# i3-layout-manager
Saving, loading and managing layouts for i3wm.

## Preamble - dont worry, I solved all of this

i3 window manager supports saving and loading of window layouts, however, the features are bare-bone and partially missing.
According to the [manual](https://i3wm.org/docs/layout-saving.html), the layout tree can be exported into a json file.
The file contains a description of the containers of a workspace with prefilled (and commented) potential matching rules for the windows.
User is supposed to uncomment the desierd one (and/or modify it) and delete the unsused ones.
Moreover, user should add a surrouding root container which is missing in the file (this baffles me, why cant they save it too?).

So doing it manually (which I dont want) consists of following steps, as described at [i3wm.org](https://i3wm.org/docs/layout-saving.html):
1. export the workspace into jason using ```i3-save-tree --workspace ...```
2. edit the json to match your desired matching rules for the windows
3. wrap the file in a root node, which defines the root split.
4. when needed, load the layout using ```i3-append ...```

However, this plan has flaws.
Its not scalable, its not automated and loading a layout does not work when windows are already present in the current workspace.
To fix it, I built this **layout manager**.
Currently, its a hacky-type of a shell script, but feel free to contribute :-).

## How does it work?

1. The workspace tree is exported usin ```i3-save-tree --workspace ...```
2. The tree for all workspaces on the currently focused monitor exported using ```i3-save-tree --output ...```
3. The location of the current workspace in the all-tree is found by matching the workspace-tree file on the monitor-tree file.
4. The parameters of the root split are extracted and the workspace tree is wrapped in a new split.
5. User is then asked about how should the windows be matched. The options are:
  * All by _instance_ (instance will be uncommented for all windows)
  * Match any window to any placeholder
  * Choose an option for each window. With this option, the user will be asked to choose between the _class_, _instance_ and _title_ for each window. The tree file will be modified according to the selected options.

## Dependencies

* vim/nvim
* jq
* i3
* rofi
* xdotool
* x11-xserver-utils

```bash
sudo apt-install jq vim rofi xdotool x11-xserver-utils
```