Any way to display list of open documents?

[Glenn Zelniker]

Has anyone figured out a way to display a tabbed list of currently open
files so that I can switch quickly between one of several documents in
use? On Word for Windows, the task bar displays all open documents -- I
don't need to go to a pull-down menu to get a list. I realize I can do
"command+'" in order to cycle through open docs, but this isn't what I want.

Or how about an add-on utility that displays a "sticky" window that
floats above the workspace and shows all the open docs and lets you
click on the one you want to bring to the front? This would be very
helpful when you have many documents open and are doing lots of cutting
and pasting between them.

Thanks in advance and sorry if this has been discussed before.

Glenn Z

 

[Jim Gordon MVP]

Hi

On a Mac you can hold the "apple" key down and press the Tab key to display
and page through open files. This looks best in OSX version 10.3 and higher.

-Jim Gordon
Mac MVP

All responses should be made to this newsgroup within the same thread.
Thanks.

About Microsoft MVPs:
http://www.mvps.org/

Search for help with the free Google search Excel add-in:
<http://www.rondebruin.nl/Google.htm>

 

[Glenn Zelniker]

Hi

On a Mac you can hold the "apple" key down and press the Tab key to display
and page through open files. This looks best in OSX version 10.3 and higher.

Thanks for the reply, Jim, but I'm looking for something substantially
different than mere task-switching. I want a "persistent" listing, akin
to the way Windows displays multiple tabs so you can switch to the
appropriate document by merely clicking on a tab that's always displayed.

The closest thing to this in OS X appears to be ctrl-click on the Word
icon in the dock. But I want the list of open documents to be "floating"
so that it's always visible.

Glenn

 

[Beth Rosengard]

Hi Glenn,

I'm not in Word X but I think you're out of luck unless there's third-party
software that will do this (QuicKeys maybe but I'm not sure).

This is a good suggestion though and you should make it to Microsoft. Use
the Feedback link on the Word Help menu to do so.

--
Beth Rosengard
Mac MVP

Mac Word FAQ: <http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/WordMac/index.htm>
Entourage Help Page: <http://www.entourage.mvps.org/toc.html>

 

[Elliott Roper]

Thanks for the reply, Jim, but I'm looking for something substantially
different than mere task-switching. I want a "persistent" listing, akin
to the way Windows displays multiple tabs so you can switch to the
appropriate document by merely clicking on a tab that's always displayed.

The closest thing to this in OS X appears to be ctrl-click on the Word
icon in the dock. But I want the list of open documents to be "floating"
so that it's always visible.

Glenn

just for interest, how many documents are you juggling at a time?
If there are lots, then using the application keyboard shortcuts built
into Panther might be worth a try[1]. If fewer, then repeated cmd ~
keystrokes beats the pants off trying to find where you left your
mouse, taking your paws off the home keys, finding the cursor, waving
the mouse about and then clicking on something.

1. ctrl-m left left, then a digit for the document number in the list
then return. (if you have set system preferences->keyboard access
appropriately)
1(b) train keyboard access for a single key combo to bring up Word's
window menu. instead of ctrl-m left left.

Me, i go to great lengths to learn every trick that lets my mouse stay
under a pile of paper. I *hate* the damn thing!

 

[Glenn Zelniker]

just for interest, how many documents are you juggling at a time?

Say, five or six.

If there are lots, then using the application keyboard shortcuts built
into Panther might be worth a try[1]. If fewer, then repeated cmd ~
keystrokes beats the pants off trying to find where you left your
mouse, taking your paws off the home keys, finding the cursor, waving
the mouse about and then clicking on something.

1. ctrl-m left left, then a digit for the document number in the list
then return. (if you have set system preferences->keyboard access
appropriately)
1(b) train keyboard access for a single key combo to bring up Word's
window menu. instead of ctrl-m left left.

I just want a persistent floating list or a dock with tabs for each open
document! It's the one thing Windows seems to do better. I already use
these keyboard shortcuts and I don't like them.

GZ

 

[Elliott Roper]

just for interest, how many documents are you juggling at a time?

Say, five or six.

If there are lots, then using the application keyboard shortcuts built
into Panther might be worth a try[1]. If fewer, then repeated cmd ~
keystrokes beats the pants off trying to find where you left your
mouse, taking your paws off the home keys, finding the cursor, waving
the mouse about and then clicking on something.

1. ctrl-m left left, then a digit for the document number in the list
then return. (if you have set system preferences->keyboard access
appropriately)
1(b) train keyboard access for a single key combo to bring up Word's
window menu. instead of ctrl-m left left.

I just want a persistent floating list or a dock with tabs for each open
document! It's the one thing Windows seems to do better. I already use
these keyboard shortcuts and I don't like them.

And you can't type an average of 3 keystrokes faster than finding your
mouse under all that paper? And how can you bear to have yet another
floating nonsense when you have 6 Word files on your desktop?

I resent the 1 pixel wide fragment of the formatting palette I need to
have visible so that cmd-shift-S will do something useful. I have
condensed all the tools on all the toolbars down to one, I run two
screens, and still I'm short of screen space with more than 2 files
open at once. And I *hate* touching the mouse.

I guess its different (key)strokes for different folks. ;-)

I guess you could minimise the other 5 onto the dock, and leave the
dock protruding? That would be exactly how the dark side does it.

Echh! I feel ill just thinking about it!

Anyhow's I would not have rabbited on so long. I just glugged a bottle
of Billycart champagne with the missus to see the New year in. It's
pissing down snow outside, and all's right with the world.
Happy New Year!

 

[Karla Oakley]

I *hate* touching the mouse.

I do, too! I'm a former Windows person, and one of the features I am
missing the most here in MacLand is the keyboard Menu access feature.

I used to be able to hit <alt> and then the first letter of all the options
on the main menubar (File, Edit, View, etc.)

I could then hit a letter to access any option on that submenu. So for
example, I could press <alt>-E-S to get to Edit-Paste Special.

Oh, and I could hit them sequentially, not consecutively.

Man, my hands Never had to leave the keyboard and I could Rock! ;-)

Is there anything comparable for OSX, or perhaps a utility/Script I could
use?

Thanks!
Happy New Year, y'all!

- Karla

 

[Elliott Roper]

I do, too! I'm a former Windows person, and one of the features I am
missing the most here in MacLand is the keyboard Menu access feature.

I used to be able to hit <alt> and then the first letter of all the options
on the main menubar (File, Edit, View, etc.)

I could then hit a letter to access any option on that submenu. So for
example, I could press <alt>-E-S to get to Edit-Paste Special.

Oh, and I could hit them sequentially, not consecutively.

Man, my hands Never had to leave the keyboard and I could Rock! ;-)

Is there anything comparable for OSX, or perhaps a utility/Script I could
use?

If you upgrade to Panther and choose 'full keyboard access' in system
preferences you can get close. Not as good as you describe, but close.

You hit ctrl-m to wake keyboard access to the main menu bar, then you
must use arrow keys to select the drop-down menu, then - this is new in
panther - type enough of the command name to make it unique, or augment
with up and down arrow keys. Sounds far more clumsy than it is. Works
in every application including Word.

 

[J.E. McGimpsey]

I just want a persistent floating list or a dock with tabs for each open
document! It's the one thing Windows seems to do better. I already use
these keyboard shortcuts and I don't like them.

I ginned up a toolbar that does what you want, I think:

ftp://ftp.mcgimpsey.com/word/JEM_Taskbar.dot

Put the file in your Microsoft Office X:Office:Startup:Word folder
and restart Word.

It puts a toolbar at the bottom of your screen that has a button for
each open document.

It's functional, but not really not ready for prime time quite yet,
so let me know if it's suitable, and I'll make it prettier, make the
starting position flexible, add a Help menu topic etc..

I'd appreciate comments from anyone else who tries it, too.

Note that the document name won't change when the file is first
saved. However, it will change when you switch documents for the
first time after the save.

 

[J.E. McGimpsey]

I ginned up a toolbar that does what you want, I think:

ftp://ftp.mcgimpsey.com/word/JEM_Taskbar.dot

Somehow, the file appears to have been corrupted. Try this stuffed
copy instead.

ftp://ftp.mcgimpsey.com/word/JEM_Taskbar.dot.sit