Last Window or Prior Window

[Dudge]

Is there a way/menu command to go to the last window used rather than just the previous one in the open list? I frequently like to compare two files myself in the editor rather than use UltraCompare or sometimes I will need information from one text file while working in another and like to be able to switch back and forth. Now when I only have 2 files open, the WindowNext and/or WindowPrevious work just fine but if I have just one more file open that I don't want to close yet it would be nice to be able to assign one macro/menu shortcut to a single function key so that I could jump back and forth between two windows. Am I just missing this seemingly simple thing or is it really not in UE? Thanks!

[Mofi]

Next (Ctrl+F6) and Previous Window (Ctrl+Shift+F6) always use the window activation history. So if you have more than 2 files open, activate the 2 windows you want to compare by mouse and then use Next/Previous Window to quick switch between this two windows.
For example, you have 4 files open and want to compare file 2 and 4. Select file 2 with the mouse, select file 4 with the mouse and now you can switch back with Previous Window to file 2 and from file 2 with Next Window to file 4.
You can also change the window order. Click with the left mouse button on the tab of the file, hold it - mouse cursor gets an additional stroked rectangle - and move the mouse cursor left or right to the position you want and drop it there.

Edited on 2010-09-14: Ctrl+Tab with releasing the control key between keypresses can be used to switch back to last window in any version of UltraEdit.

[Dudge]

Hmmm doesn't seem to act that way for me. To test this, I just started up UltraEdit and hit Ctrl-N a few times to get some blank Edit windows. I then clicked the Edit1 and Edit2 tabs back and forth a few times to put them in this "window activation history" you talked about. I stopped going back and forth on Edit1 and then hit Ctrl-Shift-F6 and the first file tab that it went to was Edit3. Press Ctrl-Shift-F6 again and it goes to Edit2. Press Ctrl-F6 to go to next tab and it takes me back to Edit3 and then after another press again to Edit1 just as it should act if it's just using tab order.

What I want to be able to do is map a key - say F12 or something to a "last window" command so I can go back and forth between two files using one key. I would think either the "WindowPreviousWindow" or "WindowPreviousTabDocument" would accomplish this but they both act the same for me. I am using v10.20c. Do you maybe have an older version that acted differently when these keys/functions were used?

[Mofi]

The next/previous window function is a function of Windows-OS. So it works always in the same way for all multi document applications like UltraEdit or Word97.

As you tried it, you have done one mistake. After selecting Edit1 and Edit2 by mouse, you first have to press Ctrl+F6 to switch to Edit2 from Edit1. Then you can use Ctrl+Shift+F6 to go back to Edit1.

This is easier to understand, if you compare it with switch between applications with Alt+Tab and Alt+Shift+Tab. If you press Alt+Tab and hold Alt after releasing the Tab key you see the actual history order of the applications. On the left side (index 0) is always the actual application. The next to the right (index 1) is the last used (previous) application and so on to the right, where those application is listed, which was used for the longest time ago. With Alt+Tab you go right to the next application. With Alt+Shift+Tab you go left to the "previous" application, better index-1 in the history order list. The application order changes after switch to another application.

The same system is used for document windows, with one difference. It is not possible to toggle between the last two windows with one key like Alt+Tab on the application order. Ask Microsoft why.

[toddm]

In order to have one key that toggles between windows you'd need to have a macro that can switch between the previous window and next window commands. I haven't looked into this so I don't know if it's possible. The next window name is not really intuitive for me. Next window seems to really be send to back. The front window gets sent behind all of the other windows. Previous window brings the backmost window to the front.

[Dudge]

Yes, I understand how Alt-Tab works and that is the basic functionality I'm looking for here. I'm very experienced with computers and am the network admin for my company. I looked through the macro functions and didn't see anything I could work with. If there was some way to store a variable or a value in macros I might be able to store a window number and then switch windows based on that value in a macro assigned to a single key or something of that nature.

So what is the difference between the "WindowPreviousWindow" and "WindowPreviousTabDocument" functions? I use the tab strip form of the MDI rather than being able to see the different file "windows". Do these functions act differently if I'm not using the file tabs?

Ian, it would seem that it should be fairly simple to add a window command to go to the last window used rather than goto the window loaded before the current one in the load order. Could this maybe be a feature in a future version? When switching back and forth between two documents it makes it very easy to be able to do so with a single keypress rather than moving my hands back and forth between keyboard and mouse.

[ypocat]

Dudge, I understand your problem - I'm used to the same way of switching between open files. It saves my left hand a lot. I use CTRL+TAB[+SHIFT] instead of CTRL+F6 as I can't hit F6 without looking, which annoys me. And I'm saying it saves my left hand because to 'switch back' I have to hit only 2 keys (CTRL+TAB) instead of 3 keys (CTRL+SHIFT+TAB), which is a big difference as I'm hitting CTRL with my palm instead of finger :)
So I'm replying just to tell you I've submitted this as a feature request - I think it shouldn't be a big problem to make this optional for the rest of us :)

[toddm]

I actually use an X-keys Desktop and program keys for Previous Tab, Next Tab, Previous Window, and Next Window to avoid typing weird key combinations. A toggle command would still be useful though. Here's the product link if someone is interested. I don't know anyone else that has one, but I love it.
http://xkeys.com/xkeys.php

[Pedrober]

My solution is: First, Alt-W (Windows menu). Then, 2. After going from the first window to the second window, Alt-W, 2, cycles between then. Anyhow, I don't know how to write a macro to automate this because recording mode doesn't record this sequence of keys. Any suggestion?

[Dudge669]

So, I started this message thread quite a while ago and it seems that there is still NO way to just switch back and forth between two files with a single keystroke. Just like you can switch between two running applications with Alt-Tab, I would love to be able to switch back and forth between two open files with a single UE function. Sure, this is easy if you only have two files open but that is rare for me. I usually have at least 6-7 different files open at the same time. Am I missing something or is this function really that difficult to program into the app?

[bulgrien]

Starting a thread doesn't start anything with IDM. This is a user-to-user support forum. Nevertheless, I've pulled together some ideas for IDM to consider and submitted them in an email. Feel free to do the same. Here are two possible implementations:

1) Provide a new command to go back to the last tab that had focus before the current one. Such an option would automatically swap back and forth between two files because losing focus on the current tab to go back to the previous one would automatically set the current tab as the new last tab that had focus.

Edit: I got an email back from IDM support. This functionality is already implemented. Use Ctrl+Tab to switch back to the previous file. If you release the Ctrl key between keypresses, this will swap back and forth between any two open files. If you don't release the Ctrl key, then the functionality is similar to Ctrl+F6 and subsequent keypresses cycle through the whole list of open files.

2) It would be nice to have a configurable option to cycle through files in tab order instead of in the order the files were open (as listed on the Window drop-down menu). This would allow a user to group any number of tabs together and cycle through that subset of tabs using Ctrl+Tab and Shift+Ctrl+Tab.

[Mofi]

bulgrien, if I understand your second wish correct, you can use Alt+DOWN ARROW and Alt+UP ARROW, the commands Window - Next File Tab and Window - Previous File Tab. These keys can be configured in the key mapping configuration dialog.

Dudge, using Ctrl+Tab to quickly switch between two files works also in UltraEdit v10.10c, the oldest version I have archived. It looks like we all have overlooked that.

[bulgrien]

bulgrien, if I understand your second wish correct, you can use Alt+DOWN ARROW and Alt+UP ARROW, the commands Window - Next File Tab and Window - Previous File Tab.

Thanks, Mofi, for the Alt+DOWN ARROW and Alt+UP ARROW commands.

[dwh]

I understand your frustration. I'm used to using a tool called editplus. I could have 6 documents open and the f12 key would toggle me back and forth between the last document I had active. I would love this feature because I do this often and am experiencing the same frustration as you with the next/prev window feature of ultraedit.

[Mofi]

And what is your problem? The feature is available in UltraEdit. Just use Ctrl+Tab as written above. You should read all posts carefully before you reply to a topic.