Org mode allows you to ‘attach’ arbitrary key/value properties to items. beorg has been able to read these and allow you to search these for some time. What has been missing is a way to easily create and edit your own properties from within beorg. The next update to beorg will introduce a new extension to allow properties to be created and edited.
To get started with properties tap the new properties button on the bottom toolbar when editing an item:
To add a new property tap the + button top right. You can add as many properties as you want. To reorder properties simply hold down your finger on a property and drag to the required position. To delete a property swipe from right-to-left and tap the Delete button.
There are many uses for properties. Here are a couple of examples:
- Adding metadata about music to a list of music you want to listen to (genre, rating, …)
- Storing estimates for tasks so can see whether something took longer than expected
Let’s see how the first of these would work in beorg.
First I’m going to create a new item Music To Listen To. All the children of this are going to be the albums I want to listen to in the next week.
Property inheritance is a feature which allows you to define some properties and lists of possible values for each property. You do this on an item and then all the children of that item know what properties they are supposed to have. A property key which is to be inherited has the suffix _ALL. Here is how this looks for my music properties:
Simply tap the + button top right to add a new property and provide a key and a value.
All three of the inherited properties above include a list of options the value:
- A genre can be one of Classical, Jazz, World, Indie or Other.
- A rating can be 1 - 5 stars. Emoji stars are used to make this look pretty 😀.
- The source is one of Apple Music, Primephonic or CD. Note that Apple Music is enclosed in double quotes
As you can see above options are space separated.
I can now create a new sub-item in Music To Listen To and tap the properties button on the bottom toolbar. The inherited properties will be automatically pulled in. As I select each the available options will appear above the keyboard. Note that I’m still free to type in any text I want even if options have been defined.
If I wanted to I can add new properties, even when inherited properties are displayed.
Properties is a beorg extension and is available to beorg Premium subscribers, or as a separate in-app purchase. It will be released with beorg 3.6.0.
