Focus active window to front when clicked with mouse

Loki762 · 20 March 2021, 10:22

I am fairly new to the Amiga and have recently upgraded to AmigaOS 3.1.4. This works fine but one of the things I am struggeling with now, is to figure out how to get the active window to front.

In Tools -> Commodities -> ClickToFront... I expected this to be able to enable that double-click would do the trick but this seems not to work for me.

I also tried the Windows2Front, http://aminet.net/package/util/cdity/Window2Front but again then nothing happens when I click the Windows2Front icon.

I know that I am doing something wrong but I would appreciate some hints as I really find the default window handling in Amiga quite hard to work with :-)

npagonis73 · 20 March 2021, 10:42

No you don't do anything wrong. They both just need to edit their tooltypes which will dictate to them how they should work. Read the documentation a bit and you will find out. I am not in front of the Amiga now but if you don't get anywhere with this just pm me and I will tell you.

Sent from my SM-G991B using Tapatalk

npagonis73 · 20 March 2021, 10:45

Now I remembered that one of them I think is set to bring the window in front when you double click it and no single click on the window. If that is not the case pm me to go see my tooltypes and tell you.

Sent from my SM-G991B using Tapatalk

npagonis73 · 20 March 2021, 10:47

How do you activate them; Why do you click the window2front icon; Just put it in your WBStartup folder and reboot.

Sent from my SM-G991B using Tapatalk

Loki762 · 20 March 2021, 11:55

I would expect that if I just double-click the file, "Windows2Front" then it will run. If it works then I of course can enable this via Startup-Sequence or with the WBStartup folder - but it does not work. No actions or nothing happens when I click it.

The double-click doesn't work for me either for the ClickToFront. I would expect I can double-click somewhere in the window to get it in front but that does not happen.

npagonis73 · 20 March 2021, 12:05

Window2front requires commodities.library installed. Do you have it?

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npagonis73 · 20 March 2021, 12:10

Not sure if double clicking the utility enables it. Just check if you have commodities.library in your libs and put windows2front with its icon in your WBStartup and reboot.

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Matt_H · 20 March 2021, 14:51

Put ClickToFront in your WBStartup drawer, then edit the tooltypes (Menu: Icon -> Information).

By default, it’s set to use a qualifier key, meaning you need to hold the left alt key in order for the double click to bring a window to front. Comment out that line (I think it’s QUALIFIER=LALT) by surrounding it with parentheses and you should be all set. It will be active when you reboot.

bni · 20 March 2021, 17:10

I have this command in my User-Startup:

Run >NIL: SYS:Tools/Commodities/ClickToFront QUALIFIER NONE

This means I can double click in any window to bring it to front.

Single click to bring to front does not seem possible, and you probably not want that anyway.

Loki762 · 20 March 2021, 17:27

I now have this working by adding it to Workbench:WBStartup and tweaking this line, when viewing its Icons > Information:

QUALIFIER=LEFT_ALT

to this line:

QUALIFIER=NONE

Is there a reason why it does not work with one-click also? I can live with the double-click but as in Windows I assume it would be better to have one-click to activate the window to the front?

Thanks to all for you help :-)

npagonis73 · 20 March 2021, 17:35

Window2front is more customizable and work with one click. Don't know if clicktofront also works with one click, I think no.

Matt_H · 21 March 2021, 06:04

Many (most?) Amiga users prefer a double-click to bring the window forward. It may take some getting used to if you’re familiar with single-click to front, but I think you’ll find window management much, much easier “the Amiga way.” If you have 2 overlapping windows, the ability to read the front one while typing into the back one is a brilliant bit of UX, to use the modern buzzword, that I wish other OSes would steal.

But if you prefer single-click, the option is there with WindowToFront, as npagonis73 says. And the version of ClickToFront in 3.1.4 *might* be able to do it but I could be getting it mixed up with another version/program. Try the tool type NUMCLICKS=1.

20 March 2021, 10:22	#1
Loki762 Registered User Join Date: Apr 2020 Location: Denmark Posts: 56	Focus active window to front when clicked with mouse I am fairly new to the Amiga and have recently upgraded to AmigaOS 3.1.4. This works fine but one of the things I am struggeling with now, is to figure out how to get the active window to front. In Tools -> Commodities -> ClickToFront... I expected this to be able to enable that double-click would do the trick but this seems not to work for me. I also tried the Windows2Front, http://aminet.net/package/util/cdity/Window2Front but again then nothing happens when I click the Windows2Front icon. I know that I am doing something wrong but I would appreciate some hints as I really find the default window handling in Amiga quite hard to work with :-)

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20 March 2021, 10:42	#2
npagonis73 Registered User Join Date: Sep 2019 Location: Corfu / Greece Posts: 410	No you don't do anything wrong. They both just need to edit their tooltypes which will dictate to them how they should work. Read the documentation a bit and you will find out. I am not in front of the Amiga now but if you don't get anywhere with this just pm me and I will tell you. Sent from my SM-G991B using Tapatalk

20 March 2021, 10:45	#3
npagonis73 Registered User Join Date: Sep 2019 Location: Corfu / Greece Posts: 410	Now I remembered that one of them I think is set to bring the window in front when you double click it and no single click on the window. If that is not the case pm me to go see my tooltypes and tell you. Sent from my SM-G991B using Tapatalk

20 March 2021, 10:47	#4
npagonis73 Registered User Join Date: Sep 2019 Location: Corfu / Greece Posts: 410	How do you activate them; Why do you click the window2front icon; Just put it in your WBStartup folder and reboot. Sent from my SM-G991B using Tapatalk

20 March 2021, 11:55	#5
Loki762 Registered User Join Date: Apr 2020 Location: Denmark Posts: 56	I would expect that if I just double-click the file, "Windows2Front" then it will run. If it works then I of course can enable this via Startup-Sequence or with the WBStartup folder - but it does not work. No actions or nothing happens when I click it. The double-click doesn't work for me either for the ClickToFront. I would expect I can double-click somewhere in the window to get it in front but that does not happen.

20 March 2021, 12:05	#6
npagonis73 Registered User Join Date: Sep 2019 Location: Corfu / Greece Posts: 410	Window2front requires commodities.library installed. Do you have it? Sent from my SM-G991B using Tapatalk

20 March 2021, 12:10	#7
npagonis73 Registered User Join Date: Sep 2019 Location: Corfu / Greece Posts: 410	Not sure if double clicking the utility enables it. Just check if you have commodities.library in your libs and put windows2front with its icon in your WBStartup and reboot. Sent from my SM-G991B using Tapatalk

20 March 2021, 14:51	#8
Matt_H Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 943	Put ClickToFront in your WBStartup drawer, then edit the tooltypes (Menu: Icon -> Information). By default, it’s set to use a qualifier key, meaning you need to hold the left alt key in order for the double click to bring a window to front. Comment out that line (I think it’s QUALIFIER=LALT) by surrounding it with parentheses and you should be all set. It will be active when you reboot.

20 March 2021, 17:10	#9
bni Registered User Join Date: Feb 2019 Location: Örebro Age: 47 Posts: 117	I have this command in my User-Startup: Run >NIL: SYS:Tools/Commodities/ClickToFront QUALIFIER NONE This means I can double click in any window to bring it to front. Single click to bring to front does not seem possible, and you probably not want that anyway.

20 March 2021, 17:27	#10
Loki762 Registered User Join Date: Apr 2020 Location: Denmark Posts: 56	I now have this working by adding it to Workbench:WBStartup and tweaking this line, when viewing its Icons > Information: QUALIFIER=LEFT_ALT to this line: QUALIFIER=NONE Is there a reason why it does not work with one-click also? I can live with the double-click but as in Windows I assume it would be better to have one-click to activate the window to the front? Thanks to all for you help :-)

20 March 2021, 17:35	#11
npagonis73 Registered User Join Date: Sep 2019 Location: Corfu / Greece Posts: 410	Window2front is more customizable and work with one click. Don't know if clicktofront also works with one click, I think no.

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21 March 2021, 06:04	#12
Matt_H Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 943	Many (most?) Amiga users prefer a double-click to bring the window forward. It may take some getting used to if you’re familiar with single-click to front, but I think you’ll find window management much, much easier “the Amiga way.” If you have 2 overlapping windows, the ability to read the front one while typing into the back one is a brilliant bit of UX, to use the modern buzzword, that I wish other OSes would steal. But if you prefer single-click, the option is there with WindowToFront, as npagonis73 says. And the version of ClickToFront in 3.1.4 might be able to do it but I could be getting it mixed up with another version/program. Try the tool type NUMCLICKS=1.