https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=522590
Bug ID: 522590
Summary: [Feature Request] Restore native window tabbing with
unified title bar for split/tiled views
Classification: Plasma
Product: kwin
Version First unspecified
Reported In:
Platform: Arch Linux
OS: Linux
Status: REPORTED
Severity: wishlist
Priority: NOR
Component: decorations
Assignee: [email protected]
Reporter: [email protected]
Target Milestone: ---
### 1. Context & Current Issue
Currently, Plasma's tiling and stacking solutions lead to redundant window
decorations. When using split screens or tiling multiple windows from the same
application (or different ones), each window retains its own title bar. This
wastes valuable vertical screen estate, particularly on standard 16:9 monitors,
and increases visual noise, degrading the user's cognitive efficiency.
### 2. Detailed Technical Proposal
Restore and modernize the native "Window Tabbing" functionality (previously
seen in KDE 4) where multiple windows can be logically grouped into a single
container managed by KWin.
The core of this request is the **Unified Decoration Logic**:
- When a window group is set to "Split View" (e.g., a 2x2 grid or horizontal
split), KWin should dynamically render a **single, unified title bar** at the
top of the master container.
- The internal borders of the split windows should have no title bars.
- The individual windows within the split must be identifiable via
highlighted "tabs" located within this single unified header (similar to modern
web browser tab behavior).
### 3. Use Cases & Workflow
- **Code Development / Writing:** A user splits a window to view
documentation on the left and a code editor on the right. Instead of two title
bars taking up space, a single title bar holds the tabs for both, maximizing
the reading area.
- **Multimedia Editing / Production:** Professionals working with complex
audio/video suites can split their workflow into a timeline in one pane and a
preview/effect monitor in another. Native tabbing and unified decoration
prevent title bar clutter, allowing for a focused, "DAW-like" workspace
interface without losing the ability to manage individual window states.
- **Complex Workspaces:** Users can group 4 terminals into a single tabbed
container, split them into a 2x2 grid, and manage them as a single KWin entity.
### 4. Implementation & Architecture Ideas
- Extend KWin's decoration API to detect grouped/tiled states.
- Implement a visual indicator in the unified decoration to show which
specific split pane currently has window focus.
### 5. Objective Rationale
This feature bridges the gap between traditional floating window managers and
strict Tiling Window Managers (like Sway or i3), offering the efficiency and
screen optimization of the latter while maintaining the accessibility and
modularity of the Plasma ecosystem.
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