From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: Samuel Wales Subject: Re: Bugs/features of accumulating property values when used with entries (concretely: in org-contacts) Date: Fri, 20 Jan 2012 22:48:31 -0700 Message-ID: References: <4EEB55A4.7090900@googlemail.com> <8762h3h104.fsf@gnu.org> <80d3bbv133.fsf@somewhere.org> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Return-path: Received: from eggs.gnu.org ([140.186.70.92]:60549) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1RoToY-0001Qw-3c for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Sat, 21 Jan 2012 00:48:35 -0500 Received: from Debian-exim by eggs.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1RoToW-00076a-Vi for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Sat, 21 Jan 2012 00:48:34 -0500 Received: from mail-iy0-f169.google.com ([209.85.210.169]:65520) by eggs.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1RoToW-00076W-Sf for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Sat, 21 Jan 2012 00:48:32 -0500 Received: by iadj38 with SMTP id j38so2307974iad.0 for ; Fri, 20 Jan 2012 21:48:31 -0800 (PST) In-Reply-To: <80d3bbv133.fsf@somewhere.org> 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: Sebastien Vauban Cc: emacs-orgmode@gnu.org FWIW: It might be the case that we will want to consider the multi-value property idea and the multi-line property idea together at some point. (With or without serialization for the latter.) I think multi-line properties will eventually be needed (in some form) in any case for things like org-contacts and they provide a simple way of allowing more data without imposing semantics. In other words, they are usable even if we don't standardize multi-value semantics. However, Babel and OP both need multi-value properties. What should a multi-value property be semantically? Effectively a vector? Effectively an alist? Both are possibilities. Outside of Babel and OP's case, do we need a layer of semantics on properties? Do we want one? Should we set Babel's interpretation of multi-value properties in stone for the rest of Org? Also, should there be an interface to multi-value properties other than accumulation? Give me the 3rd value of property? Give me the value that matches this string? Set the 3rd value? Set (and replace) the value that matches? Is accumulation a substitute for multi-line properties? Or do we want something nicer for that purpose so that editing and reading are easier, so that there is no order-dependence of property fields, and so on? Just philosophical/design questions. Samuel -- The Kafka Pandemic: http://thekafkapandemic.blogspot.com === Bigotry against people with serious diseases is still bigotry.