[where-group-by]

- Awkward sorting by name (mixing folders and files), unless you change the default

- Does not snap files to a grid by default on icon view, leaving some folders looking like a mess

- Not possible to figure out what's the exact path of the open folder - I just want a full path in the header/title bar. Or let me copy the full path without having to open "get info"

[ttepasse]

> I just want a full path in the header/title bar

Apart from the Path bar in the bottom, there is also an old school title bar method:

  defaults write com.apple.finder _FXShowPosixPathInTitle -bool true
  killall Finder

("false" for reversing it.)

It doesn’t work for great for tabs, though, because tabs are short and paths are long.

> Or let me copy the full path …

There are some alternative fun and old methods:

* If you're hovering over the title bar of a finder window there is a little folder icon, the so-called proxy icon which gives access to the current folder. One can drag and drop it and it moves the folder. Dragging a folder or the proxy icon on the Dock icon of Terminal or iTerm opens a new window with the working directory directly set to the folder. But dragged into a text field you're getting the text path. Right click gives you a dropdown for navigation in the current folders path.

The proxy icon was stable in Finder until recently, now you need to hover. But you can re-activate the permanent display of the proxy icon under System Settings → Accessibility → Display, I think.

* MacOS has, since the Next days, the concept of Services. Services are little actions which the System and (good) Apps can provide to do something with with something. Services are found in the context menu or the App menu. If you're right clicking on a folder (sadly not the proxy icon), there are Service Actions by Terminal and iTerm for opening a window or tab for a selected folder.

* AppleScript:

  tell application "Finder"
      if exists window 1 then
          set currentDir to POSIX path of ((target of front Finder window) as text)
      else
          set currentDir to POSIX path of (path to desktop folder)
      end if
      set the clipboard to currentDir
  end tell

It works in Script Editor at least. I'm not an AppleScript expert.

But you can use AppleScript everywhere in MacOS. The Script-Menu, as an own App, as an Automator action or a Shortcut, you can give those hotkeys, possible use them in Alfred or Raycast, etc.

Apart from the syntax it will be a sad day, if Apple retires the AppleScript architecture.

[euroderf]

A few years ago I found+installed a small, simple Service to run "touch" on a file, but it broke a few OS upgrades ago. Anyone got a replacement ?

[ttepasse]

Once there was a nice app called ThisService which could convert shell scripts into services, but it is not developed anymore.

The modern equivalent is "Run Shell Script" in Shortcuts or maybe Automator. Shortcuts has the advantage that you can use your shortcut directly in Quick Actions in Finder's context menu.

I played around a minute and created this but I'm not a Shortcuts expert.

https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/5898ff4c3f2e49ff8ec6bff4013...

One insane caveat: For this to work you'll need to grant Finder Full Disc Access in System Settings → Security. Yes, it sounds insane. It is. But it works.

[euroderf]

Guess what! In the security dialog, when I get a file picker to pick the app, Finder is not in the list !

[ttepasse]

Oh, and you can drag app icons into the Finder symbol bar. Possibly an App made from that AppleScript. Not tested.

[where-group-by]

Thanks for the tips. The defaults command worked well for my needs.

[wlesieutre]

Sounds like you want "Show Path Bar" (in the View menu), though it lives at the bottom of the window not in the header.

The sorting by name criticism is a weird one to me though. You want it to not sort by name when you tell it to sort by name, and instead sort by file vs folder and then within those two groups sort by name?

[where-group-by]

I should have paid more attention to the menu bar. Show Path Bar helps with my needs.

For sorting I want it to sort like File Explorer or Dophin. So folders on top (sorted by name), then files (sorted by name). It works if I change Settings > Advanced > Keep folders on top.

[cosmic_cheese]

Sorting folders seperately is definitely a personal preference thing. This behavior drives me nuts in Explorer and Linux file managers.

I’d support this being an option in the View menu or View Options palette, but I think I would lose my mind if this behavior were made default with no way to turn it off.