; Requires AutoHotkey v2
;--------------------------------------------------------
; Alt+` to switch between windows of the same application
;--------------------------------------------------------
; This script piggybacks on the built-in Alt+Tab window switcher,
; filtering it to show only windows from the same process as the active window.
; It listens for Alt+and Alt+Shift+ and converts them to Alt+Tab and Alt+Shift+Tab, respectively,
; after hiding windows from the task switcher by setting their WS_EX_TOOLWINDOW style,
; and then unhiding them after the switcher is closed.
; Pressing again while holding Alt will tab through the windows of the same application, ; and Shift+ will tab through them in reverse.
; Tab or Shift+Tab also works (automatically, since that's what the switcher normally uses.)
; Limitations:
; - Windows are hidden from the task bar as well, which can be distracting,
; especially with taskbar button labels enabled, as it animates the taskbar buttons collapsing and expanding.
; - Some windows are not hidden from the task switcher, such as the Task Manager, due to permission errors.
; - Running as administrator fixes this.
; - UWP windows, such as Windows's Settings app, are not filtered out either.
; - They don't play well with any of the methods I've tried.
; - There may be side effects on the windows that get hidden, since it changes their window type, essentially, temporarily.
; - I now have seen it leave File Explorer with no minimize or maximize buttons, stuck on a tool window style,
; and permanently excluded from the task bar and task switcher.
; (This may have only been due to a work-in-progress version of this script, or it may be a real issue.)
; I didn't see this before adding removal of WS_EX_APPWINDOW, so that may be the cause (if it's not a fluke.)
; Actually it might not be the removal of WS_EX_APPWINDOW, but the code supporting that,
; which allows for changes to other styles while hidden. If I change that, it might be fine.
; I've changed it to restore all styles for now, but I don't know if that's even related.
; TODO: remove windows from task switcher only, and not the task bar.
; Adding WS_EX_TOOLWINDOW is much faster than WinHide/WinShow (it makes the actual interaction instantaneous!),
; but it still causes distracting animation in the taskbar, particularly when taskbar button labels are enabled.
; Is there a less obtrusive way to remove windows from the task switcher?
#MaxThreadsPerHotkey 2
WS_EX_APPWINDOW := 0x00040000
WS_EX_TOOLWINDOW := 0x00000080
WS_CHILD := 0x40000000
TempHiddenWindows := []
OriginalExStyles := Map()
!+:: { FilteredWindowSwitcher() } !:: {
FilteredWindowSwitcher()
}
FilteredWindowSwitcher() {
if TempHiddenWindows.Length {
; Needs #MaxThreadsPerHotkey 2 to handle Alt+++... to tab through windows with, while waiting for Alt to be released
; Needs {Blind} to handle Alt+Shift+to go in reverse Send "{Blind}{Tab}" return } try { ActiveProcessName := WinGetProcessName("A") } catch TargetError { MakeSplash("Window Switcher", "Active window not found.", 1000) return } WinClassCount := WinGetCount("ahk_exe " ActiveProcessName) if WinClassCount = 1 { return } WindowsOfApp := WinGetList("ahk_exe " ActiveProcessName) AllWindows := WinGetList() Messages := [] for Window in AllWindows { SameApp := false for WindowOfApp in WindowsOfApp { if Window = WindowOfApp { SameApp := true break } } if !SameApp { if Switchable(Window) { try { ; MsgBox("Would hide:n`n" DescribeWindow(Window), "Window Switcher")
ExStyle := WinGetExStyle(Window) ; redundantly accessed in Switchable...
OriginalExStyles[Window] := ExStyle
if WinGetClass(Window) = "ApplicationFrameWindow" {
; This is a Windows UWP app. It doesn't work to add WS_EX_TOOLWINDOW (though it doesn't generate an error).
; In fact, not even replacing all styles works:
; WinSetExStyle(WS_EX_TOOLWINDOW, Window)
; WinSetStyle(WS_CHILD, Window)
; WinHide doesn't work either, for UWP apps.
; It hides the window itself, but it doesn't hide it from the task switcher or the task bar.
; TODO: Find a way to hide UWP apps from the task switcher. This is pretty annoying!
; My only real idea is to move the window to a different virtual desktop,
; which would only work well with "Show all open windows when I press Alt+Tab" set to "Only on the desktop I'm using",
; and ideally with "On the taskbar, show all open windows" set to "On all desktops",
; which theoretically could avoid the taskbar animation, which could be nice for other windows as well.
; (These settings are in Multitasking in Settings.)
; No idea if it would be performant enough. There's a library for this though: https://github.com/FuPeiJiang/VD.ahk
; Perhaps that just speaks to the complexity of the solution though.
; It might be better to reimplement a task switcher from scratch at that point, though it would never look quite the same.
; WinHide(Window)
; Um, MakeSplash is no good here, since it blocks execution. But it's useful for debugging.
; MakeSplash("Window Switcher", "Hiding UWP app window: " WinGetTitle(Window), 1000)
; MakeSplash("Window Switcher", "Can't hide UWP app window from task switcher: " WinGetTitle(Window), 1000)
} else {
; I have not seen any benefit to removing WS_EX_APPWINDOW, but I don't know if I've seen any windows with it.
; It may help in some cases, if I've done it right, but I don't know.
WinSetExStyle(ExStyle | WS_EX_TOOLWINDOW & ~WS_EX_APPWINDOW, Window)
}
TempHiddenWindows.Push(Window)
} catch Error as e {
; It can get permission errors for certain windows, such as the Task Manager.
; But it's better to leave some extraneous windows in the list than to throw an error message up
; (especially while some windows are hidden, though I've made an array to delay the messages now.)
; Messages.Push("Error hiding window from the task switcher.`n`n" DescribeWindow(Window) "`n`n" e.Message)
}
}
}
}
Send "{LAlt Down}"
Send "{Blind}{Tab}" ; Tab or Shift+Tab to go in reverse
KeyWait "LAlt"
; MakeSplash("Window Switcher", "Alt (physical key) released", 1000)
for Window in TempHiddenWindows {
; If WinShow is ever used for a fallback, it should not be called for all windows, and it should be called at the end, so it doesn't slow things down for every window.
; WinShow(Window)
; Don't need to remember WS_EX_TOOLWINDOW state, since we're not matching windows with WS_EX_TOOLWINDOW.
; Restore WS_EX_APPWINDOW, if it was set.
; My first instinct was to allow other styles to change while hidden, as this may avoid problems with some apps,
; but styles may be forced to change as a result of WS_EX_TOOLWINDOW / removing WS_EX_APPWINDOW, I'm not sure.
try {
; WinSetExStyle(WinGetExStyle(Window) & ~WS_EX_TOOLWINDOW | (OriginalExStyles[Window] & WS_EX_APPWINDOW), Window)
WinSetExStyle(OriginalExStyles[Window], Window)
; MsgBox("Would show:`n`n" DescribeWindow(Window), "Window Switcher")
} catch Error as e {
; Delay error messages until after the switcher is closed and all windows are unhidden that can be.
Messages.Push("Failed to unhide window from the task switcher.`n`n" DescribeWindow(Window) "`n`n" e.Message)
}
}
TempHiddenWindows.Length := 0
; MakeSplash("Window Switcher", "Closing switcher (triggering logical release of Alt)", 1000)
Send "{LAlt Up}" ; This could be earlier, couldn't it?
; MakeSplash("Window Switcher", "Switcher closed.", 1000)
for message in Messages {
MsgBox(message, "Window Switcher", 0x10)
}
}
Switchable(Window) {
; Heuristics determine if a window is in the taskbar
; https://stackoverflow.com/a/2262791
ExStyle := WinGetExStyle(Window)
if ExStyle & WS_EX_TOOLWINDOW {
return false
}
if ExStyle & WS_EX_APPWINDOW {
return true
}
Style := WinGetStyle(Window)
return !(Style & WS_CHILD)
; Not sure of the specific rules, or how much the priority of the cases matters.
; AI-autocompleted logic is slightly different:
; Style := WinGetStyle(Window)
; ExStyle := WinGetExStyle(Window)
; if Style & WS_CHILD {
; return false
; }
; if ExStyle & WS_EX_APPWINDOW {
; return true
; }
; if ExStyle & WS_EX_TOOLWINDOW {
; return false
; }
; return true
}
DescribeWindow(Window) {
return "Window Title: " WinGetTitle(Window) "nWindow Class: " WinGetClass(Window) "nProcess Name: " WinGetProcessName(Window)
}
;--------------------------------------------------------
; Win+Tab to switch between windows (TODO: between apps)
;--------------------------------------------------------
; #Tab::
; {
; Send "{LAlt Down}{Tab}"
; KeyWait "LWin" ; Wait to release left Win key
; Send "{LAlt Up}" ; Close switcher on hotkey release
; }
; return
;--------------------------------------------------------
; AUTO RELOAD THIS SCRIPT
;--------------------------------------------------------
~^s:: {
if WinActive(A_ScriptName) {
MakeSplash("AHK Auto-Reload", "n Reloading " A_ScriptName "n", 500)
Reload
}
}
MakeSplash(Title, Text, Duration := 0) {
SplashGui := Gui(, Title)
SplashGui.Opt("+AlwaysOnTop +Disabled -SysMenu +Owner") ; +Owner avoids a taskbar button.
SplashGui.Add("Text", , Text)
SplashGui.Show("NoActivate") ; NoActivate avoids deactivating the currently active window.
if Duration {
Sleep(Duration)
SplashGui.Destroy()
}
return SplashGui
}
