Possibility of combining custom and init-file setup (Org mode capture templates)

[Alan E. Davis]

I am posting to this list after posting a similar message to the Org-mode list, at the suggestion of one respondent.

Org mode provides a variable, "capture-templates" to set up the ability to capture on-the-fly in various pre-defined ways, as defined as a list of individual templates.   Org-mode has a facility to enable rapid definition of these templates using a custom buffer.  On the other hand, it is possible to provide this variable in the init file, for example.

I find org-mode's custom interface for capture templates extremely helpful for quick, one-off templates, without having to edit the init-file.  Especially for somewhat complicated templates it provides a starting point.  However, to use this custom buffer interface seems to conflict, in many a non-obvious way, with the manually loaded templates.  One receives a message suggesting that unpredictable results may ensue from modifying this variable that was set outside of the custom interface. 

I would like to request advice, on how can I set up so most of my capture templates are loaded from a file (~/org/capture-templates.el in my case) and still retain the ability to define new capture templates on the fly.  I want the best of both worlds:  

   - capture-templates.el is easier for me to tweak by hand, and I can alphabetize the templates in various ways as needed.  

   

   - the capture custom feature is a fantastic way to deine one off templates on the fly.

One imagines there must be a way to do this by loading 
one or the other of the methods first, perhaps 
~/org/capture-templates.el, and then load the custom-file afterwards.

My understanding of the system does not enable me to understand the underlying nuts and bolts of the system well enough to  know if either of these methods will work, or run aground.  It is suggested that this is not possible.  Some responses from the org-mode list members showed what the issues might be.  On the other hand, another list-member suggests to explore further on this list.

How can one use both the manually edited variable, in conjunction with the same variable in the custom file.  I think that the fact that this variable is actually a list of individual customizations may suggest it is possible.

Thank you,

Alan Davis