Re: M-RET and C-RET turn current line of text into a heading?

[Eric Abrahamsen <eric@ericabrahamsen.net>]

Christian Moe <mail@christianmoe.com> writes:

> Eric Abrahamsen writes:
>
>> I don't see why `org-ctrl-c-star' --> `org-toggle-heading' isn't enough
>> for creating headlines out of existing text. 
>
> Fair point, but I find it useful to have a simpler and speedier
> combination, redundant or not. For instance, I often use Org to make
> structured documents out of plain text, text copy-pasted from PDFs etc.,
> which involves scrolling through the document and repeatedly turning the
> lines at point into headings. It quickly becomes a nuisance to do this
> with a sequence of two double keypresses (`C-c *', that is, `C-c S-8' --
> not to mention that I routinely switch between keyboards for three
> languages with somewhat different ideas where `*' should be).
>
>> At the very least, we shouldn't now have three keystrokes (C-c *,
>> M-RET, C-RET) that do the same thing! Also,
>> `org-M-RET-may-split-line', which was once a very interesting
>> variable, now does nothing since M-RET simply doesn't split the line.
>
> True. I think this needs to be revisited (before too many people get
> used to the recent arrangement).

Ugh, I've had plenty of experience trying to impose structure on
unstructured text. PDF copy-n-paste is a nightmare, particular where
columns were involved.

However! Having a useful set of commands is one thing, and having useful
keybindings for those commands is another. M-RET/C-RET are still pretty
crucial for taking notes out of thin air. They each have their own
behavior when point is at beginning, middle, and end of line, as well,
and I'd hope that all would be left in place.

`org-ctrl-c-star' either calls `org-table-recalculate' or
`org-toggle-heading', which are strange bedfellows. The key chord seems
much more tied to table recalculation (there are multiple various
behaviors triggered by prefix args) than to heading toggling. We might
consider splitting `org-toggle-heading' off onto its own key.

Or perhaps it would be enough tweak keybindings? Maybe leave the current
bindings and behavior of `org-ctrl-c-star', but add the "fat finger"
bindings of 'C-c 8' and 'C-c C-8' to `org-ctrl-c-star' (or even bind
them directly to `org-toggle-heading').

It would be inelegant, but that way you could park a pinkie on the
control key, and travel through a buffer with 'C-s' or '(C-u, C-<digit>)
C-n', hitting 'C-c C-8' as needed.

Just one possibility,

E