Gaps
Tiled windows can have artificial gaps between them where parts of the wallpaper is shown.
In practice gaps reduce the space available for tiled windows and they have no functional value.
They are generally used for aesthetic reasons, but they can also help combat the claustrophobic feel that tiled window managers often impose on new users.
Here is an example screenshot where there are no gaps:
Comparatively here is a screenshot where all gaps have a size of 5 pixels:
- the size of outer and inner gaps can be controlled separately
- the size of horizontal and vertical gaps can be controlled separately
The default size of the gaps are controlled using four variables in the config.h file.
| Variable | Description |
|---|---|
gappih |
inner horizontal gap |
gappiv |
inner vertical gap |
gappoh |
outer horizontal gap |
gappov |
outer vertical gap |
The use of "horizontal" and "vertical" here may be either intuitive or misleading depending on your expectations. They refer to the shape of the gaps rather than direction.
In terms of size we are then referring to:
- the height of a horizontal gap and
- the width of a vertical gap
Here is a screenshot where the gaps are named:
There are several functions that can be used to adjust the size of gaps during runtime.
| Function | Description |
|---|---|
| defaultgaps | Resets the gaps for the current monitor back to the default configuration |
| incrgaps | Increments or decrements all gaps |
| incrigaps | Increments or decrements all inner gaps |
| incrogaps | Increments or decrements all outer gaps |
| incrohgaps | Increments or decrements outer horizontal gaps |
| incrovgaps | Increments or decrements outer vertical gaps |
| incrihgaps | Increments or decrements inner horizontal gaps |
| incrivgaps | Increments or decrements inner vertical gaps |
| togglegaps | Enables or disables gaps on the current workspace |
| setgapsex | External function that allows for all gaps to be specified in one call |
None of these have keybindings as part of the default configuration, but they can be activated externally via the dusk client.
Here is a list of functionality that are related to gaps.
| Functionality | Description |
|---|---|
| SmartGaps | Enables no or increased gaps when there is only one visible window |
| SmartGapsMonocle | Enforces no gaps in monocle layout |