Bug 140203

Summary:	send term* escape sequence to application running in terminal on focus change
Product:	[Applications] konsole	Reporter:	Mikolaj Machowski <mikmach>
Component:	general	Assignee:	Konsole Developer <konsole-devel>
Status:	RESOLVED INTENTIONAL
Severity:	wishlist
Priority:	NOR
Version:	unspecified
Target Milestone:	---
Platform:	Compiled Sources
OS:	Linux
Latest Commit:		Version Fixed In:

Description Mikolaj Machowski 2007-01-17 18:43:40 UTC

Version:            (using KDE Devel)
Installed from:    Compiled sources
Compiler:          gcc4.0.1 
OS:                Linux

Send term* escape sequence to application running in terminal when tab/window is losing/gaining focus.

My main wish is support for FocusLost/FocusGained autoevents in Vim but I suppose more applications could use that feature.

According to Bram Moolenaar (author of Vim):
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We have to invent a termcap/terminfo code for the escape sequence.  Two actually: One to tell the terminal to enable it and one to get the event.

It's a bit like enabling window resize events and mouse events.

I have asked Thomas Dickey (xterm) about this too.
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Comment 1 Mikolaj Machowski 2008-02-15 21:01:07 UTC

Well, I never got any answer from terminal "gurus". :(

I think no-one wants that feature...

Comment 2 Robert Knight 2008-02-16 15:46:31 UTC

> Well, I never got any answer from terminal "gurus". :(
> I think no-one wants that feature... 

That is the wrong attitude.  Developers have limited time and they have to prioritise what they do according to their own goals and feedback from the community.      

If your feature request is not something which is not obviously urgent or important then it is usually necessary to prod developers from the various projects involved periodically.  

Here is how I would approach this if I were a user after this feature, without any particular technical skills:

1.  Start an email discussion about the escape sequence spec, CCing the developers involved
2.  Once a spec has been agreed, file bug reports for each product with a link to the spec
3.  Prod developers periodically to implement it
4.  When each party claims to have done their bit, test it yourself or prod someone else to.  
5.  Confirm to each party that it works

This does involve a little more work on the reporter's behalf but this is how free software got where it is today - by everyone doing their little bit.

Comment 3 Mikolaj Machowski 2008-02-16 16:21:28 UTC

You probably forgot :)
I started discussion on one of KDE lists about that (kde-devel?). You
were quite eager to implement but wanted to make some consensus with
other terminal projects on escape sequences. I send questions and get no
response.

Comment 4 Robert Knight 2008-02-16 17:58:42 UTC

> You probably forgot :) 

Apparently so.  Like I said, you need to prod people periodically.  A quick search on Bugzilla shows that Konsole has 207 open bug/RFE reports, many of which are more active than this one.