API documentation

API documentation for Plasma scripting API

In addition to the normal Javascript API and the Qt-specific extensions (such as signal/slot support) provided by QtJSEngine, the following API is provided for use by scripts.

All of the API below, unless otherwise noted with a version noticed, appear as below in the KDE Software Compilation v4.4.0 and later. API that is not noted as being part of a given class or object is part of the global namespace.

Version Numbers

Starting with KDE SC 4.5, the version number of both the scripting API and the application is available to the script via the following read-only properties:

  • string applicationVersion: the version of the application, e.g. 5.20.3
  • number scriptingVersion: the version of the scripting API; e.g. for Plasma 5.20 it is 20.

Activities

Activities are similar to virtual desktops, except that in Plasma, activities can have different desktop wallpapers and desktop widgets. All activities share the same panels. Individual activities can have many other settings like energy profiles. Read this for more info on Plasma Activities.

For plasma scripting purposes, we only need worry about how each activity has a different Desktop containment for each screen. Each Desktop instance can have a custom wallpaper and widgets.

Consider the following example. We have two activities. The first activity named Default has a desktop widget, while the 2nd activity named Gaming only has a solid black color fill. The Default activity has a weather desktop widget, while the Gaming activity does not.

  • plasmashell

    • All Activities

      • Panel(id=0) for Screen(id=0)
        • Widget(id=0)
        • Widget(id=1)
        • ...

    • Activity(name="Default", id="80cddcc9-cf02-4e23-af0b-dc569f24a2b4")

      • Desktop(id=0, wallpaperPlugin="org.kde.image") for Screen(id=0)
        • Widget(id=2) for the weather desktop widget
        • [Wallpaper][org.kde.image][General] Image=wallpaper.png
      • Desktop(id=1, ...) for the 2nd monitor Screen(id=1)

    • Activity(name="Gaming", id="3683ebee-8869-4d60-9db1-8e92cfebc0cf")

      • Desktop(id=2, wallpaperPlugin="org.kde.color") for Screen(id=0)
        • [Wallpaper][org.kde.color][General] Color=#000000
      • Desktop(id=3, ...) for the 2nd monitor Screen(id=1)

New Activities can be created using the createActivity(name, pluginId="") function, like this:

let activityId = createActivity("Activity Name")
let activityDesktops = desktopsForActivity(activityId)
let desktop = activityDesktops[0]
desktop.wallpaperPlugin = "org.kde.image"
desktop.currentConfigGroup = Array("Wallpaper", "org.kde.image", "General")
desktop.writeConfig("Image", "file:///usr/share/wallpapers/Next/contents/images/1920x1080.png")

Note, createActivity() returns a string id. There is no Activity type in Plasma Scripting.

The pluginId string passed into the createActivity() function should select the desktop "layout", however due to a bug it always creates an activity with a folder view layout. Should the bug be fixed, you can pass a pluginId of:

  • The Id of plasmoid with X-Plasma-ContainmentType=Desktop.
  • org.kde.desktopcontainment for a desktop without icons
  • org.kde.plasma.folder for a desktop with icons

Read-only properties:

  • array<number> activityIds: returns a list of integer ids of all existing Plasma activities
  • array<string> knownActivityTypes: a list of types of activities that can be created. This is useful to check if an Activity type is available on the system before trying to construct one.

Functions:

  • array<string> activities(): Returns an array of all activity ids of the activities that currently exist
  • string activityName(string activityId): Get the name of an activity by its id.
  • void setActivityName(string activityId): Set the name of an activity by its id.
  • string currentActivity(): Get the id of the current activity.
  • void setCurrentActivity(string activityId): Set the current activity using its id.
  • string createActivity(string name[, string plugin]): Returns the new activity id with the supplied name argument. The plugin argument is ignored due to a bug so you can call this function with just createActivity("Name").

Desktops

Every screen will have a Desktop instance. Desktops are containments which can have widgets and a wallpaper plugin.

The actual data type for a Desktop is WorkspaceScripting::Containment which Panels inherit. This documentation pretends it's a different type to make it saner to read.

let desktop = desktops()[0]
desktop.wallpaperPlugin = "org.kde.image"
desktop.currentConfigGroup = Array("Wallpaper", "org.kde.image", "General")
desktop.writeConfig("Image", "file:///usr/share/wallpapers/Next/contents/images/1920x1080.png")

Desktops also inherit all the Containment properties.

Global functions:

  • array<Desktop> desktopsForActivity(string id): return all the desktops associated to a specific activity id (one per physical screen).
  • array<Desktop> desktops(): returns an array of all desktops that currently exist.
  • Desktop desktopById(int id): return an object representing the activity with the given id
  • Desktop desktopForScreen(number screen[, number desktop]): returns an object representing the activity currently associated with the given screen and, optionally, the given desktop.

Read-only properties:

  • Inherits Containment.formFactor
  • Inherits Containment.screen
  • Inherits Containment.widgetIds
  • Inherits Applet.id: the numerical instance id of this containment
  • Inherits Applet.type: the X-KDE-PluginInfo-Name of the containment
  • Inherits Applet.version
  • Inherits Applet.configKeys
  • Inherits Applet.configGroups
  • Inherits Applet.globalConfigKeys
  • Inherits Applet.globalConfigGroups

Read-write properties:

  • string wallpaperPlugin: the wallpaper plugin to use with the Desktop.
    kpackagetool5 --global --type=Plasma/Wallpaper --list
kpackagetool5 --type=Plasma/Wallpaper --list
    Listing service types: Plasma/Wallpaper in /usr/share/plasma/wallpapers/
org.kde.color
org.kde.haenau
org.kde.hunyango
org.kde.image
org.kde.potd
org.kde.slideshow
Listing service types: Plasma/Wallpaper in ~/.local/share/plasma/wallpapers/
...
  • string wallpaperMode: the wallpaper plugin mode to use with the Desktop. Does nothing in Plasma 5.
  • Inherits Containment.locked
  • Inherits Applet.currentConfigGroup
  • Inherits Applet.currentGlobalConfigGroup

Functions:

  • Inherits Containment.addWidget(...)
  • Inherits Containment.widgetById(...)
  • Inherits Containment.widgets(...)
  • Inherits Applet.remove()
  • Inherits Applet.showConfigurationInteface()
  • Inherits Applet.readConfig(...)
  • Inherits Applet.writeConfig(...)
  • Inherits Applet.readGlobalConfig(...)
  • Inherits Applet.writeGlobalConfig(...)
  • Inherits Applet.reloadConfig()

Panels

Panels can be created, enumerated, modified and destroyed. A panel object combines both a containment as well as the container itself, allowing for full control of things such as where it appears on the screen and the hiding features associated with them.

New Panels can be created using the Panel constructor, like this:

let panel = new Panel

Panels also inherit all the Containment properties.

Global properties:

  • array<int> panelIds: returns a list of integer ids of all existing Plasma panels
  • array<string> knownPanelTypes: a list of types of panels that can be created. This is useful to check if a Panel type is available on the system before trying to construct one.

Global functions:

  • Panel panelById(int id): returns an object representing the Panel that matches the given id
  • array<Panel> panels(): returns an array of all panels that currently exist

Read-only properties:

  • Inherits Containment.formFactor
  • Inherits Containment.screen
  • Inherits Containment.widgetIds
  • Inherits Applet.id: the numerical instance id of this containment
  • Inherits Applet.type: the X-KDE-PluginInfo-Name of the containment
  • Inherits Applet.version
  • Inherits Applet.configKeys
  • Inherits Applet.configGroups
  • Inherits Applet.globalConfigKeys
  • Inherits Applet.globalConfigGroups

Read-write properties:

_ string lengthMode: (since 6.0) fill, fit, or custom length modes. fill means FillAvailable, and fit means FitContent.

  • number length: the number of pixels along the screen edge used
  • number minimumLength: (scriptingVersion >= 7) the minimum number of pixels along the screen edge used (auto-resize panels)
  • number maximumLength: (scriptingVersion >= 7) the maximum number of pixels along the screen edge used (auto-resize panels)
  • number height: the height (or for vertical panels, the width) of the panel
  • string hiding: the hiding mode of the panel, one of none (for no hiding), autohide, dodgewindows or windowsgobelow
  • string alignment: right, left or center alignment of the panel (for vertical panels, right corresponds to top and left to bottom)
  • number offset: how much the panel is moved from the left/right/center anchor point
  • string location: returns the location of the Panel; valid values include top, bottom, left, right and floating.
  • Inherits Containment.locked
  • Inherits Applet.currentConfigGroup
  • Inherits Applet.currentGlobalConfigGroup

Functions:

  • Inherits Containment.addWidget(...)
  • Inherits Containment.widgetById(...)
  • Inherits Containment.widgets(...)
  • Inherits Applet.remove(): deletes this containment and all widgets inside of it
  • Inherits Applet.showConfigurationInteface()
  • Inherits Applet.readConfig(...)
  • Inherits Applet.writeConfig(...)
  • Inherits Applet.readGlobalConfig(...)
  • Inherits Applet.writeGlobalConfig(...)
  • Inherits Applet.reloadConfig()

Containments (Desktops and Panels)

Desktop and Panel objects are both Containments.

Containments also inherit all the Applet properties.

Read-only properties:

  • string formFactor: returns the form factor of the containment. planar for desktop widgets, mediacenter for media centers like TVs, and either horizontal or vertical for panels.
  • int screen: the screen this activity is associated with, or -1 for none
  • array<int> widgetIds: a list of integer ids of all the widgets in this containment
  • Inherits Applet.id: the numerical instance id of this containment
  • Inherits Applet.type: the X-KDE-PluginInfo-Name of the containment
  • Inherits Applet.version
  • Inherits Applet.configKeys
  • Inherits Applet.configGroups
  • Inherits Applet.globalConfigKeys
  • Inherits Applet.globalConfigGroups

Read-write properties:

  • bool locked
  • Inherits Applet.currentConfigGroup
  • Inherits Applet.currentGlobalConfigGroup

Functions:

  • Widget addWidget(string name): adds a new widget to the containment; the name maps to the X-KDE-PluginInfo-Name entry in the widget's metadata file
  • Widget addWidget(string name, number x, y, w, h): adds a new widget to the containment at the specified position.
  • Widget addWidget(Widget widget): adds an existing widget to this containment; useful for moving widgets between Desktops and Panels
  • Widget widgetById(int id): returns an object representing the widget with the given instance id
  • array<Widget> widgets([string type]): returns all the widgets in the Containment. If the optional type is specified, only widgets matching that type will be returned.
  • Inherits Applet.remove(): deletes this panel and all widgets inside of it
  • Inherits Applet.showConfigurationInteface()
  • Inherits Applet.readConfig(...)
  • Inherits Applet.writeConfig(...)
  • Inherits Applet.readGlobalConfig(...)
  • Inherits Applet.writeGlobalConfig(...)
  • Inherits Applet.reloadConfig(): causes the Containment (Desktop or Panel) to reload its configuration; reaction to configuration changes made using readConfig() are usually activated on script exit, but this can be triggered earlier on a per-widget basis using this method

Widgets

Widgets may be enumerated by calling the widgetIds property on an Desktop or Panel object. With a widget id in hand, a Widget object can be retrieved by calling widgetById(id) on a Containment (Desktop or Panel) object. New Widgets can be created with add addWidget(string) function provided by Containment objects.

Checking if a widget is installed

A list of all installed widget types can be retrieved the global knownWidgetTypes variable. This can be used most conveniently with the includes() method, like this:

if (knownWidgetTypes.includes('someWidgetPluginName')) {
    print("It is installed on this system!");
} else {
    print("It is not installed :(");
}

Global properties:

  • array<string> knownWidgetTypes: this lists all plasmoid types including Containment types like org.kde.panel and org.kde.desktopcontainment.

Widget Object API

Widgets also inherit all the Applet properties.

Read-only properties:

  • Inherits Applet.id: the numerical instance id of this widget
  • Inherits Applet.type: the X-KDE-PluginInfo-Name of the widget
  • Inherits Applet.version
  • Inherits Applet.configKeys
  • Inherits Applet.configGroups
  • Inherits Applet.globalConfigKeys
  • Inherits Applet.globalConfigGroups

Read-write properties:

  • QRectF geometry: the geometry of the widget
  • string globalShortcut: the shortcut sequence associated with this widget (in the format used by QKeySequence, e.g. Alt+F1)
  • number index: the layout index of the widget; in a Panel this corresponds to the order the widget appears in. Changing the value of the index will change the position of the widget in Panels and may do so in some Desktops as well.
  • string userBackgroundHints: Use another kind of background instead if supported by the applet. In order for an applet to support user configuration of the background, it needs to have the Plasma::Types::ConfigurableBackground flag set in its backgroundHints. See AppletInterface::userBackgroundHints.
  • Inherits Applet.currentConfigGroup
  • Inherits Applet.currentGlobalConfigGroup

Functions:

  • Inherits Applet.remove()
  • Inherits Applet.showConfigurationInteface()
  • Inherits Applet.readConfig(...)
  • Inherits Applet.writeConfig(...)
  • Inherits Applet.readGlobalConfig(...)
  • Inherits Applet.writeGlobalConfig(...)
  • Inherits Applet.reloadConfig()

Applets (Containments and Widgets)

The base class of Widgets and Containments (Desktops and Panels).

Most of these functions and properties are redefined in both containment.h and widget.h instead of applet.h for some reason.

Read-only properties:

  • number id: the numerical instance id of this applet
  • string type: the plugin type of this applet, same value as X-KDE-PluginInfo-Name in the metadata
  • string version: the version of the applet specified in it's metadata
  • array<string> configKeys: a list of all keys that are set in the current configuration group
  • array<string> configGroups: a list of all the groups in the current configuration group
  • array<string> globalConfigKeys: a list of all keys that are set in the current global configuration group
  • array<string> globalConfigGroups: a list of all the groups in the current global configuration group

Read-write properties:

  • array<string> currentConfigGroup: the current configuration group path, with each entry in the array representing a sub-group. This allows one to access trees of groups with code such as:
    widget.currentConfigGroup = new Array('topGroup', 'subGroupOfTopGroup')
    An empty array means the default (top-level) configuration group for the applet
  • array<string> currentGlobalConfigGroup: the current global configuration group path, with each entry in the array representing a sub-group, similar to currentConfigGroup. However, global configuration is shared by all instances of applets of the same type.

Functions:

  • remove(): deletes this applet
  • showConfigurationInteface(): shows the configuration user interface for this widget on the screen
  • readConfig(string key, any default): reads the value of key in the config with default for the default value
  • writeConfig(string key, any value): sets key to value in the config
  • readGlobalConfig(string key, any default): reads the value of key in the global config with default for the default value
  • writeGlobalConfig(string key, any value): sets key to value in the global config
  • reloadConfig(): causes the widget to reload its configuration; reaction to configuration changes made using readConfig are usually activated on script exit, but this can be triggered earlier on a per-widget basis using this method

Screen Geometry

Read-only properties:

  • number screenCount: returns the number of screens connected to the computer

Functions:

  • QRectF screenGeometry(number screen): returns a rect object representing the geometry of a screen

Wallpaper Plugins

  • array[string => array[string]] knownWallpaperPlugins(): (scripting version >= 4) returns a list of all installed wallpaper plugins. The keys of the array are the wallpaper plugin names. The values are arrays containing the modes available for that wallpaper plugin. The mode array may be empty, as most wallpaper plugins only offer one mode.

Locating Applications and Paths

  • boolean applicationExists(string name): (scripting version >= 4) searches $PATH first, then tries in the application menu system by application storage name (aka the .desktop file name), then Name= entries for apps with installed .desktop files, then GenericName= entries for same
  • mixed defaultApplication(string kind [, boolean storageId = false]): (scripting version >= 4) returns the executable (or if storageId is true, then the app menu system id, e.g. its .desktop file name) of the default app. The kind parameter may be a well-known application type including "browser", "mailer", "filemanager", "terminal", "imClient" and "windowmanager" (or any other entry in share/apps/kcm_componentchooser/kcm_*.desktop); it may also be a mimetype (e.g. "application/pdf"). On failure, it returns false.
  • string applicationPath(string name): (scripting version >= 4) returns the full local path to a given application or .desktop file if it exists. Example:
const desktopfile = "firefox.desktop"
const executable  = "firefox"
if (applicationExists(executable)) {
    print(`${executable} exists with this path: ${applicationPath(executable)}`)
    print(`${executable} .desktop file is located here : ${applicationPath(desktopfile)}`)
} else {
    print(`${executable} does not exist`)
}

  • string userDataPath([string type, string path]): (scripting version >= 4) returns the default path for user data. Called with no parameters, it returns the user's home directory. If only one string is passed in, the standard directory for that type of data in the user's home directory will be located; the following values are recognized:

    • documents
    • music
    • video
    • downloads
    • pictures
    • autostart
    • desktop (should be considered deprecated for Plasma workspaces)

If a second string is passed in, it is considered a request for a specific path and the following types are recognized:

  • apps - Applications menu (.desktop files).
  • autostart - Autostart directories (both XDG and kde-specific)
  • cache - Cached information (e.g. favicons, web-pages)
  • cgi - CGIs to run from kdehelp.
  • config - Configuration files.
  • data - Where applications store data.
  • emoticons - Emoticons themes
  • exe - Executables in $prefix/bin. findExe() for a function that takes $PATH into account.
  • html - HTML documentation.
  • icon - Icons, see KIconLoader.
  • kcfg - KConfigXT config files.
  • lib - Libraries.
  • locale - Translation files for KLocale.
  • mime - Mime types defined by KDE-specific .desktop files.
  • module - Module (dynamically loaded library).
  • qtplugins - Qt plugins (dynamically loaded objects for Qt)
  • services - Services.
  • servicetypes - Service types.
  • sound - Application sounds.
  • templates - Templates for the "Create new file" functionality.
  • wallpaper - Wallpapers.
  • tmp - Temporary files (specific for both current host and current user)
  • socket - UNIX Sockets (specific for both current host and current user)
  • xdgconf-menu - Freedesktop.org standard location for menu layout (.menu) files.
  • xdgdata-apps - Freedesktop.org standard location for application desktop files.
  • xdgdata-dirs - Freedesktop.org standard location for menu descriptions (.directory files).
  • xdgdata-mime - Freedesktop.org standard location for MIME type definitions.
  • xdgdata-icon - Freedesktop.org standard location for icons.
  • xdgdata-pixmap - Gnome-compatibility location for pixmaps.

The second parameter should be a specific resource to find the path to. An example might be userDataPath("data", "plasma-desktop").

External Configuration Files

Scripting version >=6

Access to configuration files outside of the application's appletsrc file is provided by the ConfigFile object which has the following constructors:

  • ConfigFile(ConfigFile other): creates a new ConfigFile object with the first as its parent, which automatically makes all groups of this object child groups of that parent
  • ConfigFile(string file[, string group]): creates a new ConfigFile object for file and optionally set to group group

ConfigFile has the following functions:

  • writeEntry(string key, any value): writes value for key in the current group
  • readEntry(string key): returns the value of key in the current group
  • deleteEntry(key): deletes key in the current group

ConfigFile has the following read/write properties:

  • file: the name of the configuration file. Maybe an absolute path or just a file name to be located automatically in the system's configuration repository.
  • group: the name of the current group. To get to child groups, create a new ConfigFile with another ConfigFile as its parent.

ConfigFile has the follow read-only properties:

  • entryList: all the keys in the current group
  • groupList: all the child groups in the current group

Example usage:

// open the kickoffrc file
const config = ConfigFile('kickoffrc');
// switch to the RecentlyUsed group
config.group = 'RecentlyUsed';
// write an entry into it
config.writeEntry('MaxApplications', 25);

// now put Yes=20 into RecentlyUsed/Test
const config2 = ConfigFile(config, 'Test');
config2.writeEntry('Yes', 20);

Misc. Global Properties and Functions

Read-write properties:

  • boolean locked: whether the desktop shell and widgets are locked or not
  • string theme: (scripting version >= 3) the name of the desktop theme to use for the interface, e.g. default, Air, Oxygen, etc.

Read-only properties:

  • boolean hasBattery: whether or not the system has the ability to run on battery power, e.g. a laptop or mobile device
  • boolean multihead: (scripting version >= 3) true if the system is running with multiple screens in a "Xaphod" multiple display server configuration
  • int multiheadScreen: (scripting version >= 3) if multihead is true, contains the (real) screen id of the current screen

Functions:

  • sleep(number ms): sleeps the script for the specified number of milliseconds

QRectF

A rectangle class is also provided for use with Widget, Panel and screen geometry properties and functions.

Read-only properties:

  • boolean empty: true if the rectangle's width or height is less than, or equal to, 0; an empty rectangle is also invalid
  • boolean null: true if the rectangle has both the width and the height set to 0; a null rectangle is also empty and not valid
  • boolean valid: true if the rectangle has a width > 0 and height 0.

Read-write properties:

  • number left
  • number top
  • number bottom
  • number right
  • number height
  • number width
  • number x
  • number y

Constructors:

  • QRectF
  • QRectF(number x, number y, number width, number height): Sets the coordinates of the rectangle's top-left corner to (x, y), and its size to the given width and height.

Functions:

  • adjust(number dx1, number dy1, number dx2, number dy2): adds dx1, dy1, dx2 and dy2 respectively to the existing coordinates of the rectangle
  • QRectF adjusted(number dx1, number dy1, number dx2, number dy2): returns a new QRectF with dx1, dy1, dx2 and dy2 added respectively to the existing coordinates of the rectangle
  • translate(number dx, number dy): translates the rect by dx, dy
  • setCoords(number x1, number y1, number x2, number y2): sets the coordinates of the rectangle's top-left corner to (x1, y1), and the coordinates of its bottom-right corner to (x2, y2).
  • setRect(number x, number y, number width, number height): sets the coordinates of the rectangle's top-left corner to (x, y), and its size to the given width and height.
  • boolean contains(number x, number y): returns true if the rect contains the point (x, y)
  • moveBottom(number delta): moves the bottom by delta pixels
  • moveLeft(number delta): moves the left by delta pixels
  • moveRight(number delta): moves the right by delta pixels
  • moveTo(number x, number y): moves the top left of the rect to point (x, y)
  • moveTop(number delta): moves the top by delta pixels
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