Re: [O] [RFC] Document level property drawer

[Marco Wahl]

Adam Porter <address@hidden> writes:

> Gustav Wikström <address@hidden> writes:
>
>> 3) Properties defined in a property drawer will have precedence over
>>    properties defined as a property keyword, if the same property is
>>    defined using both conventions.
>
> That protocol seems unnatural and confusing to me:
>
> - If precedence were to be defined by something other than file-order,
>   it seems to me that those defined with #+ keywords should have
>   precedence, because they are more visible, while those in drawers are
>   hidden.
> - However, it seems to me that the simplest, most natural protocol would
>   be for later declarations to override earlier ones.

I think it would be quite natural to use the tree structure of Org.  A
property setting in a subtree overrides the setting in a parent (which
could be the document(= the whole file.))

>> 4) The position for the document level property drawer is:
>>    - At the first line in a file that is not a comment or a keyword.
>>
>>      I.e. the following will work:
>>
>>      #+begin_src org
>>        # -*- mode: org -*-
>>        ,#+TITLE: Test
>>        :PROPERTIES:
>>        :CATEGORY: Test
>>        :END:
>>
>>        Preamble
>>
>>        ,* Some heading
>>        Some content
>>      #+end_src

[...]

> That feels unintuitive to me.  Document-level property keywords may
> appear anywhere in a file, so it seems inconsistent for document-level
> property drawers to be limited in this way, as if there were an implied
> headline at the top of the file.  If it were so, I would expect to see
> many mailing list posts by users asking why the properties defined in
> their document-level property drawers aren't working.  Given that there
> is no enforcement in Org's UI to keep such drawers in certain places, I
> think the implementation should be tolerant of users' preferences and
> mistakes (cf. Postel's Law).

TBH allowing document-level properties anywhere in an Org file looks
rather messy to me.  When a user is interested in all the document-level
properties she needs to scan the whole file.  Also the spread out
document-level properties introduce a distinction between a whole Org
file and an Org subtree.

I think the distinction between Org file and Org subtree should be kept
to a minimum.  Wouldn't it be nice if Org files can be considered as Org
subtrees?  In this sense a property drawer for the document is a step in
the right direction.


Ciao,
--
Marco