Get open windows list

[mshzsh]

I want to show the list of open windows in wofi using Alt and Tab keys.
I am currently using bind=ALT,TAB,exec,xlsclients | wofi --show dmenu, but it has 2 problems:
1- Some programs such as Firefox are not listed.
2- When select a item, will not switch to that window. (I did not find any commands for this in the Hyprland document).

Do you have a solution?

[vaxerski]

1 - no shit, xlsclients only works on xorg, who would've thought?
we have hyprctl clients??

2 - read the wiki...
hyprctl dispatch focuswindow <window>

[mshzsh]

that's great!
Im sorry for not being able to find hyprctl clients in the documentation.
I will put here simple script I wrote so that if anyone wants to use it:

#!/bin/bash
WINDOW=$(hyprctl clients | grep "class: " | awk '{gsub("class: ", "");print}' | wofi --show dmenu)
if [ "$WINDOW" = "" ]; then
    exit
fi
hyprctl dispatch focuswindow $WINDOW

[vaxerski]

you might prefer using the address as it will ALWAYS be unique for any window. If you open 2 terminals, this will not allow you to focus both, only the first.

get the address and then hyprctl dispatch focuswindow address:[addr]

[MahouShoujoMivutilde]

In case it'll be useful to someone, I've wrote a similar script that also handles full screen apps.

EDIT: 23 Oct 2022 - switched to gojq (since it's faster was ⬇), tofi (for fuzzy search and unicode support), + now displays which window is currently focused.
EDIT: 4 Jul 2024 - jq updated and no longer sucks, use whichever, both are fine now.

#!/usr/bin/env bash
# rofi -show window for Hyprland, basically

state="$(hyprctl -j clients)"
active_window="$(hyprctl -j activewindow)"

current_addr="$(echo "$active_window" | gojq -r '.address')"

window="$(echo "$state" |
    gojq -r '.[] | select(.monitor != -1 ) | "\(.address)    \(.workspace.name)    \(.title)"' |
    sed "s|$current_addr|focused ->|" |
    sort -r |
    tofi --fuzzy-match true)"

addr="$(echo "$window" | awk '{print $1}')"
ws="$(echo "$window" | awk '{print $2}')"

if [[ "$addr" =~ focused* ]]; then
    echo 'already focused, exiting'
    exit 0
fi

fullscreen_on_same_ws="$(echo "$state" | gojq -r ".[] | select(.fullscreen == true) | select(.workspace.name == \"$ws\") | .address")"

if [[ "$window" != "" ]]; then
    if [[ "$fullscreen_on_same_ws" == "" ]]; then
        hyprctl dispatch focuswindow address:${addr}
    else
        # If we want to focus app_A and app_B is fullscreen on the same workspace,
        # app_A will get focus, but app_B will remain on top.
        # This monstrosity is to make sure app_A will end up on top instead.
        # XXX: doesn't handle fullscreen 0, but I don't care.
        notify-send 'Complex switch' "$window"
        hyprctl --batch "dispatch focuswindow address:${fullscreen_on_same_ws}; dispatch fullscreen 1; dispatch focuswindow address:${addr}; dispatch fullscreen 1"
    fi
fi

[xenomorph1096]

This is a nice script. Thanks for posting this. Works great for me. However, I had to add another filter to the window list, since on my installation, hyprctl clients returns some "ghost" clients with monitor=-1, that do not seem to be "windows".

I changed gojq -r '.[] | "\(.address) \(.workspace.name) \(.title)"' | to gojq -r '.[] | select(.monitor != -1 ) | "\(.address) \(.workspace.name) \(.title)"' |

[MahouShoujoMivutilde]

Yeah, weird.
Thanks, updated the script.

[twitchgg]

I changed rofi to wofi,it's worked.
Thanks!

[MahouShoujoMivutilde]

BTW, apparently jq came back from the dead in the September last year.

Finally, its performance is now comparable to that of gojq:

❯ hyperfine -N "jq -r '.address, .floating' activewindow.json" "gojq -r '.address, .floating' activewindow.json"
Benchmark 1: jq -r '.address, .floating' activewindow.json
  Time (mean ± σ):       3.4 ms ±   0.7 ms    [User: 1.0 ms, System: 1.9 ms]
  Range (min … max):     3.0 ms …   7.9 ms    827 runs

Benchmark 2: gojq -r '.address, .floating' activewindow.json
  Time (mean ± σ):       4.4 ms ±   0.8 ms    [User: 0.5 ms, System: 3.7 ms]
  Range (min … max):     3.7 ms …   7.9 ms    713 runs

Summary
  jq -r '.address, .floating' activewindow.json ran
    1.27 ± 0.35 times faster than gojq -r '.address, .floating' activewindow.json

This is on jq 1.7.1 and gojq 0.12.16 (rev: HEAD/go1.22.4) on linux-rt-lts kernel to which I switched recently. Does it matter?

What about normal linux-lts (6.6.36-1-lts)?

hyperfine -w 5 -N "jq -r '.address, .floating' activewindow.json" "gojq -r '.address, .floating' activewindow.json"
Benchmark 1: jq -r '.address, .floating' activewindow.json
  Time (mean ± σ):       5.4 ms ±   1.5 ms    [User: 2.6 ms, System: 2.5 ms]
  Range (min … max):     2.3 ms …   8.0 ms    515 runs

Benchmark 2: gojq -r '.address, .floating' activewindow.json
  Time (mean ± σ):       2.9 ms ±   1.1 ms    [User: 1.0 ms, System: 1.8 ms]
  Range (min … max):     2.2 ms …   6.6 ms    470 runs

Summary
  gojq -r '.address, .floating' activewindow.json ran
    1.87 ± 0.89 times faster than jq -r '.address, .floating' activewindow.json

No, still very comparable.

So recommendation about gojq is no longer necessary, both are fine.

[citysexx]

Thank you! I tried to write my own implementation based on wofi and hyprctl. It sucks, so I found a better solution. Thanks bro!

[woojiq]

Are there any plans for a "nice" Alt-Tab feature like in windows, kde, etc.? Maybe it's not what a window manager should do, but if you have a single 1920x1080 monitor, it's pretty hard to live without a stack layout or Alt-Tab. Alt-tab using dmenu is terrible, you have to press Enter, read the window title, etc. Otherwise, hyprland is impressive.

P.S. Maybe there is a separate app for that, let me know.

[vaxerski]

Are there any plans for a "nice" Alt-Tab feature like in windows, kde, etc.

No, you can make one yourself. Seen at least 3 already do that.

but if you have a single 1920x1080 monitor, it's pretty hard to live without a stack layout or Alt-Tab

I very much disagree. Maybe you just don't know how to utilize workspaces properly.

At any rate, yeah, you can make one yourself. either with eww, or something else. IIRC some bar even allows you to do that or sumn

[aloispichler]

• The main advantage of alt-tab is that it works with one hand only – the left hand even! So, there are multiple situations where alt-tab is more convenient and faster than switching windows/ workspaces the usual/ ordinary way.
• Please, can you please point us to those alt-tab apps you mention up here?

[joelxr]

This is what I've ended up doing to have icons

#!/usr/bin/env python3

import gi
import sys
import os
import json
import re
import array as arr

gi.require_version('Gtk', '3.0')
from gi.repository import Gtk

def resolveIconPath(iconName):
    iconTheme = Gtk.IconTheme.get_default()
    iconFile = iconTheme.lookup_icon(iconName.lower(), 32, 0)
    if iconFile:
        return iconFile.get_filename()
    else:
        return ""

def mapWindow(w):
    return "img:%s:text:%s"%(resolveIconPath(w["class"]), "%s (%s_%s)"%(w["title"], w["address"], w["workspace"]["id"]))

windows = json.loads(os.popen("hyprctl -j clients").read())
filtered_windows = list(filter(lambda w: w["workspace"]["id"] != -1, windows))
mapped_windows = list(map(mapWindow, filtered_windows))

print(mapped_windows)

selected_window = os.popen("echo \"%s\" | wofi -S dmenu"%("\n".join(mapped_windows))).read()

print("selected_window: %s"%(selected_window))

if (selected_window):
    match = re.search(r"\((\w+)\)$", selected_window)
    addr = match.group(1).split("_")[0]
    os.system("hyprctl dispatch focuswindow address:%s"%(addr))
else:
    print("no selected_window")

[dantefromhell]

Sweet! How are you calling your python code? A bind key-combo?

[joelxr]

Yes, just add to your hyprland.conf

bind = ALT, Tab, exec, switch-window.py # custom script to switch betwenn apps

And moved script to /usr/local/bin/ and made it executable with chmod +x.

[vincentaxhe]

why I run your script and didnot render found icon, just print 'img:...', I have wofi installed.

[Niklas20114552]

You have to append -I to the wofi command.

selected_window = os.popen("echo \"%s\" | wofi -I -S dmenu"%("\n".join(mapped_windows))).read()

[DevHolako]

Hello, I am new to Hyperland world and to window managers in general. Can someone please explain to me why Tofi and Wofi work great and switch the window after choosing it, but Rofi only shows me the menu of windows and doesn't trigger the switch part after I choose one?

#!/usr/bin/env bash
# rofi -show window for Hyprland, basically

state="$(hyprctl -j clients)"
active_window="$(hyprctl -j activewindow)"

current_addr="$(echo "$active_window" | gojq -r '.address')"

window="$(echo "$state" |
    gojq -r '.[] | select(.monitor != -1 ) | "\(.address)    \(.workspace.name)    \(.title)"' |
    sed "s|$current_addr|focused ->|" |
    sort -r |
    tofi --fuzzy-match true)"
    #wofi --dmenu --insensitive --case-sensitive --lines 10 --width 100% --height 100% --cache-file /dev/null)
    #  rofi -show window -p "Choose window" -i -width 100 -lines 10 -markup-rows)"
    "

addr="$(echo "$window" | awk '{print $1}')"
ws="$(echo "$window" | awk '{print $2}')"

if [[ "$addr" =~ focused* ]]; then
    echo 'already focused, exiting'
    exit 0
fi

fullscreen_on_same_ws="$(echo "$state" | gojq -r ".[] | select(.fullscreen == true) | select(.workspace.name == \"$ws\") | .address")"

if [[ "$window" != "" ]]; then
    if [[ "$fullscreen_on_same_ws" == "" ]]; then
        hyprctl dispatch focuswindow address:${addr}
    else
        # If we want to focus app_A and app_B is fullscreen on the same workspace,
        # app_A will get focus, but app_B will remain on top.
        # This monstrosity is to make sure app_A will end up on top instead.
        # XXX: doesn't handle fullscreen 0, but I don't care.
        notify-send 'Complex switch' "$window"
        hyprctl --batch "dispatch focuswindow address:${fullscreen_on_same_ws}; dispatch fullscreen 1; dispatch focuswindow address:${addr}; dispatch fullscreen 1"
    fi
fi

[MahouShoujoMivutilde]

rofi -show window -p "Choose window" -i -width 100 -lines 10 -markup-rows

Try running rofi as rofi -dmenu.

I haven't used rofi for a while, but rofi -show window sounds like it should launch rofi's internal window switcher disregarding the script.

Tofi and wofi work because they work like dmenu.

By themselves, they just show a list of strings and print selected string to stdout. Which in our case would be a string containing window's address (among other things) which is what will be used to actually switch to that window using hyprctl.

But rofi -show window is supposed to do all of that by itself.

[fiskhest]

Thanks for sharing. I got something working with rofi like this:

#!/usr/bin/env bash
# rofi -show window for Hyprland, basically

set -x
state="$(hyprctl -j clients)"
active_window="$(hyprctl -j activewindow)"

current_addr="$(echo "$active_window" | gojq -r '.address')"

window="$(echo "$state" |
    gojq -r '.[] | select(.monitor != -1 ) | "\(.address)    \(.workspace.name)    \(.title)"' |
    sed "s|$current_addr|focused ->|" |
    sort -r |
    rofi -dmenu -p "App:" -i -markup-rows -no-fixed-num-lines -theme-str 'window { width: 20%; }'

addr="$(echo "$window" | awk '{print $1}')"
ws="$(echo "$window" | awk '{print $2}')"

if [[ "$addr" =~ focused* ]]; then
    echo 'already focused, exiting'
    exit 0
fi

fullscreen_on_same_ws="$(echo "$state" | gojq -r ".[] | select(.fullscreen == true) | select(.workspace.name == \"$ws\") | .address")"

if [[ "$window" != "" ]]; then
    if [[ "$fullscreen_on_same_ws" == "" ]]; then
        hyprctl dispatch focuswindow address:${addr}
    else
        # If we want to focus app_A and app_B is fullscreen on the same workspace,
        # app_A will get focus, but app_B will remain on top.
        # This monstrosity is to make sure app_A will end up on top instead.
        # XXX: doesn't handle fullscreen 0, but I don't care.
        notify-send 'Complex switch' "$window"
        hyprctl --batch "dispatch focuswindow address:${fullscreen_on_same_ws}; dispatch fullscreen 1; dispatch focuswindow address:${addr}; dispatch fullscreen 1"
    fi
fi

[vincentaxhe]

I have to recommend my perl script, perl is good at it!

# by vincentaxhe from China
#!/bin/perl
use strict;
use utf8;
use JSON;
use Getopt::Std;
my $usage = "Usage: $0 -[fcm]";
getopts("fcm", \my %options) or die $usage;
my %arg = reverse %options or die $usage;
my $mode = $arg{1};
my $clients_json = qx(hyprctl -j clients);
my $activeworkspace_json = qx(hyprctl -j activeworkspace);
my $clients = decode_json $clients_json;
my $activeworkspace = decode_json $activeworkspace_json;
my $workspacename = $activeworkspace->{name};
my @sortedwindows = sort {$a->{focusHistoryID} <=> $b->{focusHistoryID}} @$clients;
my (@addressarr, @menuarr);
my $i = 0;
foreach my $window (@sortedwindows){
	if ($window->{title}){
		push @addressarr, $window->{address};
		push @menuarr, join "\t", $i++, "workspace：".$window->{workspace}{name}, $window->{title};
	}
}
my $menu = join "\n", @menuarr;
my %promt = (f => "focuswindow", c => "close window", m => "movetoworkspace $workspacename");
my $out = qx(echo "$menu"|wofi --dmenu -W 40% -O alphabetical -p "$promt{$mode}") or die;
my $index = (split /\t/, $out)[0];
my $dest = $addressarr[$index] or die;
my %hyprdispatchs = (
	f => ["hyprctl", "dispatch", "focuswindow", "address:$dest"],
	c => ["hyprctl", "dispatch", "closewindow", "address:$dest"],
	m => ["hyprctl", "--batch", "dispatch focuswindow address:$dest; dispatch movetoworkspace $workspacename"]
);
exec $hyprdispatchs{$mode}->@*;

hyprland.conf is like this

$switchwindow = hyprwindows.pl -f
$switchwindow1 = hyprwindows.pl -c
$switchwindow2 = hyprwindows.pl -m
bind = $mainMod, K, exec, $switchwindow
bind = $mainMod CTRL, K, exec, $switchwindow1
bind = $mainMod SHIFT, K, exec, $switchwindow2

The script can focus to window, close window, bring window to current workspace.
I admire who use 'jq' and shell to achieve it.