ejb@think (Erik Bailey) (06/25/91)
Hi. System 7 has made the task of renaming files inordinately difficult.
Last night I went though about 30 files I had downloaded, changing their
names from all lower case to a much nicer mixed case. It was NOT fun.
While I do not recall the exact series of steps involved, it was a major
ordeal. I *really* liked the nice, quick way that 6.0.7 did it. I find
that all too often under System 7 I just click on the icon and start typing
-- suddenly an entirely new icon is highlighted!!!
Now the procedure is (something like): highlight the icon, WAIT for it to
turn from black to the highlight color (yellow in my case), click where I
want the insertion point, [*], wait some more, and type.
[*] last night I noticed a very annoying (repeatable) occurrence -- the
icon name, after being yellow, would REVERT TO BLACK, forcing yet another
click to turn it yellow again! This is *three* clicks just to rename a
file!!! And mind you, I have to make sure to space these clicks properly,
otherwise I might launch the file!
There has got to be a better way of doing this. I'd really rather not use
a Finder replacement, DA, or whatever. I'd just like a nice, simple way to
change icon names on the desktop without pulling my hair out.
Cheers... --Erik
--
Erik Bailey | 7 Oak Knoll | Thinking Machines Corp.
ejb@think.com | Arlington, MA 02174 | 245 First St.
harvard!think!ejb | (617) 643-0732 | Cambridge, MA 02142
/earth is 98% full. Please remove any excess inhabitants.jonke@kong.gsfc.nasa.gov (Steve Jonke - 522) (06/25/91)
In article <1991Jun25.144106.5116@Think.COM> ejb@think (Erik Bailey) writes: > ... deletions... >While I do not recall the exact series of steps involved, it was a major >ordeal. I *really* liked the nice, quick way that 6.0.7 did it. I find >that all too often under System 7 I just click on the icon and start typing >-- suddenly an entirely new icon is highlighted!!! > >Now the procedure is (something like): highlight the icon, WAIT for it to >turn from black to the highlight color (yellow in my case), click where I >want the insertion point, [*], wait some more, and type. > ...deletions... >There has got to be a better way of doing this. I'd really rather not use >a Finder replacement, DA, or whatever. I'd just like a nice, simple way to >change icon names on the desktop without pulling my hair out. > >Cheers... --Erik > You can still do it just like the old system, however, you must click on the NAME of the icon and not simply on the icon when you select it. If you click on the name you may type immediately and the name will be changed. This is both good and bad. It is bad in that it is different from system 6.xx and before. It is good because it means fewer accidental name changes and it is sort of makes sense if you think about it -- to change the name you select the name by clicking it. At any rate, once you get used to it, it isn't any harder to do then in the old system. Incidentally, you will note that the above is true with list views (eg. by name, label, etc.) as well. Steve
guelzow@ccu.umanitoba.ca (Andreas J. Guelzow) (06/25/91)
In article <1991Jun25.144106.5116@Think.COM> ejb@think (Erik Bailey) writes: > >Hi. System 7 has made the task of renaming files inordinately difficult. >Last night I went though about 30 files I had downloaded, changing their >names from all lower case to a much nicer mixed case. It was NOT fun. > >While I do not recall the exact series of steps involved, it was a major >ordeal. I *really* liked the nice, quick way that 6.0.7 did it. I find >that all too often under System 7 I just click on the icon and start typing >-- suddenly an entirely new icon is highlighted!!! > >Now the procedure is (something like): highlight the icon, WAIT for it to >turn from black to the highlight color (yellow in my case), click where I >want the insertion point, [*], wait some more, and type. > >[*] last night I noticed a very annoying (repeatable) occurrence -- the >icon name, after being yellow, would REVERT TO BLACK, forcing yet another >click to turn it yellow again! This is *three* clicks just to rename a >file!!! And mind you, I have to make sure to space these clicks properly, >otherwise I might launch the file! > >There has got to be a better way of doing this. I'd really rather not use >a Finder replacement, DA, or whatever. I'd just like a nice, simple way to >change icon names on the desktop without pulling my hair out. Well, on my black and white Macintosh Plus screen, changing the file names is still only one click away (running system 7): Click once on the file name, take a deep breath (for about a half a second) and type the new name. -- Andreas J. Guelzow <guelzow@ccu.umanitoba.ca> Department of Mathematics & Astronomy University of Manitoba
philip@pescadero.Stanford.EDU (Philip Machanick) (06/26/91)
In article <1991Jun25.160129.6409@kong.gsfc.nasa.gov>, jonke@kong.gsfc.nasa.gov (Steve Jonke - 522) writes: |> This is both good and bad. It is bad in that it is different from |> system 6.xx and before. It is good because it means fewer accidental |> name changes and it is sort of makes sense if you think about it -- to |> change the name you select the name by clicking it. At any rate, once |> you get used to it, it isn't any harder to do then in the old system. Now I'm confused. In very early versions of the system, clicking on the icon immediately made the text available for editing. I don't have 6.0.x running any more, but I'm sure this was changed many versions ago because it was too easy to accidentally change a name. If you started typing after selecting an icon, nothing happened, so you would say damn and try again, only this time you would hit the text and it would work. The new feature I do have doubts about is clicking on an icon then hitting Enter makes the name editable. This is confusing, because the Finder keyboard shortcuts otherwise operate like standard file open, where hitting Enter is equivalent to Open. In my first week of using 7, I often renamed files (or disks) as a result of this. -- Philip Machanick philip@pescadero.stanford.edu
peirce@outpost.UUCP (Michael Peirce) (06/26/91)
In article <1991Jun25.144106.5116@Think.COM>, ejb@think (Erik Bailey) writes: > > Hi. System 7 has made the task of renaming files inordinately difficult. > Last night I went though about 30 files I had downloaded, changing their > names from all lower case to a much nicer mixed case. It was NOT fun. > > While I do not recall the exact series of steps involved, it was a major > ordeal. I *really* liked the nice, quick way that 6.0.7 did it. I find > that all too often under System 7 I just click on the icon and start typing > -- suddenly an entirely new icon is highlighted!!! > > Now the procedure is (something like): highlight the icon, WAIT for it to > turn from black to the highlight color (yellow in my case), click where I > want the insertion point, [*], wait some more, and type. > > [*] last night I noticed a very annoying (repeatable) occurrence -- the > icon name, after being yellow, would REVERT TO BLACK, forcing yet another > click to turn it yellow again! This is *three* clicks just to rename a > file!!! And mind you, I have to make sure to space these clicks properly, > otherwise I might launch the file! > > There has got to be a better way of doing this. I'd really rather not use > a Finder replacement, DA, or whatever. I'd just like a nice, simple way to > change icon names on the desktop without pulling my hair out. The new Finder scheme was driving me a little nuts too until I figured out that pressing the ENTER key *quicky* switches you over to text editing. Now I select an icon, hit ENTER, then type. Very predictable, though not intuitively obvious to the casual observer. -- Michael Peirce -- outpost!peirce@claris.com -- Peirce Software -- Suite 301, 719 Hibiscus Place -- Macintosh Programming -- San Jose, California 95117 -- & Consulting -- (408) 244-6554, AppleLink: PEIRCE
Juha.Hyvonen@hut.fi (Juha Hyv|nen) (06/26/91)
In article <1991Jun25.144106.5116@Think.COM> ejb@think (Erik Bailey) writes: +------------------------ ! Now the procedure is (something like): highlight the icon, WAIT for it to ! turn from black to the highlight color (yellow in my case), click where I ! want the insertion point, [*], wait some more, and type. !........................ 0. View by Size, Kind, Label, or Date (_not_ by Name!!!) 1. Press up-arrow (repeat until the first file in the list is selected) 2. Press RETURN. The text is now editable. 3. Rename the file (use the arrow keys, if necessary!) 4. Press TAB. Finder selects the next file in the list. 5. Goto step 2 (if necessary). / (.__o /_/ __/ .. ! / ! Juha.Hyvonen@hut.fi (juh@sauna.cs.hut.fi) !/ ) ! ------
murat@farcomp.UUCP (Murat Konar) (06/27/91)
In article <1991Jun25.144106.5116@Think.COM> ejb@think (Erik Bailey) writes: >There has got to be a better way of doing this. I'd really rather not use >a Finder replacement, DA, or whatever. I'd just like a nice, simple way to >change icon names on the desktop without pulling my hair out. 1) Click on the title you wish to change 2) Move the mouse away from the title (the title will hilite for editing) 3) Type in the new title! -- ____________________________________________________________________ Have a day. :^| Murat N. Konar murat@farcomp.UUCP -or- farcomp!murat@apple.com
brett@jericho.uucp (Brett Cheng) (06/29/91)
In article <387@farcomp.UUCP> murat@farcomp.UUCP (Murat Konar) writes: >In article <1991Jun25.144106.5116@Think.COM> ejb@think (Erik Bailey) writes: >>There has got to be a better way of doing this. I'd really rather not use >>a Finder replacement, DA, or whatever. I'd just like a nice, simple way to >>change icon names on the desktop without pulling my hair out. > >1) Click on the title you wish to change >2) Move the mouse away from the title (the title will hilite for editing) >3) Type in the new title! I haven't seen anybody yet mention these easy methods (apologies if otherwise): A) - click ANYWHERE on the icon to select it you don't have to trouble yourself with clicking exactly on the name field and waiting for the hilite! - hit RETURN or ENTER - the name gets hilited - type the new name, then RETURN or better yet... B) make use of the handy new keyboard shortcuts - type the first letter of the file to change - icon will be selected - if necessary, hit TAB to go to the next alphabetic filename or SHIFT-TAB to go back - hit RETURN or ENTER - type the new name these work in icon or view by name/date, etc with the new keyboard shortcuts you can navigate around folders and launch things too... e.g. cmd-downArrow to down into folders or launch, -- Brett Cheng uunet!jericho!brett