Re: [PATCH] Org Agenda Support Argument Collection for Custom Bulk Functions (was: Custom Bulk Functions With Prompt)

[Kyle Meyer]

Kevin Foley writes:

> Kyle Meyer <kyle@kyleam.com> writes:
[...]
>> In addition to the NEWS entry that Ihor mentioned, it looks like an
>> update to the manual is missing.
>
> NEWS entry added.  With regard to the manual, the custom bulk function
> option is only mentioned as a footnote.  I'm happy to add a more in
> depth explanation, however I'm not sure where it should go, any
> recommendations?

Ah, okay, thanks for taking a look.  I'm okay leaving the details about
this functionality to the defcustom then.

> Subject: [PATCH] org-agenda.el: Support argument collection for custom bulk
>  functions
[...]
> diff --git a/etc/ORG-NEWS b/etc/ORG-NEWS
> index 5e5f1954d..4958d2b2e 100644
> --- a/etc/ORG-NEWS
> +++ b/etc/ORG-NEWS
> @@ -81,8 +81,13 @@ block. ~org-babel-latex-preamble~, 
> ~org-babel-latex-begin-env~ and
>  the user to specify the preamble and code that preceedes and proceeds
>  the contents of the source block.
>  
> +*** Option ~org-agenda-bulk-custom-functions~ now supports collecting bulk 
> arguments
> +
> +When specifying a custom agenda bulk option, you can now also specify a 
> function which collects the arguments to be used with each call to the custom 
> function.

Please fill this line (fill-column in .dir-locals.el is set to 70)
and...

>  ** New features
> -*** =ob-python= improvements to =:return= header argument 
> +*** =ob-python= improvements to =:return= header argument

... drop this unrelated space change.

> @@ -2080,9 +2080,25 @@ (defcustom org-agenda-bulk-custom-functions nil
>  
[...]
> +
> +If the custom function accepts arguments which you'd like to
> +collect once from the user to be used for each call, you can pass
> +a list with the bulk function, and the function which collects
> +its arguments and returns them as a list.  For example:
> +
> +  \\='((?R (set-category get-category))
> +    (?C bulk-cut))
> +

Reading this docstring in full, I felt it was a bit odd to repeat the
bulk-cut entry from the initial example again, as it stays the same and
isn't relevant.  So perhaps something like this would be clearer:

  ... and returns them as a list.  For example, the first
  entry in the above example could be extended as
  
    (?R (set-category get-category))
  
  Now, `B R' will ...

Or perhaps not.  I'm okay with it either way and will leave that up to
you.

> +Now, `B R' will call the custom `get-category' which would prompt
> +the user once for a category.  That category is then passed as an
> +argument to `set-category' for each entry it's called against.
> +"

Please drop the new line before the closing quote.

> +  :type '(alist :key-type character
> +                :value-type (list (function :tag "Bulk Custom Function")
> +                                  (choice (const :tag "No Bulk Custom 
> Argument Function" nil)
> +                                          (function :tag "Bulk Custom 
> Argument Function"))))
> +  :package-version '(Org . "9.5")
>    :group 'org-agenda)

convention nit: It'd be good to reflow the type to not go beyond ~80
columns.

This type looks like it's specifying a format that isn't supported by
org-agenda-bulk-action:

  (x . (y z)) => (x y z)

This is discussed a bit in (info "(elisp)Composite Types") under the
alist entry.

To use a concrete example, I believe all of these entries should be
valid with this patch:

  (defun my/bulk-action (&rest args)
    args)
  
  (defun my/args ()
    (list 1 2 3))
  
  (setq org-agenda-bulk-custom-functions
        '((?D my/bulk-action)
          (?E (my/bulk-action))
          (?F (my/bulk-action my/args))))

However, customize doesn't render the above value properly

    (customize-option 'org-agenda-bulk-custom-functions)

So, you'll need to flesh out the type entry more so that all of the
valid cases are handled by the customize interface.  I think it'd
probably end up a bit cleaner if you go with (key fn [arg-fn]), which is
the structure Ihor originally thought you were using, rather than
(key (fn [arg-fn])) or (key fn).  But I'd say that's dealer's choice.