OCLUG org-mode demo, part 1

Problem space

You need a personal online notebook

You are a serious computer user.
You need to document things you learn and do.
The notebook should be fast, simple, and easy to search.
Ideally, the notebook shouldn’t use a binary format. (Plain text is generally good enough.)

You need to write a lengthy document with complex formatting

Markdown doesn’t cut it.
Entry to LaTeX-land is too expensive.
Word processor? Maybe, maybe not.

You have a complex todo-list

Repeating events, several projects, arbitrary deadlines, and dependencies.
Each todo app has its own quirks, and you don’t like that.
Flat text file is inadequate.

Solution: org-mode, “Your life in plain text”

What is org-mode? Emacs elisp module, bundled with GNU Emacs
Outliner, markup language, and personal organizer
You’re looking at it!
Exports into several output formats: HTML, PDF, ODT, man page, and more. The source format is plain text.

Basic Emacs

Why?

If I don’t impress you with org-mode goodies, then I have failed.
I’m not going to say Emacs > Vim.
Comparison between Emacs and Vim?
- Emacs is more like an IDE.
- Lisp everywhere!
- Graphical support

`C-h t`: the Emacs tutorial

It will make you Emacs-literate in a few hours.
C-h i displays the info page viewer: required for documentation

Doom Emacs? Spacemacs?

I have never used them.
Personal preference. Maybe you might like them, or maybe not.
Doom Emacs is someone’s pre-canned configuration.
Spacemacs is its own distribution. Vim-like keybindings.

Basic org-mode

Formatting

Typeset some things: Paragraph, list, image, table, code, checkboxes

Exports: HTML, PDF, ODT

HTML: demo style sheet
PDF: show the LaTeX output
ODT: Open in LibreOffice. Show template support.

Where is this going?

Show off the web site.
Show off the VPPR user guide.
Show off resumé.

Sneak peek

Org-agenda views