emacsclient_dwim.sh

#!/usr/bin/env bash
# Time-stamp: <2017-11-17 17:31:01 kmodi>

# Open emacsclient with a new frame only if one does not exist.
# http://emacs.stackexchange.com/a/12897/115

# Usage: Alias this script to something like 'e' in the shell.
#        Then if emacs server hasn't yet been started, run "e &". After that
#        open files using "e <FILE(s)>&".

# Example:
# > e &         # Fresh start of emacs; launches emacsclient, starts server,
#               # loads files from my saved desktop, etc.
# > e foo.txt & # Opens foo.txt in the already opened emacsclient frame.

debug=0

if [[ "$DISPLAY" ]]
then
    # If $DISPLAY is ":1", set $disp to ":1"
    # If $DISPLAY is ":1.0", still set $disp to ":1"
    # shellcheck disable=SC2001
    disp=$(echo "$DISPLAY" | sed 's/\.0$//')
    # Handle the cases where the display number returned by `terminal-name'
    # could be either something like ":1" or ":1.0", and even $DISPLAY can be
    # ":1" or ":1.0"!
    frame=$(emacsclient -a '' \
                        -e '(or
                               (member "'"$disp.0"'" (mapcar (quote terminal-name) (frames-on-display-list)))
                               (member "'"$disp"'" (mapcar (quote terminal-name) (frames-on-display-list)))
                            )' 2>/dev/null)

    if [[ ${debug} -eq 1 ]]
    then
        echo "try1"
        echo "disp = $disp"
        echo "(mapcar (quote terminal-name) (frames-on-display-list)) = $(emacsclient -a '' -e '(mapcar (quote terminal-name) (frames-on-display-list))')"
        emacsclient -a '' -e '(member "'"$disp.0"'" (mapcar (quote terminal-name) (frames-on-display-list)))'
        echo "try2"
        emacsclient -a '' -e '(member "'"$disp"'" (mapcar (quote terminal-name) (frames-on-display-list)))'
        echo "dgb: DISPLAY=$DISPLAY disp=$disp frame=$frame"
    fi

    # If there is no frame open create one
    if [[ "$frame" == "nil" ]]
    then
        opts='-c'
    fi

    # Don't wait (append the -n option) only if the user hasn't specified to
    # run in the terminal (-nw option).
    # http://www.tldp.org/LDP/abs/html/parameter-substitution.html
    # ${var#Pattern} Remove from $var the shortest part of $Pattern that matches
    # the front end of $var.
    # So if "$*" is "-nw foo.txt", ${*/#-nw/} will be just " foo.txt"
    if [[ "${*/#-nw/}" == "$*" ]]
    then
        opts="$opts -n"
    fi
else
    # Otherwise, open emacsclient in the terminal
    opts='-nw'
fi

exec emacsclient -a '' $opts "$@"