Re: Beamer support in Org-mode

From: "Sébastien Vauban" <wxhgmqzgwmuf-geNee64TY+gS+FvcfC7Uqw@public.gmane.org>
To: emacs-orgmode-mXXj517/zsQ@public.gmane.org
Subject: Re: Beamer support in Org-mode
Date: Thu, 26 Nov 2009 15:01:58 +0100	[thread overview]
Message-ID: <87skc1o04p.fsf@mundaneum.com> (raw)
In-Reply-To: 6A790953-D036-4BAE-8833-E5B343A15331@gmail.com

Hi Carsten,

Carsten Dominik wrote:
> [...] before I polish I would like comments on this outline.
>
> 1 Organization
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> 1.1 Sections
> =============
>
> By default, level one headlines become sections in the beamer
> document.  You can configure the variable org-beamer-frame-level
> to change this.  Setting it to three will make level 2 headlines
> become subsections.  For the rest of this document, I will assume
> that this variable has its default value 2.

I was used to use Org level-1 headlines as the frame title... but I've never
resolved how to put sections in my beamer slides (via Org) -- though this was
not that important yet for me, as I only converted slides made by others in
PowerPoint, and they don't have such sections (and TOC visible in the left
bar).

Though, I find this way of structuring excellent: sound and logical. Plus it
is even customizable. What else would we want?  Nothing...

> 1.2 Frames
> ===========
> Level 2 headline (or the level configured in
> org-beamer-frame-level) become frames.  The headline text become
> the frame title, but if no headline text is given, the frame gets
> no title.  If the frame title contains the string "\\", the line
> will be split at that location, and the second half become the
> frame /subtitle/.

Excellent. Really.

> 1.3 Columns
> ============
> Headlines one below frames (level 3 by default) can be used start
> columns on a frame.  The presence of such a headline without a
> beamer tag (see below) will create the columns environment.  The
> text in the headline is ignored.  It is helpful to write
> "columns" in this headline anyway.

Would *I* be asked about my true opinion, I would really object against this
one... Except that you say "can be used". So, I guess we're not forced.

My main "problem" here is that I like the idea of being to convert back or
forward between Org documents and Org-beamer documents. Such headlines would
not mean anything for a "normal" Org document, as you already pointed out.

Now, if this is not the default interpretation, it could be OK for everybody.
We should show this in the example below:
- normal level-3 headlines (level-1 for Beamer) and
- "column" level-3 headlines.

> 1.4 A column
> =============
> Headlines below a columns environment (level 4 by default) open a
> column.  The text in the headline should be a number smaller than
> one and will be used to define the column width.
>
> 1.5 Block-like environments
> ============================
> Any headline can become a block-like environment by tagging it
> with a beamer tag.  For examples, `:B_block:' will trigger the
> creation of a block environment, while `:B_theorem:' will trigger
> the creation of a theorem environment.  When it makes sense, the
> headline text is used in an appropriate argument of the
> environment, if that does not make sense, it is ignored.
>
> 1.6 Overlay/action tag and environment options
> ===============================================
> Any headline can contain three types of cookies
>
> `<...>': The overlay/action setting for the environment
> `[<...>]': The default overlay/action specification for the
>      content of the environment, which can be overwritten locally
>      by each content element.
> `[...]': Optional argument(s) for the environment
>
> These can be given in arbitrary order freely in the headline.
> Org-mode will fish them out and insert them in the appropriate
> locations in the \begin statement of the environment.

I never really used overlays yet (only to play with). Though, this seems nice
to me, even if...

> Having these cookies plainly in the headline reduces the
> usability of the document as a normal document.  I have been
> thinking to move them into comments or properties, but I think
> this is, in the end, less convenient.  I people want to export
> these in other ways as well, we can write a function to clean
> up....
>
> 1.7 Overlay/action in list environment
> =======================================
> For plain list environments (ordered, unordered, and description
> lists) you can start each item optionally with an overlay
> specification `<...>'.  If any item in the list contains a
> default specification `[<...>]', this will be moved into the
> begin statement of the itemize/enumerate/description environment,
> to provide a default setting for the list items.
>
> 1.8 Embedded LaTeX
> ===================
> As is normal for Org-mode, you can embed LaTeX commands into the
> text, and they will be transferred literally into the exported
> document.  In particular, you can also embed beamer-specific
> commands.
>
> 1.9 Example
> ============
> Here is a (still very incomplete) example Org document that is
> intended for beamer export.
>
>   #+LaTeX_CLASS: beamer
>   #+TITLE: Example Presentation
>   #+AUTHOR: Carsten Dominik
>
>   * This is the first structural section
>   ** Frame 1 \\ with a subtitle
>   *** columns will be used
>   **** 0.3
>   ***** Thanks   :B_block:
>         Thanks to Eric Fraga for the first viable beamer setup in Org
>   ***** Here we continue after the block :B_normal:
>         using a "normal" environment that helps to keep the structure
>         after a block
>   **** 0.7
>   ** Frame 2 \\ where we will not use columns
>   *** Request                                                        :B_block:
>       Please test this stuff!

I don't know if this can help you/us, but here is an example file I play with.

--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
#+TITLE:     All-in file for testing Beamer with Org-mode
#+AUTHOR:    Seb Vauban
#+DATE:      2009-11-26
#+DESCRIPTION: 
#+KEYWORDS: 
#+LANGUAGE:  en
#+OPTIONS:   H:3 num:t toc:t \n:nil @:t ::t |:t ^:t -:t f:t *:t <:t

#+LaTeX_CLASS: beamer

#+MACRO: BEAMERMODE presentation
#+MACRO: BEAMERTHEME mc

* Development
** Context
*** Currently mainly manual
*** Error prone
*** High risks
** Requirements
*** Quality
**** Reduce risk
**** Reduce cost
**** Improve resilience
*** Flexibility
**** Enhance agility

* Architecture
** High-level view
   #+BEGIN_ditaa archi.png
   /-----------\      /--------------\      /--------------\      +----------+
   |cBLU       |      |cBLU          |      |cRED          |      |cBLU {s}  |
   |  Browser  | http |      UI      | gpb  | App Server   |      | Database |
   |           |------|              |------|              |------|          |
   \-----------/      \--------------/      \--------------/      +----------+
   #+END_ditaa

* Why?
** Reason 1
   Text explaining reason 1.
** Reason 2
   ... more explanations.
** Reason 3
   Blah, blah, blah.
** Reason 4
   Why not?

* What?
** First piece
*** Second piece
**** Third piece
** Fourth piece

* Rule language
** Horn clauses
** Allowed atoms
*** Class literals
*** Property literals
*** Builtin literals
#   #+LaTeX: \begin{lstlisting}
#   months_employed(?applicant, ?months) ~$\wedge$~
#   lessThan(?months, 3) ~$\wedge$~
#   assets(?applicant, ?assets) ~$\wedge$~
#   lessThan(?assets, 10000.0)
#   ~$\rightarrow$~ RejectedApplicant(?applicant)
#   #+LaTeX: \end{lstlisting}
--8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---

Don't know why, but the block code does not work anymore (just commented it).
Have not time to debug it now -- have to work for my clients. Will do later.

Our example should still include:
- C code (or other),
- table,
- big image,
- "wrapped" image,
- overlay image (appears/disappears with animations),
- TikZ picture,
- etc.

Maybe we can put such a "test" file in git, and enhance it as we go?

> 2 org-beamer-mode
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> Org-mode defines a minor mode org-beamer-mode.  The mode is
> turned on automatically when the export class as specified
> in #+LaTeX_CLASS is "beamer".  Currently foreseen features are
> listed below, more could be added where it makes sense.
>
> 2.1 Fast tag selection for beamer environments
> ===============================================
> The command `C-c C-b' will offer fast selection of the various
> tags that trigger specific beamer environments for a headline
>
> 2.2 Special font-locking of beamer tags
> ========================================
> The special tags are highlighted by a special font

If I sum up, all of this seems to me:

    Ex-cel-lent!

My concern is just to ensure we can easily transform a normal Org document to
Beamer slides, or even have both versions in one file (handouts + notes).
Though, I must admit I have no example of the latter in Beamer either. Still a
young user of Beamer.

Best regards and many thanks for all, once again,
  Seb

-- 
Sébastien Vauban

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