Incorporating reddit comments from u/sigprof. Thanks!

1. Instead of setting beautiful.layout_machi. Provide `machi.get_icon()` to generate the icon.
2. Make `layout.create(name, editor)` take `name` as a function to customize tag-dependent naming.
3. Editor/switch now grabs theme settings before starting instead of loading.

README.md

@@ -21,13 +21,23 @@ Suppose this git is checked out at `~/.config/awesome/layout-machi`
 
 The package provide a default layout `machi.default_layout` and editor `machi.default_editor`, which can be added into the layout list.
 
+The package comes with the icon for `layoutbox`, which can be set with the following statement (after a theme has been loaded):
+
+`require("beautiful").layout_machi = machi.get_icon()`
+
 ## Use the layout
 
 Use `layout = machi.layout.create(name, editor)` to instantiate the layout with an editor object.
+
+`name` can be a string or a function taking a tag object and returning a string.
+This is used for having different actual layout dependent on tags.
+
+`editor` are used for editing and persisting the layouts.
 `machi.default_editor` can be used, or see below on creating editors.
-You can also create multiple layouts with different names and share the same editor.
+You can create multiple layouts with different names and share the same editor.
-The editor will restore the last setups of the layouts based on their names.
+
-The layout will be dependent on different tags.
+The default layout, `machi.default_layout`, uses `"default+" .. tag.name` as name, thus allows the actual layout to be tag-name-dependent.
+To differentiate tags with the same name, you may need a more advanced naming function.
 
 ## Editor
 

editor.lua

@@ -26,17 +26,6 @@ local function max(a, b)
    if a < b then return b else return a end
 end
 
-local label_font_family = api.beautiful.get_font(
-   api.beautiful.mono_font or api.beautiful.font):get_family()
-local label_size = api.dpi(30)
-local info_size = api.dpi(60)
--- colors are in rgba
-local border_color = with_alpha(api.gears.color(api.beautiful.border_focus), 0.75)
-local active_color = with_alpha(api.gears.color(api.beautiful.bg_focus), 0.5)
-local open_color   = with_alpha(api.gears.color(api.beautiful.bg_normal), 0.5)
-local closed_color = open_color
-local init_max_depth = 2
-
 local function is_tiling(c)
    return
       not (c.tomb_floating or c.floating or c.maximized_horizontal or c.maximized_vertical or c.maximized or c.fullscreen)
@@ -88,7 +77,7 @@ end
 -- @return       whether any actions have been taken on the client
 local function fit_region(c, cycle)
    local layout = api.layout.get(c.screen)
-   local regions = layout.machi_get_regions and layout.machi_get_regions(c.screen.workarea, c.screen.selected_tag.name)
+   local regions = layout.machi_get_regions and layout.machi_get_regions(c.screen.workarea, c.screen.selected_tag)
    if type(regions) ~= "table" or #regions < 1 then
       return false
    end
@@ -190,6 +179,7 @@ local function create(data)
    end
 
    local gap = data.gap or 0
+   local init_max_depth = 2
 
    local closed_areas
    local open_areas
@@ -465,6 +455,16 @@ local function create(data)
    end
 
    local function start_interactive(screen, layout)
+      local label_font_family = api.beautiful.get_font(
+         api.beautiful.mono_font or api.beautiful.font):get_family()
+      local label_size = api.dpi(30)
+      local info_size = api.dpi(60)
+      -- colors are in rgba
+      local border_color = with_alpha(api.gears.color(api.beautiful.border_focus), 0.75)
+      local active_color = with_alpha(api.gears.color(api.beautiful.bg_focus), 0.5)
+      local open_color   = with_alpha(api.gears.color(api.beautiful.bg_normal), 0.5)
+      local closed_color = open_color
+
       screen = screen or api.screen.focused()
       layout = layout or api.layout.get(screen)
       local tag = screen.selected_tag
@@ -652,7 +652,9 @@ local function create(data)
                         end
                         -- bring the current cmd to the front
                         data.cmds[#data.cmds + 1] = current_cmd
-                        data.last_cmd[layout.machi_get_instance_name(tag.name)] = current_cmd
+                        if not layout.is_dynamic then
+                           data.last_cmd[layout.machi_get_instance_name(tag)] = current_cmd
+                        end
 
                         if data.history_file then
                            local file, err = io.open(data.history_file, "w")
@@ -682,7 +684,7 @@ local function create(data)
                   if to_exit then
                      print("interactive layout editing ends")
                      if to_apply then
-                        layout.machi_set_cmd(current_cmd, tag.name)
+                        layout.machi_set_cmd(current_cmd, tag)
                         api.layout.arrange(screen)
                         api.gears.timer{
                            timeout = 1,

init.lua

@@ -2,15 +2,26 @@ local layout = require(... .. ".layout")
 local editor = require(... .. ".editor")
 local switcher = require(... .. ".switcher")
 local default_editor = editor.create()
-local default_layout = layout.create("default", default_editor)
+local default_layout = layout.create(
+   function (tag)
+      return "default+" .. tag.name
+   end,
+   default_editor)
 local gcolor = require("gears.color")
-
 local beautiful = require("beautiful")
+
+local icon_raw
 local source = debug.getinfo(1, "S").source
 if source:sub(1, 1) == "@" then
-   local base = source:match("^@(.-)[^/]+$")
+   icon_raw = source:match("^@(.-)[^/]+$") .. "icon.png"
-   beautiful.layout_machi = gcolor.recolor_image(
+end
-      base .. "icon.png", beautiful.fg_normal)
+
+local function get_icon()
+   if icon_raw ~= nil then
+      return gcolor.recolor_image(icon_raw, beautiful.fg_normal)
+   else
+      return nil
+   end
 end
 
 return {
@@ -19,4 +30,6 @@ return {
    switcher = switcher,
    default_editor = default_editor,
    default_layout = default_layout,
+   icon_raw = icon_raw,
+   get_icon = get_icon,
 }

layout.lua

@@ -47,27 +47,26 @@ end
 local function create(name, editor)
    local instances = {}
 
-   local function get_instance_name(suffix)
+   local get_instance_name
-      if suffix == nil then
+   if type(name) == "function" then
-         return name
+      get_instance_name = name
-      else
+   else
-         return name .. '+' .. suffix
+      get_instance_name = function (tag) return name end
-      end
    end
 
-   local function get_instance(suffix)
+   local function get_instance(tag)
-      local instance_name = get_instance_name(suffix)
+      local name = get_instance_name(tag)
-      if instances[instance_name] == nil then
+      if instances[name] == nil then
-         instances[instance_name] = {
+         instances[name] = {
-            cmd = editor.get_last_cmd(instance_name),
+            cmd = editor.get_last_cmd(name),
             regions_cache = {},
          }
       end
-      return instances[instance_name]
+      return instances[name]
    end
 
-   local function get_regions(workarea, suffix)
+   local function get_regions(workarea, tag)
-      local instance = get_instance(suffix)
+      local instance = get_instance(tag)
       if instance.cmd == nil then return {} end
 
       local key = tostring(workarea.width) .. "x" .. tostring(workarea.height) .. "+" .. tostring(workarea.x) .. "+" .. tostring(workarea.y)
@@ -77,8 +76,8 @@ local function create(name, editor)
       return instance.regions_cache[key]
    end
 
-   local function set_cmd(cmd, suffix)
+   local function set_cmd(cmd, tag)
-      local instance = get_instance(suffix)
+      local instance = get_instance(tag)
       if instance.cmd ~= cmd then
          instance.cmd = cmd
          instance.regions_cache = {}
@@ -88,7 +87,7 @@ local function create(name, editor)
    local function arrange(p)
       local wa = p.workarea
       local cls = p.clients
-      local regions = get_regions(wa, get_screen(p.screen).selected_tag.name)
+      local regions = get_regions(wa, get_screen(p.screen).selected_tag)
 
       if #regions == 0 then return end
 
@@ -123,7 +122,7 @@ local function create(name, editor)
       if context ~= "mouse.move" then return end
 
       local workarea = c.screen.workarea
-      local regions = get_regions(workarea, c.screen.selected_tag.name)
+      local regions = get_regions(workarea, c.screen.selected_tag)
 
       if #regions == 0 then return end
 

switcher.lua

@@ -40,18 +40,18 @@ local function with_alpha(col, alpha)
 end
 
 
-local tablist_font_desc = api.beautiful.get_merged_font(
-   api.beautiful.mono_font or api.beautiful.font, api.dpi(10))
-local font_color = with_alpha(api.gears.color(api.beautiful.fg_normal), 1)
-local label_size = api.dpi(30)
-local border_color = with_alpha(api.gears.color(api.beautiful.border_focus), 0.75)
-local fill_color = with_alpha(api.gears.color(api.beautiful.bg_normal), 0.5)
-local fill_color_hl = with_alpha(api.gears.color(api.beautiful.bg_focus), 1)
--- for comparing floats
-local threshold = 0.1
-local traverse_radius = api.dpi(5)
-
 local function start(c)
+   local tablist_font_desc = api.beautiful.get_merged_font(
+      api.beautiful.mono_font or api.beautiful.font, api.dpi(10))
+   local font_color = with_alpha(api.gears.color(api.beautiful.fg_normal), 1)
+   local label_size = api.dpi(30)
+   local border_color = with_alpha(api.gears.color(api.beautiful.border_focus), 0.75)
+   local fill_color = with_alpha(api.gears.color(api.beautiful.bg_normal), 0.5)
+   local fill_color_hl = with_alpha(api.gears.color(api.beautiful.bg_focus), 1)
+   -- for comparing floats
+   local threshold = 0.1
+   local traverse_radius = api.dpi(5)
+
    local screen = c.screen
    local screen_x = screen.geometry.x
    local screen_y = screen.geometry.y
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ local function start(c)
    local layout = api.layout.get(screen)
    if c.floating or layout.machi_get_regions == nil then return end
 
-   local regions = layout.machi_get_regions(c.screen.workarea, c.screen.selected_tag.name)
+   local regions = layout.machi_get_regions(c.screen.workarea, c.screen.selected_tag)
 
    local infobox = api.wibox({
          screen = screen,