Easiest way to drag & drop

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You know how in windows you would hold down the "Shift" and "Ctrl" keys to select(hi-light) whichever files you want from explorer so that you can drag and drop...

Well how do you do that in OS X?
 
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Command key. Depending on what keyboard you have, it'll have an apple logo, and this weird looking cloverleaf pattern on it.
 
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For what you are wanting within OS X...

Shift will work just as it does in Windows, to select a consecutive group of files.

Cmd (The Apple key) will work as ctrl works in Windows, to select random files that are not in consecutive order.
 
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If you are in list view or column view, shift selects everythingin between. If you are in icon view, shift acts the same as command.

Wacky apple programmers =)
 
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If you are in list view or column view, shift selects everythingin between. If you are in icon view, shift acts the same as command.

Wacky apple programmers =)

Because there's no defined order in icon view. Just a bunch of icons that may or may not look like they're "between" one another.
 
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Because there's no defined order in icon view.

Unless "Keep Arranged By [Name/Kind/etc.]" is turned on, especially if it's turned on for all folders (as it is for me).

In which case, there definitely is an order, and being able to hold Shift to select "everything between item A and item B" would be real nice. ;p

Well, too bad.
 
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Unless "Keep Arranged By [Name/Kind/etc.]" is turned on, especially if it's turned on for all folders (as it is for me).

In which case, there definitely is an order, and being able to hold Shift to select "everything between item A and item B" would be real nice. ;p

Well, too bad.

Kind of a "glass is half EMPTY" outlook isn't it???

If you want to "select "everything between item A and item B" in icon view.... then why not just Click/drag to Select "everything between".... What makes the click/drag even better is that you can select "everything between" horizontally or vertically.

... and that folks.... is the "half FULL" approach. :D:D:D
 
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Sometimes it's hard to move files using drag-drop (especially on a laptop), so I want to use cut-paste instead.

Why is it that Mac only lets you "copy" and paste, not "cut" and paste?
 
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Sometimes it's hard to move files using drag-drop (especially on a laptop), so I want to use cut-paste instead.

Why is it that Mac only lets you "copy" and paste, not "cut" and paste?

Use the keyboard shortcuts of:

Cmd+X (cut)
Cmd+V (paste)
Cmd+C (copy)
 
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Short answer:

It's always been like this on Mac OS.

While Windows "inspired" itself from many Mac OS concepts, such as drag 'n' drop*, Windows introduced the concept of using Cut and Paste for files, and Mac OS never "borrowed" it.

*note: Some of those concepts may have been invented by Xerox PARC; I'm not sure. But Mac OS definitely popularized them.


Some people think Cut and Paste should be added while others argue that drag 'n' drop is superior to Cut and Paste, and thus, Cut and Paste for files is unneeded.

Personally, I find that drag 'n' drop + spring-loaded folders is a good way to move files, but there are cases/situations where using drag 'n' drop is tricky and Cut and Paste would be easier.
For instance:
1) moving files from two locations are "very far apart" (e.g., moving a file from ~/Desktop/folder 1/a/b/c/d/e/f/ to ~/Desktop/folder 2/g/h/i/j/k/l/)
2) moving files from a folder "up" to its enclosing folder (or the enclosing folder of the enclosing folder, etc.)


possible solutions:

1) Deal with it. (or "put up with it" if you're pessimist ;p )

2) Add Cut/Paste.

One method is to use OnMyCommand.

http://free.abracode.com/cmworkshop/

Use OMCEdit to get a giant list of commands. Find "Cut" and "Paste" and add them.


mac_finder_cut_paste_1.png


mac_finder_cut_paste_2.png
 
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I agree that drag and drop is very nice way to move files but like remain said and btw thank you very much for this link, if u have any of those 2 options he wrote to move files then cut is handy.
Ye i know is windows thing and i dont want to make my Mac a PC, but i wanna make my life easier, that why i bought a Mac :)
 
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Ye i know is windows thing and i dont want to make my Mac a PC, but i wanna make my life easier

Don't think of it as "a Windows thing." That's a bit silly in my opinion.

It's not as if whoever did something first is the only one who's "allowed" to use that something.

I mean, it's not like "drag 'n' drop" is a "Mac OS thing." (or if it was invented by Xerox, a "Xerox thing"?)

Every OS uses drag 'n' drop nowadays.

If there is a good idea, many will use it. Call it "inspired" if you're an optimist, call it "copied"/"stolen" if you're a pessimist; it doesn't make any difference.


On a related note, drag 'n' dropping files from a folder to another one "higher" up the hierarchy will be easier in Leopard, seeing as the Finder now has a Path Bar:

mac_finder_path_bar.jpg
 
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@remain
thanks for the link to the little app to add context menus.
I've been using filecutter up until now but that one seems more useful. I will have to check it out some time.

kuchiki
 
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Unless "Keep Arranged By [Name/Kind/etc.]" is turned on, especially if it's turned on for all folders (as it is for me).

In which case, there definitely is an order, and being able to hold Shift to select "everything between item A and item B" would be real nice. ;p
Kind of a "glass is half EMPTY" outlook isn't it???

If you want to "select "everything between item A and item B" in icon view.... then why not just Click/drag to Select "everything between".... What makes the click/drag even better is that you can select "everything between" horizontally or vertically.

... and that folks.... is the "half FULL" approach. :D:D:D

Whoops, missed this post the first time.

Well, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying "select from A to B" is superior to and should replace "click and drag" + "Command click." (but not the opposite either)

Obviously, there are cases where it is best to use the latter.

However, there are situations where "select from A to B" is more convenient.

For instance, imagine if you wanted to select Folder 6 to 19 (in a folder set to "Keep Arranged by: Name"), as illustrated here:

mac_finder_multiple_selection.png


In this case, clicking Folder 6, then Shift clicking Folder 19 is clearly faster than a combination of "click and drag" and "Command clicking."

I'm not saying one should replace the other. It's just that depending on the situation, one can be more useful than the other.
 
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Because there's no defined order in icon view. Just a bunch of icons that may or may not look like they're "between" one another.

It works in iPhoto.
 
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The problem is when Finder is taking up my entire screen, and I want to move files from one location to another location that is not within "drag-drop" distance, I want to do a command-x command-v, but it only lets me do command-c command-v.
 
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Use a combination of drag 'n' drop and Exposé.

It works really well; I use it all the time.


Drag a file/folder from the source folder, then press F9 (F3 in the new Keyboard), then drag your mouse over the destination folder's window, and after about 2 seconds, it will bring that window to the front.

If you don't want to wait 2 seconds, you can also press F9 (F3 for new Keyboard) or Space while dragging the mouse over the window to bring the window to the front immediately.


But what I really recommend is to assign Exposé to the lower screen corners. (they're unused anyway)

What I do is this:

bottom left = Exposé (All Windows)
bottom right = Exposé (Desktop)

That way, you can do it without the keyboard at all.
 
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Wouldn't that be troublesom on a laptop using the touchpad?

You might accidentally "click" when trying to move the cursor around.

EDIT: By the way I tried the drag/Expose combination, worked like a charm thanks!
 

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