Not able to filter Global list of TODO items

Question

I have been using:

(defun org-todo-list-current-file (&optional arg)
 ;;  "Like `org-todo-list', but using only the current buffer's file."
  (interactive "P")
  (let ((org-agenda-files (list (buffer-file-name (current-buffer)))))
    (if (null (car org-agenda-files))
        (error "%s is not visiting a file" (buffer-name (current-buffer)))
      (org-todo-list arg))))

(global-set-key (kbd "<f7>") 'org-todo-list-current-file)

to create a Global list of TODO items, as a shortcut key to C-c a < t .

I then used to be able to do

Press ‘N r’ (e.g. ‘0 r’)

To filter by a particular TODO type.

However, for some reason, this stopped working recently. Maybe due to an upgrade of emacs. Also pressing r to refresh a list has stopped working.

However, if I use C-c a < t to create the same Global list of TODO items, then N - r and r do work.

I have been trying to figure out a solution to this and have not come up with anything.

Any help much appreciated.

Answer 1

Try the following:

    (defun ndk/org-todo-list-current-file ()
      (interactive)
      (when (derived-mode-p 'org-mode))
        (org-agenda nil "t" 'buffer))


    (define-key org-mode-map (kbd "<f7>zt") #'ndk/org-todo-list-current-file)

Since we assume that the current file is an Org mode file (it does not make any sense to ask for the TODO list of arbitrary files), the function checks that the mode of the current buffer is org-mode before calling org-agenda in a special way: it calls it with a keys argument of the string "t" (IOW asking for org-agenda to dispatch to the function org-todo-list) and with a restriction argument of buffer, restricting the agenda command to just the current buffer. This is the lisp equivalent of C-c a < t.

We also define the key to bind this command to in org-mode-map only, not globally, since it is not useful to define it globally: we cannot invoke the command unless the buffer is an Org mode buffer. Given this, we could dispense with the checking of the mode in the function, but a little paranoia never hurt (and actually, it is necessary, just in case you decide to call the function directly with M-x ndk/org-todo-list-current-file and not through the keybinding).

You can use any key combo that is not used. In my particular case, both <f7> and <f7>z are prefix keys, and <f7>zt was unused, so that's the keybinding I used, but YMMV: choose something appropriate to your setup.

If I visit an Org mode file (whether it's an agenda file or not) and call the command either with the keybinding I created, <f7>zt, or with M-x ndk/org-todo-list-current-file I get the TODO list for that file only and any subsequent N r invocations remain restricted to that file only.