[ESS] ESS and org-mode

Rodney Sparapani rsparapa at mcw.edu
Wed Nov 19 20:24:47 CET 2008


Charles C. Berry wrote:
>
> http://orgmode.org/manual/Installation.html#Installation
>
> HTH,
>
> Chuck
>
>
Hi Chuck:

Thanks for the info. However, after reading the following, I don't
have much enthusiasm at the moment:

1.1 Summary

Org is a mode for keeping notes, maintaining TODO lists, and doing
project planning with a fast and effective plain-text system.

Org develops organizational tasks around NOTES files that contain
lists or information about projects as plain text. Org is implemented
on top of Outline mode, which makes it possible to keep the content of
large files well structured. Visibility cycling and structure editing
help to work with the tree. Tables are easily created with a built-in
table editor. Org supports TODO items, deadlines, time stamps, and
scheduling. It dynamically compiles entries into an agenda that
utilizes and smoothly integrates much of the Emacs calendar and
diary. Plain text URL-like links connect to websites, emails, Usenet
messages, BBDB entries, and any files related to the projects. For
printing and sharing of notes, an Org file can be exported as a
structured ASCII file, as HTML, or (TODO and agenda items only) as an
iCalendar file. It can also serve as a publishing tool for a set of
linked web pages.

An important design aspect that distinguishes Org from for example
Planner/Muse is that it encourages to store every piece of information
only once. In Planner, you have project pages, day pages and possibly
other files, duplicating some information such as tasks. In Org, you
only have notes files. In your notes you mark entries as tasks, label
them with tags and timestamps. All necessary lists like a schedule for
the day, the agenda for a meeting, tasks lists selected by tags etc
are created dynamically when you need them.

Org keeps simple things simple. When first fired up, it should feel
like a straightforward, easy to use outliner. Complexity is not
imposed, but a large amount of functionality is available when you
need it. Org is a toolbox and can be used in different ways, for
example as:

? outline extension with visibility cycling and structure editing
? ASCII system and table editor for taking structured notes
? ASCII table editor with spreadsheet-like capabilities
? TODO list editor
? full agenda and planner with deadlines and work scheduling
? environment to implement David Allen's GTD system
? a basic database application
? simple hypertext system, with HTML and LaTeX export
? publishing tool to create a set of interlinked webpages



-- 
Rodney Sparapani      Center for Patient Care & Outcomes Research (PCOR)
Sr. Biostatistician              http://www.mcw.edu/pcor
4 wheels good, 2 wheels better!  Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW)
WWLD?:  What Would Lombardi Do?  Milwaukee, WI, USA




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