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Recently, I added to this answer to the question “How to specify a directory to tangle all code blocks into”, the following comment: “AFAICS, specifying a subdirectory in the argument of :tangle doesn't have any effect”.

At least that is what I see with the following property:

#+PROPERTY: header-args :padline no :mkdirp yes :tangle my/sub/directory/myfile.foo :exports both :noweb yes :eval always

and tangling triggered with org-babel-tangle (C-c C-v t), the file myfile.foo is created in the current directory and not in the subdirectory my/sub/directory/.

But I discovered that if the tangling is run non-interactively (in batch mode, outside of Emacs) with the command:

emacs -Q letgut.org --batch -f org-babel-tangle --kill

then the file myfile.foo is, as expected, created in the subdirectory my/sub/directory/.

Do you understand the reason for the difference between these two ways of tangling and how to make org-babel-tangle behave like the command above?

Denis Bitouzé
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    I cannot reproduce the problem: interactively tangling the file creates the subdirectory `my/sub/directorory` and creates the file `myfile.foo` in that subdirectory. Check what `default-directory` is (with `C-h v default-directory`), make sure that you can create the subdirectory in that directory (`mkdir -p my/sub/directory` from the shell - you can delete it afterwards to try again). Also, the `#+PROPERTY:` keyword line needs to be active: if you just added it, make sure you do `C-c C-c` on it to activate it; or close the file and reopen it. – NickD May 19 '22 at 15:22
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    BTW, you can do `M-x org-babel-view-src-block-info` on a source block to see e.g. whether the `header-args` property is set to what you think it is set. – NickD May 19 '22 at 15:37
  • Did you `C-c C-c` on the `#+PROPERTY` line to activate it? Or close and re-open the file? It seems to work. I suggest removing your comment on the other answer. – mankoff May 20 '22 at 17:53
  • @NickD (and @mankoff) You're right: the `#+PROPERTY:` keyword line wasn't active. Strangely, `C-c C-c` on it has the effect to change the mode from Org to LaTeX (AUCTeX). You can make you comment an answer and I'll accept it. – Denis Bitouzé May 20 '22 at 20:16
  • There is something really strange about your setup: this should not happend at all. – NickD May 20 '22 at 21:20

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[These are my original comments made into an answer -- but note that there is a mysterious mode change that is so far unexplained.]

I cannot reproduce the problem: interactively tangling the file creates the subdirectory my/sub/directorory and creates the file myfile.foo in that subdirectory.

Check what the value of default-directory is (with C-h v default-directory), make sure that you can create the subdirectory in that directory (mkdir -p my/sub/directory from the shell - you can delete it afterwards to try again) - this should catch e.g. bad permissions that don't let you create the subdirectories or the file.

Also, the #+PROPERTY: keyword line needs to be active: if you just added it, make sure you do C-c C-c on it to activate it; or close the file and reopen it.

You can do M-x org-babel-view-src-block-info on a source block to see e.g. whether the header-args property is set to what you think it is set.

The OP reports that the header-args property was not set. But doing C-c C-c on it to activate it, changes the major mode of the file from Org to LaTeX. It's not at all clear why that happens: I'm surmising setup problems, but I have no data to even theorize how that could happen. Presumably, closing and reopening the Org file also resolves the problem and does not cause the mode change - but only the OP knows for sure at this point.

NickD
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    About the change of the major mode from Org to LaTeX, I have asked a [new question](https://emacs.stackexchange.com/q/71867/5267). – Denis Bitouzé May 23 '22 at 07:34