feature request: item and value on the same line using org-columns

[piyo]

I don't use this package very much but I suggest showing the item and value on the same line. org makes this possible using the built-in org-columns.

I have made a modification that achieves this. The following code:

• inserts metadata for org-columns rendering
• tells org-mode to show all headers and subheaders ("content")
• increases the depth by one
• encodes the sysctl item value as a org-property ":VALUE:", for org-columns input.
• moves the cursor back to the top of the buffer

(defun sysctl-construct-tree (lines-list)
  "Turn LINES-LIST into an org hierarchy."
  ;; org-columns formatting
  (insert "* sysctl\n")
  (insert ":PROPERTIES:\n"
          ":COLUMNS: %40ITEM(Item) %80VALUE(Value)" "\n"
          ":END:\n"
          "#+STARTUP: content\n")
  (let (path)
    (dolist (line lines-list)
      (let ((line-path (car line))
            (line-value (cdr line))
            (depth 1))
        (while line-path
          (unless (string= (nth (- depth 1) path)
                           (car line-path))
            (insert (concat (make-string (+ 1 depth) ?*) " " (car line-path) "\n"))
            (sysctl--readonly-previous-line))
          (setq line-path (cdr line-path)
                depth (1+ depth)))
        (setq path (car line))
        (insert (concat ":PROPERTIES:\n" ;; shown as org-property for org-column
                        ":VALUE: " line-value "\n"
                        ":END:\n")))))
 (goto-line 0))

How to use it:

1. Redefine sysctl-construct-tree as shown above.
2. M-x sysctl
3. C-u C-c C-x C-c (org-columns) to turn on org-columns mode and show the item and value org-column overlay.
4. Press q anywhere on the overlays to remove org-columns overlays.

Pros:

• Able to see the item name and value on one line
• Able to leverage org-columns editing mode

Cons:

• Does not work for multi-line entries.
• Not yet working for org-column editing mode

Tested on:

• Emacs 26.1
• org-plus-contrib 20191230 package
• Debian 10 Linux x64

References:
https://orgmode.org/manual/Column-view.html
https://orgmode.org/worg/org-tutorials/org-column-view-tutorial.html