Toggle or launch a new instance of a window with i3wm on a single screen setup.

wtoggle.sh

#!/usr/bin/env bash

# Example for i3wm exec binding: toggle or run urxvtc in client mode (systemd daemon urxvtd), with setenv to bypass TMUX in my bashrc.
#   bindcode $mod+Shift+49 exec --no-startup-id "/home/user/.config/i3/scripts/wtoggle.sh -i -c \\"^URxvt$\\" -n \\"^Terminal\sURxvt$\\" -m \\"urxvtc -title 'Terminal URxvt' -e sh -c 'TMUX=false bash'\\" -s \\"urxvtd\\""

# locale
export LC_ALL="C.UTF-8"
export TZ=:/etc/localtime

Help()
{
  cat <<- 'HEREDOC'

	This script is useful for i3wm.
	Currently for single screen setup only.
	  - If it matches a window, it will bring it to active/focus from any position or hide/close it.
	  - If there is no match it will launch a new command/service, or both, in daemon/client mode.

	Syntax: ./wtoggle.sh [-h] [Options...]

	options:
	  -h                     Print this Help.

	  -c "<winClassPattern>" Regex pattern for the matching window classname.
	  -n "<winNamePattern>"  Regex pattern for the matching window name or title.
	  -m "<Cmd>"             Command to launch if there is no match.
	  -s "<Service>"         Systemd service to check & launch in priority if there is no match.
	  -i                     Use i3wm to send the active window to the scratchpad if it match.
	                           Default: gracefully close the window with bonk.
	  -v                     Look only for visible windows for match, works well for sticky windows.
	                           Default: lookup at all windows, hoping that its order is right.

	Mandatory for matching:  -c AND/OR -n
	Mandatory for running:   -m AND/OR -s

	HEREDOC
}

requirements=( xdotool bonk )
for cmd in "${requirements[@]}"; do
  if [[ -z $(command -v $cmd) ]]; then
    cat <<- "HEREDOC"

	Command $cmd could not be found.
	Requirements:
	  - xdotool: sudo apt xdotool
	  - bonk: https://github.com/FascinatedBox/bonk'
	HEREDOC
    exit 1
  fi
done

# default to lookup for any windows
_visibleMode="--all"

while getopts ":hc:n:m:s:iv" option; do
  case $option in
    h ) Help; exit 0 ;;
    c ) _winClassPattern="${OPTARG}" ;;
    n ) _winNamePattern="${OPTARG}" ;;
    m ) _Cmd="${OPTARG}" ;;
    s ) _Service="${OPTARG}" ;;
    i ) _i3Mode=true ;;
    v ) _visibleMode="" ;;

    \?) echo -e "Unknown option: -$OPTARG \n" >&2; Help; exit 1;;
    : ) echo -e "Missing argument for -$OPTARG \n" >&2; Help; exit 1;;
    * ) echo -e "Unimplemented option: -$option \n" >&2; Help; exit 1;;
  esac
done

# Mandatory
if [[ -z $_winClassPattern ]] && [[ -z $_winNamePattern ]]; then
  echo -e "Error: option -c or -n is mandatory.\n" >&2; Help; exit 1
fi
if [[ -z $_Cmd ]] && [[ -z $_Service ]]; then
  echo -e "Error: option -m and/or -s are mandatory.\n" >&2; Help; exit 1
fi

# help to lower the risk of concurrencies
renice -n 10 $$

# ID focused windows
_winActiveId=$(bonk get-active 2>/dev/null)

# List matching window and select last
sleep 0.1
if [[ -z $_winClassPattern ]]; then
  _winNameIds=$(bonk select $_visibleMode --title "${_winNamePattern}" 2>/dev/null)
  _winMatchId=$(echo "${_winNameIds}" | tail -1)
elif [[ -z $_winNamePattern ]]; then
  _winClassIds=$(bonk select $_visibleMode --classname "${_winClassPattern}" 2>/dev/null)
  _winMatchId=$(echo "${_winClassIds}" | tail -1)
else
  _winNameIds=$(bonk select $_visibleMode --title "${_winNamePattern}" 2>/dev/null)
  _winClassIds=$(bonk select $_visibleMode --classname "${_winClassPattern}" 2>/dev/null)
  _winMatchIds=$(echo -e "${_winNameIds}\n${_winClassIds}")
  for _id in $_winMatchIds; do
    count=$(echo "$_winMatchIds" | grep -c "$_id")
    [[ ! "$count" == "1" ]] && _winMatchId+=$(echo -e "\n$_id")
  done
  _winMatchId=$(echo "$_winMatchId" | tail -1)
fi

# if match is focused
if [[ "${_winActiveId:-0}" == "${_winMatchId:-1}" ]]; then
  if [[ -n $_i3Mode ]]; then
    i3-msg -q [id="${_winMatchId}"] move scratchpad
  else
    bonk close -w "${_winMatchId}" 2>/dev/null
  fi
# a match exist
elif [[ -n $_winMatchId ]]; then
  xdotool set_desktop_for_window "${_winMatchId}" "$(xdotool get_desktop)" 2>/dev/null
  bonk activate -w "${_winMatchId}" 2>/dev/null
  sleep 0.1
  if [[ ! "${_winMatchId}" == "$(bonk get-active 2>/dev/null)" ]]; then
    eval "${_Cmd}"
  fi
# no match and there is a service to check
elif [[ -n $_Service ]]; then
  if ! systemctl --user is-active --quiet "${_Service}"; then
    systemctl --user start "${_Service}" 2>/dev/null
  fi
  if [[ -n $_Cmd ]]; then
    sleep 1
    eval "${_Cmd}"
  fi
# no match and no service to check
else
  eval "${_Cmd}"
fi

I just discovered a new xdotool alternative called bonk.

As I am still experiencing some concurrency issues sometime with xdotool, I updated the script with bonk to try if for some time.

The old version using xdotool and wmctrl is in the third revision.