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Deleting selected items from Trash
- Thread starter acidity
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Not that I know of. The Trash in OS X is exactly what it is. It is a place where you store all the files you might want to delete later or as a last resort if you accidently deleted some files. Unlike windows' "Recycle Bin" which is a weird concept since it really is nothing more than a normal folder with a command to empty it.
acidity said:
If you don't want to delete the files, don't put them in the Trash in the first place. You wouldn't toss a hot dog in the trash if you were going to eat it would you?
A perfectly valid question. I wouldn't mind having the ability to click on something in the trash and press delete.
A VERY valid question. Insisting that Trash be used the way they intend is just stupid. This is one of the few cases were MS actually gets it right. It was like the metaphor of putting your diskette in the Trash. (No, I don't put a hotdog in the trash and then get it back out. But the previous Mac metaphor might well have been "In order to eat this hotdog, I'm going to put it in the trash.") There is no reason why I should have to make a second folder to hold things that I might want to trash but aren't sure. That's what I call a hack, and it's a hack I shouldn't need.
Much better to just let me selectively delete things. I mean, why not? What will that break? As it is, I put everything in the trash, and then go through it periodically and delete things with the terminal. rm -Rf is your friend. It keeps you from making mistakes like accidentally deleting important files that accidentally get moved to the trash when you make an accidental keystroke.
Another complaint is why Mac won't let you directly delete things. Shift+delete in MS will immediately delete something, without passing by the recycling bin. I like that. It's useful. I can understand that others don't, but I can't understand not giving me the option. Most Mac users, in my experience, don't even know that command+delete will send something directly to the trash.
Still, I'm a thousand times more efficient with Mac than Windows, so I can't complain too much. Perhaps in the much ballyhooed new version of finder Apple will revisit this question. Wouldn't surprise me in the slightest. So before that happens, who here is brave enough to stand up NOW and say that Apple has gotten it wrong?
Much better to just let me selectively delete things. I mean, why not? What will that break? As it is, I put everything in the trash, and then go through it periodically and delete things with the terminal. rm -Rf is your friend. It keeps you from making mistakes like accidentally deleting important files that accidentally get moved to the trash when you make an accidental keystroke.
Another complaint is why Mac won't let you directly delete things. Shift+delete in MS will immediately delete something, without passing by the recycling bin. I like that. It's useful. I can understand that others don't, but I can't understand not giving me the option. Most Mac users, in my experience, don't even know that command+delete will send something directly to the trash.
Still, I'm a thousand times more efficient with Mac than Windows, so I can't complain too much. Perhaps in the much ballyhooed new version of finder Apple will revisit this question. Wouldn't surprise me in the slightest. So before that happens, who here is brave enough to stand up NOW and say that Apple has gotten it wrong?
The only real issue I see with this is that there's no built-in "hot key" to send an item to this temporary "Hold for Trash" prior to adding it to the real Trash for disposal.kubark42 said:
Personally, only throw stuff in the trash when I'm ready to get rid of it.
If you don't want to delete the files, don't put them in the Trash in the first place. You wouldn't toss a hot dog in the trash if you were going to eat it would you?
Hi all,
I am new to this forum but after seeing so many new mac users getting replies similar to this for questions that on more than a cursory glance are perfectly valid I felt I actually had to sign up and say something. Dont get me wrong, I came over to the mac world in feb and I prefer it hands down over windows but I struggle to find anything constructive in these sort of replies which I come across so often in mac forums. There is a real tone that some folk take up with their Mac love and its not helpful. And as I believe is the case here, occasionally windows gets something right (e.g. being able to drag any side of a window to change its size rather than just the bottom corner, no one's really about to argue with that right?).
If you are saying you are so sure that every time you delete something you know you want it deleting then you don't need a trash right? Just let the system permanently delete that file immediately yeah?
I assume you are not thinking that's cool because occasionally we all make a wrong click. The thing is there are other times we realise at a later date we might not want deleted. Let's say you are working on a project and something a few weeks later makes you panic and suddenly realise you should not have deleted something. Now I want to get this item out of trash. So far so good. But as just happened to me I am forced to empty my trash to free up space on my memory stick and I came across a film I had deleted a while back. Since deleting this film a friend has asked for it. So I can drag it out of trash and then empty trash. But hold on, what if there is other stuff in there like that, I now am forced to go through all my trash thinking weather I need it or not and actually I maybe cannot know at the moment since I am not working in that project that will trigger my memory about something in there. Actually all I want to do is throw out the stuff that was on my memory stick or maybe some large files that I am very certain I really dont want while I am there.
If we accept the need for trash then is there something wrong with making the concept as useful as possible?
Darkkurse (sorry if I misspelt), The rant about constructiveness etc is not aimed at your post, only at the guy I quote but the windows idea here is not so weird at all. Yes trash is simply another folder with an empty button. But isn't it a lot more convenient to be able to just hit delete on a file and it goes there rather than you having to manually drag it over to another folder you created yourself?
It's just a place where you can put stuff that you think you no longer want so you aren't cluttering up your directories too much and not confusing yourself with old versions of stuff lying around everywhere. And you can get stuff in and out of that place and either throw it out permanently or reuse it or throw the whole lot out permanently. Just like a normal trash.
Somehow my previous message was deleted. So I shall bore everyone again. I agree completely with John Shave.
I have on numerous occasions deleted files and only at a much later date needed them back. Like John said, ideally, we would never need to empty the trash, however, as it balloons in size, we want to get rid of the few larger files that are taking up 90%+ of the trash. In my case, I watch a lot of podcasts daily, and it's these movie files that hog up the trash.
So the work around now is to move everything in the trash to new folder. Selectively delete those unwanted items, then empty trash. Finally, delete the rest of the items and let them continue to reside in the trash. But why make me go through this?
Apple should either give us selective deletion of the trash (this shouldn't even be called a feature), or give us something innovative, like auto-purging based on a set of user defined criteria, like time since deletion, size of file, file type, which can be combined together.
Of course, users of TimeMachine would find this discussion moot. However, not everyone uses TimeMachine, and besides, TimeMachine was only available since Leopard. How about all those years before Leopard?
I have on numerous occasions deleted files and only at a much later date needed them back. Like John said, ideally, we would never need to empty the trash, however, as it balloons in size, we want to get rid of the few larger files that are taking up 90%+ of the trash. In my case, I watch a lot of podcasts daily, and it's these movie files that hog up the trash.
So the work around now is to move everything in the trash to new folder. Selectively delete those unwanted items, then empty trash. Finally, delete the rest of the items and let them continue to reside in the trash. But why make me go through this?
Apple should either give us selective deletion of the trash (this shouldn't even be called a feature), or give us something innovative, like auto-purging based on a set of user defined criteria, like time since deletion, size of file, file type, which can be combined together.
Of course, users of TimeMachine would find this discussion moot. However, not everyone uses TimeMachine, and besides, TimeMachine was only available since Leopard. How about all those years before Leopard?
You can, you just type rm and then the file name, just like linux. I do that quite often, but it's still inferior to the rational solution, which is to have a key combination that performs a deletion on an individual basis.
All it takes is a little adaptation on how best to use the features of OS-X--at least that is how I look at it. I put stuff in the trash that I want to delete--and I usually empty it at least once a day. If I accidentally delete something I want, I can easily retrieve it from Time Machine--I would guess that is how the developers intended things to work.
I'm pretty sure that since this has been SOP on Macs for as far back as anyone can remember, that TM as a solution wasn't even a glimmer in anyone's eyes. Moreover, TM only works on the directories you allow it, so it's relatively trivial to find a situation where TM wouldn't work.
I agree that we have to adapt, I just don't agree that we should have to adapt to the machine when it would be ludicrously easy to adapt the machine to us.
Because if you don't actually want to delete something, it shouldn't be in the Trash.
Why? The current system works just fine. Why make something simple into something complicated?
Time to upgrade.
Adapt the machine to "some" of us... not everyone is clamoring for this "feature". Although this thread was resurrected from 2006, the issue comes up frequently from switchers who are used to the way Windows approaches their recycle bin. The philosophy is different.
One poster said something about deleting permanently without going through trash... I am not opposed to that. I put things in the trash that are trash, not stored, and many Mac users think that way. Just because the Mac does not function like Windows does not make it wrong, inferior or lacking. They are different. The trash is one level of security/comfort... put it in the trash and it is still there, take out the trash and it is gone. Using it for storage to me goes contrary to the way I think. I would use a temporary folder for that if I wasn't sure... not the trash.
Now, having said that... I am not opposed to the so called "feature" if it was there, I just don't need it. I realize people work differently and I am comfortable with both systems. However, I have never used this "feature" on Windows either.
Nobody should claim that doing things one way (their way) is right for everyone.
Woof, Woof - Dawg
Agree with the Dawg
I agree with the Dwag that everyone uses solutions differently - thats why there are typically several ways to achieve same result.
Adding one more option does not take away the method of using trash for some - but increases usability for others.
Seems like there is little downside to adding the functionality other than support and software development resources. Probably somewhere on the list for Apple - just never rises to the level of importance that other requests do.
I agree with the Dwag that everyone uses solutions differently - thats why there are typically several ways to achieve same result.
Adding one more option does not take away the method of using trash for some - but increases usability for others.
Seems like there is little downside to adding the functionality other than support and software development resources. Probably somewhere on the list for Apple - just never rises to the level of importance that other requests do.
I can't believe that people have an issue with how the Apple chooses to handle the Trash. Just because Microsoft does it one way does not mean Apple should do it that way too. There are MANY "features" in Windows that many people use that should not be added to the Mac OS.
The trash should be treated as trash. Don't put something in the trash if you think you might need it later. Is it so hard to create a folder called "Recycle Bin" and put stuff in there you think you don't need but aren't sure about? Yes, you will have to move any files manually to the "Recycle Bin" but so what?
It's a Mac. Learn how to use it.......
S-
The trash should be treated as trash. Don't put something in the trash if you think you might need it later. Is it so hard to create a folder called "Recycle Bin" and put stuff in there you think you don't need but aren't sure about? Yes, you will have to move any files manually to the "Recycle Bin" but so what?
It's a Mac. Learn how to use it.......
S-
OS X should really get with the game. Trash is basic and limited and just not as good as the recycle bin. This is because it's an extension of Finder and Explorer is better than Finder.
The reason we put things in the trash is because we can do so by pressing the delete key instead of having to drag and drop (can't cut and paste) into a semi-trash folder. It would be really nice to be able to delete huge video files and images to clear disc space without having to loose documents etc that might turn out to be useful.
Computers are tools and are supposed to make things easier. They should adapt to us, not the other way around. Why should we have to "learn to use OS X"?
The reason we put things in the trash is because we can do so by pressing the delete key instead of having to drag and drop (can't cut and paste) into a semi-trash folder. It would be really nice to be able to delete huge video files and images to clear disc space without having to loose documents etc that might turn out to be useful.
Computers are tools and are supposed to make things easier. They should adapt to us, not the other way around. Why should we have to "learn to use OS X"?
If you really want OS X to do something, write a program to do it yourself. Until someone does, you're stuck.
And if you really want to delete something without putting it in the Trash first, open Terminal, type "rm -rf", drag the file into the Terminal window and hit Enter. Use at your own risk.
Can you explain why you are so against the adding of a "feature" (it's not even a feature), when it doesn't affect you in anyway? Does it hurt your productivity if you are allowed to delete files within Trash? What we were complaining about is that some Apple users aka fanboy (a minority) seems to defend Apple to the point that it is illogical. You may consider the subject request as trivial and low priority, and that's fine. You are open to your opinion. But don't tell us we don't need the feature, because we have explained in detail why we need it. If you don't need it, fine, you don't have to use it. But let us request it. And if it gets implemented in the future, it shouldn't matter to you one bit. Thanks.
Because we don't KNOW we want to retrieve it until LATER! The HD has ample space to store hundreds of thousands of small files. I MAY want that file back many months later. And yes, it has happened to me and others many times before. We have explained this before.
It works fine for YOU (and others admittedly), but evidently it doesn't work fine for a significant amount of other people. The ability is DELETE a file within trash is hardly complicated! That's all I am asking for: Permission to delete a file!
If only everyone were more like MacDawg. He doesn't agree with us, but he doesn't mind the addition of this feature. Logical guy.
Because we don't KNOW we want to retrieve it until LATER! The HD has ample space to store hundreds of thousands of small files. I MAY want that file back many months later. And yes, it has happened to me and others many times before. We have explained this before.
It works fine for YOU (and others admittedly), but evidently it doesn't work fine for a significant amount of other people. The ability is DELETE a file within trash is hardly complicated! That's all I am asking for: Permission to delete a file!
If only everyone were more like MacDawg. He doesn't agree with us, but he doesn't mind the addition of this feature. Logical guy.
I am not against adding a "feature," I am against this attitude that people feel that just because they think something should be added, Apple's programmers should jump on it this second to "fix" it.
No, because that's exactly what the Trash does.
Do you realize that your entire argument is nullified if you just use the Trash the way it is intended to be used? You haven't explained anything, other than you refuse to use the Trash in the way it is supposed to be used.
Likewise if you request it, realize that what you're requesting is superfluous.
Then for God's sake, don't put it in a place where it could be deleted. Honestly, what is so hard to understand about that? Just because I don't use my wireless mouse all the time doesn't mean I store it in the garbage can by my desk.
As for the "feature" ... Hate to sound like a CIS nazi but if something is trashworthy, trash it. If you're not sure, create a folder called "is it trash?"
If you're still hellbent on having the "feature" it wouldn't take long to kludge something up in AppleScript and assign it a hotkey. Voila! Everyone's satisfied.
mt
If you're still hellbent on having the "feature" it wouldn't take long to kludge something up in AppleScript and assign it a hotkey. Voila! Everyone's satisfied.
mt
Just to prove I wasn't lying ...
[08-03-2009: script stunk, see later post ... mt]
Save this script in Script Editor in \Library\Scripts\Finder. Run the Applescript utility to show the Applescript menu. It'll be available there when you need it.
mt