Feature request: Handle multiple windows better

[enoversum]

I really like cmdtab, simply because it just works, it's neat, small and clever. However, I'm stumped every time I have multiple windows of the same application open. This for example is my browser with two different profiles, or even with the same profile, but still multiple windows, because I'm working on something (mind you, windows, not just tabs). Or just take Explorer.

In cmdtab, there is no indication that there are multiple windows, nor does one see any indication of what they are called (i.e. open file, name of the directory in Explorer), so navigation is becoming quite a hurdle if you try to work fast. I know I can use the shortcut to toggle between windows of the same app, it's still slower and less usable than the regular Windows way of handling tasks. Would you maybe see some way of improving upon this issue?

[stianhoiland]

Hey! "Just works, neat, small, and clever." Thank you so much for the nice compliments :)

Let me see if I can get this request straight:

Indeed cmdtab does not show any indication that a running application represented by a single icon in the switcher has multiple windows. This has been an intended extra feature since day 1 (some fun code archeology), but I never got around to it.

The usage pattern that I made cmdtab for is actually heavily reliant on the switch-between-windows-of-the-same-app hotkey. I came away from using OS X's window switcher really liking that way of mentally compartmentalizing my desktop tasks--first choose the right application, then switch between its windows if its last active window isn't the one you wanted--as well as its superior overview of running applications in terms of just a row of big icons.

I almost can't imagine how you can even use cmdtab without using the switch-between-windows-of-the-same-app hotkey very often! And I don't see much that could be done to rectify this as app-first vs. window-first are simply two different interaction models, other than, say, a number on the app icon indicating additional windows. Until I get around to that, you should check out the following project that I previously endorsed, which does already have such an indicator:

MrBeanCpp's AltTaber is a very good window switcher. They have continually used cmdtab (and window-switcher) as reference and built upon it; a great example of open source. For functionality, I wholeheartedly recommend AltTaber. It is a Qt application though, so it can't get anywhere near the minimal sub-50kb size of cmdtab.

In summary:

1. You really should consider the switch-between-windows-of-the-same-app hotkey a primary interaction,
2. AltTaber has you covered and is a very well-developed and active alternative until I get around to implementing an indicator in cmdtab.

Hope that helps :)

[enoversum]

Hei på deg, @stianhoiland , I just realised you're from Norge, and especially Stavanger—one of my favourite Norwegian cities (and home to a friend and rather popular musician 😉)!

As for cmdtab, I strongly believe we have gotten used to different usage patterns. I found it to be very clever to tie the Alt + Tilde key (at least for our region and layouts, very convenient) to the window switching, and I did use it. But in my real-life usage, I found out it could not help with being able to quickly switch between apps and windows, and still knowing where I was.
I have a private-life window open in my browser, plus two work-life windows, each with some tabs. Same with Explorer windows that are in parts private, in parts related to the project I am working on. Windows’ default task switcher isn't ideal, but it is still quicker for me, albeit less elegant. I can quickly identify to which window I am switching (Alt + Tabtabtabtab), instead of having to cycle through all available windows of an app.

You're of course in no obligation whatsoever to please everyone, or anyone but yourself with your cmdtab solution. I just wanted to chime in and suggest, from a user-based experience, an improvement. I understand it's too time-consuming, and you're more or less happy with how it's working right now. Thanks for pointing me towards AltTabber, not yet sure if it suits me better, but I'll take a look.

On any account: Tusen takk for hjelpen din 😀!

[stianhoiland]

Hei på deg :)

The cleverness is not my own. cmdtab is a rather faithful imitation of the OS X/macOS window switcher, including the Alt+Tilde key functionality. This is just how OS X/macOS does it; Cmd+Tab for switching applications, Cmd+Tilde/Backtick for switching windows of the same application. Hence the name, cmdtab for Windows! (The Cmd key on Macs is basically in the same place as the Alt key on PCs.)

So it is indeed a different usage pattern. I merely imitated OS X/macOS, since I like it so much.

If you can come up with a concrete solution to your issue other than a "number of windows counter" on each icon which will be forthcoming, then let me know.

Vel bekomme :)

[enoversum]

Hei @stianhoiland ,
ah, good to know, I never used a Mac (and dislike the whole Apple ecosystem), so thanks for clearing that up. Just how you approached the whole project seemed very streamlined in a way (including your language).

I'm stumped that Macs don't display any hints on multiple windows per application, and you can't visibly identify said windows directly. In this regard, Microsoft has designed this more user-friendly in my book.

The counter would already help, which would (almost) put it on par with AltTaber. I think some kind of preview or list of window titles when my focus is on a multi-window app would help a lot, so you can see where your desired window sits. A bonus would be to see the app icon beside the preview and/or window title, as Brave's icon, for example, includes a hint on what profile you have open:

The whole point of mine is probably that I am somewhat used to keeping things tidy: I don't open up hundreds of tabs, I separate private from work (browser/Explorer) windows to be able to quickly switch to the right app instance, and I tend to open up and close private (browser) windows throughout the day, so I forget how many I have open.

Is that concrete enough? Or would you want some kind of designed layout of what those previews or this list could look like?

Edit: What makes the native Windows version so attractive is the fact that you can visibly toggle through your windows (yes, not applications, I know) and stop where you want to be, on the exact window. If this type of convenience can in some way be teleported to cmdtab, that would be a dream. (I understand the concept is different.)

[stianhoiland]

FYI, someone has made a fork of cmdtab that seems to do what you are wanting: #20. I tested their fork and I like it. I think I will use their pull request to make this an option in mainline cmdtab in the future. Thanks to @itsmaybetokyo / @2b2tplayer! When exactly I'll get around to do that I don't know. In the meantime you can download and use their fork.

Note that this fork also changes the dimensions of things: icon size, margins, etc. You may like it. I don't plan to incorporate those changes.

Here's a preview:

[itsmaybetokyo]

thanks for the shout out!

[enoversum]

FYI, someone has made a fork of cmdtab that seems to do what you are wanting: #20. I tested their fork and I like it. I think I will use their pull request to make this an option in mainline cmdtab in the future. Thanks to @itsmaybetokyo / @2b2tplayer! When exactly I'll get around to do that I don't know. In the meantime you can download and use their fork.

Note that this fork also changes the dimensions of things: icon size, margins, etc. You may like it. I don't plan to incorporate those changes.

Here's a preview:

Hell yes, that's great to hear, thanks for pointing this out. It's as smooth and minimal as it gets, but it still offers singular entries per window. Takk for det, Stian!

[enoversum]

thanks for the shout out!

@itsmaybetokyo Thanks for your fork, it does really improve cmdtab for me. Since you don't have an 'Issues' page, can I ask you here if you could improve font size handling? I am currently on a 1080p screen with 125% scaling (usually on a 4K with the same scaling), and while it fits a lot of text, the font size is tiny for me. I suppose introducing a settings menu would complicate the app.

[enoversum]

@stianhoiland I've just read halfway across your comments on contributions and your ideas of the app. Which I fully understand, not everything fits your vision.
I'm very happy with the @itsmaybetokyo version in regard to showing windows instead of just apps, it's just better for my brain. It though lacks some fixes I think you already implemented, e.g. mouse clicking. I just want to thank you again for making cmdtab, and for incorporating some more fixes/features in the last few weeks. And I'd love to encourage you to let people in and implement something like the app vs. window distinction - you could have an option for people to decide, so it won't break your workflow while allowing for a slightly different one. I have a lot of respect for handling a software project (I design websites, so mini-to-big-but-different software projects), so I absolutely respect your decisions after all :) .

Ha det bra!

[stianhoiland]

cmdtab now actually has this feature via 2062c2d, highly inspired by @itsmaybetokyo (#20) & @prechelt (#22); I just haven't rolled a release yet. I even one-upped it and implemented proper support for Alt-Tilde/Backquote for groupByApps=false. Next version will have this feature. Or you can compile yourself and get it now: Just clone the repo and make release (oh, and set groupByApp to false).

[enoversum]

@stianhoiland Well done, Stian, now I'm quite happy with how cmdtab works. Disabled window grouping and mouse accessibility is really what I was missing. Thank you so much, and consider this case closed!