Multiple Finder window selects coming in Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard?
Descriptions of several features and interfaces not present in shipping versions of Apple Computer's Mac OS X operating system have recently turned up in company patent filings, AppleInsider has discovered.
The filings, which heavily correlate to the Apple's metadata-based Spotlight search technology and appear to be disguised under the names of the company's intellectual property lawyers, were published between July 25, 2005 and Dec. 29, 2005 with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Most predominantly, the filings depict several new Mac OS X Finder interface windows with enhanced Spotlight search capabilities and integration. In one example, Apple software engineers describe a Spotlight "configurable pull down menu" that would reside horizontally between the toolbar and the file listing criteria bar in Finder windows.
Without first entering a Spotlight search term, users would presumably be able to use an initial Spotlight criteria pull down menu to select a search location such as "Local Disks" or "Network Volumes." Following the user's selection, the Spotlight pull down interface would then automatically spawn a secondary submenu allowing the user to refine the search by general file types such as "images" or more specific types such as "Photoshop," "Director," or "Excel." Again, users would then be able to further limit their search through a third Spotlight search parameter pull down menu, which would ask for a "last modified date" to be specified, and so forth. The functionality would presumably compliment keyword searches as well.
Within the filings, Apple employees list several alternative Finder interfaces for the enhanced Spotlight integration, described above. Another example anchors a Spotlight "Browse" icon in the Finder window bookmark bar, just above a computer's hard disk icon. In this example, selecting the Browse icon would spawn a new column view in the Finder window with a vertical listing of sub menus to help users refine their searches.
Next-Generation Spotlight Finder Integration?
Another potential Spotlight features described in the filings is a "Recent Searches" option that would appear within the primary Spotlight search interface, located at the far right of the Mac OS X menu bar or in the upper right-hand corner of Finder windows. In the illustrations accompanying the filings, this feature also includes a "Clear Menu" option to erase Spotlight search histories.
Based on the filings, Apple also appear appears to be working on enhancements to Spotlight Smart Folders. One example details "Nested Smart Folders" while another appears to show a Smart Folder that can be assigned an expanded set of Finder view options along the lines of traditional Mac OS X folders.
Next-Generation Spotlight Finder Integration?
Perhaps the most promising revelation to come from the filings is a Spotlight-supported Finder feature that would allow Mac OS X users to perform selections from multiple Finder windows simultaneously when organizing or relocating files.
In one example outlined in the filings, Apple engineers show a total of five Mac OS X files being selected simultaneously from three open Finder windows, in addition to a sixth file that resides on a Mac OS X desktop.
Multiple-Window Finder File Selects?
The filings also describe a new contextual menu feature that would coincide with the enhanced selection capabilities. After making a multi-window file selection, users would be able to trigger a new contextual menu that would present three functions that could be applied to the selected files in a single operation: "Move to Trash," "Create a New Folder and Move Items to New Folder," and "Create a New Folder and Copy Items to New Folder." The filing explains that the move and copy functions may prompt the user to name new folder being created or create a new folder with a default name such as "untitled folder."
Apple is widely expected to reveal the feature set of Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard during its World Wide Developers Conference, which will take place in August. It's possible that some of the features described in these patents and others may make their way into the operating system. While Apple has provided little to no information on Leopard, it has stated that the operating system update would ship in late 2006 or early 2007.
The filings, which heavily correlate to the Apple's metadata-based Spotlight search technology and appear to be disguised under the names of the company's intellectual property lawyers, were published between July 25, 2005 and Dec. 29, 2005 with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Most predominantly, the filings depict several new Mac OS X Finder interface windows with enhanced Spotlight search capabilities and integration. In one example, Apple software engineers describe a Spotlight "configurable pull down menu" that would reside horizontally between the toolbar and the file listing criteria bar in Finder windows.
Without first entering a Spotlight search term, users would presumably be able to use an initial Spotlight criteria pull down menu to select a search location such as "Local Disks" or "Network Volumes." Following the user's selection, the Spotlight pull down interface would then automatically spawn a secondary submenu allowing the user to refine the search by general file types such as "images" or more specific types such as "Photoshop," "Director," or "Excel." Again, users would then be able to further limit their search through a third Spotlight search parameter pull down menu, which would ask for a "last modified date" to be specified, and so forth. The functionality would presumably compliment keyword searches as well.
Within the filings, Apple employees list several alternative Finder interfaces for the enhanced Spotlight integration, described above. Another example anchors a Spotlight "Browse" icon in the Finder window bookmark bar, just above a computer's hard disk icon. In this example, selecting the Browse icon would spawn a new column view in the Finder window with a vertical listing of sub menus to help users refine their searches.
Next-Generation Spotlight Finder Integration?
Another potential Spotlight features described in the filings is a "Recent Searches" option that would appear within the primary Spotlight search interface, located at the far right of the Mac OS X menu bar or in the upper right-hand corner of Finder windows. In the illustrations accompanying the filings, this feature also includes a "Clear Menu" option to erase Spotlight search histories.
Based on the filings, Apple also appear appears to be working on enhancements to Spotlight Smart Folders. One example details "Nested Smart Folders" while another appears to show a Smart Folder that can be assigned an expanded set of Finder view options along the lines of traditional Mac OS X folders.
Next-Generation Spotlight Finder Integration?
Perhaps the most promising revelation to come from the filings is a Spotlight-supported Finder feature that would allow Mac OS X users to perform selections from multiple Finder windows simultaneously when organizing or relocating files.
In one example outlined in the filings, Apple engineers show a total of five Mac OS X files being selected simultaneously from three open Finder windows, in addition to a sixth file that resides on a Mac OS X desktop.
Multiple-Window Finder File Selects?
The filings also describe a new contextual menu feature that would coincide with the enhanced selection capabilities. After making a multi-window file selection, users would be able to trigger a new contextual menu that would present three functions that could be applied to the selected files in a single operation: "Move to Trash," "Create a New Folder and Move Items to New Folder," and "Create a New Folder and Copy Items to New Folder." The filing explains that the move and copy functions may prompt the user to name new folder being created or create a new folder with a default name such as "untitled folder."
Apple is widely expected to reveal the feature set of Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard during its World Wide Developers Conference, which will take place in August. It's possible that some of the features described in these patents and others may make their way into the operating system. While Apple has provided little to no information on Leopard, it has stated that the operating system update would ship in late 2006 or early 2007.
Comments
As for the multi-window selection for moving items to new folders: meh. Folders are dying, I just wish Apple would just get rid of them once and for all.
p.s. I spell bad...
Originally posted by Ireland
p.s. I spell bad...
If you spell bad how do we not know you meant to say "I smell bad"?
Originally posted by crees!
Along with selecting multiple files how about adding to the contextual menu "Add Spotlight Keywords"? I think the same should be implemented in the Save dialog. When you save a file from any application you can add Spotlight metadata to it AND set the label color if you want. Giving a label color when you save a file would be great. One less step.
I really like the idea of a color label but have tried to use it and realized it was a little too out of the way... and not so handy. What are some common useful uses of it?
Originally posted by Ireland
I'm confussed
p.s. I spell bad...
In Safari:
EDIT
-CHECK SPELLING AS YOU TYPE
Originally posted by iShawn
I really like the idea of a color label but have tried to use it and realized it was a little too out of the way... and not so handy. What are some common useful uses of it?
I use it all the time. It's very usefull if you have many files (in the same folder), and want to make a distinction in them without changing the filename (wich is not always possible).
I only wish you could make your own colors, though.
Originally posted by ctachme
As for the multi-window selection for moving items to new folders: meh. Folders are dying, I just wish Apple would just get rid of them once and for all.
Yeah, great! How am I supposed to build websites without using directories..?
Originally posted by jdbartlett
Which reminds me; this was never made clear to me: do users who recently bought a Mac still under warranty get a discount on new versions of OS X?
Topic for another thread really, but no one gets a 'discount' on versions of OS X. Or, alternately, everyone gets the upgrade discount, because you bought the original version with the computer.
There is a program under which, if you buy a Mac, and Apple releases a new major release (10.3 -> 10.4, etc) within (I think) 30 days, you can get that new version for 'shipping and handling' which is generally $30. I have no idea if that conveys. Since it's been a while since 10.4 came out, however, it wouldn't apply at the moment.
Originally posted by Fotek2001
Yeah, great! How am I supposed to build websites without using directories..?
Don't worry, folders aren't going anywhere.
OTOH, what we think of as static folders are really just a very basic form of metadata anyway so it's not a huge stretch. *shrug*
Originally posted by iShawn
I really like the idea of a color label but have tried to use it and realized it was a little too out of the way... and not so handy. What are some common useful uses of it?
well, from a style standpoint, i really hate mac os's labels. it's like they have NEVER gotten it right. the classic style of "staining" icons made them look like garbage and wasn't enough of a visual cue (a blue label on a yellow icon would be a sickly green tint). i was hopeful with panther's labels, but a.) you can't change the name (computer, search for all my yellow files! wtf?!?) b.) you can't change the colors (no huge deal, but it's surprising since you can change the colors in EVERYthing else) and c.) man, those gradients are REALLY distracting. just make it a nice flat color, and i'd be happy.
Originally posted by ctachme
All I have to say is that I'm glad that Apple patents are a dime a dozen... they make craploads of patents that they don't use. This is good because it would be compeletly sick if the Finder used all of these different models. I know the Finder sucks now, but I have faith that Apple wouldn't make it that inconsistant.
As for the multi-window selection for moving items to new folders: meh. Folders are dying, I just wish Apple would just get rid of them once and for all.
Folders are dying? Keep deluding yourself.
Originally posted by ctachme
As for the multi-window selection for moving items to new folders: meh. Folders are dying, I just wish Apple would just get rid of them once and for all.
Uh, what?
Originally posted by Ireland
I'm confussed
p.s. I spell bad...
What's that? You smell bad?
There's no guarantee that any of this is going to be in anything Apple does.
And if some of it is, they had better continue the spacial finder as well.
Yes, I know... hang on a second.
Apple needs to implement a real Database FileSystem, not a db-on-HFS+ like they did for Spotlight in Tiger. Along with this they need to completely replace the Finder. The paragigm of folders works great for catagorization, but is horrendously bad for storing massive amounts of information. How many files does OS X install? The learning curve to understanding the arrangement of the files that make up the OS is extremely steep.
Blah blah blah. I'm tired of arguing this. Apple needs to get off their ass and fix a their filesystem model which is half a decade outdated.
start from stratch and build the gui from the ground up again. its really not changed much; yet i'm sure there must be a better solution, think different