Different Sort Options for Each Folder?

[ArtOfWarfare]

Alright... some of my folder contents I want sorted by name... other I want sorted by date.

In general, I want applications and folders sorted by name.

But documents sorted by date.

For example... I have a homework folder. Inside the homeowork folder I have

"1.) English"
"2.) History"
ect.

I want those to be sorted by name.

But then in my history folder (and all my homework folders really,) I'd like to be sorted by creation date (so the newest stuff is on one end, oldest stuff on the other.) As it is... I see no way to set different sort options for each folder.

Is there a way?

I suppose I could assign each document a number like I did with the folders (numbered by class period,) but that seems more complicated than should be necessary. Plus I've already got several dozen documents in each of my 7 class folders... I'd rather not have to go through them all and number them at this point...

 

[xUKHCx]

Just go the the folders you want to sort and press cmd+j and select the option you want. This option is folder specific and will apply to the folder you are currently in.

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

Just go the the folders you want to sort and press cmd+j and select the option you want. This option is folder specific and will apply to the folder you are currently in.

This doesn't appear to be working.

When I set it to sort by date all my folders sort by date...

...

Never mind... it works when I'm in icon view... but not column view.

And as soon as I change back to column view it all goes back to sorting by name.

 

[richard.mac]

you can sort column view by date modified, kind, name etc. i like list view as it displays the info to the right of the file.

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

you can sort column view by date modified, kind, name etc. i like list view as it displays the info to the right of the file.

Yeah, I know I can change all those things.

But I want to just have each folder have a different sort setting.

I guess it's just not possible to have multiple ways of sorting though...

I can get all sorting by names, or all sorting by dates... but I can't have some sort by name and others sort by date...

 

[Jigga Beef]

Does anyone know how to do this?

Example

I want my Applications folder to be sorted by name

but my downloads folder to be sorted by date.

 

[GGJstudios]

1. Open a Finder window and browse to your Applications folder
2. Sort the folder by name.
3. Close the Finder window.
4. Open a new Finder window and browse to your Downloads folder
5. Sort the folder by date.
6. Close the Finder window.
7. Open a new Finder window and browse to your Applications folder
8. You'll see it's sorted by name.
9. In the same window, browse to your Downloads folder.
10. You'll see it's still sorted by date.

Finder remembers your sorting choice per folder.

NOTE: This does not work for Column View. Column View will only retain sorting by Name. This cannot be changed.

 

[Gregg2]

It also remembers how you last viewed the folder. Except...

So, if you have a window in Icon View, and you change it to List View, then close it, the next time you open it, you'll see it in List View.... unless you have checked Always open in Icon View, or some other choice.

 

[spotsphill]

None of these options are working for me and I've followed them closely. I too want my Downloads folder to sort by "most recent first," with my Applications folder sorting A-Z. I've tried checking and unchecking the "Always Open in Column View" and neither work. This seems so simple, so I know I must be missing something.

Thanks for the help!

- Phill

 

[GGJstudios]

I too want my Downloads folder to sort by "most recent first,"

You're probably referring to the folders on your Dock, not in Finder. Right-click on your Downloads folder in the Dock and select Sort By: Date Added:

​

with my Applications folder sorting A-Z.

Now do the same with the Applications folder, sorting by Name.

 

[Mal]

You're probably referring to the folders on your Dock, not in Finder. Right-click on your Downloads folder in the Dock and select Sort By: Date Added:

View attachment 282892​

Now do the same with the Applications folder, sorting by Name.

Sorry, GGJ, but you're actually missing one important piece of the puzzle that's been mentioned several times: they're working in Column View.

There is no way to have different sort order per column (which is what's being asked here) in Column View. Period. Find another way to accomplish what you're looking for.

jW

 

[GGJstudios]

Sorry, GGJ, but you're actually missing one important piece of the puzzle that's been mentioned several times: they're working in Column View.

You're right.... I missed the "Column View" part. Not enough coffee! Thanks!

I edited post #7, so hopefully, others will notice that before asking again.

 

[spotsphill]

I was referring to the Finder (in Column View). How annoying that there is no way to do this. I guess there are no 3rd party apps/hacks that could get me to what I want? (I'm brand new to Macs - I've been a PC user all my life. Before people tell me to get used to the OSX ways, I'd like to say that I LOVE OSX. I don't think this is a Windows/OSX issue, but more of a common sense issue. You should be able to sort different folders in different ways).

Thanks for the help though!

 

[GGJstudios]

I was referring to the Finder (in Column View). How annoying that there is no way to do this. I guess there are no 3rd party apps/hacks that could get me to what I want? (I'm brand new to Macs - I've been a PC user all my life. Before people tell me to get used to the OSX ways, I'd like to say that I LOVE OSX. I don't think this is a Windows/OSX issue, but more of a common sense issue. You should be able to sort different folders in different ways).

Thanks for the help though!

Why not use a view other than Column View? I prefer List View, since it gives more detail.