Feature discussion: Window functions

[CMJones001]

I'd like to add the ability to run more complex functions on the selected windows, inspired by the Emacs packages avy and ace-window.

In short, in addition to the list of hint characters,sadfjklewcmpgh, there is also some (user configurable) HashMap of functions acting on the window, for example, {"x": wm::WindowCommand::Kill, "F": wm::WindowCommand::FloatToggle}. Then pressing the key d would jump to window d as usual, but xd would instead kill window d.

I've got a basic implementation of this working, if you're interested in a pull request?

[svenstaro]

I think that'd be rather cool if you can come up with a generic solution.

[plurry]

I don't get why this is better than configuring kill and float and whatever else in your i3 config and just using wmfocus to choose the window.

[CMJones001]

Mostly action economy, with this approach the window action can be performed with a single extra key, instead of: launch wmfocus; select window; run i3 kill command and launching wmfocus again to jump back to the original window.

[plurry]

I dunno.

You could make a binding mode and put your single key actions there, with i3-msg and [id=$(wmfocus -p)] to perform them. I guess you'd lose focus being the default action, but I bet there's even a way to set that up too.

Or if kill and float are really all you need, you could just give them their own dedicated shortcuts without even entering a binding mode.

But it's not like kill and float are the only cool verbs. Almost all the i3 window commands make sense in this context, and some of them have a more complicated syntax. If wmfocus starts trying to implement them, there would soon be so many options that there should be a file somewhere to save them in.

Which is what i3's config file already is. And leaving that to i3 lets wmfocus do its one thing and do it well.