workspace command should focus the monitor containing the specified workspace

[ok-nick]

Hi, I'd like to be able to focus a workspace on a separate monitor, and for the focus to move to that monitor. Additionally, if a workspace is focused that is not assigned to a monitor, it should stay on the current monitor and move to that workspace. The current behavior will switch focus to the main monitor and then switch the workspace, which is a bit unintuitive in a multi-monitor setup.

[nikitabobko]

It already should work the way you describe it. If it doesn't - it's a bug.

1. Is the workspace that you're trying to switch to empty?
2. How do you manage your workspace switching hotkeys? Via AeroSpace or skhd? Or please better share your config

[ok-nick]

1. Is the workspace that you're trying to switch to empty?

It doesn't matter if there is or isn't a window, the same behavior occurs.

2. How do you manage your workspace switching hotkeys? Via AeroSpace or skhd? Or please better share your config

Via Aerospace.

Here is my full config:

accordion-padding = 30
after-login-command = []
after-startup-command = []
default-root-container-layout = "tiles"
default-root-container-orientation = "auto"
enable-normalization-flatten-containers = true
enable-normalization-opposite-orientation-for-nested-containers = false
exec-on-workspace-change = []
on-focus-changed = []
on-focused-monitor-changed = ["move-mouse monitor-lazy-center"]
start-at-login = false

[key-mapping]
preset = "qwerty"

[mode.main.binding]
alt-0 = "workspace 10"
alt-1 = "workspace 1"
alt-2 = "workspace 2"
alt-3 = "workspace 3"
alt-4 = "workspace 4"
alt-5 = "workspace 5"
alt-6 = "workspace 6"
alt-7 = "workspace 7"
alt-8 = "workspace 8"
alt-9 = "workspace 9"
alt-b = "balance-sizes"
alt-f = "fullscreen"
alt-h = "focus --boundaries all-monitors-outer-frame left"
alt-j = "focus --boundaries all-monitors-outer-frame down"
alt-k = "focus --boundaries all-monitors-outer-frame up"
alt-l = "focus --boundaries all-monitors-outer-frame right"
alt-period = "layout accordion"
alt-shift-0 = "move-node-to-workspace 10"
alt-shift-1 = "move-node-to-workspace 1"
alt-shift-2 = "move-node-to-workspace 2"
alt-shift-3 = "move-node-to-workspace 3"
alt-shift-4 = "move-node-to-workspace 4"
alt-shift-5 = "move-node-to-workspace 5"
alt-shift-6 = "move-node-to-workspace 6"
alt-shift-7 = "move-node-to-workspace 7"
alt-shift-8 = "move-node-to-workspace 8"
alt-shift-9 = "move-node-to-workspace 9"
alt-shift-down = "move down"
alt-shift-equal = "resize smart +50"
alt-shift-f = "macos-native-fullscreen"
alt-shift-h = "move left"
alt-shift-j = "move down"
alt-shift-k = "move up"
alt-shift-l = "move right"
alt-shift-left = "move left"
alt-shift-minus = "resize smart -50"
alt-shift-right = "move right"
alt-shift-space = "layout floating tiling"
alt-shift-tab = "move-workspace-to-monitor --wrap-around next"
alt-shift-up = "move up"
alt-shift-w = "mode service"
alt-slash = "layout tiles"
alt-tab = "workspace-back-and-forth"
alt-v = "layout horizontal vertical"
cmd-alt-h = []
cmd-h = []

[mode.service.binding]
alt-shift-down = ["join-with down", "mode main"]
alt-shift-h = ["join-with left", "mode main"]
alt-shift-j = ["join-with down", "mode main"]
alt-shift-k = ["join-with up", "mode main"]
alt-shift-l = ["join-with right", "mode main"]
alt-shift-left = ["join-with left", "mode main"]
alt-shift-right = ["join-with right", "mode main"]
alt-shift-up = ["join-with up", "mode main"]

[ok-nick]

I took a quick look at the code and found that workspaceMonitor defaults to the main monitor if nothing else:

AeroSpace/Sources/AppBundle/tree/Workspace.swift

Lines 103 to 111 in 930222a

	extension Workspace {
	var isVisible: Bool { visibleWorkspaceToScreenPoint.keys.contains(self) }
	var workspaceMonitor: Monitor {
	forceAssignedMonitor
	?? visibleWorkspaceToScreenPoint[self]?.monitorApproximation
	?? assignedMonitorPoint?.monitorApproximation
	?? mainMonitor
	}
	}

When Workspace.focusWorkspace is called, there is nothing indicating the workspace should focus on the current monitor:

AeroSpace/Sources/AppBundle/focus.swift

Lines 91 to 102 in 930222a

	func focusWorkspace() -> Bool { setFocus(to: toLiveFocus()) }
	func toLiveFocus() -> LiveFocus {
	// todo unfortunately mostRecentWindowRecursive may recursively reach empty rootTilingContainer
	// while floating or macos unconventional windows might be presented
	if let wd = mostRecentWindowRecursive ?? anyLeafWindowRecursive {
	LiveFocus(windowOrNil: wd, workspace: self)
	} else {
	LiveFocus(windowOrNil: nil, workspace: self) // emptyWorkspace
	}
	}
	}

Here is where the focus is set:

AeroSpace/Sources/AppBundle/focus.swift

Lines 63 to 76 in 930222a

	func setFocus(to newFocus: LiveFocus) -> Bool {
	if _focus == newFocus.frozen { return true }
	let oldFocus = focus
	// Normalize mruWindow when focus away from a workspace
	if oldFocus.workspace != newFocus.workspace {
	oldFocus.windowOrNil?.markAsMostRecentChild()
	}
	_focus = newFocus.frozen
	let status = newFocus.workspace.workspaceMonitor.setActiveWorkspace(newFocus.workspace)
	newFocus.windowOrNil?.markAsMostRecentChild()
	return status
	}

[nikitabobko]

Then I misunderstood your question. Please read this: #875 (comment)

Alive workspaces always preserve their monitor attachment. With your config, all the workspaces are alive and already attached to their respective monitors. If we implement the suggested force-keep-workspaces-alive then in your case the problem can be resolved as force-keep-workspaces-alive = []

[ok-nick]

If force-keep-workspaces-alive = [] were specified, would it dynamically assign the workspace to the monitor where it was created or would the monitor have to be set explicitly?

edit: I see, I misunderstood what you wrote. All workspaces currently are kept alive and thus assigned to a monitor.