zellij-org/zellij

[feature-request] ability to auto-rename the tab/pane based on the currently running app

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#2,284 opened on Mar 13, 2023

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 (7 comments) (2 reactions) (0 assignees)Rust (32,593 stars) (1,191 forks)batch import
help wanted

Description

It would be useful if we had an option to automatically rename the tab (or pane) with the name of currently running command.

In tmux this is the default behavior and I think it quite useful to guide me to which tab I want to go.

In a hope to help with the implementation, I'd like to highlight one thing about such behavior in tmux: the renaming happens on the very next "screen refresh".

As we are constantly using the keyboard or the commands we are running generates output, the "screen refresh" thing happens most of the time and we have a feel that the renaming happens "right after the command is issued". But with the gif below I show examples of when actually the renaming happens:

tab-rename

Tab was renamed to find when I pressed X, and after I went back to bash, the tab was renamed only when I pressed X.

Contributor guide

Tech stack
rust
Domain
clideveloper experience
Issue type
feature
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
3
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
1-2 days
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
stale
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
mostly clear
Prerequisites
Familiarity with RustUnderstanding of Zellij's tab management
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
35
Research direction
Investigate how Zellij currently manages tab titles in the Tabs and Pane APIs. Look at the pty output handling to detect when a command starts (e.g., by parsing the prompt or using a heuristic similar to tmux). Review the issue comments for user provided insights and examples from tmux behavior. The implementation should likely modify the event loop to update the tab title after screen refreshes, as noted in the GIF. Consider using zellij tile or the plugin system if applicable.