Re: Suggestion to increase usefulness of TAB key / 'org-cycle' function

[Philipp Kiefer]

On 28.04.2023 19:41, Dr. Arne Babenhauserheide wrote:
> Philipp Kiefer <phil.kiefer@gmail.com> writes:
> > My suggestion was aimed at improving the out-of-the-box experience of (new) Org 
> > users by extending the usefulness of 'org-cycle' by
> > folding the subtree at point from anywhere inside it that is not itself a 
> > parent item rather than doing nothing at all in those positions.
> > I've used two flavours of dedicated outlining software for many years and both 
> > have easy shortcuts to fold the current subtree from
> > any position - it is a frequently used action.
> Do I understand you correctly that you mean tab should cycle visibility
> in this case?
>
> * headline
> some text
> CURSOR IS HERE
> - a list
Yes, I suggested that in those cases, org-cycle should fold the subtree 
point is in, i. e. fold up to the next parent heading above.
> For me tab is useful as it is, because it indents whatever I am writing
> right now.
>
> That could be a list-item or a source-block or a verse.
>
> Org is not just for outlining but also for full-blown writing, and that
> would be disrupted if tab were to fold the entry away that I’m currently
> writing in.

Hm, for me, TAB does not currently seem to do any indenting anywhere in 
an Org file. Have you changed anything from the default configuration? 
Or maybe I did and forgot about it... But I can find any reference to / 
binding for unmodified tab in my init.el. If so, is this indenting 
handled by 'org-cycle' or is the binding of Tab to 'org-cycle' somehow 
selective based on where in an Org file point is positioned?

If people use tab for indentation in Org out of the box when not on 
headings (which it has never done for me, I think), my suggestion would 
indeed be moot.

> That said: C-c C-t or M-x outline-hide-body

I tried out this command, but it does not do what I have in mind 
(folding subtrees from a non-parent position, not hiding non-heading text).

If tab really does indent in Org files in the default configuration when 
not on a heading, I'd limit my suggestion to the following:

Make 'org-fold-hide-subtree' and / or 'outline-hide-subtree' work from 
anywhere inside a subtree that is not itself a parent heading - not just 
when positioned on the parent heading of the subtree point is in.

Best,

Philipp