SWAY workspace manipulation helper

Less confusing rename, switch, or reorder workspaces.
switch: This program tries very hard to keep all workspace operations on the focused monitor.
reorder: Move workspaces left/right like container tabs in Sway.
rename: Renaming remembers the workspace number.
Also, it serves as a binary for selecting or renaming workspaces in rofi.

e.g. Next workspace while multiple monitors are connected

~/.cargo/bin/swaymsg_workspace next

block-beta
  columns 2
    block:a1["Monitor 1"]:1
      columns 3
      A1["6 work"]
      B1["8 messages"]
      space:6
    end
    block:a2["Monitor 2"]:1
      columns 3
      A2["7 music"]
      space:6    
    end
  space:2
    block:b1["Monitor 1"]:1
      columns 3
      C1["6 work"]
      D1["8 messages"]
      space:6
    end
    block:b2["Monitor 2"]:1
      columns 3
      B2["7 music"]
      space:6    
    end
  a1 -- "next" --> b1
  style A1 fill:#ccc,stroke:#333,stroke-width:4px
  style D1 fill:#ccc,stroke:#333,stroke-width:4px

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Sway stock behaviour:

Given the workspaces:

Monitor1	Monitor1	Monitor2
▫ 6 work	▪ 8 messages	▫ 7 music

with ▪ 8 messages Monitor 1 being focused

calling Sway's "workspace next" would switch focus to

▪ 6 work Monitor 1      "workspace next"     ▪ 7 music Monitor 2      "workspace next"     ▪ 8 messages Monitor 1

Features

• next/prev command to select adjacent Workspaces on the same monitor, (unlike sway's 'workspace next' command)
• swap current workspace with previous / next workspace on the currently active monitor
• reorder workspaces by increasing/decreasing workspace Number
• rename a workspace without changing the workspace Number
• rename/select workspace via rofi
• select workspace by number on same output
• move window to workspace on same output

Select workspace

~/.cargo/bin/swaymsg_workspace next

block-beta
  columns 3
  block:a:3
    A["5 music"]
    B["6 work"]
    C["8 messages"]
  end
  space:3
  block:b:3
    D["5 music"]
    E["6 work"]
    F["8 messages"]
  end
  space:3
  block:c:3
    G["5 music"]
    H["6 work"]
    I["8 messages"]
  end
  a -- "next" --> b
  b -- "next" --> c
  style B fill:#ccc,stroke:#333,stroke-width:4px
  style F fill:#ccc,stroke:#333,stroke-width:4px
  style G fill:#ccc,stroke:#333,stroke-width:4px

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~/.cargo/bin/swaymsg_workspace prev

block-beta
  columns 3
  block:a:3
    A["5 music"]
    B["6 work"]
    C["8 messages"]
  end
  space:3
  block:b:3
    D["5 music"]
    E["6 work"]
    F["8 messages"]
  end
  a -- "prev" --> b
  style B fill:#ccc,stroke:#333,stroke-width:4px
  style D fill:#ccc,stroke:#333,stroke-width:4px

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Swap workspace

~/.cargo/bin/swaymsg_workspace swap_with_next

block-beta
  columns 3
  block:a:3
    A["5 music"]
    B["6 work"]
    C["8 messages"]
  end
  space:3
  block:b:3
    D["5 music"]
    E["6 messages"]
    F["8 work"]
  end
  space:3
  block:c:3
    G["5 work"]
    H["6 messages"]
    I["8 music"]
  end
  a -- "swap_with_next"--> b
  b -- "swap_with_next"--> c
  style B fill:#ccc,stroke:#333,stroke-width:4px
  style F fill:#ccc,stroke:#333,stroke-width:4px
  style G fill:#ccc,stroke:#333,stroke-width:4px

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~/.cargo/bin/swaymsg_workspace swap_with_prev

block-beta
  columns 3
  block:a:3
    A["5 music"]
    B["6 work"]
    C["8 messages"]
  end
  space:3
  block:b:3
    D["5 work"]
    E["6 music"]
    F["8 messages"]
  end
  a -- "swap_with_prev" --> b
  style B fill:#ccc,stroke:#333,stroke-width:4px
  style D fill:#ccc,stroke:#333,stroke-width:4px

Loading

Index workspace

~/.cargo/bin/swaymsg_workspace increase

block-beta
  columns 3
  block:a:3
    A["5 music"]
    B["6 work"]
    C["8 messages"]
  end
  space:3
  block:b:3
    D["5 music"]
    E["7 work"]
    F["8 messages"]
  end
  space:3
  block:c:3
    G["5 music"]
    H["7 messages"]
    I["8 work"]
  end
  a -- "increase"--> b
  b -- "increase"--> c
  style B fill:#ccc,stroke:#333,stroke-width:4px
  style E fill:#ccc,stroke:#333,stroke-width:4px
  style I fill:#ccc,stroke:#333,stroke-width:4px

Loading

~/.cargo/bin/swaymsg_workspace decrease

block-beta
  columns 3
  block:a:3
    A["5 music"]
    B["7 work"]
    C["8 messages"]
  end
  space:3
  block:b:3
    D["5 music"]
    E["6 work"]
    F["8 messages"]
  end
  a -- "decrease"--> b
  style B fill:#ccc,stroke:#333,stroke-width:4px
  style E fill:#ccc,stroke:#333,stroke-width:4px

Loading

Rename workspace

~/.cargo/bin/swaymsg_workspace rename_to movies

block-beta
  columns 3
  block:a:3
    A["5 music"]
    B["6 work"]
    C["8 messages"]
  end
  space:3
  block:b:3
    D["5 movies"]
    E["6 work"]
    F["8 messages"]
  end
  a -- "rename_to movies"--> b
  style A fill:#ccc,stroke:#333,stroke-width:4px
  style D fill:#ccc,stroke:#333,stroke-width:4px

Loading

Select workspace while multiple monitors are connected

~/.cargo/bin/swaymsg_workspace number 5

block-beta
  columns 2
    block:a1["Monitor 1"]:1
      columns 3
      A1["6 work"]
      B1["8 messages"]
      space:6
    end
    block:a2["Monitor 2"]:1
      columns 3
      A2["5"]
      space:6    
    end
  space:2
    block:b1["Monitor 1"]:1
      columns 3
      C1["5"]
      D1["6 work"]
      E1["8 messages"]
      space:6
    end
    block:b2["Monitor 2"]:1
      columns 3
      B2["5"]
      space:6    
    end
  a1 -- "number 5" --> b1
  style B1 fill:#ccc,stroke:#333,stroke-width:4px
  style C1 fill:#ccc,stroke:#333,stroke-width:4px

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Move window to workspace number while multiple monitors are connected

~/.cargo/bin/swaymsg_workspace move_container_to_workspace_number 5

block-beta
  columns 2
    block:a1["Monitor 1"]:1
      columns 3
      A1["6 work"]
      B1["8 messages"]
      space:6
    end
    block:a2["Monitor 2"]:1
      columns 3
      A2["5"]
      space:6    
    end
  space:2
    block:b1["Monitor 1"]:1
      columns 3
      C1["5"]
      D1["6 work"]
      E1["8 messages"]
      space:6
    end
    block:b2["Monitor 2"]:1
      columns 3
      B2["5"]
      space:6    
    end
  a1 -- "move_container_to_workspace_number 5" --> b1
  style B1 fill:#ccc,stroke:#333,stroke-width:4px
  style E1 fill:#ccc,stroke:#333,stroke-width:4px

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---

Demo

screenrecord.mp4

Installation

1. install Rust

   https://www.rust-lang.org/tools/install

   The Rust installer comes with 'rustup' and 'cargo'.

2. switch to rust nightly channel

   rustup override set nightly
   

3. Build and install binary

   cargo install --git https://github.com/berezowski/swaymsg_workspace
   

   The compiled binary should be in ~/.cargo/bin/swaymsg_workspace

4. edit sway config

   > grep swaymsg_workspace ~/.config/sway/config

   ### swaymsg_workspace select previous / next
   bindsym Mod1+Ctrl+n exec ~/.cargo/bin/swaymsg_workspace next
   bindsym Mod1+Ctrl+p exec ~/.cargo/bin/swaymsg_workspace prev
   
   ### swaymsg_workspace move workspace left / right
   bindsym Mod1+Ctrl+Shift+n exec ~/.cargo/bin/swaymsg_workspace swap_with_next
   bindsym Mod1+Ctrl+Shift+p exec ~/.cargo/bin/swaymsg_workspace swap_with_prev
   
   ### swaymsg_workspace increase / decrease number
   bindsym Mod1+Ctrl+f exec ~/.cargo/bin/swaymsg_workspace decrease
   bindsym Mod1+Ctrl+g exec ~/.cargo/bin/swaymsg_workspace increase
   
   ### swaymsg_workspace select by number
   bindsym Mod1+Ctrl+0 exec ~/.cargo/bin/swaymsg_workspace number 10
   bindsym Mod1+Ctrl+1 exec ~/.cargo/bin/swaymsg_workspace number 1
   bindsym Mod1+Ctrl+2 exec ~/.cargo/bin/swaymsg_workspace number 2
   bindsym Mod1+Ctrl+3 exec ~/.cargo/bin/swaymsg_workspace number 3
   bindsym Mod1+Ctrl+4 exec ~/.cargo/bin/swaymsg_workspace number 4
   bindsym Mod1+Ctrl+5 exec ~/.cargo/bin/swaymsg_workspace number 5
   bindsym Mod1+Ctrl+6 exec ~/.cargo/bin/swaymsg_workspace number 6
   bindsym Mod1+Ctrl+7 exec ~/.cargo/bin/swaymsg_workspace number 7
   bindsym Mod1+Ctrl+8 exec ~/.cargo/bin/swaymsg_workspace number 8
   bindsym Mod1+Ctrl+9 exec ~/.cargo/bin/swaymsg_workspace number 9
   
   ### swaymsg_workspace move container to workspace number
   bindsym Mod1+Ctrl+Shift+0 exec ~/.cargo/bin/swaymsg_workspace move_container_to_workspace_number 10
   bindsym Mod1+Ctrl+Shift+1 exec ~/.cargo/bin/swaymsg_workspace move_container_to_workspace_number 1
   bindsym Mod1+Ctrl+Shift+2 exec ~/.cargo/bin/swaymsg_workspace move_container_to_workspace_number 2
   bindsym Mod1+Ctrl+Shift+3 exec ~/.cargo/bin/swaymsg_workspace move_container_to_workspace_number 3
   bindsym Mod1+Ctrl+Shift+4 exec ~/.cargo/bin/swaymsg_workspace move_container_to_workspace_number 4
   bindsym Mod1+Ctrl+Shift+5 exec ~/.cargo/bin/swaymsg_workspace move_container_to_workspace_number 5
   bindsym Mod1+Ctrl+Shift+6 exec ~/.cargo/bin/swaymsg_workspace move_container_to_workspace_number 6
   bindsym Mod1+Ctrl+Shift+7 exec ~/.cargo/bin/swaymsg_workspace move_container_to_workspace_number 7
   bindsym Mod1+Ctrl+Shift+8 exec ~/.cargo/bin/swaymsg_workspace move_container_to_workspace_number 8
   bindsym Mod1+Ctrl+Shift+9 exec ~/.cargo/bin/swaymsg_workspace move_container_to_workspace_number 9
   
   

rofi config

> grep rofi ~/.config/sway/config

bindsym --release Mod1+Ctrl+space exec /usr/bin/rofi -show combi
bindsym Mod1+Ctrl+r exec ~/.cargo/bin/swaymsg_workspace rename_to $(rofi -dmenu -l 0 -P "rename workspace $(~/.cargo/bin/swaymsg_workspace print_focused_name) to")

> cat ~/.config/rofi/config.rasi

configuration {
  modi: "combi,move to workspace:~/.cargo/bin/swaymsg_workspace rofi_move_window";
  font: "M+CodeLat60 Nerd Font Mono 12";
  combi-modi: "workspaces:~/.cargo/bin/swaymsg_workspace rofi_select_workspace,window,drun,ssh";
  kb-mode-next: "Control+Alt+space";
}