Awpwkb is a simple per-window keyboard layout switcher for Awesome WM.

It uses awesome XKB functions, so awesome 4 is required. Layouts stored in X property awpwkb_layout and they are persistent between awesome restarts.

Download the source code and move it to awesome configuration directory:

mv awpwkb $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/awesome/

Now load the module at the top of rc.lua:

awpwkb = require("awpwkb")

Awpwkb object stores state in single main instance that could be used in any place after initialization. Init method must be run before first usage.

Simple example:

-- at top of rc.lua
awpwkb = require("awpwkb")

kb = awpwkb.init()
-- somewhere in code later if needed
kb = awpwkb.get() -- returns already initialized instance

Init method also can receive options for customization.

Standard awful.widget.keyboardlayout works well with awpwkb without any customization.

Example of more complex widget that uses some methods from awpwkb:

kb = awpwkb.get()
-- add popup menu with layout list
local menu_layouts = {}
for i, l in pairs(kb:get_layouts()) do
   menu_layouts[i] = { l.name, function () kb:set_layout(l.name) end }
end
local kbmenu = awful.menu({ items = menu_layouts })
-- create textbox widget
local kbind = wibox.widget.textbox()
kbind:buttons(
   awful.util.table.join(
      awful.button({ }, 1, function() kb:set_next_layout() end),
      awful.button({ }, 2, function() kb:set_prev_layout() end),
      awful.button({ }, 3, function() kbmenu:toggle() end)
   )
)
-- change markup on layout change
kb.on_layout_change = function (layout)
   kbind:set_markup(' <b>[' .. layout.name .. ']</b> ')
end
-- add kb widget to some wibox later

Awpwkb has some customization options that can be provided to init function. Example:

awpwkb.init({
   default_layout = "en",
   default_rules = {
       { rule = { class = "psi" }, layout = { name = "ru"} }
   },
   -- other options
})

default_layout

name of default layout for new windows. Rules have priority over this option.

Awpwkb can use rules to change layout of clients on start or on focus. Internally awful.rules matcher is used so rules have same syntax and options as standard awesome’s ones. Only real difference is layout option. Example rules list:

{
 { rule = { class = "someclass" }, layout = { name = "de" } },
 { rule_any = { class = { "app1", "app2" } }, layout = { index = 1 } },
 -- etc
}

If default awesome rules are not enough, there is also a check_callback parameter. It is a callback that will be executed on corresponding check event (manage or focus) that accepts current client as parameter and must return a boolean. Example:

{
 { check_callback = function (c)
      return c.name == 'name' -- do any complex check here
   end,
   layout = { name = "de" } },
 -- ..
}

Layout element is a table that have name or index key. Name is the name of layout as it returned from XKB (like in keyboard widget). Index is the layout’s index, starting with zero. Same index used internally in awesome.xkb_set_layout_group.

If name and index both supplied in layout table, index has a priority.

Available rule lists:

default_rules

rules that applied to client on startup.

focus_rules

rules that applied to client on every focus.

on_layout_change(layout)

triggers on every layout change. Receives table that contains three keys: idx (index of layout), name (name of layout) and layout (layout data from keyboardlayout widget). Example usage:

kb = awpwkb.get()
kb.on_layout_change = function (layout)
   print("Switched to " .. layout.name .. ", index: " .. layout.idx)
end

set_layout(layout_name)

set specified layout (using name string)

set_next_layout()

set next layout

set_prev_layout()

set previous layout

get_current_layout()

returns current layout (table as in on_layout_change)

get_layouts()

returns list of available layouts

Awpwkb also provides signal for listening to layout changes. With that signal it is possible to have multiple different listeners to layout changes.

on_layout_change(kb_instance, layout)

triggers on every layout change, same as on_layout_change method. Example:

kb = awpwkb.get()
kb:connect_signal("on_layout_change", function (kb, layout)
   print("Switched to " .. layout.name .. ", index: " .. layout.idx)
end

AWPWKB is licensed under WTFPL. I like how this sounds.