Working in multiple windows on Mac: records side by side

On a Mac, a native app can open each record in its own window, so a customer, an invoice and a list can sit side by side. In Swiftly Workspace, double-click a customer or an invoice in its list to open it in a window of its own.

Business work is rarely about one record at a time. You check a customer's details while writing their invoice, compare two invoices before a call, or keep a list open while you work through it. Separate windows let you keep all of that on screen instead of clicking back and forth inside one window.

Why separate windows help

Task	Windows to keep open	What you save
Writing an invoice	The customer and the new invoice	Retyping or hunting for details
Answering a payment question	The customer and the invoice in question	Losing your place mid-call
Entering supplier bills	The vendor and the bill	Switching back to check terms and details
Working through a list	The list, plus one window per record you open	Re-filtering the list after every record

Windows also help with interruptions. When a call comes in about a different customer, you can open that customer in a new window, deal with the question and close it again, and the invoice you were writing is still exactly where you left it. In a single-window app, the same call often means losing a half-finished form or retracing your steps through a list.

How records open in Swiftly Workspace

This guide is about the Mac app. On the Mac, the main lists live in the sidebar under CRM, Finance and Vendor Management.

1. Open a customer. In the customer list, double-click a customer. It opens in a window of its own. You can also Control-click it and choose View Profile.
2. Open an invoice. In the invoice list, double-click an invoice, or Control-click it and choose View Details. The invoice opens in its own window, next to anything else you have open.
3. Start a new invoice. Creating an invoice from the invoice list opens it in a new window too, so the list stays where you left it.
4. Vendors work the same way. Vendors and vendor bills open in their own windows from their lists.

If a record's window is already open, choosing it again brings that window to the front rather than opening a second copy. That keeps you from editing the same invoice in two places at once.

Arranging windows with macOS

Once records are in their own windows, the Mac's own window tools do the rest. None of these need anything from the app beyond real windows.

• Tiling. In recent versions of macOS, drag a window to the left or right edge of the screen to fill that half, or use the Window menu to tile it.
• Split View. Put two windows side by side in full screen when you want nothing else in view.
• Stage Manager. Group the windows for one task, such as a customer and their invoices, and switch between groups.
• Mission Control. See every open window at once and pick the one you need.
• Command-backtick. Cycle through the open windows of the app you are in without touching the mouse.
• A second display. Keep the list on one screen and the record you are working on in front of you.

Habits that keep many windows manageable

• Close what you are done with. A window per open question is helpful; a window per record you looked at this week is not.
• Give each display a job. Lists on one, the record you are editing on the other.
• Save as you go. Each window is its own piece of work, so finish one before moving to the next, and close it once the record is saved.

If you are deciding between a native app and a browser-based one, the guide to native and web apps for business compares how each handles windows. For the wider picture of choosing Mac software, see business software for the Mac, and for the keyboard side of working fast, keyboard shortcuts for creating records. Some apps on the Mac App Store are iPad apps running on the Mac; what "Designed for iPad" means explains how they handle windows differently. And for how the same records appear on your other devices, read keeping business data in sync across iPhone, iPad and Mac.

Frequently asked questions

Can I open two invoices at once on a Mac?

Yes. Each invoice you open from the list gets its own window, so you can place two side by side to compare them. Opening one that is already open brings its window forward.

How do I open a customer in a new window on a Mac?

Double-click the customer in the customer list, or Control-click it and choose View Profile. The customer opens in its own window, and the list stays where it was.

How do I put two windows side by side on a Mac?

Drag one window to the left edge of the screen and the other to the right, or use the tiling options in the Window menu. For a distraction-free pair, use Split View in full screen.

Do more open windows slow a Mac down?

A handful of record windows is light work for a modern Mac. If things feel cluttered rather than slow, close finished windows or use Stage Manager to group them by task.