[Ayatana] Problem: the new Unity switcher does not fit in with the concept of workspaces

[Justyn Butler <justynbutler@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi,

I originally opened a bug report but Jason Smith suggested that this
would be better to discuss here.

Summary:
The new Unity switcher is not designed for changing focus between
windows on a particular workspace. I propose a solution of adding a
new default keybinding that activates a feature similar to the compiz
"application switcher" plugin.

Scenario:
The user has grouped windows into workspaces according to function.
When they wish to work on a task they use ctrl-alt-[arrow] to move to
that workspace. They wish to stay on that workspace and move between
windows - for example some open pdfs and a document in a word
processor.

Currently:
The new alt-tab switcher provides a high-level overview of all open
windows on all workspaces, grouped by application and each group
represented by an icon.

Problem:
The user's approach of intentionally grouping windows on a particular
workspace is defeated because all windows are listed, not just the
ones on that workspace.
The user can see the window they want to type in, but to change focus
they must think about how that window is represented in the switcher.
The spacial layout of the windows is also ignored when switching,
because they are all represented by icons in the central switcher
carousel.

The issue as I see it is that there are two distinct use cases:
1) Generally finding an open application
2) Trying to change window focus, having grouped multiple windows on
your workspace, when you have selected the workspace you want.

Right now with the new switcher the applications are abstracted as
icons. This is good for the first case, a "high-level" overview of all
applications, as you say.

But for the second case what you need is something more like the
compiz "application switcher" plugin, which highlights the each window
itself as you tab through them. The point is that you look at a
window, and then you tab until it is highlighted, then you can type in
it. This is fast and intuitive, and does not require you to mentally
link the window to whatever it is represented by in the switcher (be
it icon or preview).

I think that a new default key combination should be created to
activate this feature. The most elegant keybinding for this would be
ctrl-alt-tab, because this links well with the keys for moving between
workspaces, enabling a smooth flow for selecting a workspace and then
a window on it.

Proposed ctrl-alt-tab workflow:
User moves to relevant workspace with ctrl-alt-[arrow]. Continuing to
hold ctrl-alt down, they may use tab to select the desired window on
that workspace.
Moving between windows intentionally grouped onto a workspace is fast,
visual and removes the distraction of what's happening on other
workspaces.

What do you think?
If the response is that we are not interested in supporting a
workspace-driven workflow then I guess the next question is what is
the rationale behind keeping multiple workspaces at all?

Justyn

Original bug report: http://bugs.launchpad.net/unity/+bug/863399