Raising Windows using Python
Posting a small snippet of code, that I’ve been using for months now, on the request of a friend 1.
It basically checks for open windows of a program and brings them to the foreground or starts the program. I use it for my 3 most commonly used programs — Emacs(Mod4+E), Firefox(Mod4+F) and the Terminal(Mod4+T). I’m using a neat tool called xdotool 2 to search for windows using titles.
- Mod4+E is mapped to
~/bin/raise.py emacs
Similarly, for firefox and terminal.
#!/usr/bin/env python
import subprocess
import sys
if len(sys.argv) < 2:
print "Usage %s window-name" %(sys.argv[0])
exit(1)
program = sys.argv[1]
# Having different variables helps, in case of some programs.
window = program
# search for windows titled "window"
search = subprocess.Popen("xdotool search --class %s" %(window),
stdout=subprocess.PIPE, shell="FALSE")
search_output = search.stdout.readlines()
search.stdout.close()
print search_output
search_output = [each.strip() for each in search_output]
# Raise the first window or start the program
if len(search_output) is not 0:
subprocess.Popen("xdotool windowactivate %s"
%(search_output[0]), shell="FALSE")
else:
subprocess.Popen(program, shell="FALSE")
Feel free to use it as you like. :)
Any improvements and suggestions are welcome.