[xmonad] Some ideas that could be implemented

Ismael Carnales icarnales at gmail.com
Tue Apr 7 18:03:05 EDT 2009


And make XMonad more begginer friendly

If Newcomers like it

You got another user

With another point of view to contribute to the project

And get more name, jobs, etc :)

And some ranters :)

Anyway here goes some ideas that i spitted out in the xmonad channel,
suggest, criticism help and such welcome

* Layout constructors:

  Layouts could export alongside their constructors, a constructor function
that calls the latter with some default arguments, this allows to aliase
more common used layouts and become friendlier with newcomers. Also is good
that users don't invoke the "official layout constructor" from their configs
so mantainers can change the arguments it takes without breaking
compatibility.

  Other modules could use the same approach, for ex:

  defaultShellPrompt = shellPrompt defaultXPConfig

simpleDefaultConfig

  A module that provides an structure to configure XMonad by editing some
hooks, instead of hoving to build them, usefull to make some non-default
configs default in this module, like modkey, borders, avoidstrust, more
friendlier managehook, with hooks for floats, moveTo, etc.

  Other configs can be based on simpleDefaultConfig providing some
pre-feeded values on some hooks, usefull for statusbars i.e.:
dzenStatusSimpleDefaultConfig, xmobarStatusSimpleDefaultConfig.

  Or better, simpleDefaultConfig could inherit some defaults from another
Config like dzenStatusConfig, so you would pick the parts that suits you.

  This approach will give easier entry point to configs for newbies without
loosing power, all normal config items would have to be available, these
funcions will only provide helpers and shortcuts.

A GridSelect oriented program launcher:

  Inspired by "intelligent launchers" we could make an app launcher that
shows its options arranged like a keyboard, inteligently ordered, so most
used apps will be in the home row an continuing outside.

  Also I think that providing a "directional free" navigation to promp
options would be good, maybe that when the prompt is showing options it
could capture some keybinding that says, move to right, up, JKL, et. To make
long lists more usable.

Lego Layouts

If we succed in extracting every repeated behaiviour from different layouts:
i.e: respecting Hints, we could expand the targets that get that behaiviour,
and also make a new way of constructing layouts by stacking a base one and
adding modifiers, so each piece providing some Layout functionality or
behaivour will be unique. DRY

As always these are from my mind, but try to spend 3 seconds on each and
comment :)
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