zellij-org/zellij

Feature: apply layout at runtime

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#742 opened on Sep 25, 2021

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 (11 comments) (8 reactions) (0 assignees)Rust (32,593 stars) (1,191 forks)batch import
help wanted

Description

We should be able to allow defining several possible layouts in the layout yaml file: https://zellij.dev/documentation/layouts.html

We should then have some keyboard shortcut that would switch between these layouts, provided that the same amount of panes are open on screen (it would rearrange the open panes to fit the new layout alternate).

Contributor guide

Tech stack
rust
Domain
cli
Issue type
feature
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
4
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
over 1 week
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.
needs investigation
Prerequisites
Rust programmingZellij architectureYAML configurationEvent handling
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
20
Research direction
Study the existing layout system in Zellij, particularly how layouts are parsed from YAML and applied. Investigate the keybinding system to understand how to add a new shortcut for switching layouts. The issue notes that a prototype exists in the comments; locate that for potential reference. Consider the constraint that the number of panes must match, so the pane manager's state needs to be preserved during layout switching.