Separate launcher and worskpace docks

data/Application.css

@@ -40,6 +40,10 @@ bottom-margin {
     min-height: 9px;
 }
 
+horizontal-margin {
+    min-width: 9px;
+}
+
 launcher {
     padding: 6px;
     padding-bottom: 0px;

src/AppSystem/Background/BackgroundMonitor.vala

@@ -40,12 +40,21 @@ public class Dock.BackgroundMonitor : Object {
     }
 
     private void update_background_apps () {
+        var app_id_set = new GLib.GenericSet<unowned string> (GLib.str_hash, GLib.str_equal, null);
         BackgroundApp[] apps = {};
 
         foreach (var table in proxy.background_apps) {
             DesktopAppInfo? app_info = null;
             if ("app_id" in table) {
-                app_info = new DesktopAppInfo ((string) table["app_id"] + ".desktop");
+                unowned var app_id = table["app_id"].get_string ();
+
+                if (app_id in app_id_set) {
+                    // avoid duplicate entries
+                    continue;
+                }
+
+                app_info = new DesktopAppInfo (app_id + ".desktop");
+                app_id_set.add (app_id);
             }
 
             if (app_info == null) {

src/HorizontalMargin.vala

@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+/*
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0
+ * SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2026 elementary, Inc. (https://elementary.io)
+ */
+
+public class HorizontalMargin : Gtk.Widget {
+    private static GLib.List<unowned HorizontalMargin> instances = new GLib.List<unowned HorizontalMargin> ();
+
+    class construct {
+        set_css_name ("horizontal-margin");
+    }
+
+    construct {
+        instances.append (this);
+    }
+
+    ~HorizontalMargin () {
+        instances.remove (this);
+    }
+
+    public new static int get_size () {
+        foreach (var instance in instances) {
+            if (instance.get_realized ()) {
+                return instance.get_width ();
+            }
+        }
+
+        return 0;
+    }
+}

src/ItemManager.vala

@@ -10,10 +10,6 @@
 
     private DynamicWorkspaceIcon dynamic_workspace_item;
 
-#if WORKSPACE_SWITCHER
-    private Gtk.Separator separator;
-#endif
-
     static construct {
         settings = new Settings ("io.elementary.dock");
     }
@@ -24,23 +20,9 @@
         var background_item = new BackgroundItem ();
         var background_group = new ItemGroup (background_item.group_model, (obj) => (BackgroundItem) obj);
 
-#if WORKSPACE_SWITCHER
-        dynamic_workspace_item = new DynamicWorkspaceIcon ();
-
-        separator = new Gtk.Separator (VERTICAL) {
-            valign = START,
-            margin_top = Launcher.PADDING,
-        };
-        settings.bind ("icon-size", separator, "height-request", GET);
-#endif
-
         append (app_group);
         append (background_group);
-#if WORKSPACE_SWITCHER
-        append (separator);
-        append (new ItemGroup (WorkspaceSystem.get_default ().workspaces, (obj) => new WorkspaceIconGroup ((Workspace) obj)));
-        append (dynamic_workspace_item);
-#endif
+
         overflow = VISIBLE;
 
         var drop_target_file = new Gtk.DropTarget (typeof (File), COPY) {
@@ -143,19 +125,14 @@
         map.connect (() => {
             AppSystem.get_default ().load.begin ();
             background_item.load ();
-#if WORKSPACE_SWITCHER
-            WorkspaceSystem.get_default ().load.begin ();
-#endif
         });
     }
 
     public void move_launcher_after (BaseItem source, int target_index) {
         if (source is Launcher) {
             AppSystem.get_default ().reorder_app (source.app, target_index);
-        } else if (source is WorkspaceIconGroup) {
-            WorkspaceSystem.get_default ().reorder_workspace (source.workspace, target_index);
         } else {
-            warning ("Tried to move neither launcher nor icon group");
+            info ("Tried to move not a launcher");
         }
     }
 }

src/MainWindow.vala

@@ -24,8 +24,11 @@ public class Dock.MainWindow : Gtk.ApplicationWindow {
     private Pantheon.Desktop.Panel? panel;
 
     private ItemManager item_manager;
+    private WorkspaceManager workspace_manager;
     private WindowDragManager window_drag_manager;
     private bool initialized_blur = false;
+    private bool realized_item_manager = false;
+    private bool realized_workspace_manager = false;
     private int border_radius = 0;
 
     class construct {
@@ -36,32 +39,64 @@ public class Dock.MainWindow : Gtk.ApplicationWindow {
         overflow = VISIBLE;
         resizable = false;
         titlebar = new Gtk.Label ("") { visible = false };
+        item_manager = new ItemManager ();
+        workspace_manager = new WorkspaceManager ();
 
-        var dock_box = new Gtk.Box (VERTICAL, 0);
-        dock_box.append (new Container ());
-        dock_box.append (new BottomMargin ());
+        /* Launchers */
 
-        item_manager = new ItemManager ();
+        var launcher_container = new Gtk.Box (VERTICAL, 0);
+        launcher_container.append (new Container ());
+        launcher_container.append (new BottomMargin ());
+
+        //  // Don't clip launchers to dock background https://github.com/elementary/dock/issues/275
+        var launcher_overlay = new Gtk.Overlay () {
+            child = launcher_container
+        };
+        launcher_overlay.add_overlay (item_manager);
+
+        var launcher_size_group = new Gtk.SizeGroup (Gtk.SizeGroupMode.BOTH);
+        launcher_size_group.add_widget (launcher_container);
+        launcher_size_group.add_widget (item_manager);
+
+        /* Workspaces */
+
+        var workspace_container = new Gtk.Box (VERTICAL, 0);
+        workspace_container.append (new Container ());
+        workspace_container.append (new BottomMargin ());
 
-        // Don't clip launchers to dock background https://github.com/elementary/dock/issues/275
-        var overlay = new Gtk.Overlay () {
-            child = dock_box
+        var workspace_overlay = new Gtk.Overlay () {
+            child = workspace_container
         };
-        overlay.add_overlay (item_manager);
+        workspace_overlay.add_overlay (workspace_manager);
 
-        var size_group = new Gtk.SizeGroup (Gtk.SizeGroupMode.BOTH);
-        size_group.add_widget (dock_box);
-        size_group.add_widget (item_manager);
+        var workspace_size_group = new Gtk.SizeGroup (Gtk.SizeGroupMode.BOTH);
+        workspace_size_group.add_widget (workspace_container);
+        workspace_size_group.add_widget (workspace_manager);
 
-        child = overlay;
+        /* Full dock */
+
+        var docks_box = new Gtk.Box (HORIZONTAL, 0);
+        docks_box.append (launcher_overlay);
+        docks_box.append (new HorizontalMargin ());
+        docks_box.append (workspace_overlay);
+
+        //  child = launcher_overlay;
+        child = docks_box;
 
         remove_css_class ("background");
 
         // Fixes DnD reordering of launchers failing on a very small line between two launchers
         var drop_target_launcher = new Gtk.DropTarget (typeof (Launcher), MOVE);
         item_manager.add_controller (drop_target_launcher);
 
-        item_manager.realize.connect (init_panel);
+        item_manager.realize.connect (() => {
+            realized_item_manager = true;
+            try_init_panel ();
+        });
+        workspace_manager.realize.connect (() => {
+            realized_workspace_manager = true;
+            try_init_panel ();
+        });
 
         settings.changed["autohide-mode"].connect (() => {
             if (panel != null) {
@@ -86,7 +121,6 @@ public class Dock.MainWindow : Gtk.ApplicationWindow {
             remove_css_class ("reduce-transparency");
         } else {
             add_css_class ("reduce-transparency");
-
         }
     }
 
@@ -107,14 +141,22 @@ public class Dock.MainWindow : Gtk.ApplicationWindow {
     }
 
     private static Wl.RegistryListener registry_listener;
-    private void init_panel () {
+    private void try_init_panel () {
+        // Wait for both parts of the dock to be realized to setup the surface
+        if (!realized_item_manager || !realized_workspace_manager) {
+            return;
+        }
+
         unowned var surface = (Gdk.Toplevel) get_surface ();
 
         surface.compute_size.connect ((surface, size) => {
             // manually set shadow width since the additional margin we add to avoid icons clipping when
             // bouncing isn't added by default and instead counts to the frame
             var item_manager_width = item_manager.get_width ();
-            var shadow_size = (surface.width - item_manager_width) / 2;
+            var hztl_margin_width = HorizontalMargin.get_size ();
+            var workspace_manager_width = workspace_manager.get_width ();
+            //  var shadow_size = (surface.width - item_manager_width) / 2;
+            var shadow_size = (surface.width - item_manager_width - hztl_margin_width - workspace_manager_width) / 2;
             var top_margin = TOP_MARGIN + shadow_size - 1;
             size.set_shadow_width (shadow_size, shadow_size, top_margin, shadow_size);
         });
@@ -123,12 +165,15 @@ public class Dock.MainWindow : Gtk.ApplicationWindow {
             // manually set input region since container's shadow are is the content of the window
             // and it still gets window events
             var item_manager_width = item_manager.get_width ();
-            var shadow_size = (width - item_manager_width) / 2;
+            var hztl_margin_width = HorizontalMargin.get_size ();
+            var workspace_manager_width = workspace_manager.get_width ();
+            //  var shadow_size = (width - item_manager_width) / 2;
+            var shadow_size = (width - item_manager_width - hztl_margin_width - workspace_manager_width) / 2;
             var top_margin = TOP_MARGIN + shadow_size;
             surface.set_input_region (new Cairo.Region.rectangle ({
                 shadow_size,
                 top_margin,
-                item_manager_width,
+                item_manager_width + workspace_manager_width,
                 height - top_margin
             }));
 

src/WorkspaceManager.vala

@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+/*
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0
+ * SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2026 elementary, Inc. (https://elementary.io)
+ */
+
+ public class Dock.WorkspaceManager : Gtk.Box {
+    private static Settings settings;
+
+    private DynamicWorkspaceIcon dynamic_workspace_item;
+
+    static construct {
+        settings = new Settings ("io.elementary.dock");
+    }
+
+    construct {
+        dynamic_workspace_item = new DynamicWorkspaceIcon ();
+
+        append (new ItemGroup (WorkspaceSystem.get_default ().workspaces, (obj) => new WorkspaceIconGroup ((Workspace) obj)));
+        append (dynamic_workspace_item);
+
+        overflow = VISIBLE;
+
+        var drop_target_file = new Gtk.DropTarget (typeof (File), COPY) {
+            preload = true
+        };
+        add_controller (drop_target_file);
+
+        double drop_x, drop_y;
+        drop_target_file.enter.connect ((x, y) => {
+            drop_x = x;
+            drop_y = y;
+            return COPY;
+        });
+
+        drop_target_file.notify["value"].connect (() => {
+            if (drop_target_file.get_value () == null) {
+                return;
+            }
+
+            if (drop_target_file.get_value ().get_object () == null) {
+                return;
+            }
+
+            if (!(drop_target_file.get_value ().get_object () is File)) {
+                return;
+            }
+
+            var file = (File) drop_target_file.get_value ().get_object ();
+            var app_info = new DesktopAppInfo.from_filename (file.get_path ());
+
+            if (app_info == null) {
+                return;
+            }
+        });
+
+        map.connect (() => {
+            WorkspaceSystem.get_default ().load.begin ();
+        });
+    }
+
+    public void move_launcher_after (BaseItem source, int target_index) {
+        if (source is WorkspaceIconGroup) {
+            WorkspaceSystem.get_default ().reorder_workspace (source.workspace, target_index);
+        } else {
+            info ("Tried to move not an icon group");
+            return;
+        }
+    }
+}

src/meson.build

@@ -3,9 +3,11 @@ sources = [
     'BaseIconGroup.vala',
     'BaseItem.vala',
     'BottomMargin.vala',
+    'HorizontalMargin.vala',
     'ContainerItem.vala',
     'ItemGroup.vala',
     'ItemManager.vala',
+    'WorkspaceManager.vala',
     'MainWindow.vala',
     'RenderNodeWalker.vala',
     'AppSystem' / 'App.vala',