i3 FAQ - Individual question feed

Why doesn't for_window work in i3-msg?

Tue, 22 Oct 2013 00:05:24 +0000

Is `reload`ing config the only way to set `for_window` commands? i3-msg 'for_window [instance="^floatme$"] floating enable' ERROR: Your command: for_window [instance="^floatme$"] floating enable ERROR: ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ERROR: Expected one of these tokens: , '[', 'move', 'exec', 'exit', 'restart', 'reload', 'border', 'layout', 'append_layout', 'workspace', 'focus', 'kill', 'open', 'fullscreen', 'split', 'floating', 'mark', 'resize', 'rename', 'nop', 'scratchpad', 'mode' [{"success":false,"parse_error":true,"error":"Expected one of these tokens: , '[', 'move', 'exec', 'exit', 'restart', 'reload', 'border', 'layout', 'append_layout', 'workspace', 'focus', 'kill', 'open', 'fullscreen', 'split', 'floating', 'mark', 'resize', 'rename', 'nop', 'scratchpad', 'mode'","input":"for_window [instance=\"^floatme$\"] floating enable","errorposition":"^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^"}]

Answer by Adaephon for

Is reloading config the only way to set for_window commands?

 i3-msg 'for_window [instance="^floatme$"] floating enable'
ERROR: Your command: for_window [instance="^floatme$"] floating enable
ERROR:               ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
ERROR: Expected one of these tokens: <end>, '[', 'move', 'exec', 'exit', 'restart', 'reload', 'border', 'layout', 'append_layout', 'workspace', 'focus', 'kill', 'open', 'fullscreen', 'split', 'floating', 'mark', 'resize', 'rename', 'nop', 'scratchpad', 'mode'
[{"success":false,"parse_error":true,"error":"Expected one of these tokens: <end>, '[', 'move', 'exec', 'exit', 'restart', 'reload', 'border', 'layout', 'append_layout', 'workspace', 'focus', 'kill', 'open', 'fullscreen', 'split', 'floating', 'mark', 'resize', 'rename', 'nop', 'scratchpad', 'mode'","input":"for_window [instance=\"^floatme$\"] floating enable","errorposition":"^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^"}]

Tue, 22 Oct 2013 10:46:14 +0000

With i3-msg `for_window` is not needed. Just prepending the criteria is sufficient: i3-msg '[instance="^floatme$"] floating enable' This will enable floating mode for any matching and existing window. But it will not change the behavior of windows that are created later. On the other hand, adding a `for_window` instruction to the configuration file and reloading will not change any already existing window but only affect new windows. Depending on what your goal is, you may have to do both.

Comment by npostavs for

With i3-msg for_window is not needed. Just prepending the criteria is sufficient:

i3-msg '[instance="^floatme$"] floating enable'

This will enable floating mode for any matching and existing window. But it will not change the behavior of windows that are created later.

On the other hand, adding a for_window instruction to the configuration file and reloading will not change any already existing window but only affect new windows.

Depending on what your goal is, you may have to do both.

Wed, 23 Oct 2013 03:33:59 +0000

Right I meant 'without'. And the system just ate my comment when I tried to edit...

Comment by Adaephon for

With i3-msg for_window is not needed. Just prepending the criteria is sufficient:

i3-msg '[instance="^floatme$"] floating enable'

This will enable floating mode for any matching and existing window. But it will not change the behavior of windows that are created later.

On the other hand, adding a for_window instruction to the configuration file and reloading will not change any already existing window but only affect new windows.

Depending on what your goal is, you may have to do both.

Tue, 22 Oct 2013 16:45:57 +0000

You mean 'without reloading', as per your initial question? As far as I can tell, there is indeed no way to change the configuration (as in initial settings) without reloading it from file.