# Navigating windows using relative paths **URL:** \ **Category:** Ignition\ **Tags:** scripting\ **Created:** [May 16, 2018, 8:45pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/navigating-windows-using-relative-paths/18066 "2018-05-16T20:45:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cesrom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@cesrom](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/cesrom)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2018, 8:45pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/navigating-windows-using-relative-paths/18066/1 "2018-05-16T20:45:53Z")
Having searched this forum, and the ideas site, I couldn’t find something about my “situation”. Consider I have the following window hierarchy: ```auto Windows ˫ Folder 1 ˫ Subfolder 1 ˫ Window 1 ˫ Window 2 ˪ Subfolder 2 ... ˪ Folder 2 ``` Whenever I want to navigate from one window to another I usually perform a swap, say: ```auto system.nav.swapWindow( 'Folder 1/Subfolder 1/Window 1', # or system.nav.getCurrentWindow() 'Folder 1/Subfolder 1/Window 2', params ) ``` What would be extremely awesome would be the following: ```auto # From: 'Folder 1/Subfolder 1/Window 1' # To: 'Folder 1/Subfolder 1/Window 2' system.nav.swapWindow( system.nav.getCurrentWindow(), './Window 2', params ) # Or system.nav.swapTo( './Window 2', params ) ``` Thoughts? Should I just build it myself? ---
**Author:** ![pturmel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/pturmel/32/3295_2.png) [@pturmel](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/pturmel)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2018, 9:06pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/navigating-windows-using-relative-paths/18066/2 "2018-05-16T21:06:27Z")
Which window is the current window? There can be any number open at any given time. Including none open at all. ---
**Author:** ![cesrom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@cesrom](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/cesrom)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2018, 9:09pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/navigating-windows-using-relative-paths/18066/3 "2018-05-16T21:09:56Z")
In my example, the current window is `'Folder 1/Subfolder 1/Window 1'`. Modified code for clarity. ```auto # From: 'Folder 1/Subfolder 1/Window 1' # To: 'Folder 1/Subfolder 1/Window 2' system.nav.swapWindow( 'Folder 1/Subfolder 1/Window 1', './Window 2', # Full path: 'Folder 1/Subfolder 1/Window 2' params ) ``` ---
**Author:** ![Kyle\_Chase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de0a6/32.png) [@Kyle\_Chase](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Kyle_Chase)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2018, 10:54pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/navigating-windows-using-relative-paths/18066/4 "2018-05-16T22:54:03Z")
This type of stuff is fun to build. Enclosed is how I would do it. Place the following script inside of a shared script, like shared.nav ```auto from com.inductiveautomation.ignition.common.model import ApplicationScope PATH_SEPARATOR = "/" DIR_UP_CHAR = ".." PARENT_DIR_CHAR = "." SCOPE = ApplicationScope.toCode(ApplicationScope.getGlobalScope()) def swapWindow(window1,window2,params = {}): if SCOPE in ("C","D"): pathParts = [] wp1 = window1.split("/") wp2 = window2.split("/") if wp2[0] not in (DIR_UP_CHAR, PARENT_DIR_CHAR): pathPaths = wp2 elif wp2[0] == DIR_UP_CHAR: pathParts = wp1[:-2] + wp2[1:] elif wp2[0] == PARENT_DIR_CHAR: pathParts = wp1[:-1] + wp2[1:] window = [] for part in pathParts: if part == DIR_UP_CHAR and len(window): window = window[:-1] elif part == PARENT_DIR_CHAR: pass else: window.append(part) windowPath = "/".join(window) system.nav.swapWindow(window1,windowPath,params) ``` Then, instead of using system.nav.swapWindow, use shared.nav.swapWindow ````auto swapWindow("Hello/This/Is/My/Path","../OtherWindow",{"someId":"alf"})``` ```` ---
**Author:** ![cesrom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@cesrom](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/cesrom)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2018, 1:02am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/navigating-windows-using-relative-paths/18066/5 "2018-05-17T01:02:33Z")
Thanks, @Kyle_Chase! 👌 This is exactly what I had in mind. Do you mind if I borrow this piece of code and incorporate it into a library I’ve shared on [GitHub](https://github.com/thecesrom/Ignition)? (Shameless plug) ---
**Author:** ![Kyle\_Chase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de0a6/32.png) [@Kyle\_Chase](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Kyle_Chase)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2018, 3:08am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/navigating-windows-using-relative-paths/18066/7 "2018-05-17T03:08:06Z")
I’ll make a pull request tomorrow and you can pull it in that way? ---
**Author:** ![cesrom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@cesrom](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/cesrom)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2018, 3:12am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/navigating-windows-using-relative-paths/18066/8 "2018-05-17T03:12:41Z")
Sure thing, Kyle!!! (Additional exclamation points added because posts must be at least 20 characters long.) ---
**Author:** ![cesrom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@cesrom](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/cesrom)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2018, 7:05am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/navigating-windows-using-relative-paths/18066/9 "2018-05-17T07:05:43Z")
Sorry, Kyle, but I couldn’t stop myself; I jumped the gun, and incorporated your function into _incendium_, Thanks! See here: [incendium.nav](https://github.com/thecesrom/Ignition/blob/master/python/incendium/nav.py)