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Mac OS X: Sane way to switch between windows

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Re: Mac OS X: Sane way to switch between windows

#31

Post by c17r »

josefdlange wrote: post #24

I have literally never encountered this specific UX issue. Having using OS X and macOS for just about its entire fifteen year lifespan, I don't even know how or why it would happen, to be honest. The only issue I encounter here and there is if I have windows scattered across spaces and full-screen windows, switching just to the app usually picks the wrong window, and then because of the full-screen window complicatio…

Open Chrome with a single window. Minimize the window. Then try to Command-Tab to it. It'll bring Chrome to the fore-front, as your menubar will tell you, but the window stays minimized on the Dock.

Re: Mac OS X: Sane way to switch between windows

#32

Post by josefdlange »

c17r wrote: post #31
josefdlange wrote: post #24

I have literally never encountered this specific UX issue. Having using OS X and macOS for just about its entire fifteen year lifespan, I don't even know how or why it would happen, to be honest. The only issue I encounter here and there is if I have windows scattered across spaces and full-screen windows, switching just to the app usually picks the wrong window, and then because of the full-screen window complicatio…

Open Chrome with a single window. Minimize the window. Then try to Command-Tab to it. It'll bring Chrome to the fore-front, as your menubar will tell you, but the window stays minimized on the Dock.

Thanks for the info -- I think that's covered in what I describe in my edit, though likely not as directly as this. In my edit I realized that an open app with no open windows causes this behavior; a window being confined in the Dock must behave the same way.

Re: Mac OS X: Sane way to switch between windows

#33

Post by DigitalJack »

I don't know what this person is talking about... maybe it's another version of OSX. On mine, you get this effect by pushing up arrow... you don't have to stop cmd-tab or do anything else, just hit up arrow and it shows you that window. not what you want? keep going with cmd-tab.

Once you've hit up arrow, it's like a mode switch, now you are in app window switching mode. Use use tilde (on english keyboards) instead of tab, and it will switch apps in this mode.

go back to tab, and you are back to icon switch mode.

This is on 10.11.6 anyway.

Edit: Oh, and while just playing around now, it appears instead of up arrow, you can hit cmd-1. So single handed, no gyrations.

CMD-TAB to bring up the icon switcher. Hit 1 while holding CMD, switch to window switcher. Hit Tilde while holding cmd, to switch apps in window switcher.

Edit2: It has its flaws. Doesn't show "full screen" apps, doesn't seem to work if you are viewing a full screen app.

I always stick with cmd-tab anyway, and for windowing I use BetterSnapTool. OSX needs a lot of help for that.

Re: Mac OS X: Sane way to switch between windows

#34

Post by [deleted] »

josefdlange wrote: post #28
zer0defex wrote: post #2

I love all of the advanced functionality hidden just beneath OSX's user-friendly veneer. Sadly, it's been one of the first casualties in the post-Jobs Apple. Every new release of OSX along with Apple's own apps, the first thing I check is holding down the alt/option key while clicking the various menu items to see what nuggets of alternate functionality appear. Every day, every release - less and less, if any at all.…

Pressing a modifier key to see alternate options is further "down" than "just beneath"?

[deleted]

Re: Mac OS X: Sane way to switch between windows

#35

Post by etrautmann »

DigitalJack wrote: post #33

I don't know what this person is talking about... maybe it's another version of OSX. On mine, you get this effect by pushing up arrow... you don't have to stop cmd-tab or do anything else, just hit up arrow and it shows you that window. not what you want? keep going with cmd-tab. Once you've hit up arrow, it's like a mode switch, now you are in app window switching mode. Use use tilde (on english keyboards) instead o…

this is amazing, thank you. More hidden but incredibly useful features...

Re: Mac OS X: Sane way to switch between windows

#36

Post by Wevah »

evv wrote: post #26
jedmeyers wrote: post #19

[Command + `] - a very useful shortcut in OS X for switching between windows of the same application.

I wish it were so simple. Most apps implement tabs now too, so you also need to learn Cmd-Shift-[ and Cmd-Shift-] to get around with the keyboard.

I use ctrl-tab and ctrl-shift-tab. Works out of the box in Safari (and customizable for apps where it doesn't).

Re: Mac OS X: Sane way to switch between windows

#37

Post by olq »

thought_alarm wrote: post #29
nray wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Less useful on non-US keyboards, unfortunately, may require three keys in combination.

You can configure that shortcut in the Keyboard System Preferences.

Oh my god, this changes everything! CMD-tab focus to the wrong window has driven me nuts for ten years and this fixes it. I've just binded it to cmd-e since the ´´´ shortcut doesn't work on non-us keyboards

Re: Mac OS X: Sane way to switch between windows

#38

Post by rsync »

jedmeyers wrote: post #19

[Command + `] - a very useful shortcut in OS X for switching between windows of the same application.

"[Command + `] - a very useful shortcut in OS X for switching between windows of the same application."

Well, it would be a very useful shortcut if it behaved the same as Command+tab ... but it does not.

Command+tab behaves like every other "alt tab" you've ever used - no matter how far you alt-tab over, hitting alt-tab again brings you back to the just-previous application. This means you can go over to a new window and immediately toggle back and forth with alt-tab. Works great. Everyone loves it.

Commmand+tilde, however, has a totally weird memory to it - it sort of goes in a forced order, without having a memory at all, except that it (seemingly) switches directions after releasing the key combination ...

However it behaves, you can't pick two arbitrary app windows to start toggling back and forth between. If chrome window A is 5 spots over from chrome window B in "the list", you will always need to flip over 4-5 spots to toggle between them.

And that just sucks.

Re: Mac OS X: Sane way to switch between windows

#39

Post by Aaargh20318 »

blunte wrote: post #20

Steve Jobs is dead. Can we finally fix this? Or can someone convince me that the behavior we have suffered through for ages has more value than frustration?

You are used to the Windows/Linux concept of a desktop, that's all.

Look at it like this: the windows on your desktop are the things you are working on. Usually they will be documents or other kinds of content. In OSX the desktop metaphor works a little different than on Windows. In Windows a window represents an application. In OSX a window (usually) represents a piece of content, e.g. document in Pages. When you minimize a window you're not minimizing the app, you're putting a piece of content out of the way because you don't need it at the moment. Think of it like stashing something away in a place you can easily reach it if you need it. Cmd-tab doesn't switch between windows (pieces of content) but between applications.

I'd hate for this behavior to change, it would break my workflow horribly and is one of the reasons I can't stand Windows. It is perfect for multitasking. I have a lot of stuff open I don't currently need. Say I'm working on some code; I'd usually have an IDE, browser terminal, calculator and a whole bunch of text document (for note taking) open. The things I don't need I minimize. When you cmd-tab between apps you only switch between the things you're working on at that moment. Basically the whole point of minimizing is so it doesn't switch to those windows. If you need it, keep it on your desktop, thats what it is for, if you don't you close the document. Minimizing is a bit like a halfway point between that: I don't want with this document on my desktop right now but I might need it in a bit so I'll just stash it in the dock.

Re: Mac OS X: Sane way to switch between windows

#40

Post by rsync »

wodenokoto wrote: post #30
jedmeyers wrote: post #19

[Command + `] - a very useful shortcut in OS X for switching between windows of the same application.

My big grief with that is that it implements a different ordering logic than cmd+tab does. cmd+tab orders by last active application, while cmd+` orders by last window created.

... and not even that ... it changes direction every time you use it and it even very slightly reorders things in a way I still can't predict.

(see my other comment above)

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