Dozer

Pros of alt-tab-macos

• Enhances window switching functionality, providing a more powerful alternative to macOS's built-in Alt-Tab
• Offers customizable appearance and behavior, including window previews and keyboard shortcuts
• Actively maintained with frequent updates and bug fixes

Cons of alt-tab-macos

• Larger application size and potentially higher resource usage compared to Dozer
• May have a steeper learning curve for users accustomed to the default macOS window switching

Code Comparison

alt-tab-macos (Swift):

func updateWindowList() {
    let windows = AXUIElement.systemWide().windows()
    windowList = windows.filter { $0.isActualWindow(windowElement: $0.axElement) }
}

Dozer (Objective-C):

- (void)hideStatusBarItems {
    for (NSStatusItem *item in self.statusItems) {
        [item setHidden:YES];
    }
}

While both projects are macOS utilities, they serve different purposes. alt-tab-macos focuses on enhancing window switching, while Dozer aims to declutter the menu bar. The code snippets reflect these differences, with alt-tab-macos handling window management and Dozer manipulating status bar items.

alt-tab-macos is more feature-rich and actively developed, but may be more complex for some users. Dozer, on the other hand, is simpler and more focused on its specific task of managing menu bar items.

Pros of yabai

• More comprehensive window management system with tiling and stacking capabilities
• Offers advanced features like window gaps, padding, and custom rules
• Highly customizable through a scripting interface

Cons of yabai

• Steeper learning curve due to its complexity
• Requires disabling System Integrity Protection (SIP) for full functionality
• May have higher resource usage due to its extensive features

Code Comparison

Dozer (configuration example):

defaults write com.mortennn.Dozer hideOnWake -bool true
defaults write com.mortennn.Dozer disableAnimations -bool false

yabai (configuration example):

yabai -m config layout bsp
yabai -m config top_padding 10
yabai -m config window_gap 10
yabai -m rule --add app="^System Preferences$" manage=off

Summary

Dozer is a simpler tool focused on hiding menu bar icons, while yabai is a more complex window management system. Dozer is easier to set up and use, but offers fewer features. yabai provides extensive window management capabilities but requires more configuration and system modifications. Choose Dozer for basic menu bar management or yabai for comprehensive window control and layout customization.

Pros of Amethyst

• More comprehensive window management features, including tiling and multiple layout options
• Highly customizable with extensive configuration options
• Active development and larger community support

Cons of Amethyst

• Steeper learning curve due to more complex features
• May consume more system resources compared to Dozer's lightweight approach
• Some users report occasional stability issues

Code Comparison

Amethyst (Swift):

let layoutKey = "LAYOUT"
let layouts: [AnyHashable] = UserDefaults.standard.array(forKey: layoutKey) ?? []
let newLayouts = layouts + [layout]
UserDefaults.standard.set(newLayouts, forKey: layoutKey)

Dozer (Swift):

@objc func toggleMenuItems() {
    menuItems.forEach { $0.isHidden.toggle() }
    updateMenuBarItems()
}

The code snippets demonstrate different focuses:

• Amethyst's code deals with layout management, showcasing its window tiling capabilities.
• Dozer's code handles menu item toggling, highlighting its simplicity and focus on menu bar management.

Pros of Rectangle

• More active development with frequent updates and bug fixes
• Larger community and user base, resulting in more feedback and feature requests
• Offers a wider range of window management options and customization features

Cons of Rectangle

• Slightly more complex interface, which may be overwhelming for some users
• Requires more system resources due to its expanded feature set
• Some users report occasional conflicts with other macOS window management tools

Code Comparison

Rectangle (Swift):

func moveWindowToCenter() {
    if let screen = NSScreen.main {
        let visibleFrame = screen.visibleFrame
        let newFrame = NSRect(x: visibleFrame.midX - frame.width / 2,
                              y: visibleFrame.midY - frame.height / 2,
                              width: frame.width,
                              height: frame.height)
        setFrame(newFrame, display: true)
    }
}

Dozer (Swift):

func centerWindow() {
    guard let screen = window.screen else { return }
    let screenRect = screen.visibleFrame
    let newOrigin = NSPoint(x: screenRect.midX - window.frame.width / 2,
                            y: screenRect.midY - window.frame.height / 2)
    window.setFrameOrigin(newOrigin)
}

Both projects aim to enhance window management on macOS, but Rectangle offers more features and customization options, while Dozer focuses on simplicity and ease of use. The code comparison shows similar approaches to centering windows, with Rectangle using a slightly more verbose implementation.

Pros of Hidden

• Written in Swift, potentially offering better performance and native macOS integration
• Supports hiding menu bar icons with a single click or keyboard shortcut
• Allows customization of hidden icons' appearance (e.g., dimmed or completely invisible)

Cons of Hidden

• Less actively maintained (last commit over 2 years ago)
• Fewer stars and forks on GitHub, indicating potentially less community support
• Limited functionality compared to Dozer (e.g., no drag-and-drop reordering of icons)

Code Comparison

Hidden (Swift):

func toggleHidden() {
    isHidden.toggle()
    updateMenuBarIcon()
    updateStatusItemVisibility()
}

Dozer (Objective-C):

- (void)toggleHidden:(id)sender {
    self.isHidden = !self.isHidden;
    [self updateMenuBarIcon];
    [self updateStatusItemVisibility];
}

Both projects implement similar functionality for toggling the hidden state of menu bar icons, but Hidden uses Swift's more modern syntax and language features.

Pros of Hammerspoon

• More versatile and powerful, offering a wide range of system automation capabilities beyond menu bar management
• Highly customizable through Lua scripting, allowing users to create complex workflows and integrations
• Active community with frequent updates and extensive documentation

Cons of Hammerspoon

• Steeper learning curve due to its reliance on Lua scripting
• Requires more setup and configuration to achieve similar menu bar management functionality as Dozer

Code Comparison

Dozer (Objective-C):

- (void)toggleHidden {
    if (self.isHidden) {
        [self unhide];
    } else {
        [self hide];
    }
}

Hammerspoon (Lua):

function toggleMenuItems()
    for _, item in ipairs(menuItems) do
        item:setHidden(not item:isHidden())
    end
end

While Dozer focuses specifically on menu bar item management with a simple toggle function, Hammerspoon's approach allows for more complex operations and customization through Lua scripting. Hammerspoon's versatility extends beyond menu bar management, offering a broader range of system automation possibilities at the cost of increased complexity.