GeoSwitch is a GeoShell plugin which makes task switching more efficient. With it, you can assign hotkeys to windows, so you can launch and switch between them by pressing hotkeys.
1. Bring up the GeoSwitch main menu (Alt-`, or click on the GeoSwitch icon).
2. From the "Create Hotkey..." submenu, select the window which you want to assign a hotkey to. A dialog box will appear; take note of the number of the Window String that was just created.
3. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\geO\geOShell\Services\Hotkey\szIDs in the registry.
4. Edit the Module_GeoSwitch_# entry, where # is the number you were told. You can make the value of this entry any valid HotKey definition.
5. Recycle GeoShell to properly register your new hotkey.
Optionally, you can do any of the following in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\geO\geOShell\Plugins\GeoSwitch\User :
Modify the "Window String #" entry for your hotkey to better represent your window. You may wish to use a substring of the value that GeoSwitch set for you.
Specify launch settings for the hotkey, so that GeoSwitch can launch a program when you press your hotkey, but the application corresponding to the hotkey is not open.
How to Setup and Use Your QuickSwitch Hotkeys
1. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\geO\geOShell\Services\Hotkey\szIDs in the registry.
2. Setup your "Module_GeoSwitch_QS#" entries with valid HotKey definitions. These will be your QuickSwitch hotkeys.
3. Setup your "Module_GeoSwitch_Assign_QS#" entries with valid HotKey definitions. These will be the hotkeys you use to assign windows to your QuickSwitch hotkeys.
To assign a window to a QuickSwitch hotkey, switch to that window, and then press one of your QuickSwitch Assignment hotkeys. From that point on, pressing the corresponding QuickSwitch hotkey will switch to that window.
Optionally, you can go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\geO\geOShell\Plugins\GeoSwitch\User and edit the "QuickSwitch Window String #" entries, in case you want to fine-tune the matching parameters for your QuickSwitch hotkeys.
Note that whenever your press a QuickSwitch assignment hotkey, the previous QuickSwitch Window String contents are overwritten.
Registry Settings
Look & Feel Settings
Display Width: Defines the width, in pixels, of the plugin on the GeoBar.
Path to Icon: Set this to a .ico file to set your GeoSwitch icon.
Style: Either "inset" or "standard". Inset makes GeoClip look like the windows system tray (embedded).
Window Text Display Length: Defines the maximum number of characters that are used to represent a window in the main menu.
Confirm Launch: If toggled on (1), GeoSwitch will prompt you for confirmation to launch the program you specified if it can't find the window based on your title or class specifications. If toggled off (0), it will go ahead and launch without asking you. Until you get your titles and classes worked out, it's a good idea to keep this toggled on.
Hotkey and Match Parameter Settings
Under the plugin's main registry key is a subkey called "User", where the hotkey settings are found. Use these settings to assign hotkeys to tasks.
Window String #: A string used to identify a certain task window. The first character of this string must be one of the following letters:
First Letter What the String Denotes
t window title
c window class
a window title, but bring all matching windows to front
k window class, but bring all matching windows to front
e Explorer address
The remainder of the string after the first letter is used to match against windows. This can be a substring; e.g. "Microsoft Internet Explorer" instead of "Welcome to MSN.com - Microsoft Internet Explorer".
If the first letter is 'e', then GeoSwitch will switch to a currently open Explorer instance and move to the folder you specify. So, entering "EC:\windows" will make Explorer go to "C:\windows" when you hit the associated hotkey. All manner of paths can go here, including UNC paths, as well as things like "Control Panel" and "My Documents". If the currently focused window is a file dialog (e.g. a File | Open, or a File | Save As dialog), then hitting your hotkey will move that dialog to the folder.
Launch String #: This specifies a program to launch if the window is not found when its hotkey is pressed. This can be blank (in which case, nothing is launched).
Launch Parameters #: Any parameters you want to pass to the launching application.
Launch Start Path #: Set this to the folder you want the program to start in. Some programs are picky about starting in a certain folder. For example, it might be because they look for settings files.
QuickSwitch Window String #: Set these strings in the same fashion as you would the regular Window Strings. They apply to the QuickSwitch hotkeys.
If you manually add a Window String to the registry, then recycle the plugin (shift-double-right-click the icon), and hotkey values will be added for you under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\geO\geOShell\Services\Hotkey\szIDs and HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\geO\geOShell\Services\Hotkey\uIDs. However, it is easier to use the "Create Hotkey..." function in the main plugin menu.
If you hold the Shift key while selecting a window under the "Create Hotkey..." submenu, it will create a Window String based on the window class, instead of the window title.
Edit the corresponding Module_GeoSwitch_# entry under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\geO\geOShell\Services\Hotkey\szIDs to assign a hotkey to the window.
See also the wiki page on HotKeys.
Operation by Keyboard
Look in your registry under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\geO\geOShell\Services\Hotkey\szIDs to see your current hotkey definitions.
Use Alt-` to bring up the main menu (this hotkey can be changed to whatever key combination you like). Use the arrow keys to highlight a window, and Enter to select it. Windows can also be directly selected with a number key. Use Esc to close the clip menu without selecting a clip. The windows are listed in MRU (most-recently used) order.
If you hit a GeoSwitch hotkey, then one or more windows are brought to front, depending on the following:
1. If the Window String for the hotkey starts with 't' or 'c', then the first matching window (when searching in most-recently used order) will be brought to front. Pressing the same hotkey again will cycle through to the next matching window.
2. If the Window String for the hotkey starts with 'a' or 'k', then all the matching windows will be brought to front at once.
Pressing the "Cycle_NonMatching" hotkey (the default key is the zero key of the numpad) will cycle through all windows which don't match any of your defined Window Strings. This is useful for getting at applications which you have opened, but don't use frequently enough to have assigned regular GeoSwitch hotkeys to them.
Operation by Mouse
left- or right-click Brings up the main menu.
Shift + double-right-click Recycles the plugin; that is, it loads all changes made in registry.
Posted by
"Deatailed Instructions"
How to Setup a Hotkey
1. Bring up the GeoSwitch main menu (Alt-`, or click on the GeoSwitch icon).
2. From the "Create Hotkey..." submenu, select the window which you want to assign a hotkey to. A dialog box will appear; take note of the number of the Window String that was just created.
3. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\geO\geOShell\Services\Hotkey\szIDs in the registry.
4. Edit the Module_GeoSwitch_# entry, where # is the number you were told. You can make the value of this entry any valid HotKey definition.
5. Recycle GeoShell to properly register your new hotkey.
Optionally, you can do any of the following in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\geO\geOShell\Plugins\GeoSwitch\User :
How to Setup and Use Your QuickSwitch Hotkeys
1. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\geO\geOShell\Services\Hotkey\szIDs in the registry.
2. Setup your "Module_GeoSwitch_QS#" entries with valid HotKey definitions. These will be your QuickSwitch hotkeys.
3. Setup your "Module_GeoSwitch_Assign_QS#" entries with valid HotKey definitions. These will be the hotkeys you use to assign windows to your QuickSwitch hotkeys.
To assign a window to a QuickSwitch hotkey, switch to that window, and then press one of your QuickSwitch Assignment hotkeys. From that point on, pressing the corresponding QuickSwitch hotkey will switch to that window.
Optionally, you can go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\geO\geOShell\Plugins\GeoSwitch\User and edit the "QuickSwitch Window String #" entries, in case you want to fine-tune the matching parameters for your QuickSwitch hotkeys.
Note that whenever your press a QuickSwitch assignment hotkey, the previous QuickSwitch Window String contents are overwritten.
Registry Settings
Look & Feel Settings
Display Width: Defines the width, in pixels, of the plugin on the GeoBar.
Path to Icon: Set this to a .ico file to set your GeoSwitch icon.
Style: Either "inset" or "standard". Inset makes GeoClip look like the windows system tray (embedded).
Window Text Display Length: Defines the maximum number of characters that are used to represent a window in the main menu.
Confirm Launch: If toggled on (1), GeoSwitch will prompt you for confirmation to launch the program you specified if it can't find the window based on your title or class specifications. If toggled off (0), it will go ahead and launch without asking you. Until you get your titles and classes worked out, it's a good idea to keep this toggled on.
Hotkey and Match Parameter Settings
Under the plugin's main registry key is a subkey called "User", where the hotkey settings are found. Use these settings to assign hotkeys to tasks.
Window String #: A string used to identify a certain task window. The first character of this string must be one of the following letters:
First Letter What the String Denotes
t window title
c window class
a window title, but bring all matching windows to front
k window class, but bring all matching windows to front
e Explorer address
The remainder of the string after the first letter is used to match against windows. This can be a substring; e.g. "Microsoft Internet Explorer" instead of "Welcome to MSN.com - Microsoft Internet Explorer".
If the first letter is 'e', then GeoSwitch will switch to a currently open Explorer instance and move to the folder you specify. So, entering "EC:\windows" will make Explorer go to "C:\windows" when you hit the associated hotkey. All manner of paths can go here, including UNC paths, as well as things like "Control Panel" and "My Documents". If the currently focused window is a file dialog (e.g. a File | Open, or a File | Save As dialog), then hitting your hotkey will move that dialog to the folder.
Launch String #: This specifies a program to launch if the window is not found when its hotkey is pressed. This can be blank (in which case, nothing is launched).
Launch Parameters #: Any parameters you want to pass to the launching application.
Launch Start Path #: Set this to the folder you want the program to start in. Some programs are picky about starting in a certain folder. For example, it might be because they look for settings files.
QuickSwitch Window String #: Set these strings in the same fashion as you would the regular Window Strings. They apply to the QuickSwitch hotkeys.
If you manually add a Window String to the registry, then recycle the plugin (shift-double-right-click the icon), and hotkey values will be added for you under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\geO\geOShell\Services\Hotkey\szIDs and HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\geO\geOShell\Services\Hotkey\uIDs. However, it is easier to use the "Create Hotkey..." function in the main plugin menu.
If you hold the Shift key while selecting a window under the "Create Hotkey..." submenu, it will create a Window String based on the window class, instead of the window title.
Edit the corresponding Module_GeoSwitch_# entry under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\geO\geOShell\Services\Hotkey\szIDs to assign a hotkey to the window.
See also the wiki page on HotKeys.
Operation by Keyboard
Look in your registry under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\geO\geOShell\Services\Hotkey\szIDs to see your current hotkey definitions.
Use Alt-` to bring up the main menu (this hotkey can be changed to whatever key combination you like). Use the arrow keys to highlight a window, and Enter to select it. Windows can also be directly selected with a number key. Use Esc to close the clip menu without selecting a clip. The windows are listed in MRU (most-recently used) order.
If you hit a GeoSwitch hotkey, then one or more windows are brought to front, depending on the following:
1. If the Window String for the hotkey starts with 't' or 'c', then the first matching window (when searching in most-recently used order) will be brought to front. Pressing the same hotkey again will cycle through to the next matching window.
2. If the Window String for the hotkey starts with 'a' or 'k', then all the matching windows will be brought to front at once.
Pressing the "Cycle_NonMatching" hotkey (the default key is the zero key of the numpad) will cycle through all windows which don't match any of your defined Window Strings. This is useful for getting at applications which you have opened, but don't use frequently enough to have assigned regular GeoSwitch hotkeys to them.
Operation by Mouse
left- or right-click Brings up the main menu.
Shift + double-right-click Recycles the plugin; that is, it loads all changes made in registry.