
3502 #+begin_src emacs-lisp
3503 (defun org-mode-article-modes ()
3505 (bib-cite-minor-mode t)
3506 (and (buffer-file-name)
3507 (file-exists-p (buffer-file-name))
3508 (reftex-parse-all)))
3511 Add the =\bibliographystyle{}= and =\bibliography{}= lines to the
3512 Org-mode file as before and define a TODO keyword, =WRITE=, perhaps
3516 ,#+TODO: TODO(t) STARTED(s) WRITE | DONE(d) DEFERRED(f)
3519 With this setup, you insert a citation with =M-x reftex-citation RET=.
3521 *** Using RefTeX in Org-babel LaTeX Code Blocks
3523 In Org-babel LaTeX code blocks, the trick is to give RefTeX access to
3524 information in other Org-babel LaTeX code blocks. If you use an Emacs
3525 starter kit where configuration information is held in Org-mode files,
3526 then the second solution is preferable because you won't be asked for
3527 a master file when Emacs is started. For this reason, the second
3528 solution is modified for use with Org-babel latex code blocks. No
3529 key-binding is needed here because Org-babel code blocks are edited
3530 within the usual AucTeX environment.
3532 Add the following lines to .emacs (adapted from Kevin Brubeck Unhammer's [[http://www.mfasold.net/blog/2009/02/using-emacs-org-mode-to-draft-papers/][Reftex Setup]])
3533 #+begin_src emacs-lisp
3534 (defun org-mode-article-modes ()
3536 (and (buffer-file-name)
3537 (file-exists-p (buffer-file-name))
3538 (reftex-parse-all)))
3540 (add-hook 'org-mode-hook
3542 (if (member "REFTEX" org-todo-keywords-1)
3543 (org-mode-article-modes))))
3546 Then add a line like the following line to the top of your org-mode file:
3549 ,#+TODO: TODO(t) STARTED(s) | DONE(d) DEFERRED(f) REFTEX
3552 When you open an org-mode file with a line like this, RefTeX will
3553 prompt for the master .tex file, which will be parsed in the usual
3554 way. This means that the .tex file should already exist, perhaps by
3555 tangling the LaTeX preamble and postamble, before
3556 =org-mode-article-modes= is activated for the Org-mode file.
3558 ** How can I use XeLaTeX for LaTeX export instead of pdfLaTeX?
3560 :CUSTOM_ID: using-xelatex-for-pdf-export
3562 [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XeTeX][ XeLaTeX]] is an alternative to pdfLaTeX for typesetting LaTeX
3563 documents. XeTeX can use any fonts installed in the operating system
3564 without configuring TeX font metrics, and can make direct use of
3565 advanced typographic features of OpenType and other font formats. By
3566 default, org-mode exports =org= files to =pdf= via pdfLaTeX.
3568 Here is one way to smoothly incorporate XeLaTeX into org-mode's export
3569 process. This solution takes advantage of [[http://www.phys.psu.edu/~collins/software/latexmk-jcc][latexmk]], a perl script that
3570 intelligently and automatically manages latex compilation. It
3571 is included with TeXLive, but at present the version included is not
3572 quite up-to-date enough for our needs. Version 4.20 and higher
3573 includes an option allowing you to specify which program to use when
3574 "pdflatex" is called. Install a current version of latexmk as per the
3575 instructions on the [[http://www.phys.psu.edu/~collins/software/latexmk-jcc][latexmk]] site. If necessary, disable the older
3576 version that comes with TeXLive. This is likely in =/usr/texbin/=, and
3577 you should rename or remove it. Then you can put the following in your
3578 =~/.emacs.d/= or equivalent:
3580 #+begin_src emacs-lisp
3581 (require 'org-latex)
3582 (setq org-export-latex-listings t)
3584 ;; Originally taken from Bruno Tavernier: http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.orgmode/31150/focus=31432
3585 ;; but adapted to use latexmk 4.20 or higher.
3586 (defun my-auto-tex-cmd ()
3587 "When exporting from .org with latex, automatically run latex,
3588 pdflatex, or xelatex as appropriate, using latexmk."
3590 ;; default command: oldstyle latex via dvi
3591 (setq texcmd "latexmk -dvi -pdfps -quiet %f")
3593 (if (string-match "LATEX_CMD: pdflatex" (buffer-string))
3594 (setq texcmd "latexmk -pdf -quiet %f"))
3596 (if (string-match "LATEX_CMD: xelatex" (buffer-string))
3597 (setq texcmd "latexmk -pdflatex=xelatex -pdf -quiet %f"))
3598 ;; LaTeX compilation command
3599 (setq org-latex-to-pdf-process (list texcmd)))
3601 (add-hook 'org-export-latex-after-initial-vars-hook 'my-auto-tex-cmd)
3604 ;; Specify default packages to be included in every tex file, whether pdflatex or xelatex
3605 (setq org-export-latex-packages-alist
3607 ("" "longtable" nil)
3610 (defun my-auto-tex-parameters ()
3611 "Automatically select the tex packages to include."
3612 ;; default packages for ordinary latex or pdflatex export
3613 (setq org-export-latex-default-packages-alist
3614 '(("AUTO" "inputenc" t)
3624 ("" "hyperref" nil)))
3626 ;; Packages to include when xelatex is used
3627 (if (string-match "LATEX_CMD: xelatex" (buffer-string))
3628 (setq org-export-latex-default-packages-alist
3633 ("american" "babel" t)
3634 ("babel" "csquotes" t)
3636 ("xetex" "hyperref" nil)
3639 (if (string-match "LATEX_CMD: xelatex" (buffer-string))
3640 (setq org-export-latex-classes
3642 "\\documentclass[11pt,article,oneside]{memoir}"
3643 ("\\section{%s}" . "\\section*{%s}")
3644 ("\\subsection{%s}" . "\\subsection*{%s}")
3645 ("\\subsubsection{%s}" . "\\subsubsection*{%s}")
3646 ("\\paragraph{%s}" . "\\paragraph*{%s}")
3647 ("\\subparagraph{%s}" . "\\subparagraph*{%s}"))
3648 org-export-latex-classes))))
3650 (add-hook 'org-export-latex-after-initial-vars-hook 'my-auto-tex-parameters)
3653 The =my-auto-tex-cmd= function looks at your =.org= file and checks
3654 whether you've specified which latex to use. If there are no
3655 instructions, it just runs regular old latex. If it finds the string
3656 =LATEX_CMD: pdflatex= in your file, it runs pdflatex. If it finds
3657 =LATEX_CMD: xelatex=, it runs xelatex. Because control is handed off
3658 to latexmk, nothing else is needed: it takes care of figuring things
3659 out so that the references and citations are correct.
3661 The second half of the code above specifies the latex packages that
3662 will be included in the =.tex= file. The variable
3663 =org-export-latex-packages-alist= specifies a list of packages that
3664 are always included in the header of latex documents, regardless of
3665 how they are compiled. The variable
3666 =org-export-latex-default-packages-alist= adds additional packages
3667 depending on whether latex/pdflatex or xelatex is being used. You can
3668 change the content of these as needed.
3670 Finally, the =org-export-latex-classes= variable redefines elements of
3671 the =.tex= file's preamble for the xelatex case. These can also be
3672 customized as needed.
3674 By way of example, an =.org= file you want compiled with xelatex might
3675 contain the following header:
3678 : #+AUTHOR: Jane Doe
3680 : #+OPTIONS: toc:nil num:nil
3681 : #+LATEX_CMD: xelatex
3682 : #+LATEX_HEADER: \setsansfont[Mapping=tex-text]{Unit-Bold}
3683 : #+LATEX_HEADER: \setmonofont[Mapping=tex-text,Scale=MatchLowercase]{PragmataPro}
3684 : #+LATEX_HEADER: \setromanfont[Mapping=tex-text,Numbers=OldStyle]{Minion Pro}
3686 If you always want to have the same font setup in your xelatex
3687 documents, the =fontspec= commands setting the font choices can be
3688 put in the =org-export-latex-classes= setting instead.
3690 The upshot is that when you want to export an =.org= file using
3691 XeLaTeX, you can now simply make sure the line =LATEX_CMD: xelatex= is
3692 in your =.org= file, then do =C-c C-e d= as usual, and org-mode, with
3693 latexmk in the background, does the rest for you.
3695 ** Why is my exported PDF file almost unreadable?
3697 :CUSTOM_ID: unreadable-pdfs
3700 Some PDF viewers (earlier versions (< v6) of Acrobat Reader, Evince,
3701 possibly others) do not get along with Adobe Type3 fonts, producing
3702 almost unreadable screen output (printed output is OK). If you see
3703 this, first verify the fonts that your document uses: open it with
3704 Acrobat Reader or Evince, select "Properties" from the "File" menu and
3705 click on the "Fonts" tab; alternatively, you can use the pdffonts
3706 program (part of the xpdf-reader package) from the command line. If
3707 that is indeed the problem, then either use a different viewer or
3708 install Type1 versions of the problematic fonts. For more details, see
3709 the "PDF export" section of [[./org-dependencies.org][org-dependencies]].
3711 ** Can I add attributes to a link or an image in HTML export?
3713 :CUSTOM_ID: html-image-and-link-attributes
3716 Yes. Excerpt from [[http://orgmode.org/manual/Images-in-HTML-export.html#Images-in-HTML-export][Org's manual]]:
3718 If you need to add attributes to an inlined image, use a `#+ATTR_HTML'.
3719 In the example below we specify the `alt' and `title' attributes to
3720 support text viewers and accessibility, and align it to the right.
3722 : #+CAPTION: A black cat stalking a spider
3723 : #+ATTR_HTML: alt="cat/spider image" title="Action!" align="right"
3726 and you could use `http' addresses just as well.
3728 ** How can I export an org file to rtf, odt (Open Office), or doc (Word)?
3730 :CUSTOM_ID: convert-to-open-office
3733 There are two approaches:
3734 - Use the native Org->Odt exporter
3736 The OpenDocumentText exporter is distributed as =org-odt= package
3737 and can be installed using the Emacs package manager. The URL for
3738 the archive is as shown below.
3740 See [[http://repo.or.cz/w/org-mode/org-jambu.git/blob_plain/HEAD:/packages/README.html][Release Notes]] for more information on this package.
3743 ,----[ C-h v package-archives RET ]
3744 | package-archives is a variable defined in `package.el'.
3746 | (("gnu" . "http://elpa.gnu.org/packages/")
3747 | ("org-odt" . "http://repo.or.cz/w/org-mode/org-jambu.git/blob_plain/HEAD:/packages/"))
3749 | Original value was
3750 | (("gnu" . "http://elpa.gnu.org/packages/"))
3755 - Use existing exporters
3757 Export to one of org-mode's supported export formats and then use an
3758 external tool or method to convert the exported file to doc or odt.
3760 With simple documents, these methods work well. However for complex
3761 documents containing footnotes, embedded images, math formuale etc
3762 the results may be less than satisfactory. (Note, the lists below
3763 are by no means comprehensive).
3764 1. html -> odt/doc/rtf
3765 - open html in Open Office and save as odt/doc ([[http://permalink.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.orgmode/31482][see this post by
3767 - [[http://www.artofsolving.com/opensource/pyodconverter][PyODConverter]]
3768 - [[http://johnmacfarlane.net/pandoc/][Pandoc]] (this works for LaTeX and docbook as well)
3769 - (Mac only) The [[http://developer.apple.com/library/mac/#DOCUMENTATION/Darwin/Reference/ManPages/man1/textutil.1.html][textutil]] utility bundled with OS X can convert
3771 2. LaTeX -> odt/doc/rtf
3772 - [[http://latex2rtf.sourceforge.net/][LaTeX2rtf]] (works well with index, footnotes, and references)
3773 - [[http://www.tug.org/tex4ht/][TeX4ht]] (works with more complex latex elements, though can be
3774 difficult to install)
3775 - run =mk4ht oolatex file.tex=
3777 See [[http://permalink.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.orgmode/31168][this thread]] for further details.
3781 Since =org= files are so central to your life, you probably want to back
3782 them up in a safe place.
3784 If the =org= file you want to back up are in a single directory, the
3785 preferred method is to us a =RCS= (Revision Control System) -- pick up your
3786 favorite ([[http://git-scm.com/][git]], [[http://bazaar.canonical.com/en/][bazaar]], [[http://mercurial.selenic.com/][mercurial]], [[http://subversion.apache.org/][subversion]], [[http://www.nongnu.org/cvs/][cvs]], etc.). Depending on the
3787 RCS you use and how you use it, you can have a /local/ backup or sync it on
3790 If you want to store all your =org= files from your =$HOME= to a single
3791 =~/org/backup/= folder, you can use this shell script (as [[http://article.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.orgmode/37655][suggested by
3795 mkdir -p ~/org/backup && \
3796 find $HOME -type f -name '*\.org' ! -path "$HOME/org/*" \
3797 -exec cp -t ~/org/backup/ \{\} \;
3800 It will recursively search for =org= files in your =$HOME= directory
3801 (except those in =~/org/backup/=) and copy them to =~/org/backup/=.
3802 You can then use rsync to make sure =~/org/backup/= also lives on a
3803 remote and safe place.
3807 ** Which versions of MobileOrg do exist
3809 :CUSTOM_ID: mobileorg_versions
3812 - MobileOrg for the iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad series of devices, by
3813 Richard Moreland. Check out
3814 [[http://mobileorg.ncogni.to/][Richard's page]]
3815 - Matt Jones is developing a feature-equivalent application for
3817 [[http://wiki.github.com/matburt/mobileorg-android/][his project page]].
3819 ** What can I do if I don't want to use Dropbox.com
3821 :CUSTOM_ID: mobileorg_webdav
3824 Dropbox.com is the easiest way to connect between Emacs and MobileOrg,
3825 you can get a free account there. If for some reason you cannot or do
3826 not want to use this path, you can use any webdav server. On this
3827 webdav server you need to create a dedicated directory for the
3828 communication between Emacs and MobileOrg. If you can mount that
3829 directory locally so that Emacs can directly write to it, just point
3830 to that directory using the variable =org-mobile-directory=. Using
3831 the /tramp/ method, =org-mobile-directory= may point to a remote
3832 directory accessible through, for example, /ssh/ and /scp/:
3834 #+begin_src emacs-lisp
3835 (setq org-mobile-directory "/scpc:user@@remote.host:org/webdav/")
3838 If Emacs cannot access the WebDAV directory directly using a /tramp/
3839 method, you can use a local directory for staging. Other means must
3840 then be used to keep this directory in sync with the WebDAV directory.
3841 In the following example, files are staged in =~/stage/=, and Org-mode
3842 hooks take care of moving files to and from the WebDAV directory using
3845 #+begin_src emacs-lisp
3846 (setq org-mobile-directory "~/stage/")
3847 (add-hook 'org-mobile-post-push-hook
3848 (lambda () (shell-command "scp -r ~/stage/* user@@wdhost:mobile/")))
3849 (add-hook 'org-mobile-pre-pull-hook
3850 (lambda () (shell-command "scp user@@wdhost:mobile/mobileorg.org ~/stage/ ")))
3851 (add-hook 'org-mobile-post-pull-hook
3852 (lambda () (shell-command "scp ~/stage/mobileorg.org user@@wdhost:mobile/")))
3857 ** How to install MathJax on my server?
3860 :CUSTOM_ID: install_mathjax_on_server
3863 Org uses MathJax as its default HTML display engine for equations.
3865 Org relies on the version of MathJax available from orgmode.org, but you
3866 might want to use another version and install MathJax on your own server.
3868 1. Download a [[http://sourceforge.net/projects/mathjax/files/][MathJax archive]].
3870 2. Upload it somewhere on your server (say http://me.org/mathjax/)
3872 3. Set the correct path in =org-export-html-mathjax-options= (i.e. replace
3873 http://orgmode.org/mathjax/MathJax.js by
3874 http://me.org/mathjax/MathJax.js)
3876 You can also get [[http://www.mathjax.org/resources/docs/?installation.html][MathJax from git or svn]] -- in this case, be careful not to
3877 forget to unzip the fonts.zip archive in the mathjax directory.
3880 ** Problems with LaTeX macros with #+latex or #+begin_latex
3882 :CUSTOM_ID: Problems-with-LaTeX-macros-with-#+latex-or-#+begin_latex
3884 Org's LaTeX exporter has a difficult job on its hands and even though
3885 it does a great job most of the time, there are times when it falls
3886 short. One situation that has arisen a few times in the past is when a
3887 macro definition or use includes an opening brace, but the
3888 corresponding closing brace is on a different line. That has caused
3889 LaTeX compilation problems or mysterious excisions of content - see
3890 for example the following two threads in the mailing list:
3892 - http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.orgmode/39308
3894 - http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.orgmode/42196
3896 In both cases, the exporter was getting confused by the opening brace
3897 which did not have a corresponding closing brace on the same
3898 line. Although the first of these cases is fixed in current Org, there
3899 might be more such cases or there might be a regression which causes
3900 the incorrect behavior again. While waiting for a fix, it's worth
3901 trying out the simple workaround of including a fake closing brace on
3902 the same line as the opening brace but *commenting it out* so that
3903 LaTeX never sees it. That is often enough to make the exporter behave
3904 properly. In other words, to take one of the examples above, instead
3907 : #+latex: \custommacro {
3911 use the following idiom instead:
3913 : #+latex: \custommacro { % hide the closing brace in a LaTeX comment }
3917 I emphasize that this is a workaround, not a fix: if you do run into such
3918 a case and the workaround fixes it, at least you can continue working, but
3919 please submit a bug report so that it can be fixed properly.
3921 * COMMENT Function to create =CUSTOM_ID=
3923 #+begin_src emacs-lisp
3924 (defun org-faq-make-target ()
3925 "Make hard target for current headline."
3927 (if (not (org-on-heading-p))
3928 (error "Not on a headline"))
3929 (let ((h (org-trim (org-get-heading 'no-tags))))
3930 (if (string-match "[ \t]*\\?\\'" h)
3931 (setq h (replace-match "" t t h)))
3932 (while (string-match "[ \t]+" h)
3933 (setq h (replace-match "-" t t h)))
3934 (org-entry-put nil "CUSTOM_ID" h)))