Re: Fix "inverted" behavior of `colnames' header argument

[Rudolf Adamkovič]

Rudolf Adamkovič <rudolf@adamkovic.org> writes:

> Oh, I see.  Wow, that is /really/ confusing from the user's POV.

In fact, I do not understand the manual.  It says:

  The default value is ‘nil’: if an input table has column names—because
  the second row is a horizontal rule—then Org removes the column names,
  processes the table, puts back the column names, and then writes the
  table to the results block.

Three questions immediately pop up in my head:

1. Is the manual talking about the input tables, specified with `:var',
   the output tables, when `:result table', or both?

2. Org "removes" the column names, then "processes" the table, and then
   "puts [the column names] back".  Why?  And what does it mean?

3. What if the second row is not a horizontal rule?  The manual says
   nothing about that happens in that case, with `:colnames nil'.

Also, I tried the following with `emacs -Q':

  #+NAME: 568ccf1e-f266-47ab-9402-0d380359d73c
  | 10 |
  |----|
  | 20 |
  | 30 |
  
  With =colnames= unset:
  
  #+HEADER: :var table = 568ccf1e-f266-47ab-9402-0d380359d73c
  #+BEGIN_SRC python
  return table
  #+END_SRC
  
  #+RESULTS:
  | 20 |
  | 30 |
  
  With =colnames= set to =nil=:
  
  #+HEADER: :colnames nil
  #+HEADER: :var table = 568ccf1e-f266-47ab-9402-0d380359d73c
  #+BEGIN_SRC python
  return table
  #+END_SRC
  
  #+RESULTS:
  | 10 |
  |----|
  | 20 |
  | 30 |

Why do the two outputs differ if

  The default value is ‘nil’: [...]

Thank you in advance for clarifications!

Rudy
-- 
"The whole science is nothing more than a refinement of everyday
thinking."  --- Albert Einstein, 1879-1955

Rudolf Adamkovič <rudolf@adamkovic.org> [he/him]
http://adamkovic.org