&Martin.Graesslin;&Martin.Graesslin.mail;
2010-02-04
&kde; 4.4
KDE
System Settings
desktop
window
navigation

## Navigating through Windows

This module offers the possibility to configure the behaviour for Navigating through windows often referred to as &Alt;&Tab;. There are two independent sets of effects which can have different settings. For each of this sets there is an own tab (General and Alternative) in this module.

The first set of effects on the General tab has predefined shortcuts. If you want to use the second set of effects on the Alternative tab, you have to set a shortcut for these effects in the Shortcut Editor manually.

The following documentation of options applies to the general settings and the alternative settings as well.

### List windows and Sort order

You can configure which windows should be shown in the list initiated by pressing &Alt;&Tab; (predefined for the settings on the General tab) or the user defined shortcut for the alternative settings. So it is possible to only show windows on the current desktop or windows from all desktops. It is also possible to influence the sort order, you can either use a sort order based on the last usage of the windows or the stacking order of the windows.

### Desktop Effects

There are several effects which can be used instead of the normal window list when compositing is enabled. By default the Box Switch effect is used. This effect displays a small thumbnail of each window inside a box and the currently selected window is highlighted.

The Present Windows effect arranges the windows in a regular grid and by that provides thumbnails in the best possible size. This effect can be used for navigating through windows without &Alt;&Tab; as well, if it is selected as screen edge action in the systemsettings module Look & Feel Desktop on the Screen Edges page. This effect provides additional setting options and shortcuts in a dialog opened by clicking on the tools icon beside the drop down box.

Cover Switch and Flip Switch effect are more fancy effects which require OpenGL. Cover Switch displays the windows in a gallery with a large thumbnail of the currently selected window in the center of the screen while all other windows are rotated on the left and right. Flip Switch displays all windows on a 3D stack. The selected window is on top of the stack and navigating through the windows will move the stack so that the new selected window is on the top.

If the effect provides additional settings the configure button will be activated. By clicking this button a configuration dialog will be shown.

When compositing is not active or gets suspended the normal window list will be shown. There is no loss in functionality if an effect is selected and compositing is not active.

### Displays list

When no effect is used an outline illustrating position and size of the selected window can be shown. The list can be combined with the Highlight selected windows effect when compositing is active. This effect will highlight the currently selected window by fading out all other windows.

If you want to configure the layout of one item you can use the dialog which opens by clicking Configure Layout. There are several predefined layouts which provide an informative or compact view, small or large icons and window title only. You can change the way the items are laid out: horizontal, vertical or in a tabular layout. At the bottom of the dialog there is a live preview for the current settings.

There is an additional configuration group for an optional view of the selected item. It is possible to place this view next to the list with all items. This is useful if you use an icon only layout mode and want to see the name of the current selected window as well.

### Shortcuts

The shortcut editor provides the configuration interface for the keyboard shortcuts for navigating through windows. Each of the two possible sets of effects has two shortcuts: one for the forward direction and one for the reverse direction. Please note that the window list can only be shown if you select a shortcut with a keyboard modifier such as the &Alt; or &Ctrl; key. This modifier has to be hold while switching. Selecting a shortcut without a modifier key can break the behaviour of navigating through windows.