Replace files without deleting the original first?

[pooprscooper]

I'm looking for a way to be able to copy a directory or multiple files from from location to another that have similar names and be able to "merge" them together without having the directory being copied to deleted and then copied.

In OSX using Finder and Path Finder when you have 2 directories with the same name and you have 10 files in one directory and say 8 files in the other directory you want to merge to, but the directory you want to merge to has files NOT in the directory you're copying FROM, OSX wants to first delete the targeted directory and then copy over the 10 files.
The problem with this is, you lose the files that were in the targeted directory and not in the directory you're copying from.

Both VMware and Windows do not do this. Instead, they ask if you want to replace but ONLY replace the similar files without touching any of the other files.

Try doing this in OSX: having one directory with 10 files and another directory similarly names with 5 files similar to the other directory. Now try copying the directory with the 5 files over and it will delete the directory with the 10 files and leave you with a directory only having 5 files.
Now try to do this with windows running in VMware and it does not delete the extra 5 files.

Is there any way to change the way OSX behaves with the replace option?

 

[mysterytramp]

There is a piece of software called FolderMerge that might do the trick.

You might also be able to do what you want via AppleScript. Having AS access folders on a Mac volume is a piece of cake, but I have no experience trying to access a Mac file onto a PC virtual hard drive.

mt

 

[pooprscooper]

It appears this has been discussed before: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/274241/
I use path finder myself and it doesn't have the option either.

One solution seems to be copying it to windows inside VMware and then try to merge it back with OSX since the replace option through VMware does merge the files.

Another option is of course to use terminal and the mv -v command which defeats the purpose of using OSX in the first place.

A stranger workaround is to setup ftp sharing in OSX and use an ftp program to replace the directory, since even something as basic as ftp programs can do is relatively easy.

This isn't really an acceptable solution though. Since OSX is built on top of Unix, it would seem logical that the feature could be added by a command through terminal to change the behaviour of OSX.

 

[mysterytramp]

Another option is of course to use terminal and the mv -v command which defeats the purpose of using OSX in the first place.

[...]

This isn't really an acceptable solution though. Since OSX is built on top of Unix, it would seem logical that the feature could be added by a command through terminal to change the behaviour of OSX.

Getting back to AppleScript, use that to build a script calling mv -v. You're shielded from Unix and you get an OS X front end until Apple adds this feature to the OS.

mt