kde clock format: how to include the day in a non-tiny font?

Question

I'm using KDE on Kubuntu 15.04.

I want my taskbar clock to look like this:

Sun 19 15:11

(or AM/PM would be ok, main thing is Day / Date in the same font size as the time. I don't need my computer to tell me the month and year, but I do want the day and date-of-month.)

The config options for KDE's default Digital Clock applet include a "Show Date" option, but that puts the day/month/year in a TINY font under the time, instead of making the applet wider. Besides that, you can only choose short or long date format, not custom. Right click on the clock -> "Set Time Format" is the KDE-wide formatting of numbers, times, etc for your locale. I just want to change the clock, not have my file timestamps show up in a custom format.

So is there a way to customize this outside the GUI? (Other than modifying the code and building my own version of the package, I mean.) Or if not, how would I go about using a different clock applet with KDE, one that has a clock format customizable with a %letter format-string?

Solution 1

QML

The KDE plasmoids are using qml scripts, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QML .

The plasmoid scripts are at: /usr/share/plasma/plasmoids/... ie the digital clock scripts are at: /usr/share/plasma/plasmoids/org.kde.plasma.digitalclock/... You could edit those but any update will overwrite your changes.

The KDE TechBase has tutorial - Plasma5 QML2 GettingStarted: https://techbase.kde.org/Development/Tutorials/Plasma5/QML2/GettingStarted .

The Date QML Type: http://doc.qt.io/qt-5/qml-qtqml-date.html

-> Date:

-> Time:

My panel clock

Writing a quick and dirty clock.

Making:

• /tmp/mypanelclock/metadata.desktop: http://pastebin.com/PZe812VR
• /tmp/mypanelclock/contents/ui/main.qml: http://pastebin.com/WqwD49N5
• /tmp/mypanelclock/contents/ui/CompactRepresentation.qml: http://pastebin.com/9Ky7Fgj2

Opening a terminal window to the tmp directory and running command:

plasmapkg2 -i mypanelclock

The command:

:~$ plasmapkg2 --help
Usage: plasmapkg2 [options]
Plasma Package Manager

Options:
  -v, --version             Displays version information.
  -h, --help                Displays this help.
  --hash <path>             Generate a SHA1 hash for the package at <path>
  -g, --global              For install or remove, operates on packages
                            installed for all users.
  -t, --type <type>         The type of package, e.g. theme, wallpaper,
                            plasmoid, dataengine, runner, layout-template, etc.
  -i, --install <path>      Install the package at <path>
  -s, --show <name>         Show information of package <name>
  -u, --upgrade <path>      Upgrade the package at <path>
  -l, --list                List installed packages
  --list-types              List all known package types that can be installed
  -r, --remove <name>       Remove the package named <name>
  -p, --packageroot <path>  Absolute path to the package root. If not supplied,
                            then the standard data directories for this KDE
                            session will be searched instead.

Now there are available:

Adding the clock to the panel:

More of the KDE clocks: https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showthread.php?61798-Clocks

More of the qml & plasma 5: https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showthread.php?67726-Quick-KDE-plasma-qml-widgets

Solution 2

Plasma 5.4.0 has changed the plasmoid to a horizontal format. This prevents the day from being tiny. However, it still doesn't allow full customisation of the format, so if you want the day displayed, it is extremely wide.

If you want to hack the plasmoid, you can patch /usr/share/plasma/plasmoids/org.kde.plasma.digitalclock/contents/ui/DigitalClock.qml as follows.

--- DigitalClock.qml.orig   2015-08-22 20:45:40.000000000 +1000
+++ DigitalClock.qml    2015-09-01 09:32:35.417197582 +1000
@@ -515,7 +515,7 @@

         if (main.showDate) {
             if (main.tooSmall) {
-                dateLabelLeft.text = Qt.formatDate(main.currentTime, main.dateFormat);
+                dateLabelLeft.text = Qt.formatDate(main.currentTime, "ddd d");
             } else {
                 dateLabel.text = Qt.formatDate(main.currentTime, main.dateFormat);
             }

Comments

[Peter Cordes]

Thanks, I'll have a look at this soon, and post when I get a customized copy working from my home directory.