If you are using a Mac, you must be using the Finder daily. The tips given below will help you do faster work with Finder, in order for you to timely find files.
Viewing Files
Finder in Mac OS X Tiger offers 3 ways to view files: as a list, as icons, and as columns. In order to flip between your files, choose View > As List, View > As Icons, or View > As Columns. By pressing Command-1, 2, or 3, you can easily and quickly flip.
- The List view (Command-2) is best for seeing lots of files and items in one glance, and for organization of items in a specific order. You can click arrow to left side of a folder in order to view the inside contents of this folder within the same window. You can also sort all folders and files by a specific column, by clicking the heading of that column on the top of window. To reverse the order, you can click it again. Columns can also be reordered by dragging the heading of column heading right and left, and can be resized if you click between two headings and drag. In order to add and delete columns, select View > Show View Options, and snap the options from “Show columns”.
- Icons view (Command-1) is simplest to understand. This order shows the files in a folder, with each sub-folder or file shown as single, large icon. In order to open a folder or file, double-click on it.
- Columns view (Command-3) allows you to rapidly navigate up and down your tree of folders. You can click an icon in sidebar, for instance “Macintosh HD” to see contents of this item to the right in the first column. In that column, click a folder to display the contents inside in next column, and so on. It is a very quick way to navigate through your folder items. To change the size of a column, the handle can be dragged in the column divider right or left at the bottom.
- Lastly, if you are fortunate enough to utilize Leopard, you can also change to Cover Flow view that will be a Command-4. This view will allow you to browse files, like you browse your albums in iTunes.
Finder Preview Images
The Icons view displays images as general icons, but you may switch it to display thumbnail image previews. You can do this by choosing View > Show View Options > “Show icon preview”. By using “Icon size” slider, you can make the thumbnails smaller or bigger.
In order to preview a picture in Finder, change the view to Columns view and click on a picture. A preview will appear to the right side in column.
Quick Keyboard Shortcuts
Via the keyboard shortcuts, working quickly with files is possible. Below are some available shortcuts:
Navigating through items in a folder: Arrow keys
Selecting more than one items: Shift + Arrow keys
Finding an item in a folder: Just type a couple of letters of file’s name
Returning to last viewed folder: Command+[
Moving up a folder: Command + Up arrow
Going forward to a folder more recently viewed: Command+]
Renaming a chosen item: Enter
Opening a chosen item: Command + O
Moving a chosen item to Trash: Command + Delete
Creating an item’s copy: Command + D
New folder: Command + Shift + N
Opening a new window of Finder: Command + N
With the techniques given above – keyboard shortcuts, image previewing, and switching views – you can use Mac more conveniently.
