Warning: this post is a detailed explanation of a bug I have filed with Apple occuring when using Spaces and attempting to use the “Mail Link to This Page” shortcut in Safari. This post if filled with the kind of minutia that reminds me that not so deep down, I’m still a complete nerd. I apologize ahead of time.

There’s been a tiny bug in Leopard that’s been driving me nuts. I’m a huge fan of Spaces, especially after the changes in 10.5.3, and I’ve made heavy use of the option to have certain applications always open in a specific space. My workflow looks a little bit like this:

General/Web Browsing (Space 1) is where I do most of my browsing and writing. While Safari isn’t set to always open in this space (it’s useful to have browsers open in multiple spaces), I do spend most of my browsing time in Space 1. Design & Development (Space 2) is where I do my “work”. Photoshop, TextMate, Transmit, and associated applications usually are kept here. Communications (Space 3) contains iChat, Twitterific, and my Facebook desktop application; these applications are set to always open in this space. Music (Space 4) is home to iTunes, Last.fm, and Acquisition; these applications are also always set to open here. Utilities (Space 5) is usually where I keep my Terminal windows and applications that I like to run in the background - for example, Transmission and TVShows. Finally, Mail (Space 6) is where I run Mail.app, almost full-screen, with the WideMail plugin installed. Yes, I am this anal.

Now let’s say I’m browsing in Space 1 and come across an article I’d like to share with a friend. There’s a few ways the interaction model could work:

• Ideal (Automatic-Space-switching setting disabled)
• 1. While using Safari in Space 1, I click on File ⇒ Mail Link to This Page
  2. A new Mail.app composition window opens in Space 1, I fill out the info, click send. The window disappears.
• Good (Automatic-Space-switching setting enabled)
• 1. While using Safari in Space 1, I click on File ⇒ Mail Link to This Page
  2. The OS moves me over to Space 6, my dedicated Mail space, where a new composition window is waiting for me.
  3. I fill out the info, hit send, and the OS takes me back to what I was doing on Space 1
• WTF? (current implementation)
• 1. While using Safari in Space 1, I click on File ⇒ Mail Link to This Page
  2. The OS moves me over to Space 6, my dedicated Mail space, and all I see is the Mail’s inbox.
  3. I quietly mouth the word “motherfucker”, and start wondering what the hell happened to my composition window
  4. I remember that this happens every fucking time I use “Mail Link to This Page” in Safari and Cmd+` my way to the composition window which has inexplicably been opened behind the main Mail window
  5. Preform a Control+→ to get back to what I was doing in Space 1.

In a perfect world, Safari would offer better integration with Address Book and I would simply be able to send a link without ever having to touch Mail as seen in my brilliant mockup:

I’ve included this screencast if you’re interested watching the bug in action.

Note: I’ve unchecked the Spaces preference that automatically switches focus to the space an application is located when you Cmd+Tab to an application. Unchecking this setting allows you to spawn new windows of an application in your current space.

I’ve filed the bug with Apple. You can track it’s progress by searching for Bug ID# 6001337.

— Alex Cabrera, Jun 11, 2008.