dotfiles/awesome/quick_launch/init.lua

local awful = require('awful')
local util = require('awful.util')

local wibox = require('wibox')

filedir = (...):match("(.-)[^%.]+$") .. "/quick_launch/"

-- Quick launch bar widget BEGINS
function find_icon(icon_name, icon_dirs)
   if string.sub(icon_name, 1, 1) == '/' then
      if util.file_readable(icon_name) then
         return icon_name
      else
         return nil
      end
   end
   if icon_dirs then
      for _, v in ipairs(icon_dirs) do
         if util.file_readable(v .. '/' .. icon_name) then
            return v .. '/' .. icon_name
         end
      end
   end
   return nil
end

function getValue(t, key)
   _, _, res = string.find(t, 'key' .. ' *= *([^%c]+)%c')
   return res
end

launchbar = { layout = wibox.layout.horizontal }
local items = {}
local files = io.popen('ls ' .. filedir .. ' *.desktop')
for f in files:lines() do
    local t = io.open(f):read('*all')
    table.insert(items, { image = find_icon(getValue(t,Icon), { "/usr/share/icons/hicolor/22x22/apps" }),
    	command = getValue(t,Exec),
    	tooltip = getValue(t,Name),
    	position = tonumber(getValue(t,Position)) or 255 })
end
table.sort(items, function(a,b) return a.position < b.position end)
for i = 1, table.getn(items) do
   launchbar[i] = awful.widget.launcher(items[i])
	--     local txt = launchbar[i].tooltip
	--     local tt = awful.tooltip ({ objects = { launchbar[i] } })
	--     tt:set_text (txt)
	--     tt:set_timeout (0)
end

-- Quick launch bar widget ENDS
return launchbar