Changing focus between windows

[#1]

I have a JSL application which often has two or three windows open on the screen at once, and when I'm running it I need to switch from window to window quite frequently. To a certain extent I can anticipate which window I'm going to need to use next, and I therefore build in commands like "MyNextChartWindow << bring window to front" on the various control buttons and menus to minimize the number of mouse clicks I'm going to need whenever possible.

A lot of the time however I don't know which one I'm going to use next, and in those cases I need a minimum of two mouse clicks each time: one to change the focus to the other window, and then a second one to do whatever I want to do in that window. Is there any way I can perform both operations (i.e. change the focus AND click whatever button I've just pressed in that window) in a single mouse click?

I know this sounds rather petty, but when there's a lot of hopping around to do it gets rather irritating to have to double click all the time. Reducing the number of windows, which is probably the most obvious remedy, isn't really an option in this instance. I'm guessing that there isn't a way around this, but I've discovered in the past that I'm often wrong whenever I make an assumption like that.

Many thanks for any suggestions.

[#2]

Well I don't know the answer to this - but I just wanted to add my support for this request. JMP is at its most powerful when multiple windows are open. I often will work with a journal file with buttons attached, and I always fall into the trap of clicking on the button only to realise that the click has only activated the window and not performed the button click operation. However, I think this is normal behaviour for the operating system so I'm not sure that there is an easy fix.

[#3]

Many thanks - that's fine. I'm just glad to know that the question isn't a silly one!

[#4]

For Windows XP I believe the Tweak UI utility includes the option to make windows active by hovering over them. Don't know if this applies to windows within JMP. For Windows 7 there appear to be some similar options. Search for "windows hover to make active". If you try this let us know how it works.

Tried Tweak UI on Win XP and found it did *not* give focus on hovering to windows inside JMP.


Message was edited by: mpb

[#5]

The "active on hover" is a mouse setting in the Control Panel under Windows 7. Unfortunately it doesn't apply to the child windows within an application.

[#6]

In JMP on the mac, pressing the command key (old "apple key") allows mouse-clicking e.g. a button or selecting a column in any non-front window. Maybe there is such a keyboard trick also in Windows?