tile

Syntax and config generator for tiling window managers.

TL;DR

If you are using i3 or Sway check out the example below.

Installation

pip install tile

Usage

1. Create input_file using Concepts below.
2. Try it with tile input_file
3. Write it to i3 config using tile --write input_file
4. Write it to Sway config using tile --write --sway input_file

Check out tile --help for more options.

Concepts

Mapping types

tile supports two types of mappings:

1. Command bindings for WM built-in commands:

INPUT:
$mod+f -> fullscreen toggle

OUTPUT:
bindsym $mod+f fullscreen toggle

2. Exec bindings, which are self-explanatory

INPUT:
$mod+Return => xterm

OUTPUT:
bindsym $mod+Return exec --no-startup-id xterm

Alternatives

Alternatives express the idea that the same action should be bound to multiple key-bindings.

For example:

INPUT:
$mod+h/Left -> focus left

OUTPUT:
bindsym $mod+h focus left
bindsym $mod+Left focus left

Variables

Variables are shorter way to write bindings that have a similar structure.

E.g.:

INPUT:
$mod+{f,s} -> {fullscreen,split} toggle

OUTPUT:
bindsym $mod+f fullscreen toggle
bindsym $mod+s split toggle

Range expansion

Inside variables you can write 1-10 and it will be expanded to 1,2,3....

INPUT:
$mod+{1-4} -> workspace {100-103}

OUTPUT:
bindsym $mod+1 workspace 100
bindsym $mod+2 workspace 101
bindsym $mod+3 workspace 102
bindsym $mod+4 workspace 103

Variable reference

You can reference current value of the variable using @n syntax, where n is the variable index. Every variable is numbered (starting from 0) from left to right. E.g.:

foo {bar,{foo,bar}} {0-1} ...
    ^    ^          ^
    0    1          2

Use it like this:

INPUT:
$mod+Control+Shift {8-9,0} -> move container to workspace {8-10}; workspace @1

OUTPUT:
bindsym $mod+Control+Shift 8 move container to workspace 8; workspace 8
bindsym $mod+Control+Shift 9 move container to workspace 9; workspace 9
bindsym $mod+Control+Shift 0 move container to workspace 10; workspace 10

Or to avoid repeating long sequences:

INPUT:
$mod+x -> {[instance="calculator"]} scratchpad show; @0 move position center

OUTPUT:
bindsym $mod+x [instance="calculator"] scratchpad show; [instance="calculator"] move position center

Empty value

You can use empty value inside Variable, denoted by _. E.g.

INPUT:
$mod+{_,Shift+}h/Left -> {focus,move} left

OUTPUT:
bindsym $mod+h focus left
bindsym $mod+Left focus left
bindsym $mod+Shift+h move left
bindsym $mod+Shift+Left move left

Nesting

You can use Alternatives and Variables inside Variable to create many bindings at once.

INPUT:
the {{quick,brown},{fox,dog/beast}} => {xterm,kitty} -e echo {jumps,over}

OUTPUT:
bindsym the quick exec --no-startup-id xterm -e echo jumps
bindsym the brown exec --no-startup-id xterm -e echo over
bindsym the fox exec --no-startup-id kitty -e echo jumps
bindsym the dog exec --no-startup-id kitty -e echo over
bindsym the beast exec --no-startup-id kitty -e echo over

Additional syntax

Parenthesis

By default, special characters like space, plus sign, etc. are token separators.

INPUT:
$mod+p/Print => scrot

OUTPUT:
bindsym $mod+p exec --no-startup-id scrot
bindsym $mod+Print exec --no-startup-id scrot

You can use parenthesis to modify the behavior:

INPUT:
($mod+p/Print) => scrot

OUTPUT:
bindsym $mod+p exec --no-startup-id scrot
bindsym Print exec --no-startup-id scrot

Comments

Empty lines or lines starting with # will be ignored.

INPUT:
# This is a comment

OUTPUT:

Example

INPUT:
$mod+{_,Shift+}{h/Left,j/Down,k/Up,l/Right}         -> {focus,move} {left,down,up,right}
$mod+Control+Shift+{{h/Left,k/Up},{l/Right,j/Down}} -> resize {shrink,grow} {width,height} 5px or 5ppt
$mod+{_,Shift+}{1-9,0}                              -> {_,move container to }workspace {1-10}
$mod+Control+Shift {1-9,0}                          -> move container to workspace {1-10}; workspace @1

OUTPUT:
bindsym $mod+h focus left
bindsym $mod+Left focus left
bindsym $mod+j focus down
bindsym $mod+Down focus down
bindsym $mod+k focus up
bindsym $mod+Up focus up
bindsym $mod+l focus right
bindsym $mod+Right focus right
bindsym $mod+Shift+h move left
bindsym $mod+Shift+Left move left
bindsym $mod+Shift+j move down
bindsym $mod+Shift+Down move down
bindsym $mod+Shift+k move up
bindsym $mod+Shift+Up move up
bindsym $mod+Shift+l move right
bindsym $mod+Shift+Right move right
bindsym $mod+Control+Shift+h resize shrink width 5px or 5ppt
bindsym $mod+Control+Shift+Left resize shrink width 5px or 5ppt
bindsym $mod+Control+Shift+k resize shrink height 5px or 5ppt
bindsym $mod+Control+Shift+Up resize shrink height 5px or 5ppt
bindsym $mod+Control+Shift+l resize grow width 5px or 5ppt
bindsym $mod+Control+Shift+Right resize grow width 5px or 5ppt
bindsym $mod+Control+Shift+j resize grow height 5px or 5ppt
bindsym $mod+Control+Shift+Down resize grow height 5px or 5ppt
bindsym $mod+1 workspace 1
bindsym $mod+2 workspace 2
bindsym $mod+3 workspace 3
bindsym $mod+4 workspace 4
bindsym $mod+5 workspace 5
bindsym $mod+6 workspace 6
bindsym $mod+7 workspace 7
bindsym $mod+8 workspace 8
bindsym $mod+9 workspace 9
bindsym $mod+0 workspace 10
bindsym $mod+Shift+1 move container to workspace 1
bindsym $mod+Shift+2 move container to workspace 2
bindsym $mod+Shift+3 move container to workspace 3
bindsym $mod+Shift+4 move container to workspace 4
bindsym $mod+Shift+5 move container to workspace 5
bindsym $mod+Shift+6 move container to workspace 6
bindsym $mod+Shift+7 move container to workspace 7
bindsym $mod+Shift+8 move container to workspace 8
bindsym $mod+Shift+9 move container to workspace 9
bindsym $mod+Shift+0 move container to workspace 10
bindsym $mod+Control+Shift 1 move container to workspace 1; workspace 1
bindsym $mod+Control+Shift 2 move container to workspace 2; workspace 2
bindsym $mod+Control+Shift 3 move container to workspace 3; workspace 3
bindsym $mod+Control+Shift 4 move container to workspace 4; workspace 4
bindsym $mod+Control+Shift 5 move container to workspace 5; workspace 5
bindsym $mod+Control+Shift 6 move container to workspace 6; workspace 6
bindsym $mod+Control+Shift 7 move container to workspace 7; workspace 7
bindsym $mod+Control+Shift 8 move container to workspace 8; workspace 8
bindsym $mod+Control+Shift 9 move container to workspace 9; workspace 9
bindsym $mod+Control+Shift 0 move container to workspace 10; workspace 10

Background

i3 is a great windows manager but its config is pretty verbose. I tried bspwm with its hotkey daemon sxhkd and I much prefer that syntax. That's why I wrote tile.