Re: [O] proposal to make C-c C-c not remove latex overlays

[Nick Dokos]

Andreas Leha <address@hidden> writes:

> Hi all,
>
> John Kitchin <address@hidden> writes:
>
>> I am using org-mode files with equations and code blocks in lectures,
>> and it is problematic that C-c C-c removes the equation overlays when
>> running a code block. First, you have to press C-c C-c twice to run the
>> block, since the first one gets rid of the equations, but then you have
>> run C-c C-x C-l to get the equations back! and the cycle repeats
>> throughout a lecture.
>>
>> I would prefer that the equations stay untouched, and that the code
>> blocks run without modifying them. 
>>
>> I think the best behavior would be for C-c C-x C-l to toggle the
>> equations, and to remove the C-c C-c behavior for latex overlays
>> completely.
>
> Since this thread focusses on work arounds and local customizations so
> far, let me just say, that I completely agree here.  What is the
> reasoning behind the current key binding?  Is there any benefit over
> using the same key binding to toggle the state?
>

I'm inclined to agree too: I imagine it would be very annoying after
a while.

There are three things that C-c C-c currently undoes in an ad-hoc
fashion. The first cond clause in the function looks like this:

,----
|    ((or (and (boundp 'org-clock-overlays) org-clock-overlays)
|       org-occur-highlights
|       org-latex-fragment-image-overlays)
|     (and (boundp 'org-clock-overlays) (org-clock-remove-overlays))
|     (org-remove-occur-highlights)
|     (org-remove-latex-fragment-image-overlays)
|     (message "Temporary highlights/overlays removed from current buffer"))
`----

So if there are clock overlays or occur highlights or latex fragment
image overlays, they are undone and the function is finished. This seems
like a separate issue from the main thrust of what C-c C-c does (and it
does a lot), so my inclination would be to suggest that each of the
above conditions be togglable, using the standard keybinding for each
(C-c C-x C-l for latex fragment image overlay toggling, C-c C-x C-d for
clock display - occur highlights only happen from org-goto with the "/"
keybinding, but there is no org-global keybinding I believe).

However there is a variable that modifies that behavior:

,----
| org-remove-highlights-with-change is a variable defined in `org.el'.
| Its value is t
| 
| Documentation:
| Non-nil means any change to the buffer will remove temporary highlights.
| Such highlights are created by `org-occur' and `org-clock-display'.
| When nil, `C-c C-c needs to be used to get rid of the highlights.
| The highlights created by `org-preview-latex-fragment' always need
| `C-c C-c' to be removed.
`----

If most of us leave that variable's value at default, the ad-hoc-kery
probably does not raise its head except for latex fragments. If that's
the case, then getting rid of just latex fragment undoing in
org-ctrl-c-ctrl-c and toggling with C-c C-x C-l is probably the best
solution. It probably would be a good idea to make the handling of clock
overlays similar as well and make C-c C-x C-d toggle the clock overlay
state (I'd be inclined to take that out of org-ctrl-c-ctrl-c as well,
since I suspect that almost nobody uses it, given the variable above and
its default value - but that's only a hunch).  That would leave only
occur highlights to be undone by org-ctrl-c-ctrl-c - which is ugly but
the function is a kitchen-sink kind of function anyway, so that's
probably OK.

Alternatively, make org-ctrl-c-ctrl-c undo these things as it does
today, but only with a triple prefix arg (which afaict is not used
today).

As Nicolas would say, WDYT?

-- 
Nick