Convert ORG to PROPERTIES
Max file size 100mb.
ORG vs PROPERTIES Format Comparison
| Aspect | ORG (Source Format) | PROPERTIES (Target Format) |
|---|---|---|
| Format Overview |
ORG
Emacs Org-mode
Plain text markup format created for Emacs in 2003. Designed for note-taking, task management, project planning, and literate programming. Features hierarchical structure with collapsible sections, TODO states, scheduling, and code execution. Emacs Native Literate Programming |
PROPERTIES
Java Properties File
Simple key-value pair configuration format used primarily in Java applications. Created as part of the Java platform for storing application settings, internationalization strings, and configuration data in a human-readable text format. Configuration Java Ecosystem |
| Technical Specifications |
Structure: Hierarchical outline with * headers
Encoding: UTF-8 Format: Plain text with markup Processor: Emacs Org-mode, Pandoc Extensions: .org |
Structure: Key=value pairs, one per line
Encoding: ISO-8859-1 (Latin-1) or UTF-8 Format: Plain text key-value Processor: Java Properties API, any text parser Extensions: .properties |
| Syntax Examples |
Org-mode syntax: #+TITLE: Application Config #+AUTHOR: Developer * Database Settings :PROPERTIES: :db.host: localhost :db.port: 5432 :END: * Application :PROPERTIES: :app.name: MyApp :app.version: 1.0.0 :END: |
Properties syntax: # Database Settings
db.host=localhost
db.port=5432
# Application
app.name=MyApp
app.version=1.0.0
# Multi-line value
long.description=This is a very \
long description that \
spans multiple lines
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| Version History |
Introduced: 2003 (Carsten Dominik)
Current Version: 9.6+ (2024) Status: Active development Primary Tool: GNU Emacs |
Introduced: 1995 (with Java 1.0)
Specification: Java Platform Standard Status: Stable, widely used Primary Tool: java.util.Properties |
| Software Support |
Emacs: Native support (Org-mode)
Vim/Neovim: org.nvim, vim-orgmode VS Code: Org Mode extension Other: Logseq, Obsidian (plugins) |
Java: Native Properties class
IDEs: IntelliJ, Eclipse, NetBeans Build Tools: Maven, Gradle, Ant Editors: All text editors |
Why Convert ORG to PROPERTIES?
Converting Org-mode documents to Java Properties format is useful when you need to extract configuration data from your Org files for use in Java applications. Org-mode's property drawers provide a natural way to store key-value data that can be transformed into standard properties files.
This conversion is particularly valuable for developers who maintain configuration documentation in Org-mode but need to generate actual configuration files for their Java projects. By documenting your configuration in Org-mode, you get the benefits of Org's organizational features while still being able to export usable properties files.
The properties format is essential for Java application configuration, internationalization (i18n), and localization (l10n). If you're managing multi-language string resources in Org-mode for documentation purposes, converting to properties allows you to generate the actual resource bundles used by Java applications.
Properties files are also used by many build tools like Maven and Gradle, making this conversion useful for generating build configuration from documented settings in Org-mode.
Key Benefits of Converting ORG to PROPERTIES:
- Java Integration: Generate configuration files directly usable by Java applications
- i18n Support: Create localization resource bundles from documented strings
- Build Configuration: Export settings for Maven, Gradle, and other build tools
- Simple Format: Properties files are easy to parse and manage
- Documentation to Code: Bridge the gap between documentation and actual configuration
- Version Control: Properties files work well with Git and other VCS
- Wide Compatibility: Properties format is supported across many platforms
Practical Examples
Example 1: Database Configuration
Input ORG file (config.org):
#+TITLE: Database Configuration * Database Settings :PROPERTIES: :db.driver: org.postgresql.Driver :db.url: jdbc:postgresql://localhost:5432/mydb :db.username: admin :db.password: secret123 :db.pool.size: 10 :END: * Connection Pool :PROPERTIES: :pool.maxActive: 100 :pool.maxIdle: 30 :pool.minIdle: 10 :END:
Output PROPERTIES file (config.properties):
# Database Settings db.driver=org.postgresql.Driver db.url=jdbc:postgresql://localhost:5432/mydb db.username=admin db.password=secret123 db.pool.size=10 # Connection Pool pool.maxActive=100 pool.maxIdle=30 pool.minIdle=10
Example 2: Application Messages (i18n)
Input ORG file (messages.org):
#+TITLE: Application Messages * Welcome Messages :PROPERTIES: :welcome.title: Welcome to MyApp :welcome.subtitle: Your productivity companion :welcome.button.start: Get Started :END: * Error Messages :PROPERTIES: :error.notfound: The requested resource was not found :error.unauthorized: Please log in to continue :error.server: An unexpected error occurred :END:
Output PROPERTIES file (messages.properties):
# Welcome Messages welcome.title=Welcome to MyApp welcome.subtitle=Your productivity companion welcome.button.start=Get Started # Error Messages error.notfound=The requested resource was not found error.unauthorized=Please log in to continue error.server=An unexpected error occurred
Example 3: Build Configuration
Input ORG file (build.org):
#+TITLE: Build Configuration * Project Info :PROPERTIES: :project.name: my-application :project.version: 2.1.0 :project.groupId: com.example :END: * Build Settings :PROPERTIES: :java.version: 17 :encoding: UTF-8 :maven.compiler.source: 17 :maven.compiler.target: 17 :END:
Output PROPERTIES file (build.properties):
# Project Info project.name=my-application project.version=2.1.0 project.groupId=com.example # Build Settings java.version=17 encoding=UTF-8 maven.compiler.source=17 maven.compiler.target=17
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: What is a Java Properties file?
A: A Properties file is a simple text format for storing key-value pairs, primarily used in Java applications for configuration, internationalization, and localization. Each line contains a key=value pair, with optional comments starting with # or !.
Q: How are Org-mode properties converted?
A: Org-mode property drawers (:PROPERTIES: ... :END:) are the primary source for conversion. Each property line like ":key: value" is converted to "key=value" format. Section headers can be preserved as comments for organization.
Q: What happens to Org-mode features like TODO states?
A: TODO states, scheduling, and other Org-specific features are not converted as they have no equivalent in properties format. The conversion focuses on extracting key-value data from property drawers and structured content.
Q: How are special characters handled?
A: Properties files use escape sequences for special characters. Backslashes, colons, and equals signs in values need escaping. Unicode characters outside Latin-1 are typically converted to \uXXXX escape sequences for compatibility.
Q: Can I use the output directly in Java?
A: Yes! The generated .properties file can be loaded directly using Java's Properties class: Properties props = new Properties(); props.load(new FileInputStream("config.properties"));
Q: What about hierarchical data in Org-mode?
A: Org-mode's hierarchical structure can be represented using dot notation in property keys (e.g., "database.connection.url"). Section headers can inform the key prefixes used in the output.
Q: Is UTF-8 encoding supported?
A: While traditional Properties files use ISO-8859-1 encoding with Unicode escapes, modern Java (9+) supports UTF-8 properties files. Our converter produces UTF-8 output compatible with modern Java applications.
Q: Can I convert tables from Org-mode?
A: Tables can be converted if they represent key-value data. A two-column table with key and value columns can be transformed into properties format. More complex tables may require manual adjustment.