Re: [ANN] List improvement v.2

From: Carsten Dominik <carsten.dominik@gmail.com>
To: smade4@gmail.com
Cc: Org Mode List <emacs-orgmode@gnu.org>,
	Nicolas Goaziou <n.goaziou@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [ANN] List improvement v.2
Date: Sun, 15 Aug 2010 16:40:17 +0200	[thread overview]
Message-ID: <A9FF4DFB-98CC-4AF6-8C58-4A3B16BEE739@gmail.com> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <8739ugfem9.fsf@gmail.com>

On Aug 15, 2010, at 10:45 AM, Glauber Alex Dias Prado wrote:

> Carsten Dominik <carsten.dominik@gmail.com> writes:
>
>> Hi Nicolas,
>>
>> I have finally started to look at your changes to the list
>> implementation.
>> Lots of it is very good!  I like for example that TAB indentation now
>> works
>> a lot better.
>>
>> Here are a few problems I noted so far:
>>
>> 1 Error when pressing M-RET in second line after list
>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>
>>  - Example item1
>>  - Exmaple item2
>>
>> With cursor position at "@", M-RET throws an error
>>
>> 2 Incompatibility 1
>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>  - Example 1
>>  - Ex 2
>>
>>  This used to be outside of the list.  The HTML exporter still treats
>>  it as being outside of the list.  The LaTeX exporter treats it as
>>  part of the last item.  If I add a second empty line, then both
>>  exporters handle it well.
>>
>>  So this breaks with documented properties of the lists.  I guess
>>  this is unavoidable because this is just how the new list definition
>>  works.  But it will break existing documents when exported to LaTeX
>>
>> 3 Text between two sublists
>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>
>>  - Ex1
>>  - Ex2
>>    - Ex2a
>>    - Ex2b
>>    Some text between two sublists
>>    - A new list starts
>>
>> This always was an inconsistency between HTML and LaTeX export, and  
>> it
>> still is now.  There seems to be no way now to do what I intend here,
>> putting some text between two lists.
>
> preferably not only for lists, something like:
>
> * some stuff
>  quick intro
> ** nest 1
>   stuff about nest1
>  now what i dont think is possible and dont even know if it is usually
>  done on latex something that belongs to some stuff and is in between
>  nest 1 and 2, i find it usefull for commenting on nests(thats why
>  i miss it) and looks like it is the same thing you are wishing for  
> lists?
>  My use case for this is mostly note-taking.
> ** nest 2
>   stuff about nest2
>
> could be also usefull, if it makes sense, btw the lists are taking  
> shape :).

This has been discussed here a million times and it is not going to  
happen.

- Carsten

>
>>
>>
>> On Jul 22, 2010, at 11:08 PM, Nicolas Goaziou wrote:
>>
>>> Hello,
>>>
>>> Here is a new, and probably final feature-wise, suggestion of list
>>> improvement in Org Mode.
>>>
>>> Table of Contents
>>> =================
>>> 1 What is it about again ?
>>> 2 Is that all ?
>>>   2.1 Preserving blank lines
>>>   2.2 Timer lists
>>>   2.3 Automatic rules
>>>   2.4 `org-apply-on-list'
>>> 3 Where can it be tried ?
>>>
>>>
>>> 1 What is it about again ?
>>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>>
>>> I redefined lists in Org Mode. Lists start, as before, at a bullet
>>> (whose true regexp is at `org-item-beginning-re'), and end at either
>>> `org-list-end-regexp', a new headline, or, obviously, end of buffer.
>>>
>>> `org-list-end-regexp' is customizable and defaults to 2 blank lines,
>>> but `org-empty-line-terminates-plain-lists' has precedence over it.
>>> Moreover, any `org-list-end-regexp' found in special blocks does not
>>> end list. Here are two examples of valid lists:
>>>
>>> Case 1: `org-list-end-regexp' is at default value
>>>
>>>
>>> - First item
>>>
>>>   - Sub item
>>>
>>>     #+BEGIN_EXAMPLE
>>>     Two blank lines below
>>>
>>>
>>>     Two blank lines above
>>>     #+END_SRC
>>>
>>>   - Last sub item
>>>
>>>
>>> List has ended at the beginning of this line.
>>>
>>> Case 2: `org-list-end-regexp' is "^[ \t]*___[ \t]*\n"
>>>
>>>
>>> - item 1
>>> - item 2
>>>   - sub-item
>>>   - sub-item 2
>>> - item 3
>>> __
>>> List has ended at the beginning of this line.
>>>
>>> Now, Org Mode knows when a list has ended and how to indent line
>>> accordingly. In other words, you can `org-return-indent' three times
>>> to exit a list and be at the right column to go on with the text.
>>>
>>> This new definition is also understood by exporters (LaTeX, DocBook,
>>> HTML or ASCII) and `org-list-end-regexp' will appear in source as a
>>> blank line, whatever its value is (as long as it starts with a caret
>>> and ends with a newline character, as specified in doc-string).
>>>
>>> Another advantage is that you can have two lists of different types
>>> in a row like in the example below:
>>>
>>>
>>> - item
>>> - item
>>>
>>>
>>> 1. item
>>> 2. item
>>>
>>> In this example, you can move (or cycle, or indent) items in the
>>> second list without worrying about changing the first one.
>>>
>>> 2 Is that all ?
>>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>>
>>> Yes and no. I tried as much as possible to keep compatibility with
>>> previous implementation. But, as I was at it, I made a number of
>>> minor improvements I am now going to describe.
>>>
>>> 2.1 Preserving blank lines
>>> ===========================
>>>
>>>  `org-move-item-up' and `org-move-item-down' will not eat blank
>>>  lines anymore. You can move an item up and down and stay assured
>>>  list will keep its integrity.
>>>
>>>  The same is true for `org-sort-list' that would previously collapse
>>>  the list being sorted. Sorting is now safe.
>>>
>>>  `org-insert-item', when 'plain-list-item is set to 'auto in
>>>  `org-blank-before-new-entry' (the default, I think), will work hard
>>>  to guess the appropriate number of blank lines to insert before the
>>>  item to come. The function is also much more predictable (in
>>>  previous version, trying to insert an item with point on a blank
>>>  line between 2 items would create a new headline).
>>>
>>> 2.2 Timer lists
>>> ================
>>>
>>>  There are three improvements in timer lists (C-c C-x -).
>>>
>>>  1. When a new item is created, it should be properly indented and
>>>     not sticked to column 0 anymore,
>>>
>>>  2. When an item is inserted in a pre-existing timer list, it will
>>>     take profit of what has been done to `org-insert-item',
>>>
>>>  3. `org-sort-list' can now sort timer lists with the t and T
>>>     commands.
>>>
>>>  /Note/: in order to preserve lists integrity, Org Mode will send an
>>>  error if you try to insert a timer list inside a list of another
>>>  type.
>>>
>>> 2.3 Automatic rules
>>> ====================
>>>
>>>  I've added sets of rules (applied by default) that can improve
>>>  lists experience. You can deactivate them individually by
>>>  customizing `org-list-automatic-rules'.
>>>
>>>  Bullet rule: Some may have noticed that you couldn't obtain *
>>>                   as a bullet when cycling a list at column 0 or Org
>>>                   would have taken them for headings.
>>>
>>>                   I extended the idea. Now, * bullet will be changed
>>>                   to - if you outdent it to column 0. This and the
>>>                   fact that LaTeX exporter now recognizes such lists
>>>                   as valid make *-lists very usable.
>>>
>>>                   In the same register, cycling items of a
>>>                   description list will not offer 1. or 1), as
>>>                   ordered and description lists are incompatible.
>>>
>>>  Checkbox rule: It replaces `org-provide-checkbox-statistics'
>>>                     which has become obsolete.
>>>
>>>  Indent rule: This set prevents user from breaking his list by
>>>                   inadvertence, when indenting or outdenting items
>>>                   and sub-trees. Only moves that keep list integrity
>>>                   are allowed.
>>>
>>>                   The main advantage of it is when you insert a new
>>>                   item and immediately press one or more TAB,
>>>                   positions offered will all be meaningful. Quick
>>>                   and efficient.
>>>
>>>                   As a special case, moving the top item of the list
>>>                   will move the whole list with it.
>>>
>>>  Insert rule: As a consequence of the new definition of lists,
>>>                   items cannot be inserted inside a special block in
>>>                   the middle of a list. With this rule activated,
>>>                   item will be insert right before that special
>>>                   block. If not, Org will only throw an error.
>>>
>>>  Renumber rule: It replaces `org-auto-renumber-ordered-lists'
>>>                     which has become obsolete.
>>>
>>>  I think those rules make a sane default behavior (except for the
>>>  indent rule, perhaps). And they are easy to disable if one think
>>>  they get too much in the way.
>>>
>>> 2.4 `org-apply-on-list'
>>> ========================
>>>
>>>  It's not much, but I added that small function, inspired from
>>>  `apply-of-rectangle', that might be of some use. It basically
>>>  applies a function passed as argument to each item of the list
>>>  (with a possible return value for functional usage).
>>>
>>>  As an illustration, here is a small function that walks through a
>>>  list (and its sublists, if any), checking every item with a blank
>>>  checkbox whose body is matched by REGEXP. It returns the number of
>>>  items checked.
>>>
>>>
>>> (defun my-check-o-matic (regexp)
>>>   ;; Function we are going to apply.
>>>   (let ((search-and-check
>>>          (lambda (count)
>>>            (let* ((body-end (save-excursion (org-end-of-item-text-
>>> before-children)))
>>>                   ;; Take care of any sublist first
>>>                   (count (if (not (org-item-has-children-p))
>>>                              count
>>>                            (goto-char body-end)
>>>                            (org-apply-on-list search-and-check
>>> count))))
>>>              ;; Tests and checking if the formers are successful
>>>              (if (and (save-excursion (re-search-forward regexp
>>> body-end t))
>>>                       (org-at-item-checkbox-p)
>>>                       (equal (match-string 1) "[ ]"))
>>>                  (progn (org-toggle-checkbox) (1+ count))
>>>                count)))))
>>>     ;; Call of `org-apply-on-list': notice initial value of counter
>>>     (format "%d items checked"(org-apply-on-list search-and-check
>>> 0))))
>>>
>>> 3 Where can it be tried ?
>>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>>
>>> The source is at:
>>>
>>> git@github.com:ngz/org-mode-lists.git   branch: end-lists
>>>
>>> It is merged very frequently with git head, and I keep a clone of
>>> Org Mode master branch at the same place. So, you can switch from
>>> end-lists to master without too much hassle. It is very stable
>>> anyway, so you do not need to be an adventurous type.
>>>
>>> Feedback, suggestions and comments are welcome.
>>>
>>> Regards,
>>>
>>> -- Nicolas
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Emacs-orgmode mailing list
>>> Please use `Reply All' to send replies to the list.
>>> Emacs-orgmode@gnu.org
>>> http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/emacs-orgmode
>>
>> - Carsten
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Emacs-orgmode mailing list
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>> http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/emacs-orgmode

- Carsten