Copy/Search Outline

Copy/Search Outline

[Florian Beck]

Hi all,

when working with outlines (tabbing until CONTENTS), there are two
things I cannot figure out:

Firstly, I want to copy the *visible* text (minus the …, but never mind
that); secondly, I want to be able to search only the visible text.

More generally (and less org specific), how do I restrict commands to
the visible parts of the buffer?

TIA

-- 
Florian Beck

Re: Copy/Search Outline

[Bastien]

Hi Florian,

Florian Beck <abstraktion@t-online.de> writes:

> Firstly, I want to copy the *visible* text (minus the …, but never mind
> that); secondly, I want to be able to search only the visible text.
>
> More generally (and less org specific), how do I restrict commands to
> the visible parts of the buffer?

Sorry to drop the question like this, but IMHO this is more a request
for Emacs hackers than for Orgers.  Could you keep us posted about any
answer you get?

Thanks!

-- 
 Bastien

Re: Copy/Search Outline

[Christian Moe]

On 7/22/11 10:20 PM, Florian Beck wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> when working with outlines (tabbing until CONTENTS), there are two
> things I cannot figure out:
>
> Firstly, I want to copy the *visible* text (minus the …, but never mind
> that);

C-c C-e v [SPACE]
C-x h M-w
C-x k

In other words: Begin exporting only the visible part with `C-c C-e 
v', then press space at the prompt for output formats. This leaves you 
in a second buffer with a copy of the visible part (and yes, you do 
get rid of the ellipses). Then select all with `C-c h' (alternately, 
select the region of your choice) and copy. Kill the copy buffer when 
you're done with it.

You may want to record a keyboard macro if you need this often.

> secondly, I want to be able to search only the visible text.

You can do that, albeit only in a copy of your document in a separate 
buffer, with the approach above. But why would you want to? Perhaps if 
you state a use case, someone can point out a different approach.

> More generally (and less org specific), how do I restrict commands to
> the visible parts of the buffer?

I don't know.

Yours,
Christian

Re: Copy/Search Outline

[Christian Moe]

On 7/26/11 8:35 AM, Christian Moe wrote:
> Then select all with `C-c h' (alternately,

Typo, sorry. I meant `C-x h'.

cm

Re: Copy/Search Outline

[Florian Beck]

Christian Moe <mail@christianmoe.com> writes:

>> Firstly, I want to copy the *visible* text (minus the …, but never mind
>> that);

> In other words: Begin exporting only the visible part with `C-c C-e 
> v', then press space at the prompt for output formats. This leaves you
> in a second buffer with a copy of the visible part (and yes, you do
> get rid of the ellipses). Then select all with `C-c h' (alternately,
> select the region of your choice) and copy. Kill the copy buffer when
> you're done with it.

Thanks. Seems like `org-export-visible' does exactly what I want.

I also wrote a function to copy the visible part of the region. For
those curious:

(defun copy-visible (beg end)
  (interactive "r")
  (let ((text "") s)
    (save-excursion
      (save-restriction
	(narrow-to-region beg end)
	(setq s (goto-char (point-min)))
	(while (not (= (point) (point-max)))
	  (goto-char (org-find-invisible))
	  (setq text (concat text (buffer-substring s (point))))
	  (setq s (goto-char (org-find-visible))))))
    (kill-new text)))



>> secondly, I want to be able to search only the visible text.
>
> You can do that, albeit only in a copy of your document in a separate
> buffer, with the approach above. But why would you want to? Perhaps if
> you state a use case, someone can point out a different approach.

Actually (as I just found out) you can do it very easily by setting the
variable `search-invisible' no nil (found in isearch.el).

>
>> More generally (and less org specific), how do I restrict commands to
>> the visible parts of the buffer?
>
> I don't know.

I guess it's not possible because commands work on the buffer and
usually do not know about viviblity. Maybe something like
`with-visible-buffer' could be proposed – but now with searching and
copying working, I do not really have a use case.

Thanks again.


-- 
Florian Beck

Re: Copy/Search Outline

[Carsten Dominik]

On Jul 26, 2011, at 11:30 AM, Florian Beck wrote:

> Christian Moe <mail@christianmoe.com> writes:
> 
>>> Firstly, I want to copy the *visible* text (minus the …, but never mind
>>> that);
> 
>> In other words: Begin exporting only the visible part with `C-c C-e 
>> v', then press space at the prompt for output formats. This leaves you
>> in a second buffer with a copy of the visible part (and yes, you do
>> get rid of the ellipses). Then select all with `C-c h' (alternately,
>> select the region of your choice) and copy. Kill the copy buffer when
>> you're done with it.
> 
> Thanks. Seems like `org-export-visible' does exactly what I want.
> 
> I also wrote a function to copy the visible part of the region. For
> those curious:
> 
> (defun copy-visible (beg end)
>  (interactive "r")
>  (let ((text "") s)
>    (save-excursion
>      (save-restriction
> 	(narrow-to-region beg end)
> 	(setq s (goto-char (point-min)))
> 	(while (not (= (point) (point-max)))
> 	  (goto-char (org-find-invisible))
> 	  (setq text (concat text (buffer-substring s (point))))
> 	  (setq s (goto-char (org-find-visible))))))
>    (kill-new text)))

This is a very useful function, thanks!  I have added it
to org-mode as `org-copy-visible', currently without a key
binding.

To speed it up a bit, you made it collect the snippets into
a list and then do the concat in one sweep - this might make a
difference for large buffers.

Cheers

- Carsten

Re: Copy/Search Outline

[Carsten Dominik]

On Jul 26, 2011, at 11:54 AM, Carsten Dominik wrote:

> 
> On Jul 26, 2011, at 11:30 AM, Florian Beck wrote:
> 
>> Christian Moe <mail@christianmoe.com> writes:
>> 
>>>> Firstly, I want to copy the *visible* text (minus the …, but never mind
>>>> that);
>> 
>>> In other words: Begin exporting only the visible part with `C-c C-e 
>>> v', then press space at the prompt for output formats. This leaves you
>>> in a second buffer with a copy of the visible part (and yes, you do
>>> get rid of the ellipses). Then select all with `C-c h' (alternately,
>>> select the region of your choice) and copy. Kill the copy buffer when
>>> you're done with it.
>> 
>> Thanks. Seems like `org-export-visible' does exactly what I want.
>> 
>> I also wrote a function to copy the visible part of the region. For
>> those curious:
>> 
>> (defun copy-visible (beg end)
>> (interactive "r")
>> (let ((text "") s)
>>   (save-excursion
>>     (save-restriction
>> 	(narrow-to-region beg end)
>> 	(setq s (goto-char (point-min)))
>> 	(while (not (= (point) (point-max)))
>> 	  (goto-char (org-find-invisible))
>> 	  (setq text (concat text (buffer-substring s (point))))
>> 	  (setq s (goto-char (org-find-visible))))))
>>   (kill-new text)))
> 
> This is a very useful function, thanks!  I have added it
> to org-mode as `org-copy-visible', currently without a key
> binding.

Ando now there is a key (C-c C-x v) and a menu entry,
and documentation in manual and refcard for it.

Thanks again.

- Carsten


> 
> To speed it up a bit, you made it collect the snippets into
> a list and then do the concat in one sweep - this might make a
> difference for large buffers.
> 
> Cheers
> 
> - Carsten

- Carsten

Re: Copy/Search Outline

[Bastien]

Carsten Dominik <carsten.dominik@gmail.com> writes:

>> This is a very useful function, thanks!  I have added it
>> to org-mode as `org-copy-visible', currently without a key
>> binding.
>
> Ando now there is a key (C-c C-x v) and a menu entry,
> and documentation in manual and refcard for it.

Great, thanks to both of you!

-- 
 Bastien

Re: Copy/Search Outline

[Christian Moe]

I post a howto over my morning coffee at 8:38am. By 11:30am, Florian 
has encapsulated it into a neat function with added goodies. Within 40 
minutes, Carsten reports

>> there is a key (C-c C-x v) and a menu entry,
>> and documentation in manual and refcard for it.

Gotta love this community.

Yours,
Christian