Working With Files and Folders
You can select files and folders in several ways in the file manager.
You can also select a group of files matching a specific pattern.
Selecting Files and Folders
The following table describes the tasks that you can perform in the
file manager.
Table 8-6 Selecting Items in the File Manager | |
Select an item
| Click the item.
|
Select a group of contiguous items
| In icon view, click and then drag around the files that you want to
select. In list view, click the first item in the group. Press and hold Shift, and then click the last item in the group.
|
Select multiple items
| Press and hold Ctrl. Click the items that you want
to select.
|
Select all items in a folder
| Choose Edit → Select All Files.
|
|
To perform the default action on an item, double-click the item. You
can set your file manager preferences so that you click once on a file to
execute the default action. For more information, see Behavior.
Selecting Files Matching a Specific Pattern
You can select all files matching a pattern based upon their file name
and an optional number of wildcards. The following table shows some examples
of possible patterns and the resulting files they would match.
Table 8-7 Selecting Items in the File Manager
Using a Pattern | |
note.*
| This pattern would match files called note, with any extension.
|
*.ogg
| This pattern would match all files with the .ogg extension
|
*memo*
| This pattern would match all files or folders whose name contains the
word memo.
|
|
To perform the Select Pattern command choose Edit → Select Patterns
from the menu. After entering the desired pattern you are left with those
files or folders which matched the pattern selected.
Moving or Copying a File or Folder
You can move or copy a file or folder by dragging it with the mouse
or by using the cut or copy and paste commands. The following procedures describe
how to move or copy a file or folder.
How to Drag a File to Copy or Move It to a New Location
Tip - To move a file or folder to a folder that is one level below the
current location, drag the file or folder to the new location in the same
window. If you are copying the file or folder, press Control while dragging.
- Open two file manager windows:
- The window containing the item you want to move or copy
- The window you want to move or copy the file or folder to, or
the window containing the folder you want to move or copy it to
- Drag the file or folder you want to move or copy to the new location.
If you are copying the file or folder, press Control while dragging.
- If the new location is a window, drop it anywhere on the window.
- If the new location is a folder, drop the item you are dragging
on the folder icon.
How to Cut or Copy and Paste to the New Location
- Select the file or folder that you want to move or copy, then
choose Edit → Cut or Edit → Copy.
- Open the folder to which you want to move or copy the file or
folder.
- Choose Edit → Paste.
How to Duplicate a File or Folder
- Select the file or folder that you want to duplicate.
- Choose Edit → Duplicate.
A copy of the file or
folder appears in the current folder.
How to Create a Folder
- Open the folder where you want to create the new folder.
- Choose File → Create Folder or right-click the background
of the window, then choose Create Folder.
An untitled folder is
added to the location. The name of the folder is selected.
- Type a name for the folder, and then press Return.
How to Rename a File or Folder
- Select the file or folder that you want to rename.
- Choose Edit → Rename or right-click the file or folder, then
choose Rename.
The name of the file or folder is selected.
- Type a new name for the file or folder, then press Return.
How to Move a File or Folder to the Trash
- Select the file or folder that you want to move to the Trash.
- Choose Edit → Move to Trash or right-click the file or folder,
then choose Move to Trash.
Note - When you move a file or folder from removable media to the Trash,
the file or folder is stored in a Trash location on the removable media. To
remove the file or folder permanently from the removable media, you must empty
the Trash.
How to Delete a File or Folder
When you delete a file or folder, the file or folder is not moved to
the Trash. It is deleted from your file system. The Delete menu item is only
available if you select the Include a Delete command that bypasses the Trash
option in the File Management Preferences dialog.
- Select the file or folder that you want to delete.
- Use one of the following methods to delete the file or folder.
- Choose Edit → Delete.
- Right-click the file or folder, and then choose Delete.
- Press Shift+Del.
Note - This shortcut is independent from the Include a Delete command
that bypasses the Trash option.
Creating a Symbolic Link to a File or Folder
A symbolic link is a special type of file that points to another file
or folder. When you perform an action on a symbolic link, the action is performed
on the file or folder to which the symbolic link points. However, when you
delete a symbolic link, you delete the link file, not the file to which the
symbolic link points.
How to Create a Symbolic Link to a File or Folder