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sandman · May 22, 2002, 05:55 PM

What does everyone think of a contextual menu item that would allow you to move files to certain folders, in a "smart" way. Let me give an example. You download a .saver file and don't want to take the time to open a new window and browse to your screen savers folder, so you right-click and there's a menu that says "Move to.." and a pop-up would say "move to screen saver folder" or "Browse.." Seems like a good idea to me and might make it less confusing for new users that are downloading files. Of course they might not know to right-click either, but its a good thought.

By the way I've sent feedback to Apple.

KellyHogan · May 22, 2002, 06:09 PM

You mean the 'cut' command. It hasn't been implemented yet but if you look at the edit menu it is there.

sandman · May 22, 2002, 06:11 PM

Originally posted by KellyHogan:
You mean the 'cut' command. It hasn't been implemented yet but if you look at the edit menu it is there.

I don't mean "cut," because that would imply that you cut it from one place and manually move it to another. I am speaking of a contextual menu that would give you the option to move a file to another location (options based on file type) simply by selecting a menu item.

Kickaha · May 22, 2002, 06:19 PM

Kelly, think about dropping items on the MacOS 9 System Folder, and having them auto-routed to the proper subfolder (Fonts, Control Panels, etc).

Now imagine having that intelligence as a Service, so that it knows where a particular item should be placed for proper use.

That's what sandman is suggesting... moving the intelligence from the 'drop' action to the select action. Personally, I like it.

sandman · May 22, 2002, 06:23 PM

Exactly what I'm saying, but with a "browse" option in the same menu in case a user wants a different folder than the one the file's supposed to be in.

[ 05-22-2002: Message edited by: sandman ]

Xeo · May 22, 2002, 07:19 PM

I like it. I'm having trouble seeing myself use it since opening two windows seems to be the same speed without the extra dialog. Of course, in your scenario, I'm replacing that extra window with the dialog so nothing is actually added. I wouldn't know for sure if it would well for me until I actually used it. I wouldn't mind seeing it implemented (and seems like it wouldn't take much to do so either).

Bottom line, I like it.

sandman · May 22, 2002, 09:04 PM

Originally posted by Xeo:
I like it. I'm having trouble seeing myself use it since opening two windows seems to be the same speed without the extra dialog. Of course, in your scenario, I'm replacing that extra window with the dialog so nothing is actually added. I wouldn't know for sure if it would well for me until I actually used it. I wouldn't mind seeing it implemented (and seems like it wouldn't take much to do so either).

Bottom line, I like it.

In essence, if the menu worked properly you wouldn't need a dialogue because the proper folder would be listed for you. Only if you chose to move the file to a folder other than where it is supposed to be would you need to "browse."

Brass · May 22, 2002, 09:59 PM

or instead of "browse..." (or maybe as well as?) you could have a list of all mounted volumes, each with a recursive submenu that you could move the file to. This way you could move a file to anywhere in any filesystem all through it's contextual menu.

Perhaps a "Copy To..." could then work the same way as the "Move To..." item.

undotwa · May 22, 2002, 10:04 PM

I think a Move To... command should be implemented like this:

1. Right click on a file (or selection of files)

2. Go to the Move to sub-menu, and it will list the virtual My Computer directory in another menu.

3. Navigate through there. Release your mouse button on whatever folder you want it moved to.

Or if you click on the submenu, not navigating through the sub menus, it should bring up a dialog which allows you to enter a path. Even have a little lock to login as root to do the action.

EDIT: Same thing for Copy To... and Make Alias To... . These three items will be available in the File menu with the exactly the same functionality as the Contextual Menu. Drag & Drop will still be there aswell as Spring Loaded Folders.

[ 05-22-2002: Message edited by: undotwa ]

Kickaha · May 22, 2002, 10:20 PM

Ick. You guys just gutted any intelligence in the system. Bleah.

IMHO, such a Service should offer up the standard places for such a file to go, such as /Library/Fonts or username/Library/Fonts, if looking at a font file, and that's it. Spring loaded folders, folders in the Dock, and a couple other mechanisms *already* offer what you guys are talking about for the 'Browse'. Offer umpteen thousand ways to do the same thing, and you have the Windows UI. Bleah.

This Service should be intelligent, but not a catch all for every way that a user might want to access a folder somewhere... that's what the Finder is for.

curmi · May 22, 2002, 10:54 PM

Originally posted by Kickaha:
Ick. You guys just gutted any intelligence in the system. Bleah.

IMHO, such a Service should offer up the standard places for such a file to go, such as /Library/Fonts or username/Library/Fonts, if looking at a font file, and that's it. Spring loaded folders, folders in the Dock, and a couple other mechanisms *already* offer what you guys are talking about for the 'Browse'. Offer umpteen thousand ways to do the same thing, and you have the Windows UI. Bleah.

This Service should be intelligent, but not a catch all for every way that a user might want to access a folder somewhere... that's what the Finder is for.

I'm with you on this. A great idea - you should send it to Apple through bugtracker...

Does OSX currently have a way of associating a file type to a number of directories? If not, this is something Apple would need to implement.

I don't think it should be called "Move to..." as that gives the impression that the object can be moved anywhere. It needs something else. "Put away" would have been good if it didn't have classic baggage.

MinivanH8R · May 22, 2002, 10:56 PM

Originally posted by sandman:
What does everyone think of a contextual menu item that would allow you to move files to certain folders, in a "smart" way. Let me give an example. You download a .saver file and don't want to take the time to open a new window and browse to your screen savers folder, so you right-click and there's a menu that says "Move to.." and a pop-up would say "move to screen saver folder" or "Browse.." Seems like a good idea to me and might make it less confusing for new users that are downloading files. Of course they might not know to right-click either, but its a good thought.

By the way I've sent feedback to Apple.

Snax has "move to" and "copy to" functions you can put in the toolbar. I use them all the time, it's fantastic.

MrBS · May 23, 2002, 02:15 AM

I just think the finder's contextual menus should grab a couple options from web browsers. "Open folder in New Window" is one that definitely should be there.
~BS

macmanway · May 23, 2002, 11:27 AM

This feature is coming. You will have a "Move To..", "Copy To..." and "Make Alias In.." Plus a few other features that I think you will all love. This will be implemented in a new CM Plugin coming your way very soon! You'll be happy.

"I love programming the Mac"

benh57 · May 23, 2002, 01:36 PM

Originally posted by macmanway:
This feature is coming. You will have a "Move To..", "Copy To..." and "Make Alias In.." Plus a few other features that I think you will all love. This will be implemented in a new CM Plugin coming your way very soon! You'll be happy.

Yeah, this is actually a pretty easy thing to implement in a cm plugin.

you get a file, you show a dialog, you move or copy the file. easy.

-B

macmanway · May 23, 2002, 02:23 PM

Originally posted by benh57:


Yeah, this is actually a pretty easy thing to implement in a cm plugin.

you get a file, you show a dialog, you move or copy the file. easy.

-B

I wish it was! I'd be done by now. However, no dialog is necessary. The plug will be smart enough to know where to suggest moving/copying the file to.