things I don't understand about tables

things I don't understand about tables

[Jude DaShiell]

Why is it when I try putting a date in this table using the calendar I get 
no date entered when in a blank field and hear the message:
Before first headline at position 376 in buffer medlog.org

| date             | sugar   | weight   | cystalic   | diastalic   | exercise   | notes                                    |
|------------------+---------+----------+------------+-------------+------------+------------------------------------------|
| 18>              | <7>     | <8>      | <10>       | <11>        | <10>       | <40>                                     |
|                  |         |          |            |             |            |                                          |
|                  |         |          |            |             |            |                                          |
|                  |         |          |            |             |            |                                          |


I almost need two separate tables one with dates and notes and the other 
with dates and other fields but would need to link both tables on the date 
field.
When I tried reading what I wrote in an earlier version of this table, all 
I could find on the screen was dollar signs.  Lines went beyond emacs line 
width so I'll need to find out how to have amacs shut off the dollar sign 
display and show content instead if I can get the rest of this figured 
out.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
jude <jdashiel@shellworld.net> Adobe fiend for failing to Flash

Re: things I don't understand about tables

[Nick Dokos]

Jude DaShiell <jdashiel@shellworld.net> wrote:

> Why is it when I try putting a date in this table using the calendar I get 
> no date entered when in a blank field and hear the message:
> Before first headline at position 376 in buffer medlog.org
> 

How are you trying to insert the date?

This error is usually produced because some function is trying to do an
org-back-to-heading, i.e. the function does not expect the table to be
at top level. In particular, C-c C-d (org-deadline) and C-c C-s (org-schedule)
*want* a headline and insert the scheduling information after the headline,
not in the table.

OTOH, I tried entering a date into a table at top level with C-c .
which is bound to org-time-stamp, and the date gets inserted with no error
(and S-RET also works to increment the date in subsequent rows as
Michael Brand mentioned)

Org-mode version 7.9.2 (release_7.9.2-577-gb0a051 @ /home/nick/elisp/org-mode/lisp/)

Nick

Re: things I don't understand about tables

[Jude DaShiell]

On Mon, 12 Nov 2012, Nick Dokos wrote:

> Jude DaShiell <jdashiel@shellworld.net> wrote:
> 
> > Why is it when I try putting a date in this table using the calendar I get 
> > no date entered when in a blank field and hear the message:
> > Before first headline at position 376 in buffer medlog.org
> > 
> 
> How are you trying to insert the date?
> 
> This error is usually produced because some function is trying to do an
> org-back-to-heading, i.e. the function does not expect the table to be
> at top level. In particular, C-c C-d (org-deadline) and C-c C-s (org-schedule)
> *want* a headline and insert the scheduling information after the headline,
> not in the table.
> 
> OTOH, I tried entering a date into a table at top level with C-c .
> which is bound to org-time-stamp, and the date gets inserted with no error
> (and S-RET also works to increment the date in subsequent rows as
> Michael Brand mentioned)
> 
> Org-mode version 7.9.2 (release_7.9.2-577-gb0a051 @ /home/nick/elisp/org-mode/lisp/)
> 
> Nick
> 
> 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
jude <jdashiel@shellworld.net>
Adobe fiend for failing to Flash

First I try with c-c c-d that didn't get me into the calendar.  Next I try 
with c-c . and that got me into the calendar and on current date.  
Unfortunately, c-b c-b failed to move me two days back from the current 
date.  This is with emacs 24.x on debian.

Re: things I don't understand about tables

[Nick Dokos]

Jude DaShiell <jdashiel@shellworld.net> wrote:

> On Mon, 12 Nov 2012, Nick Dokos wrote:
> 
> > Jude DaShiell <jdashiel@shellworld.net> wrote:
> > 
> > > Why is it when I try putting a date in this table using the calendar I get 
> > > no date entered when in a blank field and hear the message:
> > > Before first headline at position 376 in buffer medlog.org
> > > 
> > 
> > How are you trying to insert the date?
> > 
> > This error is usually produced because some function is trying to do an
> > org-back-to-heading, i.e. the function does not expect the table to be
> > at top level. In particular, C-c C-d (org-deadline) and C-c C-s (org-schedule)
> > *want* a headline and insert the scheduling information after the headline,
> > not in the table.
> > 
> > OTOH, I tried entering a date into a table at top level with C-c .
> > which is bound to org-time-stamp, and the date gets inserted with no error
> > (and S-RET also works to increment the date in subsequent rows as
> > Michael Brand mentioned)
> > 
> > Org-mode version 7.9.2 (release_7.9.2-577-gb0a051 @ /home/nick/elisp/org-mode/lisp/)
> > 
> > Nick
> > 
> > 
> 
> First I try with c-c c-d that didn't get me into the calendar.  Next I try 
> with c-c . and that got me into the calendar and on current date.  
> Unfortunately, c-b c-b failed to move me two days back from the current 
> date.  This is with emacs 24.x on debian.
> 

When org-read-date pops up a calendar, you are not "in the calendar",
you are in the minibuffer with the prompt. You can select previous dates
by using something like -2 or you can use a set of calendar commands
that are bound to keys in the minibuffer. In particular, you can move
the cursor in the calendar to the previous day with S-<Left>. There are
similar keys for moving forward/backward through days, weeks, months and
3-month periods. All of these are documented in the manual:

   (info "(org)The date/time prompt")

AFAICT, you cannot go "into the calendar": you can switch buffers, but
even so the calendar buffer does not seem to recognize any keys. Not
entirely sure that I've got this right (and I certainly don't understand
what's going on), but it seems to be a correct description of the
behavior.

Nick

Re: things I don't understand about tables

[Jude DaShiell]

On Tue, 13 Nov 2012, Nick Dokos wrote:

> Jude DaShiell <jdashiel@shellworld.net> wrote:
> 
> > On Mon, 12 Nov 2012, Nick Dokos wrote:
> > 
> > > Jude DaShiell <jdashiel@shellworld.net> wrote:
> > > 
> > > > Why is it when I try putting a date in this table using the calendar I get 
> > > > no date entered when in a blank field and hear the message:
> > > > Before first headline at position 376 in buffer medlog.org
> > > > 
> > > 
> > > How are you trying to insert the date?
> > > 
> > > This error is usually produced because some function is trying to do an
> > > org-back-to-heading, i.e. the function does not expect the table to be
> > > at top level. In particular, C-c C-d (org-deadline) and C-c C-s (org-schedule)
> > > *want* a headline and insert the scheduling information after the headline,
> > > not in the table.
> > > 
> > > OTOH, I tried entering a date into a table at top level with C-c .
> > > which is bound to org-time-stamp, and the date gets inserted with no error
> > > (and S-RET also works to increment the date in subsequent rows as
> > > Michael Brand mentioned)
> > > 
> > > Org-mode version 7.9.2 (release_7.9.2-577-gb0a051 @ /home/nick/elisp/org-mode/lisp/)
> > > 
> > > Nick
> > > 
> > > 
> > 
> > First I try with c-c c-d that didn't get me into the calendar.  Next I try 
> > with c-c . and that got me into the calendar and on current date.  
> > Unfortunately, c-b c-b failed to move me two days back from the current 
> > date.  This is with emacs 24.x on debian.
> > 
> 
> When org-read-date pops up a calendar, you are not "in the calendar",
> you are in the minibuffer with the prompt. You can select previous dates
> by using something like -2 or you can use a set of calendar commands
> that are bound to keys in the minibuffer. In particular, you can move
> the cursor in the calendar to the previous day with S-<Left>. There are
> similar keys for moving forward/backward through days, weeks, months and
> 3-month periods. All of these are documented in the manual:
> 
>    (info "(org)The date/time prompt")
> 
> AFAICT, you cannot go "into the calendar": you can switch buffers, but
> even so the calendar buffer does not seem to recognize any keys. Not
> entirely sure that I've got this right (and I certainly don't understand
> what's going on), but it seems to be a correct description of the
> behavior.
> 
> Nick
> 
> 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
jude <jdashiel@shellworld.net>
Adobe fiend for failing to Flash

The minibuffer is read only when I try to type -2 and S-left generates 
some symbols like = and [ but does not change the highlighted date.

Re: things I don't understand about tables

[Jude DaShiell]

On Tue, 13 Nov 2012, Jude DaShiell wrote:

> On Tue, 13 Nov 2012, Nick Dokos wrote:
> 
> > Jude DaShiell <jdashiel@shellworld.net> wrote:
> > 
> > > On Mon, 12 Nov 2012, Nick Dokos wrote:
> > > 
> > > > Jude DaShiell <jdashiel@shellworld.net> wrote:
> > > > 
> > > > > Why is it when I try putting a date in this table using the calendar I get 
> > > > > no date entered when in a blank field and hear the message:
> > > > > Before first headline at position 376 in buffer medlog.org
> > > > > 
> > > > 
> > > > How are you trying to insert the date?
> > > > 
> > > > This error is usually produced because some function is trying to do an
> > > > org-back-to-heading, i.e. the function does not expect the table to be
> > > > at top level. In particular, C-c C-d (org-deadline) and C-c C-s (org-schedule)
> > > > *want* a headline and insert the scheduling information after the headline,
> > > > not in the table.
> > > > 
> > > > OTOH, I tried entering a date into a table at top level with C-c .
> > > > which is bound to org-time-stamp, and the date gets inserted with no error
> > > > (and S-RET also works to increment the date in subsequent rows as
> > > > Michael Brand mentioned)
> > > > 
> > > > Org-mode version 7.9.2 (release_7.9.2-577-gb0a051 @ /home/nick/elisp/org-mode/lisp/)
> > > > 
> > > > Nick
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > 
> > > First I try with c-c c-d that didn't get me into the calendar.  Next I try 
> > > with c-c . and that got me into the calendar and on current date.  
> > > Unfortunately, c-b c-b failed to move me two days back from the current 
> > > date.  This is with emacs 24.x on debian.
> > > 
> > 
> > When org-read-date pops up a calendar, you are not "in the calendar",
> > you are in the minibuffer with the prompt. You can select previous dates
> > by using something like -2 or you can use a set of calendar commands
> > that are bound to keys in the minibuffer. In particular, you can move
> > the cursor in the calendar to the previous day with S-<Left>. There are
> > similar keys for moving forward/backward through days, weeks, months and
> > 3-month periods. All of these are documented in the manual:
> > 
> >    (info "(org)The date/time prompt")
> > 
> > AFAICT, you cannot go "into the calendar": you can switch buffers, but
> > even so the calendar buffer does not seem to recognize any keys. Not
> > entirely sure that I've got this right (and I certainly don't understand
> > what's going on), but it seems to be a correct description of the
> > behavior.
> > 
> > Nick
> > 
> > 
> 
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
> jude <jdashiel@shellworld.net>
> Adobe fiend for failing to Flash
> 
> The minibuffer is read only when I try to type -2 and S-left generates 
> some symbols like = and [ but does not change the highlighted date.
> 
> 
> 
> 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
jude <jdashiel@shellworld.net>
Adobe fiend for failing to Flash

When I did c-c . and got current date with surrounding virtual calendar 
months, I noticed the cursor was positioned to the left of the = sign on 
line 25.  When I moved it to the right of the = sign I was able to key in 
-2 and then I hit enter and this time the date moved back two days!  
 Thanks much for the help provided.  I don't have to use Windows or excel 
 for this task now.

Re: things I don't understand about tables

[Nick Dokos]

Jude DaShiell <jdashiel@shellworld.net> wrote:

> > The minibuffer is read only when I try to type -2 and S-left generates 
> > some symbols like = and [ but does not change the highlighted date.
> > 
> 
> When I did c-c . and got current date with surrounding virtual calendar 
> months, I noticed the cursor was positioned to the left of the = sign on 
> line 25.  When I moved it to the right of the = sign I was able to key in 
> -2 and then I hit enter and this time the date moved back two days!  
>  Thanks much for the help provided.  I don't have to use Windows or excel 
>  for this task now.
> 

Is line 25 the minibuffer? And when you say the = sign, is that part of the
"live display" of what org thinks you mean? There is an ASCII arrow => followed
by the current candidate for a date (I believe that's an overlay: when I try
to move to the right, my cursor skips all the way to the right after the "live
display").

I'm not sure what's going on in your case, but in my case, I press

 C-c . -2 RET

and it works: I don't have to move the cursor anywhere before I type the -2.

Nick

Re: things I don't understand about tables

[Jude DaShiell]

On Tue, 13 Nov 2012, Nick Dokos wrote:

> Jude DaShiell <jdashiel@shellworld.net> wrote:
> 
> > > The minibuffer is read only when I try to type -2 and S-left generates 
> > > some symbols like = and [ but does not change the highlighted date.
> > > 
> > 
> > When I did c-c . and got current date with surrounding virtual calendar 
> > months, I noticed the cursor was positioned to the left of the = sign on 
> > line 25.  When I moved it to the right of the = sign I was able to key in 
> > -2 and then I hit enter and this time the date moved back two days!  
> >  Thanks much for the help provided.  I don't have to use Windows or excel 
> >  for this task now.
> > 
> 
> Is line 25 the minibuffer? And when you say the = sign, is that part of the
> "live display" of what org thinks you mean? There is an ASCII arrow => followed
> by the current candidate for a date (I believe that's an overlay: when I try
> to move to the right, my cursor skips all the way to the right after the "live
> display").
> 
> I'm not sure what's going on in your case, but in my case, I press
> 
>  C-c . -2 RET
> 
> and it works: I don't have to move the cursor anywhere before I type the -2.
> 
> Nick
> 
> 
> 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
jude <jdashiel@shellworld.net>
Adobe fiend for failing to Flash

There is a > sign followed by an = sign and I ended up moving to the right 
of the = sign and then was able to key things in.  I think what runs on 
this system is emacs in non-graphical mode.

Re: things I don't understand about tables

[Nick Dokos]

Jude DaShiell <jdashiel@shellworld.net> wrote:


> There is a > sign followed by an = sign and I ended up moving to the right 
> of the = sign and then was able to key things in.  I think what runs on 
> this system is emacs in non-graphical mode.
> 

The > sign follows the = sign (reading from left to right): it's
supposed to be an ASCII arrow (actually an implication sign: => ).

I tried emacs -nw in an xterm and emacs on the console. In all cases

C-c . -2 RET

works for me with no mucking around with the cursor.

Nick