Two Problems, One Solution.

[Apoorva Sharma <appi2012 gmail com>]

Gnome shell's method of switching and starting applications is quite original, and very useful. However, is suffers from one main drawback: the system for switching between open windows. Since the windows are shown as scaled down previews without titles in the overview, finding the window you want becomes difficult. This is because of two main reasons:

1. There are too many workspaces open, thus the thumbnails are too small.
2. There are too many windows, thus the thumbnails are too small.
3. There are multiple windows that look alike, making it hard to find which one you want.

The first issue has pretty much been solved with the introduction of a linear workspace view. However, we need to find a way to fix the other problems in order for Gnome-Shell to be a good experience.

Another problem, not specific to gnome shell, but rather to all operating systems, is the notion of tabbed browsing, tabbed documents, etc. Basically, many applications have implemented systems to allow what used to take multiple windows to be done in one, by tabbing the content of the windows. Lets take a look at some applications that have implemented this:

• Firefox
• Epiphany
• Nautilus
• The new GIMP
• Pidgin
• Epiphany
• Gedit
  
• etc.

Furthermore, some applications would benefit from this, but haven't implemented tabs yet, e.g. OpenOffice

The functionality provided by the tabs in these applications is the same. This is a lot of redundant code.

To solve this issue and the previous one, we can implement tabs in the window manager.

We can use the space that is used by the titlebar in a more efficient way, and have tabs representing the windows that applications has open. Also, since opening a new tab would essentially be the same as adding a new window, there could be a [+] button to add a new tab. Tab tearing and merging would also be supported. (Think Google Chrome)

This as several advantages:

1. It removes the need for redundant code.
2. It minimizes the open windows, thus fixing issue 2 of the overview.
3. It allows the user to switch between similar looking windows (windows of the same program) without the overview.
4. It allows the capability of the Windows 7 Jumplist functionality, showing the open tabs of the windows on right click, for now the tabs are managed by the window manager.
5. It saves screen space by removing the need for a tab bar and instead merging it into the little used titlebar.

The disadvantage of this solution is that it would require a list of which application windows to merge, and which to keep separate. (Although maybe one could get around this using the window class?)

Overall, I think having tabbed browsing/documents managed by the window manager, Gnome Shell and Gnome itself would be modernized, and ease and experience of switching of applications/windows would surpass all current Operating Systems and Desktop Environments.

-- 
Apoorva Sharma