There is no Cut option in Finder app

[iphonefreak450]

When I right click on an item from the File app, there is no Cut option. Only Copy and Paste. I find this really odd and strange.
Is this a bug or what?

 

[galad]

There isn't. There is Copy and Move item if you hold down the option key, cmd-option-v is the key shortcut.

 

[chabig]

When I right click on an item from the File app, there is no Cut option. Only Copy and Paste. I find this really odd and strange.
Is this a bug or what?

Macs have never had cut. What would you expect to happen if you 'cut' a file and never pasted?

 

[bogdanw]

When I right click on an item from the File app, there is no Cut option.

So far, the app is still called Finder on macOS

Finder and system shortcuts
Command-C: Copy the selected item to the Clipboard. This also works for files in the Finder.
Command-D: Duplicate the selected files.
Option-Command-V: Move the files in the Clipboard from their original location to the current location.
Command-Delete: Move the selected item to the Trash.
https://support.apple.com/HT201236

"For some items, such as files or folders, you might have the option to delete or move to the Trash, but not the option to cut. To move items, you might be able to drag and drop instead."
https://support.apple.com/102553

Drag and drop items on Mac
https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/mh35852/mac

 

[ignatius345]

Macs have never had cut. What would you expect to happen if you 'cut' a file and never pasted?

Curious, though, what happens in Windows if you do that? I'd hope that it would just quietly undo the cut if you didn't paste within a certain amount of time, versus just quietly deleting the file if you use the clipboard again. I haven't used Windows in years, but I do remember cut/paste of files being a useful thing.

 

[jchap]

Curious, though, what happens in Windows if you do that? I'd hope that it would just quietly undo the cut if you didn't paste within a certain amount of time, versus just quietly deleting the file if you use the clipboard again. I haven't used Windows in years, but I do remember cut/paste of files being a useful thing.

In Windows Explorer, when you “cut“ a file, the file icon turns semi-transparent and is copied to the clipboard. If you do not execute a paste operation afterwards, or if you cut or copy a different file (or files) instead to the clipboard, the original cut selection is canceled.

It’s probably easier to think of “cut” as a temporary marker for the file system, to tell Windows that you want to paste the file somewhere else.

I think there’s no time limit as to how long the cut selection is retained, as long as you don’t perform another clipboard operation. There is no risk of “quietly deleting” the file if you cut something else to the clipboard again later—the clipboard merely switches to the new file(s) you’re targeting. (“Oh, you want to copy/paste this one instead, I see.”) In other words, cut is not a volatile operation. ☺️

The cut operation is of course still available in Microsoft Office (for Mac, even).

I wonder if cut was ever available in any OS iteration or version on the Mac? I have no memory of it on PowerPC-based Macs, but that was so long ago. After all, Microsoft Office apps (first Word, followed by Excel, then PowerPoint) first came to the Mac in 1984, but arguably gained their worldwide popularity when ported to Windows.

 

[ignatius345]

In Windows Explorer, when you “cut“ a file, the file icon turns semi-transparent and is copied to the clipboard. If you do not execute a paste operation afterwards, or if you cut or copy a different file (or files) instead to the clipboard, the original cut selection is canceled.

It’s probably easier to think of “cut” as a temporary marker for the file system, to tell Windows that you want to paste the file somewhere else.

I think there’s no time limit as to how long the cut selection is retained, as long as you don’t perform another clipboard operation. There is no risk of “quietly deleting” the file if you cut something else to the clipboard again later—the clipboard merely switches to the new file(s) you’re targeting. (“Oh, you want to copy/paste this one instead, I see.”) In other words, cut is not a volatile operation. ☺️

Ah, thanks for the clarification. I'm actually a little jealous Windows has this and we don't.

The cut operation is of course still available in Microsoft Office (for Mac, even).

I wonder if cut was ever available in any OS iteration or version on the Mac? I have no memory of it on PowerPC-based Macs, but that was so long ago. After all, Microsoft Office apps (first Word, followed by Excel, then PowerPoint) first came to the Mac in 1984, but arguably gained their worldwide popularity when ported to Windows.

I've been using Macs since the 1990s. The Cut operation been an option within applications since I the beginning of the Mac, but I don't ever recall it being possible in the Finder. It wasn't until I happened to use Windows for a while at a job that I realized it was an option. I actually wish Apple had appropriated this at some point. (I know you can do effectively the same thing with command-option-V, but that's a lot less intuitive than just being able to cut/paste.)

 

[ipaqrat]

Macs have never had cut. What would you expect to happen if you 'cut' a file and never pasted?

Mac OS uses a journaling file system, same as Windows. File Cut would start with the nondestructive copy of the file's pointer metadata in the file allocation table, followed by updating the metadata in the record, then only after verification, deprecating the old version of the pointer record. The binary contenf of the file does not move; only the file meta-data pointer is altered. CUT, without the subsequent PASTE would do nothing, failing gracefully. but in Apple Parlance, "Move" is also a fine word for the UI.

 

[jchap]

Ah, thanks for the clarification. I'm actually a little jealous Windows has this and we don't.


I've been using Macs since the 1990s. The Cut operation been an option within applications since I the beginning of the Mac, but I don't ever recall it being possible in the Finder. It wasn't until I happened to use Windows for a while at a job that I realized it was an option. I actually wish Apple had appropriated this at some point. (I know you can do effectively the same thing with command-option-V, but that's a lot less intuitive than just being able to cut/paste.)

Wow, an "old-timer" 😄 Actually, I've been using Macs for about the same amount of time, along with Windows PCs. I remember the very first Macs and even the Apple II+, but never owned those.

I should add this: there's a pitfall with the cut operation in Office apps (specifically PowerPoint and Word) on both the Mac and Windows. It's destructive. If you have two shapes or images, cut shape #1 to the clipboard and then cut shape #2, you will lose shape #1. (You probably already know this.) With Excel, however, cutting a cell actually just highlights that cell and marks it for a clipboard operation—the cell content is not erased. Text and images are treated differently from cells when it comes to cutting to the clipboard, ha.

Cut also works destructively in Numbers.

There are a lot of inconsistencies with the cut operation and how it works in different scenarios and apps 🫤

Given this, it's probably best that Apple has stayed away from including cut functionality in Finder. We do have the duplicate command on the Mac, which Windows Explorer still lacks (you always have to do that "copy+paste" thing)...

 

[ipaqrat]

Wow, an "old-timer" 😄 Actually, I've been using Macs for about the same amount of time, along with Windows PCs. I remember the very first Macs and even the Apple II+, but never owned those.

I should add this: there's a pitfall with the cut operation in Office apps (specifically PowerPoint and Word) on both the Mac and Windows. It's destructive. If you have two shapes or images, cut shape #1 to the clipboard and then cut shape #2, you will lose shape #1. (You probably already know this.) With Excel, however, cutting a cell actually just highlights that cell and marks it for a clipboard operation—the cell content is not erased. Text and images are treated differently from cells when it comes to cutting to the clipboard, ha.

Cut also works destructively in Numbers.

There are a lot of inconsistencies with the cut operation and how it works in different scenarios and apps 🫤

Given this, it's probably best that Apple has stayed away from including cut functionality in Finder. We do have the duplicate command on the Mac, which Windows Explorer still lacks (you always have to do that "copy+paste" thing)...

Yeah, I'm old AF 🤤 Programming machine learning in AWS just makes me tired.

True, app clipboards can be dicey. Microsoft Access is a particularly mean snake. In Excel, Win and Mac, selected cells just cut WILL be cleared, but only when Paste is completed without error.

Generally, the application layer clipboard (volitile memory) stores only the one most recent cut/copy item, replacing any prior item. I remember extensions for OS 7, 8 and 9 that intercepted normal clipboard operation, and substituted a database - resulting in multiple clipboards stashed on disk. I recall a similar thing for windows, too.

Recent versions of WINDOWS Office 365 apps have that MULTIPLE item clipboard, up to 24 items, and lets you pick which one you want to paste. MAC versions of Office 365 still have the dumb old single item clipboard. 🤬

For file management, neither Mac nor Windows ever used the clipboard. Copy-Cut-Move-Paste in the Finder and Windows Explorer invoke file system commands (same ones you'd use in cmd/powershell or the unix terminal. I HATE typing. I HATE command line shells. I HATE how Linux operators can TYPE in COMMAND SHELLS while talking, eating, dialing phones... 😡 Not at all jealous.

 

[bogdanw]

Similar thread https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/do-i-need-an-app-for-cut-and-paste.2361817/

 

[unrigestered]

So far, the app is still called Finder on macOS

Finder and system shortcuts
Command-C: Copy the selected item to the Clipboard. This also works for files in the Finder.
Command-D: Duplicate the selected files.
Option-Command-V: Move the files in the Clipboard from their original location to the current location.
Command-Delete: Move the selected item to the Trash.
https://support.apple.com/HT201236

"For some items, such as files or folders, you might have the option to delete or move to the Trash, but not the option to cut. To move items, you might be able to drag and drop instead."
https://support.apple.com/102553

Drag and drop items on Mac
https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/mh35852/mac

this plus...
OPTION+COMMAND+DELETE
... to delete right away without moving into the bin

DISCLAIMER!
this, while faster, is of course not for everybody, as this could be dangerous when you are not completely focused on what you are currently doing
i've personally never accidentally lost anything with this method, but one must be aware that there is no turning back if you are dreaming when you are using this method, other than hoping that some recovery might work, or reverting to some back ups that you hopefully did

 

[iphonefreak450]

Ah….my fault. I should have said Finder 🥵🥵🥵 This is what happens when I tend to use my iPhone more than my MacBook 😂😂😂

Thread title has been edited.

Anyways, I’ll try the Move Item selection instead. Just have to experiment with the command options as well.