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Add workspace shortcuts and say why taskbar icons are not combined - #87

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leafOfTree merged 17 commits into
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taskbar-reason-workspace-shortcuts
Oct 23, 2026
Merged

leafOfTree merged 17 commits into
mainfrom
taskbar-reason-workspace-shortcuts

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Workspace shortcuts (Fixes #82)

  • Two new shortcuts under Settings → Shortcuts, in a Workspaces card, unset by default:
    • Save workspace saves the windows as a new workspace, as Save layout does.
    • Restore workspace restores the workspace last saved or restored (from a shortcut or from Settings), or the newest one if that one was deleted or renamed.
  • The Shortcuts page now lists every shortcut from the settings catalog, so a new one can no longer be left off the page.
  • An open Workspaces page picks up a workspace saved by shortcut, so its next save keeps it.

Notices

The notice used by these shortcuts and by the session restore at sign-in is now a card like an IDE's notifications:

  • At the bottom right of the screen, where Windows shows its own notifications; it slides in and out.
  • Fixed size, with the app's icon, a bold title (the workspace's name, or "Last session") and the message below it in up to two lines.
  • While pointed at, it shows a close button and does not go.
  • How long it stays depends on what it says: 4 s when done, 8 s when some windows were not found, until closed for an error (with a warning icon).
  • A failed restore or save now shows an error notice; before, the notice just went away.

Why taskbar icons are not combined (#84)

A group set to combine its taskbar icons can keep a button per window: when WindowTabs and a window run with different rights, when Windows has not said which virtual desktop the windows are on, or when it would not move the group's button there. Until now nothing said which.

  • The group's tab menu shows the reason, inset and dimmed, under Combine taskbar icons.
  • Settings → Diagnostics lists each group of several windows with its taskbar state.

This does not change when icons combine; it shows which case applies. @jaherb00, could you try this build and tell us what the tab menu, or the taskbarGroups part of the diagnostics report, shows for the group of Explorer windows? Whether WindowTabs runs as administrator would also help.

Tabs when WindowTabs runs as administrator

A strip can only be owned by a window whose input it may share, so with WindowTabs elevated and normal apps, strips are owned by nothing and Windows does not raise them with their window. Tabs were left under other windows, and went under their own window when it was maximized or its title bar clicked.

  • The strip goes back over its window when the window is activated, raised from a tab, maximized or restored.
  • Any other raise, such as a browser raising itself again a moment after activation or a title bar click, is caught by listening for changes in the order of top-level windows.
  • README now says that an admin WindowTabs keeps normal windows' taskbar buttons apart.

No polling guards

The split view guard checked the window order every 200 ms for as long as a split was shown. It now runs once per burst of order changes, and the admin strip guard uses the same event. The event is only listened for while a split is shown or a strip is owned by nothing.

Smaller changes

  • The session restore setting's description fits on one line, with shorter choices beside it.

Tests

Regression checks added to GroupLifecycle, SettingsEditors, SettingsTheme and PopupRendering: the reported taskbar state, the last used workspace, shortcut saves reaching an open page, every shortcut having an editor, the notice's place, size, kinds and close button, and an unowned strip coming back over its window after activation, a raise and a tab click.

@leafOfTree
leafOfTree merged commit 9a104d3 into main Oct 23, 2026
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@jaherb00

jaherb00 commented Oct 23, 2026 via email

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[Feature Request] Shortcutkey for 'Restore' in Workspace

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