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Using `pywal` as a module

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Nate edited this page May 4, 2023 · 10 revisions

Table of Contents

Functions

pywal.image.get(img, cache_dir)

Parameters:

  • image:
    • Optional: False
    • Type: string
    • A path to an image or a directory.
    • When a directory is passed wal will select a random image from the directory.
  • cache_dir:
    • Optional: True
    • Type: string
    • Default: ~/.cache/wal
    • Only set this if you'd like to use a different cache location.

Returns:

This function validates image input and returns a string containing the full path to the image.

pywal.colors.get(img, cache_dir, color_count, notify)

Parameters:

  • image:
    • Optional: False
    • Type: string
    • A path to an image or a directory.
  • cache_dir:
    • Optional: True
    • Type: string
    • Default: ~/.cache/wal
    • Only set this if you'd like to use a different cache location.
  • color_count:
    • Optional: True
    • Type: integer
    • Default: 16
    • How many colors to return.
  • notify:
    • Optional: True
    • Type: boolean
    • Default: False
    • Whether or not to display notifications.

Returns:

This function generates a colorscheme using imagemagick and returns a dict containing the colors.

See: Color dict format.

pywal.colors.file(input_file)

Parameters:

  • input_file:
    • Optional: False
    • Type: string
    • A path to a json file containing a valid scheme..
    • See this wiki page for how the file is formatted.

Returns:

This function imports the colorscheme from a json file and returns a dict useable with the rest of the api.

See: Color dict format.

pywal.sequences.send(colors, cache_dir, to_send, vte_fix)

Parameters:

  • colors:
    • Optional: False
    • Type: dict
    • Example: The output of wal.create_palette()
  • cache_dir:
    • Optional: True
    • Type: string
    • Default: ~/.cache/wal
    • Only set this if you'd like to use a different cache location.
  • to_send:
    • Optional: False
    • Type: boolean
    • Set this to False to disable sending sequences to all open terminals.
  • vte_fix:
    • Optional: False
    • Type: boolean
    • Set this to True if you're using a VTE based terminal.
      • xfce4-terminal, termite, gnome-terminal etc.

Returns:

N/A

Purpose:

This function uses a dict of colors to apply the colorscheme to every open terminal emulator.

pywal.export.every(colors, cache_dir)

Parameters:

  • colors:
    • Optional: False
    • Type: dict
    • Example: The output of wal.create_palette()
  • cache_dir:
    • Optional: True
    • Type: string
    • Default: ~/.cache/wal
    • Only set this if you'd like to use a different cache location.

Returns:

N/A

Purpose:

This function takes template files from a directory, substitutes the markers and exports the file to the cache_dir.

pywal.export.color(colors, export_type, output_file)

Parameters:

  • colors:
    • Optional: False
    • Type: dict
    • Example: The output of wal.create_palette()
  • export_type:
    • Optional: False
    • Type: string
    • Values: css, dmenu, dwm, st, tabbed, gtk2, json, konsole, kitty, plain, putty, rofi, scss, shell, speedcrunch, sway, tty, waybar, xresources, xmonad, yaml
    • Which template file to export.
    • Example: pywal.export(colors, "css", "/path/to/save_file.css")
  • output_file:
    • Optional: True
    • Type: string
    • Default: ~/.cache/wal/{template_name}
    • Only set this if you'd like to save the templates in a custom location with a different name.

Returns:

N/A

Purpose:

This function exports the colors in the specified format.

Note:

If you'd like to export in all formats use pywal.export.every().

pywal.wallpaper.change(image)

Parameters:

  • image:
    • Optional: False
    • Type: string
    • A path to an image or a directory.

Returns:

N/A

Purpose:

This function takes an image as input and sets the wallpaper.

pywal.wallpaper.get(cache_dir)

Parameters:

  • cache_dir:
    • Optional: True
    • Type: string
    • Default: ~/.cache/wal
    • Only set this if you'd like to use a different cache location.

Returns:

This function returns a string with the full path to the current wallpaper.

pywal.reload.colors(vte, cache_dir)

Deprecated in 1.0.0+ will be removed in the future.

Parameters:

  • vte:
    • Optional: False
    • Type: boolean
    • Set this to True if you're using a VTE based terminal.
      • xfce4-terminal, termite, gnome-terminal etc.
  • cache_dir:
    • Optional: True
    • Type: string
    • Default: ~/.cache/wal
    • Only set this if you'd like to use a different cache location.

Returns:

N/A

Purpose:

This function reapplies the colorscheme to the terminal. Same as wal -r.

pywal.reload.env(xrdb_file)

Parameters:

  • xrdb_file:
    • Optional: True
    • Type: string
    • Default: ~/.cache/wal/colors.Xresources
    • Which file to read Xresources colors from.

Returns:

N/A

Purpose:

This function reloads various programs and imports the colors into the xrdb.

pywal.reload.i3()

Parameters:

N/A

Returns:

N/A

Purpose:

This function reloads i3's configuration.

pywal.reload.polybar()

Parameters:

N/A

Returns:

N/A

Purpose:

This function reloads polybar's configuration.

pywal.reload.xrdb(xrdb_file)

Parameters:

  • xrdb_file:
    • Optional: True
    • Type: string
    • Default: ~/.cache/wal/colors.Xresources
    • Which file to read Xresources colors from.

Returns:

N/A

Purpose:

This function loads an Xresources file into the db.

Color dict format.

The dict of colors that most functions take as input looks like this:

{'wallpaper': '/home/dylan/Pictures/Wallpapers/022.png', \
 'special': {'background': '#484C6A', 'foreground': '#C7D5E2', 'cursor': '#C7D5E2'}, \
 'colors': {'color0': '#484C6A', 'color1': '#CC95B4', 'color2': '#D09CB9', 'color3': '#C8A4BC', 'color4': '#D3A2BD', 'color5': '#D192C3', 'color6': '#D6A7C1', 'color7': '#C7D5E2', 'color8': '#999999', 'color9': '#CC95B4', 'color10': '#D09CB9', 'color11': '#C8A4BC', 'color12': '#D3A2BD', 'color13': '#D192C3', 'color14': '#D6A7C1', 'color15': '#C7D5E2'}}

It's a dict containing two additional nested dicts, one for special colors (background, foreground, cursor) and one for the colors 0-XXX. It also contains a key/value for the wallpaper used to generate the scheme.

Here's how the format is represented in json:

{
    "wallpaper": "{wallpaper}",

    "special": {
        "background": "{background}",
        "foreground": "{foreground}",
        "cursor": "{cursor}"
    },
    "colors": {
        "color0": "{color0}",
        "color1": "{color1}",
        "color2": "{color2}",
        "color3": "{color3}",
        "color4": "{color4}",
        "color5": "{color5}",
        "color6": "{color6}",
        "color7": "{color7}",
        "color8": "{color8}",
        "color9": "{color9}",
        "color10": "{color10}",
        "color11": "{color11}",
        "color12": "{color12}",
        "color13": "{color13}",
        "color14": "{color14}",
        "color15": "{color15}"
    }
}

Examples

Simple example.

"""Simple script for wal api."""
import pywal


def main():
    """Main function."""
    # Validate image and pick a random image if a
    # directory is given below.
    image = pywal.image.get("/home/dylan/Pictures/Wallpapers/")

    # Return a dict with the palette.
    # Set quiet to 'True' to disable notifications.
    colors = pywal.colors.get(image)

    # Apply the palette to all open terminals.
    # Second argument is a boolean for VTE terminals.
    # Set it to true if the terminal you're using is
    # VTE based. (xfce4-terminal, termite, gnome-terminal.)
    pywal.sequences.send(colors, vte=False)

    # Export all template files.
    pywal.export.every(colors, cache_dir)

    # Export individual template files.
    pywal.export.color(colors, "xresources", "/home/dylan/.Xresources")
    pywal.export.color(colors, "shell", "/home/dylan/colors.sh")

    # Reload xrdb, i3 and polybar.
    pywal.reload.env()

    # Reload individual programs.
    pywal.reload.i3()
    pywal.reload.polybar()
    pywal.reload.xrdb()

    # Set the wallpaper.
    pywal.wallpaper.change(image)


main()

More complex example (Using custom cache location).

"""Test script for wal api.
   This script uses a custom cache location for the files."""
import os
import pywal


CACHE_DIR = os.path.join(os.environ["HOME"], "wal-test-dir")
COLOR_COUNT = 16


def main():
    """Main function."""
    # Validate image and pick a random image if a
    # directory is given below.
    #
    # CACHE_DIR is an optional argument and is used to check the current
    # wallpaper against the random selection. This prevents shuffling to
    # the identical image when a directory is passed as an argument.
    image = pywal.image.get("/home/dylan/Pictures/Wallpapers/", CACHE_DIR)

    # Return a dict with the palette.
    #
    # The last argument is 'quiet' mode. When set to true, no notifications
    # are displayed.
    colors = pywal.colors.get(image, CACHE_DIR, COLOR_COUNT)

    # Apply the palette to all open terminals.
    # Second argument is a boolean for VTE terminals.
    # Set it to true if the terminal you're using is
    # VTE based. (xfce4-terminal, termite, gnome-terminal.)
    pywal.sequences.send(colors, False, CACHE_DIR)

    # Export all template files.
    pywal.export.every(colors, CACHE_DIR)

    # Export individual template files.
    pywal.export.color(colors, "xresources", 
                       os.path.join(CACHE_DIR, "xresources"))
    pywal.export.color(colors, "shell", 
                       os.path.join(CACHE_DIR, "colors.bash"))

    # Reload xrdb, i3 and polybar.
    pywal.reload.env("/etc/foo/custom.Xresources")

    # Reload individual programs.
    pywal.reload.i3()
    pywal.reload.polybar()
    pywal.reload.xrdb("/etc/foo/custom.Xresources")

    # Set the wallpaper.
    pywal.wallpaper.change(image)


main()

Example showing colors read from json file.

"""Script showing how to import colors from a json file."""
import pywal


def main():
    """Main function."""
    # Read the colors from a `json` file.
    colors = pywal.colors.file("/home/dylan/test_file.json")
    image = colors["wallpaper"]

    # Apply the palette to all open terminals.
    # Second argument is a boolean for VTE terminals.
    # Set it to true if the terminal you're using is
    # VTE based. (xfce4-terminal, termite, gnome-terminal.)
    pywal.sequences.send(colors, vte=False)

    # Export all template files.
    pywal.export.every(colors)

    # Reload xrdb, i3 and polybar.
    pywal.reload.env()

    # Set the wallpaper.
    pywal.wallpaper.change(image)


main()
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