DevSwitcher2

Efficient and Elegant macOS Window Switching Tool

A modern menu bar application that enhances window and application switching experience for smoother workflow.

📥 Download Latest · 🐛 Report Issues · 💡 Feature Requests · 🇨🇳 中文文档

📸 Preview

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✨ Key Features

🚀 Enhanced Application Switchers

• Intra-App Window Switcher: Fast switching between windows within the same app (Enhanced Command + `)
• Inter-App Switcher: Switching between all applications (Enhanced Command + Tab)

🎯 Intelligent Window Recognition

• Smart title extraction with multiple strategies (first part, last part, custom separator)
• Automatic project name recognition (e.g., Xcode projects, VSCode workspaces)
• Configurable app-specific rules

⚡️ Ultimate Performance

• Icon caching system for smooth visual experience
• Intelligent multi-display support
• 60Hz real-time response
• Optimized memory management

🛠 Highly Customizable

• Fully customizable hotkey settings
• Flexible window title display strategies

🌐 Internationalization Support

• Complete Chinese and English localization
• Dynamic language switching
• Automatic system language detection

🚀 Quick Start

System Requirements

• macOS 12.0 or later
• Accessibility permissions (guided setup on first launch)

Installation Methods

Method 1: Brew install

# Install
brew tap vaspike/devswitcher2 && brew install --cask DevSwitcher2

# Uninstall
brew uninstall devswitcher2

Method 2: Download Release

1. Visit the Releases page
2. Download the latest DevSwitcher2.dmg
3. Open the dmg file and drag the app to Applications folder
4. Launch the app and grant necessary permissions

Method 1: Build from Source

# Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/vaspike/DevSwitcher2.git
cd DevSwitcher2

# Open project in Xcode
open DevSwitcher2.xcodeproj

# Or build from command line
xcodebuild -project DevSwitcher2.xcodeproj -scheme DevSwitcher2 -configuration Release

Initial Setup

1. Grant Accessibility Permissions: The app will automatically guide you through the setup
2. Configure Hotkeys: Default uses Command + ` (intra-app window switcher) and Command + Tab (inter-app switcher)
3. Customize Settings: Access preferences through the menu bar icon
4. Note: The inter-app switcher feature is disabled by default and needs to be manually enabled in preferences

🎮 Usage Guide

Basic Operations

• Window Switching: `Command + `` (backtick) - Switch between windows of the same app
• App Switching: Command + Tab - Switch between all applications
• Release Modifier Keys: Complete switching and activate selected window/app
• ESC Key: Cancel switching and return to original state

Advanced Tips

• Continuous Switching: Hold modifier keys and repeatedly press trigger key for quick browsing
• Reverse Switching: Add Shift key for reverse traversal
• Mouse Selection: Click directly to select when switcher interface is displayed
• Custom Hotkeys: Configure personalized hotkey combinations in preferences

Smart Title Strategies

DevSwitcher2 provides three title extraction strategies:

1. First Part: Display the first half of the title (suitable for apps with filenames first)
2. Last Part: Display the last half of the title (suitable for windows with app names last)
3. Custom Separator: Smart extraction based on specified separators (like " - ", " | ", etc.)

⚙️ Configuration Details

Hotkey Settings

• Modifier Keys: Command, Option, Control, Shift and their combinations
• Trigger Keys: Letters, numbers, function keys, special symbol keys
• Conflict Detection: Automatic detection and warning of hotkey conflicts

App-Specific Configuration

Configure personalized title extraction rules for different apps:

• Bundle ID identification
• Custom separators
• Specific title format handling

Language Settings

• System Default: Follow system language settings
• English: English interface
• Chinese: Simplified Chinese interface
• Changes take effect after restart

🛠 Development Guide

Technical Architecture

• UI Framework: SwiftUI + AppKit hybrid development
• Permission Management: Accessibility API
• Event Handling: Carbon Event Manager
• Icon Caching: Custom caching system
• Internationalization: NSLocalizedString + dynamic language switching

Project Structure

DevSwitcher2/
├── DevSwitcher2App.swift          # App entry point and AppDelegate
├── WindowManager.swift            # Core window management logic
├── HotkeyManager.swift            # Hotkey registration and handling
├── SwitcherComponents.swift       # Switcher UI components
├── PreferencesView.swift          # Preferences interface
├── SettingsManager.swift          # Settings storage and management
├── LocalizationHelper.swift       # Internationalization support
├── AppIconCache.swift             # Icon caching system
├── CompatibilityExtensions.swift  # macOS version compatibility
└── WindowSwitcherView.swift       # Window switcher view

Build Requirements

• Xcode 15.0+
• Swift 5.9+
• macOS Deployment Target: 12.0

Contributing

1. Fork this repository
2. Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/AmazingFeature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some AmazingFeature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/AmazingFeature)
5. Create a Pull Request

🐛 Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Q: App cannot switch windows? A: Please ensure accessibility permissions are granted: System Preferences → Security & Privacy → Privacy → Accessibility

Q: Hotkeys not responding? A: Check for conflicts with other app hotkeys, you can change them in preferences

Q: Some app window titles display incorrectly? A: Try configuring a custom title separator for that app in preferences

Q: Switcher interface displays abnormally? A: Restart the app or reset settings to default values

Performance Optimization

• Icon cache is automatically managed by the app
• Adjust title extraction strategies to fit your workflow
• Disable unnecessary switching modes to save resources

📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

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App for Mac