Best practices for literate programming [was: Latex export of tables]

[Vikas Rawal <vikaslists@agrarianresearch.org>]

> > I'm suggesting this because if you continue on this path, i.e. litter
> > your Org file with hacks, soon you will end up with an extremely fragile
> > and complicated Org project.  I have been down that road while writing
> > my thesis.  

I see the point. I think there is a need for documenting different
approaches people have used so far to avoid this. I suggest we use
this thread to start a discussion. If we get useful content, it should
perhaps land up somewhere on worg eventually.

> At one point I realised the problem and made the decision to
> > split things into two kinds of files: static content (document
> > structuring, text, plots, etc), and dynamic content (babel, TikZ blocks
> > that generate tables, plots, figures, etc used by the static content
> > files).  It is still reproducible research, but modular and less hacky
> > (hence more stable).

Suvayu,

This is indeed a very neat approach. Would you kindly elaborate?

Would it be too much work for you to get some illustrations from your
work?

In your scheme of things, how do you finally combine the static and
the dynamic content?

Any chance that you could release the source of something like a
chapter of your thesis for people to see? Or may be create something
with dummy content?

> I've been down it too many times myself. The habits I've developed
> over time have helped, but I think they are less systematic than
> what you've devised.

Tom, do tell us more about what these habits are.

>  I'd love to see some notes on your solution as
> a brief tutorial or an expanded FAQ on Worg. 

+1

> I'll be happy to
> contribute or help if you find time to do something like this.

and +1.

Vikas