Allow folders to be merged instead of replaced
Adminneilio
(Admin, Path Finder)
shared this idea
It may be possible for us to implement folder merging on Lion since this appears to have been added to OS X’s file copy API.
28 comments
-
chris
commented
Seems like using existing copy/delete functions in the API and handling the "merge logic" yourself would provide the best, most flexible behavior improvement on top of Finder's "implementation". I would point to Windows' behavior when pasting complex folder hierarchies into each other (regarding prompting for overwrites, subfolder merges, etc.) as being a workable, predictable (if imperfect) solution. IMO, a properly executed "power user" merge/copy featureset would itself justify the cost of PF.
-
Heath Holcomb
commented
This is a must have feature!
-
Petabyte
commented
Yes, please please add this!
-
MS
commented
Mucommander does this already in Snow Leopard...
-
chrizzbee
commented
i switched from pathfinder to the similar finder alternative forklift. there folder merge is supported. hope to see again, when this feature finds its way to PF.
cheers. -
AdminMichael
(Admin, Path Finder)
commented
I can't promise for certain, but if folder merging is a part of Lion's public file copy API rather than a unique part of the Finder, we should be able to support it.
-
Substance Dii
commented
Merging is a native feature of Lion... Will pathfinder be able to support this in lion ?
-
Anonymous
commented
Since more and more people switch from windows to osx, everyone of theses guys will loose data due to the different copy handling. This is fact!
If someone looses important data, he is willing to spend money to prevent this happens again! So if PF would be able to handle this problem, you will earn a bunch of money with these guys...
So now is the time to implement this feature! Not somewhen in the future!And by the way... this shouldn't be that difficult if even the guys from Redmond were able to code this many many years ago!!!
-
Anonymous
commented
No merge capability does not make any sense at all with Path Finder. Even a free muCommander for Mac OS X can do this. The only complain about muCommander is the file permission issue. It's stuck when copying files that are not owned by current user. It can't ask for elevated privilege. I have to do chown and chmod on all folders before it can work correctly for the first time.
I would definitely buy Path Finder if it has merge capability, otherwise I am still using muCommander! I know the world is not perfect, Mac OS is not perfect, but if you can try to make Path Finder a perfect tool, why not?? -
Bruce
commented
Adding my support for including folder contents merge capability to Path Finder.
Sad but true that I enjoy doing file management more on my Windows PC (with various tools) than on the Mac Finder. Ability of Windows to merge folder contents non-destructively, and to show size and date of potential conflicts is much better than Apple method of blind overwrites with no user details.
Thank you. -
p
commented
I hear you and I had already read somewhere that this WASN'T a supported feature at the core level of the current Mac OS file system. And I understand that it may be quite a chore.
However, It's really a shame on Apple's part for not having a GUI for this task as it is extremely useful, even more with such big hard drives at low prices. It would be a life-saver if you guys could pull this one off.
On a side-note (it's an Apple/MacOS issue): It's unbelievable that in Mac OS X, when we replace one folder with another the replaced-folder doesn't go into the trash!
So If you make a mistake — BAM — you're out of luck!
That's such a UI destructive action that feels more like a Windows-like-way-of-doing-things than a Mac OS environment.
I was really suprised by it. (Did Mac OS 9 had a Merge feature? I have a vague idea of it having some kind of merge folders/files feature… )For each work project I create, I have a folder structure that I try to keep simple but there's always more folders within folders. A merge feature would be a bliss for easier content-management of everybody's hard drives.
Here's to wishing this feature leaves Cocoatech's "someday" list and incorporates the "planned features" list.
-
Jobby
commented
I agree fully with chrizzbee, this is really the only reason I would get PathFinder so I hope it is added! I have been using Windows to combine the many files I have on my mac as I am trying to sort and organize and file duplicate finders just don't cut it since I do want some duplicates.
-
chrizzbee
commented
come on guys: this is THE feature i'd like to see in your app! forget all the rest but what worked under win out of the box i expect also here. i'd strongly suggest you put that under your top 3 prio for PF6!
-
chriswayg
commented
I really hope someone will actually implement this feature! Due to the Finder's unexpected move/replace behavior, I actually lost some data the first time I tried to merge two folders. This has been investigated by Cocoatech for 5 years. Will it take another 5 years until either Apple or Cocoatech delivers a merge feature? Here is a quote from Nov 08, 2005 "We have this on our list of things to investigate for a future update. I can't give you specifics on when or how this feature will be implemented, but we'll look into it. Neil"
-
strider
commented
I just received the notice of "Under Review" consideration. I can't tell you how excited I am by this step forward. I had abandoned consideration of Pathfinder due to the lack of this feature. Even now, most of my file activities are done on the command line for fear of the terrible damage that Finder (or Pathfinder) can do with its default behavior. I am still stunned that people don't scream from the highest mountain tops when they either a) lose tons of data (in my case my *entire* CD collection, thank goodness for backups), or b) realize they have to hand merge a giant directory tree folder by folder to avoid destroying all of their files, or c) lose data because they missed one or two folders when doing (b). The compromises and effort required to resort to manual or commandline processes to do the most basic of directory maintenance still confounds me. I can't even remember the last time I used Finder to copy more than 1 or 2 files due to its terrible handling. Thanks goodness for shell commands. I will say that 99%, no 100% of my file copying is going to be non-destructive Merge (with optional replace prompt for all or singly), so making this option as easy to get to as possible or even default through a configuration option would be wonderful. You can have all of my remaining votes to encourage this issue as its the Achilles heel of not just Pathfinder, but all of the Mac default behavior file managers.
-
jurrr
commented
Does the plugin also work in Snow Leopard? I have to agree with Brunom that it is a must-have and I won't consider paying for PF until I am sure it is added and works.
-
Joe Carroll
commented
I'd like to recommend the plugin by forum-member Sydde that Michael links to. I've used it to combine two iTunes library and it worked like a charm! I'd really like to see it integrated into a (near) future version of Path Finder...
-
AdminMichael
(Admin, Path Finder)
commented
brunom: since this was declined a year ago, a folder merge and sync plugin has been created for Path Finder:
http://forum.cocoatech.com/showthread.php?t=5057&highlight=merge
We may try to integrate the plugin into Path Finder's core copy/move mechanism at some point in the future, but Neil's comments still stand - OS X's file copy API doesn't natively support merging, so it will be a lot of work to provide seamless integration of a merge tool.
-
brunom
commented
Are you kidding? "Declinede?
It's a must-have in a modern file management workflow. You cannot assume an ambiguous behaviour, where the user can't know if files are being merged, deleted, replaced, etc.
Each and every file brower handles that perfectly (Nautilus/Thunar, Windows explorer).
That's the only reason I'm not going to pay for PF for now, sorry. -
Michael Askew commented
This is a duplicate of http://feedback.cocoatech.com/pages/275-general/suggestions/3505-add-merge-folder-feature-ala-windows-
(which has been declined, sadly).
