Re: Org Capture Menu cannot be fully viewed

[pietru@caramail.com]

> Sent: Sunday, December 13, 2020 at 4:12 PM
> From: "Jean Louis" <bugs@gnu.support>
> To: "Tim Cross" <theophilusx@gmail.com>
> Cc: emacs-orgmode@gnu.org
> Subject: Re: Org Capture Menu cannot be fully viewed
>
> * Tim Cross <theophilusx@gmail.com> [2020-12-13 03:54]:
> >
> > pietru@caramail.com writes:
> >
> > > Dear All,
> > >
> > > When making a relatively long Org Capture Menu for Archaeological Field Management,
> > > the relevant capture window cannot be scrolled down.  This becomes particularly
> > > problematic with small field laptops.
> > >
> >
> > I'm assuming you mean the window which pops up where you select the
> > capture template to use.
> >
> > Just wondering if perhaps what we really need to do is provide some sort
> > of support for using Emacs completion facilities to select
> > templates?
>
> That is very right. I have 1140+ "Sets" which are equivalent to
> capture templates. Imagine if I would be "defining it" by using Emacs
> custom, forget it, I would rather break my computer down and switch to
> paper.

Quite correct.

> I define the set one time as a set. If I wish to capture into that set
> I use quick relevance search or semantic access. I would not like
> remembering any "keys" for that purpose.
>
> > realise this is challenging because of the huge wealth of completion
> > frameworks available in Emacs, but perhaps adding support for something
> > like fido-mode would be beneficial.
>
> Ah, no. Completions shall be available by standard. Emacs's standard
> completion is just fine and any comletion package can extend it. That
> is how it works.
>
> Would org-capture functions be programmed in more functional style I
> would already make the function. Maybe somebody else finds time to do
> it.
>
> Or somebody can help me and tell how to use function, which function,
> to file into specific Org file from org-templates, then I will make
> function for completing-read as it is trivial. I am missing only
> that.
>
> > To some extent, it feels like org is re-inventing a wheel here and
> > we would be better off using an existing facility rather than
> > develop/maintain an org specific version.
>
> Good observation, welcome to club.
>
> > I see a very similar problem with the export menu, but that is a
> > more complex situation.
>
> Since quite some time I am using Org mode as display mode, not editing
> mode. The compiled related information about person is displayed as
> Org mode on the fly. I can have persons' images, SMS sent, notes,
> tasks, transactions, emails received, including statistics all in one
> Org file as display that is read-only.
>
> Similar derived mode could be used to display export menu and capture
> menu. Instead they block user's interface, cursor cannot move to other
> buffers, one has to interrupt those screens to do something
> else. Incredibly user unfriendly.
>
> (define-derived-mode my-org-view-mode org-mode "My View Org" "My Org View")
> (define-key my-org-view-mode-map (kbd "q") 'kill-this-buffer)
> (define-key my-org-view-mode-map (kbd "e") 'export-somewhere)
> etc.
>
> Even multiple screens for multiple org files can be made to work with
> their buffer local text in a different way. One can export the other
> file, the other this file,
>
> Same for Capture menu, just same. Make the Org file, define keys on
> the fly or simply hyperlinks and let users capture where they wish
> without limit.
>
> Jean
>
>