Saving the frame layout between frames

Saving the frame layout between frames

[Alex Bennée]

Hi,

Following on from my previous adventures with chromebook.el I'm now
trying to save the frame layout so when I create a new frame I can
restore the layout of the buffers and windows as they where.

I've been using:

(setq crmbk-previous-frame-config (current-window-configuration))

However when the new frame is created and I run:

(when crmbk-previous-frame-config
  (set-window-configuration crmbk-previous-frame-config))

It's not working. If I run these commands from within a frame after
messing around with the configuration it works as expected so I assume
the breakage is caused by the fact the new frame context is incompatible
(indeed winner-mode doesn't seem to save window configuration between
frame instances).

So is there any way around this?

-- 
Alex Bennée

Re: Saving the frame layout between frames

[Tim Visher]

I'm not going to be too much help but winner-mode sounds like it does
most of what you're looking for so maybe look at how they do it?

http://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/WinnerMode

On Sun, Oct 27, 2013 at 3:10 PM, Alex Bennée <kernel-hacker@bennee.com> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> Following on from my previous adventures with chromebook.el I'm now
> trying to save the frame layout so when I create a new frame I can
> restore the layout of the buffers and windows as they where.
>
> I've been using:
>
> (setq crmbk-previous-frame-config (current-window-configuration))
>
> However when the new frame is created and I run:
>
> (when crmbk-previous-frame-config
>   (set-window-configuration crmbk-previous-frame-config))
>
> It's not working. If I run these commands from within a frame after
> messing around with the configuration it works as expected so I assume
> the breakage is caused by the fact the new frame context is incompatible
> (indeed winner-mode doesn't seem to save window configuration between
> frame instances).
>
> So is there any way around this?
>
> --
> Alex Bennée
>
>

Re: Saving the frame layout between frames

[Stefan Monnier]

> (setq crmbk-previous-frame-config (current-window-configuration))

window-configurations can't be transferred between frames.
In recent Emacsen, a new data-structure was introduced which can be used
between frames, called `window-state'.

You can use window-state-get and then window-state-put.


        Stefan

Re: Saving the frame layout between frames

[Alex Bennée]

In-reply-to: <jwvppqq8bho.fsf-monnier+gmane.emacs.help@gnu.org>


monnier@iro.umontreal.ca writes:

>> (setq crmbk-previous-frame-config (current-window-configuration))
>
> window-configurations can't be transferred between frames.
> In recent Emacsen, a new data-structure was introduced which can be used
> between frames, called `window-state'.
>
> You can use window-state-get and then window-state-put.

That almost works. I've certainly got a structure that I can use to
reset the frame configuration manually now. However if I call it in the
new frame handler:

(defun crmbk-new-frame-handler (frame)
  "Do any appropriate set-up on new frame creation.
This is intended to be called during after-make-frame-functions"
  (when (frame-parameter frame 'display)
    (set-frame-parameter frame 'fullscreen 'fullboth)
    (setq crmbk-current-frame frame)
    (when crmbk-previous-frame-config
      (window-state-put crmbk-previous-frame-config))
    (crmbk-frame-mode t)))

The new frame hangs until I C-g at which point *Messages* reads:

window-state-put: Window #<window 1 on *scratch*> too small to accommodate state
Quit
Error in post-command-hook (winner-save-old-configurations): (error "Window is on a different frame")

Should I restore the frame configuration on a later hook?

-- 
Alex Bennée

Re: Saving the frame layout between frames

[Stefan Monnier]

>       (window-state-put crmbk-previous-frame-config))

You need to state where to put that config (that's what the `window'
arg is for).  So try it with

   (window-state-put crmbk-previous-frame-config
                     (frame-root-window frame))

> window-state-put: Window #<window 1 on *scratch*> too small to accommodate state

But I don't know enough about window-state to tell you if that will fix
this problem.

> Error in post-command-hook (winner-save-old-configurations): (error "Window is on a different frame")

That seems unrelated.


        Stefan

Re: Saving the frame layout between frames

[Alex Bennée]

monnier@iro.umontreal.ca writes:

>>       (window-state-put crmbk-previous-frame-config))
>
> You need to state where to put that config (that's what the `window'
> arg is for).  So try it with
>
>    (window-state-put crmbk-previous-frame-config
>                      (frame-root-window frame))
<snip>

That worked thanks. I thought (frame-root-window frame) was the default
as the doc says "Optional argument WINDOW must specify a live window and
defaults to the selected one." but I guess at the time I'm running it
isn't.

Anyway it's working now, thanks.

-- 
Alex Bennée

Re: Saving the frame layout between frames

[martin rudalics]

 > (defun crmbk-new-frame-handler (frame)
 >   "Do any appropriate set-up on new frame creation.
 > This is intended to be called during after-make-frame-functions"
 >   (when (frame-parameter frame 'display)
 >     (set-frame-parameter frame 'fullscreen 'fullboth)
 >     (setq crmbk-current-frame frame)
 >     (when crmbk-previous-frame-config
 >       (window-state-put crmbk-previous-frame-config))

I suppose what you want here is

   (when crmbk-previous-frame-config
     (window-state-put
      crmbk-previous-frame-config (frame-root-window frame)))

Note that running `after-make-frame-functions' doesn't select the new
frame.

 >     (crmbk-frame-mode t)))

martin