From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: Nicolas Goaziou Subject: [RFC] Remove Org Struct mode Date: Sun, 20 Aug 2017 15:57:21 +0200 Message-ID: <87mv6ul4u6.fsf@nicolasgoaziou.fr> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Return-path: Received: from eggs.gnu.org ([2001:4830:134:3::10]:39075) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1djQjH-0007tf-K2 for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Sun, 20 Aug 2017 09:57:28 -0400 Received: from Debian-exim by eggs.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1djQjE-00070t-FL for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Sun, 20 Aug 2017 09:57:27 -0400 Received: from relay3-d.mail.gandi.net ([217.70.183.195]:56151) by eggs.gnu.org with esmtps (TLS1.0:DHE_RSA_AES_256_CBC_SHA1:32) (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1djQjE-00070i-90 for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Sun, 20 Aug 2017 09:57:24 -0400 Received: from saiph.selenimh (unknown [IPv6:2a03:a0a0:0:4301::469]) (Authenticated sender: mail@nicolasgoaziou.fr) by relay3-d.mail.gandi.net (Postfix) with ESMTPSA id 21339A80C6 for ; Sun, 20 Aug 2017 15:57:21 +0200 (CEST) Received: from ngz by saiph.selenimh with local (Exim 4.89) (envelope-from ) id 1djQjB-0002yV-Al for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Sun, 20 Aug 2017 15:57:21 +0200 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" To: Org Mode List Hello, I would like to remove Org Struct minor mode from Org code base. Here is the rationale: 1. It is broken. It might look like using Org in another buffer, but it is not. In particular, it just cannot cope with lists, indentation, filling in, e.g., Message mode, as soon as we try something non-trivial. Really, that's a poor-man's Org mode. 2. Its implementation is very hackish. In particular, it is not modular at all. It rewrites some core functions according to the major mode in use. For example `org-fill-function' tries to handle specially text in a Message mode buffer, basically short-circuiting regular behaviour. There no support for other major modes. If we want some, we need to hard-code it. 3. Due to previous point, some basic Org functions are sub-optimal because they preserve compatibility with Org Struct mode. For example `org-forward-heading-same-level' must process every headline past the current one and check their level until an appropriate one is found. It would be faster to go looking for the next headline according to the number of stars we want. 4. It is somewhat outside Org mode's scope to provide such a feature. It is tempting to provide everything we can think of, but we should focus on the main task: handle Org files, i.e., files written in Org compatible syntax. 5. There are alternatives. E.g., outshine.el, outline-minor-mode, ... I _do_ use `orgstruct++-mode'. But it is broken beyond repair. Alternatives, which do not need to pay a technical debt, are certainly better, or, at least, a saner ground for improvement. I'm not opposed to an Org struct mode living in ELPA. But, as pointed out, it is difficult to extract from code base without rewriting it completely. If alternatives are serious enough, that would be re-inventing the wheel, too. The only thing that would be missing, AFAIK, is plain list handling. However, I'm quite certain it is possible to re-use most code from "org-list.el", using a dumbed down `org-list-struct' function. Indeed, currently, `org-list-struct' requires to know about inlinetasks, drawers, blocks... i.e., most of the Org syntax. This is not an option in foreign buffers. Once `org-list-struct' (and maybe `org-in-item-p') are simplified, other functions in "org-list.el" can be used as is. I'm not talking about OrgTbl mode (yet). OrgTbl mode is different: it doesn't suffer from points 1, 3 end 5. It is easier to extract it as an external library, which someone should ultimately do. To sum it up, I offer to remove `orgstruct-mode' (and `orgstruct++-mode') from the code base. I can also offer my help to anyone willing to extract some `list-minor-mode' and `table-minor-mode' from Org. WDYT? Regards, -- Nicolas Goaziou 0x80A93738