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Comment by latexr | Hacker News Reader

Window snapping has been a native feature on macOS for years: https://osxdaily.com/2016/12/06/use-window-snapping-mac/

Different snapping, at least to what I’m used to. The snapping Windows offers is half and full screen windows with a keypress (or dragging against a wall). Mac does offer something similar, but only for full screen/split-full-screen mode.

> Different snapping, at least to what I’m used to.

Be that as it may, the post I responded to was commenting on the absence of a feature that isn’t absent. Wether you like or are accustomed to its behaviour is a different matter.

If the feature is significantly different (windows snapping into positions on the screen versus remaining within certain constraints), then the feature might as well not exist. That they're named the same is irrelevant.

By that logic, one could argue Windows doesn’t have window snapping (it has, but it’s significantly different from what some people are used to on the Mac, so it “might as well not exist”)

(Not making any claims about the usefulness of either feature)

The original context of this conversation was window snapping on Windows not being available on the mac. Given that context, I stand by my earlier statement.

Thanks falcolas, yeah, I definitely meant "window snapping" in the way that almost every other desktop environment, including LXDE and Windows, means it. Keyboard shortcuts to resize and reposition windows without changing display mode. Windows has the drag to edge which I like too (although I don't use Windows much anymore).

The fact that OSX would have a feature called "window snapping" that isn't really the same is similarly mind boggling.

Yeah that's not what OP is talking about. Windows lets you half-width maximize windows next to each other, then drag the border in between to resize both [0]. What you've provided is, essentially, a way to make it easy to line up the edges of your windows, which is a feature I largely consider unnecessary.

[0] https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/snap-your-window...

> Windows lets you half-width maximize windows next to each other, then drag the border in between to resize both

So does macOS[1] (and iPadOS).

[1]: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204948

FWIW, that's full screen mode only. I can't do that on option-Plus button sized screens.

You lose the menu bar and dock to full screen mode (they're hidden, more specifically).

You can open a menu with option-click and hold on expand icon and snap window to the side of the screen

TIL. Still less functional (no hotkeys) but good to know, regardless.

Discoverability could use some work.

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