Nnn: Ranger-like workspaces

[lenormf]

Feature request, since nothing came out of #124 except a mis-informed "you didn't read the documentation".

[jarun]

mis-informed

You need to go through the nnn design considerations which is linked from the README.

nnn will never have multi-tab or multi-pane because there are several utilities which do it already and we prefer to re-use the functionality. We don't have bandwidth to rebuild the wheel. If you are interested, you are welcome to raise a PR and we can review it.

[jarun]

i have pushed the implementation to master. Check it out.

Also if you appreciate the utility and volume of work involved please consider donating to the project.

[lenormf]

Thanks, appreciate it. It looks good, I wrote a small patch to support up to 9 contexts, if that can help anybody else:

From bb1245f03890adbb8d04a2da6989a79b1ae6540e Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Frank LENORMAND <[email protected]>
Date: Thu, 8 Nov 2018 20:14:25 +0300
Subject: [PATCH] Support up to 9 contexts

---
 README.md |  4 ++--
 nnn.1     |  4 ++--
 nnn.c     | 17 +++++++++++------
 3 files changed, 15 insertions(+), 10 deletions(-)

diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d7e2cf0..187f9cc 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -261,13 +261,13 @@ Help & settings, file details, media info and archive listing are shown in the P

 #### Contexts

-Contexts (aka _tabs_ aka _workspaces_) serve the purpose of exploring multiple directories simultaneously. 4 contexts are available. The status of the contexts are shown in the top left corner:
+Contexts (aka _tabs_ aka _workspaces_) serve the purpose of exploring multiple directories simultaneously. 9 contexts are available. The status of the contexts are shown in the top left corner:

 - the current context is in reverse
 - other used contexts are underlined
 - rest are unused

-The bookmark prompt understands contexts. To switch contexts press `^B` and enter the context number (1-4).
+The bookmark prompt understands contexts. To switch contexts press `^B` and enter the context number (1-9).

 The first time a context is entered, it copies the state of the last visited context. Each context remembers its start directory and last visited directory.

diff --git a/nnn.1 b/nnn.1
index 40d21d3..eee4ba3 100644
--- a/nnn.1
+++ b/nnn.1
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ few easy steps. Please visit the project page (linked below) for the
 instructions.
 .Sh CONTEXTS
 Contexts (aka \fItabs\fR aka \fIworkspaces\fR) serve the purpose of exploring multiple directories
-simultaneously. 4 contexts are available. The status of the contexts are shown in the top left corner:
+simultaneously. 9 contexts are available. The status of the contexts are shown in the top left corner:
 .Pp
 - the current context is in reverse
 .br
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ simultaneously. 4 contexts are available. The status of the contexts are shown i
 .br
 - rest are unused
 .Pp
-The bookmark prompt understands contexts. To switch contexts press \fI^B\fR and enter the context number (1-4).
+The bookmark prompt understands contexts. To switch contexts press \fI^B\fR and enter the context number (1-9).
 .Pp
 The first time a context is entered, it copies the state of the last visited context. Each context remembers its start directory and last visited directory.
 .Pp
diff --git a/nnn.c b/nnn.c
index 0e387fc..08528e7 100644
--- a/nnn.c
+++ b/nnn.c
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ disabledbg()
 #define _ALIGNMENT_MASK 0xF
 #define SYMLINK_TO_DIR 0x1
 #define MAX_HOME_LEN 64
-#define MAX_CTX 4
+#define MAX_CTX 9

 /* Macros to define process spawn behaviour as flags */
 #define F_NONE     0x00  /* no flag set */
@@ -2329,8 +2329,8 @@ static void redraw(char *path)
            DPRINTF_S("copymode off");
        }

-   /* Fail redraw if < than 11 columns, context info prints 10 chars */
-   if (COLS < 11) {
+   /* Fail redraw if < than 21 columns, context info prints 20 chars */
+   if (COLS < 21) {
        printmsg("too few columns!");
        return;
    }
@@ -2370,11 +2370,11 @@ static void redraw(char *path)
        } else
            printw("%d ", i + 1);
    }
-   printw("\b] "); /* 10 chars printed in total for contexts - "[1 2 3 4] " */
+   printw("\b] "); /* 20 chars printed in total for contexts - "[1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9] " */

    attron(A_UNDERLINE);
    /* No text wrapping in cwd line */
-   g_buf[ncols - 11] = '\0';
+   g_buf[ncols - 21] = '\0';
    printw("%s\n\n", g_buf);
    attroff(A_UNDERLINE);

@@ -2743,7 +2743,12 @@ nochange:
                case '1': //fallthrough
                case '2': //fallthrough
                case '3': //fallthrough
-               case '4':
+               case '4': //fallthrough
+               case '5': //fallthrough
+               case '6': //fallthrough
+               case '7': //fallthrough
+               case '8': //fallthrough
+               case '9':
                {
                    r = tmp[0] - '1'; /* Save the next context id */
                    if (g_curctx == r)
-- 
2.19.0

[jarun]

I see at least 4 glaring issues with this half-understood patch. And 9 contexts are a overkill.

You have 4 contexts, 10 bookmarks, 1 mark and you still need 5 more contexts _ if that can help anybody else_. I don't think you are even trying to understand the philosophy of nnn.

[lenormf]

The philosphy of nnn seems to be that you will bash anybody who dares make suggestions you don't like ;)

I posted this patch for other users, not you, so just look away.

[jarun]

The philosphy of nnn seems to be that you will bash anybody who dares make suggestions you don't like ;)

Not exactly. It has nothing relevant to my liking (or not). There seems to be a communication gap here. I did spend quality time to work out the workspace thing you asked for. When you request for features in a utility which is maintained by someone else you should be open enough to accept rejections.

Feel free to post your patches in your gist. As the maintainer of this project I have to state it very clearly when I see a third-party patch linked here that I don't support officially.

If you must post it here, do add a disclaimer that this is not an official patch.