sho@gibbs.physics.purdue.edu (Sho Kuwamoto) (05/16/91)
In article <1991May15.213025.4568@midway.uchicago.edu> jcav@quads.uchicago.edu (john cavallino) writes: >Actually, System 7 Finder only minimally supports MFS diskettes. All MFS >folder support has been removed (MFS folders don't show up at all), and it >won't let you drag folders onto an MFS disk (it displays an alert warning you >to drag the items inside individually). Oh well. I think it would have >presented a cleaner user interface if they had continued to support MFS >folders, but perhaps the code was too arcane to be worth updating. Although I've yet to get my hands on a copy of System 7, it seems to me that getting rid of MFS folders would make the interface cleaner. MFS folders have always acted differently than HFS folders. Grandmother: Why can't I name this folder "ferretLand"? Me: Well, there's a file in that folder called "ferretLand." Grandmother: But SurfWriter is in a folder called "SurfWriter." Me: Well, I take it back. The only place you're not allowed to do that is on one-sided floppies. Grandmother: The hell with this. I'm going back to knitting. Fetch me the damned knitting needles. MFS can make StdFile confusing, I'm sure that aliases would have had to work differently for HFS and MFS folders, etc. etc. MFS folders may have been convenient at one point in time, but keeping both types of folders around certainly doesn't make the interface *cleaner*. However, I wish it didn't make you drag items individually when moving a folder to an MFS disk. For better or for worse, the mac has always had a kind of dwim attitude. As an example, when you move a file from one disk to another, it copies the file instead of moving it. When moving a folder to an MFS disk, it could put up a dialog telling you that the files will be taken out of their folders for you and give you the option of cancelling. Now that I think about it, I think I'd be happier if it gave you the option of moving or copying when you drag a file from one disk to another. "You've just dragged the file 'Hitler' from disk 'Hell' to disk 'Purgatory.' Would you like to move it or just make a duplicate copy?" -Sho -- sho@physics.purdue.edu <<-- when I grow up, I want to be a user-interface policeman.
hamilton@kickapoo.cs.iastate.edu (Jon Hamilton) (05/16/91)
sho@gibbs.physics.purdue.edu (Sho Kuwamoto) writes: >In article <1991May15.213025.4568@midway.uchicago.edu> jcav@quads.uchicago.edu (john cavallino) writes: [stuff about MFS deleted] >However, I wish it didn't make you drag items individually when moving >a folder to an MFS disk. For better or for worse, the mac has always >had a kind of dwim attitude. As an example, when you move a file from >one disk to another, it copies the file instead of moving it. When >moving a folder to an MFS disk, it could put up a dialog telling you >that the files will be taken out of their folders for you and give you >the option of cancelling. >Now that I think about it, I think I'd be happier if it gave you the >option of moving or copying when you drag a file from one disk to >another. How often do you want to move stuff from disk to disk? what about people who use the finder and syquest cartridges for backups (not the most elegant solution, but I'd be upset if it stopped working. And no, duplicating all the files on the source drive and then moving the copies doesn't count for quite a few reasons). What if I want to drag something from a server to my machine at a users group meeting? I can't very well duplicate it on a read only server. I don't mean to harp on this, but I've heard the 'it should move instead of copy' argument many times, and I just don't agree. > "You've just dragged the file 'Hitler' from disk 'Hell' to > disk 'Purgatory.' Would you like to move it or just make a > duplicate copy?" I'd hate to see that for the above situation of using the finder to back up a hard drive. Basically, if the file's being put on a different drive (especially in today's network-intense world, it's _not_ a duplicate copy as you suggest - at least not logically. >-Sho >-- >sho@physics.purdue.edu <<-- when I grow up, I want to be a > user-interface policeman. -- Jon Hamilton hamilton@kickapoo.cs.iastate.edu " I feel a lot more like I do now that I did before I got here " - can't remember who
andrew@jhereg.osa.com (Andrew C. Esh) (05/21/91)
In article <5106@dirac.physics.purdue.edu> sho@gibbs.physics.purdue.edu (Sho Kuwamoto) writes: > >Now that I think about it, I think I'd be happier if it gave you the >option of moving or copying when you drag a file from one disk to >another. > > "You've just dragged the file 'Hitler' from disk 'Hell' to > disk 'Purgatory.' Would you like to move it or just make a > duplicate copy?" > >-Sho >-- >sho@physics.purdue.edu <<-- when I grow up, I want to be a > user-interface policeman. But you do have the "Option" to copy instead of move. Hold down the option key as you drag the files to the destination, and they will be copied. The "Files to be Copied" dialog comes up just like it does when the files are going to another disk. Have fun. -- Andrew C. Esh andrew@osa.com Open Systems Architects, Inc. Mpls, MN 55416-1528 Punch down, turn around, do a little crimpin' (612) 525-0000 Punch down, turn around, plug it in and go ...