7 ms·

Please, for the love of god, add native window snapping.

by webkike 3y ago

oidar 3y ago
I use the open source system tray app Rectangle for this.
- rPlayer6554 3y ago
  I work in an environment where they won't let me download any applications like this!
  - ellisv 3y ago
    That, to me, seems like an employment problem.
- thfuran 3y ago
  Yeah, there are some third party addons, but the built in window management is appallingly primitive. It’s just bad.
  - capableweb 3y ago
    Isn't that basically why you get Apple stuff in the first place, to have primitive but well-working things? They're not exactly famous for catering to professionals or people who want a customized experience.
    - mvdtnz 3y ago
      No that is not "basically why you get Apple stuff in the first place". I have never in my life seen either Apple or its fan base market their products this way. That is a post hoc rationalisation for their operating system missing quite a basic feature.
      - capableweb 3y ago
        Really? "It just works" isn't something you've ever heard from someone who uses Apple products? Or "I might not be able to change X, but at least I know what's there works well"?
        thfuran 3y ago
        But it doesn't work. It isn't present. There's basically no window management.
        capableweb 3y ago
        I mean, it is present. Just because it's not as advanced as you'd like it to be, doesn't mean it's not there. You can move windows, you can cycle between different active windows, you can minimize windows and so on. That's window management. Yes, super basic, but so is most features of Apple software. Simple, basic and without customization, just like how many Apple users like their software.
        Affric 3y ago
        Stage manager was a mistake.
        zapzupnz 3y ago
        Uh, Mission Control, formerly Exposé? Spaces? Full screen windows? The tiling shortcuts that appear when you hover the green window button? If you don't use them, that's fine, but they do exist and they are well-used.
        mvdtnz 3y ago
        What does "It just works" have to do with "primitive" (your word) things? Besides, when was the last time Apple even used that turn of phrase?
    - philistine 3y ago
      > They're not exactly famous for catering to professionals If Mac OS wasn't famous for catering to professionals for a full decade, there would not be any Apple Computers inc. Of course the point still stands that Apple is famous nowadays for its phones, but macOS is still seen by many as the golden standard in window management. That it achieves its reputation without window snapping is a detail.
      - riddley 3y ago
        I can only assume the people who find it to be the gold standard have never used any other window manager and/or have very low requirements/APM.
- Obscurity4340 3y ago
  Is it like Grid or whatever?
  - jamie_ca 3y ago
    It supports halves (horizontal/vertical), thirds (vertical), quarters (vertical or 2x2), and sixths (3x2), plus some variations (move to edge, "almost maximize", bigger, smaller, etc). Also supports variations on those, eg. "middle two quarters" or "right two thirds" if that's your thing. I have an ultrawide external display, and keyboard shortcuts to quickly tile two or three windows at once is where it's at, though it also supports dragging the window to an edge for various snap effects.
    - Obscurity4340 3y ago
      Installed ;)
- 2big2fail_47 3y ago
  Can confirm Rectangle works really well and consumes close to none ram or cpu. You can even disable it from the menu bar so it feels very native
notesinthefield 3y ago
I moved from Fedora to MacOS a few months ago and its unbelievable the shortcuts apple added to make window management bearable and even still, it is impossible without an add-on. I refuse to believe anyone at apple thinks it is okay and is able to actually work at all.
- thiht 3y ago
  Rectangle is one of the first things I always install when on a Mac... and yet I never use it anymore. I remember using it a lot on Windows, but since I've switched to macOS I think I've migrated entirely to their Mission Control way of handling windows. I'm not sure why but I very rarely need to have 2 windows side by side anymore, maybe because I can just three-finger swipe to compare windows. I still think Rectangle should be integrated as a native feature, but I think I understand why it's not.
- kstrauser 3y ago
  This bugged me when I first switched, too. I highly recommend going with the flow and doing it the Apple way for a while. I was frustrated at trying and failing to make my Mac act just like Linux. It's bad at that.
- LinkMain4224 3y ago
  I did the same transition because my work gave me a m1, cannot stress how good vanilla gnome is and how lackluster is macos desktop. 1. When opening 'mission control' in gnome, all the windows have the application icon at the bottom, it's easier to find what I am searching for. In macos I have to scan every window for the content I am looking. 2. If I don't find an app in 'mission control' in gnome I can just type and open it very quickly. In macos you need to close mission control and then open spotlight. 3. In gnome it's possible to close applications from 'mission control'. In macos if I want to clean up the space I have to go window by window. 4. Mission control arrangement sucks, sometimes windows overlap, position changes randomly. 5. In gnome, when moving a maximized window it resizes to a smaller size so you can easily interact with the windows behind (drag a file or whatever). Those are the ones on the top of my head. It really kills my productivity and make me wonder if macos is worth the pain. Yes, it comes with lot of very polished applications but most of the time I am just using the basics.
phforms 3y ago
I’ve been using Rectangle Pro for more than a year now and it works pretty great. However, I found that I don’t actually use snapping that much (maybe I’m just not used to it). My most used features is actually the move and resize modifier keys, which let me drag/resize a window without having to go through the pain (more or less, depending on the window clutter) of having to move my mouse to that small area where I can do that. Seriously, it’s been such a game changer for me that I wish Apple would make this a built-in feature.
marssaxman 3y ago
What does "native window snapping" mean?
- tqkxzugoaupvwqr 3y ago
  Not having to install apps like Rectangle to snap windows into desired areas. [1] https://rectangleapp.com https://rectangleapp.com
  - marssaxman 3y ago
    Huh! People's preferences really do vary. Thanks for the reference.
evan_ 3y ago
Just because you don't want to have to install a thing, or is there something that native support would be able to do that third-party apps can't?
- yunohn 3y ago
  Currently, snapped windows jump around Spaces and resize for every monitor connection/resolution change. It’s incredibly frustrating to not have any consistent behavior. 3P apps can’t solve this as there is no public API for managing windows with Spaces. Of course, the native window manager could solve this…
CharlesW 3y ago
> Please, for the love of god, add native window snapping. macOS has had built-in “window snapping” since 2015. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204948 https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204948 And if/when you need more advanced window management, there’s a plethora of free and paid options.
- Insanity 3y ago
  That is not remotely as powerful as actual window snapping and feels more like what a tablet OS would need rather than a desktop OS.
  - CharlesW 3y ago
    > That is not remotely as powerful as actual window snapping… I assume because that type of advanced window management is a poor default for a mainstream audience. Happily, there are great options for this. My preference right now is Raycast's Window Management extension. https://www.raycast.com/extensions/window-management https://www.raycast.com/extensions/window-management
    - Insanity 3y ago
      I agree to a certain extent, but I see people regularly using the 4 corner window snapping in Windows. Especially as 1440p and 4k monitors gain adoption.
      - CharlesW 3y ago
        Fair enough, although I can hear the future complaints about Apple "Sherlocking" Magnet already. :^)
    - webkike 3y ago
      Windows has supported window snapping for years. It has been the mainstream default for years
whalesalad 3y ago
I use sizeup. Small price to pay for great keyboard shortcuts to manage windows. https://www.irradiatedsoftware.com/sizeup/ https://www.irradiatedsoftware.com/sizeup/ after spending the last 2 months on desktop linux full time - I'd rather pay $12 and use macos than pay nothing and have a worse open source experience.
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
chatmasta 3y ago
By some miracle, the seven-year old version of Slate continues to work with each new macOS update. I'm dreading the day that breaks, although I'm also worried about security vulnerabilities that might exist in it already.

Please, for the love of god, add native window snapping.

oidar 3y ago

I use the open source system tray app Rectangle for this.

rPlayer6554 3y ago
I work in an environment where they won't let me download any applications like this!
- ellisv 3y ago
  That, to me, seems like an employment problem.
thfuran 3y ago
Yeah, there are some third party addons, but the built in window management is appallingly primitive. It’s just bad.
- capableweb 3y ago
  Isn't that basically why you get Apple stuff in the first place, to have primitive but well-working things? They're not exactly famous for catering to professionals or people who want a customized experience.
  - mvdtnz 3y ago
    No that is not "basically why you get Apple stuff in the first place". I have never in my life seen either Apple or its fan base market their products this way. That is a post hoc rationalisation for their operating system missing quite a basic feature.
    - capableweb 3y ago
      Really? "It just works" isn't something you've ever heard from someone who uses Apple products? Or "I might not be able to change X, but at least I know what's there works well"?
      - thfuran 3y ago
        But it doesn't work. It isn't present. There's basically no window management.
        capableweb 3y ago
        I mean, it is present. Just because it's not as advanced as you'd like it to be, doesn't mean it's not there. You can move windows, you can cycle between different active windows, you can minimize windows and so on. That's window management. Yes, super basic, but so is most features of Apple software. Simple, basic and without customization, just like how many Apple users like their software.
        Affric 3y ago
        Stage manager was a mistake.
        zapzupnz 3y ago
        Uh, Mission Control, formerly Exposé? Spaces? Full screen windows? The tiling shortcuts that appear when you hover the green window button? If you don't use them, that's fine, but they do exist and they are well-used.
      - mvdtnz 3y ago
        What does "It just works" have to do with "primitive" (your word) things? Besides, when was the last time Apple even used that turn of phrase?
  - philistine 3y ago
    > They're not exactly famous for catering to professionals If Mac OS wasn't famous for catering to professionals for a full decade, there would not be any Apple Computers inc. Of course the point still stands that Apple is famous nowadays for its phones, but macOS is still seen by many as the golden standard in window management. That it achieves its reputation without window snapping is a detail.
    - riddley 3y ago
      I can only assume the people who find it to be the gold standard have never used any other window manager and/or have very low requirements/APM.
Obscurity4340 3y ago
Is it like Grid or whatever?
- jamie_ca 3y ago
  It supports halves (horizontal/vertical), thirds (vertical), quarters (vertical or 2x2), and sixths (3x2), plus some variations (move to edge, "almost maximize", bigger, smaller, etc). Also supports variations on those, eg. "middle two quarters" or "right two thirds" if that's your thing. I have an ultrawide external display, and keyboard shortcuts to quickly tile two or three windows at once is where it's at, though it also supports dragging the window to an edge for various snap effects.
  - Obscurity4340 3y ago
    Installed ;)
2big2fail_47 3y ago
Can confirm Rectangle works really well and consumes close to none ram or cpu. You can even disable it from the menu bar so it feels very native

notesinthefield 3y ago

I moved from Fedora to MacOS a few months ago and its unbelievable the shortcuts apple added to make window management bearable and even still, it is impossible without an add-on. I refuse to believe anyone at apple thinks it is okay and is able to actually work at all.

thiht 3y ago
Rectangle is one of the first things I always install when on a Mac... and yet I never use it anymore. I remember using it a lot on Windows, but since I've switched to macOS I think I've migrated entirely to their Mission Control way of handling windows. I'm not sure why but I very rarely need to have 2 windows side by side anymore, maybe because I can just three-finger swipe to compare windows. I still think Rectangle should be integrated as a native feature, but I think I understand why it's not.
kstrauser 3y ago
This bugged me when I first switched, too. I highly recommend going with the flow and doing it the Apple way for a while. I was frustrated at trying and failing to make my Mac act just like Linux. It's bad at that.
LinkMain4224 3y ago
I did the same transition because my work gave me a m1, cannot stress how good vanilla gnome is and how lackluster is macos desktop. 1. When opening 'mission control' in gnome, all the windows have the application icon at the bottom, it's easier to find what I am searching for. In macos I have to scan every window for the content I am looking. 2. If I don't find an app in 'mission control' in gnome I can just type and open it very quickly. In macos you need to close mission control and then open spotlight. 3. In gnome it's possible to close applications from 'mission control'. In macos if I want to clean up the space I have to go window by window. 4. Mission control arrangement sucks, sometimes windows overlap, position changes randomly. 5. In gnome, when moving a maximized window it resizes to a smaller size so you can easily interact with the windows behind (drag a file or whatever). Those are the ones on the top of my head. It really kills my productivity and make me wonder if macos is worth the pain. Yes, it comes with lot of very polished applications but most of the time I am just using the basics.

phforms 3y ago

I’ve been using Rectangle Pro for more than a year now and it works pretty great. However, I found that I don’t actually use snapping that much (maybe I’m just not used to it). My most used features is actually the move and resize modifier keys, which let me drag/resize a window without having to go through the pain (more or less, depending on the window clutter) of having to move my mouse to that small area where I can do that. Seriously, it’s been such a game changer for me that I wish Apple would make this a built-in feature.

marssaxman 3y ago

What does "native window snapping" mean?

tqkxzugoaupvwqr 3y ago
Not having to install apps like Rectangle to snap windows into desired areas. [1] https://rectangleapp.com https://rectangleapp.com
- marssaxman 3y ago
  Huh! People's preferences really do vary. Thanks for the reference.

evan_ 3y ago

Just because you don't want to have to install a thing, or is there something that native support would be able to do that third-party apps can't?

yunohn 3y ago
Currently, snapped windows jump around Spaces and resize for every monitor connection/resolution change. It’s incredibly frustrating to not have any consistent behavior. 3P apps can’t solve this as there is no public API for managing windows with Spaces. Of course, the native window manager could solve this…

CharlesW 3y ago

> Please, for the love of god, add native window snapping. macOS has had built-in “window snapping” since 2015. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204948 https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204948 And if/when you need more advanced window management, there’s a plethora of free and paid options.

Insanity 3y ago
That is not remotely as powerful as actual window snapping and feels more like what a tablet OS would need rather than a desktop OS.
- CharlesW 3y ago
  > That is not remotely as powerful as actual window snapping… I assume because that type of advanced window management is a poor default for a mainstream audience. Happily, there are great options for this. My preference right now is Raycast's Window Management extension. https://www.raycast.com/extensions/window-management https://www.raycast.com/extensions/window-management
  - Insanity 3y ago
    I agree to a certain extent, but I see people regularly using the 4 corner window snapping in Windows. Especially as 1440p and 4k monitors gain adoption.
    - CharlesW 3y ago
      Fair enough, although I can hear the future complaints about Apple "Sherlocking" Magnet already. :^)
  - webkike 3y ago
    Windows has supported window snapping for years. It has been the mainstream default for years

whalesalad 3y ago

I use sizeup. Small price to pay for great keyboard shortcuts to manage windows. https://www.irradiatedsoftware.com/sizeup/ https://www.irradiatedsoftware.com/sizeup/ after spending the last 2 months on desktop linux full time - I'd rather pay $12 and use macos than pay nothing and have a worse open source experience.

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

chatmasta 3y ago

By some miracle, the seven-year old version of Slate continues to work with each new macOS update. I'm dreading the day that breaks, although I'm also worried about security vulnerabilities that might exist in it already.