OS X Finder tutorial and customizations (Part 4)
Written by: hexley on Sunday January 20th 2008, 5:20 am
Filed under: Finder, OS X 10.5
In the Finder you can find the “Edit” menu. This menu is carried throughout most applications. You will find it does near the same thing in all applications. Even the most beginner computer user is generally familiar with this menu.
The edit menu provides access to the most widely used commands on any computer. Namely, the copy and paste features.
Undo
Starting at the top, is “Undo”. This will reverse the last operation you performed. If you just moved a folder from one location to another, selecting Undo will put it back. If you just renamed a folder, selecting undo will restore the name to what it was previously.
Near everything you do, can be undone. The Undo feature will take your action, and roll it back by one step.
Cut
The “Cut” feature is used less often, but will prove equally valuable. Cut will remove any selection you have made. If you select a word, then select Cut, it will remove that word. What many people do not realize, is that at the same time the word is removed, it is copied as well.
Cut performs a remove and a copy at the same time. Many people will take a multi-step process and copy, delete, and then paste. This is a large waste of time. Simply selecting cut, and then paste will perform the exact same thing, and save you a full step.
Copy
The “Copy” menu item does what you would expect, it copies. You can copy words, sentences, images, paragraphs, nearly anything you want. A new addition to OS X is the ability to copy files and folders. This means you can copy an item in the Finder, such as a folder of images, and paste them elsewhere.
Copying and pasting files and folders were brought to OS X with a bit of controversy, as this behavior was not part of pre OS X operating systems. It can be useful, but it’s also not the only way to manipulate files and folders.
Paste
The “Paste” menu item takes whatever was last copied and pastes it. Copy operations are stored in what is called the “Clipboard”. Whatever is contained in the clipboard will be inserted when you activate the paste menu item.
Select All
“Select All” is also an often-used command. Nearly any application you are in, including the Finder will support it. If you are in a word processor, it will select everything on the page. If you are in the Finder, it will select all the items in the Finder.
For Finder based select all operations, it will select all items in your current view. For example, if you are selected on your Desktop, it will select all the items you see on your Desktop. If you are in a particular folder, it will simply select all the items in that particular folder.
Show Clipboard
The “Show Clipboard” command will bring up a small window that shows you the last item you copied, or cut. The Clipboard is a quickly changing area, in that every time you copy something, the old contents of the clipboard are deleted, and a new item is put in it’s place.
If you copy something of importance, and then copy something else, the item of importance will be replaced. You will no longer have access to that important item. Showing the clipboard is a great visual way to remember what it was you last copied, to be sure it is safe to copy something new.
It is also a good idea to be careful what you copy. If you copy sensitive data, it will remain until you shut down, restart, log out, or copy/cut something else. Anyone can come along and view your clipboard. While not the largest security risk, it is good to be aware of how the clipboard stores data.
Special Characters
“Special Characters” brings up a small palette called the Character Palette. It floats above all other applications and windows. Here you will find all those special characters you may need in letter writing. From accented characters to obscure math symbols, they are all in this palette.
Simply locate the one you want, click the “Insert” button, and that character will be injected into your current working document.
Finally! This site is exactly what I’ve been looking for! Extremely helpful. Can’t wait to see what’s coming up next!
Comment by Liz 01.20.08 @ 11:59 pmUh, wish I’d known about the Special Characters palette a long time ago. Could have helped me with Trigonometry and emailing my friend Zoe in France! Guess now I have no excuses…
Comment by Shore Scores 01.21.08 @ 1:05 amNot to be rude, but give Apple some credit here: copying files and folders has been around since long before OS X.
Comment by Neal 02.25.08 @ 2:28 pm@Neal, that is not correct. OS 9 did not at all support copying a file in the finder, and pasting it elsewhere as a way to initiate a copy. The only way on OS 9 to do so was to use your mouse and move the file to a new volume, in which case a copy would happen, or use a modifier key to start a copy of the file on release of the mouse.
A copy and paste in OS 9 would grab no more data than the file name or folder name.
Comment by Scott Haneda 02.25.08 @ 5:53 pmWhen I choose the ’special characters’ menu option, nothing happens. I don’t get the palette as hoped. I’ve tried in various other applications and still nothing. Using OSX 10.5.2. Any suggestions?
Comment by Vince Richards 03.14.08 @ 4:00 pm@Vince, that is pretty strange, it has always popped up for me. I almost want to ask if it is perhaps obscured by another window, but that can not be as it is always annoyingly on top of all windows.
I just did a quick search, and I think if you go to the /System/Library/Cache folder and look for files:
com.apple.IntlDataCache.le
com.apple.IntlDataCache.le.kbdx
com.apple.IntlDataCache.le.sbdl
com.apple.IntlDataCache.le.tecx
Delete those, restart, and try it again, I have a feeling that will bring it into normal working order.
These are just cache files, they get recreated on reboot, and can at times, get corrupt.
If that works, could you please report back here and let me know.
Comment by Scott Haneda 03.14.08 @ 4:04 pmYep – that worked! Kind of got a little worried when it asked for my password, but the palette now comes up. Notice a few other minor changes as well (some other options get reset) since deleting the cache files. Anything I need to watch or should it be ok?
Comment by Vince Richards 03.14.08 @ 4:27 pm@Vince, nope, those files need a password because they are owned by the System. They just cache data in a binary format so the OS can get data back out faster.
I should have mentioned a few other things would be set to defaults, but in the end, you have no choice, you have to clear them all, or you lose functionality.
Glad it worked out for you.
Comment by Scott Haneda 03.14.08 @ 4:31 pmI can’t empty com.apple.IntlDataCache.le.tecx 09-59-05, …kbdx 09-59-05 from Trash because they are “in use.” Nothing’s open but Safari and Finder box. I don’t see them in my System/Library/Caches (or in Library Caches or homepage Caches). Looks (from another site) as though it has to do with fonts; Scott’s corruption warning useful. (Empty Trash directly from wastebasket icon didn’t do it.)
Comment by Jean Doble 10.27.09 @ 10:59 pm@Jean, have you tried a simple restart? That will usually unlock the files from whatever has ahold of them, and then allow you to empty the trash.
Comment by Scott Haneda 10.27.09 @ 11:15 pmScott, I hadn’t (duh?). Did, and the trash emptied. Thanks lots!
Comment by Jean Doble 10.28.09 @ 8:42 am
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