# Increasing the text size of the side panel **URL:** \ **Category:** Requests\ **Created:** [September 23, 2021, 5:20pm UTC](https://org-roam.discourse.group/t/increasing-the-text-size-of-the-side-panel/2053 "2021-09-23T17:20:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![wilya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/94ad74/32.png) [@wilya](https://org-roam.discourse.group/u/wilya)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2021, 5:20pm UTC](https://org-roam.discourse.group/t/increasing-the-text-size-of-the-side-panel/2053/1 "2021-09-23T17:20:12Z")
Hello, I would like to increase the text size of the side panel. I wrote a function to do that, but I have no idea how to call it when org-roam-buffer-toggle is activated. Is there a way to do it without hacking the org-roam code? Thank you in advance for any suggestion. ```auto (defun org-roam-buffer-increase () "stub to increase the side buffer" (interactive) (save-excursion (set-buffer org-roam-buffer) (text-scale-adjust +1))) ``` ---
**Author:** ![nobiot](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/org-roam.discourse.group/nobiot/32/159_2.png) [@nobiot](https://org-roam.discourse.group/u/nobiot)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2021, 5:36pm UTC](https://org-roam.discourse.group/t/increasing-the-text-size-of-the-side-panel/2053/2 "2021-09-23T17:36:57Z")
Org-roam-mode-hook? ---
**Author:** ![wilya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/94ad74/32.png) [@wilya](https://org-roam.discourse.group/u/wilya)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2021, 9:49am UTC](https://org-roam.discourse.group/t/increasing-the-text-size-of-the-side-panel/2053/3 "2021-09-24T09:49:23Z")
I tried but it is way, way above my beginner’s ability. This is the code I put in: ```auto (defun org-roam-buffer-increase () "stub to increase the side buffer" (interactive) (when (get-buffer org-roam-buffer) (save-excursion (set-buffer org-roam-buffer) (text-scale-adjust +1)))) (add-hook 'org-roam-mode-hook (org-roam-buffer-increase)) ``` but every time I open the side buffer I get “Symbol’s function definition is void: nil”. I found a solution though. It works well enough for me. Instead of calling org-roam-buffer-toggle when I call my function, I include org-roam-buffer-toggle in the function and bind “C-c n l” to my function. ```auto (use-package org-roam :quelpa (:upgrade t) :after org :ensure t :init (setq org-roam-v2-ack t) ;; for org-roam-buffer-toggle (add-to-list 'display-buffer-alist '("\\*org-roam\\*" (display-buffer-in-direction) (direction . right) (window-width . 0.33) (window-height . fit-window-to-buffer))) :custom ... :config (org-roam-bibtex-mode +1) ;; starts org-roam-bibtex-mode to make Helm-bibtex use Org-roam ... (defun my/org-roam-buffer-increase () "stub to increase the side buffer text size" (interactive) (org-roam-buffer-toggle) (save-excursion (set-buffer org-roam-buffer) (text-scale-adjust +1))) :bind (("C-c n l" . my/org-roam-buffer-increase) ... ) ``` @nobiot Thank you again for helping me out and for all the work you are doing. ---
**Author:** ![nobiot](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/org-roam.discourse.group/nobiot/32/159_2.png) [@nobiot](https://org-roam.discourse.group/u/nobiot)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2021, 10:07am UTC](https://org-roam.discourse.group/t/increasing-the-text-size-of-the-side-panel/2053/4 "2021-09-24T10:07:58Z")
Oh, I see. No it should be the other around I don’t use `use-package` which has its [own syntax to use `:hook`](https://github.com/jwiegley/use-package#hooks). But for plain Elisp, you can simply put something like this outside the function definition: ```auto (add-hook 'org-roam-mode-hook 'org-roam-buffer-increase) ``` This should call `org-roam-buffer-increase` function when `org-roam-mode` is enabled (this should be when you open the backlinks buffer). I believe it should be every time you open a new one but cannot be sure. For some convention, some people add “#” to symbols to indicate functions as in `(add-hook 'org-roam-mode-hook #'org-roam-buffer-increase)` I don’t see any benefit with doing it – with/without “#” just works fine. e.g. I have this in my config: ```auto (add-hook 'org-roam-mode-hook #'olivetti-mode) ``` If you use hooks this way, I believe you don’t have to find and set `org-roam-buffer` explicitly – the function would just work on the “current-buffer”, which should be the org-roam-buffer in question – you can easily find out if this is true or not… ---
**Author:** ![wilya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/94ad74/32.png) [@wilya](https://org-roam.discourse.group/u/wilya)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2021, 2:16pm UTC](https://org-roam.discourse.group/t/increasing-the-text-size-of-the-side-panel/2053/5 "2021-09-24T14:16:16Z")
@nobiot Ah, I confused the syntax between use-package and (add-hook)! Thank you for clarifying how the hook system works! So, I experimented a bit and learned a lot. I tried add-hook first, and it works: ```auto (defun org-roam-buffer-increase () "stub to increase the side buffer" (interactive) (when (get-buffer org-roam-buffer) (save-excursion (set-buffer org-roam-buffer) (text-scale-adjust +1)))) (add-hook 'org-roam-mode-hook #'org-roam-buffer-increase) ``` You said: > [@nobiot](#): > > If you use hooks this way, I believe you don’t have to find and set `org-roam-buffer` explicitly – the function would just work on the “current-buffer”, which should be the org-roam-buffer in question – you can easily find out if this is true or not… … and indeed, you are right. If I do this, it works as well: ```auto (defun org-roam-buffer-increase () "stub to increase the text in the side buffer" (interactive) (text-scale-adjust +1)) (add-hook 'org-roam-mode-hook #'org-roam-buffer-increase) ``` Then, I thought that I could avoid writing the function all together and use an anonymous function, and also this works: ```auto (add-hook 'org-roam-mode-hook (lambda () (text-scale-adjust +1))) ``` Finally, I tried to use use-package syntax, in this way. This is unsuccessful. No error message, but the text size does not change: ```auto :hook (org-roam-mode-hook . (lambda () (text-scale-adjust +1))) ``` Overall, I am quite happy. I can solve my problem in several possible ways and I learned something new. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![nobiot](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/org-roam.discourse.group/nobiot/32/159_2.png) [@nobiot](https://org-roam.discourse.group/u/nobiot)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2021, 4:00pm UTC](https://org-roam.discourse.group/t/increasing-the-text-size-of-the-side-panel/2053/6 "2021-09-24T16:00:05Z")
This is impressive! I don’t believe you never coded in any language before. I took me very long to get my head around `lambda` ---
**Author:** ![QingshuiZheng](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/87869e/32.png) [@QingshuiZheng](https://org-roam.discourse.group/u/QingshuiZheng)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2021, 5:00am UTC](https://org-roam.discourse.group/t/increasing-the-text-size-of-the-side-panel/2053/7 "2021-09-25T05:00:36Z")
> [@wilya](#): > > Finally, I tried to use use-package syntax, in this way. This is unsuccessful. No error message, but the text size does not change: > > ```auto > :hook > (org-roam-mode-hook . (lambda () (text-scale-adjust +1))) > > ``` You might want to remove the `-hook` suffix when using use-package `:hook` function So it should be: ```auto :hook (org-roam-mode . (lambda () (text-scale-adjust +1))) ``` In case you might want to read about the use-package Hooks: > **[GitHub - jwiegley/use-package: A use-package declaration for simplifying your...](https://github.com/jwiegley/use-package#hooks)** > > A use-package declaration for simplifying your .emacs - GitHub - jwiegley/use-package: A use-package declaration for simplifying your .emacs ---
**Author:** ![wilya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/94ad74/32.png) [@wilya](https://org-roam.discourse.group/u/wilya)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2021, 9:34am UTC](https://org-roam.discourse.group/t/increasing-the-text-size-of-the-side-panel/2053/8 "2021-09-25T09:34:43Z")
@nobiot The only code I wrote is a bit of shell code and I also used a scripting language from a scientific imaging software. Nothing more than few lines of code. I don’t know why, but elisp clicks with my weird brain, I tried so many times to learn coding from reading books and always failed miserably. With elisp, I look at code written by people like you, and I almost get it, and more I read it and more I get it. It is bizarre and I can’t understand why it is like this for me. I saw the anonymous function used in init.el of some org-mode guru and it stuck with me, That’s all. ---
**Author:** ![wilya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/94ad74/32.png) [@wilya](https://org-roam.discourse.group/u/wilya)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2021, 9:42am UTC](https://org-roam.discourse.group/t/increasing-the-text-size-of-the-side-panel/2053/9 "2021-09-25T09:42:32Z")
@QingshuiZheng I am a bit embarrassed to admit that I looked at the documentation several times, and I never noticed that in :hook you are supposed to remove “-hook” from the variable name. I am really grateful that you took the time to read my post and respond with the correct suggestion. I learned something, thanks to you. Of course, the code now works perfectly. To summarize, if a org-roam user would like to change the size of the text in the side buffer, the most concise way to do it in the use-package framework, is the code shown in @QingshuiZheng above message. This is what I have included in my init file. Thank you again both to @nobiot and @QingshuiZheng . This community is amazing.