Re: org-element: headline's :title is sometimes string, sometimes list

[Ihor Radchenko <yantar92@posteo.net>]

Hraban Luyat <hraban@0brg.net> writes:

> I expect: "string" everywhere.
>
> I get:
>
>      Headline title from map is of type: cons
>      Headline title from context is of type: string
>      Headline title from at-point is of type: string
>
> Question 1: Do you know what that `cons' structure is? Where is it 
> documented, how would I go about figuring this out myself? The 
> org-element API documentation is daunting.

This is "anonymous element". `org-element-parse-buffer', by default,
parses down to object level:

* Heading *bold* text

contains bold markup, which is reflected in the parsed AST. The title
itself is called secondary value, which may contain Org markup.

You are not getting it using `org-element-at-point' API because it does
not parse objects and simply returns a heading parsed down to element
level - :title is not parsed in details.

> Question 2: how do I reliably get the title as a string? Properties are 
> fine, I don't mind, but that weird list structure is awkward to handle.

Use `org-element-interpret-data' to convert Org AST back to plain text.

-- 
Ihor Radchenko // yantar92,
Org mode contributor,
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