I Discovered a (Completely Useless) Feature

MountainDewManiac · 2015-02-14 05:39:17

I knew that holding down the Alt key and pressing the Tab key would cycle through application windows. I wanted to switch to the other non-minimized window and then use my right-arrow key, only I didn't let go of the Alt button quick enough - and I discovered that if I hold down the Alt key, press the tab key, and then use my right- (or left-) arrow, I can manually select which application window I get.

It takes two hands, and is slower than simply holding down the Alt key and pressing the Tab key multiple times, but... well, I did mention that it was a completely useless feature(?), lol.

Regards,
MDM

Last edited by MountainDewManiac (2015-02-14 05:39:43)

sixsixfive · 2015-02-14 17:31:35

just because you don't use it dosen't mean it isn't useful for someone (for example I guess its hard to do alt+tab or alt+shift+tab if you are physically handicapped...)

MountainDewManiac · 2015-02-15 05:18:05

sixsixfive wrote:

just because you don't use it dosen't mean it isn't useful for someone (for example I guess its hard to do alt+tab or alt+shift+tab if you are physically handicapped...)

Well that's just it, I don't see who it could be useful for... I've got at least 35% function in each of my four limbs - if I didn't, or my hands were in worse shape, the "feature" would be even less useful. It takes an extra hand and more time (+/-), so it doesn't save either physical action or time. It's a time-waster. Which is fine, as far as it goes. I mean... I doubt that it was whichever XFCE developer that does the desktop stuff that came up with the idea and coded it, because (a) I like XFCE a lot, but even I realize that it's unlikely that he/she found him/herself thinking, "Gee, I have time to code, but there are ZERO bugs/issues and ZERO (useful-)feature requests, so I'll just mess around with the Alt-Tab routine and see if I can bloat it just a bit, maybe add a "two-handed" bit to it and see if anyone notices and asks me to throw in something else - that they can maybe use one of their feet on the keyboard to operate if they mention that this two-handed thing is still too easy for the ambidextrous," and (b) I'm guessing that the XFCE developers aren't paid clock-punchers who have a quota of "codings" per week that they have to insert in order to get paid. My guess is that someone out there wrote a patch, submitted it, and the developer figured there might be two people on this side of the galaxy that want it (counting the person that wrote the patch), so he stuck it in at some point when the snow was piled up too far to get out of the house and his spouse was away visiting and he was bored. That's all well and good - although it does cause me to wonder how this is one of the least bloated DEs in one of the least-bloated OS... but, for all I know, Microsoft OS have something like this that the user can do with both hands, a foot, and es nose .

Anyway... I just got a kick out of the fact that I "discovered" something, lol. NBD. I think I'll take my new-found skill and see if I can hunt up a baloney sandwich.

Regards,
MDM

schizo-ri · 2015-02-15 10:04:30

I actually have to thank you for discovering this for me. This is very useful when I'm writing something and have many open windows. I don't like to move my hands of a keyboard to grab a mouse and this is faster than looking for a Shift key.

Last edited by schizo-ri (2015-02-15 10:04:51)

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#1 2015-02-14 05:39:17

I Discovered a (Completely Useless) Feature

#2 2015-02-14 17:31:35

Re: I Discovered a (Completely Useless) Feature

#3 2015-02-15 05:18:05

Re: I Discovered a (Completely Useless) Feature

#4 2015-02-15 10:04:30

Re: I Discovered a (Completely Useless) Feature

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