The Org Manual Release 9.4 The Org Mode Developers This manual is for Org version 9.4. Copyright c 2004{2021 Free Software Foundation, Inc. Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.3 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover Texts being \A GNU Manual," and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled \GNU Free Documentation License." (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: \You have the freedom to copy and modify this GNU manual." i Table of Contents 1 Introduction::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 1 1.1 Summary :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 1 1.2 Installation :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 1 1.3 Activation ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 2 1.4 Feedback::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 3 1.5 Typesetting Conventions Used in this Manual :::::::::::::::::: 4 2 Document Structure:::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 6 2.1 Headlines :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 6 2.2 Visibility Cycling::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 6 2.2.1 Global and local cycling ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 6 2.2.2 Initial visibility:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 8 2.2.3 Catching invisible edits :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 8 2.3 Motion::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 8 2.4 Structure Editing :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 9 2.5 Sparse Trees :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 11 2.6 Plain Lists :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 12 2.7 Drawers::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 15 2.8 Blocks :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 15 3 Tables :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 16 3.1 Built-in Table Editor :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 16 3.2 Column Width and Alignment :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 20 3.3 Column Groups ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 21 3.4 The Orgtbl Minor Mode :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 21 3.5 The Spreadsheet :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 22 3.5.1 References ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 22 3.5.2 Formula syntax for Calc :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 24 3.5.3 Emacs Lisp forms as formulas :::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 26 3.5.4 Durations and time values :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 27 3.5.5 Field and range formulas ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 27 3.5.6 Column formulas ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 28 3.5.7 Lookup functions::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 28 3.5.8 Editing and debugging formulas :::::::::::::::::::::::::: 29 3.5.9 Updating the table ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 31 3.5.10 Advanced features::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 32 3.6 Org Plot :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 33 ii 4 Hyperlinks ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 36 4.1 Link Format :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 36 4.2 Internal Links::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 37 4.3 Radio Targets::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 38 4.4 External Links :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 38 4.5 Handling Links ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 40 4.6 Using Links Outside Org :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 43 4.7 Link Abbreviations:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 43 4.8 Search Options in File Links :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 44 4.9 Custom Searches :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 45 5 TODO Items::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 46 5.1 Basic TODO Functionality :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 46 5.2 Extended Use of TODO Keywords :::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 47 5.2.1 TODO keywords as workflow states :::::::::::::::::::::: 47 5.2.2 TODO keywords as types :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 47 5.2.3 Multiple keyword sets in one file :::::::::::::::::::::::::: 48 5.2.4 Fast access to TODO states :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 49 5.2.5 Setting up keywords for individual files ::::::::::::::::::: 49 5.2.6 Faces for TODO keywords:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 49 5.2.7 TODO dependencies ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 50 5.3 Progress Logging:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 51 5.3.1 Closing items :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 51 5.3.2 Tracking TODO state changes :::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 51 5.3.3 Tracking your habits ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 53 5.4 Priorities ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 54 5.5 Breaking Down Tasks into Subtasks ::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 55 5.6 Checkboxes ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 56 6 Tags :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 59 6.1 Tag Inheritance ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 59 6.2 Setting Tags :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 59 6.3 Tag Hierarchy::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 62 6.4 Tag Searches :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 63 7 Properties and Columns :::::::::::::::::::::: 64 7.1 Property Syntax :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 64 7.2 Special Properties ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 66 7.3 Property Searches ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 66 7.4 Property Inheritance :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 67 7.5 Column View ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 68 7.5.1 Defining columns ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 68 7.5.1.1 Scope of column definitions :::::::::::::::::::::::::: 68 7.5.1.2 Column attributes ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 68 7.5.2 Using column view ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 70 7.5.3 Capturing column view::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 71 iii 8 Dates and Times :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 73 8.1 Timestamps::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 73 8.2 Creating Timestamps ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 74 8.2.1 The date/time prompt ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 75 8.2.2 Custom time format:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 77 8.3 Deadlines and Scheduling ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 77 8.3.1 Inserting deadlines or schedules::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 79 8.3.2 Repeated tasks ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 79 8.4 Clocking Work Time :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 81 8.4.1 Clocking commands :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 81 8.4.2 The clock table::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 83 8.4.3 Resolving idle time and continuous clocking::::::::::::::: 86 8.5 Effort Estimates :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 88 8.6 Taking Notes with a Relative Timer ::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 89 9 Refiling and Archiving :::::::::::::::::::::::: 90 9.1 Refile and Copy ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 90 9.2 Archiving ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 91 9.2.1 Moving a tree to an archive file ::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 91 9.2.2 Internal archiving :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 91 10 Capture and Attachments ::::::::::::::::::: 93 10.1 Capture ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 93 10.1.1 Setting up capture :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 93 10.1.2 Using capture ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 93 10.1.3 Capture templates :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 94 10.1.3.1 Template elements ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 94 10.1.3.2 Template expansion :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 97 10.1.3.3 Templates in contexts :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 99 10.2 Attachments ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 99 10.2.1 Attachment defaults and dispatcher :::::::::::::::::::: 100 10.2.2 Attachment options :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 101 10.2.3 Attachment links::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 102 10.2.4 Automatic version-control with Git::::::::::::::::::::: 103 10.2.5 Attach from Dired ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 103 10.3 RSS Feeds :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 103 11 Agenda Views ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 105 11.1 Agenda Files ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 105 11.2 The Agenda Dispatcher ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 106 11.3 The Built-in Agenda Views ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 107 11.3.1 Weekly/daily agenda ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 107 11.3.2 The global TODO list:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 110 11.3.3 Matching tags and properties :::::::::::::::::::::::::: 111 11.3.4 Search view :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 113 11.3.5 Stuck projects ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 113 11.4 Presentation and Sorting:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 114 iv 11.4.1 Categories ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 114 11.4.2 Time-of-day specifications :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 114 11.4.3 Sorting of agenda items :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 115 11.4.4 Filtering/limiting agenda items::::::::::::::::::::::::: 116 11.5 Commands in the Agenda Buffer :::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 119 11.6 Custom Agenda Views :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 126 11.6.1 Storing searches:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 127 11.6.2 Block agenda :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 128 11.6.3 Setting options for custom commands :::::::::::::::::: 128 11.7 Exporting Agenda Views:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 129 11.8 Using Column View in the Agenda