Hi, Why not to use YAML, YAML Ain't a Markup Language, with XMonad's configuration files? ... Don't faint, there is no need to use full blown YAML. It could even be added *transparently*, i.e., as a separate program generating Haskell output. Why?, because YAML's format is _truly_ human-readable (and concise), there is no Lua or whatever that can be better. And, in our context (reduced/subset YAML), a snap to learn and grasp. I am using myself my 'cqac' program written in Perl (celerius quam asparagi cocuntur, more swiftly than asparagus is cooked, a favorite expression of Augustus to say that something was done quickly), which is an implementation and extension of the Blackbox window manager original menu (nop's inclusive). 'cqac' uses X::Osd (Perl extension to the X On Screen Display library, xosd), no mouse, YAML::Tiny, and, unfortunately, X11::Protocol ... from the latter I need exclusively Grab- and UngrabKeyboard, hence I am thinking to put the original X11::Protocol on *diet*, and skim unnecessary fat away. Anyway, 'cqac', which at present still uses YAML::Tiny in-line, i.e., still reads its '.yml'-configuration file on the flight, and uses the original, jumbo-sized X11::Protocol is reasonably fast (on a okay/acceptable/no-ancient notebook) ... in Perl!, and with a no-toy cqac.yml. (Well, for that I also have nicknamed it like I have.) There is nothing more annoying than to being obliged to pass from the stage of *inheriting* default setups or monkeying setups from guru X, master Y, and wizard Z, *merging* and *pruning* a' la trial and error m more or less mysterious configuration files until one learns to read--and write--Haskell, Lua, whatever. (No, in ten minutes reading and studying one learns what there is to know to use YAML::Tiny's format, just in case; quicker than memorizing all the meta chars to use a given window manager. Better still: one doesn't need to *restudy* Haskell, Lua, whatever if, after m months, he decides to modify the configuration file ... _and_ he doesn't use Haskell, Lua, whatever n hours a day.) Cheers, /Roy Lanek (West Sumatra) P.S. cqac ... I have used--not longer--Ion: never have liked its *application launcher*, worse, I am not a fan of Lua (though I may understand that it's cute); never have used Ion's status bar, by the way ... a dumb (notebook) idea. Ditto for dwm's dmenu. -- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;:: ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::9:: ::::::::::;::@@@:::::::::::::::@P:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::9:: :::::::@@@@::::@::L;:;;:::::;;;7F:;LL:;;;::::;LL:;L::;:::LLL:;;::;L;::::9:: :::::::@@L@::::@::7@@FH@:::@FH@>@@@@7:9F7::::77@;:H@MH@;:77@@FHF@F77@:::@:: :::::::::7@::::@:::@:::7E:H4::7>F::7@:@:::9L::::@:@F:::@:::@L:::F:;;@:::::: ::::::@@F:@L:::@:::@::::@:@::::>F:::@:@:::9L::::@:A::::@:::@::::@:777:::::: ::B:::@:::@:;:@@:::@L;;@@:AL:::::::;@:7@@@@L@:;@F:7@;:;@:::@::::7@@L::::::: ::E:::7@@@57HM7@@@L:7HF7@M:@@@::::@@E:@@@77L@HN7:::7HMF@@::@::::@;;@L:::::: ::E:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::9@:::::::::::::::@@L::@7F7::::::: ::E:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ::AMMMMMMMMMM Slackware Linux MMMMMMMMMM:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::