matryer/xbar
Xbar
xbar is a macOS menu bar status tool and system extension utility that displays the output of shell scripts and programs directly in the system menu bar. It functions as a script-based menu bar manager that runs local and third-party scripts to create real-time status indicators and dynamic dropdown menus.
The utility enables the creation of system monitoring dashboards and custom shortcut launchers by executing external programs as subprocesses. It transforms plain text script output into formatted menu items and supports interactive dropdown menus, where user interactions can trigger shell commands or open system URLs.
The system includes capabilities for local and external plugin integration through directory-based discovery. It manages execution frequency via filename-based scheduling and allows for the customization of menu element appearance through parameter-driven styling.
Features
- Menu Bar Script Runners - Displays the output of shell scripts and programs directly in the macOS system menu bar.
- macOS Utilities - Integrates custom automation and system monitoring into the macOS interface via script execution.
- Menu Bar Managers - Displays real-time data and script outputs directly in the macOS menu bar.
- Shell Plugin Architectures - Executes external programs as subprocesses to populate the system menu with their output.
- Execution Schedulers - Determines script update frequency by parsing time intervals embedded directly within the plugin filenames.
- Item Action Triggers - Allows menu item interactions to trigger the execution of shell scripts or open URLs.
- Event-Driven Action Handlers - Maps menu interactions to the execution of shell commands or the opening of system URLs.
- Dropdown Menus - Generates clickable lists of items beneath a menu entry using separators in the script output.
- Standard Output Renderers - Transforms plain text script output into formatted macOS menu bar items and dropdown menus.
- Automation Triggers - Runs scheduled scripts at specific intervals to track information without requiring a full application.
- System Launchers - Provides a clickable dropdown menu to launch system actions, open URLs, or execute programs.
- Refresh Rate Configurations - Allows users to specify script execution frequency by adding a time interval to the plugin filename.
- Directory-Based Plugin Discovery - Implements a system to automatically detect and load executable scripts from designated local and remote directories.
- Plugin Integrations - Discovers and installs third-party scripts from central directories to extend available functionality.
- Local Plugin Discovery - Discovers and installs custom scripts from dedicated local directories to extend functionality.
- System Monitoring Dashboards - Creates custom status indicators for system resources or external APIs using periodic shell scripts.
- Desktop and GUI Development - macOS menu bar management.
- Menu Bar Tools - Display output from scripts in the menu bar.
- Menu Bar Utilities - Listed in the “Menu Bar Utilities” section of the Awesome Mac awesome list.
