Recipes

This page collects small practical patterns you can copy into your own config.

---

Focus every new window

evil.on.window_mapped = function(ctx)
  evil.window.focus(ctx.window.id)
end

---

Click to focus

evil.on.resolve_focus = function(ctx)
  if ctx.reason == "pointer_button" and ctx.window then
    evil.window.focus(ctx.window.id)
    return
  end

  if ctx.reason == "pointer_button" and not ctx.window then
    evil.window.clear_focus()
  end
end

---

Move windows freely

evil.on.move_update = function(ctx)
  evil.window.move(ctx.window.id, ctx.window.x + ctx.dx, ctx.window.y + ctx.dy)
end

---

Resize windows freely

evil.on.resize_update = function(ctx)
  evil.window.resize(ctx.window.id, ctx.window.w + ctx.dx, ctx.window.h + ctx.dy)
end

---

Snap movement to a grid

local GRID = 64

local function snap(value)
  return math.floor((value / GRID) + 0.5) * GRID
end

evil.on.move_update = function(ctx)
  evil.window.move(ctx.window.id, snap(ctx.window.x + ctx.dx), snap(ctx.window.y + ctx.dy))
end

---

Put new windows near the focused window

evil.on.place_window = function(ctx)
  for _, window in ipairs(ctx.state.windows) do
    if window.focused then
      evil.window.move(ctx.window.id, window.x + window.w + 24, window.y)
      return
    end
  end
end

---

Launch a terminal from a key hook

evil.on.key = function(ctx)
  if ctx.keyspec == "Super+Return" then
    evil.spawn("foot")
  end
end

---

Keep a focused border

evil.on.draw_window_overlay = function(ctx)
  local focused = ctx.focused_window
  if not focused then
    return {}
  end

  return {
    evil.draw.stroke_rect({
      space = "world",
      x = focused.x,
      y = focused.y,
      w = focused.w,
      h = focused.h,
      width = 2,
      outer = 2,
      color = { 0.8, 0.6, 1.0, 1.0 },
    }),
  }
end

---

Disable free canvas navigation in a profile

evil.config({
  canvas = {
    min_zoom = 1.0,
    max_zoom = 1.0,
    zoom_step = 1.0,
    pan_step = 0,
    allow_pointer_zoom = false,
    allow_middle_click_pan = false,
    allow_gesture_navigation = false,
  },
})

---

Read next

• Configuration guide
• Lua API guide
• Example configs overview