Completion mechanism for headlines when creating a link between 2 Org files?

Completion mechanism for headlines when creating a link between 2 Org files?

[Alain.Cochard]

Hello.  For internal links, the manual states that

   To insert a link targeting a headline, in-buffer completion can be
   used.  Just type a star followed by a few optional letters into the
   buffer and press ‘M-<TAB>’.  All headlines in the current buffer
   are offered as completions."

Is there a similar mechanism for links from one Org file to a headline
of another Org file?  In the 'Handling Links' section of the manual:

   C-c C-l (org-insert-link)

       [...]

       Completion support

	   Completion with TAB helps you to insert valid link prefixes
	   like ‘http’ or ‘ftp’, including the prefixes defined
	   through link abbreviations (see Link Abbreviations). If you
	   press RET after inserting only the prefix, Org offers
	   specific completion support for some link types.

but, after I complete for a given file, I cannot find a way to further
complete for a specific (sub)headline.  Is there a way that I missed,
even after searching the Internet a bit?

If not, I am making it a feature request.  Indeed it would be great,
especially if one does not really remember where, in a (known) file,
the headline is, nor --even more importantly-- what its name exactly
is.

(In my naive view, as the completion mechanism already exists for
internal files, it should be easy to extend it for external files...)

Regards

Re: Completion mechanism for headlines when creating a link between 2 Org files?

[Ihor Radchenko]

Alain.Cochard@unistra.fr writes:

>    C-c C-l (org-insert-link)
>
>        [...]
>
>        Completion support
>
> 	   Completion with TAB helps you to insert valid link prefixes
> 	   like ‘http’ or ‘ftp’, including the prefixes defined
> 	   through link abbreviations (see Link Abbreviations). If you
> 	   press RET after inserting only the prefix, Org offers
> 	   specific completion support for some link types.
>
> but, after I complete for a given file, I cannot find a way to further
> complete for a specific (sub)headline.  Is there a way that I missed,
> even after searching the Internet a bit?

You would need to extend the default file: link completion function -
`org-link-complete-file'.

You can override it with any custom function:

(org-link-set-parameters "file" :complete #'your-custom-completion-function)

> If not, I am making it a feature request.  Indeed it would be great,
> especially if one does not really remember where, in a (known) file,
> the headline is, nor --even more importantly-- what its name exactly
> is.
>
> (In my naive view, as the completion mechanism already exists for
> internal files, it should be easy to extend it for external files...)

It is, although even more common request is simply inserting a link to a
heading in _a_ file (not known).

-- 
Ihor Radchenko // yantar92,
Org mode contributor,
Learn more about Org mode at <https://orgmode.org/>.
Support Org development at <https://liberapay.com/org-mode>,
or support my work at <https://liberapay.com/yantar92>

Re: Completion mechanism for headlines when creating a link between 2 Org files?

[David Masterson]

Alain.Cochard@unistra.fr writes:

> (In my naive view, as the completion mechanism already exists for
> internal files, it should be easy to extend it for external files...)

I believe the auto-complete package will do that.

-- 
David Masterson