How to 'cut'

[SnowmanSimon]

I bought a powerbook g4 a few months back to see how I like the macworld before I go out and spend some real cash but I cant figure out how to 'cut' a file like I do in windows.

We have copy, duplicate and alias. Correct me if I am wrong here but alias makes a shortcut, copy copies the file to be pasted elsewhere and duplicate makes a second copy right there in the same folder. Is the only way to 'cut' to drag and drop?

I am loving the whole mac scene even tho I am running on a powerbook G4 867mhz which is kind of slow. I'm saving up for an IMAC 20" or macbook. Not in a hurry so I am kind of waiting to see if any new stuff comes out over the summer.

 

[Willem]

The only way I've found is to drag it from Finder into another dir. You can cut/paste files, only copy/paste.

I think.

I'm sure someone will correct me shortly.

 

[D3v1L80Y]

There is no way to natively cut and paste files in Mac OS X.

There is hope for ex-Windows users, though. Take a look at this thread:

http://www.mac-forums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=58613&highlight=cut+paste

 

[coach_z]

there is no built in cut feature because it is really a flawed system. you always have the opportunity to cut it, and then lose it with a power failure, a system crash(although that never really happens) or you might forget and copy something else and then poof! your file is gone!! just a few examples

the best way to do this is to drag and drop your files. once you select a file you can navigate through finder by holding the file above menu's which will then open and then you can drop wherever you want to

my favorite way to do this is to open two seperate finder windows, one with the source file and one with the sources final location and simply drag and drop between folders...or you can use your desktop as temporary drag and drop storage between finder windows

-chris

 

[SnowmanSimon]

Ah awesome thanks for teh replies...I had no idea once you had the file selected you could navigate through folders with it simply by placing the selected file over the folder...This works pretty slick.

Thanks, a lot.

 

[fiveightandten]

Ah awesome thanks for teh replies...I had no idea once you had the file selected you could navigate through folders with it simply by placing the selected file over the folder...This works pretty slick.

Thanks, a lot.

This is called "spring folders" and you can set the delay time in the Finder preferences.

Also, if you pan all active windows out in Expose, you can hover over any one of them to bring that window forward while dragging files/folders.

I actually just posted a video tutorial on Youtube about this, in hopes of helping new swithcers like us find their way (no pun intended).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wf1x0iUErck

and here's another, general one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=av3dGcFy8hI



-Nick

 

[giulio]

there is no built in cut feature because it is really a flawed system. you always have the opportunity to cut it, and then lose it with a power failure, a system crash(although that never really happens) or you might forget and copy something else and then poof! your file is gone!! just a few examples
-chris

that is way incorrect. a 'cut' file is simply a pointer in the clipboard. the file is not deleted yet. only AFTER the copy is done and verified is the original deleted. If what you're saying were true, the copy could never happen because the original is deleted as soon as you choose cut.

If you need to cut/paste between file systems or disks, hold down command when you drag. The (+) indicator on the mouse will dissapear, alerting you that the file will be moved, not copied.

 

[giulio]

And about the whole cut/paste of files debate...

When traversing many systems, disks, folders... the apple way of drag-n-drop becomes a pita. It is easier to cut the file. Then you can let go of the mouse and take a breather. Navigate all your windows and paths to where you want it. Then paste the file. It's so much less stressful, to me anyway.

 

[technologist]

And about the whole cut/paste of files debate...

When traversing many systems, disks, folders... the apple way of drag-n-drop becomes a pita. It is easier to cut the file. Then you can let go of the mouse and take a breather. Navigate all your windows and paths to where you want it. Then paste the file. It's so much less stressful, to me anyway.

Have you tried it with Expose? You navigate to the source folder, leave it open, navigate to the target folder, and leave it open. Grab the file in the source folder, hit expose, drop it right into the second.

 

[giulio]

Have you tried it with Expose? You navigate to the source folder, leave it open, navigate to the target folder, and leave it open. Grab the file in the source folder, hit expose, drop it right into the second.

Compared to... 'cut', navigate, 'paste' ? There are lots of ways to move files. You COULD use mv, cp;rm, or rsync in the terminal, too. But really cut-n-paste is in my opinion the fastest, easiest way.

We can also drag and drop text all over the place. And use text clippings on the desktop as a middle-man. But I think most everyone uses copy-n-paste. So why not use that same idea for files (which are the same data as text - just huge blocks of 1s and 0s).

I do use expose. Mostly when I need to find an icon on the desktop buried by many windows, and I need to FTP it. It's a heck of a lot faster than moving windows around.

 

[surfwax95]

"Cut" is weird and doesn't belong on computers. I never liked it, nor used it in Winders.

My two cents.

 

[giulio]

"Cut" is weird and doesn't belong on computers. I never liked it, nor used it in Winders.

If you want to move a block of text from one document to another, what do you do? Copy from doc A, paste into doc B, then delete from doc A?

 

[surfwax95]

I was referring to "Cut" in relation to file managers.

 

[knightlie]

I was referring to "Cut" in relation to file managers.

I agree. Files are documents, not parts of documents, and should be treated differently. My file movement of coice is drag and drop between windows, or spring-loaded folders.

I've never like the way Microsoft try to make everything into one homogenous thing, like clipboarding files or integrating the internet into the desktop, it's jarring and confusing. Mistyping a network share in Windows Explorer and having it search for what you typed on MSN, changing the window into an Internet browser in the process, is probably the dumbest thing in the history of the world.

 

[technologist]

What works in a text editor isn't necessarily a good idea in the filesystem.

Pressing Delete in Word deletes text immediately. What if the Finder worked that way? It doesn't, and that's not accident.

And for the record, I do find direct-manipulation of text extremely useful. Moving blocks of code around is so much more fluid that way. The lousy implementations of drag-and-drop are the source of my greatest frustrations with Windows.

 

[Willem]

"Cut" is a workable metaphor as long as the OS copies the file to the new location before deleting the original. It doesn't have to be scary or dangerous.

 

[giulio]

Mistyping a network share in Windows Explorer and having it search for what you typed on MSN, changing the window into an Internet browser in the process, is probably the dumbest thing in the history of the world.

Agreed!

What works in a text editor isn't necessarily a good idea in the filesystem.

Pressing Delete in Word deletes text immediately. What if the Finder worked that way? It doesn't, and that's not accident.

And for the record, I do find direct-manipulation of text extremely useful. Moving blocks of code around is so much more fluid that way. The lousy implementations of drag-and-drop are the source of my greatest frustrations with Windows.

Yes Windows is terrible at drag-n-drop.

And you're right that it isn't an accident - on any platform...
Copy/cut-n-paste of files works differently than with text. When you cut/copy a file it is not immediately erased and put into the clipbaord. Only the reference to it is. So It is completely safe. Only AFTER the copy is done/verified is the original deleted from the source directory. Therefore it is actually SAFER than cut-n-paste in a text document where the source is deleted immediately and placed in the clipboard.

Yeah, cut-n-paste works great in a text editor - but it works great in the file system as well.

I guess it's just personal preference. But it's nice to at least know the option is there. And we don't have it.