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Comments on: The basics of Quick Look http://osxhelp.com/the-basics-of-quick-look/ Insanely Simple Tutorials for the First Time Macintosh User Wed, 16 May 2012 02:30:57 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: hexley http://osxhelp.com/the-basics-of-quick-look/comment-page-1/#comment-7798 hexley Wed, 08 Dec 2010 10:42:16 +0000 http://osxhelp.com/the-basics-of-quick-look/#comment-7798 Kurt, That is a good question. While the file in not technically opened, it is interpreted. Within the operating system are sets of files that are used to make QuickLook work. For example, Apple includes a number of interpreters to read a file very quickly without taking the time to open the parent application. You will find that QuickLook can not read into all files. For example, it can not look into a folder and show you what is in that folder. However, if you look around, you will see that other developers have taken the time to make just those very "plug-ins" for QuickLook. You will find the same for other more obscure file formats as well. Over time, I am sure that most all files will be covered by Apple officially, but for the time being, they do cover the most important ones. Think of it like viewing a PDF in Safari, Safari does not open a PDf viewer like Acrobat or Preview to see the file, but has interpreters within the application to give you the ability. I hope that helps you to better understand what is going on. Kurt, That is a good question. While the file in not technically opened, it is interpreted. Within the operating system are sets of files that are used to make QuickLook work. For example, Apple includes a number of interpreters to read a file very quickly without taking the time to open the parent application.

You will find that QuickLook can not read into all files. For example, it can not look into a folder and show you what is in that folder. However, if you look around, you will see that other developers have taken the time to make just those very “plug-ins” for QuickLook. You will find the same for other more obscure file formats as well. Over time, I am sure that most all files will be covered by Apple officially, but for the time being, they do cover the most important ones.

Think of it like viewing a PDF in Safari, Safari does not open a PDf viewer like Acrobat or Preview to see the file, but has interpreters within the application to give you the ability.

I hope that helps you to better understand what is going on.

]]> By: Kurt http://osxhelp.com/the-basics-of-quick-look/comment-page-1/#comment-7763 Kurt Fri, 19 Nov 2010 16:42:48 +0000 http://osxhelp.com/the-basics-of-quick-look/#comment-7763 How does Quick Look work? I'm having a hard time visualizing how it gets information out of a file without opening the file, or interpreting it without the aid of the parent application. So what's actually going on here? How does Quick Look work? I’m having a hard time visualizing how it gets information out of a file without opening the file, or interpreting it without the aid of the parent application. So what’s actually going on here?

]]> By: Scott Haneda http://osxhelp.com/the-basics-of-quick-look/comment-page-1/#comment-6161 Scott Haneda Mon, 16 Jun 2008 21:35:13 +0000 http://osxhelp.com/the-basics-of-quick-look/#comment-6161 @Jeff, QuickLook should work out of the box on Office files, other than I believe PowerPOint. They do work for me, and I do not even have Office installed. If you are somewhat brave, you can enter qlmanage -r in your terminal, restart your computer, and see if that fixes it. This command will clear out the QuickLook data caches and start it clean. If that does not work, I would verify the existence of /System » Library » QuickLook » Office.qlgenerator If that file is not there, perhaps someone can get you a copy of it, which will solve your issues. @Jeff, QuickLook should work out of the box on Office files, other than I believe PowerPOint. They do work for me, and I do not even have Office installed.

If you are somewhat brave, you can enter
qlmanage -r
in your terminal, restart your computer, and see if that fixes it. This command will clear out the QuickLook data caches and start it clean.

If that does not work, I would verify the existence of
/System » Library » QuickLook » Office.qlgenerator

If that file is not there, perhaps someone can get you a copy of it, which will solve your issues.

]]> By: Jeff http://osxhelp.com/the-basics-of-quick-look/comment-page-1/#comment-6147 Jeff Wed, 11 Jun 2008 04:50:22 +0000 http://osxhelp.com/the-basics-of-quick-look/#comment-6147 Just installed 1.5. Quick Look works with all kinds of files but not with any Microsoft Office files (.doc, .xls). I'm using Office 2004 to create the files. In Quick Look I get a large version of the icon, plus File names, type of file (e.g.Microsoft Word document), size and modification date. What am I doing wrong? Thanks, Jeff Just installed 1.5. Quick Look works with all kinds of files but not with any Microsoft Office files (.doc, .xls). I’m using Office 2004 to create the files. In Quick Look I get a large version of the icon, plus File names, type of file (e.g.Microsoft Word document), size and modification date. What am I doing wrong?

Thanks,
Jeff

]]> By: Judie http://osxhelp.com/the-basics-of-quick-look/comment-page-1/#comment-4189 Judie Mon, 31 Mar 2008 22:00:10 +0000 http://osxhelp.com/the-basics-of-quick-look/#comment-4189 NEAT!!!!! I love this function and never knew about it before! I just looked at a docx file and it worked just fine - showed me the whole page in a mini view. Thanks! Judie NEAT!!!!! I love this function and never knew about it before! I just looked at a docx file and it worked just fine – showed me the whole page in a mini view. Thanks!

Judie

]]> By: Scott Haneda http://osxhelp.com/the-basics-of-quick-look/comment-page-1/#comment-4185 Scott Haneda Mon, 31 Mar 2008 21:33:38 +0000 http://osxhelp.com/the-basics-of-quick-look/#comment-4185 @Bob, are these old word files, or the new docX files? It could be Quick Look has not yet learned how to read the docx format just yet. Quick Look is for a quick poke at a file, if you need to go full screen, you are going to have to open the file in it's parent application. Never seen the Lorem Ipsum stuff before, if you want, email me the file and I can see what happens on my end. @Bob, are these old word files, or the new docX files? It could be Quick Look has not yet learned how to read the docx format just yet.

Quick Look is for a quick poke at a file, if you need to go full screen, you are going to have to open the file in it’s parent application.

Never seen the Lorem Ipsum stuff before, if you want, email me the file and I can see what happens on my end.

]]> By: Bob Cunningham http://osxhelp.com/the-basics-of-quick-look/comment-page-1/#comment-4184 Bob Cunningham Mon, 31 Mar 2008 21:32:02 +0000 http://osxhelp.com/the-basics-of-quick-look/#comment-4184 Oops, that was aclipping file, not a .doc. Sorry Oops, that was aclipping file, not a .doc. Sorry

]]> By: Scott Haneda http://osxhelp.com/the-basics-of-quick-look/comment-page-1/#comment-4183 Scott Haneda Mon, 31 Mar 2008 21:30:39 +0000 http://osxhelp.com/the-basics-of-quick-look/#comment-4183 @Bob, Quicklook can not see inside a folder, it is only for viewing files. There are add ons that let you, as well as even peek in on zipped files. We will cover this in our full Quick Look tutorial. @Bob, Quicklook can not see inside a folder, it is only for viewing files. There are add ons that let you, as well as even peek in on zipped files. We will cover this in our full Quick Look tutorial.

]]> By: Bob Cunningham http://osxhelp.com/the-basics-of-quick-look/comment-page-1/#comment-4182 Bob Cunningham Mon, 31 Mar 2008 21:30:19 +0000 http://osxhelp.com/the-basics-of-quick-look/#comment-4182 Better yet, click on a .doc and I get a "Lorum Ipsen" file like adding a text page from Pages. Full screen does not work. Intel iMac 7,1 OSX 10.5.2. Am I missing something? Better yet, click on a .doc and I get a “Lorum Ipsen” file like adding a text page from Pages. Full screen does not work. Intel iMac 7,1 OSX 10.5.2. Am I missing something?

]]> By: Bob Cunningham http://osxhelp.com/the-basics-of-quick-look/comment-page-1/#comment-4180 Bob Cunningham Mon, 31 Mar 2008 21:26:39 +0000 http://osxhelp.com/the-basics-of-quick-look/#comment-4180 Click on the documents file and press shift and all you get is a file folder. You cannot see its contents. So where's the quick look? Click on the documents file and press shift and all you get is a file folder. You cannot see its contents. So where’s the quick look?

]]> By: Scott Haneda http://osxhelp.com/the-basics-of-quick-look/comment-page-1/#comment-4158 Scott Haneda Mon, 31 Mar 2008 16:01:31 +0000 http://osxhelp.com/the-basics-of-quick-look/#comment-4158 @Jack, where do these text files you are having issues with come from? I can Quick Look any text file, even sans the .txt extension just fine. @Jack, where do these text files you are having issues with come from? I can Quick Look any text file, even sans the .txt extension just fine.

]]> By: Scott Haneda http://osxhelp.com/the-basics-of-quick-look/comment-page-1/#comment-4157 Scott Haneda Mon, 31 Mar 2008 16:00:21 +0000 http://osxhelp.com/the-basics-of-quick-look/#comment-4157 @閻魔彌勒, the official menu based shortcut is command-Y, you can over-ride near all menu based shortcuts in your keyboard and mouse system prefs. Just go to the keyboard shortcuts section, click the + icon, add a new shortcut for Finder, with the menu title as 'Quick Look' and give it a new keyboard command. Tested it here and it does work. @閻魔彌勒, the official menu based shortcut is command-Y, you can over-ride near all menu based shortcuts in your keyboard and mouse system prefs. Just go to the keyboard shortcuts section, click the + icon, add a new shortcut for Finder, with the menu title as ‘Quick Look’ and give it a new keyboard command.

Tested it here and it does work.

]]> By: Joseph http://osxhelp.com/the-basics-of-quick-look/comment-page-1/#comment-4093 Joseph Sun, 30 Mar 2008 20:42:14 +0000 http://osxhelp.com/the-basics-of-quick-look/#comment-4093 http://www.qlplugins.com/ offers plug-ins to make Quick Look even more functional. http://www.qlplugins.com/ offers plug-ins to make Quick Look even more functional.

]]> By: Jack http://osxhelp.com/the-basics-of-quick-look/comment-page-1/#comment-4086 Jack Sun, 30 Mar 2008 18:37:16 +0000 http://osxhelp.com/the-basics-of-quick-look/#comment-4086 The thing that gripes me most about QuickLook is that it won't show you the contents of any file that doesn't have a recognized extension, even when you know it's plain text (or you want it rendered that way). I wish you could hit some modifier key along with the spacebar (such as SHIFT+spacebar or ALT+spacebar) to have it display the selected file(s) as plain text. You might even sometimes find this useful in certain cases where you know the file <i>isn't</i> plain text, such as when looking over an executable for obvious plaintext strings. The thing that gripes me most about QuickLook is that it won’t show you the contents of any file that doesn’t have a recognized extension, even when you know it’s plain text (or you want it rendered that way). I wish you could hit some modifier key along with the spacebar (such as SHIFT+spacebar or ALT+spacebar) to have it display the selected file(s) as plain text. You might even sometimes find this useful in certain cases where you know the file isn’t plain text, such as when looking over an executable for obvious plaintext strings.

]]> By: 閻魔彌勒 http://osxhelp.com/the-basics-of-quick-look/comment-page-1/#comment-4083 閻魔彌勒 Sun, 30 Mar 2008 17:42:29 +0000 http://osxhelp.com/the-basics-of-quick-look/#comment-4083 Is there a easy way to change the keyboard shortcut of quicklook? Is there a easy way to change the keyboard shortcut of quicklook?

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