idea, in-line preview link

idea, in-line preview link

[Torsten Wagner]

Hi,

recently I was wondering if org-mode could have some sort of inline
link. This would allow quick check-ups on details without having more
and more buffers open.
That is a link to another text (org-file) including text position like

[[file:~/code/main.c::255]]

However instead of open a new buffer and jump to that line, I would
like to see the line +x lines just below the link and possible only
until I move the cursor or by any other means close the link again

Thus

[[inlinefile:~/code/main.c::255+4]]

open it

[[inlinefile:~/code/main.c::255+4]]
   1. This is all code
   2. from main.c
   3. I can preview in org
   4. without switching the buffer
   5. is that useful?!

close it again and the buffer looks again like

[[inlinefile:~/code/main.c::255+4]]


Actually, I believe it is fairly easy to implement for people knowing
LISP just a bit better then me ;)

What do you think

Totti

Re: idea, in-line preview link

[Christian Moe]

Hi,

One of my first Lisp projects was a link type that behaves a bit like 
what you describe.

I don't bother with placing the snippet inline, though, I just flash 
it as a message in the minibuffer. But I also leave it on the kill 
ring, so I can C-y it into my current buffer if I like.

The following quick and dirty adaptation to your inlinefile idea comes 
with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY.

#+BEGIN_SRC elisp
(defun my/org-inlinefile-get (file offset length)
   "Copy the line at OFFSET and LENGTH extra lines from FILE."
   (let (beg)
     (save-excursion
       (with-temp-buffer
	(insert-file-contents file)
	(forward-line (1- offset)) ; Go to beg of range
	(setq beg (point))
	(if length 	
	    (progn
	      (goto-line (+ offset length))
	      (kill-region beg (line-end-position)))
	  (kill-line))
	(yank)))))

(defun my/org-inlinefile-open (path)
   "Open a link by displaying the lines specified in PATH as a message 
and making them available for yanking."
   (let ((parts (split-string (org-no-properties path) "\\(::\\|\\+\\)"))
	file offset length beg)
     (setq file (car parts)
           offset (string-to-number (or (nth 1 parts) "0"))
	  length (string-to-number (or (nth 2 parts) "0")))
     (my/org-inlinefile-get file offset length)
     (message (format "%s\n%s" path (current-kill 0)))))

(org-add-link-type "inlinefile" 'my/org-inlinefile-open (lambda (path 
desc format) desc))
#+END_SRC


Yours,
Christian


On 4/5/12 11:04 AM, Torsten Wagner wrote:
> Hi,
>
> recently I was wondering if org-mode could have some sort of inline
> link. This would allow quick check-ups on details without having more
> and more buffers open.
> That is a link to another text (org-file) including text position like
>
> [[file:~/code/main.c::255]]
>
> However instead of open a new buffer and jump to that line, I would
> like to see the line +x lines just below the link and possible only
> until I move the cursor or by any other means close the link again
>
> Thus
>
> [[inlinefile:~/code/main.c::255+4]]
>
> open it
>
> [[inlinefile:~/code/main.c::255+4]]
>     1. This is all code
>     2. from main.c
>     3. I can preview in org
>     4. without switching the buffer
>     5. is that useful?!
>
> close it again and the buffer looks again like
>
> [[inlinefile:~/code/main.c::255+4]]
>
>
> Actually, I believe it is fairly easy to implement for people knowing
> LISP just a bit better then me ;)
>
> What do you think
>
> Totti
>
>

Re: idea, in-line preview link

[peter.frings]

Good day all,

On 05 Apr 2012, at 13:55, Christian Moe wrote:

> One of my first Lisp projects was a link type that behaves a bit like what you describe.
> 
> I don't bother with placing the snippet inline, though, I just flash it as a message in the minibuffer. But I also leave it on the kill ring, so I can C-y it into my current buffer if I like.

From a UX pov, changing the clipboard/kill-ring behind the user’s back is a bad thing to do, especially when the intention of the user action is only to have a quick look at that link. Suppose org-mode copied a whole sub-tree when all you did was to expand it... just in case you wanted to copy a piece of it.

In my opinion, it’s better to provide an explicit command to copy/insert/open/... the content of that link.

Cheers,
Peter.