JEFF-LIU-me
commented
7 months ago +1 // Great enhancement. Long overdue. Windows badly needs better window mgmt.
This feature is basically an inter-window version of "Scroll inactive windows when I hover over them" and is badly needed for the same reason: it makes too much sense.
And it's useful for the same reason we group browser tabs into different windows (one for travel, another for taxes, w/e) -- instead of cramming hundreds of disparate tabs into a single browser window or workspace -- it would be a nightmare.
But currently, windows lack similar functionality -- i.e. sane grouping -- much less anything as easy, intuitive, and customizable as simply dragging tabs between windows.
- We can easily cycle (Ctrl+Tab) between different tabs within a given group (window) and do so regardless of source (domain)... but we cannot easily cycle (e.g. Win+Ctrl+Tab) between windows within a given group (e.g. monitor, zone, or custom group) nor do so regardless of source (app)
- We can easily cycle (Alt+Tab) between different groups of tabs (windows)... but we cannot cycle (e.g. Win+Alt+Tab) between groups of windows
- (yes, Win+Ctrl+Right/Left and Win+Z exist, and I use both, but they have their own limitations)
This is a basic functional of physical desks (piled with books, files, notes, etc.) that hasn't been implemented well in any OS... yet. In real life, when I flip through my BILLS_PAID (left), I expect to see BILLS_PAID... I do not expect (or want) to see any BILLS_UNPAID (right), which I keep on the opposite end of the desk for a reason.
This enhancement would resolve so many headaches.
No suitable alternative exists (afaik).
- Alt+Tab between windows grouped with Win+Z -- Alt+Tab is cluttered, Win+Z prohibits overlapping windows within the same group, neither have dedicated shortcuts for cycling through windows within groups or cycling solely between groups.
- Ctrl+F6 -- no grouping, works with only a few apps, mostly non-tabbed Office apps, like Word, and only cycles within same instance of the app (different files w/in same Excel instance, but not across different Excel instances)
- FancyZones comes closest, allowing users to cycle through windows within the same zone, but only within the same zone and only the currently active zone.
- it cannot group windows positioned in different zones / groups are inherently zone-specific
- it cannot cycle windows in inactive zones (and lacks the shortcuts to do so)
- additionally, cycling does not work when all windows assigned to a given zone are minimized, forcing users to hunt for an assigned window via Alt+Tab or Win+Tab (defeating the point) or from the taskbar (which may be hidden, thus unavailable, especially on OLED monitors).
- it cannot cycle between zones
- In order to achieve the same end-result as OP, FancyZones users must select and switch focus to another app (partly defeating the point) and back to the original.
- EDIT: actually, come to think of it, implementing this enhancement might be done most easily by the FancyZones team, who may have already done the hard part, I'm guessing.
Description of the new feature / enhancement
Currently one cannot assign the same shortcut key to two applications
and one cannot assign the same shortcut key for the same application with different arguments to open multiple instances.
A very useful feature would be if you can assign different applications the exact same keyboard shortcut and when pressing it, it should cycle through the applications assigned to that keyboard shortcut i.e. Powertoys should remember which remap application was opened last with that keyboard shortcuts and then the next time the keyboard shortcut is pressed, should open the next application that has the same keyboard shortcut assigned in the Remap Shortcut list.
Scenario when this would be used?
Alt+tab is useful if switching between two full screen windows as it makes use of the last active window in order, allowing you to switch between multiple apps. However if you have a split screen where you want to cycle through apps in the one screen section and cycle through a different set of apps in the other screen section, then Alt+tab and Win+tab isn't so useful. Same applies if you have multiple monitors.
The feature I would find useful is to cycle through a predefined set of apps for a specific screen section or monitor with the same keyboard shortcut.
For example in the left side of my screen I cycle through my browser, Excel and MSTeams applications with assigned keyboard Alt+1. Then on the right side of my screen I cycle through my multiple note apps with Alt+2. This prevents me from losing focus when window switching with Alt+Tab or Windows by having to find the correct window
Supporting information
There have previously been issues logged for Alt+Tab to cycle through a predefined set of applications instead of all windows applications. If one could setup a keyboard combination for the apps you wish to group e.g. Group 1 = Alt+1, Group 2=Alt+2 it will serve as a workaround to resolve those issues.
https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys/issues/24737 https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys/issues/13154