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how to force finder to list files XP style? (folders at top, files below)

G

glitch44

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Feb 28, 2006
1,127
167
i was wondering if there's a way to force finder to list files the way you can in XP:

folders at the top, but alphabetical by name
below the folders are files, but alphabetical by name.

when i list the contents of a folder alphabetically, it lists them alphabetically but mixes folders and files together.
 
There is no way I am aware of. I know this came up a while back in a thread and there were actually serious suggestions of renaming your folders .<foldername> or some other special character so they would come up first. Talk about circumventing...

Though I would love to hear if anyone has a real suggestion as I really wish I could do this.
 
i've wanted to do the same thing, but i can get close.

in list view click the "kind" field. it will put all folders together -- not exactly what i want to do either, but it kinda sorta somewhat a little bit works.
 
No, other than switching to Windows. I'm sure it's a matter of personal preferences, but I don't see the benefit. You don't always know if what you are after is a file or folder, so why not just browse them as a collective in some convenient and well understood order?
 
daveL said:
No, other than switching to Windows. I'm sure it's a matter of personal preferences, but I don't see the benefit. You don't always know if what you are after is a file or folder, so why not just browse them as a collective in some convenient and well understood order?
Click to expand...

Why not give the user the option to set the finder how he/she likes it? Mac use to be ahead in this area. Now Windows is ahead.
 
MacVault said:
Why not give the user the option to set the finder how he/she likes it? Mac use to be ahead in this area. Now Windows is ahead.
Click to expand...
Giving users whatever they like and providing a simple, predictable interface are often at odds. Apple has chosen the later. Sorting by folders and non-folders, and then alphabetically within each, is a sort with two criteria. Windows does it this way, but claims it to be only one-item: name. Not truly logical and possibly confusing to the casual user. I don't think Finder should ever use this approach but I wouldn't mind if Finder had a multi-criteria sort, just make it obvious.
 
DaveP said:
There is no way I am aware of. I know this came up a while back in a thread and there were actually serious suggestions of renaming your folders .<foldername> or some other special character so they would come up first. Talk about circumventing...

Though I would love to hear if anyone has a real suggestion as I really wish I could do this.
Click to expand...

You could put a space at the begging of the folder name...
 
Put the window you want to sort by folders and files into list view, then select and/or toggle the kind column. (If the kind column is missing, select view from the finder menu and choose show view options. Check kind in the show view options dialog.)

All of your folders in the window will be grouped together alphabetically, along with groups of other types of files in the window grouped together by file type and alphabetically ordered.
 
Why exactly? And how is it basic? Sorting by kind separates folders from files, otherwise it sorts by the name of objects on the tier. That's called "logical".
 
i think the general thinking of whoever at apple designed finder was that rather than going through and looking for the file manually, use spotlight to search for whatever it is you want.. That way you don't care if the file is burried deep down in subfolders, you get straight to the file you want.

Also, I could be wrong here, but I think if you use QuickSilver to browse files and folders, eg. Type "Documents" in QS and then hit tab you should be able to see all the folders and files in "Documents" and this lists it as folders first and then files..

In general the apple way of doing things seems to be that rather than give the user too much control over how to view things, establish a method that is simple yet with a certain amount of view controls that can be used throughout the entire system.
 
georgeoommen said:
i think the general thinking of whoever at apple designed finder was that rather than going through and looking for the file manually, use spotlight to search for whatever it is you want.. That way you don't care if the file is burried deep down in subfolders, you get straight to the file you want.
Click to expand...

The problem with that logic is that the Finder has been around for eons longer than Spotlight or any other system-wide search function. And, it's always sorted the same way.

VanNess said:
Put the window you want to sort by folders and files into list view, then select and/or toggle the kind column. (If the kind column is missing, select view from the finder menu and choose show view options. Check kind in the show view options dialog.)

All of your folders in the window will be grouped together alphabetically, along with groups of other types of files in the window grouped together by file type and alphabetically ordered.
Click to expand...

That's the winner right there!

jW
 
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