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denote.info
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This is docIdmER8.info, produced by makeinfo version 6.8 from
denote.texi.
Copyright (C) 2022-2024 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.”
INFO-DIR-SECTION Emacs misc features
START-INFO-DIR-ENTRY
* Denote: (denote). Simple notes with an efficient file-naming scheme.
END-INFO-DIR-ENTRY
File: docIdmER8.info, Node: Top, Next: Overview, Up: (dir)
denote: Simple notes with an efficient file-naming scheme
*********************************************************
Copyright (C) 2022-2024 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.”
This manual, written by Protesilaos Stavrou, describes the
customization options for the Emacs package called ‘denote’ (or
‘denote.el’), and provides every other piece of information pertinent to
it.
The documentation furnished herein corresponds to stable version
3.1.0, released on 2024-09-04. Any reference to a newer feature which
does not yet form part of the latest tagged commit, is explicitly marked
as such.
Current development target is 3.2.0-dev.
• Package name (GNU ELPA): ‘denote’
• Official manual: <https://protesilaos.com/emacs/denote>
• Change log: <https://protesilaos.com/emacs/denote-changelog>
• Git repositories:
• GitHub: <https://github.com/protesilaos/denote>
• GitLab: <https://gitlab.com/protesilaos/denote>
• Video demo:
<https://protesilaos.com/codelog/2022-06-18-denote-demo/>
• Backronyms: Denote Everything Neatly; Omit The Excesses. Don’t
Ever Note Only The Epiphenomenal.
If you are viewing the README.org version of this file, please note
that the GNU ELPA machinery automatically generates an Info manual out
of it.
* Menu:
* Overview::
* Points of entry::
* Renaming files::
* The file-naming scheme::
* Front matter::
* Linking notes::
* Choose which commands to prompt for::
* Fontification in Dired::
* Automatically rename Denote buffers::
* Use Org dynamic blocks::
* Sort files by component::
* Keep a journal or diary::
* Minibuffer histories::
* Packages that build on Denote::
* Extending Denote::
* Installation::
* Sample configuration::
* For developers or advanced users::
* Troubleshoot Denote in a pristine environment::
* Contributing::
* Publications about Denote::
* Alternatives to Denote::
* Frequently Asked Questions::
* Acknowledgements::
* GNU Free Documentation License::
* Indices::
— The Detailed Node Listing —
Points of entry
* Standard note creation::
* Create a note from the current Org subtree::
* Create note using Org capture::
* Create note with specific prompts using Org capture::
* Create note with specific values using Org capture::
* Create a note with the region's contents::
* Open an existing note or create it if missing::
* Maintain separate directory silos for notes::
* Exclude certain files from file prompts::
* Exclude certain directories from all operations::
* Exclude certain keywords from being inferred::
* Use Denote commands from the menu bar or context menu::
Standard note creation
* The denote-prompts option::
* The denote-history-completion-in-prompts option::
* The denote-templates option::
* Convenience commands for note creation::
* The denote-save-buffers option::
* The denote-kill-buffers option::
* The denote-date-prompt-use-org-read-date option::
Create a note with the region’s contents
* A custom denote-region that references the source::
Maintain separate directory silos for notes
* How to switch a silo::
* Use custom commands to select a silo::
* The ‘denote-silo-extras.el’: The denote-silo-extrasel.
* Make Org export work with silos::
* Make any Denote command work in a silo from anywhere::
Renaming files
* Rename a single file::
* Rename a single file based on its front matter::
* Rename multiple files interactively::
* Rename multiple files at once by asking only for keywords::
* Rename multiple files based on their front matter::
* Rename a file by changing only its file type::
* Rename a file by adding or removing a title interactively::
* Rename a file by adding or removing keywords interactively::
* Rename a file by adding or removing a signature interactively::
* Find duplicate identifiers and put them in a Dired buffer::
* Faces used by rename commands::
Rename a single file
* The denote-rename-confirmations option::
The file-naming scheme
* Change the order of file name components::
* Sluggification of file name components::
* User-defined sluggification of file name components::
* Features of the file-naming scheme for searching or filtering::
User-defined sluggification of file name components
* Custom sluggification to remove non-ASCII characters::
Front matter
* Change the front matter format::
* Regenerate front matter::
Linking notes
* Adding a single link::
* The denote-org-store-link-to-heading user option::
* Insert link to an Org file with a further pointer to a heading::
* Insert links matching a regexp::
* Insert link to file with signature::
* Insert links from marked files in Dired::
* Link to an existing note or create a new one::
* The backlinks' buffer::
* Writing metanotes::
* Visiting linked files via the minibuffer::
* Convert denote links to file links::
* Fontify links in non-Org buffers::
* Miscellaneous information about links::
The backlinks’ buffer
* Backlinks for Org headings::
Miscellaneous information about links
* Aliases for the linking commands::
* The denote-link-description-function to format links::
Automatically rename Denote buffers
* The denote-rename-buffer-format option::
Use Org dynamic blocks
* Org dynamic blocks to insert links::
* The Org dynamic block to insert missing links only::
* The Org dynamic block to insert backlinks::
* Org dynamic block to insert file contents::
* Org dynamic block to insert Org files as headings::
Sort files by component
* Configure what extra prompts denote-sort-dired issues::
* Define a sorting function per component::
Define a sorting function per component
* Sort signatures that include Luhmann-style sequences::
Keep a journal or diary
* Journaling with a timer::
Packages that build on Denote
* Use the consult-denote package for enhanced minibuffer interactions::
* Use the denote-explore package to explore your notes::
* Use the citar-denote package for bibliography notes::
* Use the consult-notes package::
* Use the denote-menu package::
Extending Denote
* Create a new note in any directory::
* Find empty notes and put them in a Dired buffer::
* Automatically rename the note after saving it::
* Narrow the list of files in Dired::
* Use dired-virtual-mode for arbitrary file listings::
* Use Embark to collect minibuffer candidates::
* Search file contents::
* Bookmark the directory with the notes::
* Treat your notes as a project::
* Use the tree-based file prompt for select commands::
* Rename files with Denote in the Image Dired thumbnails buffer::
* Rename files with Denote using dired-preview::
* Avoid duplicate identifiers when exporting Denote notes::
* Set up your workflow for daily or weekly meeting notes::
Avoid duplicate identifiers when exporting Denote notes
* Export Denote notes with Org Mode::
* Export Denote notes with Markdown::
Installation
* GNU ELPA package::
* Manual installation::
Contributing
* Wishlist of what we can do to extend Denote::
Alternatives to Denote
* Alternative implementations and further reading::
Frequently Asked Questions
* Why develop Denote when PACKAGE already exists?::
* Why not rely exclusively on Org?::
* Why care about Unix tools when you use Emacs?::
* Why many small files instead of few large ones?::
* Does Denote perform well at scale?::
* I add TODOs to my notes; will many files slow down the Org agenda?::
* I want to sort by last modified in Dired, why won’t Denote let me?: I want to sort by last modified in Dired why won't Denote let me?.
* How do you handle the last modified case?::
* Why are some Org links opening outside Emacs?::
* Speed up backlinks' buffer creation?::
* Why do I get ``Search failed with status 1'' when I search for backlinks?::
* Why do I get a double #+title in Doom Emacs?::
Indices
* Function index::
* Variable index::
* Concept index::
File: docIdmER8.info, Node: Overview, Next: Points of entry, Prev: Top, Up: Top
1 Overview
**********
Denote aims to be a simple-to-use, focused-in-scope, and effective
note-taking and file-naming tool for Emacs.
Denote is based on the idea that files should follow a predictable
and descriptive file-naming scheme. The file name must offer a clear
indication of what the contents are about, without reference to any
other metadata. Denote basically streamlines the creation of such files
or file names while providing facilities to link between them (where
those files are editable).
Denote’s file-naming scheme is not limited to “notes”. It can be
used for all types of file, including those that are not editable in
Emacs, such as videos. Naming files in a consistent way makes their
filtering and retrieval considerably easier. Denote provides relevant
facilities to rename files, regardless of file type.
Denote is based on the following core design principles:
Predictability
File names must follow a consistent and descriptive naming
convention (*note The file-naming scheme::). The file name alone
should offer a clear indication of what the contents are, without
reference to any other metadatum. This convention is not specific
to note-taking, as it is pertinent to any form of file that is part
of the user’s long-term storage (*note Renaming files::).
Composability
Be a good Emacs citizen, by integrating with other packages or
built-in functionality instead of re-inventing functions such as
for filtering or greping. The author of Denote (Protesilaos, aka
“Prot”) writes ordinary notes in plain text (‘.txt’), switching on
demand to an Org file only when its expanded set of functionality
is required for the task at hand (*note Points of entry::).
Portability
Notes are plain text and should remain portable. The way Denote
writes file names, the front matter it includes in the note’s
header, and the links it establishes must all be adequately usable
with standard Unix tools. No need for a database or some
specialised software. As Denote develops and this manual is fully
fleshed out, there will be concrete examples on how to do the
Denote-equivalent on the command-line.
Flexibility
Do not assume the user’s preference for a note-taking methodology.
Denote is conceptually similar to the Zettelkasten Method, which
you can learn more about in this detailed introduction:
<https://zettelkasten.de/introduction/>. Notes are atomic (one
file per note) and have a unique identifier. However, Denote does
not enforce a particular methodology for knowledge management, such
as a restricted vocabulary or mutually exclusive sets of keywords.
Denote also does not check if the user writes thematically atomic
notes. It is up to the user to apply the requisite rigor and/or
creativity in pursuit of their preferred workflow (*note Writing
metanotes::).
Hackability
Denote’s code base consists of small and reusable functions. They
all have documentation strings. The idea is to make it easier for
users of varying levels of expertise to understand what is going on
and make surgical interventions where necessary (e.g. to tweak
some formatting). In this manual, we provide concrete examples on
such user-level configurations (*note Keep a journal or diary::).
Now the important part... “Denote” is the familiar word, though it
also is a play on the “note” concept. Plus, we can come up with
acronyms, recursive or otherwise, of increasingly dubious utility like:
• Don’t Ever Note Only The Epiphenomenal
• Denote Everything Neatly; Omit The Excesses
But we’ll let you get back to work. Don’t Eschew or Neglect your
Obligations, Tasks, and Engagements.
File: docIdmER8.info, Node: Points of entry, Next: Renaming files, Prev: Overview, Up: Top
2 Points of entry
*****************
There are five main ways to write a note with Denote: invoke the
‘denote’, ‘denote-type’, ‘denote-date’, ‘denote-subdirectory’,
‘denote-template’, ‘denote-signature’ commands, or leverage the
‘org-capture-templates’ by setting up a template which calls the
function ‘denote-org-capture’. We explain all of those in the
subsequent sections. Other more specialised commands exist as well,
which one shall learn about as they read through this manual. We do not
want to overwhelm the user with options at this stage.
All these commands constructs the file name in accordance with the
user option ‘denote-file-name-components-order’ (*note Change the order
of file name components::).
* Menu:
* Standard note creation::
* Create a note from the current Org subtree::
* Create note using Org capture::
* Create note with specific prompts using Org capture::
* Create note with specific values using Org capture::
* Create a note with the region's contents::
* Open an existing note or create it if missing::
* Maintain separate directory silos for notes::
* Exclude certain files from file prompts::
* Exclude certain directories from all operations::
* Exclude certain keywords from being inferred::
* Use Denote commands from the menu bar or context menu::
File: docIdmER8.info, Node: Standard note creation, Next: Create a note from the current Org subtree, Up: Points of entry
2.1 Standard note creation
==========================
The ‘denote’ command will prompt for a title. If a region is active,
the text of the region becomes the default at the minibuffer prompt
(meaning that typing ‘RET’ without any input will use the default
value). Once the title is supplied, the ‘denote’ command will then ask
for keywords. The resulting note will have a file name as already
explained: *note The file naming scheme: The file-naming scheme.
The ‘denote’ command runs the hook ‘denote-after-new-note-hook’ after
creating the new note.
The file type of the new note is determined by the user option
‘denote-file-type’ (*note Front matter::).
The keywords’ prompt supports minibuffer completion. Available
candidates are those defined in the user option ‘denote-known-keywords’.
More candidates can be inferred from the names of existing notes, by
setting ‘denote-infer-keywords’ to non-nil (which is the case by
default).
Multiple keywords can be inserted by separating them with a comma (or
whatever the value of the ‘crm-separator’ is—which should be a comma).
When the user option ‘denote-sort-keywords’ is non-nil (the default),
keywords are sorted alphabetically (technically, the sorting is done
with ‘string-lessp’).
The interactive behaviour of the ‘denote’ command is influenced by
the user option ‘denote-prompts’ (*note The denote-prompts option: The
denote-prompts option.).
The ‘denote’ command can also be called from Lisp. Read its doc
string for the technicalities.
In the interest of discoverability, ‘denote’ is also available under
the alias ‘denote-create-note’.
* Menu:
* The denote-prompts option::
* The denote-history-completion-in-prompts option::
* The denote-templates option::
* Convenience commands for note creation::
* The denote-save-buffers option::
* The denote-kill-buffers option::
* The denote-date-prompt-use-org-read-date option::
File: docIdmER8.info, Node: The denote-prompts option, Next: The denote-history-completion-in-prompts option, Up: Standard note creation
2.1.1 The ‘denote-prompts’ option
---------------------------------
The user option ‘denote-prompts’ determines how the ‘denote’ command
will behave interactively (*note Standard note creation::).
Commands that prompt for user input to construct a Denote file name
include, but are not limited to: ‘denote’, ‘denote-signature’,
‘denote-type’, ‘denote-date’, ‘denote-subdirectory’,
‘denote-rename-file’, ‘denote-dired-rename-files’.
• *note Convenience commands for note creation::.
• *note Renaming files::.
The value of this user option is a list of symbols, which includes
any of the following:
• ‘title’: Prompt for the title of the new note (*note The
denote-history-completion-in-prompts option::).
• ‘keywords’: Prompts with completion for the keywords of the new
note. Available candidates are those specified in the user option
‘denote-known-keywords’. If the user option
‘denote-infer-keywords’ is non-nil, keywords in existing note file
names are included in the list of candidates. The ‘keywords’
prompt uses ‘completing-read-multiple’, meaning that it can accept
multiple keywords separated by a comma (or whatever the value of
‘crm-separator’ is).
• ‘file-type’: Prompts with completion for the file type of the new
note. Available candidates are those specified in the user option
‘denote-file-type’. Without this prompt, ‘denote’ uses the value
of ‘denote-file-type’.
• ‘subdirectory’: Prompts with completion for a subdirectory in which
to create the note. Available candidates are the value of the user
option ‘denote-directory’ and all of its subdirectories. Any
subdirectory must already exist: Denote will not create it.
• ‘date’: Prompts for the date of the new note. It will expect an
input like 2022-06-16 or a date plus time: 2022-06-16 14:30.
Without the ‘date’ prompt, the ‘denote’ command uses the
‘current-time’.
*note The denote-date-prompt-use-org-read-date option: The
denote-date-prompt-use-org-read-date option.
• ‘template’: Prompts for a KEY among the ‘denote-templates’. The
value of that KEY is used to populate the new note with content,
which is added after the front matter (*note The denote-templates
option: The denote-templates option.).
• ‘signature’: - Prompts for an arbitrary string that can be used to
establish a sequential relationship between files (e.g. 1, 1a, 1b,
1b1, 1b2, ...). Signatures have no strictly defined function and
are up to the user to apply as they see fit. One use-case is to
implement Niklas Luhmann’s Zettelkasten system for a sequence of
notes (Folgezettel). Signatures are not included in a file’s front
matter. They are reserved solely for creating a sequence in a file
listing, at least for the time being. To insert a link that
includes the signature, use the command
‘denote-link-with-signature’ (*note Insert link to file with
signature::).
The prompts occur in the given order.
If the value of this user option is nil, no prompts are used. The
resulting file name will consist of an identifier (i.e. the date and
time) and a supported file type extension (per ‘denote-file-type’).
Recall that Denote’s standard file-naming scheme is defined as
follows (*note The file-naming scheme::):
DATE--TITLE__KEYWORDS.EXT
If either or both of the ‘title’ and ‘keywords’ prompts are not
included in the value of this variable, file names will be any of those
permutations:
DATE.EXT
DATE--TITLE.EXT
DATE__KEYWORDS.EXT
When in doubt, always include the ‘title’ and ‘keywords’ prompts.
Finally, this user option only affects the interactive use of the
‘denote’ or other relevant commands (advanced users can call it from
Lisp). In Lisp usage, the behaviour is always what the caller
specifies, based on the supplied arguments.
File: docIdmER8.info, Node: The denote-history-completion-in-prompts option, Next: The denote-templates option, Prev: The denote-prompts option, Up: Standard note creation
2.1.2 The ‘denote-history-completion-in-prompts’ option
-------------------------------------------------------
The user option ‘denote-history-completion-in-prompts’ toggles history
completion in all ‘denote-prompts-with-history-as-completion’.
When this user option is set to a non-nil value, Denote will use
minibuffer history entries as completion candidates in all of the
‘denote-prompts-with-history-as-completion’. Those will show previous
inputs from their respective history as possible values to select,
either to (i) re-insert them verbatim or (ii) with the intent to edit
them further (depending on the minibuffer user interface, one can select
a candidate with ‘TAB’ without exiting the minibuffer, as opposed to
what ‘RET’ normally does by selecting and exiting).
When this user option is set to a nil value, all of the
‘denote-prompts-with-history-as-completion’ will not use minibuffer
completion: they will just prompt for a string of characters. Their
history is still available through all the standard ways of retrieving
minibuffer history, such as with the command ‘previous-history-element’.
History completion still allows arbitrary values to be provided as
input: they do not have to match the available minibuffer completion
candidates.
Note that some prompts, like ‘denote-keywords-prompt’, always use
minibuffer completion, due to the specifics of their data.
[ Consider enabling the built-in ‘savehist-mode’ to persist
minibuffer histories between sessions.]
File: docIdmER8.info, Node: The denote-templates option, Next: Convenience commands for note creation, Prev: The denote-history-completion-in-prompts option, Up: Standard note creation
2.1.3 The ‘denote-templates’ option
-----------------------------------
The user option ‘denote-templates’ is an alist of content templates for
new notes. A template is arbitrary text that Denote will add to a newly
created note right below the front matter.
Templates are expressed as a ‘(KEY . VALUE)’ association.
• The ‘KEY’ is the name which identifies the template. It is an
arbitrary symbol, such as ‘report’, ‘memo’, ‘statement’.
• The ‘VALUE’ is either a string or the symbol of a function.
• If it is a string, it is ordinary text that Denote will insert
as-is. It can contain newline characters to add spacing. The
manual of Denote contains examples on how to use the ‘concat’
function, beside writing a generic string.
• If it is a function, it is called without arguments and is
expected to return a string. Denote will call the function
and insert the result in the buffer.
The user can choose a template either by invoking the command
‘denote-template’ or by changing the user option ‘denote-prompts’ to
always prompt for a template when calling the ‘denote’ command.
*note The denote-prompts option: The denote-prompts option.
*note Convenience commands for note creation::.
Templates can be written directly as one large string. For example
(the ‘\n’ character is read as a newline):
(setq denote-templates
'((report . "* Some heading\n\n* Another heading")
(memo . "* Some heading
* Another heading
")))
Long strings may be easier to type but interpret indentation
literally. Also, they do not scale well. A better way is to use some
Elisp code to construct the string. This would typically be the
‘concat’ function, which joins multiple strings into one. The following
is the same as the previous example:
(setq denote-templates
`((report . "* Some heading\n\n* Another heading")
(memo . ,(concat "* Some heading"
"\n\n"
"* Another heading"
"\n\n"))))
Notice that to evaluate a function inside of an alist we use the
backtick to quote the alist (NOT the straight quote) and then prepend a
comma to the expression that should be evaluated. The ‘concat’ form
here is not sensitive to indentation, so it is easier to adjust for
legibility.
For when the ‘VALUE’ is a function, we have this:
(setq denote-templates
`((report . "* Some heading\n\n* Another heading")
(blog . my-denote-template-function-for-blog) ; a function to return a string
(memo . ,(concat "* Some heading"
"\n\n"
"* Another heading"
"\n\n"))))
In this example, ‘my-denote-template-function-for-blog’ is a function
that returns a string. Denote will take care to insert it in the
buffer.
DEV NOTE: We do not provide more examples at this point, though feel
welcome to ask for help if the information provided herein is not
sufficient. We shall expand the manual accordingly.
File: docIdmER8.info, Node: Convenience commands for note creation, Next: The denote-save-buffers option, Prev: The denote-templates option, Up: Standard note creation
2.1.4 Convenience commands for note creation
--------------------------------------------
Sometimes the user needs to create a note that has different
requirements from those of ‘denote’ (*note Standard note creation::).
While this can be achieved globally by changing the ‘denote-prompts’
user option, there are cases where an ad-hoc method is the appropriate
one (*note The denote-prompts option: The denote-prompts option.).
To this end, Denote provides the following interactive convenience
commands for note creation. They all work by appending a new prompt to
the existing ‘denote-prompts’.
Create note by specifying file type
The ‘denote-type’ command creates a note while prompting for a file
type.
This is the equivalent of calling ‘denote’ when ‘denote-prompts’
has the ‘file-type’ prompt appended to its existing prompts. In
practical terms, this lets you produce, say, a note in Markdown
even though you normally write in Org (*note Standard note
creation::).
The ‘denote-create-note-using-type’ is an alias of ‘denote-type’.
Create note using a date
Normally, Denote reads the current date and time to construct the
unique identifier of a newly created note (*note Standard note
creation::). Sometimes, however, the user needs to set an explicit
date+time value.
This is where the ‘denote-date’ command comes in. It creates a
note while prompting for a date. The date can be in YEAR-MONTH-DAY
notation like ‘2022-06-30’ or that plus the time: ‘2022-06-16
14:30’.
*note The denote-date-prompt-use-org-read-date option: The
denote-date-prompt-use-org-read-date option.
This is the equivalent of calling ‘denote’ when ‘denote-prompts’
has the ‘date’ prompt appended to its existing prompts.
The ‘denote-create-note-using-date’ is an alias of ‘denote-date’.
Create note in a specific directory
The ‘denote-subdirectory’ command creates a note while prompting
for a subdirectory. Available candidates include the value of the
variable ‘denote-directory’ and any subdirectory thereof (Denote
does not create subdirectories).
This is the equivalent of calling ‘denote’ when ‘denote-prompts’
has the ‘subdirectory’ prompt appended to its existing prompts.
The ‘denote-create-note-in-subdirectory’ is a more descriptive
alias of ‘denote-subdirectory’.
Create note and add a template
The ‘denote-template’ command creates a new note and inserts the
specified template below the front matter (*note The
denote-templates option: The denote-templates option.). Available
candidates for templates are specified in the user option
‘denote-templates’.
This is the equivalent of calling ‘denote’ when ‘denote-prompts’
has the ‘template’ prompt appended to its existing prompts.
The ‘denote-create-note-with-template’ is an alias of the command
‘denote-template’, meant to help with discoverability.
Create note with a signature
The ‘denote-signature’ command first prompts for an arbitrary
string to use in the optional ‘SIGNATURE’ field of the file name
and then asks for a title and keywords. Signatures are arbitrary
strings of alphanumeric characters which can be used to establish
sequential relations between file at the level of their file name
(e.g. 1, 1a, 1b, 1b1, 1b2, ...).
This is the equivalent of calling ‘denote’ when ‘denote-prompts’
has the ‘signature’ prompt appended to its existing prompts.
The ‘denote-create-note-using-signature’ is an alias of the command
‘denote-signature’ intended to make the functionality more
discoverable.
1. Write your own convenience commands
The convenience commands we provide only cover some basic use-cases
(*note Convenience commands for note creation::). The user may
require combinations that are not covered, such as to prompt for a
template and for a subdirectory, instead of only one of the two.
To this end, we show how to follow the code we use in Denote to
write your own variants of those commands.
First let’s take a look at the definition of one of those commands.
They all look the same, but we use ‘denote-subdirectory’ for this
example:
(defun denote-subdirectory ()
"Create note while prompting for a subdirectory.
Available candidates include the value of the variable
`denote-directory' and any subdirectory thereof.
This is the equivalent of calling `denote' when `denote-prompts'
has the `subdirectory' prompt appended to its existing prompts."
(declare (interactive-only t))
(interactive)
(let ((denote-prompts (denote-add-prompts '(subdirectory))))
(call-interactively #'denote)))
The hyphenated word after ‘defun’ is the name of the function. It
has to be unique. Then we have the documentation string (or “doc
string”) which is for the user’s convenience.
This function is ‘interactive’, meaning that it can be called via
‘M-x’ or be assigned to a key binding. Then we have the local
binding of the ‘denote-prompts’ to the desired combination (“local”
means specific to this function without affecting other contexts).
Lastly, it calls the standard ‘denote’ command interactively, so it
uses all the prompts in their specified order.
The function call ‘(denote-add-prompts '(subdirectory))’ will
append the subdirectory prompt to the existing value of the
‘denote-prompts’. If, for example, the default value is ‘'(title
keywords)’ (to prompt for a title and then for keywords), it will
become ‘'(subdirectory title keywords)’ inside the context of this
‘let’. Remember that this is “local”, so the global value of
‘denote-prompts’ remains unaffected.
Now let’s say we want to have a command that (i) asks for a
template (ii) for a subdirectory (*note The denote-templates
option: The denote-templates option.), and (iii) then goes through
the remaining ‘denote-prompts’. All we need to do is tweak the
‘let’ bound value of ‘denote-prompts’ and give our command a unique
name:
;; Like `denote-subdirectory' but also ask for a template
(defun my-denote-subdirectory-with-template ()
"Create note while also prompting for a template and subdirectory.
This is the equivalent of calling `denote' when `denote-prompts' has the
`subdirectory' and `template' prompts appended to its existing prompts."
(declare (interactive-only t))
(interactive)
(let ((denote-prompts (denote-add-prompts '(subdirectory template))))
(call-interactively #'denote)))
The tweaks to ‘denote-prompts’ determine how the command will
behave (*note The denote-prompts option: The denote-prompts
option.). Use this paradigm to write your own variants which you
can then assign to keys, invoke with ‘M-x’, or add to the list of
commands available at the ‘denote-command-prompt’ (*note Choose
which commands to prompt for::).
In the above scenario, we are using the ‘denote-add-prompts’
function, which appends whatever prompts we want to the existing
value of ‘denote-prompts’. If the user prefers to completely
override the ‘denote-prompts’, they can set the value outright:
(defun my-denote-subdirectory-with-template-title-and-keywords ()
"Create a note while prompting for subdirectory, template, title, and keywords.
This is the equivalent of calling `denote' when `denote-prompts' has the
value '(template subdirectory title keywords)."
(declare (interactive-only t))
(interactive)
(let ((denote-prompts '(subdirectory template title keywords)))
(call-interactively #'denote)))
File: docIdmER8.info, Node: The denote-save-buffers option, Next: The denote-kill-buffers option, Prev: Convenience commands for note creation, Up: Standard note creation
2.1.5 The ‘denote-save-buffers’ option
--------------------------------------
The user option ‘denote-save-buffer-after-creation’ controls whether
commands that create new notes save their buffer outright.
The default behaviour of commands such as ‘denote’ (or related) is to
not save the buffer they create (*note Points of entry::). This gives
the user the chance to review the text before writing it to a file. The
user may choose to delete the unsaved buffer, thus not creating a new
note (*note The ‘denote-save-buffer-after-creation’ option: The
denote-save-buffers option.).
This option also applies to notes affected by the renaming commands
(‘denote-rename-file’ and related).
If this user option is set to a non-nil value, such buffers are saved
automatically. The assumption is that the user who opts in to this
feature is familiar with the ‘denote-rename-file’ operation (or related)
and knows it is reliable (*note Renaming files::).
*note The denote-kill-buffers option::.
File: docIdmER8.info, Node: The denote-kill-buffers option, Next: The denote-date-prompt-use-org-read-date option, Prev: The denote-save-buffers option, Up: Standard note creation
2.1.6 The ‘denote-kill-buffers’ option
--------------------------------------
The user option ‘denote-kill-buffers’ controls whether to kill a buffer
that was generated by a Denote command. This can happen when creating a
new file or renaming an existing one.
• *note Points of entry::.
• *note Renaming files::.
The default behaviour of creation or renaming commands such as
‘denote’ or ‘denote-rename-file’ is to not kill the buffer they create
or modify at the end of their operation. The idea is to give the user
the chance to confirm that everything is in order.
If this user option is nil (the default), buffers affected by a
creation or renaming command are not automatically killed.
If set to the symbol ‘on-creation’, new notes are automatically
killed.
If set to the symbol ‘on-rename’, renamed notes are automatically
killed.
If set to t, new and renamed notes are killed.
If a buffer is killed, it is also saved, as if ‘denote-save-buffers’
were t (*note The denote-save-buffers option::).
In all cases, if the buffer already existed before the Denote
operation it is NOT automatically killed.
File: docIdmER8.info, Node: The denote-date-prompt-use-org-read-date option, Prev: The denote-kill-buffers option, Up: Standard note creation
2.1.7 The ‘denote-date-prompt-use-org-read-date’ option
-------------------------------------------------------
By default, Denote uses its own simple prompt for date or date+time
input (*note The denote-prompts option: The denote-prompts option.).
This is done when the ‘denote-prompts’ option includes a ‘date’ symbol
and/or when the user invokes the ‘denote-date’ command.
Users who want to benefit from the more advanced date selection
method that is common in interactions with Org mode, can set the user
option ‘denote-date-prompt-use-org-read-date’ to a non-nil value.
File: docIdmER8.info, Node: Create a note from the current Org subtree, Next: Create note using Org capture, Prev: Standard note creation, Up: Points of entry
2.2 Create a note from the current Org subtree
==============================================
In Org parlance, an entry with all its subheadings and other contents is
a “subtree”. Denote can operate on the subtree to extract it from the
current file and create a new file out of it. One such workflow is to
collect thoughts in a single document and produce longer standalone
notes out of them upon review.
The command ‘denote-org-extras-extract-org-subtree’ is used for this
purpose. It creates a new Denote note using the current Org subtree.
In doing so, it removes the subtree from its current file and moves its
contents into a new file. This command is part of the optional
‘denote-org-extras.el’ extension, which is part of the ‘denote’ package.
It is loaded automatically as soon as one of its commands is invoked.
The text of the subtree’s heading becomes the ‘#+title’ of the new
note. Everything else is inserted as-is.
If the heading has any tags, they are used as the keywords of the new
note. If the Org file has any ‘#+filetags’ they are taken as well
(Org’s ‘#+filetags’ are inherited by the headings). If none of these
are true and the user option ‘denote-prompts’ includes an entry for
keywords, then ‘denote-org-extras-extract-org-subtree’ prompts for
keywords. Else the new note has no keywords (*note Add or remove
keywords interactively: Rename a file by adding or removing keywords
interactively.).
If the heading has a ‘PROPERTIES’ drawer, it is retained for further
review.
If the heading’s ‘PROPERTIES’ drawer includes a ‘DATE’ or ‘CREATED’
property, or there exists a ‘CLOSED’ statement with a timestamp value,
use that to derive the date (or date and time) of the new note (if there
is only a date, the time is taken as 00:00). If more than one of these
is present, the order of preference is ‘DATE’, then ‘CREATED’, then
‘CLOSED’. If none of these is present, the current time is used. If
the ‘denote-prompts’ includes an entry for a date, then the command
prompts for a date at this stage (also see
‘denote-date-prompt-use-org-read-date’).
For the rest, it consults the value of the user option
‘denote-prompts’ in the following scenaria:
• To optionally prompt for a subdirectory, otherwise it produces the
new note in the ‘denote-directory’.
• To optionally prompt for a file signature, otherwise to not use
any.
The new note is an Org file regardless of the user option
‘denote-file-type’.
File: docIdmER8.info, Node: Create note using Org capture, Next: Create note with specific prompts using Org capture, Prev: Create a note from the current Org subtree, Up: Points of entry
2.3 Create note using Org capture
=================================
For integration with ‘org-capture’, the user must first add the relevant
template. Such as:
(with-eval-after-load 'org-capture
(add-to-list 'org-capture-templates
'("n" "New note (with Denote)" plain
(file denote-last-path)
#'denote-org-capture
:no-save t
:immediate-finish nil
:kill-buffer t
:jump-to-captured t)))
Once the template is added, it is accessed from the specified key.
If, for instance, ‘org-capture’ is bound to ‘C-c c’, then the note
creation is initiated with ‘C-c c n’, per the above snippet. After
that, the process is the same as with invoking ‘denote’ directly,
namely: a prompt for a title followed by a prompt for keywords, assuming
the default settings (*note Standard note creation::). Concretely, this
method always respects the value of the user option ‘denote-prompts’
(*note The denote-prompts option::).
It is also possible to define templates that have specific prompts or
certain values set, for which there is no prompt:
• *note Create note with specific values using Org capture::
• *note Create note with specific prompts using Org capture::
Users may prefer to leverage ‘org-capture’ in order to extend file
creation with the specifiers described in the ‘org-capture-templates’
documentation (such as to capture the active region and/or create a
hyperlink pointing to the given context).