Hello,

The functionality which I was trying is documented as not supported:

http://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/manual/html_node/org/Column-formulas.html

The left-hand side of a column formula cannot be the name of column, it
must be the numeric column reference or $>.


Regards,
Lester

On Sat, Feb 29, 2020 at 9:39 AM Lester Longley <lester@ieee.org> wrote:

> Hello,
>
> I'm trying to use named fields.
>
> This works:
>
> | ! | col2 | col3 |
> | # | abc  | abc  |
> #+TBLFM: $3 = $col2
>
> However, assignment to named field "$col3":
>
> | ! | col2 | col3 |
> | # | abc  |  |
> #+TBLFM: $col3 = $col2
>
> ... results in error "Unknown field: col3".
>
> I was expecting assignment to the named column to work, as per
> https://orgmode.org/manual/Advanced-features.html
>
>
> ‘!’
>
> The fields in this line define names for the columns, so that you may
> refer to a column as ‘$Tot’ instead of ‘$6’.
> ‘^’
>
> This row defines names for the fields *above* the row. With such a
> definition, any formula in the table may use ‘$m1’ to refer to the value ‘
> 10’. Also, if you assign a formula to a names field, it is stored as ‘$name
> = ...’.
>
> However, the documentation doesn't specifically indicate that assignment
> to "$name" should work w/ "!"--it's mentioned only w/ "^" (and works fine
> for this case)--so possibly what I'm trying simply isn't supported (i.e.,
> not a bug).  Please pardon if that's not right expectation.
>
> Thank you for your help.
>
> Regards,
> Lester
>
> Emacs  : GNU Emacs 25.1.1 (x86_64-pc-linux-gnu, GTK+ Version 3.22.11)
>  of 2017-09-15, modified by Debian
> Package: Org mode version 9.3.6 (9.3.6-elpa @ ~/.emacs.d/elpa/org-9.3.6/)
>
> current state:
> ==============
> (setq
>  org-tab-first-hook '(org-babel-hide-result-toggle-maybe
>      org-babel-header-arg-expand)
>  org-speed-command-hook '(org-speed-command-activate
>  org-babel-speed-command-activate)
>  org-occur-hook '(org-first-headline-recenter)
>  org-metaup-hook '(org-babel-load-in-session-maybe)
>  org-confirm-shell-link-function 'yes-or-no-p
>  org-src-mode-hook '(org-src-babel-configure-edit-buffer
>     org-src-mode-configure-edit-buffer)
>  org-agenda-before-write-hook '(org-agenda-add-entry-text)
>  org-babel-pre-tangle-hook '(save-buffer)
>  org-mode-hook '((closure
>  (org--rds reftex-docstruct-symbol
>   org-element-greater-elements org-clock-history
>   org-agenda-current-date org-with-time org-defdecode org-def
>   org-read-date-inactive org-ans2 org-ans1
>   org-columns-current-fmt-compiled org-clock-current-task
>   org-clock-effort org-agenda-skip-function
>   org-agenda-skip-comment-trees org-agenda-archives-mode
>   org-end-time-was-given org-time-was-given
>   org-log-note-extra org-log-note-purpose
>   org-log-post-message org-last-inserted-timestamp
>   org-last-changed-timestamp
>   org-entry-property-inherited-from org-blocked-by-checkboxes
>   org-state org-agenda-headline-snapshot-before-repeat
>   org-capture-last-stored-marker org-agenda-start-on-weekday
>   org-agenda-buffer-tmp-name org-priority-regexp
>   buffer-face-mode-face org-tbl-menu org-org-menu
>   org-struct-menu org-entities org-last-state
>   org-id-track-globally org-clock-start-time texmathp-why
>   remember-data-file
>   org-agenda-tags-todo-honor-ignore-options
>   iswitchb-temp-buflist calc-embedded-open-mode
>   calc-embedded-open-formula calc-embedded-close-formula
>   align-mode-rules-list org-emphasis-alist
>   org-emphasis-regexp-components
>   org-export-registered-backends org-modules
>   org-babel-load-languages org-indent-indentation-per-level
>   org-element-paragraph-separate ffap-url-regexp
>   org-inlinetask-min-level t)
>  nil
>  (add-hook (quote change-major-mode-hook)
>   (quote org-show-all) (quote append) (quote local))
>  )
> (closure
>  (org-src-window-setup *this*
>   org-babel-confirm-evaluate-answer-no
>   org-src-preserve-indentation org-src-lang-modes
>   org-edit-src-content-indentation org-babel-library-of-babel
>   t)
>  nil
>  (add-hook (quote change-major-mode-hook)
>   (quote org-babel-show-result-all) (quote append)
>   (quote local))
>  )
> org-babel-result-hide-spec org-babel-hide-all-hashes)
>  org-bibtex-headline-format-function '(closure
>       (org-id-locations
> org-agenda-search-view-always-boolean
> org-agenda-overriding-header t)
>       (entry) (cdr (assq :title entry)))
>  org-archive-hook '(org-attach-archive-delete-maybe)
>  org-cycle-hook '(org-cycle-hide-archived-subtrees
> org-cycle-show-empty-lines
>  org-optimize-window-after-visibility-change)
>  org-link-shell-confirm-function 'yes-or-no-p
>  org-link-elisp-confirm-function 'yes-or-no-p
>  org-confirm-elisp-link-function 'yes-or-no-p
>  org-metadown-hook '(org-babel-pop-to-session-maybe)
>  org-link-parameters '(("attachment" :follow org-attach-open-link :export
> org-attach-export-link :complete
> org-attach-complete-link)
>       ("id" :follow org-id-open)
>       ("eww" :follow eww :store org-eww-store-link)
>       ("rmail" :follow org-rmail-open :store
> org-rmail-store-link)
>       ("mhe" :follow org-mhe-open :store org-mhe-store-link)
>       ("irc" :follow org-irc-visit :store org-irc-store-link
> :export org-irc-export)
>       ("info" :follow org-info-open :export org-info-export
> :store org-info-store-link)
>       ("gnus" :follow org-gnus-open :store
> org-gnus-store-link)
>       ("docview" :follow org-docview-open :export
> org-docview-export :store org-docview-store-link)
>       ("bibtex" :follow org-bibtex-open :store
> org-bibtex-store-link)
>       ("bbdb" :follow org-bbdb-open :export org-bbdb-export
> :complete org-bbdb-complete-link :store
> org-bbdb-store-link)
>       ("w3m" :store org-w3m-store-link) ("file+sys")
>       ("file+emacs") ("shell" :follow org-link--open-shell)
>       ("news" :follow
> (closure
> ((scheme . "news") (--dolist-tail--) org-ts-regexp
>  org-time-stamp-formats org-src-source-file-name
>  org-outline-regexp-bol org-inhibit-startup
>  org-id-link-to-org-use-id org-highlight-links
>  org-comment-string org-agenda-buffer-name
>  clean-buffer-list-kill-buffer-names t)
> (url) (browse-url (concat scheme ":" url)))
> )
>       ("mailto" :follow
> (closure
> ((scheme . "mailto") (--dolist-tail--) org-ts-regexp
>  org-time-stamp-formats org-src-source-file-name
>  org-outline-regexp-bol org-inhibit-startup
>  org-id-link-to-org-use-id org-highlight-links
>  org-comment-string org-agenda-buffer-name
>  clean-buffer-list-kill-buffer-names t)
> (url) (browse-url (concat scheme ":" url)))
> )
>       ("https" :follow
> (closure
> ((scheme . "https") (--dolist-tail--) org-ts-regexp
>  org-time-stamp-formats org-src-source-file-name
>  org-outline-regexp-bol org-inhibit-startup
>  org-id-link-to-org-use-id org-highlight-links
>  org-comment-string org-agenda-buffer-name
>  clean-buffer-list-kill-buffer-names t)
> (url) (browse-url (concat scheme ":" url)))
> )
>       ("http" :follow
> (closure
> ((scheme . "http") (--dolist-tail--) org-ts-regexp
>  org-time-stamp-formats org-src-source-file-name
>  org-outline-regexp-bol org-inhibit-startup
>  org-id-link-to-org-use-id org-highlight-links
>  org-comment-string org-agenda-buffer-name
>  clean-buffer-list-kill-buffer-names t)
> (url) (browse-url (concat scheme ":" url)))
> )
>       ("ftp" :follow
> (closure
> ((scheme . "ftp") (--dolist-tail--) org-ts-regexp
>  org-time-stamp-formats org-src-source-file-name
>  org-outline-regexp-bol org-inhibit-startup
>  org-id-link-to-org-use-id org-highlight-links
>  org-comment-string org-agenda-buffer-name
>  clean-buffer-list-kill-buffer-names t)
> (url) (browse-url (concat scheme ":" url)))
> )
>       ("help" :follow org-link--open-help)
>       ("file" :complete org-link-complete-file)
>       ("elisp" :follow org-link--open-elisp)
>       ("doi" :follow org-link--open-doi))
>  org-clock-out-hook '(org-clock-remove-empty-clock-drawer)
>  )
>