docs: spec out collapsible waybar sidesHEADmain

A spike disproved the CSS / state-file approach. GTK3 has no display:none, so native modules go invisible but hold their space, and the bar never reflows. The mechanism is config-swap plus a SIGUSR2 reload, driven through an active config copied into XDG_RUNTIME_DIR so the toggle never rewrites the stowed canonical config.

The spec locks the base sets (left: menu + workspaces; right: date + worldclock + tray), keeps the two sides independent, and stays host-agnostic: the base set is constant, the full set is whatever each host already defines. Spec and spike findings live under working/.

3 files changed, 164 insertions, 3 deletions

diff --git a/todo.org b/todo.org
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--- a/todo.org
+++ b/todo.org
@@ -105,10 +105,9 @@ Implementation notes (to flesh out when picked up): waybar =custom= module(s) wi
 :END:
 Let either side of the waybar collapse horizontally to a minimal base set, toggled by a click. Each collapsible side carries a small triangle / arrowhead pointing toward the screen edge it collapses into (away from center). Clicking it collapses that side to its base set and flips the arrow to point back toward center; clicking again restores the full side. Same shape-changes-with-state idea as the auto-dim indicator.
 
-- *Right-side base set* (proposed): the date/time, optionally plus the systray. Everything else on the right (sysmonitor group, netspeed, pulseaudio, the toggles) hides.
-- *Left-side base set*: TBD (workspaces only, or menu + workspaces).
+Spec ready (2026-06-19): [[file:working/collapsible-waybar-sides/collapsible-waybar-sides-spec.org]]. Spike settled the mechanism: [[file:working/collapsible-waybar-sides/spike-findings.org]].
 
-Implementation notes: waybar has no native per-side collapse, so this is custom. Options to explore: (a) swap between a full and a collapsed waybar config on click via a signal/exec, (b) rewrite the modules array and reload (heavy), (c) a state file the modules read to hide/show a group via CSS. Likely a state file (=$XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=) + per-side toggle scripts + a targeted waybar refresh, mirroring the existing custom-module + signal pattern. Lives in the dotfiles repo (=hyprland/.config/waybar/= + =hyprland/.local/bin/=). TDD the toggle scripts per the dotfiles suite.
+Decisions locked: right base set = date + worldclock + tray; left base set = menu + workspaces; per-side independent; host-agnostic (base set constant, full set is each host's existing config). Mechanism = config-swap + SIGUSR2 reload via an active-config copy in =$XDG_RUNTIME_DIR= (the CSS/state-file approach was disproven — GTK3 can't reflow-hide native modules). Lives in =~/.dotfiles/hyprland/=. Next: implement per the spec (TDD the toggle + arrow scripts).
 
 ** TODO [#B] Network-manager dropdown, nmcli-backed with GPG-stored secrets :waybar:network:
 :PROPERTIES:
diff --git a/working/collapsible-waybar-sides/collapsible-waybar-sides-spec.org b/working/collapsible-waybar-sides/collapsible-waybar-sides-spec.org
new file mode 100644
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+++ b/working/collapsible-waybar-sides/collapsible-waybar-sides-spec.org
@@ -0,0 +1,120 @@
+#+TITLE: Collapsible waybar sides — implementation spec
+#+AUTHOR: Craig Jennings & Claude
+#+DATE: 2026-06-19
+
+* Goal
+Let each side of the waybar collapse to a minimal base set with a click, and
+expand again with another click. Each side carries a small arrowhead that points
+toward the screen edge when expanded (click to collapse outward) and flips to
+point toward center when collapsed (click to expand). Left and right collapse
+independently.
+
+This is dotfiles work (=~/.dotfiles=, =hyprland/= tier). Tracked by the
+=Collapsible waybar sides= task in archsetup =todo.org=.
+
+* Decisions (locked 2026-06-19)
+- *Mechanism*: config-swap + =killall -SIGUSR2 waybar=. NOT state-file + CSS —
+  the spike proved CSS can't collapse native modules (they go invisible but hold
+  their space; GTK3 has no =display:none=). See [[file:spike-findings.org]].
+- *Right base set*: =custom/date=, =custom/worldclock=, =tray= (plus the right
+  arrow). Tray reflows cleanly and survives the reload (spike-confirmed).
+- *Left base set*: =custom/menu=, =hyprland/workspaces= (plus the left arrow).
+- *Per-side*: left and right toggle independently, each with its own arrow.
+- *Per-host*: host-agnostic. The base set is constant; the full set is whatever
+  each host's config already defines. ratio (no battery/touchpad/airplane) needs
+  no special-casing — collapse hides whatever modules that host has. Build once.
+
+* Architecture
+
+** The active-config indirection (the core piece)
+=~/.config/waybar/config= is a stow symlink into the dotfiles, so the toggle
+can't rewrite it in place (that would edit the repo). Instead:
+
+1. *Canonical* config: the committed dotfiles config. Always holds the FULL
+   module arrays. Read-only source of truth. Unchanged by this feature except
+   for adding the two arrow modules and their definitions.
+2. *Active* config: a generated copy at =$XDG_RUNTIME_DIR/waybar/config=. This is
+   what waybar loads (=waybar -c=). The toggle rewrites its =modules-left= /
+   =modules-right= between full and base.
+3. *Launch change* (hyprland.conf exec-once): before launching waybar, generate
+   the active config from the canonical (initial state = expanded/full), then
+   =waybar -c "$XDG_RUNTIME_DIR/waybar/config" -s <style>=.
+
+The style.css stays shared (canonical, stowed) — only the config (module arrays)
+needs the runtime copy.
+
+** Toggle scripts
+=waybar-collapse <side>= where side ∈ {left, right}:
+1. Read per-side state from =$XDG_RUNTIME_DIR/waybar/<side>.state= (expanded |
+   collapsed; absent = expanded).
+2. Flip it.
+3. Regenerate the active config's =modules-<side>= array:
+   - expanded → the canonical full array for that side.
+   - collapsed → the base set for that side (constant in the script) with the
+     arrow module included.
+4. Write the new state file.
+5. =killall -SIGUSR2 waybar=.
+
+The full array is read from the canonical config each time, so the script never
+loses it and stays correct as modules are added/removed upstream. The base set is
+the only constant the script hardcodes (or reads from a tiny sidecar).
+
+** Arrow modules
+Two custom modules, =custom/arrow-left= and =custom/arrow-right=, each an exec
+script (=waybar-arrow left= / =waybar-arrow right=) that:
+- Reads the side's state file.
+- Emits the glyph: expanded → points outward (left side ◀ toward left edge,
+  right side ▶ toward right edge); collapsed → points inward (left ▶, right ◀).
+- =on-click= runs =waybar-collapse <side>=.
+
+The arrow is always in the base set (it's the expand control), so it's present in
+both states. Place the left arrow as the LAST module in =modules-left= (innermost,
+nearest center) and the right arrow as the FIRST module in =modules-right=
+(innermost), so each arrow sits at the inner edge of its side and the collapse
+pulls outward away from it. (Confirm placement during implementation — the glyph
+direction and module order must agree so the arrow visually points the right way.)
+
+** State + reload
+- State dir: =$XDG_RUNTIME_DIR/waybar/= (per-boot, ephemeral — collapse state
+  resets on logout, which is fine).
+- Reload is =SIGUSR2= (full waybar reload). Cost: brief flicker, module state
+  resets, tray re-registers. Acceptable for a click action; spike confirmed tray
+  survives. This cost is per-toggle, never idle.
+
+* Files (all in =~/.dotfiles/hyprland/=)
+- =.local/bin/waybar-collapse= — the toggle (reads canonical, writes active,
+  signals). New.
+- =.local/bin/waybar-arrow= — the arrow module exec (state → glyph + class). New.
+- =.local/bin/waybar-active-config= — generates the active config from canonical
+  at login (used by exec-once and reused by waybar-collapse to resolve the full
+  arrays). New. (Or fold generation into waybar-collapse + a one-shot init call.)
+- =.config/waybar/config= — add =custom/arrow-left= / =custom/arrow-right= module
+  defs + place them in the arrays. Edit.
+- =.config/hypr/hyprland.conf= — exec-once: generate active config, then
+  =waybar -c "$XDG_RUNTIME_DIR/waybar/config"=. Edit.
+- Optional keybinds: =$mod+[= / =$mod+]= to collapse left/right without the mouse.
+
+* TDD plan (per the dotfiles suite)
+- =tests/waybar-collapse/=: full↔base array rewrite against a fixture canonical
+  config; expanded→collapsed→expanded round-trips to the original arrays; state
+  file flips; base set always includes the arrow; SIGUSR2 sent (fake killall).
+  Use a fake canonical config + temp =$XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=, fake killall on PATH
+  (same harness style as tests/waybar-toggle).
+- =tests/waybar-arrow/=: state → correct glyph + class for each side and state;
+  missing state file = expanded glyph (fail-safe).
+- JSON validity of the generated active config (parse it back).
+
+* Open / to-confirm during implementation
+- Exact arrow glyphs (nerd-font triangles) and that order-vs-direction agree.
+- Whether to keep =hyprland/window= (the title) out of the left base set — it's
+  long and variable-width; collapsing the left should drop it (it's not in the
+  base set, so it hides — correct).
+- Animation: none (waybar doesn't animate width; the collapse snaps). Accepted.
+
+* Risks
+- Reload flicker on every toggle. Mitigation: none needed unless it annoys in use.
+- If a future module is added to the canonical config, it lands in the full set
+  automatically (good) but the author should decide if it belongs in a base set.
+- $XDG_RUNTIME_DIR active config must exist before waybar starts; the exec-once
+  ordering must generate it first. waybar-toggle (the crash-relaunch path, mod+B)
+  must also point at the active config, not the canonical — update it to match.
diff --git a/working/collapsible-waybar-sides/spike-findings.org b/working/collapsible-waybar-sides/spike-findings.org
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4d45ed1
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+++ b/working/collapsible-waybar-sides/spike-findings.org
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+#+TITLE: Collapsible waybar — spike findings (mechanism)
+#+DATE: 2026-06-18
+
+* Question
+Which mechanism actually collapses a waybar side to a base set, given the right
+side is a mix of native modules (group/sysmonitor, pulseaudio, pulseaudio#mic,
+idle_inhibitor, tray) and custom exec modules?
+
+* Method
+Two transient waybar instances against /tmp copies of the live config, captured
+with grim (live bar briefly down, restored after). Variants in this dir:
+- spike-style-csshide.css : option (c) — CSS-hide the native modules
+  (min-width:0; padding:0; margin:0; opacity:0) on #sysmonitor #pulseaudio
+  #idle_inhibitor.
+- spike-config-collapsed.json : option (b) — modules-right rewritten to the base
+  set [tray, custom/date, custom/worldclock].
+
+* Result
+- *CSS-hide (option c): FAILS.* sysmonitor and pulseaudio rendered invisible but
+  held their space — a gap remained where they were, no reflow. GTK3 has no
+  =display:none=, and opacity/zero-size leaves the label's intrinsic width. The
+  right side ends up ragged and half-collapsed, not narrowed. Not viable for the
+  native modules.
+- *Config-swap (option b): WORKS.* The collapsed config reflowed the right side
+  tight to tray + date, everything else fully gone, no gaps. Hides native and
+  custom modules alike. Tray icons survived the swap.
+
+* Decision
+Mechanism is config-swap + =killall -SIGUSR2 waybar= (reload), NOT the state-file
++ CSS approach the original task leaned toward. The original "heavy" label on
+option (b) is the cost of a full reload (brief flicker, module state resets, tray
+re-registers) — acceptable, and the only approach that actually collapses a mixed
+module set.
+
+* Implications for the spec
+- Don't maintain two static configs (drift-prone). A toggle script rewrites the
+  active config's modules-left / modules-right between the full set and the base
+  set, then SIGUSR2. Base sets defined once; collapsed set is the base set, full
+  set is restored from the canonical module list.
+- Per-side state in $XDG_RUNTIME_DIR; the arrow module reads it to pick its
+  direction. Arrow lives IN the base set (always visible, it's the expand control).
+- Reload cost is per-toggle, not idle — fine for a click action.