Org-babel: Uses

A LaTeX Form

This example uses Org-babel as a user interface for a LaTeX form that might be used by the members of an organization. It uses the literate programming facility of Org-babel to isolate the user from the sometimes arcane LaTeX constructs needed to create a highly-structured form. Org-babel can tangle multiple documents in a single Org-mode file, and this ability is used to create a distribution version of the form separate from one designed for the file cabinet.

Requirement

A working LaTeX installation.

Advantages

User is isolated from the LaTeX code and thus less likely to alter it inadvertently.
Multiple versions of the document are created automatically.
Org-mode keywords can help track data entry progress.

Disadvantages

This approach is somewhat dated. A modern organization might accomplish this more cleanly with a web-based interface to a database.

Example

TODO Your name

Enter your full name on the open line below.

Tom Dye

TODO Your email address

Enter your email address on the open line below.

tsd at tsdye dot com

No data entry below this line

The two source blocks here each produce a LaTeX document after they are tangled with a call to org-babel-tangle.

\documentclass[12pt]{article}
\begin{document}
\section{Distribution Form}
\begin{description}
\item[Name] <<your-name>>
\item[Email] <<your-email>>
\end{description}
\end{document}

\documentclass[10pt]{article}
\begin{document}
\section{File Form}
<<your-name>> can be reached at <<your-email>>.
\end{document}