I wish Exposé could do this..
I use Exposé ALL the time, it's by far the most useful function on my computer. But, so often I find myself with a ton of windows open and when I hit exposé I really wish that you could select multiple windows for the purpose of closing many at once.
that would be great. Is there any way to do this currently? or, does anyone think this would be a good idea? any other input?
that would be great. Is there any way to do this currently? or, does anyone think this would be a good idea? any other input?
Comments
Double-click to bring the window forward?
Single-click/cmd-clicks to select many windows and then Cmd-W to close them?
Intriguing.
Originally posted by Kickaha
Single-click/cmd-clicks to select many windows and then Cmd-W to close them?
Intriguing.
that's the idea, with customizable modifier keys for laptops and such.
I don't think I like the idea. Exposé is a command sequence in itself. Other commands should wait their turns.
on a different note, your idea got me thinking of improvements for expose...
currently when you're viewing the expose tiling, you can see behind through the greyed transparency. as i move the mouse from window to window, i'd love to see the full window appear behind the expose tiles. with many windows open, sometimes with very similar contents (e.g. two CNN pages on different articles, 2 text documents, etc..) it can be hard to tell which one is the one you want. if each page were displayed in full, while you were selecting, it would act as an aide to find the correct window.
I think I'm coming down against this idea, no matter how appealing it may have been initially.
Originally posted by Kickaha
Expose is a rather unique situation where you aren't actually *in* *any* app for a moment, in some respects (the menu bar stays the same, but you can select a window from another app - odd). Call it being at a meta-app level.
The menu bar probably shouldn't stay the same. You can't even use it except when Exposé is used to reveal the desktop. In the two modes where you can't use the menu bar, it should gray itself out or something...
The F9 and F10 Exposé modes basically putting you into an extra-dimensional PoV where you can observe what's in front and behind all the same. You have to intersect with the windows' dimension in order to interact with them again...
Maybe that was too metaphorical.
Originally posted by Wrong Robot
I use Exposé ALL the time, it's by far the most useful function on my computer.
Damn, I always forget it's there.
Originally posted by Wrong Robot
Yeah, that's true, but I still wish there was a easier way to remove all the windows(from multiple applications) that I have been working in, and that become clutter.
I'd have no problem if:
1: Mouseover minimized window in Exposé, it turns light blue with name (same as now)
2: Hit Delete key, highlight color turns red; hit Delete again to toggle
3: Proceed to do 2 again for other windows you want closed
4: Hit Shift Delete to cancel all the proposed closings
5a: Hit return to close the windows while staying in Exposé; Windows rescale and reposition as windows close. (Dirty windows remain open but show new window with dialog sheet)
5b: Exit Exposé in any other way and windows will close outside of Exposé.
5c: Hit escape to cancel closures and exit Exposé
Not sure what to do with dirty windows. Discuss...
Let's not be purists to the point of denying ourselves a useful feature.
Originally posted by johnq
Let's not be purists to the point of denying ourselves a useful feature.
How useful? Considering how many steps and conditionals you needed to describe this function, I don't think it's worth the trouble. I also find myself not using Exposé all that much to begin with.
There's UI purism, and there's UI usability. Your proposed workaround doesn't just break the first precept, it shatters the second. Oops.
The whole process of changing windows takes only one click.
Exposé is a kick ass feature. I used to worry about the amount of windows on my desktop and had to close or minimize windows. But now I only minimize the windows I know I won't use for awhile and have all the windows I use regularly scattered on the desktop because Exposé makes the switching easy and clean.
Not exactly the grouping you're looking for, but functionally might do the job?
Originally posted by Eugene
How useful? Considering how many steps and conditionals you needed to describe this function, I don't think it's worth the trouble. I also find myself not using Exposé all that much to begin with.
"Many steps"? You exaggerate. It makes me think you skimmed rather than read and understood what I wrote.
The "worst" that it would entail is hitting delete a few times then hitting return.
If I outlined in detail how to select multiple discontiguous folders in the Finder and send them to the trash by cmd-delete it'd be no more complex than what I wrote.
Besides, if you don't use Exposé why are you commenting on proposed improvements by its users? Your input is valid only if you lay out constructive criticism as to things you don't like about it, missing features etc. Mere mehs, shrugs and rolleyes doesn't really get us anywhere.
Originally posted by Kickaha
I use it all the time, but yeah, your outline of needed steps left something to be desired in the simplicity department.
There's UI purism, and there's UI usability. Your proposed workaround doesn't just break the first precept, it shatters the second. Oops.
You aren't getting it. Oops.
Don't let fear of bulletpoints and outlines confuse you into thinking it's at all complex folks. My god, I'm glad none of you work at Apple if you think what I wrote is hard.
Most of the outline describes existing Exposé behavior.
I'll restate it a bit differently.
Here it is with bold as "normal workflow", italic are "optional steps" parentheses are descriptions of what happen, not user steps!)
1: Mouseover minimized window in Exposé. (It turns light blue with name, same as now)
2: Hit Delete key to select for closure. (Highlight color turns red); Hit Delete again to toggle
3: Proceed to do 2 again (if necessary) for other windows you want closed. (Dirty windows remain open but show new window with dialog sheet)
4: Hit Shift Delete to cancel all the proposed closings.
5a: Hit return to close the windows while staying in Exposé; (Windows rescale and reposition as windows close.)
5b: Exit Exposé in any other way and windows will close outside of Exposé.
5c: Hit escape to cancel closures and exit Exposé.
Obviously you need to exit Exposé eventually, so 5 isn't purely optional.
Dirty windows would just be left open until dealt with by the user as they normally are.
Originally posted by johnq
"Many steps"? You exaggerate. It makes me think you skimmed rather than read and understood what I wrote.
No, I agree with Eugene. Your suggestion is far too complex and this idea is general is bad.
The beauty in Exposé is that it's so simple. One click: there are all your windows. One click: you're back.
Plus, by adding this "close" functionality to begin with, you're completely changing the idea behind Exposé from a quick window navigation tool to a window/document manager. The distinction may sound small, but it's an important one because it also sets a precedent. You add a whole new layer of complexity by making Exposé do other tasks. You add a whole different set of rules and behaviors for having to account for what windows can or can't be closed, windows that will ask to be saved before closing, windows that will pop up a modal dialog when closed, apps that will quit when the main window is closed...
It's too much to account for. It's a bad idea for Exposé.
Don't want to be able to manage windows/documents? Fine, but the workflow was only simply hitting delete. It wasn't complex.
It was basically merely a combination of sending the existing way to send multiple files to the trash in the Finder (clicking multiple things and hitting a key), and existing document cleanup when you log out/restart - but just initiated in Exposé.
(Upon further thinking, command-w would be best rather than delete)
But anyway at least Brad didn't meh it (or Exposé altogether)
Originally posted by johnq
You aren't getting it. Oops.
No, I 'got it' just fine.
But now, modally, Delete means 'close window'. 'Wait, I thought that was Cmd-W?' 'Why can't I click on a title bar elsewhere and hit Delete to close the window?' 'Well if I can do *that*, why can't I hit + and zoom them all?'
You're breaking several guidelines at one shot with that tidbit, for no good reason.
Why choose Delete? Why not W and skip the Cmd? Why not X since that's what the red close widget shows on mouseover? Why not...
Such issues confuse the user for no good reason.
"How come I hit Delete and now three of them went away, two of them have sheets popping out, and one simply sits there?" "Wait, what do you mean I *quit* System Preferences??"
See how messy it gets? This would be a the addition of an entirely new layer of interaction, in addition to document/application, now you'd have meta-application. What are the semantics for dealing with several applications at once? How do you resolve semantic conflicts? How do you handle contextual failures?
I 'get it' just fine.