Yes, it's very well explained, thank you.
I'll try to encode my names by removing any "-" and by adding a dummy  
letter at the beginning.

Is there another way of doing simple database in org-mode? By putting a  
component's name in a cell, I would like if the other columns could fill  
them-self with the component's characteristics.

(My apologies for the double e-mail, the first one wasn't sent to the  
mailing list)


On , Carsten Dominik <carsten.dominik@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi Christian,



> On 5.3.2011, at 04:35, Frozenlock wrote:



> > Greetings,

> >

> > First and foremost, I must say I'ma new Org-mode user... as well as a  
> new emacs user... and have only limited experience with lisp.

> >

> > I'm using a table in org-mode as a database, from which I retrieve  
> information as needed from other tables.

> > This database stores multiples components with names starting by  
> numbers and with the character "-" in them. For example: "10K-AN-D8".

> > I want to be able to refer to its column with $10K-AN-D8. Yet, this is  
> impossible at the moment.

> >

> > I've looked in org-table.el and found, at line 2038:

> >

> > (if (string-match "^[a-zA-Z][a-zA-Z0-9]*$" name)

> >

> > which, once replaced by this:

> >

> > (if (string-match "^[-_a-zA-Z0-9]*$" name)

> >

> > Provides me with the ability to name (and refer) columns in any way I  
> want.

> >

> > However, I'm reluctant to use this feature; surely there was a reason  
> for this limitation.

> > Could someone point it out for me?



> This is limitation is present to disambiguate formulas.

> In you example $10K-AN-D8, D8 is already a field reference,

> so Org does not know if you mean $10K-AN - @8$4.

> Furthermore, you could easily arrive at variables like

> $10-AN-D8, and then what should the $10 mean?



> Of cause one could disambiguate heuristically by checking

> which names have been defined. In fact, name replacement

> happens first, and this is why your patch appears to

> work. But the side effect would be that introducing

> new names could change the interpretation of an

> existing equation. All this is unstable and

> unpredictable.



> Hope this makes it clear.



> - Carsten