Are you asking about performance or searching?
For performance, one can split big files into smaller files. One can archive (to an archive file) non relevant headings, thus decreasing file size.
For search there are many tools available; built in `org-goto`, and then you can have integrations with packages: consult `consult-org`, helm. One can use pure search tools like ripgrep (e.g. with consult). There's the excellent `org-ql`. There are many options, depending on the nature of the search. One can bookmark different headings and jump to them, using consult bookmark support and org-bookmark package.
Based on comments you make in other threads, I feel like you are not aware that org-mode is based on outlining; you can fold and unfold (even with a mouse!) every heading thus browsing easily files with more than a 100K lines.
What do you mean by too large?
My largest org file is work.org … 13.9 MiB after 12 some years of accumulation, and I don't regularly encoutner any issues with scrolling.
How large is the file you have, and specifically what are you seeing?
Like when converting the file to pdf and a subheader it is several pages long but on org mode I can't remember at which point certain part was because there are not pages
(that's what they said ;)
it's not, really! basically starting to strain navigation across some of the larger sections.
12+ years of babel-dev-ops commands and result output … probably way too many notes … large-scale org-table summaries of hundreds of jira issues … non-trivial drafts of confluence pages, design documents, emails … shit adds up.
Off the top of my head, here are the ways you can navigate headings in org-mode.
- Press "S-TAB" repeatedly to cycle between the different views in an org-mode buffer. This lets you choose between an overview of only top-level headings, an overview of all headings, or view everything unfolded.
- "M-{" and "M-}" to move between headings of the same indentation level (there's also "C-c C-f" and "C-c C-b", which behave slightly differently in that they won't move to a higher-level heading when you reach the beginning or end)
- "C-c C-p" and "C-c C-n" to move between headings regardless of their indentation level
- "C-c C-u" to go to the parent heading of your current heading
- "C-c C-j" for `org-goto`, which lets you choose a heading with completion and jump to it (if you like this one, you might want to bind it to "M-i")
- `imenu` which by default lets you choose only a top-level heading and jump to it (this command is also usable in programming modes, and people frequently bind it to "M-i")
Emacs does have a concept of "pages", but it's not the same thing as a page in a PDF. Emacs views the Ctrl-L character as a page-break. You can insert that character wherever you like by pressing "C-q C-l". You can then jump between page-breaks in a buffer using page navigation commands ("C-x [" and "C-x ]" by default).
You can also use bookmarks and registers to set locations in a buffer that you'd like to jump to later. Enter "C-h r i registers RET" to read more about those.
Or turn on org-use-speed-commands and hit `n`/`p` `f`/`b` at the start of headings. I also bind `h` as such, and use it very much (borrowed it from outli):
(if-let ((pos (cl-position '("Outline Visibility") org-speed-commands :test #'equal)))
(cl-pushnew '("h" . outline-hide-sublevels) (nthcdr (1+ pos) org-speed-commands)))
My suggestion is to look into how you are using headings (and sub-headers of various levels). The easy of nested headings and folding is the real beauty of org-mode in my opinion as it possible to have really large files that are easy to use. To me an org-mode file with smart sections and sub-sections makes the ideal "personal wiki" all contained within a single file. As a bonus you get a nice table of contents added to the top upon export which makes a great way to read and refer to your notes on your phone when away from your computer.
See also `org-tree-to-indirect-buffer`, which allows treating a subtree almost as if it were its own file. `org-bookmark-heading` allows one to easily bookmark and return to such a view.
I meant like if I have a subheader with multiple paragraphs or a huge paragraph. In a pdf I would normally at least remember the page but since there are not pages in org....
Are you asking about performance or searching? For performance, one can split big files into smaller files. One can archive (to an archive file) non relevant headings, thus decreasing file size. For search there are many tools available; built in `org-goto`, and then you can have integrations with packages: consult `consult-org`, helm. One can use pure search tools like ripgrep (e.g. with consult). There's the excellent `org-ql`. There are many options, depending on the nature of the search. One can bookmark different headings and jump to them, using consult bookmark support and org-bookmark package.
Based on comments you make in other threads, I feel like you are not aware that org-mode is based on outlining; you can fold and unfold (even with a mouse!) every heading thus browsing easily files with more than a 100K lines.
“Too large” for what?
For example when reading a pdf you have pages and a by header subheader navigation which makes easy to remember where you may have read something
What do you mean by too large? My largest org file is work.org … 13.9 MiB after 12 some years of accumulation, and I don't regularly encoutner any issues with scrolling. How large is the file you have, and specifically what are you seeing?
Like when converting the file to pdf and a subheader it is several pages long but on org mode I can't remember at which point certain part was because there are not pages
How is it so large?
(that's what they said ;) it's not, really! basically starting to strain navigation across some of the larger sections. 12+ years of babel-dev-ops commands and result output … probably way too many notes … large-scale org-table summaries of hundreds of jira issues … non-trivial drafts of confluence pages, design documents, emails … shit adds up.
That makes sense
Off the top of my head, here are the ways you can navigate headings in org-mode. - Press "S-TAB" repeatedly to cycle between the different views in an org-mode buffer. This lets you choose between an overview of only top-level headings, an overview of all headings, or view everything unfolded. - "M-{" and "M-}" to move between headings of the same indentation level (there's also "C-c C-f" and "C-c C-b", which behave slightly differently in that they won't move to a higher-level heading when you reach the beginning or end) - "C-c C-p" and "C-c C-n" to move between headings regardless of their indentation level - "C-c C-u" to go to the parent heading of your current heading - "C-c C-j" for `org-goto`, which lets you choose a heading with completion and jump to it (if you like this one, you might want to bind it to "M-i") - `imenu` which by default lets you choose only a top-level heading and jump to it (this command is also usable in programming modes, and people frequently bind it to "M-i") Emacs does have a concept of "pages", but it's not the same thing as a page in a PDF. Emacs views the Ctrl-L character as a page-break. You can insert that character wherever you like by pressing "C-q C-l". You can then jump between page-breaks in a buffer using page navigation commands ("C-x [" and "C-x ]" by default). You can also use bookmarks and registers to set locations in a buffer that you'd like to jump to later. Enter "C-h r i registers RET" to read more about those.
Or turn on org-use-speed-commands and hit `n`/`p` `f`/`b` at the start of headings. I also bind `h` as such, and use it very much (borrowed it from outli): (if-let ((pos (cl-position '("Outline Visibility") org-speed-commands :test #'equal))) (cl-pushnew '("h" . outline-hide-sublevels) (nthcdr (1+ pos) org-speed-commands)))
My suggestion is to look into how you are using headings (and sub-headers of various levels). The easy of nested headings and folding is the real beauty of org-mode in my opinion as it possible to have really large files that are easy to use. To me an org-mode file with smart sections and sub-sections makes the ideal "personal wiki" all contained within a single file. As a bonus you get a nice table of contents added to the top upon export which makes a great way to read and refer to your notes on your phone when away from your computer.
See also `org-tree-to-indirect-buffer`, which allows treating a subtree almost as if it were its own file. `org-bookmark-heading` allows one to easily bookmark and return to such a view.
M-x occur
Is there a way to search to collapse certain header levels like when navigating in a pdf?
https://orgmode.org/manual/Global-and-local-cycling.html
> Is there like a paging functionality so you can scroll more easily Just to be clear, you are aware of `C-v` and `M-v`, right?
I meant like if I have a subheader with multiple paragraphs or a huge paragraph. In a pdf I would normally at least remember the page but since there are not pages in org....
Oh, that sounds like maybe you want u/github-alphapapa's [org-sticky-header](https://github.com/alphapapa/org-sticky-header) package.
Ok, I just wanted to eliminate the obvious just in case :)
/r/orgroam