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Show HN: Switch windows of same app with hotkey (alt + `)

32 points by sigoden 5y ago

Snuupy 5y ago
Is there this exact same app but with a window image preview like alt-tab does?
yodon 5y ago
Anyone know of a roughly equivalent utility or config setting that lets one do Windows-style app-independent window switching on Macs?
- panzerboiler 5y ago
  You can find it under System Preferences > Keyboard > Shortcuts, in the Keyboard section. The shortcut name is "Move focus to next window". It will automatically cycle the windows in reverse order adding shift to the shortcut.
  - dylan604 5y ago
    Is this not something that is enabled by default on all macOS installs? Cmd + ` has been something I've used for ever. No 3rd party app required.
    - jacobmischka 5y ago
      They are looking for the exact opposite, a shortcut that will only switch between different apps. Cmd+` only switches between windows of the same app, and I believe cmd+tab switches between windows of any app.
      - dylan604 5y ago
        No, Cmd+Tab switches between apps not windows within all apps.
- beingflo 5y ago
  I use https://alt-tab-macos.netlify.app/ https://alt-tab-macos.netlify.app/ Without it alt-tabbing is near useless for me on macOS.
  - dylan604 5y ago
    How is alt-tabbing near useless? I find it quite easy/simple. The fact that I often have my left hand on the keyboard and my right hand on the mouse makes it even easier with a quick cmd-tab while leaving the cmd key pressed so that I can mouse click the app icon I want directly without mulitple cmd-tab clicks to cycle to what I want very convenient.
    - southerntofu 5y ago
      > How is alt-tabbing near useless? I think the parent refers to MacOS/Gnome treating alt-tab as a "switch program" shortcut, not a "switch window" shortcut. I find it very convenient to press "alt-tab" to go to the previously-focused window, or "alt-tab-tab" to the even-previously focused window. It's much easier for me to think in terms of context switches (go back to my N-previous activity) than have to consciously evaluate whether i want to switch window of the same app or switch app.
      - dylan604 5y ago
        >i want to switch window of the same app or switch app. That sounds like a total nightmare to have the same keyboard shortcut do 2 different things. Cmd-Tab switches app, Cmd-` switches windows in an app. I just don't understand how that is difficult. Then again, some people find math hard, others find it easy. To each their own.
        southerntofu 5y ago
        > I just don't understand how that is difficult. It's not difficult, but why do they make it difficult to "just go to the previous window", whose default shortcut was alt-tab on almost all systems (windows + gnome + kde)? Maybe you have a specific workflow with a specific set of apps you use in a specific order in which case your brain is hard-wired to know whether you'd like to switch app or window within an app. I personally find it much easier when i don't have to think about it and can just "go back" to what i was doing previously.
- spiffytech 5y ago
  I use Contexts ( https://contexts.co/ https://contexts.co/ ) which works great. You get per-window switching, with the normal picker modal (so you bring only your desired window to the front, and not every window you cycle through like Cmd-`). As a bonus, Contexts has an option to only choose from windows on your current "space", which is really important for me.
dotancohen 5y ago
Seeing tools like this make me so glad that I use KDE. I'm sure that Windows is great for developers, developers, developers but as an end user I want something comfortable yet configurable, that looks nice too.
ComputerGuru 5y ago
Nice work! I’ve shared an equivalent with HN as well: https://neosmart.net/blog/2017/easy-window-switcher/ https://neosmart.net/blog/2017/easy-window-switcher/ The hardest part for me was getting it to work on all the keyboard layouts, but that seems to be done with an update we released a couple of weeks ago.
msoad 5y ago
FYI in macOS you can do this using ⌘ + ` I'm assuming most of you know this but just in case
- dijonman2 5y ago
  I’ve been using a third party piece of software called witch from many tricks to do window switching! Wasn’t aware this is natively supported in OSX, and doesn’t seem to be working.
- ollifi 5y ago
  Does not work in all keyboard layouts though. One more reason to use US layout.
  - spicybright 5y ago
    Surely you can re-map it though.
    - jen20 5y ago
      You can remap it in system preferences. For a UK keyboard it makes the most sense to map it to “section” which is directly above tab.
      - samwillis 5y ago
        I map that key (without Cmd) to Escape on my Touch Bar MacBook... The best, yet should be unnecessary, key map tweak.
        drcongo 5y ago
        I did that on my old TouchBar Mac too, life saving. As soon as they brought out one with an escape key I replaced it. And again when the new ones came out with no TouchBar at all. What a farce the TouchBar was.
        spicybright 5y ago
zelphirkalt 5y ago
I do not understand. What does this add, that my desktop environment does not already provide? Why should I download and use this instead? Most desktop environments I know already allow me to set a key binding for this task.
- jacobmischka 5y ago
  This is for Windows, I don't use Windows often but last I checked this wasn't built into the OS.
- NaN1352 5y ago
  I think it adds the thumbnails? I’m puzzled as well, gotta admit even after switching to Mac Mini last year, from Ubuntu & Windows, I didn’t even pay attention to that. On the other hand, the Win + (number) shortcuts I can’t live without and there are very few solutions on macOS which surprises me, because those min/max/switch shortcuts ate incredibly simple and intuitive.
marcodiego 5y ago
The first time I remember something like this on linux was on Ubuntu's Unity in 2012. It is also the default on Ubuntu 20.04, so I think it was enabled the whole time for the last 10 years. Anyone knows if KDE also does that and, if yes, since when?
- neilsimp1 5y ago
  I just tried on Plasma 5.24.2 and yes, it seems this is a feature. I'm happy this exists, I never knew about it.
rtlfe 5y ago
Nice! If you can also make alt+tab select apps instead of all windows, I might try using Windows again.
odiroot 5y ago
This is already a thing on KDE Plasma.
cpach 5y ago
Which operating system is this intended for?
- Jtsummers 5y ago
  Windows is my guess, based on the source.
frutiger 5y ago
Classic win32 programming mistake on this line: https://github.com/sigoden/windows-switcher/blob/f2088e7f05a63deeb712393e7c64d0bfa9e428fd/src/app.rs#L98 https://github.com/sigoden/windows-switcher/blob/f2088e7f05a.... `GetMessage` can return a negative value when there is an error but before the program is quitting, see https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/api/winuser/nf-winuser-getmessage https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/api/winuser/n....
jtreminio 5y ago
Shortcuts being CTRL-dependent on Windows is _the_ main reason I do not use it on any of my machines. MacOS' ⌘-dependent (CMD?) shortcuts are much more ergonomic. I use my thumb to trigger shortcuts, vs on Windows having to use my pinky's knuckle. On Linux you can emulate this same behavior by switching ctrl/alt/win keys (gnome-tweaks has this option). One thing I am unable to emulate, however, is ALT+left/right arrow for home/end.
- WalterGR 5y ago
  You can swap keys on Windows too. So, hooray! You can use Windows on any of your machines!

32 points by sigoden 5y ago

Is there this exact same app but with a window image preview like alt-tab does?

Anyone know of a roughly equivalent utility or config setting that lets one do Windows-style app-independent window switching on Macs?

panzerboiler 5y ago
You can find it under System Preferences > Keyboard > Shortcuts, in the Keyboard section. The shortcut name is "Move focus to next window". It will automatically cycle the windows in reverse order adding shift to the shortcut.
- dylan604 5y ago
  Is this not something that is enabled by default on all macOS installs? Cmd + ` has been something I've used for ever. No 3rd party app required.
  - jacobmischka 5y ago
    They are looking for the exact opposite, a shortcut that will only switch between different apps. Cmd+` only switches between windows of the same app, and I believe cmd+tab switches between windows of any app.
    - dylan604 5y ago
      No, Cmd+Tab switches between apps not windows within all apps.
beingflo 5y ago
I use https://alt-tab-macos.netlify.app/ https://alt-tab-macos.netlify.app/ Without it alt-tabbing is near useless for me on macOS.
- dylan604 5y ago
  How is alt-tabbing near useless? I find it quite easy/simple. The fact that I often have my left hand on the keyboard and my right hand on the mouse makes it even easier with a quick cmd-tab while leaving the cmd key pressed so that I can mouse click the app icon I want directly without mulitple cmd-tab clicks to cycle to what I want very convenient.
  - southerntofu 5y ago
    > How is alt-tabbing near useless? I think the parent refers to MacOS/Gnome treating alt-tab as a "switch program" shortcut, not a "switch window" shortcut. I find it very convenient to press "alt-tab" to go to the previously-focused window, or "alt-tab-tab" to the even-previously focused window. It's much easier for me to think in terms of context switches (go back to my N-previous activity) than have to consciously evaluate whether i want to switch window of the same app or switch app.
    - dylan604 5y ago
      >i want to switch window of the same app or switch app. That sounds like a total nightmare to have the same keyboard shortcut do 2 different things. Cmd-Tab switches app, Cmd-` switches windows in an app. I just don't understand how that is difficult. Then again, some people find math hard, others find it easy. To each their own.
      - southerntofu 5y ago
        > I just don't understand how that is difficult. It's not difficult, but why do they make it difficult to "just go to the previous window", whose default shortcut was alt-tab on almost all systems (windows + gnome + kde)? Maybe you have a specific workflow with a specific set of apps you use in a specific order in which case your brain is hard-wired to know whether you'd like to switch app or window within an app. I personally find it much easier when i don't have to think about it and can just "go back" to what i was doing previously.
spiffytech 5y ago
I use Contexts ( https://contexts.co/ https://contexts.co/ ) which works great. You get per-window switching, with the normal picker modal (so you bring only your desired window to the front, and not every window you cycle through like Cmd-`). As a bonus, Contexts has an option to only choose from windows on your current "space", which is really important for me.

dotancohen 5y ago

Seeing tools like this make me so glad that I use KDE. I'm sure that Windows is great for developers, developers, developers but as an end user I want something comfortable yet configurable, that looks nice too.

ComputerGuru 5y ago

Nice work! I’ve shared an equivalent with HN as well: https://neosmart.net/blog/2017/easy-window-switcher/ https://neosmart.net/blog/2017/easy-window-switcher/ The hardest part for me was getting it to work on all the keyboard layouts, but that seems to be done with an update we released a couple of weeks ago.

msoad 5y ago

FYI in macOS you can do this using ⌘ + ` I'm assuming most of you know this but just in case

dijonman2 5y ago
I’ve been using a third party piece of software called witch from many tricks to do window switching! Wasn’t aware this is natively supported in OSX, and doesn’t seem to be working.
ollifi 5y ago
Does not work in all keyboard layouts though. One more reason to use US layout.
- spicybright 5y ago
  Surely you can re-map it though.
  - jen20 5y ago
    You can remap it in system preferences. For a UK keyboard it makes the most sense to map it to “section” which is directly above tab.
    - samwillis 5y ago
      I map that key (without Cmd) to Escape on my Touch Bar MacBook... The best, yet should be unnecessary, key map tweak.
      - drcongo 5y ago
        I did that on my old TouchBar Mac too, life saving. As soon as they brought out one with an escape key I replaced it. And again when the new ones came out with no TouchBar at all. What a farce the TouchBar was.
      - spicybright 5y ago

zelphirkalt 5y ago

I do not understand. What does this add, that my desktop environment does not already provide? Why should I download and use this instead? Most desktop environments I know already allow me to set a key binding for this task.

jacobmischka 5y ago
This is for Windows, I don't use Windows often but last I checked this wasn't built into the OS.
NaN1352 5y ago
I think it adds the thumbnails? I’m puzzled as well, gotta admit even after switching to Mac Mini last year, from Ubuntu & Windows, I didn’t even pay attention to that. On the other hand, the Win + (number) shortcuts I can’t live without and there are very few solutions on macOS which surprises me, because those min/max/switch shortcuts ate incredibly simple and intuitive.

marcodiego 5y ago

The first time I remember something like this on linux was on Ubuntu's Unity in 2012. It is also the default on Ubuntu 20.04, so I think it was enabled the whole time for the last 10 years. Anyone knows if KDE also does that and, if yes, since when?

neilsimp1 5y ago
I just tried on Plasma 5.24.2 and yes, it seems this is a feature. I'm happy this exists, I never knew about it.

rtlfe 5y ago

Nice! If you can also make alt+tab select apps instead of all windows, I might try using Windows again.

odiroot 5y ago

This is already a thing on KDE Plasma.

cpach 5y ago

Which operating system is this intended for?

Jtsummers 5y ago
Windows is my guess, based on the source.

frutiger 5y ago

Classic win32 programming mistake on this line: https://github.com/sigoden/windows-switcher/blob/f2088e7f05a63deeb712393e7c64d0bfa9e428fd/src/app.rs#L98 https://github.com/sigoden/windows-switcher/blob/f2088e7f05a.... `GetMessage` can return a negative value when there is an error but before the program is quitting, see https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/api/winuser/nf-winuser-getmessage https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/api/winuser/n....

jtreminio 5y ago

Shortcuts being CTRL-dependent on Windows is _the_ main reason I do not use it on any of my machines. MacOS' ⌘-dependent (CMD?) shortcuts are much more ergonomic. I use my thumb to trigger shortcuts, vs on Windows having to use my pinky's knuckle. On Linux you can emulate this same behavior by switching ctrl/alt/win keys (gnome-tweaks has this option). One thing I am unable to emulate, however, is ALT+left/right arrow for home/end.

WalterGR 5y ago
You can swap keys on Windows too. So, hooray! You can use Windows on any of your machines!