Workspace layouts and focus

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libtmux-workspace 0.0.1-alpha.12-SNAPSHOT · Source

tmuxp compatibility reference. Examples using tmuxp run the Python reference. Local CLI status describes this port’s implemented coverage.

A window’s "layout" chooses how tmux arranges its panes. Named layouts adapt to the window size; explicit layout strings describe geometry more directly. The selected tmux version and terminal dimensions affect the final result.

session_name: layout-example
windows:
  - window_name: main
    layout: main-horizontal
    focus: true
    options:
      main-pane-height: 60%
    panes:
      - shell_command: echo main pane
        focus: true
      - echo first lower pane
      - echo second lower pane

Layout names and optionsLink to section

Common tmux layout names are even-horizontal, even-vertical, main-horizontal, main-vertical, and tiled. Layout availability belongs to the target tmux version. Options such as main-pane-height and main-pane-width shape applicable main-pane layouts. A row/column count and a percentage are different values; preserve that distinction in YAML/JSON.

The classic builder applies window options before selecting a layout and applies options_after after panes and their setup commands. This lets a workspace size its main pane while delaying synchronize-panes until individual setup is complete.

An explicit layout string can depend on the current number of panes and window size. A layout captured from one terminal is a starting point to inspect on another, not a portable pixel diagram.

Terminal dimensionsLink to section

When TMUXP_DETECT_TERMINAL_SIZE is 1 (the default), the classic builder asks Python’s terminal-size helper for initial session dimensions. COLUMNS and LINES can influence that helper. Fallback width uses TMUXP_DEFAULT_COLUMNS, then COLUMNS, then 80. Fallback height uses TMUXP_DEFAULT_ROWS, then ROWS, with nominal default 24.

The helper can choose terminal dimensions instead of its fallback, so a TMUXP_DEFAULT value alone is not an unconditional size override. Detached sessions also need dimensions for reproducible layouts. Invalid numeric environment values can fail before useful construction.

Focus and indexesLink to section

Set window focus to select that window after construction, and pane focus to select the active pane within its window. Prefer one focused window and one focused pane per window; multiple true values depend on build order and are harder to reason about.

A window_index selects its numeric tmux position. Pane IDs such as %3 are runtime identities, not YAML pane list positions. Base-index and pane-base-index settings can make visible indexes differ from zero-based list positions.

Inspect a running workspace’s geometry and selection:

$ tmux -L layout-example list-windows -t '=layout-example'

This command assumes the sample workspace was loaded on the dedicated layout-example socket. Use load to select that socket, then inspect panes as needed. A successful load does not prove every native port honors the same focus/index/options policy.

Native Java CLILink to section

The local CLI validates layout syntax, checksum, structure and pane capacity before scripts or session mutation. Version-sensitive named layouts use the selected daemon. tmux owns geometry correction and pruning. All panes in a window are created and its layout is applied before commands are sent; focus and options_after follow command delivery.

See the CLI configuration parser. Application code using the lower-level workspace library has a separate builder API. Its schema is not the CLI configuration contract.

Reference sourceLink to section

classic.py; main-pane-height.yaml; main-pane-height-percentage.yaml; focus-window-and-panes.yaml; window-index.yaml.