[Feature Request] Option to hide application launcher

[smolck]

Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe.
Currently, the applauncher cannot be hidden when no applications are open; it is always visible.

Describe the solution you'd like
I think having an option to hide the applauncher until a character is typed is the way this could be done that still keeps the functionality of the applauncher but that also provides the user with a more minimalistic interface.

See also my comment in #22, and also that whole thread.

Describe alternatives you've considered
Another option is to make the applauncher be like the normal applauncher, in that a keybinding makes it appear. But that would take away from the current functionality a bit.

[igoro00]

I think it would be great to have an option to hide the launcher! I currently have two monitors and when I dont have anything opened on the second one all I see is this always-on launcher. That's what wallpapers were created for - to look at them when nothing else is opened!

That said - have you started working on this? I just dont want to start it myself and see your PR two days later

[smolck]

@igoro00 Nope, I have not, so feel free to do a PR!

[sandangel]

I miss my wallpaper after using this extension. Maybe I will use this again after it has the ability to toggle the app launcher.

[vinayak-mehta]

This would be awesome!

[igoro00]

I'm stuck... I created 2 methods to hide and show the app launcher but now I have to call them when user presses a button/key and I don't know a thing about these gnome libraries nor do I know the source code of this project well enough to do it. I'll surely keep trying for the next couple of days but I can't guarantee anything

[paulheising]

Just found this issue which matches my feature request.

I think, an option to hide the app launcher would also be useful, if you use an alternative way to start applications. for me, i am using "ULauncher" (https://ulauncher.io/) to run applications. It has more features than the material shell app launcher and it can be triggered from anywhere, no need to navigate away from the current window or workspace. I really like it, but it kinda doubles the functionality from material-shell's app launcher. So i think, it would be nice, if the material shell app launcher could optionally be hidden