Create a new version of paste:

#!/bin/bash
#if [ ! -n "$(pgrep bobHelpnotes)" ]; then echo "already running"; exit 1; fi
mkdir -p ~/Helpnotes || exit 1
[ -d ~/.config/Helpnotes ] || mkdir -p ~/.config/Helpnotes
touch ~/.config/Helpnotes/ignored_items.txt || exit 1
### NOTE: no harm if the blacklist file contains inline working notes
###  (annotation lines will never exactly match a window titlestring or process name, eh)

generate_blacklist_arr() {         #TODO  declare -A, and map
  ### advisable to also USENEVER the name of the tabbed helpviewer app
  usenever=(File Search Replace Open Save SaveAs 'Save As' 'Open As' 'Confirm Delete' \
    'Create New File' Find 'Move Folder' 'Preferences' Question yad Untitled untitled \
    Unnamed unnamed '(Unnamed)' '(unnamed)' 'Choose Font' gExec 'Run Program')
  readarray -t ignored < ~/.config/Helpnotes/ignored_items.txt
  thelist=("${usenever[@]}" "${ignored[@]}")
  #echo ${thelist[@]} ### for debugging
}

addtoblacklist_and_reload() {
  ### this fn would be called if user has, via yad dialog, elected to ignore an item
  echo "$now_win" >> ~/.config/Helpnotes/ignored_titles.txt
  exec "./bobHelpnotes"  # new program instance restarts, occupying the same PID, and re-pasrses the blacklist
}


###   NOT DYNAMICALLY FILLING-IN-THE BLANK B/C THE TITLETEXT MAY BE LOOOOOONG
  hepmetxt="  context-sensitive help is active, but no note exists yet for ______

  Below, you can copy the titletext of the ______ window
  and paste it as the name of a new cherrytree node.


  tip: to dismiss this dialog, you can ESC or click outside the dialogbox"
trainingmode_ask() {
  sez=$(yad --center --on-top --width=620 --close-on-unfocus --button="OK" --title="scusa" --text="$hepmetxt" \
      --entry --entry-text="$now_win")  ### backgrounding it causes a runaway OOM
  ###  NOTED:  The "--fullscreen" and "--maximize" args are not entirely effective, and are annoying.
  ###          The "close-on-unfocus" option is a godsend, IMO.
  echo $sez
  #  pseudocode:  if return value from the yad call is blah, then do zippity

    ### If we are passing a FILEname string (vs a NODEname, passed to cherrytree), might be 
    ### advisable (or necessary) to  preface the call with "touch ~/bobHelpnotes/$notename &&"
    ###   ========================
    ### BUT DURING DEBUGGING, UNTIL WE HAVE CREATED A WELL-POPULATED A BLACKLIST
    ### AND/OR SETUP "VALIDATION" RULES TO IGNORE e.g. pythonic endswith(' - Mozilla Firefox')
    ### THE touch WOULD RESULT IN A HELLUVA LOT OF UNWANTED JUNK FILES.
#    touch ~/Helpnotes/$notename && mousepad ~/Helpnotes/${notename}& disown
}

generate_blacklist_arr
oldwin=""
xprop -spy -root _NET_ACTIVE_WINDOW | while read -r zig; do
  ###  NOTED: a "goto workspace NN" event generates a change event.
  ###         closure of a transient (e.g "Find" dialog) window generates an event.
  ###  lxterminal: Use of NewWindow command spawns a window titled "Unnamed" yet does NOT generate an event.
  ###              When switching focus between the original and the "Unnamed", no event is detected. 
  now_win="$(xdotool getwindowfocus getwindowname)" # window titletext

  if [ "$now_win" != "$oldwin" ]; then
    shallreject=0
    for item in "${thelist[@]}"; do
      [[ $now_win == "$item" ]] && $shallreject=1
    done
    [ ! -n shallreject ] && continue # blech
    
    ### sanitize (validate, normalize) the titletext string
    #    ### trim leading // trailing space n tab chars + reduce each whitespace substring to a single space
    notename=$(echo "$now_win"|awk '{$1=$1};1')
    ###  convert punctuation chars
    notename=${notename//[^-_a-zA-Z0-9.]/_}

    #trainingmode_ask   ###   WIP   not yet implemented
    
    ###    get the PROCESS NAME associated with the currently-focused window
    echo -e "current processname: $(cat /proc/$(xdotool getwindowpid $(xdotool getwindowfocus))/comm)"

    oldwin="$now_win"
    echo -e "   raw window title: $now_win"
    echo -e "   sanitized notefile namestring:  ~/Helpnotes/$notename"
  fi        ###  The echo lines are useful FOR DEBUGGING
done