Script for using fzf to select layout

[brandonchinn178]

Couldn't find a solution in existing discussions, so wrote my own. Includes an asterisk by the currently active layout.

#!/usr/bin/env sh

active_tab="$(
    kitty @ ls | jq -r '
        .[]
        | select(.is_active)
        | .tabs[]
        | select(.is_active_tab)
    '
)"

tab_id="$(jq -r '.id' <<< "${active_tab}")"
tab_layouts="$(jq -r '
    . as $tab
    | .enabled_layouts[]
    | (if . == $tab.layout then "*" else " " end) + " " + .
' <<< "${active_tab}")"

selected_layout="$(fzf --reverse <<< "${tab_layouts}" | cut -c 3-)"

kitty @ goto-layout -m "id:${tab_id}" "${selected_layout}"

env PATH=/usr/local/bin:/opt/homebrew/bin:$PATH

map cmd+l toggle_layout stack
map cmd+shift+l launch --allow-remote-control --type=overlay --title='*Layout*' /path/to/script
map ctrl+l next_layout

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... launch only seems to add ...

Programs run via launch will use the environment variables seen by kitty. Since kitty is launched by system launchd, not the shell, there is no configured PATH from the shell.

https://sw.kovidgoyal.net/kitty/faq/#things-behave-differently-when-running-kitty-from-system-launcher-vs-from-another-terminal

map f1 show_kitty_env_vars

... Not sure if there's a better way

https://sw.kovidgoyal.net/kitty/conf/#opt-kitty.env

env PATH=/usr/local/bin:$PATH

exe_search_path will not change the environment variable and will only be used to find the path to the program run directly by launch, and will not be helpful for the program in the script.
Under macOS, it is generally recommended to configure exe_search_path, because environment variables from launchd are tricky to configure.

https://sw.kovidgoyal.net/kitty/conf/#opt-kitty.exe_search_path

exe_search_path +/usr/local/bin

Also, for shebang, this will not work if zsh is not in the PATH that kitty can see and PATH is not configured via env.

#!/usr/bin/env zsh

Be careful not to start programs that need to work with TTY at the same time in a pipe.
In the last line, the alternative to xargs is to save the layout name selected by fzf first, and then call kitty @.

Includes an asterisk by the currently active layout.

When the final selection is the currently active layout, then the script can exit without executing kitty @.

If no special zsh features are used in the script (after you have configured env PATH), then sh can be used to increase portability for use on different platforms that do not have zsh installed.

[brandonchinn178]

Thanks! The env option helps with PATH (sadly, though, I have to hardcode brew's symlink locations. I share configuration between an M2 macbook and an intel macbook, and brew has different locations for each: /opt/homebrew and /usr/local).

Be careful not to start programs that need to work with TTY at the same time in a pipe.
In the last line, the alternative to xargs is to save the layout name selected by fzf first, and then call kitty @.

So actually this script and your previously linked script don't work with sh or bash. sh and bash strips newlines when interpolating stdout in $(...). Is your comment here ("programs that need to work with TTY") a reference to fzf or kitty? I'm pretty sure fzf is intended to run in a pipe: junegunn/fzf#1907 (comment)

But I've updated the post to work with sh. I'll comment on your other issue to fix the script

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Is your comment here ("...") a reference to fzf or kitty?
I'm pretty sure fzf is intended to run in a pipe ...

Normally there is no problem using pipes, however kitty @ will require the TTY by default if you do not use socket for remote control.

https://github.com/kovidgoyal/kitty/issues/5159#issuecomment-1202346340

> I doubt that would work ... If it does it would be very accidental.
> In general you cannot run multiple programs in a pipeline that expect to do terminal IO.
> Here both fzf and kitty @ are expecting to do terminal IO, simultaneously.

So actually ... your ... script don't work with sh or bash.

Oh, I'm using bash 5.2 (released around September 2022) and it works fine.
Anyway, thanks for pointing that out. This will be useful for other users.

[brandonchinn178]

ah makes sense. I just use the bash shipped with Mac, which is 3.2