Switch Documents Using Panel

there are problems with both approaches:

for keyboard shortcuts to switch documents:

-problem is all this does is cycle forwards or backwards through documents. So if you have maybe 15 documents open, and you are on document #1 and you want to see document #9, then you need to press keyboard shortcut 8 times just to get to document you want. What ends up happening is you just keep pressing key until you eventually reach document you want. Now to get back to where you were, you press opposite keyboard shortcut and keep pressing until you get back. This is to cycle, but does not allow for direct selection of document you need. This is problem when a user may be flipping back and forth between many documents for maybe reference purposes, etc. If I want to keep swapping back and forth between the first doucment and the 7th, how do I do so immediately without having to press keys so many times and just wait until I get there?

Well, that is where other suggested method comes in. We click tabs at the top of documents. But what if when document is way off to side, so now we must click little arrows and then see little add-on list of remaining documents? again not very intuitive. Because when we select document from list, it disappears. Now when we want to swap back to previous doc, we must again click on little arrow and then find it in the add-on list. 

And if not this way, then click on 'Window" and select doc from there. Which seems I guess like fastest way to toggle between two documents. Because keyboard shortcut won't allow you to swap back and forth between 2 docs amongst many, and tabs can be cumbersome. 

With photoshop as far as it has come i am surprise there has not been a documents panel for fast and immediate easy access to swap between your documents. much like any other softwares out there now or days.  

One can record document selection using actions, such as:

Select next document

Select previous document

One can then set an F-Key shortcut to each, allowing you to cycle forward or backward via the keyboard.

Scripts offer more flexible keyboard shortcuts. 

A script can run an action, or for a self-contained script:

nextDoc();
function nextDoc() {
    var idslct = charIDToTypeID("slct");
    var desc53 = new ActionDescriptor();
    var idnull = charIDToTypeID("null");
    var ref18 = new ActionReference();
    var idDcmn = charIDToTypeID("Dcmn");
    ref18.putOffset(idDcmn, 1); // next
    desc53.putReference(idnull, ref18);
    var idDocI = charIDToTypeID("DocI");
    desc53.putInteger(idDocI, 471);
    executeAction(idslct, desc53, DialogModes.NO);
}

prevDoc();
function prevDoc() {
    var idslct = charIDToTypeID("slct");
    var desc53 = new ActionDescriptor();
    var idnull = charIDToTypeID("null");
    var ref18 = new ActionReference();
    var idDcmn = charIDToTypeID("Dcmn");
    ref18.putOffset(idDcmn, -1); // previous
    desc53.putReference(idnull, ref18);
    var idDocI = charIDToTypeID("DocI");
    desc53.putInteger(idDocI, 471);
    executeAction(idslct, desc53, DialogModes.NO);
}

I have been trying to adapt the following script to use these functions without any success:

https://feedback.photoshop.com/photoshop_family/topics/clear-horizontal-or-vertical-guides

A Google search kicked this up:

Doco

http://creativedo.co

"just an observation but does anyone else also think this is outdated and cumbersome way to switch documents"

Hi

A couple of last thoughts from me:

• There is no longer a scripting forum, so I tagged your post for scripting, which may draw the scripters in (I am not one)
• It occurs to me that in Microsoft Access, when you right click in near the tab names, you get a complete list of all of the tabs, not just the hidden ones, then you click to select the one you want. Is that how you want the feature to work?
• This is a user forum, and there is a separate forum for bugs and feature requests. To make a feature request, go to 
  https://feedback.photoshop.com/photoshop_family

If a script does not work for you, then make a feature request and post the link back here so others with the same issue will see it and vote on it.

~ Jane

I think the current list at the bottom of the Windows menu is fine. No need for yet another panel.

There is an open document list in Photoshop scripting. Script can work on all the open documents, open additional document and create new document all will be added to the open document list. The Document array. Accessing panels or using Photoshop shortcuts is not required.Photoshop has many interfaces.

Click the chevrons.  See screenshot.

Another option is to use keyboard shortcuts:

• Cmd + ~ (tilde)  (Mac) or  Ctrl + ~  (Win)
• Control + Tab  (Mac or Win)
• Add Shift to change direction

All of the documents will also be listed at the bottom of the Window menu.

Jane