Alt/super+tab recency-based cycling

[WatchMkr]

Recency-Based Cycling: The Alt+Tab interface should prioritize switching between applications based on the order of their last use. This means that the most recently used application will always be the first in the cycle, followed by the second most recently used, and so on.

1. Primary Use Case: When Alt+Tab is pressed and released quickly, it should switch directly to the last used application.
2. Extended Use Case: Holding Alt and tapping Tab repeatedly should cycle through the list of open applications in the order of their recency. This allows users to quickly access any of the last few applications they were working with.

[darklajid]

@WatchMkr would it make sense to support shift-alt-tab (cycle backwards) too in the same requirement?
Would this be something that outsiders could contribute to?

[WatchMkr]

@darklajid Yes, shift-alt-tab should cycle backwards. We'd welcome a PR.

[curiousercreative]

@WatchMkr is there a story for increasing the number of windows that can be cycled through? I always have more than 8 windows open in my work day and it's been frustrating to have to rely on mouse and dock to find a window when it's not in the list.

[thedeanominator]

Regarding the use of ALT + TAB on PopOS (regardless of whether using the current alpha version of COSMIC) to switch between windows, is there a particular logic behind the order of the applications listed? It doesn't appear to be in alphabetical order.

[WatchMkr]

@curiousercreative the plan is to remove the 8 entry limitation when in tab+alt/super mode.

[Pandapip1]

If this is implemented, there should be an option to hide the focused window from the selector.

[PoisonFrog]

If this is implemented, there should be an option to hide the focused window from the selector.

Why? I have never seen any other desktop environment do something like this. Usually the focused window is the last one in the list. That's how Windows and every other Linux DE I know works. Why would anyone want to hide the focused windows? Sounds like an unheard-of feature that only you would use.

[Pandapip1]

Why? I have never seen any other desktop environment do something like this. Usually the focused window is the last one in the list. That's how Windows and every other Linux DE I know works. Why would anyone want to hide the focused windows? Sounds like an unheard-of feature that only you would use.

My bad, I didn't realize that the focused window was the last one in the list. I'm just used to alt-tabbing once to switch windows, and as currently stated, tab would need to be pressed twice. Having the focused window at the end is fine for my use-case too.

[road2react]

Usually the focused window is the last one in the list.

Really? On GNOME I see the focused window as the first, but the initial selection would be on the second window.

[PoisonFrog]

Usually the focused window is the last one in the list.

Really? On GNOME I see the focused window as the first, but the initial selection would be on the second window.

Yeah, that's what I meant. The last one to be selected, unlike how it works in Cosmic where it actually is the first to be selected.

[sounddrill31]

Hope this pans out well, thanks a lot to the team for considering to fix it.

I really love cosmic so far, and it has earned its spot on my laptop - despite being in alpha. This is one of the issues that is generally workflow-breaking for me(along with a lack of a shortcut that pulls up the clipboard manager but I see that there is already an issue in the respective repo)

Thanks a lot for this project overall

[Cedric-Lefebvre]

Hi, any news on this issue? It makes it tough to use cosmic daily with the current alt tab behaviour.

[wiiznokes]

Hi, any news on this issue? It makes it tough to use cosmic daily with the current alt tab behaviour.

I agree. I made an initial implementation but i don't have time to work on it anymore. Here are the PRs if someone want to work on this

• feat: alt tab cycle #150
• feat: alt tab cycle launcher#227

And a related PR in cosmic comp

• focus: Un-activate non-active workspaces cosmic-comp#889

[pwall2222]

#225 Should close this issue!

[Tommimon]

This implementation doesn't work properly with stacked windows. Windows in the same stack are always consecutive in the list and not recency-based ordered but stay in a predefined order.

I don't know if this is intended but it is confusing and should be changed, let me explain why:
If you have windows A and B in the same stack, let's say A is always immediately before B in the list, from A pressing Alt+Tab will bring you to B but from B pressing Alt+Tab will keep you on the same window.

This is inconsistent and not practical, Alt+Tab should never keep you on the same window unless it is the only one.

Furthermore, I don't think grouping windows in the same stack is a good idea, it brakes the behavior of this sequence of actions:

1. Alt+Tab
2. Release everything
3. Alt+Tab
   We are used to assume this sequence will bring you back where you started, but currently it is not the case, this is a convention in almost every other environment and also very useful when your workflow alternates between two windows.

In conclusion I suggest to avoid grouping stacked windows at all and order all the windows by recency ignoring stacks, I believe this is how it works currently in Pop!_OS. If you want to move inside the same stack there are the "Focus window left" and "Focus window right" shortcuts already.