#!/bin/sh
ticker_length=5 # words

# Echo the text the ticker should scroll over. No newlines!
init_ticker() {
    echo $(fortune | tr -d '\b\r\\' | tr -s '\n\t\v\f' ' ' | tr -s '"' "'")
}

# Cut up text for ticker tape.
gen_ticker() {
    echo $(
        echo $text | cut -d' ' -f$word_index-$((
            $word_index + $ticker_length - 1
        ))
    )
}

while true; do
    # If ticker text is empty, re-initialize text and word index. Then generate
    # ticker text.
    [ -z "$ticker_text" ] && word_index=1 && text=$(init_ticker)
    ticker_text=$(gen_ticker) && ((word_index += 1))

    # Print i3status header string.
    printf ",[{"

    # Print ticker tape JSON.
    printer "$ticker_text" "left" 250

    # Print the rest of the status string.
    echo "${line#,\[}"
    #printf "%s" $line

done