How to rearrange many opened documents files?

[StarAG​]

I have say around 20 opened documents, so how can I rearrange the files as per my requirement?

Currently, I have drag slide windows which consumes much time.

[m1b]

I would suggest you look at "Window Management" apps for your OS. They can be very handy.

I use a very basic set up where I can set the windows to left half and right half or full screen and that's enough for me, most of the time. I use Mac and I think you use Windows so I can't make any specific recommendations.

- Mark

[StarAG​]

Maybe I didn't explain well, I mean to rearrange the files which I opened inside the illustrator software.

[StarAG​]

These files

[Kurt Gold]

In recent Illustrator versions there should be an arrangement icon at the application header. Click it to get some predefined arrangement grids. It's not customisable, though.

[StarAG​]

That icon is for arrangement as docking.

I wish to re-position the files lists.

Like opened files are: 1.ai , 2.ai, 3.ai, 4.ai, 5.ai ... to arrange them like 3.ai, 5.ai, 2.ai, 1.ai, 4.ai ..drag and arranging them.

It gets complex when I have many files opened.

[m1b]

Arrange them... where?

[StarAG​]

like this

[m1b]

Okay, so you want the windows arranged in a particular order. How would you tell (the script) the order you want? Are the 20 documents always the same documents? If so, then the order could be hard coded easily.

[StarAG​]

Maybe a script opens a window with the names of the document and allows to drag shift them as per the requirement order.

[Yasir777]

On a Mac Command + tilde, it will cycle through every document you have open, I used it all the time, it's the fastest way.

first you can slide them from the top in the order you want, as you should in your screenshot. 
also, you can view all recent documents by clicking on the House icon in the top left. And if you hover over each title it will tell you where it's stored, which drive and folder location.

I hope  this helps. Let me know. 

Yasir. 

[StarAG​]

Yes, cycling tabs and sliding them is an option, but is not productive when I have many tabs opened, say 30.

[Met1]

I would think just having thirty tabs open was a recipe for non-productivity - are you using four screens?

[StarAG​]

Hi, my work allows me to open lot of tabs and it is productive for me 🙂

The only issue is with arranging them as per my need. Sometimes I have to keep very relavant tabs in front while less relevant on last.

[Met1]

Ctrl-Tab (I don't know what the Mac equivalent is... (Cmd-~)?)

[StarAG​]

Ctrl+Tab only cycles through tabs. I am looking for arranging them. I can though drag and slide them but when I have many windows opened say 20+ then this dragging and sliding option do not come handy.

[Met1]

Open the docs in the order you want them, no dragging and sliding...

[Yasir777]

Can you establish whether you are on a PC or a Mac?

Control + tilde , not tab is what you can cycle through all the documents in Adobe Illustrator or any other macOS application.

Control + Tab cycles through all the other applications that are open.

therefor, the same should go for a PC, but not sure what that shortcut is. 
I work in illustrator almost 8 hours everyday and that's the fastest way to get to 30 some documents.

I'm not sure what is your project, but you can try another way if all those documents are the same size, then use each layer, meaning you can have all 30 documents in 30 layers. Turn in one the layer you want to work with, while all the other 29 are off. 
yasir 

[sttk3 · Accepted solution]

How about this way: 

1. Get the paths of all open documents and make them Array
2. Close all documents
3. Sort the Array of 1 as you like
4. Open the sorted paths in order

[m1b]

@StarAG​ the method outlined here by @sttk3 is the way it must be done, even if you add a useful interface to select the order. The scripting API doesn't seem to allow us to change the document order any other way. Will that be a problem in your case, closing and re-opening *all* the documents, when you run the script?

- Mark