January 2001 || Volume 01, Issue 06

The Often Misunderstood Macintosh Finder

The million-dollar question: What application is owned by 95% of Macintosh users (OS X notwithstanding), used by them on on a day-to-day basis, and more than likely, used effectively by only about 20%?

If you answered The Mac OS Finder, you are absolutely correct!

While most of us don't regard the Finder as an application, we have to remember that's what it really is. The often misunderstood Macintosh Finder runs seamlessly in the background (most of the time), enables us to manage our files, disks, folders, applications, icons and our day-to-day interactions with our Macs. As with any true application we can quit, re-launch, and customize it. And like many applications, it surprises us with cryptic error messages from time to time.

I don't know about you, but I use a Mac not only because of its sheer elegance and intuitiveness (again, most of the time), but also because of the tight integration between applications and the Operating System. Key commands and shortcuts usually carry over from program to program.Working in the Finder is no different.

My goal (aside from not boring you to death) is to familiarize you with some new Finder shortcuts, refresh your memory on some that you might have forgotten, and possibly teach you a few new ones along the way. Hopefully, by the end of this article you'll learn some pretty cool tricks that you can use to have a happier, more productive Mac experience. And let's face it, we use Macs not only because they are cool, but because they also help us work more productively.

Whenever possible, I have noted the Operating System under which the tip should work. But if your current OS version is not specified, live on the wild side and give it a shot...it just might work.

So let's begin.

What's in a name?

We can use the Arrow keys to select icons, the Tab key to select the next icon alphabetically, and Shift Tab to select the previous icon alphabetically.

When working in Icon View, holding down the Command key while dragging an icon (even if you have "always snap to grid" selected in your view options) lets you place the icon anywhere you'd like. Additionally, if the option isn't selected, the command has the opposite effect, it places the icon in its corresponding grid position.

If you make a mistake in renaming an icon, you can press the Finder undo command (Command-Z) and the original name appears. Alternately you can consecutively press delete and delete the complete name. Then press Return and the original name magically appears.

When renaming icons, the up and down arrows make our insertion point jump to the beginning or the end of the renaming rectangle.

Mac Users Should Do Windows

Dragging any window in OS 8 or later to the bottom of the screen makes it a pop up tab. Particularly convenient if you want to create a "Launching Pad" for your applications. You ask, "why would I want to do that...why not just double click on the document to open the application"? Lets say you want to open a SimpleText file in Microsoft Word or vice-versa. If you use the tip below, all you have to do is drag the icon to your launching pad and drop it onto the corresponding icon, and you are ready to go.

Just drag a window filled with aliases to your most freqently used applications to the bottom of the screen.	A Pop Up tab is created.
The result is a handy drag and drop savvy launching bay!

Dragging a window without bringing it forward can be accomplished by pressing the Command key as you drag it. The window obediently says in place.

To avoid a cluttered screen, hold down your Option key while you open a window and the previous window closes.

Command-clicking on a window's title bar produces a drop down menu that lets you navigate back the path you followed to get to your current location.

The wonders of Command-clicking the title bar.

You can even combine the previous two tricks for a neat effect. If you press both Command and Option keys as you choose a window name from the pop-up menu, you backtrack to a previous window while closing the window you were just in.

You can backtrack using just the keyboard by pressing Command-Up Arrow or close and backtrack by pressing Option-Command-Up Arrow to close the current window and return to the previous window.

If you hold down the Option key in Mac OS 8 or later, while you either click on the collapse box or double click a title bar (as long as Window Shading is enabled), all of the open windows roll up. Try it and turn up your volume for a really neat audio effect.

You can Window Shade an inactive Finder window by Command-Double clicking its dimmed title bar.

Use the Keys Please

Ever wonder what those fancy key symbols you see in your pull down menus and printed materials mean? Well wonder no more, here's a handy Modifier Key reference chart.

Control-clicking in OS 8 or later will open a contextual menu cursor icon (similar to right clicking in Window 95-98, etc.) and is a great way to access additional Finder and program features. Remember, as in Windows, the menu is "contextual" so its commands will change depending on what you're Control-Clicking.

Pressing Command-Delete in Mac OS 8 or later will move the selected item to the Trash, combine this trick with typing the first few letters of a file name to quickly delete files.

Key Command and Modifier Key Reference Charts in printer friendly formats

Bet You Didn't Know There Was A Quiz, Eh?

Here's an exercise that demonstrates how convenient it is to use the keys, just follow along on your Mac. Ready, set, GO!

1. Type the first few letters of your file name.
2. Press the up-arrow or down-arrow keys to select files higher or lower in the list or any of the arrows in icon view.
3. Press Tab in order to highlight the next file alphabetical or Shift-Tab to select the previous file alphabetically.
4. Once a folder is highlighted in list view: press Command-Right Arrow to expand it or Command-Left Arrow to collapse it. In icon view just press Command-O to open the file or folder (remember if you hold down Command-Option-O, the previously open window will close [if you try it, it will make sense]).
5. Press Command-Option-Right arrow (in list view) to expand a selected folder and all sub-folders or Command-Option-Left Arrow to collapse the folder and all sub-folders. You can also expand or collapse a folder and all sub-folders in list view by Option-Clicking the little triangle known by apple as the disclosure triangle.
6. If you have an extended keyboard, press the Page-Up or Page-Down keys to scroll up the list one window at a time, or the arrow keys to scroll one folder at a time. The Home key takes you to the very top and the End key takes you...well...to the end.
7. Smile in satisfaction.

Wow, I Didn't Know I Could Do That

If you hold down the Option key when you insert a CD or other removable media, it mounts the disk without opening any previously open windows.

If you want to make a copy of a file from a Zip or other removable media onto the Desktop of your Mac, just Option-drag the file to your Desktop.

If you drag files from multiple locations on your hard drive to your Desktop, you can quickly put them back in their respective places by selecting them and using the Finder's put away command (Command Y) in OS 8 or later.

In OS 8 or later, Command-E ejects a currently selected disk.

To rebuild a removable (a Zip disk, floppy, etc.) without using an external program, just hold down the Command and Option keys at insertion and you immediately get the "Rebuild" dialogue.

Download TechTool from Micromat Incorporated to completely delete your Desktop files instead of just patching over them.

If you create an Alias of your Hard Drive and place it in your Apple Menu, you can easily navigate using your Apple Menu.

Navigate in style using your Apple Menu.

If you want to organize the Apple Menu without using the old "space in front of your folder name trick", just open up a text program like SimpleText and type a return. Select all and paste the invisisble return character in the renaming rectangle of the icon you want to have jump to the top of the Apple Menu and type out the icon name. The next time you open your Apple Menu, that icon has jumped up to the top of the list. You can use additional return characters before an icon name in to make folders appear before others.

If you're tired of cryptic error messages then download Apple Error Codes a freeware document that lists several hundred codes and their explanations.

Our friend, The Application Palette.

Mac OS 8.5 and later has a wonderful built in tool called the Application Palette, which appears if you tear off (Click-Drag) the Application Menu. It's a great way to help you identify currently running applications and open documents by dragging and dropping.

Click-Drag your Application to tear it off.

And configure it to your hearts content.

Use The Apple Help Center to learn additional Application Palette tricks.

Use Mac OS 9's Built in Help Center for additional Application Switcher configuration tips.

It can be a lonely world for Macintosh users and the media's fascination with Apple "going under" doesn't help. So the next time that you are feeling "bummed", remember that the following is a partial list of our more famous Mac brethren:

Madonna, Prince (A.K.A.,the Artist, the Artist Formerly Known As, and that symbol...[sorry, I don't know the key combination for that one]), Steven Spielberg, Dustin Hoffman, Sandra Bullock, Harry Connick Jr., Kevin Costner, Tom Cruise, Geena Davis, Danny DeVito, Clint Eastwood, Sally Field, Whoopi Goldberg, Harrison Ford, Jodie Foster, Mel Gibson, Tom Hanks, Jerry Seinfeld, Douglas Adams, Tom Clancy, William Gibson, Mario Puzo, William Goldman, Michael Crichton, Herbie Hancock, Eddie Van Halen, Aerosmith, Beastie Boys, U2, Ice T, Rolling Stones, Seal, Tori Amos, B.B. King, Hans Zimmer, Roger Clinton (Bill's brother), Thomas Dolby, Peter Gabriel, Jan Hammer, Ben Heppner, Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, Cyndi Lauper, Courtney Love, John Tesh, Mannheim Steamroller, Lou Rawls, Dabney Coleman, Todd Rundgren, Enya, Danny Elfman, Gloria Estefan, George Michael, Sting, Carly Simon, Tommy Lee, Metallica, Kenny G, Gay Talese, Valerie Bertinelli, Tim Allen, Drew Carey, Rush Limbaugh, Conan O'Brien, Maury Povich, Norm Abram, Roger Ebert, Don Novello (Father Guido Sarducci), Dan Aykroyd, Mariel Hemingway, Natasha Richardson, Vanessa Redgrave, Lauren Bacall, Phoebe Cates, Kevin Kline, Christian Slater, Lawrence Fishburne, Emilio Estevez, Dolly Parton, Henry Winkler, Timothy Burton, Samuel L. Jackson, Nicole Kidman, Wesley Snipes, Sylvester Stallone, Sharon Stone, James Woods, Robin Williams, Paul Reubens (Pee Wee Herman), Gary Oldman, Mia Farrow, José D. Morales, and you! :)

Últimas Palabras (Final Words).

Despite its tempermental nature and occasional cryptic error messages, the Macintosh Finder was designed with simplicity in mind, but don't let that fool you. By familiarizing yourself with its built in key commands and hidden features, we can tap into the real power of the Finder. Its ability to make us more productive. So the next time you're tempted to open a file, folder, or window the "way you're used to" remember all of the work that went into designing the Finder, and let those fingers to the walking.

Thanks for stopping by and feel free to contact me with questions, comments, and suggestions for future articles. Be sure to login next month, when our topic will be Using Your Mac in a Windows World: Cross Platform Tips, Tricks and Solutions.

José D. Morales - jose@macosjournal.com
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