Does Apple's window switching inside a program exist in Windows?
March 4, 2013 2:58 PM Subscribe
My job requires me to use a program in apple. I need to visually compare drafts of some of the work, and because of the nature of the work the differences are often tiny. Mac's have in-application window switching (through the command key + (1-9)) that makes this very easy. Apparently soon we're switching to windows machines. Is there any way to replicate this on windows 7?
I've been looking at Autohotkey, and I could use commands like "WinMaximize" and script those to ctrl + (1-9) easily if the window's titles were ever the same, however they will vary from project to project. Any other third party ways to do this? I don't mind paying for a program if it's not too expensive, but freeware would be nice. It should be assumed that I can't get the people who've originally programmed this program to be nice and help in any way. Thanks.
I've been looking at Autohotkey, and I could use commands like "WinMaximize" and script those to ctrl + (1-9) easily if the window's titles were ever the same, however they will vary from project to project. Any other third party ways to do this? I don't mind paying for a program if it's not too expensive, but freeware would be nice. It should be assumed that I can't get the people who've originally programmed this program to be nice and help in any way. Thanks.
In windows, ctrl-tab switches open docs within the same application.
posted by homodachi at 3:12 PM on March 4, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by homodachi at 3:12 PM on March 4, 2013 [3 favorites]
It's a bit of extra work to set up each time, but you can have Autohotkey step through all open windows and ask you "Is this the window for ctrl-1" or "Enter the number for this window".
For an example of what I mean, check out the "Initialization" section of this Eve Online mining bot
posted by Phssthpok at 3:13 PM on March 4, 2013
For an example of what I mean, check out the "Initialization" section of this Eve Online mining bot
posted by Phssthpok at 3:13 PM on March 4, 2013
I think it does what you want already.
Ctrl+Tab switches tabs/windows inside an application just like Alt+Tab switches between applications.
Ctrl+# switches to the #th tab/window in many programs (not sure if this is true in 100% of Windows programs). [Ctrl+1 = 1st tab, etc]
posted by wildcrdj at 4:04 PM on March 4, 2013 [2 favorites]
Ctrl+Tab switches tabs/windows inside an application just like Alt+Tab switches between applications.
Ctrl+# switches to the #th tab/window in many programs (not sure if this is true in 100% of Windows programs). [Ctrl+1 = 1st tab, etc]
posted by wildcrdj at 4:04 PM on March 4, 2013 [2 favorites]
This is application defined in Windows apps as it is on the Mac. If you're using the same program in Windows as you are on the Mac, the developers probably defined the same shortcut using the control key instead of the command key.
Otherwise, Ctrl+Tab is pretty universally supported. In most modern applications (Excel, Chrome, etc.), you can use Ctrl+Pg Up and Ctrl+Pg Down to navigate between tabs.
posted by zixyer at 4:28 PM on March 4, 2013
Otherwise, Ctrl+Tab is pretty universally supported. In most modern applications (Excel, Chrome, etc.), you can use Ctrl+Pg Up and Ctrl+Pg Down to navigate between tabs.
posted by zixyer at 4:28 PM on March 4, 2013
Response by poster: Right I know about ctrl+tab, the issue becomes when I have 6 windows open and want to switch between 2, 4, and 5 for example. I forgot to mention that it's actually a linux program which runs in X11, which supports the specific window switching. The linux virtual machine we're using in Windows doesn't have a programmed method like you mentioned zixyer, nor does the linux program inherently.
posted by DynamiteToast at 4:47 PM on March 4, 2013
posted by DynamiteToast at 4:47 PM on March 4, 2013
If you're running Windows 7 or 8, Win+(1-9) will correspond to pinned / open applications on the taskbar. Repeatedly hitting Win+# will cycle between open windows of the respective application. Drag running / pinned applications on the taskbar to switch their order.
posted by dobi at 4:53 PM on March 4, 2013
posted by dobi at 4:53 PM on March 4, 2013
Ah, X11. You could run the program in a configurable window manager like FVWM2, but the amount of time it would take to configure makes buying an extra monitor look appealing by comparison.
posted by Phssthpok at 4:54 PM on March 4, 2013
posted by Phssthpok at 4:54 PM on March 4, 2013
I'm guessing this is a multiple document interface application? Does the program have a "Window" menu? Try pressing Alt+W (to open the Window menu), and then press a number key to switch between windows in the application with the keyboard. It might do what you want.
posted by zixyer at 4:57 PM on March 4, 2013
posted by zixyer at 4:57 PM on March 4, 2013
Windows 8 uses windows key + number to switch as per mac
posted by mattoxic at 5:51 PM on March 4, 2013
posted by mattoxic at 5:51 PM on March 4, 2013
FYI, if you're having trouble searching for this function in help docs and/or Google, use "Mac OS X" which is the name of the operating system (not "Apple").
posted by These Birds of a Feather at 5:52 PM on March 4, 2013
posted by These Birds of a Feather at 5:52 PM on March 4, 2013
Right I know about ctrl+tab, the issue becomes when I have 6 windows open and want to switch between 2, 4, and 5 for example.
Windows' alt-tab and ctrl-tab both use MRU behavior. So if you last looked at windows 2, 4, and 5, it will cycle forward and backward through those three (though it takes some getting used to when you need to let up on the ctrl-key to get exactly the sequence you want).
I forgot to mention that it's actually a linux program which runs in X11, which supports the specific window switching.
Something about this doesn't make sense - If you run it under X, the behavior should depend on your X server, not Apple vs Windows default key bindings.
Perhaps you want an X server for Windows that behaves substantially like the "real" one you get with OS-X? In which case - You can actually get quite a few "real" X servers for a Windows environment these days.
posted by pla at 5:53 PM on March 4, 2013
Windows' alt-tab and ctrl-tab both use MRU behavior. So if you last looked at windows 2, 4, and 5, it will cycle forward and backward through those three (though it takes some getting used to when you need to let up on the ctrl-key to get exactly the sequence you want).
I forgot to mention that it's actually a linux program which runs in X11, which supports the specific window switching.
Something about this doesn't make sense - If you run it under X, the behavior should depend on your X server, not Apple vs Windows default key bindings.
Perhaps you want an X server for Windows that behaves substantially like the "real" one you get with OS-X? In which case - You can actually get quite a few "real" X servers for a Windows environment these days.
posted by pla at 5:53 PM on March 4, 2013
If you were to run two (or three) instances of the X server, with one copy of the app per, then you could treat them as if they are separate Windows tasks, and alt-tab should switch between them.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 6:02 PM on March 4, 2013
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 6:02 PM on March 4, 2013
So you need to know if Linux has a command key for this since you stated its a Linux virtual machine.
posted by majortom1981 at 4:30 AM on March 5, 2013
posted by majortom1981 at 4:30 AM on March 5, 2013
Response by poster: I'm guessing this is a multiple document interface application? Does the program have a "Window" menu? Try pressing Alt+W (to open the Window menu), and then press a number key to switch between windows in the application with the keyboard. It might do what you want.
We haven't switched over to Windows yet so it's hard to say, but I don't think the program has a Window menu. I'll check though.
Windows' alt-tab and ctrl-tab both use MRU behavior. So if you last looked at windows 2, 4, and 5, it will cycle forward and backward through those three (though it takes some getting used to when you need to let up on the ctrl-key to get exactly the sequence you want).
I didn't realize that, that might be good enough...
So you need to know if Linux has a command key for this since you stated its a Linux virtual machine.
Yah I'm not sure. As my frequent bungling of a few terms may have tipped off I'm not entirely knowledgeable on what I'm talking about.
posted by DynamiteToast at 7:44 AM on March 5, 2013
We haven't switched over to Windows yet so it's hard to say, but I don't think the program has a Window menu. I'll check though.
Windows' alt-tab and ctrl-tab both use MRU behavior. So if you last looked at windows 2, 4, and 5, it will cycle forward and backward through those three (though it takes some getting used to when you need to let up on the ctrl-key to get exactly the sequence you want).
I didn't realize that, that might be good enough...
So you need to know if Linux has a command key for this since you stated its a Linux virtual machine.
Yah I'm not sure. As my frequent bungling of a few terms may have tipped off I'm not entirely knowledgeable on what I'm talking about.
posted by DynamiteToast at 7:44 AM on March 5, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 3:09 PM on March 4, 2013