I run all of my functions in full display screen mode on a laptop computer with out an exterior monitor. I virtually solely use Alfred to swap between functions, since I am incessantly transferring between extra than simply two of them. Alfred, for context, makes use of the open command to carry out its software switching.
Anyway, there are a number of functions the place, once I swap to them (does not matter the place I am coming from), the desktop switches to Area 1 (which is the empty area containing solely Finder) and the primary software really switches to Finder. I can hit Cmd-Tab as soon as to get to the meant software (notice that this implies the goal software moved within the record order, since tabbing as soon as would in any other case end in returning to the place I got here from), however clearly that is one other step that’s undesirable. To make issues worse, it’s considerably nondeterministic (I might say it occurs round 60-70% of the time), so I by no means actually know if I will “make it” when I attempt to swap apps.
A non-exhaustive record of functions the place I’ve seen this occur (once more, swapping to, not from):
- Elegant Textual content 3
- TweetBot
- Calendar (like, the first-party Apple Calendar)
- Mail (very hardly ever)
- Slack
I’ve by no means (not even as soon as) seen this glitch occur with the next functions:
- Safari
- Terminal
- 1Password
Put one other manner, the signs listed here are related to what occurs in the event you disable the “When switching to an software, swap to a Area…” choice within the Mission Management preferences, however not fairly the identical. Toggling that setting has an impact, however does not repair the issue. With the setting off, what occurs is the targeted software will swap reliably to my goal app (I do not get “intercepted” by Finder), however the area does not swap. Which is to be anticipated, since that’s the meant habits of the setting.
To make issues much more complicated… I enabled the hidden “Give up the Finder” menu choice and shut down Finder. In order that left me in a scenario the place nothing was lively on Area 1 and all the functions had been in fullscreen. I then tried to modify to one of many problematic apps. The outcomes had been that I used to be switched to Area 1, however the targeted software was my goal (presumably since Finder wasn’t obtainable to intercept).
It is virtually like what’s occurring is the window supervisor is usually failing to modify me to the area which accommodates my goal software (e.g. Slack) and as an alternative switches me to Area 1, at which level the default “on switching into an area” habits takes over and focuses the most-recently used software on that area. And this habits is impartial of what functions are open on Area 1, however is in some way depending on the applying I am swapping to.
I have been utilizing Alfred (and QuickSilver earlier than it) to modify functions mainly since Mac OS X 10.2, and that is the primary time I’ve ever seen something like this. I’ve additionally seen this throughout two utterly distinct laptops with solely separate person accounts, settings and software setups (modulo some overlap, corresponding to Alfred, Dropbox, and so on). I am mainly out of loopy concepts to even debug the difficulty. Assist?
(btw, I really by no means use Finder, so I might legitimately settle for an answer which kills Finder and removes Area 1 altogether, however I doubt that’s potential)
Replace The semantics of this downside seem to have modified in 10.12.2. Particularly, now the applying deterministically will get focus, however the area nonetheless usually will get “caught” on area 1. So it is now virtually similar to having the “When switching to an software” setting deactivated.
Much more apparently, I’ve now seen it often with Cmd-Tab, however solely when the system is beneath excessive load.
