Re: Toggle appointment notification

[pietru@caramail.com]

> Sent: Friday, December 04, 2020 at 6:59 AM
> From: "Jean Louis" <bugs@gnu.support>
> To: pietru@caramail.com
> Cc: "Michael Heerdegen" <michael_heerdegen@web.de>, help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org
> Subject: Re: Toggle appointment notification
>
> Dear Pietru,
> 
> * pietru@caramail.com <pietru@caramail.com> [2020-12-04 03:28]:
>   :PROPERTIES:
>   :CREATED:  [2020-12-04 Fri 08:58]
>   :ID:       30c62de6-cc11-42b7-8f1b-5f23313b3a94
>   :END:
> > 
> > > Sent: Friday, December 04, 2020 at 12:49 AM
> > > From: "Jean Louis" <bugs@gnu.support>
> > > To: "Michael Heerdegen" <michael_heerdegen@web.de>
> > > Cc: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org
> > > Subject: Re: Toggle appointment notification
> > >
> > > * Michael Heerdegen <michael_heerdegen@web.de> [2020-12-04 02:05]:
> > > > pietru@caramail.com writes:
> > > > 
> > > > > Fair enough, but the response could easily be interpreter to be
> > > > > addressed to us rather than to every emacs user.  I understand we
> > > > > asked for points of view, but that was after Michael informed us that
> > > > > he was planning some work on diary appointments and he asked me for
> > > > > suggestions on our planned use and strategy.  Emanuel confirmed that
> > > > > changes will became part of the official release.
> > > > 
> > > > I'm sorry, but there was some misunderstanding.  I'm a user of calendar,
> > > > diary, org and diary, and plan to donate some related stuff to Gnu
> > > > Elpa.  I dunno to what Emanuel answered.
> > > > 
> > > > I'm interested in making diary expressions more common and useful.  I
> > > > want to have something better than appointments, and a better
> > > > integration of these things with Org.  But I'm not an Org developer.
> > > > 
> > > > I'm just curious about how people are currently using this stuff, as an
> > > > inspiration for the direction of development of my stuff, so that it may
> > > > end up in something useful for others.
> > > 
> > > {M-x appt-add} While called `appointments' it may be used for any type
> > > of daily alarm or notification. I find warnings or alarms useful. User
> > > may write something and be focused and is then reminded of
> > > appointment. Or bread being baken. Or child that has to be driven from
> > > kindergarten.
> > > 
> > > (appt-add TIME MSG &optional WARNTIME)
> > > 
> > >   Probably introduced at or before Emacs version 23.3.
> > > 
> > > Add an appointment for today at TIME with message MSG.
> > > The time should be in either 24 hour format or am/pm format.
> > > Optional argument WARNTIME is an integer (or string) giving the number
> > > of minutes before the appointment at which to start warning.
> > > The default is ‘appt-message-warning-time’.
> > > 
> > > 
> > > I am currently thinking same as you, how to streamline and shorten and
> > > make faster actions of life and education of others.
> > > 
> > > If you have structured data to deal with it is good to use databases.
> > 
> > Ok, it could be.  But bloody hell, you need to make an sql query.  And
> > of course SQLight works on binary files.  It is problematic.
> 
> SQL queries are pretty much human understandable queries. Using
> database spares are lot lot of problems.
> 
> This function replaces org-todo-list in org-agenda. You may try to see
> what org-todo-list is doing.
> 
> (defun hyperscope-all-actions ()
>   (interactive)
>   (hyperscope-remember-parent)
>   (hyperscope-highlight)
>   (let* ((sql "SELECT hlinks_id FROM hlinks, hlinktypes, actionstatuses WHERE hlinktypes_id = hlinks_hlinktypes AND actionstatuses_id = 2 AND actionstatuses_id = hlinks_actionstatuses ORDER BY hlinks_globalpriority, hlinks_rank DESC;")
> 	 (id-list (rcd-sql-list sql *hs*)))
>     (hyperscope nil nil nil nil nil id-list)
>     (message "Hyperdocuments list of all pending actions")))
> 
> The main hyperscope function is about double then what you see. It
> spares coding in human understandable way as it is already programmed,
> there is no need to reinvent the wheel and integration that becomes
> useful for user is just few functions away.
> 
> org-ql is Org query language that does useful queries for Org
> users. It attempts to be glue to Org mode to replace SQL and does it
> job of coping with text very good:
> 
> org-ql or Org query language
> https://github.com/alphapapa/org-ql
> 
> > It could be made an option, but using text should be kept.  We often
> > do not have structured data.  At times we come up with things on the
> > go, and don't have people who would help if things get too technical
> > when things go wrong.  But with text you can hack things up on the
> > spot and keep working.  I could be working in a swamp, so not into
> > the cosmetic stuff.  Other people can use the fancy complex tree
> > stuff.  There are many instances where it would be an overkill.
> 
> When doing some text writing on the go, mobile, one has to make notes
> any how, be it on the paper, on mobile device, by sending oneself SMS,
> email, or by telling fellows to write it down. Such information is
> then processed later.
> 
> There is nothing that I think of the database unless during the
> development stage. Once developed functions work for years, I just
> looked back and I see decades passed. I could as well stay working
> with the old PostgreSQL version. Inside of a database is text. All
> editing is text.

Wouldn't you need some database model to build?
 
> When such simple function as above is integrated for user one only
> needs key bindings. For my side it is '-a to see all hyperdocuments
> with actions. If my staff member accesses the database there is
> reference sheet or help screen and staff member just do ' and a to get
> all hyperdocuments with actions. It could be as well letter "a" or
> function key.
> 
> Minimizing the number of keys to get to the function execution is what
> makes it useful for user.
> 
> Then we are people, people need to collaborate together. When using
> database to store tasks those tasks become available in various other
> forms.
> 
> - users can access tasks by using web interface or Emacs interface,
>   but they may use console with `fzf' tool for fuzzy searching, they
>   could use `dmenu' dynamic menu to find current agenda or display
>   what is necessary with `zenity', or Emacs without integration could
>   use a console script with C-u ! to insert agenda into Emacs, mobile
>   devices use Javascript and access information, user can use any
>   editor that allows remote execution and access one's one
>   information, insert into editor or print it out, KDE could use its
>   graphical user interface, Gnome could use its own and programs
>   become integrated together.
> 
> fzf - fuzzy search
> https://github.com/junegunn/fzf
> 
> fzf is for console with ivy and helm are for Emacs. Dmenu is for X
> what ivy and helm are for Emacs.
> 
> There is nothing too technical with SQL databases. Emacs Lisp is way
> more technical than majority of SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE queries
> that one usually does not even think of as those are bound to some
> keys or mouse click.
> 
> The Cherrytree software uses database, it is transparent to user which
> never thinks about it.
> 
> Cherrytree - hierarchical note taking application with rich text and syntax highlighting
> https://www.giuspen.com/cherrytree/
> 
> Example is this above hyperlink that I am inserting with keys / f for
> filter "cherry" for query and W to insert into other window. WWW
> hyperlinks are not structured data in Org mode and except of
> activating them there are not many actions integrated for the user,
> not that I know that one can share Org hyperlinks to other users in
> easy manner, collaborate on such, add notes for hyperlink itself
> without disturbing the heading's body, or assign various tasks to
> hyperlink and relate it to user, group of people or rank the actual
> number of hyperlink number of activations.
> 
> Org mode already handles structured data and with time it becomes more
> and more with tedious coding that replaces database functions. 129 Org
> mode files are there for review of the hard work developers did.
> 
> Database based Org mode may replace many of its actions with one file
> or few, not 129.
> 
> Collaboration becomes possible as soon as networked ready databases
> are involved.
> 
> > Could you have a look at Gnu Recutils, so we can read and write using
> > rec-format.  Quite unsure how you are trying to do things, but sounds
> > like office work to me.
> 
> GNU recutils is good tool and it is type of way better structured
> database then what now Org structure offers. Actually I am surprised
> that neither GDBM nor GNU recutils, nor GNU SQL similar type of query
> language is not used with GNU Emacs in general as integrating with
> other tools and liberating data helps with tremendous integration with
> other software, other platforms, types of accesses. Things become
> simpler and more useful, not complexer and less useful.

The good thing about Gnu Recutils is that one can make his own
database model.  
 
> https://www.gnu.org/software/parallel/sql.html
> 
> Would it be used from beginning then underlying generic functions to
> access data from Org mode could be today expanded to be using MySQL
> and other databases with similar queries without user needing to know
> about it. 
> 
> Jean
>