AltTab is a small application created in C++, Win32, is an alternative for windows native task switcher (Alt+Tab / Alt+Shift+Tab).
- Find the right window faster (filter windows using search string), uses fuzzy string matching algorithm (no need to type the exact search string).
- Switch between windows of the same application using Alt + ` (Grave Accent / Backtick, the key right above the Tab on a US English keyboard layout).
- Terminate a process or all processes either normally or forcefully using keyboard shortcuts. Hide / Un-hide windows.
- Provided configuration/setting INI file & UI to change font style, background color, window transparency, width and height.
Requires Visual Studio with the C++ workload (the project targets the v145 toolset), CMake 3.20+, and Python 3 for packaging.
Clone and build — open AltTab.sln in Visual Studio, or:
python Scripts\BuildAltTab.py --configs Release
AltTab links a static log4cpp, which is compiled from
libraries\log4cpp-1.1.4.tar.gz rather than committed as a binary (see
SIGNING.md). The first build of each configuration compiles it
automatically — that is what Python and CMake are needed for. Subsequent builds
skip it.
To build the dependency by hand, or to force a rebuild after changing the tarball:
python Scripts\BuildLog4cpp.py # both configurations, skips if current
python Scripts\BuildLog4cpp.py --force # rebuild unconditionally
If python is not the right command on your machine, tell MSBuild what to use:
msbuild AltTab.sln /p:PythonExe="py -3"
To produce release archives locally:
python -m pip install -r Scripts\requirements.txt
python Scripts\CreatePackages.py
Note that locally built binaries are unsigned. Published releases are built and signed only by CI — see below.
AltTab's released executables are Authenticode signed. Free code signing provided by SignPath.io, certificate by SignPath Foundation.
Because the Foundation holds the certificate, Windows shows the publisher as "SignPath Foundation" rather than the author's name. That is expected.
See SIGNING.md for the full code signing policy: what is signed, where binaries come from, who approves each release, and how to verify a download.
AltTab has no analytics or telemetry. It makes one network request — an update check that can be disabled — and stores its settings locally. See PRIVACY.md.
PVS-Studio - static analyzer for C, C++, C#, and Java code.
