CLI and App
App
is a singleton instance of an Astal.Application.
Depending on gtk version import paths will differ
import { App } from "astal/gtk3"
import { App } from "astal/gtk4"
Entry point
App.start({
main() {
// setup anything
// instantiate widgets
},
})
Instance identifier
You can run multiple instance by defining a unique instance name.
App.start({
instanceName: "my-instance", // defaults to "astal"
main() { },
})
Messaging from CLI
If you want to interact with an instance from the CLI, you can do so by sending a message.
App.start({
requestHandler(request: string, res: (response: any) => void) {
if (request == "say hi") {
res("hi cli")
}
res("unknown command")
},
main() { },
})
astal say hi
# hi cli
If you want to run arbitrary JavaScript from CLI, you can use App.eval
which will evaluate the passed string as the body of an async
function.
App.start({
main() {},
requestHandler(js, res) {
App.eval(js).then(res).catch(res)
},
})
If the string does not contain a semicolon, a single expression is assumed and returned implicity.
astal "'hello'"
# hello
If the string contains a semicolon, you have to return explicitly
astal "'hello';"
# undefined
astal "return 'hello';"
# hello
Toggling Windows by their name
In order for Astal to know about your windows, you have to register them. You can do this by specifying a unique name
and calling App.add_window
import { App } from "astal/gtk3"
function Bar() {
return <window name="Bar" setup={self => App.add_window(self)}>
<box />
</window>
}
You can also invoke App.add_window
by simply passing the App
to the application
prop.
import { App } from "astal/gtk3"
function Bar() {
return <window name="Bar" application={App}>
<box />
</window>
}
WARNING
When assigning the application
prop make sure name
comes before. Props are set sequentially and if name is applied after application it won't work.
astal -t Bar
Client
The first time you execute your script the main
function gets called. While that instance is running any subsequent execution of the script will call the client
function.
App.start({
// main instance
main(...args: Array<string>) {
print(...args)
},
// every subsequent calls
client(message: (msg: string) => string, ...args: Array<string>) {
const res = message("you can message the main instance")
console.log(res)
},
// this runs in the main instance
requestHandler(request: string, res: (response: any) => void) {
res("response from main")
},
})