ALT-TAB - Inconsistent behaviour of Alt+` in window switcher

[markba]

When the window switcher is launched by Alt+Tab, an icon can be zoomed out by using Alt+`. This is ergonomically very convenient, just because the `is just above <tab> key. By using Alt+`again, nothing happens. What is expected: the window should zoom in to an icon.

----------------------
Desired solution:

- If when Alt-Tab is open and the user presses the 'grave key' (the key above tab) this triggers a spread of the windows of that application. Once in this state, pressing the 'grave key' a second time should reverse this action and close the spread.

[Bilal Akhtar (bilalakhtar)]

Yup, if there's only 1 window of the selected icon, then pressing Alt+` twice should bring the selected window back to its launcher icon in the switcher.

[Bilal Akhtar (bilalakhtar)]

(this would actually need design discussion)

[markba (mark-baaijens)]

Because this bug is in Incomplete-status, is there action from me (as the reporter of this bug) required?

[Christopher Townsend (townsend)]

Hi markba,

This bug is actually waiting on a response from Ayatana Design. There is nothing needed by you.

Thanks!

[Stephen M. Webb (bregma)]

The new design solution is going to cause a lot of problems with regular use of alt-key-above-tab to navigate between windows in an application. I tend to have a lot of editor windows open and navigate between them using that key: what should be the behaviour under the new regiment when the Switcher is opened using alt-key-above-tab and then the same key is pressed again?

(1) the icon should shrink down and the selection remain unchanged, and the user needs to move to alt-tab to navigate, perhaps alternating between alt-tab and a couple of alt-key-above-tab to see the window zooms before making a final selection, or

(2) alt-key-above-tab behaves completely differently if the Switcher is invoked using that key or alt-tab (or shift-alt-tab)

I would recommend retaining the original navigation use of the existing keys, since unzooming is a lesser-used operation compared with navigation within the switcher.

Also, how should shift-alt-key-above-tab behave now?

[John Lea (johnlea)]

@bregma; yes, you are correct I overlooked this, marking the bug won't fix for the reasons you have outlined. We will be introducing inconsistency if we have different behaviour for when the user starts the interaction with ALT+TAB as opposed to ALT+GRAVE