finally OSDs seem to be working. Seem to be

.quicknote/3a52ce780950d4d969792a2559cd519d7ee8c727/No-Widgets-Directory.md

@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+# No Widgets Directory
+
+Unlike the very rationally laid out [Linux AwesomeWM Modular Starter Kit](https://gitlab.com/bloxiebird/linux-awesomewm-modular-starter-kit/) and many configurations I have opted against separating out the widgets from their parent UI elements and placing them in a top-level `widgets/` directory. This design consideration in the layout of my codebase has been primarily a reflection of my desire to make the UI elements "portable", in the limited sense of this particular codebase (my global scoping of the configuration's variables would make for some debugging were you to drag and drop any of these elements, but that was a developer experience decision I hardly regret).
+
+These UI elements with their associated widgets within the directory they are located within are portable in the sense that they are this way easily disposed of. Sometimes one needs a fresh start after all and this arrangement makes such a situation much more convenient.
+
+It has also been that I have opted to write this configuration this way for purposes of easing the process of navigating between the files without getting distracted by other lingering `TODO` items. So for sake of combatting my ADHD tendencies, I have opted to this atomic topography of the UI elements.
+
+As a final consideration that has been at play, I find it unnecessarily obtuse to have a separate subdirectory with the same name to store an element's widgets and then that UI element in its own subdirectory containing only a `init.lua` file.
+
+Of course these are my opinions, shaped by what works best for me (or at least seems to) such that I am aware of alternative arrangements having the potential to be much better for others and suggest you figure out what works for you then stick to it.

.quicknote/3a52ce780950d4d969792a2559cd519d7ee8c727/todo.md

@@ -15,9 +15,13 @@
   - [ ] TODO create documented examples for the usage of the result
 - [ ] TODO incorporate all the necessary functionality then remove the plugins entirely, mitigating headaches and much bloat
 -  [ ] TODO
+- [ ] TODO: Eliminate bling configuration hold-overs from tabbar and mstab 
+- [ ] TODO fix mstab annoyance layout error 
 
 ## Archived Items
 
+- [x] DONE: TabBar to single file in modules 
+    - NOTE: Used `pure` style that conforms to titlebar layout
 - [x] DONE replace taglist to enable buttons/actions on items shown
 - [x] DONE application menu animation
   - frustrated thus far, will load but now won't dismiss

modules/layouts/mstab.lua

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 -- |       |__     | |   |  |  _  ||  _  |
 -- |__|_|__|_______| |___|  |___._||_____|
 --   +---------------------------------------------------------------+
--- NOTE thanks again to bling, its like stack but has a tab bar on the top. I removed settings I can configure here, refactored it and commented it all pretty as well.
+-- NOTE: thanks again to bling, its like stack but has a tab bar on the top. I removed settings I can configure here, refactored it and commented it all pretty as well.
 --
 local awful = require("awful")
 local gears = require("gears")
@@ -14,22 +14,19 @@ local beautiful = require("beautiful")
 local mstab = {}
 
 -- Configuration parameters with fallbacks
+-- TODO: remove most of this, as I don't need to have these options this is not a widget library after all
+
 mstab.name = "mstab"
 local tabbar_disable = beautiful.mstab_bar_disable or false
-local tabbar_ontop = beautiful.mstab_bar_ontop or false
+local tabbar_ontop = beautiful.mstab_bar_ontop or true
 local tabbar_padding = beautiful.mstab_bar_padding or "default"
-local border_radius = beautiful.mstab_border_radius or dpi(8)
-local tabbar_position = beautiful.mstab_tabbar_position
-  or beautiful.tabbar_position
-  or "top"
-local bar_style = beautiful.mstab_tabbar_style
-  or beautiful.tabbar_style
-  or "pure"
-local bar = require("modules.tabbar." .. bar_style)
+local border_radius = dpi(4)
+local tabbar_position = "top"
+local bar = require("modules.tabbar")
 local tabbar_size = bar.size
   or beautiful.mstab_bar_height
   or beautiful.tabbar_size
-  or 40
+  or dpi(28)
 local dont_resize_slaves = beautiful.mstab_dont_resize_slaves or false
 
 -- Initialize top index for each tag

modules/tabbar.lua

@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+--     _______         __      ______             
+--    |_     _|.---.-.|  |--. |   __ \.---.-.----.
+--      |   |  |  _  ||  _  | |   __ <|  _  |   _|
+--      |___|  |___._||_____| |______/|___._|__|  
+--   +---------------------------------------------------------------+
+--
+-- TODO: remove most of this since I will not need customization options in my own configuration when changing the values as necessary is just as easy
+
+local bg_normal = beautiful.bg_normal
+local fg_normal = beautiful.lesswhite
+local bg_focus = beautiful.bg_focus
+local fg_focus = beautiful.fg_focus
+local bg_focus_inactive = beautiful.tabbar_bg_focus_inactive or bg_focus
+local fg_focus_inactive = beautiful.tabbar_fg_focus_inactive or fg_focus
+local bg_normal_inactive = beautiful.tabbar_bg_normal_inactive or bg_normal
+local fg_normal_inactive = beautiful.tabbar_fg_normal_inactive or fg_normal
+local font = beautiful.font
+local size = beautiful.tabbar_size or 20
+local position = beautiful.tabbar_position or "top"
+
+local function create(c, focused_bool, buttons, inactive_bool)
+  local bg_temp = inactive_bool and bg_normal_inactive or bg_normal
+  local fg_temp = inactive_bool and fg_normal_inactive or fg_normal
+  if focused_bool then
+    bg_temp = inactive_bool and bg_focus_inactive or bg_focus
+    fg_temp = inactive_bool and fg_focus_inactive or fg_focus
+  end
+
+  local wid_temp = wibox.widget({
+    {
+      { -- Left
+        wibox.widget.base.make_widget(awful.titlebar.widget.iconwidget(c)),
+        buttons = buttons,
+        layout = wibox.layout.fixed.horizontal,
+      },
+      { -- Title
+        wibox.widget.base.make_widget(awful.titlebar.widget.titlewidget(c)),
+        buttons = buttons,
+        widget = wibox.container.place,
+      },
+      { -- Right
+        -- I have no need for buttons I have already on the titlebar here, so nil to keep the layout in order
+        nil,
+
+        layout = wibox.layout.fixed.horizontal,
+      },
+      layout = wibox.layout.align.horizontal,
+    },
+    bg = bg_temp,
+    fg = fg_temp,
+    widget = wibox.container.background,
+  })
+
+  return wid_temp
+end
+
+return {
+  layout = wibox.layout.flex.horizontal,
+  create = create,
+  position = position,
+  size = size,
+  bg_normal = bg_normal,
+  bg_focus = bg_focus,
+}
+