Re: [RFC] DOCT: Declarative Org Capture Templates

[Nicolas Goaziou <mail@nicolasgoaziou.fr>]

Hello,

No Wayman <iarchivedmywholelife@gmail.com> writes:

> * [RFC] DOCT: Declarative Org Capture Templates

Thank you for your work. 

I have some comments.

Disclaimer: I am only using very basic capture templates. So, I cannot
comment realistically on the new syntax you suggest. In particular, the
example you give is way too complex for me to understand the benefits of
your syntax. I suggest to start out with showing simple use-cases.

Anyway, I hope more advanced capture template users can chime in and
comment your design.

My beginner questions are the following :

- Is it compatible with the current syntax? If it isn't, is there a way
  to ease transition to the new syntax?

- Is it simple to use on simple use-cases?

- Is it more capable than the current syntax, i.e., does it handle
  situations that are not possible, even in a convoluted way, currently?

> - DOCT validates templates before runtime execution.
>
> For exmaple, you have a template with an entry type of `'entry' 
> and you forget the leading star in the template string.
> Days later you go to use that template. It's borked.

This is different from introducing a new syntax for capture templates.

Actually, `org-insert-place-item' and `org-capture-place-table-line'
both try to fix misshaped templates already. OTOH
`org-capture-place-entry' merely calls `org-capture-verify-tree' on the
template, i.e., it barfs if the template is ill-defined. It is
a discrepancy we could fix independently on your new syntax.

I invite you to propose a patch for `org-capture-place-entry' so it does
a better job at fixing the initial template, if needed. I'll gladly
apply it.


Regards,

-- 
Nicolas Goaziou