Column mode a whole file

Column mode a whole file

[Ethan]

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Hi!

I've been playing with org-mode column view (org version 6.28trans, fresh
from git!) and working my way through the Org manual to try to understand
this tool and see what neat tricks I can pick up by using it. Today I have
been playing with column view.

Column view by default only shows a single subtree. In order to do column
mode over an entire buffer, you have to have text before the first headline,
and go there. It seems to me that the usefulness of showing a single subtree
is more limited than showing the whole buffer in column view. (This seems to
be confirmed by the fact that in Agenda mode, C-c C-x C-c brings up column
mode over the whole file.) But as far as I can tell, there's no way to force
a whole-buffer approach -- not by a special function, not by invoking with a
special argument, and as far as I can tell not by hacking up a simple
function (assuming there isn't text already before your first headline).

I guess what I'd like to know is: what am I missing? Do most users only do
column view over subtrees? Is column view really only used in agenda view?
Do all org users keep text at the top of their files to specify file
settings, and just use that? Is there a simple way to column-view a whole
file that I'm missing?

Thanks!

Ethan

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Re: Column mode a whole file

[Sebastian Rose]

Ethan <ethan.glasser.camp@gmail.com> writes:

> Hi!
>
> I've been playing with org-mode column view (org version 6.28trans, fresh
> from git!) and working my way through the Org manual to try to understand
> this tool and see what neat tricks I can pick up by using it. Today I have
> been playing with column view.
>
> Column view by default only shows a single subtree. In order to do column
> mode over an entire buffer, you have to have text before the first headline,
> and go there.

An empty line is enough.


   Sebastian

Re: Column mode a whole file

[Bastien]

Sebastian Rose <sebastian_rose@gmx.de> writes:

>> Column view by default only shows a single subtree. In order to do column
>> mode over an entire buffer, you have to have text before the first headline,
>> and go there.

I would guess that having text before the first headline is quite a
common pattern.  Adding one is not that much work either.  Does this 
requirement is okay for you?  

> An empty line is enough.

As well, yes.

-- 
 Bastien

Re: Column mode a whole file

[Ethan]

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On Thu, Jul 30, 2009 at 7:55 PM, Bastien <bastienguerry@googlemail.com>wrote:

> Sebastian Rose <sebastian_rose@gmx.de> writes:
>
> >> Column view by default only shows a single subtree. In order to do
> column
> >> mode over an entire buffer, you have to have text before the first
> headline,
> >> and go there.
>
> I would guess that having text before the first headline is quite a
> common pattern.  Adding one is not that much work either.  Does this
> requirement is okay for you?
>

Yes, that's a fine answer. The only thing I would suggest is that maybe it
should go in the manual (in the section about outlines and headlines) that
most people put some text before the first headline.

Also, I think the documentation on column view could be improved. I think
you should start the section by saying how to activate it (go to beginning
of file and C-c C-x C-c). The summary given is currently:

C-c C-x C-c
    Create the column view for the local environment. This command searches
the hierarchy, up from point, for a :COLUMNS: property that defines a
format. When one is found, the column view table is established for the
entire tree, starting from the entry that contains the :COLUMNS: property.
If none is found, the format is taken from the #+COLUMNS line or from the
variable org-columns-default-format, and column view is established for the
current entry and its subtree.

I found this somewhat hard to understand (what is included by the "local
environment"? Which is the "entire tree"? Why did it only create a column
view for the headline I was on? Why is #+COLUMNS different from the
:COLUMNS: property?).

Thanks!

Ethan

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Re: Column mode a whole file

[Carsten Dominik]

On Jul 31, 2009, at 6:22 AM, Ethan wrote:

> On Thu, Jul 30, 2009 at 7:55 PM, Bastien  
> <bastienguerry@googlemail.com> wrote:
> Sebastian Rose <sebastian_rose@gmx.de> writes:
>
> >> Column view by default only shows a single subtree. In order to  
> do column
> >> mode over an entire buffer, you have to have text before the  
> first headline,
> >> and go there.
>
> I would guess that having text before the first headline is quite a
> common pattern.  Adding one is not that much work either.  Does this
> requirement is okay for you?
>
> Yes, that's a fine answer. The only thing I would suggest is that  
> maybe it should go in the manual (in the section about outlines and  
> headlines) that most people put some text before the first headline.
>
> Also, I think the documentation on column view could be improved. I  
> think you should start the section by saying how to activate it (go  
> to beginning of file and C-c C-x C-c). The summary given is currently:
>
> C-c C-x C-c
>     Create the column view for the local environment. This command  
> searches the hierarchy, up from point, for a :COLUMNS: property that  
> defines a format. When one is found, the column view table is  
> established for the entire tree, starting from the entry that  
> contains the :COLUMNS: property. If none is found, the format is  
> taken from the #+COLUMNS line or from the variable org-columns- 
> default-format, and column view is established for the current entry  
> and its subtree.
>
> I found this somewhat hard to understand (what is included by the  
> "local environment"? Which is the "entire tree"? Why did it only  
> create a column view for the headline I was on? Why is #+COLUMNS  
> different from the :COLUMNS: property?).

I have improved the documentation of `C-c C-x C-c'.

Thanks.

- Carsten