XMonad.Layout.PseudoTiling

This is an XMonad extension that lets windows have their preferred size. If you ever noticed that windows were being unnaturally stretched, this layout modifier will fix that.

The pseudotiling layout modifier will try to set the size of windows to those specified by the application but bounded by the space that the underlying layout would allocate to the window. If it is smaller, the window is centered in that space.

Usage

Hold my hand

Clone this repository into your ~/.xmonad/lib directory or make it available to you in another way.

git clone git@github.com:Procrat/xmonad-pseudotiling ~/.xmonad/lib/

Add the following to the imports of your ~/.xmonad/xmonad.hs.

import qualified XMonad.Layout.PseudoTiling     as PseudoTiling
import           XMonad.Layout.PseudoTiling     (doPseudoTile, pseudoTiling)

pseudoTiling is the name of the layout modifier where the magic happens. Add it to your layout hook:

main = xmonad $ def {
    layoutHook = myLayouts
}

myLayouts = pseudoTiling $ tiled ||| Mirror tiled ||| Full
  where tiled = Tall 1 3/100 1/2

I personally like to use this in combination with the fantastic XMonad.Layout.LayoutHints module:

myLayouts = modifiers layouts
  where
    modifiers = layoutHintsWithPlacement (0.5, 0.5) . pseudoTiling
    layouts = tiled ||| Mirror tiled ||| Full
    tiled = Tall 1 3/100 1/2

To be able to know what size to pseudotile windows to, we also need to hook into some X events, so add the pseudotiling event hook as well:

main = xmonad $ def {
    layoutHook      = myLayouts
    handleEventHook = PseudoTiling.eventHook <+> handleEventHook def
}

This by itself won't have any effect. It allows you to pseudotile windows, but it doesn't decide on when to do that. You have two options, which you can perfectly combine as well.

Pseudotile new windows

To have new windows be pseudotiled automatically, add doPseudoTile to your manage hook:

main = xmonad $ def {
    layoutHook      = myLayouts
    handleEventHook = PseudoTiling.eventHook <+> handleEventHook def
    manageHook      = myManageHook <+> manageHook def
}

myManageHook :: ManageHook
myManageHook = doPseudoTile

You can also choose to have only certain applications pseudotiled, e.g. URxvt

myManageHook :: ManageHook
myManageHook = className =? "urxvt" --> doPseudoTile

Pseudotile on demand

To have windows only pseudotile when you explicitly ask it to, send the message SetWindow or ToggleWindow with a given window.

For example, to make the binding Mod+Shift+P toggle the pseudotiling status of the window in focus (using EZConfig-style bindings):

    ...
    , ("M-S-p", withFocused $ sendMessage . PseudoTiling.ToggleWindow)
    ...

Just give me the API

I think the combinations of function names and types are pretty self-explanatory. If they are not, feel free to tell me so.

pseudoTiling :: layout a -> ModifiedLayout PseudoTiling layout a
eventHook :: Event -> X All
doPseudoTile :: ManageHook
data PseudoTilingMessage = SetWindow Window | ToggleWindow Window

Acknowledgements

The idea of pseudotiling windows isn't mine but from the very fine window manager herbstluftwm. Much appreciation goes out to the people who came up with this idea! ❤️