Using a table value within the text (dynamic variable)?

Using a table value within the text (dynamic variable)?

['Mash (Thomas Herbert)]

I was wondering if it was possible at all to use like a "variable" within a
document that would reference a table cell, and could then be
dynamically updated when the table cell was?

The reason I ask is that I would like to have have tabular data held
in another document and then write my document referencing and
including the data within the text, so I only have to change the
external data and the document would be updated automatically.

Example...

#+TBLNAME: example
|-----+-----|
| Foo | Bar |
|-----+-----|
|  22 | 43  |
|  44 | 54  |
|-----+-----|

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, @remote(example,B2) consectetur adipiscing elit. Nullam
vehicula lobortis sem, ut viverra lorem elementum quis. Etiam ac lacus
eu ante molestie vehicula. Maecenas sed viverra sem. Proin mattis
fermentum orci, sed tempus nibh feugiat eget.

Would become...

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, 43 consectetur adipiscing elit. Nullam
vehicula lobortis sem, ut viverra lorem elementum quis. Etiam ac lacus
eu ante molestie vehicula. Maecenas sed viverra sem. Proin mattis
fermentum orci, sed tempus nibh feugiat eget.


Thoughts?

Re: Using a table value within the text (dynamic variable)?

[Sebastien Vauban]

"'Mash Thomas Herbert" wrote:
> I was wondering if it was possible at all to use like a "variable" within a
> document that would reference a table cell, and could then be
> dynamically updated when the table cell was?
>
> The reason I ask is that I would like to have have tabular data held
> in another document and then write my document referencing and
> including the data within the text, so I only have to change the
> external data and the document would be updated automatically.
>
> Example...
>
> #+TBLNAME: example
> |-----+-----|
> | Foo | Bar |
> |-----+-----|
> |  22 | 43  |
> |  44 | 54  |
> |-----+-----|
>
> Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, @remote(example,B2) consectetur adipiscing elit. Nullam
> vehicula lobortis sem, ut viverra lorem elementum quis. Etiam ac lacus
> eu ante molestie vehicula. Maecenas sed viverra sem. Proin mattis
> fermentum orci, sed tempus nibh feugiat eget.
>
> Would become...
>
> Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, 43 consectetur adipiscing elit. Nullam
> vehicula lobortis sem, ut viverra lorem elementum quis. Etiam ac lacus
> eu ante molestie vehicula. Maecenas sed viverra sem. Proin mattis
> fermentum orci, sed tempus nibh feugiat eget.
>
> Thoughts?

Use an Org Babel (inline) code block which extracts part of the table. See
"indexing variables".

Best regards,
  Seb

-- 
Sebastien Vauban

Re: Using a table value within the text (dynamic variable)?

['Mash (Thomas Herbert)]

On 2013-04-10 13:16+0200, Sebastien Vauban wrote:
> "'Mash Thomas Herbert" wrote:
> > I was wondering if it was possible at all to use like a "variable" within a
> > document that would reference a table cell, and could then be
> > dynamically updated when the table cell was?
> >
> > The reason I ask is that I would like to have have tabular data held
> > in another document and then write my document referencing and
> > including the data within the text, so I only have to change the
> > external data and the document would be updated automatically.
> >
> > Example...
> >
> > #+TBLNAME: example
> > |-----+-----|
> > | Foo | Bar |
> > |-----+-----|
> > |  22 | 43  |
> > |  44 | 54  |
> > |-----+-----|
> >
> > Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, @remote(example,B2) consectetur adipiscing elit. Nullam
> > vehicula lobortis sem, ut viverra lorem elementum quis. Etiam ac lacus
> > eu ante molestie vehicula. Maecenas sed viverra sem. Proin mattis
> > fermentum orci, sed tempus nibh feugiat eget.
> >
> > Would become...
> >
> > Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, 43 consectetur adipiscing elit. Nullam
> > vehicula lobortis sem, ut viverra lorem elementum quis. Etiam ac lacus
> > eu ante molestie vehicula. Maecenas sed viverra sem. Proin mattis
> > fermentum orci, sed tempus nibh feugiat eget.
> >
> > Thoughts?
>
> Use an Org Babel (inline) code block which extracts part of the table. See
> "indexing variables".
>
> Best regards,
>   Seb
>
> --
> Sebastien Vauban
>
>

OK thanks, I have never used Babel at all, but I believe I have found
the inline use.

src_lang[args]{code}

So I thought...

src_emacs-lisp[var: data=example-table[2:1]]{data}

But this does not work.

Two questions...

Am I right in saying even if I do get this to work, it would only
"replace" the inline code blocks (variables) on an export? It wouldn't work like a
hyperlink and "translate" and "hide" the code block underneath the
value?

Sorry I can't think of how to phrase that question better.

Re: Using a table value within the text (dynamic variable)?

[Sebastien Vauban]

"'Mash Thomas Herbert" wrote:
> OK thanks, I have never used Babel at all, but I believe I have found
> the inline use.
>
> src_lang[args]{code}
>
> So I thought...
>
> src_emacs-lisp[var: data=example-table[2:1]]{data}
>
> But this does not work.

  src_emacs-lisp[:var data=example-table[2,1]]{data}  should work (untested)
                 ^                        ^
> Two questions...
>
> Am I right in saying even if I do get this to work, it would only
> "replace" the inline code blocks (variables) on an export?

AFAIK, yes -- I've never really used inline code blocks.

But I think you could intermix real code blocks within paragraphs, if you
don't insert any blank line (= paragraph separator).

Or have a real block doing the work, exposing the answer in your Org buffer,
and have an inline code block to "echo" the answer.

> It wouldn't work like a hyperlink and "translate" and "hide" the code block
> underneath the value?

From what I understand from your question, "no".

Best regards,
  Seb

-- 
Sebastien Vauban

Re: Using a table value within the text (dynamic variable)?

['Mash (Thomas Herbert)]

On 2013-04-10 15:07+0200, Sebastien Vauban wrote:
> "'Mash Thomas Herbert" wrote:
> > OK thanks, I have never used Babel at all, but I believe I have found
> > the inline use.
> >
> > src_lang[args]{code}
> >
> > So I thought...
> >
> > src_emacs-lisp[var: data=example-table[2:1]]{data}
> >
> > But this does not work.
>
>   src_emacs-lisp[:var data=example-table[2,1]]{data}  should work (untested)
>                  ^                        ^
> > Two questions...
> >
> > Am I right in saying even if I do get this to work, it would only
> > "replace" the inline code blocks (variables) on an export?
>
> AFAIK, yes -- I've never really used inline code blocks.
>
> But I think you could intermix real code blocks within paragraphs, if you
> don't insert any blank line (= paragraph separator).
>
> Or have a real block doing the work, exposing the answer in your Org buffer,
> and have an inline code block to "echo" the answer.
>
> > It wouldn't work like a hyperlink and "translate" and "hide" the code block
> > underneath the value?
>
> From what I understand from your question, "no".
>
> Best regards,
>   Seb
>
> --
> Sebastien Vauban
>
>

Thanks for the correction, this works.

src_emacs-lisp[:var data=example[1,1]]{data}

Nice point about separating one code block to do the work and the
inline to echo.

Thinking through this the whole thing, it may be an overkill for my
needs. I am rather going to just use tables in the text to represent
data, rather than describe it directly in a paragraph. As always
though, Org and Babel prove themselves again in terms of possibility.

Thanks again,

'Mash