i3configger

Overview

generate an i3 config from a set of .conf files in <i3 config folder>/config.d.
automatically restart or reload i3 when changes were made (optional - on by default). This makes it possible to dynamically change settings that need changes in the configuration files (e.g. switch bar mode between hide and docked or cycle through different color schemes).
keep it DRY (optional):
- assign variables to variables
- use variables in i3status configuration files
- generate bar {...} settings from a simple template with some extra config.

Detailed Features

build main config and one or several i3status configs from the same sources
variables are handled slightly more intelligently than i3 does it (variables assigned to other variables are resolved)
end of line comments are possible (removed at build time)
variables in i3status configs are also resolved (set anywhere in the sources)
reload or restart i3 when a change has been done (using i3-msg)
notify when new config has been created and activated (using notify-send)
simple way to render partials based on key value pairs in file name
simple way to change the configuration by sending messages
build config as one shot script or watch for changes
send messages to watching i3configger process
(WARNING - this does not work reliably yet) if i3 -C fails with the newly rendered config, the old config will be kept, no harm done

Installation

Note the code is Python 3.6 only. I want to play with the new toys :)

i3configger is released on the Python Package Index. The standard installation method is:

$ pip install i3configger

i3configger release announcements and discussion

Getting started

Simple

Cut your config file into chewable chunks with the extension .conf and put them in the directory <i3 config folder>/config.d.
Run i3configger.
i3configger.json and .state.json are created in config.d
A new config file is generated instead of your old config.
A backup of the last config is kept with suffix .bak

i3configger.json can be used to do configuration of the status bars.
.state.json remembers the state of your current settings

Watch files in the background

If you are experimenting with the config and want it automatically updated on change:

run it in the foreground:

$ i3configger --watch

run it as a daemon:

$ i3configger --daemon

stop the daemon:

$ i3configger --kill

Diving a bit deeper

I use this to generate my own i3 config. Here are the config partials and settings: .i3/config.d, from which config and all i3status.*conf files are built.

With my config, the call:

$ i3configger select scheme solarized-dark

will integrate scheme.solarized-dark.conf in the build and exclude all other scheme.*.conf files.

$ i3configger select-next scheme

will switch to the next scheme (and wrap around to the first scheme)

This is persisted in .state.json

If I want to get my bar out of the way:

$ i3configger set mode hide

select integrates different partial files. Config partials that follow the naming scheme <key>.<value>.conf are only rendered into the config if explicitly set via configuration or a message from the command line.

set assigns values to arbitrary variables that are set anywhere in the configuration.

All changes done this way are persisted in .state.json.

Build process

merge all files that fit the conditions and configuration
read in all lines that fit the pattern set $.*
parse them into a map key -> value
Resolve all indirect assignments (e.g. set $bla $blub)
Replace all variables in configs with their values (bar configs get local context merged before substitution)
Write results
Check if config is valid - if not switch back to saved backup

Resources

I3 official

Other Tools

... from the i3wm ecosystem

Adaephon-GH/i3configger