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53-495: The Finder is the default file manager and graphical user interface shell used on all Macintosh operating systems . Described in its "About" window as "The Macintosh Desktop Experience", it is responsible for the launching of other applications, and for the overall user management of files, disks, and network volumes. It was introduced with the Macintosh 128K —the first Macintosh computer—and also exists as part of GS/OS on

106-437: A three-dimensional method of displaying files and directory structures. Three-dimensional file browsing has not become popular; the exact implementation tends to differ between projects, and there are no common standards to follow. Examples of three-dimensional file managers include: Web-based file managers are typically scripts written in either PHP , Ajax , Perl , ASP or another server-side language . When installed on

159-513: A Gallery View (replacing the previous Cover flow in macOS Mojave ), and a " column view " influenced by macOS's direct ancestor NeXTSTEP . The modern Finder displays some aspects of the file system outside its windows. Mounted external volumes and disk image files can be displayed on the desktop. There is a trash can on the Dock in macOS, to which files can be dragged to mark them for deletion, and to which drives can be dragged for ejection. When

212-418: A command-line environment, for example), relying on the memory of past actions, or any other non-spatial cues. One more advantage is that it allows the user to keep things arranged a certain way from one session to the next, as with the "workspace" settings in many high-end software packages. For instance, the windows showing the contents of different folders for a complex project could be tiled onscreen in such

265-511: A different window) and other users had a lot of trouble deciding whether they were looking at the actual file system and its files or just links to actual files. Proponents claim that this confusion is partially a result of the non-spatial nature of the Windows 95 file manager. When the connection between the spatial state of a window is not unambiguously and irrevocably connected with a particular folder, it becomes impossible reliably to recognize

318-518: A directory in the Navigation pane on the left designates it as the current directory, displaying its contents in the Contents pane on the right. However, expanding (+) or collapsing (-) a portion of the tree without selecting a directory will not alter the contents of the right pane. The exception to this behavior applies when collapsing a parent of the current directory, in which case the selection

371-453: A fashion that all of them could be seen at the same time. In a browser-style file manager, one would be forced to rearrange these same windows every time they were reopened. The spatial metaphor can seem awkward to those accustomed to browser-style file managers. One complaint is that spatial managers use too many windows, leading to clutter. In a Windows 95 usability study by Microsoft, users of varying experience were said to be "confused" by

424-503: A file from. Sometimes, a folder is selected instead of a file or destination path. Some file pickers also allow file management to some degree, such as searching, moving, copying, renaming, and copying the path to clipboard. Some software might have a customized file picker. Spatial file manager In computing, a spatial file manager is a file manager that uses a spatial metaphor to represent files and folders as if they were real physical objects. The base requirements of

477-498: A list of files in the user's minidisk, and allowed sorting by any file attribute. The file attributes could be passed to scripts or function-key definitions, making it simple to use flist as part of CMS EXEC , EXEC 2 or XEDIT scripts. This program ran only on IBM VM/SP CMS, but was the inspiration for other programs, including filelist (a script run via the Xedit editor), and programs running on other operating systems, including

530-440: A local server or on a remote server, they allow files and directories located there to be managed and edited, using a web browser, without the need for FTP Access . More advanced, and usually commercially distributed, web-based file management scripts allow the administrator of the file manager to configure secure, individual user accounts, each with individual account permissions. Authorized users have access to documents stored on

583-429: A more complete definition of a PC-based universe than any" competitor, with users able to seamlessly use floppies, local and remote hard disks, and large and small file servers. Alsop said that even if Apple had stolen Xerox's technology for Finder, it was now very different. While criticizing the lack of a right mouse button and MultiFinder 's clumsiness, he concluded that "Apple remains the king of user interfaces. Finder

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636-447: A navigational file manager often resembles a web browser , complete with back and forward buttons, and often reload buttons. Most also contain an address bar into which the file or directory path (or URI ) can be typed. Most navigational file managers have two panes, the left pane being a tree view of the filesystem. This means that unlike orthodox file managers, the two panes are asymmetrical in their content and use. Selecting

689-399: A particular folder based on its spatial qualities. Spatial state often becomes misleading in a non-spatial file manager. Users may incorrectly identify a window based on visual cues that do not actually link it to any particular folder, but are instead properties of the browser-style window itself. In such an environment, each new window adds clutter without recognizable meaning. This leads to

742-535: A program also called flist, which ran on OpenVMS , and FULIST (from the name of the corresponding internal IBM program), which runs on Unix . Orthodox file managers (sometimes abbreviated to "OFM") or command-based file managers are text-menu based file managers that commonly have three windows (two panels and one command line window). Orthodox file managers are one of the longest running families of file managers, preceding graphical user interface -based types. Developers create applications that duplicate and extend

795-410: A range of files, such as images, applications and PDF files. The Quick Look feature allows users to quickly examine documents and images in more detail from the finder by pressing the space bar without opening them in a separate application. The user can choose how to view files, with options such as large icons showing previews of files, a list with details such as date of last creation or modification,

848-456: A similar interface to Apple's Safari browser , where the user can click on a folder to move to it and move between locations using "back" and "forward" arrow buttons. Like Safari, the Finder uses tabs to allow the user to view multiple folders; these tabs can be pulled off the window to make them separate windows. There is a "favorites" sidebar of commonly used and important folders on the left of

901-405: A spatial file manager are: Given an arbitrary window in a spatial file manager, it must be possible to determine with complete certainty which folder that window represents. Furthermore, it must not be possible to change that association. Traditionally, when a folder is opened, the icon representing the folder changes —perhaps from an image showing a closed drawer to an opened one, perhaps

954-465: A spatial file manager, the user may build up a familiar work environment by arranging commonly used windows, secure in the knowledge that this state will be preserved and will always map to the expected locations. This familiarity can lead to increased comfort and efficiency. Furthermore, identification based on spatial attributes is a very natural human ability, requiring little or no conscious thought. The ability to recognize and recall locations within

1007-520: A spatial mode, but is navigational by default. Some file managers represent other objects, such as a trash can for unwanted files, or computer or floppy disk icons to represent storage media . There may also be special folders that contain special items such as user preferences or the user's applications. A spatial file manager is closer to the way the people interact with the physical objects around them, such as desks, chairs and tables. Since spatial properties are reliable indicators of "location" in

1060-468: A system is a device through which the contents of many folders may be viewed. A browser-style window is not tied to any particular folder. The window's spatial state (size, position, etc.) stays the same as the contents of many different folders are viewed through it. More than one browser window may show the contents of a particular folder simultaneously. Examples of file managers that use a spatial metaphor by default include: MATE 's Caja file manager has

1113-436: A time. Orthodox file managers are among the most portable file managers. Examples are available on almost any platform, with both command-line and graphical interfaces. This is unusual among command line managers in that something purporting to be a standard for the interface is published. They are also actively supported by developers. This makes it possible to do the same work on different platforms without much relearning of

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1166-613: A volume icon is being dragged, the Trash icon in the Dock changes to an eject icon in order to indicate this functionality. Finder can record files to optical media on the sidebar. From Yosemite onwards, the Finder is updated to include a refreshed user interface with updated typography and translucency, along with a new icon. Functionally, it also contains official support for extensions, allowing synchronization and cloud storage applications such as Dropbox to display sync status labels inside

1219-578: Is a newer type of file manager. Since the advent of GUIs , it has become the dominant type of file manager for desktop computers. Typically, it has two panes, with the filesystem tree in the left pane and the contents of the current directory in the right pane. For macOS, the Miller columns view in Finder (originating in NeXTStep ) is a variation on the navigational file manager theme. The interface in

1272-556: Is refocused on the collapsed parent directory, thus altering the list in the Contents pane. The process of moving from one location to another need not open a new window. Several instances of the file manager can be opened simultaneously and communicate with each other via drag-and-drop and clipboard operations, so it is possible to view several directories simultaneously and perform cut-and paste operations between instances. File operations are based on drag-and-drop and editor metaphors: users can select and copy files or directories onto

1325-416: Is the only interface with 1.5 million people sitting in front of it daily. Apple is spending tremendous amounts of money on both development and basic research to remain the leader". Introducing Mac OS X in 2000, Steve Jobs criticized the original Finder, saying that it "generates a ton of windows, and you get to be the janitor." Ars Technica columnist John Siracusa has been a long-standing defender of

1378-593: The Apple IIGS . It was rewritten completely with the release of Mac OS X in 2001. In a tradition dating back to the Classic Mac OS of the 1980s and 1990s, the Finder icon is the smiling screen of a computer, known as the Happy Mac logo. The Finder uses a view of the file system that is rendered using a desktop metaphor ; that is, the files and folders are represented as appropriate icons. It uses

1431-517: The Cocoa API , though little change was visible to the user. File manager Graphical file managers may support copying and moving of files through " copy and paste " and "cut and paste" respectively, as well as through drag and drop , and a separate menu for selecting the target path. While transferring files, a file manager may show the source and destination directories, transfer progress in percentage and/or size, progress bar, name of

1484-588: The Finder display. macOS Big Sur introduces a complete graphical redesign of the Finder, along with the rest of the user interface, sporting the removal of the brushed metal interface elements, a full-height sidebar and all new iconography. Big Sur also slightly modifies the Finder icon with rounded corners. Stewart Alsop II in 1988 said "It is testimony to either the luck or vision of the original designers" of Finder that "the interface has been able to survive tremendous evolution without much essential damage" from 1984. He praised its spatial file manager as "probably

1537-466: The Finder window. The classic Mac OS Finder uses a spatial metaphor quite different from the more browser-like approach of the modern macOS Finder. In the classic Finder, opening a new folder opens the location in a new window: Finder windows are 'locked' so that they would only ever display the contents of one folder. It also allows extensive customization, with the user being able to give folders custom icons matching their content. This approach emphasizes

1590-413: The clipboard and then paste them in a different place in the filesystem or even in a different instance of the file manager. Notable examples of navigational file managers include: Spatial file managers use a spatial metaphor to represent files and directories as if they were actual physical objects. A spatial file manager imitates the way people interact with physical objects. Some ideas behind

1643-510: The concept of a spatial file manager are: As in navigational file managers, when a directory is opened, the icon representing the directory changes—perhaps from an image showing a closed drawer to an opened one, perhaps the directory's icon turns into a silhouette filled with a pattern—and a new window is opened to represent that directory. Examples of file managers that use a spatial metaphor to some extent include: Dysfunctional spatial file managers: Some projects have attempted to implement

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1696-491: The different locations of files within the operating system, but navigating to a folder nested inside multiple other folders fills the desktop with a large number of windows that the user may not wish to have open. These must then be closed individually. Holding down the option key when opening a folder would also close its parent, but this trick was not discoverable and remained under the purview of power users . The modern Finder uses macOS graphics APIs to display previews of

1749-416: The display of columns that show relevant file information. The active panel and passive panel can be switched (often by pressing the tab key ). The following features describe the class of orthodox file managers. Other common features include: The introduction of tabbed panels in some file managers (for example Total Commander ) made it possible to manipulate more than one active and passive directory at

1802-414: The entire source and target files, which would slow down the process significantly on larger files. Some file managers contain features analogous to web browsers , including forward and back navigational buttons , an address bar, tabs , and a bookmark side bar. Some file managers provide network connectivity via protocols , such as FTP , HTTP , NFS , SMB or WebDAV . This is achieved by allowing

1855-407: The file currently being transferred, remaining and/or total number of files, numerical transfer rate, and graphical transfer rate. The ability to pause the file transfer allows temporarily granting other software full sequential read access while allowing to resume later without having to restart the file transfer. Some file managers move multiple files by copying and deleting each selected file from

1908-407: The folder icon's state is meant to be a visual reminder of this behavior. It says, "This folder is already open." Similarly, while a document or application is open, its icons also represents this status and re-opening it will just reveal and bring it back to the front. A common alternative to the spatial file manager is the navigational file manager or "browser-style" file manager. A window in such

1961-466: The folder's icon turns into a silhouette filled with a pattern— and a new window is opened. Attempting to open that "already opened" folder will simply reveal the existing window. A new window will not be created because that would violate requirement number one listed above, attempting to reveal an already opened folder's contents using another window will either close the existing folder before opening it or refuse to reveal said contents. The change in

2014-488: The functionality of the Finder. After Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger the UNIX command line file management tools understand resource forks and can be used for management of Mac files. There are minor differences between Finder versions and Classic OS to System 7. From System 6 onward, the version numbers are unified. Since the introduction of Mac OS X, the largest rewrite of the Finder was with the 2009 release of Mac OS X 10.6 , into

2067-512: The hierarchy based on the appearance and position of folder windows is the primary purpose of the spatial file manager. All of the "rules" and behaviors that define the spatial file manager are designed to ensure that the strengths of the visual/spatial recognition and recall abilities of the human brain are leveraged. The idea is that these abilities are more natural and require "less work" than other forms of recognition based on reading text, maintaining an awareness of "current working directory" (in

2120-642: The interface. Sometimes they are called dual-pane managers, a term that is typically used for programs such as the Windows File Explorer (see below). But they have three panes including a command line pane below (or hidden behind) two symmetric panes. Furthermore, most of these programs allow using just one of the two larger panes with the second hidden. Some also add an item to the Context Menu in Windows to "Open two Explorers, side by side". Notable ones include: A navigational file manager

2173-560: The manager that was introduced by PathMinder and John Socha 's Norton Commander for DOS . The concept dates to the mid-1980s—PathMinder was released in 1984, and Norton Commander version 1.0 was released in 1986. Despite the age of this concept, file managers based on Norton Commander are actively developed, and dozens of implementations exist for DOS, Unix, and Microsoft Windows. Nikolai Bezroukov publishes his own set of criteria for an OFM standard (version 1.2 dated June 1997). An orthodox file manager typically has three windows. Two of

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2226-474: The manager. For example, files can be copied or moved from the active panel to the location represented in the passive panel. This scheme is most effective for systems in which the keyboard is the primary or sole input device. The active panel shows information about the current working directory and the files that it contains. The passive (inactive) panel shows the content of the same or another directory (the default target for file operations). Users may customize

2279-476: The many windows: Users of every type were confused by the Programs folder. We thought that having a folder on the desktop with other folders and links to programs inside it would be a natural transition for Windows 3.1 users accustomed to Program Manager, while being relatively easy to learn for beginners. We were wrong! Beginners quickly got lost in all of the folders (unlike File Cabinet, each folder opened into

2332-428: The often-cited preference for a single window through which any folder may be viewed: a browser. The proliferation and familiarity of web browsers has strengthened this preference. Also, maintaining spatial familiarity can be difficult when the file system is accessed from a variety of applications and devices with differing display capabilities. Reproducing a single spatial arrangement on many different display devices

2385-439: The rise in popularity of dynamic web content management systems (CMS) and the need for non-technical website moderators to manage media on their websites powered by these platforms. An example is net2ftp , a PHP- and JavaScript-based FTP client. Operating systems typically ship a file picker , which allows specifying in which location to save a file (usually accessed through the "Save as" option in software), and where to open

2438-420: The server or in their individual user directories anytime, from anywhere, via a web browser. A web-based file manager can serve as an organization's digital repository. For example, documents, digital media, publishing layouts, and presentations can be stored, managed, and shared between customers, suppliers, and remote workers, or just internally. Web-based file managers are becoming increasingly popular due to

2491-491: The source individually, while others first copy all selected files, then delete them from the source afterwards, as described in computer file § Moving methods . Conflicting file names in a target directory may be handled through renaming, overwriting, or skipping. Renaming is typically numerical. Overwriting may be conditional, such as when the source file is newer or differs in size. Files could technically be compared with checksums , but that would require reading through

2544-464: The spatial interface of the classic Mac OS Finder and a critic of the new design. Daring Fireball blog author John Gruber has voiced similar criticisms. In a 2005 interview he said that the Finder in version 10.3 of Mac OS X had become "worse than in 10.0" and that "the fundamental problem with the OS X Finder is that it's trying to support two opposing paradigms at once – the browser metaphor ... and

2597-550: The spatial metaphor from the original Mac Finder ... and it ends up doing neither one very well." Reviewing the same version of Mac OS X, Siracusa comments that the Finder "provides exactly the same self-destructive combination of spatial and browser-style features as all of its Mac OS X predecessors". Third-party macOS software developers offer Finder replacements that run as stand-alone applications, such as ForkLift , Path Finder , Xfile , and XtraFinder . These replacements are shareware or freeware and aim to include and supersede

2650-529: The user to browse for a file server (connecting and accessing the server's file system like a local file system) or by providing its own full client implementations for file server protocols. A term that predates the usage of file manager is directory editor . An early directory editor, DIRED , was developed circa 1974 at the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory by Stan Kugell . A directory editor

2703-425: The windows are called panels and are positioned symmetrically at the top of the screen. The third is the command line, which is essentially a minimized command (shell) window that can be expanded to full screen. Only one of the panels is active at a given time. The active panel contains the "file cursor". Panels are resizable and can be hidden. Files in the active panel serve as the source of file operations performed by

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2756-556: Was neptune . It ran on the Xerox Alto in the 1973-1974 time frame. It had some of the same features that would end up in orthodox file managers. Another such file manager is flist, which was introduced sometime before 1980 on the Conversational Monitor System . This is a variant of FULIST, which originated before late 1978, according to comments by its author, Theo Alkema. The flist program provided

2809-596: Was written for EXEC 8 at the University of Maryland, and was available to other users at that time. The term was used by other developers, including Jay Lepreau , who wrote the dired program in 1980, which ran on BSD . This was in turn inspired by an older program with the same name running on TOPS-20 . Dired inspired other programs, including dired , the editor script (for emacs and similar editors), and ded . File-list file managers are lesser known and older than orthodox file managers. One such file manager

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