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- - e r i k - - · Dec 1, 2007, 01:18 AM

Finally! No more hacking with empty applications and folders:

macosxhints.com - 10.5: Add multiple spacers to the Dock

To add a spacer to the applications (left) side of the Dock, run the following in the terminal:

defaults write com.apple.dock persistent-apps -array-add '{tile-data={}; tile-type="spacer-tile";}'

To see your changes, restart the dock with killall Dock. To add a spacer to the documents (right) side of the Dock, run the following:

defaults write com.apple.dock persistent-others -array-add '{tile-data={}; tile-type="spacer-tile";}'

Again, killall Dock to see your changes. Once the spacer is in the Dock, you can drag it around to move it. You can even drag it between the application and document sections, if you wish. Run either command multiple times to add multiple separators

Judge_Fire · Dec 1, 2007, 09:31 AM

Sweet, thanks!

urzsite · Dec 1, 2007, 09:41 AM

Thanks for sharing! Works like a charm.

Kevin · Dec 1, 2007, 04:11 PM

See, I don't know why Apple keeps these features in, then hides them.

Chris Grande · Dec 1, 2007, 06:09 PM

Does anyone know how to re-enable ad-hoc stacks that were in the earlier Leopard builds? Where you could just drag a collection of files and add to it ad-hoc and it didn't have to be a folder? As you could drag a collection of application to the left side and create application stacks and you could right click on the stack and rename it... It was a nice feature... any hidden pref to bring it back?

C.A.T.S. CEO · Dec 1, 2007, 11:03 PM

Originally Posted by Kevin

See, I don't know why Apple keeps these features in, then hides them.

That is a good question, there must be something wrong with it that may make the Dock unstable or something...

Apple should adleast make a app that enables hidden features if they aren't unstable, or make the commands that enable them public.

fisherKing · Dec 2, 2007, 12:12 AM

nice! a much better solution than the 'invisible classic app icons' i was using for separators...

- - e r i k - - · Dec 2, 2007, 12:23 AM

Originally Posted by C.A.T.S. CEO

That is a good question, there must be something wrong with it that may make the Dock unstable or something...

Apple should adleast make a app that enables hidden features if they aren't unstable, or make the commands that enable them public.

Nothing wrong with them apart from if you drag an icon directly on top of them it won't get added to the dock.

C.A.T.S. CEO · Dec 2, 2007, 12:29 AM

Originally Posted by - - e r i k - -

Nothing wrong with them apart from if you drag an icon directly on top of them it won't get added to the dock.

Is it possible to get rid of them? I haven't used the command yet because of that.

- - e r i k - - · Dec 2, 2007, 12:33 AM

Yeah, drag them off the dock. Poof!

C.A.T.S. CEO · Dec 2, 2007, 01:12 AM

Originally Posted by - - e r i k - -

Yeah, drag them off the dock. Poof!

I hope the tinker tool guys are taking note...

AKcrab · Dec 2, 2007, 02:16 AM

The separators are too big.

Kevin · Dec 2, 2007, 08:14 AM

Originally Posted by fisherKing

nice! a much better solution than the 'invisible classic app icons' i was using for separators...

It's basically the same thing. Just easier to do. I think the separator is a bit too large. It should be half the size of an icon that is on the dock. The command is basically just adding in a transparent icon for you. That is why you can remove it just like a icon.

Kevin · Dec 2, 2007, 08:15 AM

Originally Posted by AKcrab

The separators are too big.

Agreed. It's obviously just a transparent icon placed there by the system.

- - e r i k - - · Dec 2, 2007, 08:59 AM

Errrr...it's not at all the same. Using apps you could accidentally click your separators, which would drive me nuts. Plus their names would come up when you hovered over them. Ridiculous.

Kevin · Dec 2, 2007, 09:29 PM

Ah I guess it's different in that way. It's a hack it seems. Again the spaces should be a lot closer together. It's the size of an icon. Which is why Apple probably disabled it in the first place. It just doesn't look right.

- - e r i k - - · Dec 2, 2007, 11:42 PM

Yeah, half a space would have been better. But I'll live. Works perfectly for me. (I have lots and lots of icons in my Dock, and the separators makes finding that less used apps so much easier).

Kevin · Dec 3, 2007, 06:33 AM

I am sure it does. And I am glad someone found this. It's just not useful to me yet.

booboo · Dec 3, 2007, 07:19 PM

Are there any earlier builds of Leopard's Dock that don't have Stacks or changing folder icons - and might possibly still work with 10.5.1?

just a thought. . . . it could make a no. 1 download!

Any compendium on how the Dock changed through various pre-release builds of Leopard?

Big Mac · Dec 3, 2007, 07:28 PM

Yeah, a pre-release version with Spaces but nothing else was supposedly found.