We get how it works: aside from the logical flaws of cut/paste for files, the feature itself is flawed.I already beat you to it, lol.However it's clear that (as a Mac user) you probably just don't get how cut works in reality.
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Cut/Paste in Finder???
- Thread starter MattSepeta
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While you may think the feature is flawed, and that's your opinion, many of us find it a much more efficient feature then what OSX has to offer in its place.
It may not do a cut, but the way most people use the cutting of files, is in order to move the files somewhere else. That's why a "move" solution is the one people should be seeking out, not a cut one. I don't find the Automator method I posted to be perfect, but I think it's more direct than a "cut" operation.
I'm hoping this thread comes to and end soon because it hasn't accomplished much for a page or two.
OK, this might sound like a TOTAL mac NOOB question, but when I move a file from one finder window to another, how do you do it so you dont accidentally stick it in a sub folder of the open finder? In other words, is there a safe place to drop a file when there are a lot of sub folders in a folder without the folder accidentally falling into one of them. This is the sole reason I like to use cut and paste, because I cut the files, open a finder window and paste knowing they will fall into that folder (and not accidentally into a sub).
Place it on top of another file in the folder...not a sub-folder...or just drag to said folder and release before it opens the folder.
Ahhh thats the trick! In windows if you did that, you would cause an action on the file you are dragging. So I was always afraid to try that. This is a great hint. Thanks!!
Glad to help.
In general, you are finding that what seems to be the way to do something IS the way to do something. Microsoft always seems to add weird hoops that you need to jump through to do things while Apple tends toward doing things the way they make sense.
Case in point:
My 2yo son recently was messing with my work PC laptop and did something in Word that will not allow highlighted items to be overwritten. Yes, there is actually an option, that can be chosen with a keyboard combination, that turns off the ability for you to overwrite a highlighted item. (The typed text (or pasted item) appears before the highlighted information....which is easily accomplished otherwise simply by placing the cursor, oh...ANYWHERE on screen and then typing or pasting! )Why anyone would NOT want something overwrriten when he or she took great pains to highlight text and then type something else is beyond me. It took me a good week to figure out what was going on.
In general, you are finding that what seems to be the way to do something IS the way to do something. Microsoft always seems to add weird hoops that you need to jump through to do things while Apple tends toward doing things the way they make sense.
Case in point:
My 2yo son recently was messing with my work PC laptop and did something in Word that will not allow highlighted items to be overwritten. Yes, there is actually an option, that can be chosen with a keyboard combination, that turns off the ability for you to overwrite a highlighted item. (The typed text (or pasted item) appears before the highlighted information....which is easily accomplished otherwise simply by placing the cursor, oh...ANYWHERE on screen and then typing or pasting! )Why anyone would NOT want something overwrriten when he or she took great pains to highlight text and then type something else is beyond me. It took me a good week to figure out what was going on.
Well, judging by these real world examples, I think it's fair to say that many users have found out the hard way that this Windows feature is flawed. Many users have lost important data. The logic of cut & paste for files & folders is flawed. There are multiple implementation flaws, to name a few:
- cut files & folders look exactly like "hidden" files & folders
- you can highlight to cut files & folders, but cannot highlight a folder to paste into it. So, for instance, if you highlight the Recycle Bin & paste, everything will be pasted to the desktop
- if you cut, then perform a different action, the files & folders become uncut but paste will still move the files & folders
- it is understood that cut will put info in the clipboard so you could paste it right back to the original location (e.g., as a way to undo changes). This logic does not apply files & folders
- many more...
If you really don't like that the Finder doesn't have cut use PathFinder or learn some Unix and work it out with the terminal.
I have to agree. It has worked well enough for me for over 15 years (or at least for as long as I remember this feature being available n Windows) without a hitch I might add.
This is a somewhat pointless argument though, as Apple are unlikely to ever ad it. My own hope in subscribing to this thread is that someone would be able to describe a way of achieving this effect using other means.
That doesn't make any sense what you wrote. If Apple doesn't want to put Cut N Paste in Finder then putting as an option puts it there.
Your responses don't surprise me.
It seems that some Windows developers infected iPhoto because it's possible to cut and paste to move photos there. It works almost the same as the Windows explorer, it fades the cut files and moves them to the trash. If iPhoto has it, why not the Finder ?
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