Why use org-mobile-push/pull?

Question

I have managed my todo-lists for some years with Emacs Org-mode and really like it. The files are kept in a WebDAV folder on a server to keep them synced. However, since I use more and more tablets and smartphones an app to access the files would be great - such as MobileOrg for Android.

But currently I do not understand why I have to use org-mobile-push and pull in emacs and cannot just parse and access my files with an app and edit them in a convenient way, especially when I am a few days not working with Emacs or at my Linux machine at all. Is there a reasonable explanation why the files can't be parsed and viewed without exporting them from Emacs?

Answer 1

MobileOrg needs to interact with Emacs through a directory on a server. The main reason for org-mobile.el to exist is for creating agenda views in a format that can be displayed by MobileOrg, and for integrating notes captured and changes made by MobileOrg back into your Emacs main system. That said, the functions org-mobile-push and org-mobile-pull are purely there to provide a sync mechanism between MobileOrg and your Emacs main system. There is nothing technically stopping you from doing your own parsing and editing the of the files. I suppose that you only have to ensure that the files remain valid Org-Mode file formats and they should work everywhere.