ghost window wrapper for i3wm

i3gw

#!/bin/bash

# i3gw - "ghost window" wrapper for i3
# ctrl+c, ctrl+v by budRich 2017
# 
# https://www.reddit.com/r/i3wm/comments/6x5vgp/oc_i3gw/
# https://gist.github.com/budRich/d09cbfd07ffdc57680fbc51ffff3687b
# 
# i3-msg has an undocumented function (open) that creates
# empty containers, or as I call them: ghosts.
# Since these empty containers doesn't contain any windows
# there is no instance/class/title to identify them, making
# it difficult to control them. They do however have a con_id and
# I found the easiest way to keep track of the ghosts is to
# mark them. That is what this script does, it creates a ghost
# get its con_id and mark it.
# 
# usage:
# i3gw MARK
# 
# example:
# i3gw casper
# 
# this will create a ghost marked casper, you can perform any action
# you can perform on a regular container.
# 
# example:
# i3-msg [con_mark=casper] move to workspace 2
# i3-msg [con_mark=casper] split v
# i3-msg [con_mark=casper] layout tabbed
# i3-msg [con_mark=casper] kill
# 
# the last example (kill), destroys the container.

name=${1:?"usage: i3gw MARK, you didn't request a mark."}

w=$(i3-msg open)
i3-msg [con_id=${w:22:-2}] floating disable, mark $name