Documentation for the BufferedPipeReader plugin (+ sample script)

The sample script is quite generic. It works for demo purposes and can
be used as a template for users to write their own scripts.

2 files changed, 76 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/readme.md b/readme.md
index 5ea2cc4..e66b438 100644
--- a/readme.md
+++ b/readme.md
@@ -951,6 +951,35 @@ can be used in the output template as `%mydate%`
 
 - Reads its displayed output from the given pipe.
 
+`BufferedPipeReader  Alias [ (Timeout, Bool, "/path/to/pipe1")
+                           , (Timeout, Bool, "/path/to/pipe2")
+                           , ..
+                           ]`
+
+- Display data from multiple pipes.
+- Timeout (in tenth of seconds) is the value after which the previous content is
+  restored i.e. if there was already something from a previous pipe it will be
+  put on display again, overwriting the current status.
+- A pipe with Timout of 0 will be displayed permanently, just like `PipeReader`
+- The boolean option indicates whether new data for this pipe should make xmobar
+  appear (unhide, reveal). In this case, the Timeout additionally specifies when
+  the window should be hidden again. The output is restored in any case.
+- Use it for OSD like status bars e.g. for setting the volume or brightness:
+
+        Run BufferedPipeReader "bpr"
+            [ (  0, False, "/tmp/xmobar_window"  )
+            , ( 15,  True, "/tmp/xmobar_status"  )
+            ]
+
+  Have your window manager send window titles to `"/tmp/xmobar_window"`. They will
+  always be shown and not reveal your xmobar.
+  Sending some status information to `"/tmp/xmobar_status"` will reveal xmonad
+  for 1.5 seconds and temporarily overwrite the window titles.
+- Take a look at [samples/status.sh]
+
+[samples/status.sh]: http://github.com/jaor/xmobar/raw/master/samples/status.sh
+
+
 `XMonadLog`
 
 - Aliases to XMonadLog
diff --git a/samples/status.sh b/samples/status.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..fc8af11
--- /dev/null
+++ b/samples/status.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+
+STATUSPIPE="/tmp/xmobar_status_jrk"
+NORMAL='#eee8d5'
+MUTED='#cb4b16'
+FGCOLOR="#657b83"
+
+function isMuted () {
+    # retrieve mute status
+    # return an arbitrary string for true or nothing at all
+    echo
+}
+
+function getPercent () {
+    # somehow retrieve the percent value as plain int (e.g. "66")
+    echo "66"
+}
+
+
+function percentBar () {
+    local res= i=1
+    local percent=$( getPercent )
+
+    if [ -n "$( isMuted )" ]; then
+        res="<fc=$MUTED>"
+    else
+        res="<fc=$NORMAL>"
+    fi
+
+    while [ $i -lt $percent ]; do
+        res+='#'
+        i=$((i+1))
+    done
+
+    res+="</fc><fc=$FGCOLOR>"
+
+    while [ $i -lt 100 ]; do
+        res+='-'
+        i=$((i+1))
+    done
+
+    echo "$res</fc>"
+}
+
+
+echo "$( percentBar )" > "$STATUSPIPE"