Simple Alt+Tab

[Ace2016]

I have tried shift, ring and application switcher, i would really like a simple switcher, the problems with these are:

shift: only shows 1 title, most of the windows are hidden behind others, slow when you have lots of windows, since you have to decide if the window currently selected is what you want or not, and go to the next one if not

ring: small previews, hard to manage with lots of windows, only shows title of 1 window

application: only shows 5 window previews, cannot show lots of windows, only shows title of 1 window

I would like something like this:

http://photos8.flickr.com/10763557_0168886e5c_o.png

with the option to specify:

- background colour
- selected colour
- icon and text sizes
- number of apps to show before it scrolls the list, or max height and width
- whether to show icons or not

secondary options:

- view windows from a single application in the list, i usually have lots of gimp windows open when i do a skin, so i would like to see just gimp's windows, so just show all other windows by the current application if say super + tab is pressed instead of alt+tab

Thats it really, i would really be greatful if someone makes this, i'm really starting to miss the simple things if you know what i mean.

[Kristian]

I see your point and agree, something worth discussing is something like your screen shot, except combined with one of the other ones; a shift switcher-like animation beneath (and smaller) the list, for instance...

[pato101]

I don't want to answer your question, just to state that scale plugin is useful for what you are querying...

[Ace2016]

I see your point and agree, something worth discussing is something like your screen shot, except combined with one of the other ones; a shift switcher-like animation beneath (and smaller) the list, for instance...

i wouldn't mind it being combined with anything just as long as it is possible to just have a simple list popup in front, maybe with everything behind it becoming darker, that would be nice, the cool effects are great but after a while i felt they were too slow when all i want to do is switch apps

Also i've noticed that there is no binding option in the application switcher for no popup all workspaces, there is either all workspaces or no popup, i probably would have just used that

I don't want to answer your question, just to state that scale plugin is useful for what you are querying...

i tried using this for a while, but it doesn't really lend itself well to being used with the alt+tab combo

[pato101]

i tried using this for a while, but it doesn't really lend itself well to being used with the alt+tab combo
Don't get me wrong. I'm saying that the scale plugin (plus addons) offers the functionality you are asking for. However it is clear that the procedure is different since it is mouse-based rather than keyboard based. If you prefer the alt+tab combo way you are screwed, but I've ended up using the scale plugin far more than the alt+tab stuff - specially since I can search within the windows just typing text.

[ken.manheimer]

i also would strongly prefer a simple list-based switcher, and think the lack of it is a real mistake.

I have tried shift, ring and application switcher, i would really like a simple switcher, the problems with these are:

all of the current, fancy methods obscure two criteria most often crucial to window switching:


most-recently-used order - most of the time i shift between a few or three windows, jumping back and forth, so that the most-recently-used order is exactly what i need. (i often don't need to see the list, but sometimes need to go two or three back in the mru.)
wraparound - when shifting gears, i need to hunt through the list, and the fancy switchers specifically make it harder, not easier, to tell when you get to the end of the list and return to the beginning - because they dispose of beginning and end!


when navigating according to most-recently-used order, a list where the most recently used windows are nearer the top is exactly, precisely what you want. rings, cover-flow (shift switcher), and desktop overview (scale plugin) obscure specifically that crucial aspect.

(i also use the scale plugin, as someone else in this thread suggested. it's great when i'm shifting gears, and need to find a window that's i haven't recently used, but way different than what would serve me best when the window i want is one or two or three away in most-recently-used order.)


I would like something like this:

http://photos8.flickr.com/10763557_0168886e5c_o.png

with the option to specify:

- background colour
- selected colour
- icon and text sizes
- number of apps to show before it scrolls the list, or max height and width
- whether to show icons or not

secondary options:

- view windows from a single application in the list, i usually have lots of gimp windows open when i do a skin, so i would like to see just gimp's windows, so just show all other windows by the current application if say super + tab is pressed instead of alt+tab

Thats it really, i would really be greatful if someone makes this, i'm really starting to miss the simple things if you know what i mean.

i totally agree. in addition, i bet that the standard kwin (and probably gnome wm) switchers have ironed out the most-recently-used logistics, and could be used as models.

ken

[b0le]

Have you tried the new staticswitcher plugin? It is supposed to be a simple switcher (I'm not sure exactly what it is like, as I haven't tried it (and I don't use switchers anyways...))

[ken.manheimer]

Have you tried the new staticswitcher plugin? It is supposed to be a simple switcher (I'm not sure exactly what it is like, as I haven't tried it (and I don't use switchers anyways...))

it's not yet in my distribution's proposed-changes package, so i can't try it directly, but i can tell you how it would appear to suit my needs.


that it's static should make it a lot easier to see where i am than do the rotating-ring methods - particularly if the ordering is most-recently-used.
that it's a big popup full of pictures makes it a lot harder to read for the prevailing use case - when i'm trying to return to one of the more recently-used windows, and just need a tiny bit of confirmation about which one.
even more so for the case where i'm just trying to return to the previous window - i actually want the screen to not flash a bunch of stuff. perhaps there's a delay on posting of the window, so an immediate release after alt-tab avoids posting...


(whoops! for some reason my carriage return cause the reply to be posted - a bit more editing...)

all that said, it may be a big improvement - i'm looking forward to trying it.

(i still have to wonder why nobody is willing to create a simple switcher that uses a list with icons and window titles? is it graphics chauvinism - "if a picture is worth a thousand words, why ever use words"? lists are good in some places - eg, an application launcher, or, say, a window switcher...)

[maniac]

that it's a big popup full of pictures makes it a lot harder to read for the prevailing use case - when i'm trying to return to one of the more recently-used windows, and just need a tiny bit of confirmation about which one.

Why? You focus on the top left corner (for the first window), just as you would with a list of window titles.


even more so for the case where i'm just trying to return to the previous window - i actually want the screen to not flash a bunch of stuff. perhaps there's a delay on posting of the window, so an immediate release after alt-tab avoids posting...

There is a configurable delay ... as long as that delay is running, nothing is popping up / flashing / etc.


(i still have to wonder why nobody is willing to create a simple switcher that uses a list with icons and window titles? is it graphics chauvinism - "if a picture is worth a thousand words, why ever use words"? lists are good in some places - eg, an application launcher, or, say, a window switcher...)
Maybe because even the Kwin people are going away from that? ;)

[ken.manheimer]

Why? You focus on the top left corner (for the first window), just as you would with a list of window titles.

say you're seeking a window, and you will recognize the title. in which
presentation is it easer to find?


----------------- ----------------- -----------------
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| some window | | email | | any old window |
| | | | | |
----------------- ----------------- -----------------

----------------- ----------------- -----------------
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| the one you're | | some other | | ccsm to twiddle |
| seeking | | window | | :-) |
----------------- ----------------- -----------------

versus:

----------------------------
| 1. some window |
| 2. the one you're seeking |
| 3. email |
| 4. some other window |
| 5. any old window |
| 5. ccsm to twiddle:-) |
| |
----------------------------


in my experience, i will have a lot easier time most of the time with the
second small listing. considering that i sometimes am doing this kind of
navigation every few minutes, the second would add up to a big relief.

There is a configurable delay ... as long as that delay is running, nothing is popping up / flashing / etc.

excellent. (i would use such a setting for the Application Switcher, if i
could find it...)

Maybe because even the Kwin people are going away from that? ;)

are they actually ditching the simple-list version, or just offering some
alternatives? if the latter, then i might have the same concern. as with
the static switch, i actually need to try their new versions - but my
experience with Application, Ring, and Shift Switchers have reinforced my
feelings.