Folders at top of "list"?

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So this may sound like an odd question but,

I organize all my folders by "type". However in some folders I've noticed I have a few file types that will always be at the top of the list leaving my folders in the middle (mostly PSD, TIF, AVI etc).

Is there any way to make it so that the folders are always found at the top of these lists, while sorting by type, that doesn't require me manually moving the folders to the top?

Thanks!
 
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Hi, ehmjay

I found this in the Mac Help, under "Setting preferences for Spotlight."
Open System Preferences and click Spotlight.

Click Search Results and select which categories you want to use for searches. Drag categories to change the order in which they are displayed in the results list.
The Folders category was near the bottom in my list. I dragged it to the top, and the change was immediate. Now folders are at the top in any search.
 
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okay, that did the trick for spotlight, but what I'm trying to do this in is my actual folders, however perhaps theres another hidden preference somewhere?

anyone have any ideas?
 

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from the "Mac-Forums Switchers FAQ and Information" in the switcher forum.

Q: How do I change the size of icons, size of icon text, background color/image of my windows, and/or the way files arrange themselves in my windows?
A:
When in icon view(the first view button), right click in the folder and select "Show View Options". Here you can select "Keep Arranged By" and select how to arrange your files and even set all folders to do the same. You also have other options here to help suit your preferences.
When in list view (the second view button), to get your folders and files to organize themselves by name, type, date modified, etc, click the corresponding bar at the top of the finder window.
When in column view (the third view button), folders and files seem to automatically sort by type then by name.
 
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okay i think i need to do a little clarification. I know how I can set up folders to sort by type - however when I do so it does not have the folders at the top - certain file types are listed before them, however what I want is to have it so that everything still sorts by type but at the top will be any folders.
 
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use ~` ! # numbers or just a space before the file name.
Best
 

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okay i think i need to do a little clarification. I know how I can set up folders to sort by type - however when I do so it does not have the folders at the top - certain file types are listed before them, however what I want is to have it so that everything still sorts by type but at the top will be any folders.

my post answered this. depending on how you're viewing the folder you have specific options, unless you're using column view which does not necessarily sort by type. you can easily bring folders to the top of both icon and list view.
 
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my post answered this. depending on how you're viewing the folder you have specific options, unless you're using column view which does not necessarily sort by type. you can easily bring folders to the top of both icon and list view.

Okay, I tried that but once again no dice. in my one folder all my adobe illustrator, and photoshop files apear before the folders, in both views.
 
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Put a space in front of the folder names. Whatever is named with a space first, tops the list. Two spaces take precedence over one space. Three over two, and so on. But don't do this with system folders or any other that Software Update wouldn't find.
 

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what view are you using?
 

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yes. if he's using list or icon, this shouldn't be a problem. if he's using column, then he may need to use the tricks you guys are suggesting.

i use those tricks too for sorting folders in list view. but of course all my folders are already on top. ;)
 
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Im using list view mostly, but also folder view in a few ones. both types have the same issue however. im going to try that trick though.
 

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that's weird. i have no problems having folders at the top with list or icon view (per the instructions in my first reply). are you clicking the "type" bar at the top of list view?
 
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Eric and Brown, what you're not getting is that sort-by-kind is an alpha sort of the Kind column. So 'Folder' is bellow 'Document'.
emhjay is tyrying to have folders ALWAYS at the top regardless of your sort order, like the way Windows Explorer does. I do like that as well...

I believe there is no way to do this. Putting spaces in front a of a folder's name is a crazy hack. You can't rename folders used by the system.
 
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FWIW, there's this (thumbnail below):

By attaching this script to any folder, it will open in icon view and automatically clean up the view if the folder had been closed with the icons scrambled or if the previous view had been as a list. The computer gives the folders precedence over the other items.

Open the Script Editor and paste this into a blank:

on opening folder This_Folder
tell application "Finder"
select Finder window 1
set current view of Finder window 1 to icon view
clean up Finder window 1 by kind
end tell
end opening folder

Give it a name, maybe "By Kind," and save it as a script, not an application, in the Folder Action Scripts folder — not the Folder Actions folder. Or save it to the desktop and move it to the Folder Actions Scripts folder. The script won't work as a folder action anywhere else.

Click on any folder and slide the cursor down to Configure Folder Actions, to see whether there's a tick in the box next to Enable Folder Actions. If there isn't, tick the box before closing the window. This step need never be repeated.

Right-click on any folder and slide the cursor down to Attach a Folder Action. Navigate to the newly created By Kind script.

To get rid of the toolbar, paste this line somewhere in the script on its own line:

set toolbar visible of Finder window 1 to false

Unfortunately, the script can be attached only folder by folder. I can't figure a way to batch-attach the script or attach it automatically even when an AppleScript saved as an application creates a folder.
 

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eric


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Eric and Brown, what you're not getting is that sort-by-kind is an alpha sort of the Kind column. So 'Folder' is bellow 'Document'.
emhjay is tyrying to have folders ALWAYS at the top regardless of your sort order, like the way Windows Explorer does. I do like that as well...

I believe there is no way to do this. Putting spaces in front a of a folder's name is a crazy hack. You can't rename folders used by the system.

well then, my mac must be magic because it works perfectly fine for me.
 
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I think giulio might have meant don't rename with a space any folder in a pathway that the system along with Software Update might use.
 
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FWIW, there's this (thumbnail below):

By attaching this script to any folder, it will open in icon view and automatically clean up the view if the folder had been closed with the icons scrambled or if the previous view had been as a list. The computer gives the folders precedence over the other items.

Open the Script Editor and paste this into a blank:

on opening folder This_Folder
tell application "Finder"
select Finder window 1
set current view of Finder window 1 to icon view
clean up Finder window 1 by kind
end tell
end opening folder

Give it a name, maybe "By Kind," and save it as a script, not an application, in the Folder Action Scripts folder — not the Folder Actions folder. Or save it to the desktop and move it to the Folder Actions Scripts folder. The script won't work as a folder action anywhere else.

Click on any folder and slide the cursor down to Configure Folder Actions, to see whether there's a tick in the box next to Enable Folder Actions. If there isn't, tick the box before closing the window. This step need never be repeated.

Right-click on any folder and slide the cursor down to Attach a Folder Action. Navigate to the newly created By Kind script.

To get rid of the toolbar, paste this line somewhere in the script on its own line:

set toolbar visible of Finder window 1 to false

Unfortunately, the script can be attached only folder by folder. I can't figure a way to batch-attach the script or attach it automatically even when an AppleScript saved as an application creates a folder.
is there a way to do this in column view? that is something that i've wanted for a long time now.
 

sgv


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folders showing first

I'm a new Mac user - and was reading this thread because I also needed the answer to having my folders appear first. Finally found that this worked for me - I pulled the folders over to the left side of the "open" window (or do it in Finder) so that I could access them from there, rather from whatever view I was in.
 

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