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Yet another Mac OS X 10.2.x Finder oddity: "Select All" function inconsistent; solution
The latest in our recent round of investigation into interface and file manipulation oddities in Mac OS X 10.2.x's Finder deals with "Select All" function, accessible via the keyboard shortcut "Command-A."
If you are in Column View and have selected a file, the "Select All" command will select all of that file's "siblings" (files that are in the same directory). However, if you have selected a folder, the "Select All" command selects all that file's "children" (files contained in that folder), instead of its "siblings" (other folders in the same directory).
There are some viable alternatives to Mac OS X 10.2.x's Finder if you do not like the way it handles file selection and manipulation.
CocoaTech's Path Finder, though somewhat sluggish on older systems and carrying a hefty price tag, does not display the same odd selection behavior. If you have a folder selected in Column view, and invoke the "Select All" command, Path Finder will select all of the folder's "siblings" and not its within-contained "children.
Feedback? Late-breakers@macfixit.com.Resources
"select" a folder because you are always looking at a hierarchy. You are
never looking at a "selected" folder, you are looking at the contents of
that folder. The highlighted folder is just a part of the path. It's not really
"selected."
the current folder by looking at the window title; it follows the logic
described in the article. If you select a folder in column view, that folder
becomes the current folder. If you select a file in column view, the
current folder is still the folder that contains the file. Seems like the
most logical behavior to me.
If you want to select all in the folder that contains the currently selected
folder, just hit the left arrow to move up one directory, then hit select
all.
don't always activate when using the return or enter
keys, even though they are pulsating and thus being
designated the selected choice for activation.
In any event, many (but not all) of these so called oddities are really just differences between how the Finder operates under OSX 10.2.x compared with OS9 or even 10.1. I expect the same will be true of 10.3 as the OS evolves to make best use of the new navigation paradigms it offers.
- by LukasM July 23, 2003 1:35 AM PDT
- > "CocoaTech's Path Finder, though somewhat sluggish on older
- Like this Reply to this comment
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(5 Comments)systems and carrying a hefty price tag"
I don't think that Path Finder is too expensive. Besides of the file browser
you'll also get a *built-in* text editor, a floating preview window, a
global application menu, a hex editor (!) and many other goodies that
you would need to install as separate applications otherwise and -- in
many cases -- pay a shareware fee as well (e.g. if you might need labels
in Finder you'll have to install Labels X -- $10 -- while labels are already
included in Path Finder.)
While Path Finder can't completely replace the Finder (yet), in most cases
it is the *better* finder. After some time of use you will find out when it's
necessary to switch to the original Finder (which is easy: highlight the
item and click the Finder symbol in the Path Finder toolbar).