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zorg

macrumors regular
Original poster
May 3, 2006
184
0
Hey, I'd like to know how to merge folder directories? Is there a way? I don't like the way os x replaces all contents in directories when you replace a folder... I want os x to merge the files.
 

GimmeSlack12

macrumors 603
Apr 29, 2005
5,403
12
San Francisco
Can't say I totally understand the question, but are you talking about moving all the files in one folder into another? The only way is to select all the files in one folder and move them into another. Moving a folder into another folder does nothing but move that folder.
 

zorg

macrumors regular
Original poster
May 3, 2006
184
0
GimmeSlack12 said:
Can't say I totally understand the question, but are you talking about moving all the files in one folder into another?

Yeah, sorry I wasn't being clear.

The only way is to select all the files in one folder and move them into another. Moving a folder into another folder does nothing but move that folder.

Ah, but is there a way to replace the "replace" function with a "merge" function of some what? Like. If I have a folder named "foo" and another named "foo1" with similiar and different files, can I merge them without doing all the "don't replace?" stuff..
 

motulist

macrumors 601
Dec 2, 2003
4,234
611
zorg said:
... can I merge them without doing all the "don't replace?" stuff..

I'm still not quite clear on what you're looking to do. How would you want it to merge the contents of 2 folders without asking you which ones you want to replace if two files have the same name? There is a replace all button, but I assume that's not what you mean.
 

GimmeSlack12

macrumors 603
Apr 29, 2005
5,403
12
San Francisco
zorg said:
can I merge them without doing all the "don't replace?" stuff..
Oh I think I get you now. I'm gonna say there isn't a way to do that. Merging is something that I've never really thought about though, so it might be I just don't know. But I don't know of anything in the OS that does that.
 

robbieduncan

Moderator emeritus
Jul 24, 2002
25,611
893
Harrogate
You can do it via the Terminal.

Say you have two folders:
~/Documents/f1
~/Documents/f2

you can do this:

cp -R -i ~/Documents/f1/* ~/Documents/f2

This will copy all contents of f1 into f2 (asking per file if you want to overwrite and recursing down folders contained in f1).

Once you are happy that this has worked you can delete folder f1.
 
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