org-mode - no refile targets

Question

I am trying to use the refile function but don't understand why I get the error no refile targets after hitting the Cc Cw key.

Here is the content of org-refile-targets variable :

Its value is (("~/gtd/gtd.org" :maxlevel . 3) ("~/gtd/someday.org" :level . 1) ("~/gtd/tickler.org" :maxlevel . 2))

Original value was nil and defined through this function in .emacs

(setq org-refile-targets '(("~/gtd/gtd.org" :maxlevel . 3) ("~/gtd/someday.org" :level . 1) ("~/gtd/tickler.org" :maxlevel . 2)))

All those files exist in the gtd folder. I can capture elements that I are stored into the ~/gtd/inbox.org file.

I am relatively new to the emacs/org-mode world, the error might be quite stupid.

Argyll

Anyone has an idea :)? – Argyll

maybe try to replace ~ with full path /home/.../gtd.org – Footgear

Thanks. I tried this but it didn't change the message ... – Argyll

thanks for the feedback. I have no other idea. – Footgear

pinecamp suggestion solved it. org-refile-targets creates a list of the defined levels. The list was empty ... – Argyll

Answer 1

It seems like you're following along with Nicolas Petton's Orgmode for GTD article; I ran into the same issue this morning.

org-refile searches for headings within the files in org-refile-targets, up to the level specified. So in your example, org-refile will find headings up to level 3 in ~/gtd/gtd.org, level 2 in ~/gtd/tickler.org, and only level 1 in ~/gtd/someday.org. These will then be offered as targets for your refile operation.

To fix this error, simply create some headings in one or more of those files.

Saldivar

Perfect that fixed it! Didn't understand that it made a list of all possible targets. – Argyll

No worries, glad I could help! – Saldivar

Answer 2

I had a similar problem which I managed to solve after reading this, so I thought I'd add that solution as well in case it helps others.

I'm currently, through no fault of my own, using Windows. Therefore, I had my paths in my org-refile-targets set up like this:

"C:\Path\to\orgfile.org"

I wasn't thinking properly - those backslashes are interpreted. So the solution was to switch from backslashes to slashes (which works in Emacs even in Windows):

"C:/Path/to/orgfile.org"

I'm guessing that double backslashes would also have worked.

Jerkin