Capture template stopped working: nil

Capture template stopped working: nil

[Florian Lindner]

Hello,

since recently, one of my capture templates stopped working. Message is:

Template key:
org-capture: Capture template ‘j’: nil

and:

- %?

is added to journal.org. I have also tried some other template text like "foo" (without any keys), but the message is the same.

value of org-capture-templates is:

 (("t" "Todo" entry
  (file+headline "" "Tasks")
  "* TODO %?\n%t\n%i")
 ("q" "Question" entry
  (file+headline "" "Questions")
  "* %?\n%t\n%i")
 ("c" "Code Question" entry
  (file+headline "" "Code Questions")
  "* %?\n%t %F\n%i")
 ("j" "Journal" item
  (file+datetree
   (concat org-directory "/journal.org"))
  "%?\n%i" :kill-buffer t)
 ("m" "Mail" entry
  (file+headline "" "Mail")
  "* TODO %? %a\nSCHEDULED: %(org-insert-time-stamp (org-read-date nil t \"+0d\"))\nFrom: %:from")
 ("h" "CSC Todo" entry
  (file+headline "~/Dropbox/CSC/CSC.org" "TODOs")
  "* TODO %?\n%t\n%i"))


All templates are working just fine, only the Journal one not.

Org mode version 9.0.9 (9.0.9-elpa @ /home/florian/.emacs.d/elpa/org-20170622/)

Any idea anyone?

Thanks!
Florian

Re: Capture template stopped working: nil

[Nicolas Goaziou]

Hello,

Florian Lindner <mailinglists@xgm.de> writes:


> since recently, one of my capture templates stopped working. Message is:
>
> Template key:
> org-capture: Capture template ‘j’: nil
>
> and:
>
> - %?
>
> is added to journal.org. I have also tried some other template text like "foo" (without any keys), but the message is the same.
>
> value of org-capture-templates is:

>  ("j" "Journal" item
>   (file+datetree
>    (concat org-directory "/journal.org"))

It should be (lambda () (concat org-directory "/journal.org")).

See ORG-NEWS.

Regards,

-- 
Nicolas Goaziou

Re: Capture template stopped working: nil

[Florian Lindner]

Am 25.06.2017 um 21:09 schrieb Nicolas Goaziou:
> Hello,
> 
> Florian Lindner <mailinglists@xgm.de> writes:
> 
> 
>> since recently, one of my capture templates stopped working. Message is:
>>
>> Template key:
>> org-capture: Capture template ‘j’: nil
>>
>> and:
>>
>> - %?
>>
>> is added to journal.org. I have also tried some other template text like "foo" (without any keys), but the message is the same.
>>
>> value of org-capture-templates is:
> 
>>  ("j" "Journal" item
>>   (file+datetree
>>    (concat org-directory "/journal.org"))
> 
> It should be (lambda () (concat org-directory "/journal.org")).
> 
> See ORG-NEWS.

Hey,

ok, found it there.

However, it seems that I don't need it anyways, since "When an absolute path is not specified for a target, it is taken as relative to ‘org-directory’."

So, I changed it to:

 ("j" "Journal" item
  (file+datetree "journal.org")
  "%?\n%i" :kill-buffer t)

which still gives the same error.

Sorry... what is still wrong there?

Best,
Florian

Re: Capture template stopped working: nil

[Bastien]

Hi Nicolas,

Nicolas Goaziou <mail@nicolasgoaziou.fr> writes:

> It should be (lambda () (concat org-directory "/journal.org")).
>
> See ORG-NEWS.

What is the reason for this change?

Thanks,

-- 
 Bastien

Re: Capture template stopped working: nil

[Nicolas Goaziou]

Hello,

Bastien <bzg@gnu.org> writes:

> Hi Nicolas,
>
> Nicolas Goaziou <mail@nicolasgoaziou.fr> writes:
>
>> It should be (lambda () (concat org-directory "/journal.org")).
>>
>> See ORG-NEWS.
>
> What is the reason for this change?

I don't like `eval' in the code base.

Regards,

-- 
Nicolas Goaziou

Re: Capture template stopped working: nil

[Bastien Guerry]

Hi Nicolas,

Nicolas Goaziou <mail@nicolasgoaziou.fr> writes:

>> What is the reason for this change?
>
> I don't like `eval' in the code base.

May I ask you why `eval' in the code base is problematic?

This change may break current configurations.  Such changes should
be made with extreme parcimony and for very consensual reasons.

-- 
 Bastien

Re: Capture template stopped working: nil

[Nicolas Goaziou]

Bastien Guerry <bzg@gnu.org> writes:

> May I ask you why `eval' in the code base is problematic?

Because 1. it is hideous, 2. it doesn't cope well with lexical binding.

Using `eval' should be made with extreme parcimony and for very
consensual reasons.

> This change may break current configurations.  Such changes should
> be made with extreme parcimony and for very consensual reasons.

The breakage is trivial to fix, as specified in the ORG-NEWS file.

Regards,

Re: Capture template stopped working: nil

[Florian Lindner]

Hey Nicolas, hey Bastien,

might you give a hint why

 ("j" "Journal" item
  (file+datetree "journal.org")
  "%?\n%i" :kill-buffer t)

which still gives the same error: org-capture: Capture template ‘j’: nil

Thanks a lot,
Florian

Am 25.06.2017 um 21:23 schrieb Florian Lindner:
> Am 25.06.2017 um 21:09 schrieb Nicolas Goaziou:
>> Hello,
>>
>> Florian Lindner <mailinglists@xgm.de> writes:
>>
>>
>>> since recently, one of my capture templates stopped working. Message is:
>>>
>>> Template key:
>>> org-capture: Capture template ‘j’: nil
>>>
>>> and:
>>>
>>> - %?
>>>
>>> is added to journal.org. I have also tried some other template text like "foo" (without any keys), but the message is the same.
>>>
>>> value of org-capture-templates is:
>>
>>>  ("j" "Journal" item
>>>   (file+datetree
>>>    (concat org-directory "/journal.org"))
>>
>> It should be (lambda () (concat org-directory "/journal.org")).
>>
>> See ORG-NEWS.
> 
> Hey,
> 
> ok, found it there.
> 
> However, it seems that I don't need it anyways, since "When an absolute path is not specified for a target, it is taken as relative to ‘org-directory’."
> 
> So, I changed it to:
> 
>  ("j" "Journal" item
>   (file+datetree "journal.org")
>   "%?\n%i" :kill-buffer t)
> 
> which still gives the same error.
> 
> Sorry... what is still wrong there?
> 
> Best,
> Florian
> 

Re: Capture template stopped working: nil

[Alan Schmitt]

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Hello,

"FL" == Florian Lindner <mailinglists@xgm.de> writes:

FL> Hey Nicolas, hey Bastien,
FL> might you give a hint why

FL>  ("j" "Journal" item
FL>   (file+datetree "journal.org")
FL>   "%?\n%i" :kill-buffer t)

FL> which still gives the same error: org-capture: Capture template ‘j’: nil

I'm having the same problem (see the thread "Capture template 'C':
nil"), also with an "item" template. I suspect there is a bug in that
specific case (since "entry" template works fine) where one must
specify the full path of the file.

The really surprising thing is that org actually finds the file (there
is text appended to it).

Alan

-- 
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Re: Capture template stopped working: nil

[Bastien]

Hi Nicolas,

Nicolas Goaziou <mail@nicolasgoaziou.fr> writes:

> Bastien Guerry <bzg@gnu.org> writes:
>
>> May I ask you why `eval' in the code base is problematic?
>
> Because 1. it is hideous, 2. it doesn't cope well with lexical
> binding.

Can you provide with an example on how `eval' can lead to trouble
due to lexical binding for the org-capture configuration?

I'm trying to understand.

> Using `eval' should be made with extreme parcimony and for very
> consensual reasons.

Yes, but unless we fix a realistic bug, not bothering the user with
backward-incompatible changes should take over IMHO.

Thanks for further details!

-- 
 Bastien

Re: Capture template stopped working: nil

[Nicolas Goaziou]

Hello,

Florian Lindner <mailinglists@xgm.de> writes:

> might you give a hint why
>
>  ("j" "Journal" item
>   (file+datetree "journal.org")
>   "%?\n%i" :kill-buffer t)
>
> which still gives the same error: org-capture: Capture template ‘j’:
> nil

Fixed. Thank you.

Regards,

-- 
Nicolas Goaziou

Re: Capture template stopped working: nil

[Nicolas Goaziou]

Hello,

Bastien <bzg@gnu.org> writes:

> Nicolas Goaziou <mail@nicolasgoaziou.fr> writes:
>
>> Bastien Guerry <bzg@gnu.org> writes:
>>
>>> May I ask you why `eval' in the code base is problematic?
>>
>> Because 1. it is hideous, 2. it doesn't cope well with lexical
>> binding.
>
> Can you provide with an example on how `eval' can lead to trouble
> due to lexical binding for the org-capture configuration?
>
> I'm trying to understand.

I never said `eval' could lead to trouble due to lexical binding in Org
capture configuration. I said `eval' is a problem in the code base,
notwithstanding its location.

Moreover, allowing Sexp in a capture template is really abusing
homoiconicity of the language. As soon as the S-exp becomes mildly
complex, the resulting template is unreadable. OTOH, using a function
right from the start clarifies the structure of the template. The
occasional `(concat a b)' is not a sufficient reason, IMO, to allow
`eval' there. We should encourage saner practices.

>> Using `eval' should be made with extreme parcimony and for very
>> consensual reasons.
>
> Yes, but unless we fix a realistic bug, not bothering the user with
> backward-incompatible changes should take over IMHO.

Let's consider `eval' in the code base a coding design bug, then.
A clearer code base (e.g., more comments, less obscure variable names,
more expressive syntax) is something we should strive for.

Anyway, this is a rather small incompatible change we're talking about
here. In particular, it doesn't change document syntax. It's
a straightforward modification of some configuration. Not as bad as it
sounds, really. Note we already did the same for `org-file-apps' in Org
9.0 (although the reason was different).

Regards,

-- 
Nicolas Goaziou