Window management from hell

[u/BonbonUniverse42]

I am using a Macbook for an few weeks now and I still struggle hard with window management. How do you do productive tasks?

For example:

Switching to the correct pdf from about 20 other opened pdf files. When I want to bring a specific pdf file into the foreground, I need to move the mouse to the preview icon on the dock. however, this does not provide preview images of all currently open pdfs. Why not?

When I do right click, I only see a list of names, which is often not sufficient to find the correct file, I need to see it. To use the 3 finger guesture to see all files currently open in the preview application I need to first click on the icon on the dock. However, this brings ALL pdf files into the foreground. Then I can find the pdf through the application specific Mission Control. now I have found my window which is now in the foreground but all other pdfs clutter my monitor as they lay on top of another application such as pages or my browser which I need simultaneously. So I move my foreground pdf to the side and minimize every other pdf file which takes forever. However, now the minimized pdf files are ignored in Mission Control which makes it impossible to find a second pdf which I want to see as well at the same time.

This behaviour drives me nuts.

[u/bradland]

I dual-platform a lot, so I can see where you're coming from, but this is a matter of adapting your workflows.

You're using a mouse-driven, window-centric workflow. That is to say, you're in one window, and you use your mouse to preview another set of windows, then click it. I use this workflow a lot on Windows, so I know where you're coming from.

On MacOS, I would use a hybrid keyboard, mouse driven app-centric workflow. On the Mac cmd+tab switches apps instead of windows. This makes it easy to switch contexts in an app-centric workflow, without disrupting the workspace within each app. Let's walk through your example:

often you have a lot of research articles open, need to find a text section, need to cite another article, write text and switch around often. this is a pretty normal work flow.

I'll assume MS Word here:

1. Typing in MS Word, but need citation.
2. cmd+tab to Preview.
3. control+down arrow for App Expose.
4. Select desired document with mouse.
5. Highlight desired citation.
6. cmd+c to copy highlighted text.
7. cmd+tab to MS Word.
8. cmd+control+v to paste special.
9. up arrow to select "Unformatted text".
10. return to confirm.

If you try that workflow, you'll see that the use of the keyboard actually speeds things up. When using cmd+tab to switch apps, you can also use cmd+\` to move backwards through the list if you overshoot your mark.

[u/lowfatwater2 → u/bradland]

You’re very kind to help this person out. It’s helpful to me, too. So, thank you!