Multiple Preview Windows

[pbnj]

I have a use-case where I want to show/preview information from different commands.

For example, for a running docker container image, I want to preview docker inspect {1} as well as docker logs {1}.

One way this could be done is by splitting the existing preview window into panes that users can specify with pane(...) arguments to --preview (similar to binding multiple actions to 1 key, like --bind 'ctrl-x:execute(...)+reload(...)').

Pseudo-code:

DOCKER_PS_CMD="docker ps -a"

fzf \
  --reverse \
  --input-border \
  --header 'CTRL-X: kill & remove / CTRL-R: reload' \
  --header-lines 1 \
  --preview 'pane(docker inspect {1})+pane(docker logs {1})' \
  --bind "start:reload:${DOCKER_PS_CMD}" \
  --bind "ctrl-x:execute(docker kill {1}; docker rm {1})+reload(${DOCKER_PS_CMD})" \
  --bind "ctrl-r:reload:${DOCKER_PS_CMD}" \
  --prompt 'docker ps> '

Another acceptable (arguably, less complex) workaround would be dynamically change/transform the preview with a bind action, like:

DOCKER_PS_CMD="docker ps -a"

fzf \
  --reverse \
  --input-border \
  --header 'CTRL-X: kill & remove / CTRL-R: reload / CTRL-I: inspect preview / CTRL-L: logs preview' \
  --header-lines 1 \
  --preview "docker inspect {1}" \
  --bind "start:reload:${DOCKER_PS_CMD}" \
  --bind "ctrl-l:transform-preview:docker logs {1}" \
  --bind "ctrl-i:transform-preview:docker inspect {1}" \
  --bind "ctrl-x:execute(docker kill {1}; docker rm {1})+reload(${DOCKER_PS_CMD})" \
  --bind "ctrl-r:reload:${DOCKER_PS_CMD}" \
  --prompt 'docker ps> '

[junegunn]

Multiple preview windows is a tempting idea, I've thought about it too, but it probably won't happen in the near future because of the significant complexity it would bring.

There is change-preview action you can use (no need for transform here). It permanently changes the --preview option. There is also preview action which is for a one-time execution of the command.

[pbnj]

TIL about the preview(...) action (example from the man pages: fzf --preview 'file {}' --bind '?:preview:cat {}').

This solves my problem.

Thank you!