Checkboxes: New command to add and remove them easily from items

See documentation changes for details.

ORGWEBPAGE/Changes.org

@@ -58,6 +58,14 @@ Customize the variable =org-support-shift-select= to use S-cursor
 key for selecting text.  Make sure that you carefully read the
 docstring of that variable first.
 
+*** Adding and removing checkboxes from many lines
+
+The command =C-c C-x C-b= normally toggles checkbox status in the
+current line, or in all lines in the region.  With prefix
+argument it now either adds or removes the checkbox.
+
+This was a requested by Daniel Clemente.
+
 * Version 6.19
 
 ** Overview

doc/org.texi

@@ -3601,13 +3601,12 @@ Toggle checkbox at point.  With a prefix argument, set it to @samp{[-]},
 which is considered to be an intermediate state.
 @kindex C-c C-x C-b
 @item C-c C-x C-b
-Toggle checkbox at point.
+Toggle checkbox status or (with prefix arg) checkbox presence at point.
 @itemize @minus
 @item
 If there is an active region, toggle the first checkbox in the region
-and set all remaining boxes to the same status as the first.  If you
-want to toggle all boxes in the region independently, use a prefix
-argument.
+and set all remaining boxes to the same status as the first.  With a prefix
+arg, add or remove the checkbox for all items in the region.
 @item
 If the cursor is in a headline, toggle checkboxes in the region between
 this headline and the next (so @emph{not} the entire subtree).

lisp/ChangeLog

@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 2009-01-28  Carsten Dominik  <carsten.dominik@gmail.com>
 
+	* org-list.el (org-toggle-checkbox): Implement adding or removing
+	checkboxes from line or region when called with a prefix
+	argument.
+
 	* org-rmail.el (org-rmail-store-link): Protect the call to
 	`rmail-narrow-to-non-pruned-header'.
 

lisp/org-list.el

@@ -248,11 +248,15 @@ Return t when things worked, nil when we are not in an item."
 	 (skip-chars-forward " \t")
 	 (looking-at "\\[[- X]\\]"))))
 
-(defun org-toggle-checkbox (&optional arg)
-  "Toggle the checkbox in the current line."
+(defun org-toggle-checkbox (&optional toggle-presence)
+  "Toggle the checkbox in the current line.
+With prefix arg TOGGLE-PRESENCE, add or remove checkboxes.
+When there is an active region, toggle status or presence of the checkbox
+in the first line, and make every item in the region have the same
+status or precence, respectively."
   (interactive "P")
   (catch 'exit
-    (let (beg end status (firstnew 'unknown))
+    (let (beg end status first-present first-status)
       (cond
        ((org-region-active-p)
 	(setq beg (region-beginning) end (region-end)))
@@ -260,23 +264,46 @@ Return t when things worked, nil when we are not in an item."
 	(setq beg (point) end (save-excursion (outline-next-heading) (point))))
        ((org-at-item-checkbox-p)
 	(let ((pos (point)))
-	  (replace-match
-	   (cond (arg "[-]")
-		 ((member (match-string 0) '("[ ]" "[-]")) "[X]")
-		 (t "[ ]"))
-	   t t)
+	  (if toggle-presence
+	      (progn
+		(replace-match "")
+		(goto-char (match-beginning 0))
+		(just-one-space))
+	    (replace-match
+	     (cond ((member (match-string 0) '("[ ]" "[-]")) "[X]")
+		   (t "[ ]"))
+	     t t))
 	  (goto-char pos))
 	(throw 'exit t))
+       ((org-at-item-p)
+	;; add a checkbox
+	(save-excursion
+	  (goto-char (match-end 0))
+	  (insert "[ ] "))
+	(throw 'exit t))
        (t (error "Not at a checkbox or heading, and no active region")))
+      (setq end (move-marker (make-marker) end))
       (save-excursion
 	(goto-char beg)
+	(setq first-present (org-at-item-checkbox-p)
+	      first-status (and first-present (equal (match-string 0) "[X]")))
 	(while (< (point) end)
-	  (when (org-at-item-checkbox-p)
-	    (setq status (equal (match-string 0) "[X]"))
-	    (when (eq firstnew 'unknown)
-	      (setq firstnew (not status)))
-	    (replace-match
-	     (if (if arg (not status) firstnew) "[X]" "[ ]") t t))
+	  (if toggle-presence
+	      (cond
+	       ((and first-present (org-at-item-checkbox-p))
+		(save-excursion
+		  (replace-match "")
+		  (goto-char (match-beginning 0))
+		  (just-one-space)))
+	       ((and (not first-present) (not (org-at-item-checkbox-p))
+		     (org-at-item-p))
+		(save-excursion
+		  (goto-char (match-end 0))
+		  (insert "[ ] "))))
+	    (when (org-at-item-checkbox-p)
+	      (setq status (equal (match-string 0) "[X]"))
+	      (replace-match
+	       (if first-status "[ ]" "[X]") t t)))
 	  (beginning-of-line 2)))))
   (org-update-checkbox-count-maybe))