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SetSelectedNotebook[obj]

makes the notebook corresponding to obj be the currently selected one in the front end.

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SetSelectedNotebook

SetSelectedNotebook[obj]

makes the notebook corresponding to obj be the currently selected one in the front end.

Details

  • obj can be a NotebookObject or CellObject. If obj is a CellObject, then the notebook containing obj will be selected.
  • Setting a particular notebook to be the currently selected one typically makes it the top notebook displayed on the screen.
  • Making a notebook the currently selected one does not affect the current selection within that notebook, or within other notebooks.

Examples

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Basic Examples  (1)

Create two notebook documents:

Wolfram Language code: nb1 = CreateDocument[{a, b, c}, WindowTitle -> "First"]; nb2 = CreateDocument[{1, 2, 3}, WindowTitle -> "Second"]; SelectedNotebook[]

Make the first one the selected notebook:

Wolfram Language code: SetSelectedNotebook[nb1]

Applications  (1)

Create a palette for selecting from two existing notebook windows:

Wolfram Language code: nb1 = CreateDocument[{a, b, c}, WindowTitle -> "First"]; nb2 = CreateDocument[{1, 2, 3}, WindowTitle -> "Second"];
Wolfram Language code: PaletteNotebook[{Button["Select 1", SetSelectedNotebook[nb1]], Button["Select 2", SetSelectedNotebook[nb2]]}]

Properties & Relations  (1)

SelectedNotebook gives you the notebook object for the selected notebook:

Wolfram Language code: nb = CreateDocument[{a, b, c}]
Wolfram Language code: SetSelectedNotebook[nb]; SelectedNotebook[]

The evaluation notebook can be different from the currently selected notebook:

Wolfram Language code: SetSelectedNotebook[nb]; {SelectedNotebook[], EvaluationNotebook[]}
Wolfram Research (1996), SetSelectedNotebook, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/SetSelectedNotebook.html (updated 2012).

Text

Wolfram Research (1996), SetSelectedNotebook, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/SetSelectedNotebook.html (updated 2012).

CMS

Wolfram Language. 1996. "SetSelectedNotebook." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. Last Modified 2012. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/SetSelectedNotebook.html.

APA

Wolfram Language. (1996). SetSelectedNotebook. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/SetSelectedNotebook.html

BibTeX

@misc{reference.wolfram_2026_setselectednotebook, author="Wolfram Research", title="{SetSelectedNotebook}", year="2012", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/SetSelectedNotebook.html}", note=[Accessed: 05-October-2026]}

BibLaTeX

@online{reference.wolfram_2026_setselectednotebook, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={SetSelectedNotebook}, year={2012}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/SetSelectedNotebook.html}, note=[Accessed: 05-October-2026]}