https://github.com/stianhoiland/cmdtab
The best macOS-style Alt-Tab app/window switcher replacement for Windows, written in straight C
https://github.com/stianhoiland/cmdtab
alt-tab c cmdtab task-switcher window-switcher windows
Last synced: 10 days ago
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The best macOS-style Alt-Tab app/window switcher replacement for Windows, written in straight C
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/stianhoiland/cmdtab
- Owner: stianhoiland
- License: mit
- Created: 2024-01-31T17:29:08.000Z (about 2 years ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2025-11-09T23:27:31.000Z (6 months ago)
- Last Synced: 2025-11-10T01:14:29.787Z (6 months ago)
- Topics: alt-tab, c, cmdtab, task-switcher, window-switcher, windows
- Language: C
- Homepage:
- Size: 208 KB
- Stars: 97
- Watchers: 4
- Forks: 7
- Open Issues: 14
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- License: LICENSE
Awesome Lists containing this project
README
# cmdtab
Fast and super lightweight macOS-style Alt-Tab app/window switcher replacement for Windows, written in the Lord's language, C.
### What's the deal?
1. On Windows Alt-Tab cycles through different windows from different apps all mixed together, showing small window previews
2. On macOS Cmd-Tab cycles through different apps, showing big, clear app icons
3. On macOS there is a separate hotkey that cycles through windows of the same app
Here's a real life comparison GIF between Alt-Tab and **cmdtab** (notice the scrollbar in Alt-Tab, haha):
So, you like the way Apple does it, but you're using Windows? **cmdtab** for Windows fixes that:
- A hotkey to cycle apps (Chrome → Spotify → File Explorer)
- A different hotkey to cycle windows (Chrome1 → Chrome2 → Chrome3)
- Big readable app icons
- Super lightweight program (<50kb)
- Simple, clean, clear, commented C source code (easy to change/fix/extend by you/me/everyone!)
- Lots of tiny, useful QoL features, like reverse, arrow keys & enter, cancel, ~~restore~~, mouse support, wrap bump, quit app, close window, ~~delayed show~~...
- So fast!
- The best macOS-style window switcher for Windows!
- C!
### Features
The basics of window switching are easy to understand, but why is **cmdtab** *the best* macOS-style window switcher alternative for Windows? Because it packs so many tiny, useful features into such a small and lightweight package without bloat:
- Configurable hotkey to cycle apps (default Alt-Tab)
- Configurable hotkey to cycle windows of the same app (default Alt-Tilde/Backquote)
- Reverse direction by holding Shift
- Arrow keys are supported (selects apps in switcher)
- Enter key is supported (switches to selected window)
- Mouse is supported (click an app icon to switch to that app)
- Big readable app icons (not those tiny bewildering window previews)
- Cancel and close the switcher by pressing Escape
- Smart key capture so key presses don't unexpectedly bleed through to other apps
- Wrap bump is hard to explain but easy to feel: Try holding Alt-Tab until the end, then press Tab again—works in reverse, too!
- Press Q to quit the selected app
- Press W to close the selected window
- ~~Option to return to the initial window when cancelling switcher by pressing Escape. This doesn't override or block Windows' native Alt-Escape hotkey~~
- Press F4 while the switcher is open to quit **cmdtab**
That's a lot of useful stuff, and the code is small! Go read it, and learn some C while you're at it.
## Installing **cmdtab**
There's no installation. Just download the [latest version](https://github.com/stianhoiland/cmdtab/releases/latest) from the Releases section, unzip, and run.
### Run as administrator
**cmdtab** cannot see elevated applications like Task Manager unless you "Run as administrator", but works well otherwise.
### Autorun
**cmdtab** will prompt you about autorun when you launch it, but the autorun that **cmdtab** enables if you choose "Yes" is not "Run as administrator". In the future, **cmdtab** will support autorun as admin, but for now you must manually configure this by using the command below.
It makes sense to have **cmdtab** "Run as administrator", and it makes sense to have **cmdtab** autorun on login. Doing either is easy, but doing both, i.e. autorun as admin, is not so easy. The only way to autorun as admin is to use the Windows Task Scheduler. To create an appropriate scheduled task from the Command Prompt run this command:
```console
schtasks /create /sc onlogon /rl highest /tn "cmdtab elevated autorun" /tr "C:\Users\%USERNAME%\Downloads\cmdtab-v1.6.2-win-x86_64\cmdtab.exe --autorun"
```
You can further customize the scheduled task created by that command by running `taskschd.msc`.
### Uninstalling
**cmdtab** leaves no trace on your system, except for a registry key if you choose "Yes" when **cmdtab** prompts you about autorun (and the scheduled task mentioned above if you manually created it). You can remove the autorun registry key by running **cmdtab** one last time before you delete `cmdtab.exe` and choose "No" to autorun.
## Buildling from source
#### MSVC/CMake
These instructions require `git`, `cmake`, and *Visual Studio* or *MSBuild*.
1. `git clone https://github.com/stianhoiland/cmdtab.git`
2. `cd cmdtab`
3. `mkdir build`
4. `cmake -G "Visual Studio 17 2022" -B build`
5. *(in developer console)* `devenv build\cmdtab.sln /build "MinSizeRel|x64"`
6. or: *(in developer console)* `msbuild build\cmdtab.sln /property:Configuration=MinSizeRel`
7. *(run cmdtab)* `build\MinSizeRel\cmdtab.exe`
#### mingw-w64 GCC/make
These instructions require `git`, `make`, `windres`, and `gcc`.
1. `git clone https://github.com/stianhoiland/cmdtab.git`
2. `cd cmdtab`
3. `make release`
4. *(run cmdtab)* `./cmdtab.exe`