BSP tiling, explained: how binary space partitioning arranges windows
Each new window splits the one in focus in two. How binary space partition tiling works in bspwm and yabai, why people love it, and its trade off.
In BSP tiling (binary space partitioning), every new window splits the focused window's space in two. The first window fills the screen; the second takes half; the third halves one of those halves; and so on. The layout is a tree of splits.
Where you find it
- bspwm on Linux, named after it.
- yabai on macOS, which uses BSP as its main layout.
Why people like it
- Windows open where you are looking, next to the focused one.
- You can rotate and flip splits, and move windows around the tree with keys.
- No space is ever wasted.
The trade off
Space is halved with each window, so the fifth or sixth window is small. On a laptop that comes quickly. You end up managing the tree: closing, moving to another workspace, or rebalancing.
A scrolling layout answers the same problem differently: instead of splitting the screen smaller, the strip gets longer. Every window keeps a usable width in ClutterFreeMac, and you scroll to the ones past the edge. See bspwm for Mac.
Questions
What does BSP mean in window managers?
Binary space partitioning: each new window splits the focused window's area in two, building a tree of splits.
Read next
- Guide
What is a tiling window manager?
A tiling window manager arranges every window so none overlap. How tiling works, the main styles, why people love it, and what it is like on a Mac.
Read › - Guide
Scrolling vs tiling window managers: which suits you?
Tiling splits one screen between all your windows. Scrolling gives each window its width and lets the row grow. How they differ, and who each one suits.
Read › - Guide
The master and stack layout, explained
One big window and a stack of small ones: the layout behind xmonad, dwm and Amethyst. How it works, what it is good at, and where it gets cramped.
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