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Layout Examples

This guide shows you how to create common tiling layouts in Glide using the default key bindings. Each example includes a visual diagram and step-by-step instructions.

Prerequisites

Section titled “Prerequisites”

Before starting, make sure:

  • Glide is running (glide launch)
  • You’ve activated the current space with Alt+Z
  • You have at least 2-4 windows open to work with

Basic Concepts

Section titled “Basic Concepts”

Window Focus and Movement

Section titled “Window Focus and Movement”
  • Alt+H/J/K/L - Move focus between windows (vim-style: H=left, J=down, K=up, L=right)
  • Alt+Shift+H/J/K/L - Move the current window in a direction

Splitting and Grouping

Section titled “Splitting and Grouping”
  • Alt+Backslash - Create a horizontal split (windows side-by-side)
  • Alt+Equal - Create a vertical split (windows stacked)
  • Alt+T - Create a horizontal group (tabbed layout)
  • Alt+S - Create a vertical group (stacked layout)
  • Alt+E - Remove grouping

Example 1: Two-Column Layout

Section titled “Example 1: Two-Column Layout”

The simplest tiling layout - two windows side by side.

┌─────────────┬─────────────┐
│             │             │
│   Window 1  │   Window 2  │
│             │             │
│             │             │
└─────────────┴─────────────┘

How to create:

  1. Start with Window 1 in focus
  2. Open Window 2 - Glide automatically tiles it next to Window 1

Result: Two windows split horizontally across the screen.

Example 2: Three-Column Layout

Section titled “Example 2: Three-Column Layout”

Three windows arranged side by side.

┌─────────┬─────────┬─────────┐
│         │         │         │
│ Window 1│ Window 2│ Window 3│
│         │         │         │
│         │         │         │
└─────────┴─────────┴─────────┘

How to create:

  1. Start with a two-column layout (Window 1 and Window 2)
  2. Open Window 3 - it will be added to the layout
  3. Use Alt+H/J/K/L to navigate and Alt+Shift+H/J/K/L to rearrange if needed

Result: Three equal columns across the screen.

Example 3: Two Columns with Stacked Group

Section titled “Example 3: Two Columns with Stacked Group”

A main window on the left with multiple stacked windows on the right.

┌──────────────┬──────────────┐
│              │ [W2][W3][W4] │
│              │──────────────│
│   Window 1   │              │
│              │   Window 2   │
│              │   (active)   │
│              │              │
│              │              │
└──────────────┴──────────────┘

How to create:

  1. Start with Window 1 in focus
  2. Open Window 2 - it appears next to Window 1
  3. Press Alt+Equal to create a vertical split on the right
  4. Press Alt+S to convert to a stacked group
  5. Open Window 3 - it appears in the stack below Window 2
  6. Open Window 4 - it appears in the stack below Window 3

Key actions:

  • Create vertical split: Alt+Equal
  • Convert to stacked group: Alt+S
  • Navigate within stack: Alt+J/K (down/up)

Result: One large window on the left, multiple stacked windows on the right with one visible at a time. You can switch between the stacked windows with Alt+J/K.

Example 4: Both Columns with Vertical Containers

Section titled “Example 4: Both Columns with Vertical Containers”

Two columns, each containing vertical containers.

┌──────────────┬──────────────┐
│              ║              │
│   Window 1   ║   Window 3   │
│              ║              │
│──────────────║──────────────│
│              ║              │
│   Window 2   ║   Window 4   │
│              ║              │
└──────────────┴──────────────┘

How to create:

  1. Start with Window 1 in focus
  2. Press Alt+Equal to create a vertical split
  3. Open Window 2 - it appears below Window 1
  4. Open Window 3 - it appears below Windows 1 and 2
  5. Press Alt+Shift+L to move Window 3 to the right
  6. Press Alt+Equal to create a vertical split
  7. Open Window 4 - it appears on the right

Key actions:

  • Create vertical split: Alt+Equal
  • Navigate within columns: Alt+J/K
  • Move between columns: Alt+H/L

Result: Two columns of windows.

Advanced Tips

Section titled “Advanced Tips”

Resizing Windows

Section titled “Resizing Windows”

After creating any layout, you can resize windows with Alt+Ctrl+H/J/K/L. These bindings make the current window bigger by moving each edge outward:

  • Alt+Ctrl+H - Expand left (move left edge left)
  • Alt+Ctrl+L - Expand right (move right edge right)
  • Alt+Ctrl+J - Expand down (move bottom edge down)
  • Alt+Ctrl+K - Expand up (move top edge up)

Reorganizing Windows

Section titled “Reorganizing Windows”
  • Move windows between columns/stacks: Alt+Shift+H/J/K/L
  • Ungroup: Focus a window in the group and press Alt+E to convert the parent group to a horizontal or vertical container

Converting Between Stack and Tabs

Section titled “Converting Between Stack and Tabs”
  • From stack to tabs: Focus the group and press Alt+T
  • From tabs to stack: Focus the group and press Alt+S

Tree Navigation (Advanced)

Section titled “Tree Navigation (Advanced)”

For complex layouts, you can use:

  • Alt+A - Ascend to parent container
  • Alt+D - Descend to child container

These commands change which node is selected in the layout tree, affecting how subsequent operations work. See the keyboard-centric setup guide for more details.

Troubleshooting

Section titled “Troubleshooting”

Windows not tiling as expected?

  • Make sure you’ve activated the space with Alt+Z

Next Steps

Section titled “Next Steps”