Pick of the Week - Nov 10 [Show all picks]
Path Finder 5 - A feature-laden Finder replacement
Submit Hint Search The Forums LinksStatsPollsFAQHeadlinesRSS
12,000 hints and counting!

Work in some windows while Dashboard is active System
I use a small utility called Witch to switch between open windows in applications via Option-Tab, instead of using the built-in Command-Tab, which just switches between applications. I recently realized that, when Dashboard is active (F12), you can use Witch (Option-Tab) to select a window, and then you can do some things in this window while still having Dashboard active and frontmost.

For example, you can select a TextEdit window and write in it, jotting down some notes relative to something in a Dashboard widget. This will work as long as you don't click the mouse button. I've found this quite useful at times.

[robg adds: This could also be useful for selecting text in a background window and copying it (hold down Shift and use the arrow keys to select text, then press Command-C), for pasting into a Dashboard widget, if you forgot to copy it before you invoked Dashboard.]
    •    
  • Currently 0.00 / 5
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  (0 votes cast)
 
[3,952 views]  

Work in some windows while Dashboard is active | 6 comments | Create New Account
Click here to return to the 'Work in some windows while Dashboard is active' hint
The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.
Work in some windows while Dashboard is active
Authored by: poenn on Fri, May 9 2008 at 7:46AM PDT
I'm not sure why the author needs a utility for a built-in feature, maybe for the different key mapping? One can switch between the several windows of an app via cmd+<>

[ Reply to This | # ]
Work in some windows while Dashboard is active
Authored by: PancakeMan on Fri, May 9 2008 at 8:25AM PDT
Witch doesn't require for the application of the switched-to window to already be active.

[ Reply to This | # ]
Work in some windows while Dashboard is active
Authored by: dahui on Fri, May 9 2008 at 4:20PM PDT
there is a big difference between switching apps (cmd-tab) and the fabulous witch from peter maurer / manytricks that switches windows and not apps by clicking alt-tab ;)

[ Reply to This | # ]
Work in some windows while Dashboard is active
Authored by: lowbatteries on Fri, May 9 2008 at 8:58AM PDT
This works with quicksilver too - invoke dashboard, invoke quicksilver, bring up an application, document, whatever, and as long as you don't click anywhere you can keep working.

[ Reply to This | # ]
Work in some windows while Dashboard is active
Authored by: adiascar on Fri, May 9 2008 at 10:26AM PDT
Not directly related to the tip, to switch between windows of the same application, use Command + ` (backtick). This is easy to remember if you notice that the backtick is the key right above the left tab. So, to switch applications, Cmd+Tab. To switch windows of the same application, use the key right above, Cmd+`.

[ Reply to This | # ]
Work in some windows while Dashboard is active
Authored by: mantrid on Fri, May 9 2008 at 8:24PM PDT
This is essentially a dupe of this hint from 2005:
http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20050627203154837

Use any one of a number of focus switching key combinations such as the ones for Spotlight as mentioned in the hint, or the one to switch focus to the Dock, to switch to a different app while Dashboard is up.

[ Reply to This | # ]