Re: Context-sensitive word count in org mode (elisp)

[Paul Sexton <psexton@xnet.co.nz>]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Here is version 2.

Improvements:
- ignores source code blocks
- ignores tags and TODO keywords in headings
- ignores footnotes by default (option to force counting them)
- skips any sections tagged as not for export
- option to count words in latex macro arguments (they are ignored
  by default)

I would still like to count hyperlink descriptions but am not sure
how -- is there a function that fetches the description of the hyperlink
at point?

Paul

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(defun org-word-count (beg end
                           &optional count-latex-macro-args?
                           count-footnotes?)
  "Report the number of words in the Org mode buffer or selected region.
Ignores:
- comments
- tables
- source code blocks (#+BEGIN_SRC ... #+END_SRC, and inline blocks)
- hyperlinks
- tags, priorities, and TODO keywords in headers
- sections tagged as 'not for export'.

The text of footnote definitions is ignored, unless the optional argument
COUNT-FOOTNOTES? is non-nil.

If the optional argument COUNT-LATEX-MACRO-ARGS? is non-nil, the word count
includes LaTeX macro arguments (the material between {curly braces}).
Otherwise, and by default, every LaTeX macro counts as 1 word regardless
of its arguments."
  (interactive "r")
  (unless mark-active
    (setf beg (point-min)
	  end (point-max)))
  (let ((wc 0)
	(latex-macro-regexp "\\\\[A-Za-z]+\\(\\[[^]]*\\]\\|\\){\\([^}]*\\)}"))
    (save-excursion
      (goto-char beg)
      (while (< (point) end)
        (re-search-forward "\\w+\\W*")
        (cond
         ;; Ignore comments.
         ((or (org-in-commented-line) (org-at-table-p))
          nil)
         ;; Ignore hyperlinks.
         ;; TODO need to count text of the link's description.
         ((looking-at org-any-link-re)
          (goto-char (match-end 0)))
         ;; Ignore source code blocks.
         ((org-in-regexps-block-p "^#\\+BEGIN_SRC\\W" "^#\\+END_SRC\\W")
          nil)
         ;; Ignore inline source blocks, counting them as 1 word.
         ((save-excursion
            (backward-char)
            (looking-at org-babel-inline-src-block-regexp))
          (goto-char (match-end 0))
          (setf wc (+ 2 wc)))
         ;; Count latex macros as 1 word, ignoring their arguments.
         ((save-excursion
            (backward-char)
            (looking-at latex-macro-regexp))
          (goto-char (if count-latex-macro-args?
                         (match-beginning 2)
                       (match-end 0)))
          (setf wc (+ 2 wc)))
         ;; Ignore footnotes.
         ((and (not count-footnotes?)
               (or (org-footnote-at-definition-p)
                   (org-footnote-at-reference-p)))
          nil)
         (t
          (let ((contexts (org-context)))
            (cond
             ;; Ignore tags and TODO keywords, etc.
             ((or (assoc :todo-keyword contexts)
                  (assoc :priority contexts)
                  (assoc :keyword contexts)
                  (assoc :checkbox contexts))
              nil)
             ;; Ignore sections marked with tags that are
             ;; excluded from export.
             ((assoc :tags contexts)
              (if (intersection (org-get-tags-at) org-export-exclude-tags
                                :test 'equal)
                  (org-forward-same-level 1)
                nil))
             (t
              (incf wc))))))))
    (message (format "%d words in %s." wc
                     (if mark-active "region" "buffer")))))