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Submission details

-1 +9/-10 votes

Finder: select files with keyboard

Submitted by mojo2012 on November 3, 2008 to Annoyance, Bug, Usability

If you select a file in Finder and then use shift and arrow down, the selection is extended to include the next file. If you press shift + arrow up, I would expect to unselect the file and end up with just the original file selected.
But this does not work. If you press shift+arrow up again, this becomes even more weird --> the selection is extended again. I cannot unselect a file without using the mouse.

The problem is simmilar to the Pages selection problem mentioned here: http://www.aquataskforce.com/view/203.
That does not work as expected (at least for me) and seems inconsistent.

Adapt the selection functionality so that it works as expected.

Low

Low

Not fixed

Discussion (5 comments)

mojo2012 wrote on November 3, 2008, 2:58pm

Changed title from [Finder: seelect files with keyboard] to [Finder: select files with keyboard].

Grey_Podder wrote on November 3, 2008, 8:23pm

Actually, this is intentional. It is called the addition model of selection, as opposed to the fixed-point model, which seems to be what you want.

http://developer.apple.com/documentation/UserEx...pter_12_section_4.html

abitgone wrote on November 4, 2008, 10:38am

It does annoy switchers (I should know), but you'll get used to it (I did).

mojo2012 wrote on November 4, 2008, 3:58pm

Hmm, the question is: what model is better?
If I select to much, I have no choice but to use the mouse to unselect the unnecessary file.
The fixed-point model is much better if it's implemented the right way. You just have to look on other platforms to see how it works there.
Well, I know that Mac OS is not made for keyboard addicts, but nonetheless a better support for those who want to have "keyboard control" over their files would be greate.

polycat33 wrote on November 12, 2008, 7:51am

Highlighting in a text program works the same way as this. Very often I've been happy with the way it works, in hitting the right arrow and shift to select more text to the right, or to the left with the left arrow. But every now and then I want to unselect, and I click on the right arrow with shift with the desire to unselect from the left. Of course, the computer can't read my mind and tell that this specific time I want it to act one way, and other times I want it to act the other. I feel that more often I want it to use the addition model, and I feel the same way about the finder acting this way.

carlosefonseca wrote on January 3, 2009, 3:02am

I don't like the addition model... I'm always kind of afraid of selecting too much... bah

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