Re: narrowing to subtree in navi-mode

[Thorsten Jolitz <tjolitz@gmail.com>]

Matt Price <moptop99@gmail.com> writes:

Hi Matt, 

> I am trying to rewrite my org-writers-mode to use a navi-mode buffer
> as a guide for the org-mode buffer
>
> In navi-mode, it is possible to narrow the original ("twin)) buffer
> using the quick ommand "r".  However, doing so also narrows the
> navi-mode buffer, so that only the current heading is visible.

But this is a big advantage in IMO. E.g. when using navi-mode to explore
org.el, a giant file with lots of headlines and many functions and vars
in each subtree, its very useful to quickly restrict search to the
subtree at point and then use e.g. f and v for viewing functions and
variables in that subtree. Otherwise you would see a narrowed original
buffer in one window, but hundreds of functions (most of them not in the
narrowed subtree) when you type f in the *Navi* buffer.

> I would like to keep the full tree visible in the navi-mode buffer
> while narrowing the original org buffer.  I wonder if this is
> possible? In particular, I wonder if I am confronting an underlying
> limitation in occur-mode, on which navi-mode is based.

Actually navi-mode does nothing special wrt to narrowing, and a quick
search in occur-mode (replace.el)  gave no match for 'narrow' or
'restriction' or so. I think this is just basic Emacs behaviour for most
functions to only act on the visible parts of the buffer. 

I would try to (partly) achieve your goal with visibility cycling: with
point in the *Navi* buffer, use <BACKTAB> to globally cycle the
associated Org-buffer into the states OVERVIEW or CONTENTS, then move
point in the *Navi* buffer to the headline your are interested in and use
<TAB> to locally cycle this headline to state SHOW ALL.

Not a perfect solution, but yields a folded Org file with only one
headline unfolded, while all navi searches still act on the whole file.

-- 
cheers,
Thorsten