Re: [BUG] org-element-at-point: Throw an error when not in org-mode [9.7-pre (release_9.6.15-1033-gd8586f @ /home/marie/.emacs.d/straight/build/org/)]

[Ihor Radchenko]

Marie-Helene Burle <mhburle@gmail.com> writes:

> Prior to org 9.7, I used to use `org-meta-return` everywhere to nicely add 
> elements to a list. Whether in mu4e, markdown, or anywhere, typing:
>
> - item1 <org-meta-return>
>
> Would nicely give me:
>
> - item1
> -
> ...
> So, indeed, not a bug and probably nothing you want to worry about. I'll just 
> have to learn to live without those nice little org behaviours in non-org 
> buffers.
>
> Note that the Reddit thread I linked in my prior email suggests that I am not 
> the only one who took advantage of this. I don't know what org function that 
> other user was using in non-org buffer, but it used to work and stopped in 
> 9.7.

You can still use org-meta-return at your own risk if you upgrade to the
latest Org mode. Just hide the warning message that is now displayed in
place of the error.

The reason org-meta-return and some other functions worked in the past
is their internal implementation based on regular expressions. In the
newer Org mode, we are switching to internal implementation based on Org
parser - it is more accurate and fixes various bugs, but can fail
unpredictably when not in Org mode buffer.

In future, there is a chance that Org parser will be able to run without
errors (although not necessarily accurately) in non-Org buffers, but it
is not something I am specifically looking to fix - rather a side effect
of some planned changes.

-- 
Ihor Radchenko // yantar92,
Org mode contributor,
Learn more about Org mode at <https://orgmode.org/>.
Support Org development at <https://liberapay.com/org-mode>,
or support my work at <https://liberapay.com/yantar92>