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Orkmode Vision

The Problem

Org-mode is exceptional for structured thinking, task management, and knowledge work. But it's trapped in Emacs.

Existing alternatives fall short:

Organice (web): Clunky, slow, limited offline
Orgzly (Android): Mobile-only, sync issues
VS Code extensions: No proper AST, just syntax highlighting
Logseq/Obsidian: Different formats, not org-mode

None of these integrate with the Linux desktop. None feel native.

The Goal

A native KDE application for org-mode that:

Parses org files correctly (tree-sitter AST, not regex)
Renders beautifully (Qt/QML, not web views)
Edits efficiently (keyboard-driven, Emacs-inspired bindings)
Syncs reliably (file-based, works with Syncthing/git)
Integrates with KDE (notifications, calendar, search)

Non-Goals

Replace Emacs for power users
Support every org-mode feature on day one
Build a "second brain" or "PKM" system
Cloud/SaaS anything

Design Principles

1. Files are truth Org files on disk are the source of truth. No database. No proprietary format. Edit with Emacs, vim, or orkmode interchangeably.

2. Parse properly Use tree-sitter for a real AST. No regex hacks. Handle malformed files gracefully with error recovery.

3. Keyboard-first Every action reachable by keyboard. Mouse optional. Emacs-inspired bindings where sensible.

4. Desktop-native Use Qt/QML. Respect system themes. Integrate with KDE services (KRunner, Akonadi calendar, notifications).

5. CLI for automation The ork CLI enables scripting, agent integration, and headless workflows.

Architecture

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                   Qt/QML UI                     │
│  (document view, agenda, capture, search)       │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│               orkmode-core (Rust)               │
│  (document ops, queries, mutations, sync)       │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                org-parser (Rust)                │
│  (tree-sitter AST, incremental parsing)         │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                 org-ast (Rust)                  │
│  (type definitions, spans, serialization)       │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
        ↑                           ↑
   C FFI for Qt               CLI (ork)

Milestones

v0.1 — Parser & CLI (current)

Tree-sitter parser integration
Core AST types
CLI for querying and basic mutations
JSON output for tooling

v0.2 — Read-only UI

Qt/QML document viewer
Headline folding/cycling
Syntax highlighting
Basic navigation

v0.3 — Editing

Inline text editing
TODO state cycling
Tag editing
Property editing
Undo/redo

v0.4 — Agenda

Agenda view (day/week)
TODO list view
Tag/property filtering
Scheduled/deadline display

v0.5 — KDE Integration

KRunner plugin (search headlines)
System notifications for deadlines
Akonadi calendar integration
Global capture hotkey

Future

Code block execution
Diagram rendering (mermaid, plantuml)
Table formula evaluation
Capture templates
Clock/time tracking
Mobile companion (Kirigami)

Why Rust + Qt?

Rust for the parser/core:

Memory safety without GC
Excellent tree-sitter bindings
Easy C FFI for Qt integration
Fast incremental parsing

Qt/QML for the UI:

Native KDE integration
Powerful text rendering (QTextDocument)
Declarative UI with QML
Cross-platform if needed later

Contributing

See AGENTS.md for AI-assisted development workflow.

The codebase is designed for agent collaboration:

CLI with JSON output for programmatic access
Clear module boundaries
Comprehensive type definitions

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