Re: Illiterate programming question

["Eric Schulte" <schulte.eric@gmail.com>]

Robert Goldman <rpgoldman@sift.info> writes:

> On 3/30/11 Mar 30 -4:33 PM, Nick Dokos wrote:
>> Robert Goldman <rpgoldman@sift.info> wrote:
>> 
>>> I would like to do the opposite of literate programming (hence the
>>> subject line!):
>>>
>>> I would like to pull into my org file snippets from a code file.  I know
>>> that org-mode will let me import /entire/ source code files.  Is there
>>> some way to say "Import the region of this file between these two
>>> delimiters?"
>>>
>>> If not, do you think it would be hard to add this feature?  I already
>>> have the snappy name, after all!
>>>
>> 
>> I don't really understand: can't you cut and paste?
>
> Yes, but if I cut and paste the text of the code that I am describing
> may change out from under my text.  If I import the code, it stays in
> sync (at least when the document is exported).
>

Babel does have a way to bring changes back from pure source code into
code blocks in an Org-mode document.  While it isn't perfect (especially
if you make extensive use of noweb references or variables) there are
mechanisms to maintain such a /sync/.  To try this out, tangle out code
with the ":comments yes" header argument, then change an element of the
tangled source code, and use the `org-babel-detangle' function to bring
the changes back into the Org-mode document.

Improving the detangling (or "illiterate") features is an area ripe for
future Babel development.

Cheers -- Eric