microsoft / PowerToys

Windows system utilities to maximize productivity
MIT License
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[PowerToys Run] Prioritizing running applications over launching new ones #3312

Closed TheAkis closed 4 years ago

TheAkis commented 4 years ago

Summary of Issue

As WindowWalker and Run have been merged, searching for an application almost always puts the option for launching a new application above the current running instance of the application.

image
This results in multiple keystrokes being required to switch to an active running application compared to WindowWalker's results usually putting the required window on top of the results image

Proposed implementation

As this does not have a definite solution, there are a few possibilities for an implementation:

  1. Putting the results from WindowWalker on top of results from Run, or prioritizing them in some fuzzy manner
  2. Launching a subset of Run that only searches for running application using a different keyboard shortcut/having a key that switches to only showing running applications
  3. A prefix in the search that only allows running applications to be visibe (open: or run: or something similar)
parmsib commented 4 years ago

This is an issue for me as well, especially together with the fact that I have to hit tab two to three times to get to the next option in the list, and that all windows have the same icon. Unfortunately, it's annoying enough that I still prefer Switcheroo, despite its age and slight bugginess.

tmab2003 commented 4 years ago

With WindowWalker, I would also get the titles of open browser tabs, and I could quickly switch to those, like by searching "gmail" or "github"...it would switch to the chrome window with that tab open.

jyuwono commented 4 years ago

Closing this issue in favour of #3169