Virtual Desktop Window Manager

[mapasco-msft]

Add better hot-key support for Virtual Desktop Management

Issue

To switch from Virtual Desktop 1 to Virtual Desktop 3 the user must hit the following combination twice:

CTRL + WIN + ->

As the number of virtual desktops grows, so does the navigation.

To move an application from one virtual desktop to another, the user must: launch the task view, right click on the desired application and then select the desktop.

Inspiration i3WM

https://i3wm.org/

Key Features

1. Switch to a specific Virtual Desktop
   • Switch to Virtual Desktop 2:

   CTRL + WIN + 2
   

2. Move the focused window to a specific Virtual Desktop
   • Move current application to Virtual Desktop 2, and switch to VD 2

   CTRL + SHIFT + WIN + 2
   

Why?

Keeping specific applications on a virtual desktop can improve your workflow. Keep your IDE and your terminal on VD 1. Keep Mail and IM on VD 2. Browser on VD 3. ETC.

With a Virtual Desktop Window Manager, it is simple to switch directly to your workspace without needing to cycle through Virtual Desktops or Alt Tab.

POC

Current POC cannot capture WIN shortcut but powertoys can

https://github.com/mattpasco-microsoft/VDWM

Next Steps

1. Integrate with PowerToys key management
2. Rewrite Virtual Desktop Management in C++ (currently in C#)
   • In compliance with the other modules
3. Design XAML UI to integrate with PowerToys Settings

[crutkas]

Cool idea. The Settings would be directly added into the settings app inside PT.

Shortcuts would be ctrl-win-numbers

[NicTanghe]

It whould mainly be awsome if there is also something minimal displaying the desktop you switch to.

I advice capslock + button.

Here`s a ahk script if you dident know of it already.
https://github.com/pmb6tz/windows-desktop-switcher

[kiesman99]

Hey there :)

I'd totally love such an implementation. In my opinion we should even go a step further and implement an at a glance section as described in #3737.

[LinqLover]

Not sure whether this belongs here, but I would also love to switch to a VD by typing its name or number into the PowerToys run menu. Would be great if this could be implemented, too :-)

[just1a-person]

Rewrite Virtual Desktop Management in C++ (currently in C#)

Is this step necessary?

[enricogior]

PowerToys modules cannot use undocumented APIs.
Until Microsoft will publish official VD APIs, we cannot include any VD module.

[just1a-person]

@enricogior ?

Image Transcription

Programmatically creating virtual desktops is not an intended scenario for the IVirtualDesktopManager. IVirtualDesktopManager’s purpose is to allow apps to find the correct window to activate, as described in the documentation at https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/api/shobjidl_core/nn-shobjidl_core-ivirtualdesktopmanager.
The purpose of GetWindowDesktopId and MoveWindowToDesktop is to allow applications to keep related windows together on the same virtual desktop by letting them move one window to join another window.
It is explicitly not a goal of IVirtualDesktopManager to give programs the ability to create and manipulate virtual desktops. That is an operation reserved for the user.
That said, the https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys team have been involved in discussions in the past about better supporting this scenario. Filing or upvoting an issue for this in their repo would enable you to engage with the team further on the request.

Mike B - Microsoft Engineer (on Feedback Hub)

[crutkas]

There are private APIs that need to be surfaced and adjusted to not expose internal data structures.

You don’t know how many desktops, what apps are there, is it pinned, ...

[daraghfi]

PLEASE also add the ability to change the background (and even desktop icons) on each desktop! Thanks.

[wolf99]

Would very much like this. For me the usefulness of VD is drastically curtailed by the inability to move windows across them without opening the Task View and reaching for the mouse.

A quick web search shows that there are many, many, many, many other people asking about such.

[just1a-person]

Rewrite Virtual Desktop Management in C++ (currently in C#)

Is this step necessary?

What about this though?

Even GitHub now recognizes PowerToys as a C# project.

[crutkas]

Turns out this is tracked as issue #19!