From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: Matt Lundin Subject: Re: Valid use cases for lists? Date: Thu, 20 Aug 2015 09:06:05 -0500 Message-ID: <87y4h6njg2.fsf@fastmail.fm> References: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Return-path: Received: from eggs.gnu.org ([2001:4830:134:3::10]:60882) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1ZSQTr-00085h-Nr for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Thu, 20 Aug 2015 10:06:15 -0400 Received: from Debian-exim by eggs.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1ZSQTn-00059c-Lf for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Thu, 20 Aug 2015 10:06:11 -0400 Received: from out4-smtp.messagingengine.com ([66.111.4.28]:50232) by eggs.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1ZSQTn-00059P-9e for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Thu, 20 Aug 2015 10:06:07 -0400 In-Reply-To: (Chris Patti's message of "Wed, 19 Aug 2015 15:32:22 -0400") List-Id: "General discussions about Org-mode." List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Errors-To: emacs-orgmode-bounces+geo-emacs-orgmode=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Sender: emacs-orgmode-bounces+geo-emacs-orgmode=m.gmane.org@gnu.org To: Chris Patti Cc: emacs-orgmode@gnu.org Chris Patti writes: > Can anyone give me an example of when it's a good idea to use lists > rather than headlines? > > They feel rather like a violation of the principle of least surprise > to me, because when you use them, and then try to use pretty much any > other Org feature on them (marking them as a TODO item, tagging, etc.) > it doesn't work because lists aren't meant to be used that way. > I'm guessing I'm missing something obvious here, and that's why I'm asking. Lists are lists. Headlines are headlines. If you need something to show up in an agenda view, use a headline. >From the perspective of document structure, headlines vs. lists corresponds with section headings vs. lists in Markdown: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Markdown#Example I find lists to be a good means quickly to organize and reorganize items within an entry. I use them for brainstorming, for making grocery lists, for itemizing ingredients in recipes, for documenting what I did on a task, etc. Though you can't tag them or add todos to them, you can use checkboxes to track your progress on items in a list. - http://orgmode.org/manual/Checkboxes.html#Checkboxes Lists also play an important role in export. E.g., this list... - apples - Fuji - Red Delicious - bananas - pears Exports to html as...
  • apples
    • Fuji
    • Red Delicious
  • bananas
  • pears
Matt