Feature: modular config files and auto-restart

[aziham]

First I want to express my appreciation for the modular philosophy you’ve embraced in the design of both bspwm and sxhkd. This approach has made it possible for me to effectively use sxhkd with KDE Plasma, enhancing my workflow significantly.

I’d like to propose two features that could further improve sxhkd:

1. Support for Modular Config Files:

   • Enabling the use of multiple configuration files would greatly benefit users. For instance, I currently manage my configurations as follows:

     sxhkd/
     ├── global.hks
     └── plasma.hks
     

   • This modularity allows me to keep my keybindings organized and tailored for different environments, making it easy to switch setups when moving between desktop environments.

2. Auto-Restart on Config Changes:

   • Introducing an auto-restart feature would enhance usability, especially for those who frequently modify their keybindings. I’ve created a proof-of-concept script that utilizes inotify-tools to monitor for changes in configuration files and automatically restart sxhkd when a change occurs. Here’s the script:

     #!/bin/sh
     
     # Config directory path
     config_dir="$HOME/.config/sxhkd"
     
     # Find all .hks files in the config directory
     config_files=$(find "$config_dir" -name "*.hks" | tr '\n' ' ')
     
     # Kill any existing sxhkd process if running
     killall sxhkd 2>/dev/null
     
     # Start sxhkd with the found config files
     sxhkd -c $config_files &
     
     # Monitor for changes and reload sxhkd on change
     while true; do
         # Wait for a single file change event in the config directory
         inotifywait -e modify -e move -e create -e delete "$config_dir"/*.hks
     
         # Restart sxhkd when a change is detected
         killall sxhkd 2>/dev/null; sxhkd -c $config_files &
     done

I believe these features would make a valuable addition to sxhkd, potentially in a future release 0.6.3 ?

Thank you for considering my suggestions, and for your continued dedication to developing such powerful tools.

Best regards,
Hamza