indirect buffer for properties

indirect buffer for properties

[Michael Brand]

Hi all

What do you think about an indirect buffer for properties (or is there
already one I don't know of yet?) that lets one view and maybe even
edit all properties of the typically folded current heading of the
primary buffer in an indirect buffer? It could be named "properties
editor", defuned org-properties-to-indirect-buffer and work like
org-tree-to-indirect-buffer (C-c C-x b) with the additional feature of
changing the scope to the properties of the current heading when
moving in the primary buffer, just like the field content of the new
org-table-follow-field-mode for the "table field editor" introduced
here:
http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.orgmode/41584/focus=41846

An Org file:

#+begin_src org
  ,* section
  ,** [#B] subsection
  ,   :PROPERTIES:
  ,   :prop:     short
  ,   :property_with_long_key: property_with_long_value
  ,   :END:
#+end_src

opened in the state org-content and with point at "subsection" could
show the indirect buffer for properties like this:

/---------------------------------------------------/
/ * section                                         /
/ ** [#B] subsection...                             /
/                                                   /
/------ (the primary Org buffer) -------------------/
/ :PRIORITY: B                                      /
/ :prop:     short                                  /
/ :property_with_long_key: property_with_long_value /
/                                                   /
/------ (the indirect buffer for properties) -------/

Of course there are TAB on ":PROPERTIES:..." and column view but
wouldn't this be very helpful at least for fast browsing of properties
for use cases with longer properties or with a larger amount of
properties in a single heading?

Michael

Re: indirect buffer for properties

[Bernt Hansen]

Michael Brand <michael.ch.brand@gmail.com> writes:

> What do you think about an indirect buffer for properties (or is there
> already one I don't know of yet?) that lets one view and maybe even
> edit all properties of the typically folded current heading of the
> primary buffer in an indirect buffer? 

I just use C-c C-x p with IDO completion to show property names.  This
shows the current value if any and allows editing the value.  Does this
do what you want?

-Bernt

Re: indirect buffer for properties

[Michael Brand]

Hi Bernt

Thanks for the suggestion. "C-c C-x p" with completion is perfect
for me to _edit_ a certain outline item and one of its
properties.

But I would also like the possibility to fast _walk through_ an
outline tree to only see _all_ properties per item _at a glance_.

The idea was to have a "primary Org buffer" (see below), opened
e. g. in the state org-content, and a second "indirect buffer for
properties" (see below) to show all the properties of the item
where the point in the primary buffer is currently in. Moving up
and down in the primary buffer would automatically update the
indirect buffer to follow the current item. Possibly _edit_ a
property here and there in the indirect buffer would be a nice
add-on as an alternative to "C-c C-x p" for some cases but not
the main purpose.

/---------------------------------------------------/
/ * section                                         /
/ ** [#C] first subsection...                       /
/ ** [#B] second subsection...                      /
/ ** DONE third subsection...                       /
/                                                   /
/------ (the primary Org buffer) -------------------/
/ :ITEM:     second subsection                      /
/ :PRIORITY: B                                      /
/ :prop:     short value                            /
/ :property_with_long_key: property with long value /
/ [... many more custom properties ...]             /
/                                                   /
/------ (the indirect buffer for properties) -------/

This idea is inspired by org-tree-to-indirect-buffer (C-c C-x b)
and the recently introduced org-table-follow-field-mode with its
thread about truncated long lines in tables:
http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.orgmode/41584

Michael

On Tue, May 24, 2011 at 15:17, Bernt Hansen <bernt@norang.ca> wrote:
> Michael Brand <michael.ch.brand@gmail.com> writes:
>> What do you think about an indirect buffer for properties (or is there
>> already one I don't know of yet?) that lets one view and maybe even
>> edit all properties of the typically folded current heading of the
>> primary buffer in an indirect buffer?
>
> I just use C-c C-x p with IDO completion to show property names.  This
> shows the current value if any and allows editing the value.  Does this
> do what you want?