From 82651ef3e7b17b204c3ce893e95ab97df0cce0de Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Mohammad Rafiq <rafiq@rrv.sh>
Date: Sat, 21 Feb 2026 07:17:17 +0800
Subject: [PATCH] docs(sessions): add tmux monitor sizing research notes

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+## Task
+
+Research whether tmux can read pane sizes in monitor pixels (not only terminal cells), and whether a dual-pane layout can enforce: left pane <= 1/3 of monitor and right pane hidden when terminal is too small.
+
+## Retrieval-led workflow executed
+
+1. Read local agent guidance files:
+   - `.agents/skills/web-search/SKILL.md`
+   - `.agents/skills/tmux-e2e-cli-agent/SKILL.md`
+   - `.agents/skills/session-management/SKILL.md`
+2. Ran `ddgr` web searches for tmux pane sizing, tmux format variables, and hide-pane patterns.
+3. Fetched primary references:
+   - `man7 tmux(1)` (captured in tool output)
+   - `tmux wiki: Formats`
+   - `xterm control sequences`
+   - `terminalguide CSI 14 t` note
+   - `OpenBSD tmux(1)` (secondary man source)
+4. Used targeted retrieval (`grep`/`read`) against saved outputs to extract exact passages on:
+   - pane/window/client size variables
+   - cell pixel variables
+   - `resize-pane`, `split-window`, `break-pane`, `join-pane`
+   - `if-shell -F`, `%if`
+   - hooks (`client-resized`, `window-resized`)
+   - `window-size` behavior
+
+## Key findings
+
+### 1) What tmux can measure directly
+
+- tmux directly exposes pane/window/client dimensions in terminal units (rows/columns), via format variables such as:
+  - `pane_width`, `pane_height`
+  - `window_width`, `window_height`
+  - `client_width`, `client_height`
+- tmux also exposes per-cell pixel size:
+  - `client_cell_width`, `client_cell_height`
+  - `window_cell_width`, `window_cell_height`
+- This means tmux can compute pixel size of pane content area as roughly:
+  - `pane_width * client_cell_width`
+  - `pane_height * client_cell_height`
+
+### 2) What tmux does not expose as a native concept
+
+- No direct tmux format variable for monitor/work-area geometry was found.
+- tmux model is client/window/pane inside a terminal, not OS monitor regions.
+- Therefore, "left pane <= 1/3 of monitor" is not natively enforceable from tmux alone in a robust cross-terminal way.
+
+### 3) Terminal-level escape sequences (outside tmux-native model)
+
+- xterm XTWINOPS supports querying terminal/window/screen pixel sizes:
+  - `CSI 14 t` family for text/window pixel sizes
+  - `CSI 15 t` for screen pixels
+  - `CSI 16 t` for cell pixel size
+  - `CSI 18 t` and `CSI 19 t` for character dimensions
+- TerminalGuide confirms `CSI 14 t` behavior in several emulators, but support is emulator-dependent.
+- These are terminal emulator capabilities, not stable tmux abstractions.
+
+### 4) Feasibility of requested layout behavior
+
+- "Left pane <= 1/3" is straightforward in terminal/window units:
+  - use `split-window -h -p 33` for initial split
+  - use `resize-pane -x 33%` as needed
+- "Hide right pane if too small" is feasible with tmux hooks and conditional formats:
+  - hook on `client-resized` or `window-resized`
+  - evaluate width threshold with `if-shell -F '#{<:#{window_width},N}' ...`
+  - hide via `break-pane` (move pane to another window) and restore via `join-pane`
+- This is reliable in terms of terminal columns, not monitor pixels.
+
+## Reasoning/decision log
+
+- Preferred tmux man page and tmux wiki over blog sources for canonical behavior.
+- Kept StackExchange/blog links as optional context but did not base conclusions on them.
+- Used xterm control-sequence docs to separate terminal-emulator capability from tmux-native capability.
+- Concluded monitor-relative guarantees require external OS/window-manager info or terminal-specific protocols, which are brittle.
+
+## Bugs/constraints encountered
+
+- `tmux` binary is not installed in this environment, so no live command validation was possible.
+- Some web pages (StackExchange direct fetch) returned HTTP 403.
+- Worked around this by using man/wiki/ctlseq primary docs and local extracted tool outputs.
+
+## Practical recommendation to user
+
+- Build policy on `window_width` (columns), not monitor pixels.
+- If monitor-relative behavior is mandatory, implement an external helper (WM/API aware) and feed computed thresholds into tmux user options; accept reduced portability.