Hello Rasmus, Thank you for the fast reply, the link you've given on interpreting is very useful ! Also didn't know there existed such thing as the org-dp library to manipulate org-elements, I'll sure check it out. More about question number 3: >> 3) How can the output of (org-element-parse-secondary-string ...) be used. >> When I give a heading and bit of text as input (output of >> buffer-substring), it looks like it returns the 'content' of the region. >> Though I can't seem to use it anyway as 'CONTENT' for the functions >> requiring this. The reason I've tried this (and the internal org-element--parse-elements) is because I'd prefer not having to parse the whole buffer and still get the contents. The local parsing functions (org-element-at-point) and (org-element-context) don't contain content (stated in the org-element api, also tried it ). Now I'm not sure IF I really NEED it? I could actually get the contents using the :content-begin and :content-end and other properties from (org-elemen-at-point) BUT I don't know the exact syntax the content should have and how to merge it with the element-list I get from (org-element-at-point) before feeding it to the org-element-interpret-data. I don't actually know how 'content' looks like... When applying a small function " (defun test () (interactive) (debug) (setq content (org-element-contents (org-element-parse-buffer))))" on a simple headline with some text, " * woot And a bit of text " I can see in debugger (returned values) that 'content' is actually (org-data nil ('content'). See output below. Thus concluding that content is also just an . Then why do all the org-element--interpreters require both the AND 'content', since to me, it seems logical that all this information is already inside . At first I thought that the things behind # were 'content' (for example in the output below. These don't show up in (org-element-at-point), thus explaining why they returned nil when asked for content. The org-element-parse-secondary-string also returns all things behind #. If this is NOT content, then how to manipulate this data (behind the #) whilst assuring that syntax and position remains valid for org-element-interpret-data to understand? OUTPUT: (org-data nil (headline (:raw-value "woot" :begin 1 :end 29 :pre-blank 0 :contents-begin 8 ...) (section (:begin 8 :end 29 :contents-begin 8 :contents-end 26 :post-blank 2 ...) (paragraph (:begin 8 :end 26 :contents-begin 8 :contents-end 26 :post-blank 0 ...) #("And a bit of text " 0 18 (:parent #3)))))) ((headline (:raw-value "woot" :begin 1 :end 29 :pre-blank 0 :contents-begin 8 ...) (section (:begin 8 :end 29 :contents-begin 8 :contents-end 26 :post-blank 2 ...) (paragraph (:begin 8 :end 26 :contents-begin 8 :contents-end 26 :post-blank 0 ...) #("And a bit of text " 0 18 (:parent #3)))))) Perhaps my view is completely wrong, so please correct me if possible. Thanks for the time, Dieter On Fri, Jan 16, 2015 at 8:35 PM, Rasmus wrote: > Hi Dieter, > > Nicolas will probably reply at some point and he has much greater (∞ more) > insight in this topics. None the less, I hope the below message will > help a bit. > > Dieter Van Eessen writes: > > > 1) How to use org-element-content? Returns nil when used on elements > parsed > > by org-element--parser (because they operate locally) When used > > globally, it only seems to remove the car of the list (org-data ....) > > Don't use org-element--parser directly. > > Use org-element-at-point or org-element-contents. The former is for > elements, the latter is for contents, such as scripts, bold, etc. See the > head of org-element.el. > > > 2) What is actually a normal workflow if you wish to interactive > manipulate > > only some of the elements? Is it something like: > > a) Define the region in which you wish to manipulate things (using > :begin > > and :extract from org-element-at-point) > > Org-element is a parser and manipulation might not be super efficient with > org-element, but it can be done. > > OTOH Org-syntax is great for manipulation. E.g. to insert a heading you > can do (insert (format "* %s" "my-heading")). > > > b) Parse the region: Get TREE and CONTENT > > (Are they always separated for manipulation?) > > See org-element-map for operating on a subset of the consents. You could > also use narrowing to operate only on a subset of the buffer. > > > c) Manipulate tree AND/OR manipulate content > > > Manipulate whatever you have as you want. Org-elements are plists. Check > org-element-type, org-element-property, org-element-contents, > org-element-put-property, org-element-set-contents. See also > ";;; Accessors and Setters" in org-element.el. > > org-element-interpret-data is the way to go from an element to > org-syntax. Here's an example: > > > http://emacs.stackexchange.com/questions/2869/turn-a-list-or-data-structure-into-an-org-document/ > > > d) Interpret (the org-element-interpreters seem to require > > and content whilst the org-element-interpret-data only > requires a > > single 'data'. Why?) > > Don't use org-element-interpreters. Use > org-element-interpret-data for transforming org-element→org-syntax. > > > e) See the manipulated stuff appear in the buffer. > > There's insert for that. > > > 3) How can the output of (org-element-parse-secondary-string ...) be > used. > > When I give a heading and bit of text as input (output of > > buffer-substring), it looks like it returns the 'content' of the region. > > Though I can't seem to use it anyway as 'CONTENT' for the functions > > requiring this. > > I don't get this. > > > 4) How to use org-element--parse-elements? Whilst it is running i notice > > that it uses (org-element--current-element) and some of the > > (org-element--parser) functions. Thought it could be nice to use > > this one, but no matter how use it, all I get is nil. For example: > > In Emacs-lisp typically "--" indicates that it's a private function. > Don't use it. > > > 5) What is org-element--current-element for? It also seems to be called > by > > org-element--parse-element.The properties :begin, :end and :title seem > > different than when parsing with org-element-at-point. > Org-element-contents > > also nill when applied on the output. Why can't I use > > this function (org-element--current-element) on plainlists/items > > (returns error with point within a plain-list/item)? > > See above. > > > I know the basic answer to most of these question is: Why don't you use > > (org-element-parse-buffer). Well simply because I don't need everything. > in > > first implementation I only need: > > OR HEADLINE under point and it's subtree > > (HEADLINE (plainlist (item,item,item)),(subheadline),...) > > OR the headline of an ITEM under point and subtree > > (headline (plainlist (item, ITEM,item)),(subheadline),...). > > So use org-element-map and org-element-parse-buffer. > > Hope it helps, > Rasmus > > -- > The second rule of Fight Club is: You do not talk about Fight Club > > > -- gtz, Dieter VE