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Edit iTunes Smart Playlists via Option-click Apps
In iTunes, Option-click a smart playlist to bring up its edit box. (A previous hint mentions that command-I does this also.)

[robg adds: This trick has been around in iTunes probably as long as Smart Playlists have existed. However, I don't think it's documented in iTunes anywhere, nor could I find it on macosxhints...]
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Edit iTunes Smart Playlists via Option-click | 9 comments | Create New Account
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Edit iTunes Smart Playlists via Option-click
Authored by: simonvx on Aug 01, '06 08:29:05AM

Weird enough, this doesn't work in iPhoto for editing Smart Albums! Tsk tsk tsk. Only Command+i. Time for Apple for a major cleanup --consistency-wise-- in all their apps and GUI styles.

For example, I've been showing my dad how to use his new Mac. How can I explain this (a common switcher question): In iTunes, if you click the red button, it closes the main window, NOT the app. Like in TextEdit, Mail and most apps (not necessarily Apple-made) too. But this does not apply to Sys Prefs, Disk Utility, etc. There must be a logic somewhere, but how is the user supposed to easily know "Ah! I'm in an application where I can click the red button without quitting it". It's so not-Apple.

I hope the next big cat will bring major enhancements in this domain ;-) Next Monday, we'll see... maybe.

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Mr Vx



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Edit iTunes Smart Playlists via Option-click
Authored by: DanFrakes on Aug 01, '06 09:15:34AM

Not that I don't agree with the sentiment ;-) but Apple's general logic seems to be: In multi-window apps, the red dot simply closes the current window; in single-window apps, it quits the application. You can open multiple windows in iTunes, but not in iPhoto.

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Dan Frakes / Senior Editor, Macworld / Senior Reviews Editor, Playlist



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Edit iTunes Smart Playlists via Option-click
Authored by: morespace54 on Aug 01, '06 11:03:13AM

yes, that make sense but still...

For a newbie or a switcher, they will never figure out that kind of comportment...

I know a lot of PC people that use my Mac and end up never closing the applications...



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Edit iTunes Smart Playlists via Option-click
Authored by: macgruder on Aug 01, '06 06:13:55PM

Teach people to use the key commands and how to Quit.

Command-Q means Quit.
Command-W means Close the Window.

The 'Red Dot' means close the window not Quit. The Mac helps you out by closing the app only in the situation where the app can never have more than one window anyway (iTunes for example).

So basically it's easy. If you want to Quit an application simple choose Quit/command-Q in any situation. So for a newbie to the Mac teach them the command for Quitting.

It's Windows that's inconsistent here. How can I close the last Window without Quitting the app? Something I regularly do in Photoshop.

So I think:
I want to Quit the app: Command - Q
I want to close the window: Command -W (or red dot)



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Edit iTunes Smart Playlists via Option-click
Authored by: jomy on Sep 15, '06 09:22:35AM

You can Listen to iTunes without any windows open, so it makes sense that the app stay open.
Mail is another example, close the window and the app continues to run and receive emails.

System Preferences is pretty much useless unless you have the window open, so it makes sense that the app shuts down when you close the window.



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Edit iTunes Smart Playlists via Option-click
Authored by: simonvx on Aug 01, '06 12:26:49PM

Hm, I see. Thanks Mr. Frakes. Never thought of that... it makes sense on paper, but with people so used to close windows with the old square of Classic Mac OS and the Windows "X", the red ball just screams: click on me and it will quit! Me, I just use Command+W and Command+Q all the time, I rarely "travel" with my mouse up to the red-green-yellow glassballs. But my dad's question hit a point, I thought.

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Mr Vx



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Edit iTunes Smart Playlists via Option-click
Authored by: simonvx on Aug 01, '06 07:37:07PM

I agree. Maybe I wasn't clear, but that's about my point. Still, there's no easy way to know you're in a "one-window-app". Even these apps could remain open when the main window is closed. Why not? I'm sure I've seen some. You'd just have to go in the "Window" menu and bring back the main (or we could say, the only) window.

Oh, by the way, in iTunes, if I close the window, the app remains open. If we follow the logic, it's ok: in iTunes, you can have more than one window open. Try double-clicking a playlist icon: it opens in a new window.

So to clear up what I wanted to say with my dad's situation: he tends to close windows with the red button, which is ok. When it's the last or the only window open, he expects the app to quit, like in Windows. So he ended up with all these apps opened (befor he knew about that triangle under running apps in the dock). I told him it didn't work like that in Macs, that you use Quit etc., but it's still weird that if you "red-button-click" the window in iTunes, it doesn't close the app, but in iPhoto (a one-window-app), it does. It may be consistent according to Apple's GUI guidelines and logic, but it certainly feels inconsistent.
VoilĂ !

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Mr Vx



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Edit iTunes Smart Playlists via Option-click
Authored by: simonvx on Aug 01, '06 07:39:09PM

Looks like I really don't know how to post a nested comment! Sorry folks. Did something changed in here since the site's redesign?

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Mr Vx



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Edit iTunes Smart Playlists via Option-click
Authored by: Unsoluble on Aug 03, '06 03:27:26PM

All you need to do is click on the "Reply to this" link that is directly under the post to which you want to reply :)



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