Re: Using org-mode for Research and Notetaking

[Nicolas Goaziou <n.goaziou@gmail.com>]

Hello,

Bastien <bzg@altern.org> writes:

> I'm talking about the way they _look_.  So many asterisks looks
> cumbersome to mee, and I'd favor a non-intrusive syntax like the 
> one proposed above.
>
> My question was: what is the rationale behind using so many asterisks?
>
> I can think of three things:
>
> 1. people want inline tasks with possibly no TODO keyword
> 2. people prefer to detect them *very easily*
> 3. changing the syntax of inline tasks from changing todos
>    (like !TODO) is too complicated code-wise

4. people do not want to break the main flow of text. By default, the
   text in the inline task starts at the 15th column.
  
> My proposal is this:
>
> - enforce the use of TODO keywords in inline tasks (wrt 1)

I think it is an unnecessary restriction. I remember some people use
inline tasks without even a title (they only write the stars).

IMO, inline tasks are used in two distinct fashions. Obviously, one is
to use them as tasks. The other one is to use them as marginal notes,
like drawers with a title. Let's not forget that second category, unless
we provide an alternative solution for them, i.e. an annotation system.

> - make a special face for inline tasks (wrt 2)

I think it is a good idea.

>> Your proposition would be (very) nice when we don't have to link a
>> note to the task.
>
> My change would affect the content you can add to inline tasks and 
> the way they are treated by exporters.

For the record, there is also a degenerated version of inline tasks in
which "*************** END" is optional. Those cannot hold any contents,
though.

Regards,

-- 
Nicolas Goaziou