Re: using "variables" (correct term?)

[Steven Arntson <steven@stevenarntson.com>]

Nicolas Richard <theonewiththeevillook@yahoo.fr> writes:

>> I'm trying to send out some form letters to various people, and am
>> looking for a way to define something at the top, like:
>>
>>      #+RECIPIENT: Jane Doe
>>
>> which would automatically replace itself in the letter when referenced
>> with "RECIPIENT". Is this called a "variable"? How would I go about
>> doing it? I'm using org-mode, but the solution needn't be org-based.
>
> Org somehow re-invented file local variables with its own syntax and
> parsing. That's what most of these #+FOO: lines are. But they are not
> arbitrary, so I don't think you can't use RECIPIENT (I didn't test).
>
> OTOH, there is a feature called "macro" which are, again, specific to Org:
> (info "(org) Macro replacement")
>
> (they are not macros in the "keyboard macro" sense.)
>
> HTH,

Thanks for this---it does look like org macros are what I was looking
for. However, I have heedlessly plunged into Auctex. I found this
snippet for a TeX file that does the job also:

    \newcommand{\commandname}{text to insert}

Then just \commandname{} wherever I want the text to go. It will fit my
purposes.

Best,
steven arntson