[Orgmode] Re: [Org-Babel] Export environments for shell results?

[Dan Davison]

Hi Seb,

Sébastien Vauban <address@hidden>
writes:

> #+TITLE: Org-Babel export environments for shell results
>
> * Example
>
> ** Medium output
>
> #+srcname: is-converted-to-listings
> #+begin_src sh :results output :exports both
> grep autoload ~/Downloads/emacs/site-lisp/org-mode/lisp/ob.el | cut -d "#" -f 
> 4
> #+end_src

(It's nice that your email is in Org format; I can get the contents into
an Org buffer quickly. Could I ask you to make the source blocks
reproducible in the future, so that we can execute them without having
to alter file paths etc?)

>
> #+results: is-converted-to-listings
> #+begin_example
> autoload
> autoload
> autoload
> autoload
> autoload
> autoload
> autoload
> autoload
> autoload
> autoload
> autoload
> autoload
> autoload
> autoload
> autoload
> autoload
> autoload
> autoload
> autoload
> autoload
> autoload
> autoload
> #+end_example
>
> gets translated (in LaTeX) to:
>
> #+begin_src latex
> \begin{lstlisting}
> autoload
> autoload
> autoload
> autoload
> autoload
> autoload
> autoload
> autoload
> autoload
> autoload
> autoload
> autoload
> autoload
> autoload
> autoload
> autoload
> autoload
> autoload
> autoload
> autoload
> autoload
> autoload
> \end{lstlisting}
> #+end_src
>
> ** Short output
>
> ... while
>
> #+srcname: is-converted-to-verbatim
> #+begin_src sh :results output :exports both
> grep autoload ~/Downloads/emacs/site-lisp/org-mode/lisp/ob.el | cut -d "#" -f 
> 4 | head -n 3
> #+end_src
>
> #+results: is-converted-to-verbatim
> : autoload
> : autoload
> : autoload
>
> gets translated (in LaTeX) to:
>
> #+begin_src latex
> \begin{verbatim}
>  autoload
>  autoload
>  autoload
> \end{verbatim}
> #+end_src
>
> with a leading space (that you don't see when running the command in the
> shell).
>
> The only difference is the shell command is adding =head -n 3=.
>
> * Questions
>
> 1. Why that difference of behavior?

I suspect this is due to 

--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
org-babel-min-lines-for-block-output is a variable defined in `ob.el'.
Its value is 10

Documentation:
The minimum number of lines for block output.
If number of lines of output is equal to or exceeds this
value, the output is placed in a #+begin_example...#+end_example
block. Otherwise the output is marked as literal by inserting
colons at the starts of the lines. This variable only takes
effect if the :results output option is in effect.
--8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---


>
> 2. What's the determining factor for switching between =verbatim= and
>    =lstlisting= environments?

I'm no expert on latex export. But if the colon form and the block form
are equivalent in Org, then perhaps it is a bug that they have
non-equivalent latex export? I didn't realise that begin_example
resulted in a lstlisting environment when using listings with Org.

>
> 3. Why is there a leading space in the =verbatim= environment?

I guess it is due to the space after the colon in the Org buffer.

Dan

>
> Best regards,
>   Seb