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10.4: Show full file paths in Save As... dialogs
Authored by: tirerim on Sep 21, '06 12:57:13AM

Hmm. I don't see any dropdown menu at all when I try this -- the folder dropdown disappears when I do a search, in both list and column view.

I have to say, though, the behavior by which clicking on an item in the Save As dialog changes the filename of the item you're trying to save completely baffles me. I frequently want to save something in the same place as something else; it is much rarer that I want to replace an existing file. And the old behavior was that clicking in a folder would select that folder, even if you were clicking on an item in the folder, which was much more useful.



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10.4: Show full file paths in Save As... dialogs
Authored by: sezme on Sep 21, '06 06:16:50AM

Tirerim, Here's how the tip works:

1. Choose Save As...
2. In column view (you need to be in column view), type something in the Spotlight box.
3. Click one of the search results that appear.
4. Switch to List view
5. On the line above the results (over the "Name" column heading) there will be a pop-up menu. Click it to see the path to the selected folder.

As to your complaint that you don't like the behaviour of the the save as... boxes where clicking the name of an existing document renames the document you wish to save, I find that feature extremely useful. For example, many times, I wish to save "Untitled Document" as "yellow_nav_bar1.gif" and then after a small change, yellow_nav_bar2.gif. The current behaviour saves me a lot of typing. Besides, if you don't want to rename your save as... document, only click folders in the save as... box and you won't have a problem.



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10.4: Show full file paths in Save As... dialogs
Authored by: tirerim on Sep 21, '06 08:44:04AM

I understand the instructions -- what I'm trying to say is that the dropdown menu you mention does not exist for me. It exists before I search for anything, but when I type something in the search box, the box expands to the left, and the dropdown disappears. It doesn't reappear when I switch to list view, either. It only reappears if I delete the search, and then I'm right back where I started. I'm not sure what I might have configured to make this different on my system, but it's otherwise up to date.

I'm mostly just grumpy about the clicking behavior because the muscle memory of many Mac-using years tells me that I should be able to click anywhere within a folder to select it. Change is bad. We fear change. :-P



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10.4: Show full file paths in Save As... dialogs
Authored by: DavidRavenMoon on Sep 21, '06 07:35:41AM

How long have you been using Macs? Clicking on a file name in the file dialog to rename your current file has been around for a long time... except you used to have to hold down the option key.

Apple removed this feature in OS X, and many people, including myself, missed it.

It's great to have it back, but they need to add the modifier key.

However, in general I dislike many things about the current state of the File Dialog box. For example, when you navigate to a folder, the Save button should change to an Open button... but it doesn't. So the only way to open that folder is either click on it with a mouse, or do Command-down arrow... PITA!

---
G4/Digital Audio/1GHz, 1 GB, Mac OS X 10.4.7 • www.david-schwab.com



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10.4: Show full file paths in Save As... dialogs
Authored by: tirerim on Sep 21, '06 08:56:21AM

Let me see... since about 1986. :-) And I never knew that it existed at all pre-OSX until now. Clearly there should have been macos7hints.com back in the day (I'm just guessing that it appeared around then -- I rather doubt it was around in System 3, say, not that there was a web at the time, either).

I agree, it would be a great feature with a modifier key. But without it, it's extremely annoying.



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