file path

That's an excellent question. There should be a way to copy it. There are several ways to display the path and I've tried to copy from tool tips, Get Info, and bottom of Find (command-f) window and I see no way to copy the path.

Of course, if you know how to use Terminal, you can copy and paste from there but whatever operation you need if for, you could also accomplish from Terminal.

If anyone else knows, I like to know too! If not post feedback.


-mj
macjack@gmail.com

You could say the trick isn't in the copying, so much as in the pasting...

When something is copied, different classes of data can potentially go into the clipboard, such as rich text, plain text, graphics, etc. In the case of the "FInder", this does include the "path" to an item. A developer could probably give you a better, more technical explanation of the topic.

However what gets pasted depends on the programme at the receiving end, and the only app I can think of off hand that will paste the path component of the clipboard contents of something copied from the "Finder" is, as you mentioned, "Terminal.app". "Terminal.app" will also complete a path to the item if the item is dragged into an open terminal window.

Depending on the type of file, a web browser might also give you a path if an item is dragged into the browser window, or onto its "Dock" icon...

A one line AppleScript can be used to get at the path too, at the expense of all of the other data classes in the clipboard eg.<pre>set the clipboard to POSIX path of (the clipboard as «class furl»)</pre>Then it should paste the path regardless of the programme at receiving end since the only thing left in the clipboard at that stage will be the path.

"Terminal.app" will also complete a path to the item if the item is dragged into an open terminal window.

Ta biovizier! I had forgotten that handy feature, being more of a gui fan myself.

But it would seem, especially with the "Go" menu >> "Go to Folder" feature there would at least be auto completion as in Terminal by using the tab key?

Forget it, there is!


-mj
macjack@gmail.com

To snag pathnames from files in the Finder, I've been using the freeware PathSnagger.

It used to be known as CopyPath, and I'm still using that old version (still works just fine). One nice thing is you can choose whether you want it to show the UNIX or Mac style path:

"/Users/francine/Desktop/screens"
Tiger:Users:francine:Desktop:screens:

And it's free.
Francine


Francine
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