Two new features for macOS:

 

1. Open apps with shortcuts, like ⌥-1 for Chrome, ⌥-2 for Slack, etc;

2. Open projects with shortcuts, like ⌥-3 for Xcode -> ~/Option1/Option1.xcodeproj. Any app.

 

 

Option1 - Window Manager for macOS

I built this app to add features I miss in macOS. Now, I will share how I manage windows in macOS.

1. Built-in ⌘-Tab.

To switch windows, I usually use the built-in ⌘-Tab. Like always, nothing new.

2. Shortcuts for the most used apps.

For apps I use most often, like web browser or messaging app - I bind shortcuts like this:

3. Shortcuts for projects, files, websites...

This is what completely changed the way I use macOS.

Example: As a Option1 developer, I often open ~/dev/Option1/Option1.xcodeproj project in Xcode. What I did:

Now, I don't care if the project is open or closed. I just press ⌥-8. I will always switch to the project I need. If the app or project is closed - it opens, otherwise - gets focus.

It's especially useful when we have many Xcode projects open. Because built-in ⌘-Tab switch apps, not projects or windows.

Works with any app. More examples:

Note that ⌥-0 not just opens Google Chrome like ⌥-1, but also opens a new tab with google.com.

4. Full-screen mode.

Since we have quick access to any app or window with shortcuts for projects, I prefer to open most apps in full-screen mode.

This makes the main desktop clean and let us take advantage of every inch of the screen. Especially well for professional software.

To stay fully focused, I prefer to hide the Menu Bar for full-screen windows in System Settings:

5. Built-in desktops + "Assign To This Desktop".

There are a set of built-in macOS features that not many people know about.

Example: I use a separate desktop with windows for my work: Slack and Firefox - Desktop 2:

Since I bind ⌥-2 for Slack, I want Slack to always open on Desktop 2. For this, I switch to Desktop 2 and assign Slack to This Desktop:

Now, I don't care if Slack is open or closed. I just press ⌥-2. I will always move to Desktop 2 where Slack will be open and focused.

Since I have shortcuts for the apps I use most often, I prefer to hide the Dock:

6. Workspaces.

I'm working on two projects: Option1 and timeto.me. I don't want to bind different shortcuts for each project, I want ⌥-8 to always open Xcode project I'm currently working on.

To make this possible, I'm creating two workspaces: Option1 and timeto.me:

Note that ⌥-1 and ⌥-2 still work from Shared.

To switch the workspace use menu bar:

 

One more thing. ⌥-Tab.

An addition to built-in ⌘-Tab. Especially useful when you need to switch a window for the app, because built-in ⌘-Tab switch apps, not windows.

⌥-Tab provides a few additional options:

• Pinned apps to the top of the list;
• Double Option displays a list of windows. Useful to check window badges;
• ⌥-` and ⌘-` only jumps to windows with badges;
• Sorting windows by apps, history, or special JK mode;
• Vim-inspired JK mode is a combination of Apps and History. Press ⌥-Tab to Apps mode, ⌥-J to History;
• ⌥-(A-Z) for windows. WARNING If you need these shortcuts in other apps, turn this off in settings;
• Favourites.

To be honest, I don't use ⌥-Tab very often. But sometimes it's just indispensable.

Post Scriptum

Crafting this app I focused on the features I missed in macOS. It is not a replacement but an addition to the built-in macOS window management:

• supports multiple displays ✅
• supports built-in macOS desktops ✅
• supports full-screen windows ✅

Wish you all the best,
Ivan

Download

https://option1.io/Option1.dmg

https://github.com/Medvedev91/Option1/releases

Contacts

ivan@option1.io

https://option1.io

Thanks

https://github.com/lwouis/alt-tab-macos

https://github.com/soffes/HotKey

https://github.com/sparkle-project/Sparkle

https://github.com/sindresorhus/create-dmg

https://github.com/Alamofire/Alamofire

https://github.com/SwiftyJSON/SwiftyJSON

https://github.com/sindresorhus/LaunchAtLogin-Modern