Org-mode 8.3: Beamer blocks without title no longer work?

Question

I recently upgraded my org-mode from 8.2 to 8.3. So far all works well, but I ran into the following problem: when creating a LaTeX Beamer presentation in org-mode I used to be able to do the following to get a block without a title:

**                                  :B_block:
   :PROPERTIES:
   :BEAMER_env: block
   :END:
   Text in block without title

With Org 8.3 I get the text :B_block: as title of the block instead of not title at all.

Here is a MWE:

#+OPTIONS: toc:nil
#+TITLE: A title
#+DATE: 2015-09-17
#+AUTHOR: The Presenter

#+LATEX_CLASS: beamer
#+BEAMER_THEME: Madrid

# The following line gives access to the C-c C-b key for headings
#+startup: beamer


* Introduction
** A block                              :B_block:
   :PROPERTIES:
   :BEAMER_env: block
   :END:
   Some text in the block.
**                                  :B_block:
   :PROPERTIES:
   :BEAMER_env: block
   :END:
   Text in block without title

With Org 8.2 this gives the following slide:

And Org 8.3 gives:

I didn't find anything related in the Changelog. Did I miss something or have I found a bug? Or have I made some practical use of a bug that has now been 'fixed' ;-)?

It is a "feature". See this thread in the org-mode mailing list: https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/emacs-orgmode/2015-08/msg00768.html — rvf0068, Sep 18 '15 at 20:26
@rvf0068 actually, in the thread you point, a workaround is suggested using `\phantom{dummy}` ; but I can't manage to find how to use it exactly :-/ — Jocelyn delalande, Jan 10 '17 at 21:24

score 3 · Answer 1 · answered Sep 18 '15 at 15:05

3

I think it works ok if you remove the :B_block: from your headlines.

* Introduction
** A block                            
   :PROPERTIES:
   :BEAMER_env: block
   :END:
   Some text in the block.
** 
:PROPERTIES:
:BEAMER_env: block
:END:
   Text in block without title

leads to:

answered Sep 18 '15 at 15:05

Lgen

1,380
10
19

Indeed, removing the `:B_block:` works, in principle. However, in my `.emacs` I have added a `before-save-hook` that cleans whitespace. And for your suggestion to work, I need at least one space after the `**` header. So, while your suggestion is OK in general, I would like to find a way that works with my setup. – ph0t0nix Sep 21 '15 at 19:37

Timm · Answer 2 · 2017-10-13T07:06:25.757

The answer that @Lgen gave works as far as the export is concerned, but it breaks visibility cycling (the headline level is lifted). As the thread on the org-mode mailing list suggests, empty headlines are considered evil. So I'd propose to insert something that has no effects export-wise, for example @@latex:@@. With this, you can also keep the tag, which I find useful as a visual marker of blocks in beamer.

** @@latex:@@                     :B_block:
:PROPERTIES:
:BEAMER_env: block
:END:
   Text in block without title

Org-mode 8.3: Beamer blocks without title no longer work?

2 Answers2