Window behaviour

[willm]

Hi

Is there a consistent way to get a window back once it has been iconised, hidden or closed, without using the mouse?

For example, a window that has been hidden with Cmd-h disappears completely. Even in the All-Windows display of Expose, it is not visible. But I can Alt-tab to the application or click its icon and the window will reappear.

If I iconise the window with the orange button, it will again disappear but is now present at the bottom of the All Windows display. If I later Alt-tab to the application, the window does not appear. Only clicking its icon (or for some apps, an app-specific key combination) brings it back.

And if I close the window with the red button, the window disappears and, as with Cmd-h, it is not visible in the All Windows display. But as with iconising, Alt-tabbing to the application does not bring the window back. Again, only clicking the icon (or for some apps, an app-specific key combination) brings it back.

This inconsistent behaviour is confusing and frustrating. I have used OS X now for three years and might have hoped to get used to it. But I continually loose windows. This has never happened to me on Windows or Linux/Unix etc, even with primitive window managers such as twm.

Is there a trick I am missing?
Regards
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Willm

 

[jbarley]

I do what you ask regularly with 'cmd+space' to call spotlight, start typing the app or window name and hit enter, all from the keyboard.

 

[willm]

Hi. Yes that works but it can take five or six different keystrokes to get there. I was hoping for something a little more direct
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Willm