Support Super+[Number] for Launching Dockitems [$35]

[Satchit Bhogle]

I find that the Super+[Number] shortcuts in Unity are very useful in bringing up favourite applications quickly. Ubuntu's shortcuts work top to bottom; similarly, in Plank they can go from left-to-right (or top-to-bottom in vertical docks), with Super+1 launching the first item, Supet+2 the second item, and so on.

These shortcuts will reduce the need for mouse movements and make life easy for both new users and users migrating from Ubuntu Natty, Oneiric or Precise.

[Eduard Gotwig (gotwig)]

hasnt this something to do with plank it self?

[Robert Dyer (psybers)]

To me, if you want to launch apps via keyboard something like Gnome Do or Synapse makes more sense. The dock isn't necessarily for quick launching of apps - its design is driven more by mouse interactions and its main focus is on managing running applications.

I am leaving this as a Plank Wishlist for now, but I am leaning towards not implementing this. Docky probably will implement this, however. Mostly because Docky has everything and the kitchen sink, so why not.

[Rico Tzschichholz (ricotz)]

Go ahead and give the linked branch some testing :)

[Dennis Leukhin (stonedmind)]

Great idea. In Win7 its works the same. Very useful. I think Elementary OS developers thinking about coverage whole system by shortcuts.

[ender (endernull)]

Super + Number it's not already used for switching between workspaces?

[opensas (opensas)]

+100!

I find it a very useful feature. I emulated it setting up shortcuts one-by-one

The super key could be configurable (like ctrl+alt+1 or similar)

I wonder why it changed from Confirmed to Invalid, was it moved to plank?

[Zak Taccardi (ztaccardi)]

I don't use multiple workspaces, but I launch apps from plank always. One of the best Windows features is the ability to do this, so please make this possible somehow, even if it's not the default setting.

This is a huge gap in functionality for elementary OS vs Windows/Ubuntu.

[Sven R. Kunze (srkunze)]

Does the implementation for this wishlist bug also contain the small indicators that Ubuntu have?

https://bugs.launchpad.net/pantheon-dock/+bug/1502945

[Panagiotis Tabakis (tabakisp)]

Plank is K.i.S.S but Plank is powerful. Keyboard mapping ability opens a world of massive productivity possibilities. Please make it happen.

[Zisu Andrei (matzipan)]

Hello,

If you would like to see a feature developed, you can consider putting a bounty on it: https://www.bountysource.com/teams/elementary/bounties

[Cassidy James Blaede (cassidyjames)]

There is an active bounty (currently $35) on this bug at https://www.bountysource.com/issues/968200-support-super-number-for-launching-dockitems.

It's worth mentioning that for elementary OS, we use Super+Number for workspaces. We'd have to change that if this gets merged, or change the default keybinding for Plank on elementary OS.

[Fabrice D. (fabd)]

Fantastic idea!

I also make use of these shortcuts all the time, and it was the best thing about Windows 7 as far as I'm concerned :) (Win +1 +2 etc works nearly identical).

It's worth noting that a *half implementation* of this is to launch / focus an application window. A full implementation, is to allow these shortcuts to work as a toggle, which is much better. Here, it's interesting to note that Ubuntu had the first half for a while, and only later they finally added the ability to also minimize an application with the same Unity shortcut.

As for a use case, well, when you have lots of windows opens it becomes less tedious to just focus the app directly. Both for work and leisure, I have associated 1 with my main browser, 2 with a text editor, 4 is Explorer in Windows, and Nautilus /etc in Linux, 6 is a music player, etc.

Note that the way it works in the Windows taskbar and on Ubuntu, is that it is not tired to the application. it is tied to the Nth icon on the launcher bar. So I can temporarily swap the 5th app with something else occasionally for easier task switching (because Win + 6 to 9 is more difficult to reach with left hand).

I wish I was rich and could add to the bounty =) Sadly I am not =(

This is a killer feature for me though.

And as an aside I recommend removing the Workspace switching shortcuts by default or move them to something less obvious because Workspaces IMHO is an advanced user feature. Also by dfault to avoid confusing new users I would also remove those workspaces. Let power users enable them. Otherwise new users can mistakenly activate them and wonder all of a sudden where their apps or windows are gone.

[Aled (aledjelly)]

Any updates on this?

It looks like the branch needs reviewing? Does the branch work on the latest version of Plank?

Also, if the shortcut for launching from the dock is assigned to Super + [Number], the shortcut for workspaces could be changed to Ctrl + Super + [Number].

[zone (z0ne)]

It's been 7 years...

[Isaac Kuehnle-Nelson (ikethepike)]

Any progress towards implementing this in Elementary?