[BUG] clocktable match doesn't seem to support matching items based on parent property [9.6.15 (release_9.6.15 @ /snap/emacs/current/usr/share/emacs/29.3/lisp/org/)]

[BUG] clocktable match doesn't seem to support matching items based on parent property [9.6.15 (release_9.6.15 @ /snap/emacs/current/usr/share/emacs/29.3/lisp/org/)]

[Felix H. Dahlke]

I want to create a clocktable report for all items under a specific
heading, using the match keyword and the ITEM property. It appears
that matching items this way won't include any subheadings, therefore
not showing their times in the clocktable.

My guess would be that agenda and clocktable share the same matching
logic, and matching subheadings by the property of their parent does
probably not make sense for the agenda. I'd argue that for
clocktables, it would.

Example:

* Level 1                                                   :level_1:
** Level 2
:PROPERTIES:
:LEVEL:      1
:END:

*** Level 3
:LOGBOOK:
CLOCK: [2024-05-07 Tue 11:00]--[2024-05-07 Tue 12:00] =>  1:00
:END:

* Report matching the ITEM property doesn't work
#+BEGIN: clocktable :scope file :match "ITEM=\"Level 1\""
#+CAPTION: Clock summary at [2024-05-07 Tue 13:00]
| Headline     | Time   |
|--------------+--------|
| *Total time* | *0:00* |
#+END:

* Report matching an arbitrary property doesn't work
#+BEGIN: clocktable :scope file :match "LEVEL=\"1\""
#+CAPTION: Clock summary at [2024-05-07 Tue 13:00]
| Headline     | Time   |
|--------------+--------|
| *Total time* | *0:00* |
#+END:

Note that this _does_ work if ~org-use-property-inheritance~ is not
~nil~.

* Report matching a tag works
#+BEGIN: clocktable :scope file :maxlevel 2 :match "level_1"
#+CAPTION: Clock summary at [2024-05-07 Tue 13:00]
| Headline     | Time   |      |
|--------------+--------+------|
| *Total time* | *1:00* |      |
|--------------+--------+------|
| Level 1      | 1:00   |      |
| \_  Level 2  |        | 1:00 |
#+END:

Workaround:

As shown above, using either a tag or a custom property on the
top-level heading I want to generate the clocktable for works. For the
custom property to work, org-use-property-inheritance needs to be
non-nil.

Emacs  : GNU Emacs 29.3 (build 2, x86_64-pc-linux-gnu, GTK+ Version 
3.24.20, cairo version 1.16.0)
  of 2024-03-25
Package: Org mode version 9.6.15 (release_9.6.15 @ 
/snap/emacs/current/usr/share/emacs/29.3/lisp/org/)

Re: [BUG] clocktable match doesn't seem to support matching items based on parent property [9.6.15 (release_9.6.15 @ /snap/emacs/current/usr/share/emacs/29.3/lisp/org/)]

[Ihor Radchenko]

"Felix H. Dahlke" <fhd@uberco.de> writes:

> I want to create a clocktable report for all items under a specific
> heading, using the match keyword and the ITEM property. It appears
> that matching items this way won't include any subheadings, therefore
> not showing their times in the clocktable.

It is expected.
ITEM property is the heading text without stars, todo keyword, priority,
and tags. It has nothing to do with parent headings. So, when you ask
Org mode to match against specific ITEM, it will only include headings
with their own title matching the search criteria for ITEM.

In contrast, tags are inherited by default, so that heading tags include
the local tags and also parent tags.

> Example:
>
> * Level 1                                                   :level_1:
> ** Level 2
> :PROPERTIES:
> :LEVEL:      1
> :END:
>
> *** Level 3
> :LOGBOOK:
> CLOCK: [2024-05-07 Tue 11:00]--[2024-05-07 Tue 12:00] =>  1:00
> :END:
>
> * Report matching the ITEM property doesn't work
> #+BEGIN: clocktable :scope file :match "ITEM=\"Level 1\""
> #+CAPTION: Clock summary at [2024-05-07 Tue 13:00]
> | Headline     | Time   |
> |--------------+--------|
> | *Total time* | *0:00* |
> #+END:

This is expected, because clock data is not calculated in the headlines
that do not match the :match criteria. This includes subtrees.

> * Report matching an arbitrary property doesn't work
> #+BEGIN: clocktable :scope file :match "LEVEL=\"1\""
> #+CAPTION: Clock summary at [2024-05-07 Tue 13:00]
> | Headline     | Time   |
> |--------------+--------|
> | *Total time* | *0:00* |
> #+END:
>
> Note that this _does_ work if ~org-use-property-inheritance~ is not
> ~nil~.

LEVEL is not an arbitrary property. It is headline level. I am not sure
what you got things "work" when you enable property inheritance - not
for LEVEL.

Not a bug.
Canceled.

In future, the plan is to adopt org-ql syntax for matching headlines. It
will be more flexible and allow matching outline-path in addition to
current heading title/ITEM.

-- 
Ihor Radchenko // yantar92,
Org mode contributor,
Learn more about Org mode at <https://orgmode.org/>.
Support Org development at <https://liberapay.com/org-mode>,
or support my work at <https://liberapay.com/yantar92>