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This might be old news to you, but it took me a while to discover after I started using OS X: Cmd-Tab switches between applications (as I'm sure everyone knows

This might be old news to you, but it took me a while to discover after I started using OS X: Cmd-Tab switches between applications (as I'm sure everyone knows), but it's less useful on OS X than Ctrl-Tab is on Windows or Linux because it doesn't switch between individual windows in those applications. Cmd-Tilde (~) was the missing link for me. It switches between windows in the current application. Those two are probably the most important keyboard shortcuts I know on OS X. Plus, another endorsement for Quicksilver. That's always the first application I install, and I now find it really frustrating to use any computer that doesn't have it installed. And maybe you should set your Dock to auto-hide, so you're not so tempted to move the mouse over there to monkey with things.

thibaut_barrere 16y ago
Woa - I've been looking for cmd-tilde :) Thanks!
jaxn 16y ago
That is Cmd-` (~ would require a Shift) And after Cmd-Tab, Cmd-~ takes you backwards in the list of apps. So if you Cmd-Tab too many times, Cmd-~ takes you back instead of having to cycle through. Likewise, in Safari Cmd-} (aka Cmd-Shift-]) and Cmd-{ take you forward and backward through the tabs. This also works in Terminal. Cmd-L puts the focus on the location bar in Safari if you want to type in a URL (or tab over to the search) Quicksilver is cool, but I just use Spotlight for launching apps. Cmd-Space turns on Spotlight. If you use TextMate, I highly recommend the TextMate book from Prag Press. Those are some of my favorites.
- prawn 16y ago
  Only had a MBP for a few days (first Mac), but isn't Safari tab-cycling also via Ctrl-Tab, and Ctrl-Shift-Tab to go in reverse? At least on the laptop keyboard, involving the square brackets would necessitate a fairly long stretch, or using both hands? Being new to the Mac, I'd be happy to hear more shortcuts!
  - roryokane 16y ago
    It seems you haven’t noticed that there is a Command key both to the left and to the right of the keyboard, so Command-[ and -] are pretty easy to do one-handed if you use the Command key on the right. I think Ctrl-Tab is just there for compatibility with Windows browsers that use that as their main tab-switching shortcut.
    - prawn 16y ago
      Oops! I use my left hand for keyboard shortcuts while the right hand is occupied with the mouse so didn't even think to look for Command or Option on the right side!
  - coffeejunk 16y ago
    An interesting thing about osx shortcuts is that you can change almost all of them with system prefs -> keyboard -> keyboard shortcuts. (for programs individually and for the whole system)
mark_l_watson 16y ago
That is great! I didn't know about Cmd-~ either. Thanks!
mmorris 16y ago
Also, Cmd-Shift-Tab and Cmd-Shift-` will walk you through Apps and Windows (respectively) in the opposite direction.
bobbyi 16y ago
In OpenOffice spreadsheet, Command-Tilde toggles between it evaluating your formulas as you expect and it displaying the formulas in the cells. If you don't know this, it can be very confusing to figure out what happened after you hit Command-Tilde out of habit trying to switch windows.
gkelly 16y ago
Use Cmd-w to close windows and Cmd-q to quit applications. Also, when Cmd-Tab'ing, you can hold down Cmd and hit q to quit an application. It's a quick method for closing a lot of applications.
jonmc12 16y ago
Clipboard history is a hidden gem on Quicksilver. Just enable on Triggers, I set Shift-Ctrl-Cmd-V, and then I can use 1-9 to paste any of the 9 most recent clipboard items. I can use the mouse to select any of the most recent 250 clipboard items.
- cabacon 16y ago
  Check out jumpcut too. It has a mode to pop up a bezel where you can keyboard your way through the various copy/paste buffers you've used. I use quicksilver, but I also run jumpcut just for its paste buffers.
  - jaymcgavren 16y ago
    +1 for Jumpcut - I tried Quicksilver clipboard history and found it slowed my whole machine down. Jumpcut has really good keyboard shortcut support, too.
fdb 16y ago
I use Witch (http://manytricks.com/witch/ http://manytricks.com/witch/) which can you can setup to use alt/option-tab for window switching. This switches correctly, as in, with the same behavior as Cmd-Tab (LRU list). It is not free, but very handy.

thibaut_barrere 16y ago

Woa - I've been looking for cmd-tilde :) Thanks!

jaxn 16y ago

That is Cmd-` (~ would require a Shift) And after Cmd-Tab, Cmd-~ takes you backwards in the list of apps. So if you Cmd-Tab too many times, Cmd-~ takes you back instead of having to cycle through. Likewise, in Safari Cmd-} (aka Cmd-Shift-]) and Cmd-{ take you forward and backward through the tabs. This also works in Terminal. Cmd-L puts the focus on the location bar in Safari if you want to type in a URL (or tab over to the search) Quicksilver is cool, but I just use Spotlight for launching apps. Cmd-Space turns on Spotlight. If you use TextMate, I highly recommend the TextMate book from Prag Press. Those are some of my favorites.

prawn 16y ago
Only had a MBP for a few days (first Mac), but isn't Safari tab-cycling also via Ctrl-Tab, and Ctrl-Shift-Tab to go in reverse? At least on the laptop keyboard, involving the square brackets would necessitate a fairly long stretch, or using both hands? Being new to the Mac, I'd be happy to hear more shortcuts!
- roryokane 16y ago
  It seems you haven’t noticed that there is a Command key both to the left and to the right of the keyboard, so Command-[ and -] are pretty easy to do one-handed if you use the Command key on the right. I think Ctrl-Tab is just there for compatibility with Windows browsers that use that as their main tab-switching shortcut.
  - prawn 16y ago
    Oops! I use my left hand for keyboard shortcuts while the right hand is occupied with the mouse so didn't even think to look for Command or Option on the right side!
- coffeejunk 16y ago
  An interesting thing about osx shortcuts is that you can change almost all of them with system prefs -> keyboard -> keyboard shortcuts. (for programs individually and for the whole system)

mark_l_watson 16y ago

That is great! I didn't know about Cmd-~ either. Thanks!

mmorris 16y ago

Also, Cmd-Shift-Tab and Cmd-Shift-` will walk you through Apps and Windows (respectively) in the opposite direction.

bobbyi 16y ago

In OpenOffice spreadsheet, Command-Tilde toggles between it evaluating your formulas as you expect and it displaying the formulas in the cells. If you don't know this, it can be very confusing to figure out what happened after you hit Command-Tilde out of habit trying to switch windows.

gkelly 16y ago

Use Cmd-w to close windows and Cmd-q to quit applications. Also, when Cmd-Tab'ing, you can hold down Cmd and hit q to quit an application. It's a quick method for closing a lot of applications.

jonmc12 16y ago

Clipboard history is a hidden gem on Quicksilver. Just enable on Triggers, I set Shift-Ctrl-Cmd-V, and then I can use 1-9 to paste any of the 9 most recent clipboard items. I can use the mouse to select any of the most recent 250 clipboard items.

cabacon 16y ago
Check out jumpcut too. It has a mode to pop up a bezel where you can keyboard your way through the various copy/paste buffers you've used. I use quicksilver, but I also run jumpcut just for its paste buffers.
- jaymcgavren 16y ago
  +1 for Jumpcut - I tried Quicksilver clipboard history and found it slowed my whole machine down. Jumpcut has really good keyboard shortcut support, too.

fdb 16y ago

I use Witch (http://manytricks.com/witch/ http://manytricks.com/witch/) which can you can setup to use alt/option-tab for window switching. This switches correctly, as in, with the same behavior as Cmd-Tab (LRU list). It is not free, but very handy.