sway-ipc - Man Page

IPC protocol for sway

Description

This details the interprocess communication (IPC) protocol for sway(1). This IPC protocol can be used to control or obtain information from a sway process.

The IPC protocol uses a UNIX socket as the method of communication. The path to the socket is stored in the environment variable SWAYSOCK and, for backwards compatibility with i3, I3SOCK. You can also retrieve the socket path by calling sway --get-socketpath.

Message and Reply Format

The format for messages and replies is:

<magic-string> <payload-length> <payload-type> <payload>

Where
<magic-string> is i3-ipc, for compatibility with i3
<payload-length> is a 32-bit integer in native byte order
<payload-type> is a 32-bit integer in native byte order

For example, sending the exit command would look like the following hexdump:

  00000000 | 69 33 2d 69 70 63 04 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 65 78 |i3-ipc........ex|
  00000010 | 69 74                                           |it              |

The payload for replies will be a valid serialized JSON data structure.

Messages and Replies

The following message types and their corresponding reply types are currently supported. For all replies, any properties not listed are subject to removal.

TYPE NUMBER	MESSAGE NAME	PURPOSE
0	RUN_COMMAND	Runs the payload as sway commands
1	GET_WORKSPACES	Get the list of current workspaces
2	SUBSCRIBE	Subscribe the IPC connection to the events listed in the payload
3	GET_OUTPUTS	Get the list of current outputs
4	GET_TREE	Get the node layout tree
5	GET_MARKS	Get the names of all the marks currently set
6	GET_BAR_CONFIG	Get the specified bar config or a list of bar config names
7	GET_VERSION	Get the version of sway that owns the IPC socket
8	GET_BINDING_MODES	Get the list of binding mode names
9	GET_CONFIG	Returns the config that was last loaded
10	SEND_TICK	Sends a tick event with the specified payload
11	SYNC	Replies failure object for i3 compatibility
12	GET_BINDING_STATE	Request the current binding state, e.g. the currently active binding mode name.
100	GET_INPUTS	Get the list of input devices
101	GET_SEATS	Get the list of seats

0. Run_command

MESSAGE
Parses and runs the payload as sway commands

REPLY
An array of objects corresponding to each command that was parsed. Each object has the property success, which is a boolean indicating whether the command was successful. The object may also contain the properties error and parse_error. The error property is a human readable error message while parse_error is a boolean indicating whether the reason the command failed was because the command was unknown or not able to be parsed.

Example Reply:

  [
  	{
  		"success": true
  	},
  	{
  		"success": false,
  		"parse_error": true,
  		"error": "Invalid/unknown command"
  	}
  ]

1. Get_workspaces

MESSAGE
Retrieves the list of workspaces.

REPLY
The reply is an array of objects corresponding to each workspace. Each object has the following properties:

PROPERTY	DATA TYPE	Description
num	integer	The workspace number or -1 for workspaces that do not start with a number
name	string	The name of the workspace
visible	boolean	Whether the workspace is currently visible on any output
focused	boolean	Whether the workspace is currently focused by the default seat (seat0)
urgent	boolean	Whether a view on the workspace has the urgent flag set
rect	object	The bounds of the workspace. It consists of x, y, width, and height
output	string	The name of the output that the workspace is on

Example Reply:

  [
  	{
  		"num": 1,
  		"name": "1",
  		"visible": true,
  		"focused": true,
  		"rect": {
  			"x": 0,
  			"y": 23,
  			"width": 1920,
  			"height": 1057
  		},
  		"output": "eDP-1"
  	},
  ]

2. Subscribe

MESSAGE
Subscribe this IPC connection to the event types specified in the message payload. The payload should be a valid JSON array of events. See the Events section for the list of supported events.

REPLY
A single object that contains the property success, which is a boolean value indicating whether the subscription was successful or not.

Example Reply:

  {
  	"success": true
  }

3. Get_outputs

MESSAGE
Retrieve the list of outputs

REPLY
An array of objects corresponding to each output. Each object has the following properties:

PROPERTY	DATA TYPE	Description
name	string	The name of the output. On DRM, this is the connector
make	string	The make of the output
model	string	The model of the output
serial	string	The output's serial number as a hexadecimal string
active	boolean	Whether this output is active/enabled
dpms	boolean	(Deprecated, use power instead) Whether this output is on/off (via DPMS)
power	boolean	Whether this output is on/off
primary	boolean	For i3 compatibility, this will be false. It does not make sense in Wayland
scale	float	The scale currently in use on the output or -1 for disabled outputs
subpixel_hinting	string	The subpixel hinting current in use on the output. This can be rgb, bgr, vrgb, vbgr, or none
transform	string	The transform currently in use for the output. This can be normal, 90, 180, 270, flipped-90, flipped-180, or flipped-270
current_workspace	string	The workspace currently visible on the output or null for disabled outputs
modes	array	An array of supported mode objects. Each object contains width, height, and refresh
current_mode	object	An object representing the current mode containing width, height, and refresh
rect	object	The bounds for the output consisting of x, y, width, and height

Example Reply:

  [
  	{
  		"name": "HDMI-A-2",
  		"make": "Unknown",
  		"model": "NS-19E310A13",
  		"serial": "0x00000001",
  		"active": true,
  		"primary": false,
  		"scale": 1.0,
  		"subpixel_hinting": "rgb",
  		"transform": "normal",
  		"current_workspace": "1",
  		"modes": [
  			{
  				"width": 640,
  				"height": 480,
  				"refresh": 59940
  			},
  			{
  				"width": 800,
  				"height": 600,
  				"refresh": 60317
  			},
  			{
  				"width": 1024,
  				"height": 768,
  				"refresh": 60004
  			},
  			{
  				"width": 1920,
  				"height": 1080,
  				"refresh": 60000
  			}
  		],
  		"current_mode": {
  			"width": 1920,
  			"height": 1080,
  			"refresh": 60000
  		}
  	}
  ]

4. Get_tree

MESSAGE
Retrieve a JSON representation of the tree

REPLY
An array of objects that represent the current tree. Each object represents one node and will have the following properties:

PROPERTY	DATA TYPE	Description
id	integer	The internal unique ID for this node
name	string	The name of the node such as the output name or window title. For the scratchpad, this will be __i3_scratch for compatibility with i3.
type	string	The node type. It can be root, output, workspace, con, or floating_con
border	string	The border style for the node. It can be normal, none, pixel, or csd
current_border_width	integer	Number of pixels used for the border width
layout	string	The node's layout. It can either be splith, splitv, stacked, tabbed, or output
orientation	string	The node's orientation. It can be vertical, horizontal, or none
percent	float	The percentage of the node's parent that it takes up or null for the root and other special nodes such as the scratchpad
rect	object	The absolute geometry of the node. The window decorations are excluded from this, but borders are included.
window_rect	object	The geometry of the content inside the node. These coordinates are relative to the node itself. Window decorations and borders are outside the window_rect
deco_rect	object	The geometry of the decorations for the node relative to the parent node
geometry	object	The natural geometry of the contents if it were to size itself
urgent	boolean	Whether the node or any of its descendants has the urgent hint set. Note: This may not exist when compiled without xwayland support
sticky	boolean	Whether the node is sticky (shows on all workspaces)
marks	array	List of marks assigned to the node
focused	boolean	Whether the node is currently focused by the default seat (seat0)
focus	array	Array of child node IDs in the current focus order
nodes	array	The tiling children nodes for the node
floating_nodes	array	The floating children nodes for the node
representation	string	(Only workspaces) A string representation of the layout of the workspace that can be used as an aid in submitting reproduction steps for bug reports
fullscreen_mode	integer	(Only containers and views) The fullscreen mode of the node. 0 means none, 1 means full workspace, and 2 means global fullscreen
floating	string	Floating state of container. Can be either "auto_off" or "user_on"
scratchpad_state	string	Whether the window is in the scratchpad. Can be either "none" or "fresh"
app_id	string	(Only views) For an xdg-shell view, the name of the application, if set. Otherwise, null
pid	integer	(Only views) The PID of the application that owns the view
visible	boolean	(Only views) Whether the node is visible
shell	string	(Only views) The shell of the view, such as xdg_shell or xwayland
inhibit_idle	boolean	(Only views) Whether the view is inhibiting the idle state
idle_inhibitors	object	(Only views) An object containing the state of the application and user idle inhibitors. application can be enabled or none. user can be focus, fullscreen, open, visible or none.
window	integer	(Only xwayland views) The X11 window ID for the xwayland view
window_properties	object	(Only xwayland views) An object containing the title, class, instance, window_role, window_type, and transient_for for the view

Example Reply:

  {
  	"id": 1,
  	"name": "root",
  	"rect": {
  		"x": 0,
  		"y": 0,
  		"width": 1920,
  		"height": 1080
  	},
  	"focused": false,
  	"focus": [
  		3
  	],
  	"border": "none",
  	"current_border_width": 0,
  	"layout": "splith",
  	"orientation": "horizontal",
  	"percent": null,
  	"window_rect": {
  		"x": 0,
  		"y": 0,
  		"width": 0,
  		"height": 0
  	},
  	"deco_rect": {
  		"x": 0,
  		"y": 0,
  		"width": 0,
  		"height": 0
  	},
  	"geometry": {
  		"x": 0,
  		"y": 0,
  		"width": 0,
  		"height": 0
  	},
  	"window": null,
  	"urgent": false,
  	"floating_nodes": [
  	],
  	"sticky": false,
  	"type": "root",
  	"nodes": [
  		{
  			"id": 2147483647,
  			"name": "__i3",
  			"rect": {
  				"x": 0,
  				"y": 0,
  				"width": 1920,
  				"height": 1080
  			},
  			"focused": false,
  			"focus": [
  				2147483646
  			],
  			"border": "none",
  			"current_border_width": 0,
  			"layout": "output",
  			"orientation": "horizontal",
  			"percent": null,
  			"window_rect": {
  				"x": 0,
  				"y": 0,
  				"width": 0,
  				"height": 0
  			},
  			"deco_rect": {
  				"x": 0,
  				"y": 0,
  				"width": 0,
  				"height": 0
  			},
  			"geometry": {
  				"x": 0,
  				"y": 0,
  				"width": 0,
  				"height": 0
  			},
  			"window": null,
  			"urgent": false,
  			"floating_nodes": [
  			],
  			"sticky": false,
  			"type": "output",
  			"nodes": [
  				{
  					"id": 2147483646,
  					"name": "__i3_scratch",
  					"rect": {
  						"x": 0,
  						"y": 0,
  						"width": 1920,
  						"height": 1080
  					},
  					"focused": false,
  					"focus": [
  					],
  					"border": "none",
  					"current_border_width": 0,
  					"layout": "splith",
  					"orientation": "horizontal",
  					"percent": null,
  					"window_rect": {
  						"x": 0,
  						"y": 0,
  						"width": 0,
  						"height": 0
  					},
  					"deco_rect": {
  						"x": 0,
  						"y": 0,
  						"width": 0,
  						"height": 0
  					},
  					"geometry": {
  						"x": 0,
  						"y": 0,
  						"width": 0,
  						"height": 0
  					},
  					"window": null,
  					"urgent": false,
  					"floating_nodes": [
  					],
  					"sticky": false,
  					"type": "workspace"
  				}
  			]
  		},
  		{
  			"id": 3,
  			"name": "eDP-1",
  			"rect": {
  				"x": 0,
  				"y": 0,
  				"width": 1920,
  				"height": 1080
  			},
  			"focused": false,
  			"focus": [
  				4
  			],
  			"border": "none",
  			"current_border_width": 0,
  			"layout": "output",
  			"orientation": "none",
  			"percent": 1.0,
  			"window_rect": {
  				"x": 0,
  				"y": 0,
  				"width": 0,
  				"height": 0
  			},
  			"deco_rect": {
  				"x": 0,
  				"y": 0,
  				"width": 0,
  				"height": 0
  			},
  			"geometry": {
  				"x": 0,
  				"y": 0,
  				"width": 0,
  				"height": 0
  			},
  			"window": null,
  			"urgent": false,
  			"floating_nodes": [
  			],
  			"sticky": false,
  			"type": "output",
  			"active": true,
  			"primary": false,
  			"make": "Unknown",
  			"model": "0x38ED",
  			"serial": "0x00000000",
  			"scale": 1.0,
  			"transform": "normal",
  			"current_workspace": "1",
  			"modes": [
  				{
  					"width": 1920,
  					"height": 1080,
  					"refresh": 60052
  				}
  			],
  			"current_mode": {
  				"width": 1920,
  				"height": 1080,
  				"refresh": 60052
  			},
  			"nodes": [
  				{
  					"id": 4,
  					"name": "1",
  					"rect": {
  						"x": 0,
  						"y": 23,
  						"width": 1920,
  						"height": 1057
  					},
  					"focused": false,
  					"focus": [
  						6,
  						5
  					],
  					"border": "none",
  					"current_border_width": 0,
  					"layout": "splith",
  					"orientation": "horizontal",
  					"percent": null,
  					"window_rect": {
  						"x": 0,
  						"y": 0,
  						"width": 0,
  						"height": 0
  					},
  					"deco_rect": {
  						"x": 0,
  						"y": 0,
  						"width": 0,
  						"height": 0
  					},
  					"geometry": {
  						"x": 0,
  						"y": 0,
  						"width": 0,
  						"height": 0
  					},
  					"window": null,
  					"urgent": false,
  					"floating_nodes": [
  					],
  					"sticky": false,
  					"num": 1,
  					"output": "eDP-1",
  					"type": "workspace",
  					"representation": "H[URxvt termite]",
  					"nodes": [
  						{
  							"id": 5,
  							"name": "urxvt",
  							"rect": {
  								"x": 0,
  								"y": 23,
  								"width": 960,
  								"height": 1057
  							},
  							"focused": false,
  							"focus": [
  							],
  							"border": "normal",
  							"current_border_width": 2,
  							"layout": "none",
  							"orientation": "none",
  							"percent": 0.5,
  							"window_rect": {
  								"x": 2,
  								"y": 0,
  								"width": 956,
  								"height": 1030
  							},
  							"deco_rect": {
  								"x": 0,
  								"y": 0,
  								"width": 960,
  								"height": 25
  							},
  							"geometry": {
  								"x": 0,
  								"y": 0,
  								"width": 1124,
  								"height": 422
  							},
  							"window": 4194313,
  							"urgent": false,
  							"floating_nodes": [
  							],
  							"sticky": false,
  							"type": "con",
  							"fullscreen_mode": 0,
  							"pid": 23959,
  							"app_id": null,
  							"visible": true,
  							"shell": "xwayland",
  							"inhibit_idle": true,
  							"idle_inhibitors": {
  								"application": "none",
  								"user": "visible",
  							},
  							"window_properties": {
  								"class": "URxvt",
  								"instance": "urxvt",
  								"title": "urxvt",
  								"transient_for": null
  							},
  							"nodes": [
  							]
  						},
  						{
  							"id": 6,
  							"name": "",
  							"rect": {
  								"x": 960,
  								"y": 23,
  								"width": 960,
  								"height": 1057
  							},
  							"focused": true,
  							"focus": [
  							],
  							"border": "normal",
  							"current_border_width": 2,
  							"layout": "none",
  							"orientation": "none",
  							"percent": 0.5,
  							"window_rect": {
  								"x": 2,
  								"y": 0,
  								"width": 956,
  								"height": 1030
  							},
  							"deco_rect": {
  								"x": 0,
  								"y": 0,
  								"width": 960,
  								"height": 25
  							},
  							"geometry": {
  								"x": 0,
  								"y": 0,
  								"width": 817,
  								"height": 458
  							},
  							"window": null,
  							"urgent": false,
  							"floating_nodes": [
  							],
  							"sticky": false,
  							"type": "con",
  							"fullscreen_mode": 0,
  							"pid": 25370,
  							"app_id": "termite",
  							"visible": true,
  							"shell": "xdg_shell",
  							"inhibit_idle": false,
  							"idle_inhibitors": {
  								"application": "none",
  								"user": "fullscreen",
  							},
  							"nodes": [
  							]
  						}
  					]
  				}
  			]
  		}
  	]
  }

5. Get_marks

MESSAGE
Retrieve the currently set marks

REPLY
An array of marks current set. Since each mark can only be set for one container, this is a set so each value is unique and the order is undefined.

Example Reply:

  [
  	"one",
  	"test"
  ]

6. Get_bar_config (Without a Payload)

MESSAGE
When sending without a payload, this retrieves the list of configured bar IDs

REPLY
An array of bar IDs, which are strings

Example Reply:

  [
  	"bar-0",
  	"bar-1"
  ]

6. Get_bar_config (with a Payload)

MESSAGE
When sent with a bar ID as the payload, this retrieves the config associated with the specified by the bar ID in the payload. This is used by swaybar, but could also be used for third party bars

REPLY
An object that represents the configuration for the bar with the bar ID sent as the payload. The following properties exists and more information about what their value mean can be found in sway-bar(5):

PROPERTY	DATA TYPE	Description
id	string	The bar ID
mode	string	The mode for the bar. It can be dock, hide, or invisible
position	string	The bar's position. It can currently either be bottom or top
status_command	string	The command which should be run to generate the status line
font	string	The font to use for the text on the bar
workspace_buttons	boolean	Whether to display the workspace buttons on the bar
workspace_min_width	integer	Minimum width in px for the workspace buttons on the bar
binding_mode_indicator	boolean	Whether to display the current binding mode on the bar
verbose	boolean	For i3 compatibility, this will be the boolean value false.
colors	object	An object containing the #RRGGBBAA colors to use for the bar. See below for more information
gaps	object	An object representing the gaps for the bar consisting of top, right, bottom, and left.
bar_height	integer	The absolute height to use for the bar or 0 to automatically size based on the font
status_padding	integer	The vertical padding to use for the status line
status_edge_padding	integer	The horizontal padding to use for the status line when at the end of an output

The colors object contains the following properties, which are all strings containing the #RRGGBBAA representation of the color:

PROPERTY	Description
background	The color to use for the bar background on unfocused outputs
statusline	The color to use for the status line text on unfocused outputs
separator	The color to use for the separator text on unfocused outputs
focused_background	The color to use for the background of the bar on the focused output
focused_statusline	The color to use for the status line text on the focused output
focused_separator	The color to use for the separator text on the focused output
focused_workspace_text	The color to use for the text of the focused workspace button
focused_workspace_bg	The color to use for the background of the focused workspace button
focused_workspace_border	The color to use for the border of the focused workspace button
active_workspace_text	The color to use for the text of the workspace buttons for the visible workspaces on unfocused outputs
active_workspace_bg	The color to use for the background of the workspace buttons for the visible workspaces on unfocused outputs
active_workspace_border	The color to use for the border of the workspace buttons for the visible workspaces on unfocused outputs
inactive_workspace_text	The color to use for the text of the workspace buttons for workspaces that are not visible
inactive_workspace_bg	The color to use for the background of the workspace buttons for workspaces that are not visible
inactive_workspace_border	The color to use for the border of the workspace buttons for workspaces that are not visible
urgent_workspace_text	The color to use for the text of the workspace buttons for workspaces that contain an urgent view
urgent_workspace_bg	The color to use for the background of the workspace buttons for workspaces that contain an urgent view
urgent_workspace_border	The color to use for the border of the workspace buttons for workspaces that contain an urgent view
binding_mode_text	The color to use for the text of the binding mode indicator
binding_mode_bg	The color to use for the background of the binding mode indicator
binding_mode_border	The color to use for the border of the binding mode indicator

Example Reply:

  {
  	"id": "bar-0",
  	"mode": "dock",
  	"position": "top",
  	"status_command": "while date +'%Y-%m-%d %l:%M:%S %p'; do sleep 1; done",
  	"font": "monospace 10",
  	"gaps": {
  		"top": 0,
  		"right": 0,
  		"bottom": 0,
  		"left": 0
  	},
  	"bar_height": 0,
  	"status_padding": 1,
  	"status_edge_padding": 3,
  	"workspace_buttons": true,
  	"workspace_min_width": 0,
  	"binding_mode_indicator": true,
  	"verbose": false,
  	"pango_markup": false,
  	"colors": {
  		"background": "#323232ff",
  		"statusline": "#ffffffff",
  		"separator": "#666666ff",
  		"focused_background": "#323232ff",
  		"focused_statusline": "#ffffffff",
  		"focused_separator": "#666666ff",
  		"focused_workspace_border": "#4c7899ff",
  		"focused_workspace_bg": "#285577ff",
  		"focused_workspace_text": "#ffffffff",
  		"inactive_workspace_border": "#32323200",
  		"inactive_workspace_bg": "#32323200",
  		"inactive_workspace_text": "#5c5c5cff",
  		"active_workspace_border": "#333333ff",
  		"active_workspace_bg": "#5f676aff",
  		"active_workspace_text": "#ffffffff",
  		"urgent_workspace_border": "#2f343aff",
  		"urgent_workspace_bg": "#900000ff",
  		"urgent_workspace_text": "#ffffffff",
  		"binding_mode_border": "#2f343aff",
  		"binding_mode_bg": "#900000ff",
  		"binding_mode_text": "#ffffffff"
  	},
  }

7. Get_version

MESSAGE
Retrieve version information about the sway process

REPLY
An object containing the following properties:

PROPERTY	DATA TYPE	Description
major	integer	The major version of the sway process
minor	integer	The minor version of the sway process
patch	integer	The patch version of the sway process
human_readable	string	A human readable version string that will likely contain more useful information such as the git commit short hash and git branch
loaded_config_file_name	string	The path to the loaded config file

Example Reply:

  {
  	"human_readable": "1.0-rc1-117-g2f7247e0 (Feb 24 2019, branch 'master')",
  	"major": 1,
  	"minor": 0,
  	"patch": 0,
  	"loaded_config_file_name": "/home/redsoxfan/.config/sway/config"
  }

8. Get_binding_modes

MESSAGE
Retrieve the list of binding modes that currently configured

REPLY
An array of strings, with each string being the name of a binding mode. This will always contain at least one mode (currently default), which is the default binding mode

Example Reply:

  [
  	"default",
  	"resize",
  ]

9. Get_config

MESSAGE
Retrieve the contents of the config that was last loaded

REPLY
An object with a single string property containing the contents of the config

Example Reply:

  {
  	"config": "set $mod Mod4\nbindsym $mod+q exit\n"
  }

10. Send_tick

MESSAGE
Issues a TICK event to all clients subscribing to the event to ensure that all events prior to the tick were received. If a payload is given, it will be included in the TICK event

REPLY
A single object contains the property success, which is a boolean value indicating whether the TICK event was sent.

Example Reply:

  {
  	"success": true
  }

11. Sync

MESSAGE
For i3 compatibility, this command will just return a failure object since it does not make sense to implement in sway due to the X11 nature of the command. If you are curious about what this IPC command does in i3, refer to the i3 documentation.

REPLY
A single object that contains the property success, which is set to the boolean value false.

Exact Reply:

  {
  	"success": false
  }

12. Get_binding_state

MESSAGE
Returns the currently active binding mode.

REPLY
A single object that contains the property name, which is set to the currently active binding mode as a string.

Exact Reply:

  {
  	"name": "default"
  }

100. Get_inputs

MESSAGE
Retrieve a list of the input devices currently available

REPLY
An array of objects corresponding to each input device. Each object has the following properties:

PROPERTY	DATA TYPE	Description
identifier	string	The identifier for the input device
name	string	The human readable name for the device
vendor	integer	The vendor code for the input device
product	integer	The product code for the input device
type	string	The device type. Currently this can be keyboard, pointer, touch, tablet_tool, tablet_pad, or switch
xkb_active_layout_name	string	(Only keyboards) The name of the active keyboard layout in use
xkb_layout_names	array	(Only keyboards) A list a layout names configured for the keyboard
xkb_active_layout_index	integer	(Only keyboards) The index of the active keyboard layout in use
scroll_factor	floating	(Only pointers) Multiplier applied on scroll event values.
libinput	object	(Only libinput devices) An object describing the current device settings. See below for more information

The libinput object describes the device configuration for libinput devices. Only properties that are supported for the device will be added to the object. In addition to the possible options listed, all string properties may also be unknown, in the case that a new option is added to libinput. See sway-input(5) for information on the meaning of the possible values. The following properties will be included for devices that support them:

PROPERTY	DATA TYPE	Description
send_events	string	Whether events are being sent by the device. It can be enabled, disabled, or disabled_on_external_mouse
tap	string	Whether tap to click is enabled. It can be enabled or disabled
tap_button_map	string	The finger to button mapping in use for tapping. It can be lmr or lrm
tap_drag	string	Whether tap-and-drag is enabled. It can be enabled or disabled
tap_drag_lock	string	Whether drag-lock is enabled. It can be enabled or disabled
accel_speed	double	The pointer-acceleration in use
accel_profile	string	The acceleration profile in use. It can be none, flat, or adaptive
natural_scroll	string	Whether natural scrolling is enabled. It can be enabled or disabled
left_handed	string	Whether left-handed mode is enabled. It can be enabled or disabled
click_method	string	The click method in use. It can be none, button_areas, or clickfinger
click_button_map	string	The finger to button mapping in use for clickfinger. It can be lmr or lrm
middle_emulation	string	Whether middle emulation is enabled. It can be enabled or disabled
scroll_method	string	The scroll method in use. It can be none, two_finger, edge, or on_button_down
scroll_button	int	The scroll button to use when scroll_method is on_button_down. This will be given as an input event code
scroll_button_lock	string	Whether scroll button lock is enabled. It can be enabled or disabled
dwt	string	Whether disable-while-typing is enabled. It can be enabled or disabled
dwtp	string	Whether disable-while-trackpointing is enabled. It can be enabled or_disabled_
calibration_matrix	array	An array of 6 floats representing the calibration matrix for absolute devices such as touchscreens

Example Reply:

  [
  	{
  		"identifier": "1:1:AT_Translated_Set_2_keyboard",
  		"name": "AT Translated Set 2 keyboard",
  		"vendor": 1,
  		"product": 1,
  		"type": "keyboard",
  		"xkb_active_layout_name": "English (US)",
  		"libinput": {
  			"send_events": "enabled"
  		}
  	},
  	{
  		"identifier": "1267:5:Elan_Touchpad",
  		"name": "Elan Touchpad",
  		"vendor": 1267,
  		"product": 5,
  		"type": "pointer",
  		"libinput": {
  			"send_events": "enabled",
  			"tap": "enabled",
  			"tap_button_map": "lmr",
  			"tap_drag": "enabled",
  			"tap_drag_lock": "disabled",
  			"accel_speed": 0.0,
  			"accel_profile": "none",
  			"natural_scroll", "disabled",
  			"left_handed": "disabled",
  			"click_method": "button_areas",
  			"middle_emulation": "disabled",
  			"scroll_method": "edge",
  			"dwt": "enabled",
  			"dwtp": "enabled"
  		}
  	},
  	{
  		"identifier": "3034:22494:USB2.0_VGA_UVC_WebCam:_USB2.0_V",
  		"name": "USB2.0 VGA UVC WebCam: USB2.0 V",
  		"vendor": 3034,
  		"product": 22494,
  		"type": "keyboard",
  		"xkb_active_layout_name": "English (US)",
  		"libinput": {
  			"send_events": "enabled"
  		}
  	},
  	{
  		"identifier": "0:3:Sleep_Button",
  		"name": "Sleep Button",
  		"vendor": 0,
  		"product": 3,
  		"type": "keyboard",
  		"xkb_active_layout_name": "English (US)",
  		"libinput": {
  			"send_events": "enabled"
  		}
  	},
  	{
  		"identifier": "0:5:Lid_Switch",
  		"name": "Lid Switch",
  		"vendor": 0,
  		"product": 5,
  		"type": "switch",
  		"libinput": {
  			"send_events": "enabled"
  		}
  	},
  	{
  		"identifier": "0:6:Video_Bus",
  		"name": "Video Bus",
  		"vendor": 0,
  		"product": 6,
  		"type": "keyboard",
  		"xkb_active_layout_name": "English (US)",
  		"libinput": {
  			"send_events": "enabled"
  		}
  	},
  	{
  		"identifier": "0:1:Power_Button",
  		"name": "Power Button",
  		"vendor": 0,
  		"product": 1,
  		"type": "keyboard",
  		"xkb_active_layout_name": "English (US)",
  		"libinput": {
  			"send_events": "enabled"
  		}
  	}
  ]

101. Get_seats

MESSAGE
Retrieve a list of the seats currently configured

REPLY
An array of objects corresponding to each seat. There will always be at least one seat. Each object has the following properties:

PROPERTY	DATA TYPE	Description
name	string	The unique name for the seat
capabilities	integer	The number of capabilities that the seat has
focus	integer	The id of the node currently focused by the seat or 0 when the seat is not currently focused by a node (i.e. a surface layer or xwayland unmanaged has focus)
devices	array	An array of input devices that are attached to the seat. Currently, this is an array of objects that are identical to those returned by GET_INPUTS

Example Reply:

  [
  	{
  		"name": "seat0",
  		"capabilities": 3,
  		"focus": 7,
  		"devices": [
  			{
  				"identifier": "1:1:AT_Translated_Set_2_keyboard",
  				"name": "AT Translated Set 2 keyboard",
  				"vendor": 1,
  				"product": 1,
  				"type": "keyboard",
  				"xkb_active_layout_name": "English (US)",
  				"libinput": {
  					"send_events": "enabled"
  				}
  			},
  			{
  				"identifier": "1267:5:Elan_Touchpad",
  				"name": "Elan Touchpad",
  				"vendor": 1267,
  				"product": 5,
  				"type": "pointer",
  				"libinput": {
  					"send_events": "enabled",
  					"tap": "enabled",
  					"tap_button_map": "lmr",
  					"tap_drag": "enabled",
  					"tap_drag_lock": "disabled",
  					"accel_speed": 0.0,
  					"accel_profile": "none",
  					"natural_scroll", "disabled",
  					"left_handed": "disabled",
  					"click_method": "button_areas",
  					"middle_emulation": "disabled",
  					"scroll_method": "edge",
  					"dwt": "enabled",
  					"dwtp": "enabled"
  				}
  			},
  			{
  				"identifier": "3034:22494:USB2.0_VGA_UVC_WebCam:_USB2.0_V",
  				"name": "USB2.0 VGA UVC WebCam: USB2.0 V",
  				"vendor": 3034,
  				"product": 22494,
  				"type": "keyboard",
  				"xkb_active_layout_name": "English (US)",
  				"libinput": {
  					"send_events": "enabled"
  				}
  			},
  			{
  				"identifier": "0:3:Sleep_Button",
  				"name": "Sleep Button",
  				"vendor": 0,
  				"product": 3,
  				"type": "keyboard",
  				"xkb_active_layout_name": "English (US)",
  				"libinput": {
  					"send_events": "enabled"
  				}
  			},
  			{
  				"identifier": "0:5:Lid_Switch",
  				"name": "Lid Switch",
  				"vendor": 0,
  				"product": 5,
  				"type": "switch",
  				"libinput": {
  					"send_events": "enabled"
  				}
  			},
  			{
  				"identifier": "0:6:Video_Bus",
  				"name": "Video Bus",
  				"vendor": 0,
  				"product": 6,
  				"type": "keyboard",
  				"xkb_active_layout_name": "English (US)",
  				"libinput": {
  					"send_events": "enabled"
  				}
  			},
  			{
  				"identifier": "0:1:Power_Button",
  				"name": "Power Button",
  				"vendor": 0,
  				"product": 1,
  				"type": "keyboard",
  				"xkb_active_layout_name": "English (US)",
  				"libinput": {
  					"send_events": "enabled"
  				}
  			}
  		]
  	}
  ]

Events

Events are a way for client to get notified of changes to sway. A client can subscribe to any events it wants to be notified of changes for. The event is sent in the same format as a reply. The following events are currently available:

EVENT TYPE	NAME	Description
0x80000000	workspace	Sent whenever an event involving a workspace occurs such as initialization of a new workspace or a different workspace gains focus
0x80000001	output	Sent when outputs are updated
0x80000002	mode	Sent whenever the binding mode changes
0x80000003	window	Sent whenever an event involving a view occurs such as being reparented, focused, or closed
0x80000004	barconfig_update	Sent whenever a bar config changes
0x80000005	binding	Sent when a configured binding is executed
0x80000006	shutdown	Sent when the ipc shuts down because sway is exiting
0x80000007	tick	Sent when an ipc client sends a SEND_TICK message
0x80000014	bar_state_update	Send when the visibility of a bar should change due to a modifier
0x80000015	input	Sent when something related to input devices changes

0x80000000. WORKSPACE

Sent whenever a change involving a workspace occurs. The event consists of a single object with the following properties:

PROPERTY	DATA TYPE	Description
change	string	The type of change that occurred. See below for more information
current	object	An object representing the workspace effected or null for reload changes
old	object	For a focus change, this is will be an object representing the workspace being switched from. Otherwise, it is null

The following change types are currently available:

TYPE	Description
init	The workspace was created
empty	The workspace is empty and is being destroyed since it is not visible
focus	The workspace was focused. See the old property for the previous focus
move	The workspace was moved to a different output
rename	The workspace was renamed
urgent	A view on the workspace has had their urgency hint set or all urgency hints for views on the workspace have been cleared
reload	The configuration file has been reloaded

Example Event:

  {
  	"change": "init",
  	"old": null,
  	"current": {
  		"id": 10,
  		"name": "2",
  		"rect": {
  			"x": 0,
  			"y": 0,
  			"width": 0,
  			"height": 0
  		},
  		"focused": false,
  		"focus": [
  		],
  		"border": "none",
  		"current_border_width": 0,
  		"layout": "splith",
  		"percent": null,
  		"window_rect": {
  			"x": 0,
  			"y": 0,
  			"width": 0,
  			"height": 0
  		},
  		"deco_rect": {
  			"x": 0,
  			"y": 0,
  			"width": 0,
  			"height": 0
  		},
  		"geometry": {
  			"x": 0,
  			"y": 0,
  			"width": 0,
  			"height": 0
  		},
  		"window": null,
  		"urgent": false,
  		"floating_nodes": [
  		],
  		"num": 2,
  		"output": "eDP-1",
  		"type": "workspace",
  		"representation": null,
  		"nodes": [
  		]
  	}
  }

0x80000001. OUTPUT

Sent whenever an output is added, removed, or its configuration is changed. The event is a single object with the property change, which is a string containing the reason for the change. Currently, the only value for change is unspecified.

Example Event:

  {
  	"change": "unspecified"
  }

0x80000002. MODE

Sent whenever the binding mode changes. The event consists of a single object with the following properties:

PROPERTY	DATA TYPE	Description
change	string	The binding mode that became active
pango_markup	boolean	Whether the mode should be parsed as pango markup

Example Event:

  {
  	"change": "default",
  	"pango_markup": false
  }

0x80000003. WINDOW

Sent whenever a change involving a view occurs. The event consists of a single object with the following properties:

PROPERTY	DATA TYPE	Description
change	string	The type of change that occurred. See below for more information
container	object	An object representing the view effected

The following change types are currently available:

TYPE	Description
new	The view was created
close	The view was closed
focus	The view was focused
title	The view's title has changed
fullscreen_mode	The view's fullscreen mode has changed
move	The view has been reparented in the tree
floating	The view has become floating or is no longer floating
urgent	The view's urgency hint has changed status
mark	A mark has been added or removed from the view

Example Event:

  {
  	"change": "new",
  	"container": {
  		"id": 12,
  		"name": null,
  		"rect": {
  			"x": 0,
  			"y": 0,
  			"width": 0,
  			"height": 0
  		},
  		"focused": false,
  		"focus": [
  		],
  		"border": "none",
  		"current_border_width": 0,
  		"layout": "none",
  		"percent": 0.0,
  		"window_rect": {
  			"x": 0,
  			"y": 0,
  			"width": 0,
  			"height": 0
  		},
  		"deco_rect": {
  			"x": 0,
  			"y": 0,
  			"width": 0,
  			"height": 0
  		},
  		"geometry": {
  			"x": 0,
  			"y": 0,
  			"width": 1124,
  			"height": 422
  		},
  		"window": 4194313,
  		"urgent": false,
  		"floating_nodes": [
  		],
  		"type": "con",
  		"pid": 19787,
  		"app_id": null,
  		"window_properties": {
  			"class": "URxvt",
  			"instance": "urxvt",
  			"transient_for": null
  		},
  		"nodes": [
  		]
  	}
  }

0x80000004. BARCONFIG_UPDATE

Sent whenever a config for a bar changes. The event is identical to that of GET_BAR_CONFIG when a bar ID is given as a payload. See 6. Get_bar_config (with a Payload) above for more information.

0x80000005. BINDING

Sent whenever a binding is executed. The event is a single object with the following properties:

PROPERTY	DATA TYPE	Description
change	string	The change that occurred for the binding. Currently this will only be run
command	string	The command associated with the binding
event_state_mask	array	An array of strings that correspond to each modifier key for the binding
input_code	integer	For keyboard bindcodes, this is the key code for the binding. For mouse bindings, this is the X11 button number, if there is an equivalent. In all other cases, this will be 0.
symbol	string	For keyboard bindsyms, this is the bindsym for the binding. Otherwise, this will be null
input_type	string	The input type that triggered the binding. This is either keyboard or mouse

Example Event:

  {
  	"change": "run",
  	"binding": {
  		"command": "workspace 2",
  		"event_state_mask": [
  			"Mod4"
  		],
  		"input_code": 0,
  		"symbol": "2",
  		"input_type": "keyboard"
  	}
  }

0x80000006. SHUTDOWN

Sent whenever the IPC is shutting down. The event is a single object with the property change, which is a string containing the reason for the shutdown. Currently, the only value for change is exit, which is issued when sway is exiting.

Example Event:

  {
  	"change": "exit"
  }

0x80000007. TICK

Sent when first subscribing to tick events or by a SEND_TICK message. The event is a single object with the following properties:

PROPERTY	DATA TYPE	Description
first	boolean	Whether this event was triggered by subscribing to the tick events
payload	string	The payload given with a SEND_TICK message, if any. Otherwise, an empty string

Example Event:

  {
  	"first": true
  	"payload": ""
  }

0x80000014. BAR_STATE_UPDATE

Sent when the visibility of a bar changes due to a modifier being pressed. The event is a single object with the following properties:

PROPERTY	DATA TYPE	Description
id	string	The bar ID effected
visible_by_modifier	boolean	Whether the bar should be made visible due to a modifier being pressed

Example Event:

  {
  	"id": "bar-0",
  	"visible_by_modifier": true
  }

0x80000015. INPUT

Sent when something related to the input devices changes. The event is a single object with the following properties:

PROPERTY	DATA TYPE	Description
change	string	What has changed
input	object	An object representing the input that is identical the ones GET_INPUTS gives

The following change types are currently available:

TYPE	Description
added	The input device became available
removed	The input device is no longer available
xkb_keymap	(Keyboards only) The keymap for the keyboard has changed
xkb_layout	(Keyboards only) The effective layout in the keymap has changed
libinput_config	(libinput device only) A libinput config option for the device changed

Example Event:

  {
  	"change": "xkb_layout",
  	"input": {
  		"identifier": "1:1:AT_Translated_Set_2_keyboard",
  		"name": "AT Translated Set 2 keyboard",
  		"vendor": 1,
  		"product": 1,
  		"type": "keyboard",
  		"xkb_layout_names": [
  			"English (US)",
  			"English (Dvorak)"
  		],
  		"xkb_active_layout_index": 1,
  		"xkb_active_layout_name": "English (Dvorak)",
  		"libinput": {
  			"send_events": "enabled"
  		}
  	}
  }

Referenced By

sway(1), sway(5), swaymsg(1).

2024-10-27

Description

Message and Reply Format

Messages and Replies

0. Run_command

1. Get_workspaces

2. Subscribe

3. Get_outputs

4. Get_tree

5. Get_marks

6. Get_bar_config (Without a Payload)

6. Get_bar_config (with a Payload)

7. Get_version

8. Get_binding_modes

9. Get_config

10. Send_tick

11. Sync

12. Get_binding_state

100. Get_inputs

101. Get_seats

Events

0x80000000. WORKSPACE

0x80000001. OUTPUT

0x80000002. MODE

0x80000003. WINDOW

0x80000004. BARCONFIG_UPDATE

0x80000005. BINDING

0x80000006. SHUTDOWN

0x80000007. TICK

0x80000014. BAR_STATE_UPDATE

0x80000015. INPUT

See Also

Referenced By