Property (Mastering Org-Mode)

1.11 Property

PROPERTY (:PROPERTY:value)

A property is a key-value pair associated with an entry.

Depending on how one is set up, it can be associated with (see org-use-property-inheritance):

a single entry or
with a tree, or
with every entry in a file.

When they are associated with a single entry or with a tree they need to be inserted into a special drawer with the name ‘PROPERTIES’.

If you want to set properties that can be inherited by any entry in a file, use a line like:

#+PROPERTY: var foo=1

Define allowed values for a property by setting a property ‘something_ALL:value1 value2’ for it or set the variable org-global-propertiers. It is inherited. The values are space-delimited list entries:
```
#+PROPERTY:something_ALL value1 value2
```
To add to the value of an existing property, append ‘+’ to the property name:
```
#+PROPERTY: var+ bar=2
```
It is also possible to add to the values of inherited properties:
```
:Genres+: additional value
```

Property Syntax

Like a tag, a property is delimited on both ends by colons, so this is a property: ‘:A_PROPERTY:Some value’. The key portion is case-insensitive. A property can have only one entry per property drawer.

*** A Heading
    :PROPERTIES:
    :Title:    value
    :Composer: value
    :Artist:   value
    :END:

Property Commands

‘C-c C-x p’ (org-set-property): Set a property with prompts for name and value. A property drawer is created if necessary.
‘C-u M-x org-insert-drawer’: Insert a property drawer into the current entry.

org-use-property-inheritance

Default value is ‘nil’.

When ‘nil’, only the properties directly given in the current entry count.

Non-‘nil’ means properties apply also for sublevels.

When ‘t’, every property is inherited.

The value may also be a list of properties that should have inheritance, or a regular expression matching properties that should be inherited.

However, note that some special properties use inheritance under special circumstances (not in searches). Examples are

CATEGORY,
ARCHIVE,
COLUMNS, and the properties ending in "_ALL" when they are used as descriptor for valid values of a property.