[xmonad] Changing focus with alt-tab as in Windows

[Alex Samokhvalov]

Brent Yorgey wrote:
> On Mon, Jan 05, 2009 at 06:00:04PM +0100, Alex Samokhvalov wrote:
>> Hello,
>>
>> is it possible to configure xmonad, to move the focus with alt-tab exactly 
>> as in Windows? As far as I could understand, only keyPress events are 
>> dispatched. But it seems keyUp events are required for this. Or maybe there 
>> are much more simpler solutions?
> 
> Can you be more specific?  What is it exactly about the way Windows
> does things that you would like to see implemented? The default
> configuration already includes a binding for mod-Tab to cycle through
> windows.

After the alt button has been pressed down, pressing tab switches the 
focus to the first previously focused window. The second tab press 
selects the second previously focused window. And so on until the alt 
button is released.

For example, a workspace contains 5 windows: A,B,C,D,E. The first window 
in the list is selected, in this case - A. Then as in the following 
scenario:
- alt button down:
   * pressing the tab results in the following window order: B,A,C,D,E
     (whereby B is focused)
   * tab pressed again -> C,A,B,D,E
- alt button up -> "commit" C,A,B,D,E
- alt button down
   * tab pressed -> A,C,B,D,E
   * tab pressed -> B,C,A,D,E
   * tab pressed -> D,C,A,B,E
- alt button up -> "commit" D,C,A,B,E

I find such behavior convenient because usually you work with only a 
couple of windows. All others are just for logging, reporting, etc.