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[Feature Request]: Keyboard shortcuts to switch between open PDFs #6252

@enjoyandlove

Description

@enjoyandlove

Feature Description

Add keyboard shortcuts to switch between currently open PDF files/tabs without using the mouse.

Current behavior allows multiple PDFs to be open, but users must click to change the active document. This slows down keyboard-first workflows and accessibility use cases.

Proposed behavior:

  • Provide forward/backward tab cycling across open PDFs.
  • Use browser-safe defaults in web builds (avoid Ctrl+Tab because browsers reserve it for browser tabs).
  • Optionally allow Ctrl+Tab / Ctrl+Shift+Tab in desktop (Tauri) builds where feasible.
  • Show a visible active-tab indicator when navigation occurs via keyboard.
  • Handle edge cases cleanly (0 or 1 open PDF, closed tab during navigation, wrapping at ends).

Accessibility expectations:

  • Keep focus stable (do not steal focus from text controls unexpectedly).
  • Announce active document change via an aria-live region (e.g., "Switched to , tab 2 of 5").
  • Ensure active tab uses proper role="tab" / aria-selected="true" semantics.
  • Preserve visible focus indicators for keyboard users.

Motivation

This improves keyboard-only navigation and reduces reliance on mouse interaction, especially for users reviewing many PDFs in sequence.

It aligns with accessibility and productivity goals:

  • Faster document comparison/review workflows.
  • Better support for assistive tech and power users.
  • More consistent desktop-app behavior where tab switching via keyboard is expected.

Additional Information

UX behavior recommendations:

  • Always cycle (wrap from last -> first, first -> last).
  • Briefly highlight the selected PDF tab after keyboard switch.
  • Optional toast/help hint the first few times user uses the shortcut.
  • If only one file is open, do nothing (or optional subtle status message).
  • If no file is open, shortcuts are ignored.

Cross-platform notes:

  • Browser environments may not reliably expose reserved combos (Ctrl+Tab), so defaults must avoid them.
  • Desktop runtime can safely support Ctrl+Tab, but should still provide remapping for OS/layout differences.
  • macOS considerations for future customization: allow Cmd+Option+Arrow style alternatives where appropriate.

No duplicate confirmation:

  • I have verified that there are no existing feature requests similar to this request.

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