front_app_switched event firing multiple times

[bustinbung]

Recently noticed some strange flickering issues with one of my items, traced it back to the front_app_switched event firing multiple times when it shouldn't. Unsure if this is a personal config issue or an issue with SketchyBar, but wanted to open an issue anyways. If you need any additional information, please let me know. Thanks again!

System Information

• SketchyBar v2.21.0
• yabai v7.1.0

Config

sketchybarrc

#!/usr/bin/env bash

# import colors
source "$CONFIG_DIR/colors.sh"

# setting global variables
ITEMS_DIR="$CONFIG_DIR/items"

FONT_FAMILY="JetBrains Mono"
FONT_WEIGHT="Regular"
FONT_SIZE="12.0"

export FONT="${FONT_FAMILY}:${FONT_WEIGHT}:${FONT_SIZE}"

BAR_PADDING=3
ITEM_PADDING=5
INTERNAL_PADDING=8

bar=(
    color="$BAR_COLOR"

    position=bottom
    height=34
    margin=0

    padding_left="$BAR_PADDING"
    padding_right="$BAR_PADDING"

    topmost=window
    sticky=off
    shadow=off
)

sketchybar --bar "${bar[@]}"

# default options
defaults=(
    # geometry
    padding_left="$ITEM_PADDING"
    padding_right="$ITEM_PADDING"

    # background
    background.color="$ITEM_COLOR"
    background.border_color="0x00FFFFFF"

    background.border_width=2

    background.height=28
    background.corner_radius=5

    # icon
    icon.padding_left="$INTERNAL_PADDING"
    icon.padding_right="$INTERNAL_PADDING"

    icon.color="$ICON_COLOR"
    icon.highlight_color="$ICON_HIGHLIGHT"
    icon.font="$FONT"

    # label
    label.padding_left="$INTERNAL_PADDING"
    label.padding_right="$INTERNAL_PADDING"

    label.color="$LABEL_COLOR"
    label.highlight_color="$LABEL_HIGHLIGHT"
    label.font="$FONT"
)

sketchybar --default "${defaults[@]}"

# add left side items
# these have been commented out for debugging
# source "$ITEMS_DIR/spaces.sh"
# source "$ITEMS_DIR/layout.sh"
source "$ITEMS_DIR/apps.sh"

# final steps
sketchybar --hotload on
sketchybar --update

apps.sh

#!/usr/bin/env bash

source "$CONFIG_DIR/colors.sh"

PLUGIN_DIR="$CONFIG_DIR/plugins"

# item properties
app=(
    background.color="$ITEM_HIGHLIGHT"

    padding_left=0

    label.max_chars=25

    icon.padding_right=0

    label.color="$LABEL_HIGHLIGHT"
    icon.color="$LABEL_HIGHLIGHT"


    script="$PLUGIN_DIR/apps_plugin.sh"
)

sketchybar --add item  app left                 \
           --set       app "${app[@]}"          \
           --add event app_update               \
           --subscribe app front_app_switched   \
                           mouse.entered        \
                           mouse.exited         \
                           app_update

apps_plugin.sh

#!/usr/bin/env bash

source "$CONFIG_DIR/plugins/icon_map.sh"
source "$CONFIG_DIR/colors.sh"

mouse() {
    if [[ "$SENDER" == "mouse.entered" ]]; then
        sketchybar --set app scroll_texts=on
    else
        sketchybar --set app scroll_texts=off
    fi
}

update() {
    # this is for debugging
    echo ran update from $SENDER at $(date "+%H:%M:%S")
    APP=$(yabai -m query --windows --window)

    if [ ! -z "$APP" ]; then
        APP_NAME=$(jq '.app' <<< "$APP" | tr -d '"')
        APP_TITLE=$(jq '.title' <<< "$APP" | tr -d '"' | xargs echo)
        __icon_map "${APP_NAME}"
        ICON="${icon_result}"

        app=(
            drawing=on

            icon.font="sketchybar-app-font:Regular:12"
            icon="$ICON"
        )

        if [ "$APP_NAME" == "$APP_TITLE" ]; then
            app+=(label="$APP_NAME")
        else
            app+=(label="$APP_NAME / $APP_TITLE")
        fi

        if $(jq '."is-floating"' <<< "$APP"); then
            app+=(background.border_color="$SPACE_NATIVE_FULLSCREEN")
        else
            app+=(background.border_color="0x00ffffff")
        fi
    else
        app=(
            drawing=off
        )
    fi

    sketchybar --set app "${app[@]}"
}

case "$SENDER" in
    "mouse.entered" | "mouse.exited") mouse ;;
    *) update ;;
esac

Screen Recording

Screen.Recording.2024-05-02.at.09.38.29-1.mov

Explanation:

• Run sketchybar from the command line
• Open new window (issue first appeared when using Arc/Little Arc so unsure if it's an issue with how Little Arc windows are handled)
• Switch spaces around (using skhd/yabai)
• App item switches between Arc/Alacritty quickly, even when not switching windows

[FelixKratz]

Thats odd. The only explanation I have for this is that for some reason alacritty steals focus because of something sketchybar (or a script invoked by it) does. Could you try running sketchybar from Terminal, kitty or some other terminal and via brew? Is the problem still there then?

[bustinbung]

Can confirm that running via brew services and through Terminal.app causes the same issues.