Directory
Developer Zone
Design & Creativity
Productivity
Other Utilities
Others
Slate
Slate is a powerful and highly customizable macOS window management tool that supports multi-display configurations and extensive custom keyboard shortcut bindings. It achieves maximum flexibility through `.slate` or JavaScript configuration files, significantly enhancing multitasking efficiency.
Details
Slate
A powerful and highly customizable macOS window management application.
Application Overview
Slate is a free window management application designed to replace tools like Divvy, SizeUp, and ShiftIt. It was originally developed to overcome limitations of these tools, with a core philosophy of offering more powerful and flexible features through extremely high customizability. While initial setup may be somewhat complex, once configured, it significantly enhances your productivity.
Core Features
🎯 Highly Customizable Keyboard Shortcuts
- Move & Resize Windows: Move or resize windows in specified directions using custom shortcuts.
- Window Focus: Quickly switch focus to a specific window.
- Preset Layout Activation: Activate pre-configured window layouts with a single key combination.
- Snapshot Management: Create, delete, and activate snapshots of current window states.
🖥️ Multi-Monitor Configuration Support
- Default Layouts per Display: Set default window layouts for different display configurations.
- Auto-Detection & Activation: Automatically activate corresponding layouts when a specific display setup is detected.
🚀 Window Hints
- An intuitive method for quickly switching window focus (inspired by philc, with further enhancements).
🔁 Enhanced Application Switcher (Beta)
- Offers a more powerful and customizable app-switching experience than macOS’s native switcher.
Key Advantages
- Completely Free and Open Source: Licensed under GPL-3.0, allowing you to freely use, modify, and distribute it.
- Extreme Flexibility: Configurable via
.slatefiles or advanced.slate.js(JavaScript) files, enabling complex and dynamic configuration logic—far exceeding similar tools. - Powerful Multi-Monitor Support: Optimized for multi-screen workflows, allowing easy management of window layouts across different display setups.
- Actively Maintained & Community-Driven: Features an active community and regular development updates on GitHub.
Installation & Usage
System Requirements
- macOS 10.6 or later.
- Accessibility Permission Required: Enable “Enable accessibility features” in
System Preferences > Accessibility.
Installation Methods
- Direct Download:
- Download the
.dmgor.tar.gzinstaller from the official website.
- Download the
- Terminal Installation:
cd /Applications && curl http://www.ninjamonkeysoftware.com/slate/versions/slate-latest.tar.gz | tar -xz
Configuration Guide
Slate is configured via configuration files in your home directory:
- Traditional Method: Use
~/.slatefor configuration. - Advanced Method (Recommended): Use
~/.slate.jsfor JavaScript-based configuration, enabling complex and dynamic rules. Refer to the project documentation for configuration details.
Note: After modifying the configuration, you can reload it via the status menu’s “Reload Configuration” option, but restarting the Slate app is safer and more reliable.
Slate stands as the ultimate tool for macOS users seeking unparalleled customization and powerful functionality in managing window layouts.
All software data on this site is synchronized from the Awesome mac project. Copyright belongs to original authors.
Recommended Apps
Total Spaces
Total Spaces 2 is a powerful macOS desktop space management tool that supports visual virtual desktop grid layouts, intelligent application assignment, and quick switching, making multitasking more efficient and organized.
Topit
Topit is an open-source macOS window pinning tool that allows you to force any application window to stay on top, supporting multiple windows simultaneously. Ideal for multitasking scenarios such as document reference and real-time monitoring. Utilizing ScreenCapture Kit technology for efficient, low-power performance, it features a clean, user-friendly interface and is completely free and open-source.
SizeUp
SizeUp is a powerful macOS window management tool that supports keyboard shortcuts for quickly adjusting window positions and sizes, enabling smart screen splitting and multi-display management, significantly improving multitasking efficiency. No dragging required—just one click to position windows, making your desktop workflow more efficient and organized.
ShiftIt
ShiftIt is a classic, free, open-source macOS window management tool that allows you to quickly adjust window positions and sizes using keyboard shortcuts. It supports multi-display operations, is lightweight and efficient, and significantly enhances multitasking productivity.
Rectangle-app
Rectangle is a powerful, free, open-source macOS window management tool that enables efficient window arrangements through intelligent keyboard shortcuts and mouse drag-and-drop snapping. It lets you easily achieve side-by-side splitting, four-corner layouts, multi-display switching, and more—greatly enhancing multitasking productivity.
rcmd
rcmd is an innovative macOS application switcher that enables rapid app switching and launching via the right Command key combined with letter keys. It supports customizable shortcuts, multiple themes, window-level switching, and is compatible with Stage Manager, making it a powerful tool for boosting productivity.