From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: =?UTF-8?Q?Gustav_Wikstr=C3=B6m?= Subject: Re: Formal description of Org files Date: Sun, 21 Sep 2014 14:10:03 +0200 Message-ID: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Return-path: Received: from eggs.gnu.org ([2001:4830:134:3::10]:58481) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1XVg4m-0003JM-Ox for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Sun, 21 Sep 2014 08:17:13 -0400 Received: from Debian-exim by eggs.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1XVg4l-0002SF-MM for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Sun, 21 Sep 2014 08:17:12 -0400 Received: from mail-pa0-x234.google.com ([2607:f8b0:400e:c03::234]:59941) by eggs.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1XVg4l-0002Qv-Fc for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Sun, 21 Sep 2014 08:17:11 -0400 Received: by mail-pa0-f52.google.com with SMTP id hz1so2851609pad.39 for ; Sun, 21 Sep 2014 05:17:04 -0700 (PDT) List-Id: "General discussions about Org-mode." List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Errors-To: emacs-orgmode-bounces+geo-emacs-orgmode=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Sender: emacs-orgmode-bounces+geo-emacs-orgmode=m.gmane.org@gnu.org To: Org Mode List Hi again list. There was a discussion many years back about a formal description of Org files [1]. In some way that might be achieved now in org-elements, but that still is heavily bound to elisp. So my question is; have there been more discussions of constructing such a formal grammar? Maybe in EBNF form. I suspect getting every aspect of Org mode into such a description would be difficult. But imagine the possibilities. Tools such as ANTLR and similar would straight away have a way of parsing Org mode. Org mode source files could be parsed in many other languages, simplifying the process of expanding Org mode to other platforms ( Android & iOS, web ). Further rant; To me Org mode should be less about Emacs and more about the source file format. Let Emacs be the main carrier, but let Org mode also expand into other domains. One way to simplify this might be to provide the formal description so that other tools might be easier to develop based on this grammar. (For me, the biggest limitation of Org mode is lacking tools to utilize it on the run. The aim of this is thus to feed thoughts on how to simplify processes that can expand Org mode into those "more mobile" domains). Best regards Gustav [1] http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/emacs-orgmode/2011-07/msg01282.html > Hi Jambunathan, > > Jambunathan K writes: > > > A simple worg page that "collects" the low hanging fruits to begin > > with will be a good but firm first step in this direction. > > Indeed. > > It's on my todo list, but not with a high priority for now. > > If you feel like starting it, please go ahead! > > -- > Bastien