Customizing org-mode exports

Question

So, I have been using org-mode for taking my research notes for some time now. I love how I can seamlessly export to both latex (for my papers) and html (for my blog). However,

Answer 1

Alternative solution (not stand-alone), using Org's dynamic blocks.

• It has none of the caveats of my original solution (because it generates what Org actually expects for LaTeX or HTML)
• It's possible to edit the macros in LaTeX mode (C-c C-')

Callback

Create a file named org-dblock-write:block-macro.el with the following content and add it to Emacs' load path.

(defun org-dblock-write:block-macro (params)
  (let ((block-name (or (plist-get params :from) "macros"))
    (org-buf (current-buffer)))
    (with-temp-buffer
      (let ((tmp-buf (current-buffer)))
    (set-buffer org-buf)
    (save-excursion
      (org-babel-goto-named-src-block block-name)
      (org-babel-mark-block)
      (let ((mblock-begin (region-beginning))
            (mblock-end (region-end)))
        (set-buffer tmp-buf)
        (insert-buffer-substring org-buf mblock-begin mblock-end)))
    (set-buffer org-buf)
    (insert "#+BEGIN_HTML\n\\(\n")
    (insert-buffer-substring tmp-buf)
    (insert "\\)\n#+END_HTML\n")
    (set-buffer tmp-buf)
    (beginning-of-buffer)
    (while (re-search-forward "^" nil t)
      (replace-match "#+LATEX_HEADER: " nil nil))
    (set-buffer org-buf)
    (insert-buffer-substring tmp-buf)))))

Org file

Somewhere in the file, create:

• A LaTeX source block named "macros" containing your macros
• An empty block-macro dynamic block

You can change the name of the source block, and use a :from header argument in the dynamic block. Also, note the :exports none in the source block (usually you don't want to export the LaTeX source).

#+NAME: macros
#+BEGIN_SRC latex :exports none
  \newcommand\a{a}
  \def\b{b}
  \DeclareMathOperator\c{c}
#+END_SRC
#+BEGIN: block-macro
#+END:

Now use C-c C-c with the point on the dynamic block, and it will update to:

#+BEGIN: block-macro
#+BEGIN_HTML
\(
      \newcommand\a{a}
      \def\b{b}
      \DeclareMathOperator\c{c}
\)
#+END_HTML
#+LATEX_HEADER:       \newcommand\a{a}
#+LATEX_HEADER:       \def\b{b}
#+LATEX_HEADER:       \DeclareMathOperator\c{c}
#+LATEX_HEADER: 
#+END:

Do this whenever the macros are modified.