4 ms·

Tabbing between windows can be an distraction. The stack-like function of the tab mechanism does not help it either.

• sparkie 13y ago
  You should try a tiling WM in which you can switch between windows based on their location. eg, alt+{left,down,up,right}
  • jkscm 13y ago
    Any recommendations? I dived into xmonad some time ago but I never found a good and fast windows manager for OS X.
    • follower 13y ago
      There was some discussion about OS X window management options on another thread the other day: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6998309 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6998309
    • sparkie 13y ago
      I use bspwm, which has a very simple design and follows the unix philosophy quite nicely. A single daemon process which manages windows, and all configuration is done with the shell via the `bspc` command, which talks to the daemon over a socket. A separate daemon (sxhkd) is used for keybindings, and the configuration for sxhkd is just a map of keybindings (including mouse buttons) to shell commands, with a very simple DSL to allow groups of commands, and the use of the cursor position. Example from my configuration: alt + {Left,Down,Up,Right,h,j,k,l} bspc window --focus {left,down,up,right,left,down,up,right} {alt,super} + Tab bspc {window,monitor} --focus next alt + super + {Left,Down,Up,Right} bspc window --swap {left,down,up,right} super + {Left,Down,Up,Right} bspc window --edge {left,down,up,right} push super + shift + {Left,Down,Up,Right} bspc window --edge {right,up,down,left} pull super + q bspc window --kill Worth noting that bspwm treats monitors individually when using window commands, so you need a separate set to handle windows on diff monitors (unless using Xinerama). I've no idea whether it works on OSX though. 2bwm seems to be popular among OSX users, but I've not tried it.
      • jkscm 13y ago
        wow, the tiling concept looks even more flexible than the tiling in xmonad. I will definitely try this.
        • sparkie 13y ago
          I wouldn't say it's more flexible, as XMonad has all the power of Haskell behind it (+ ability to create sub layouts), and is easier to create more complicated arrangements than hacking together a bunch of bash scripts - but I think it's a good balance of flexibility:simplicity. XMonad is pretty complicated to configure even pretty basic things.
    • girvo 13y ago
      I personally use Divvy on my Mac, I needed something simple and it works perfectly for me :)
    • maxcan 13y ago
      slate
    • nthj 13y ago
      I like SizeUp a lot: http://www.irradiatedsoftware.com/sizeup/ http://www.irradiatedsoftware.com/sizeup/
• velodrome 13y ago
  Totally agree. Using a single monitor works well if you use an IDE otherwise a multi-monitor setup is better.
  • cwoac 13y ago
    Even then, IDE on one monitor; web for reference material on the other.
    • walshemj 13y ago
      For a lot of devs having a third monitor for the database IDE is very useful.
• stragulus 13y ago
  Nope..hate that too. I've been using virtual desktops since the 90's to overcome that issue. I use up to 8 vdesktops that I address absolutely by using numpad1 .. numpad8. Each number has a specific function (generic browser, email, editors, db, virtual servers, gimp, ...). Nothing generally overlaps, and switching is instantaneous.
  • rspeer 13y ago
    Assuming your window manager has some overall spatial layout of desktops, or a preview that highlights the current desktop: why not add a 9th one? Then you can arrange them in a 3x3 grid in your window manager, the same way they already are on your numpad. I do this and it gives an incredibly tactile feel to desktop management.