Filed under: TUAW Tips
TUAW Tip: "Right Sizing" in the Open Dialog
A few weeks back, Dave Caolo wrote about double-clicking the pipes at the bottom of Finder's column view to automatically resize a column to accommodate long file names. This feature isn't just in Finder. You might be surprised to learn that the Open File dialog supports "right sizing" and it does so far better than Finder browser windows.
To switch to column view in the Open dialog, click the column icon, just to the left of the location pop-up.
As in Finder, you can double-click the double-pipe to right-size the selected column.
Alternatively, right-click (control-click) the double-pipe to open a contextual pop-up menu (shown above) that allows you to choose from several options. Select right-sizing the selected column (as if you'd double-clicked the double-pipe), right-sizing all columns individually (each column sizes to its longest element), and right-sizing all columns equally (each column sizes to match the right-sizing of the current column). I'm not sure why Apple built this behavior into the Open dialog and not into Finder windows. It's certainly useful. Perhaps it will make it into Leopard.
Update: A few more tips, courtesy of our fabulous readers:
* In Finder, Option-Drag the pipes to resize all columns at once. Option-Double-Click the pipes to "Right Size all Columns equally"
* Option+doubleclicking will 'right size' all the columns, not just the root one.
* This menu appears to be a Cocoa-only feature, which is why it doesn't work in iTunes, Finder, Office or Adobe apps.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Fritz Laurel said 4:02PM on 6-25-2007
Awesome! I've been using Apple equipment since 1979 and I didn't know about this. This has been one of my major gripes with OSX are these damned columns in the open dialog that hide more information than they show. Well, hide no more, my beloved information! Be free!
Cheers,
FL
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Jimmy Baker said 4:12PM on 6-25-2007
Hi.
It doesn't work with Adobe Illustrator or InDesign...
I wonder why (even if I'm not using the "Adobe dialog").
It would be useful - this is one of the reasons I don't use column view; it never remembers when I have adjusted the column width... This "new" undiscovered feature would be great if it would work with the Adobe software, since I use them on a daily basis.
/jiba
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olcrazypete said 4:56PM on 6-25-2007
Looks like holding down option while doubleclicking will 'right size' all the columns, not just the root one.
P
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Leif said 4:43PM on 6-25-2007
In Finder: Option-Drag the pipes to resize all columns at once. Option-Double-Click the pipes to "Right Size all Columns equally".
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shon Dempsey said 4:46PM on 6-25-2007
I can confirm Jimmy Baker's comment about it not working in adobe programs, using the apple dialog (as opposed to Adobe's dialog window). When I first read about this feature from David, I was overjoyed.. until i found out it doesn't work with adobe programs (which is the only programs where i ever use the open dialog). Not sure either why this doesnt work.. I cant even get the right click menu to come up.
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systemsboy said 4:57PM on 6-25-2007
This feature appears to be Cocoa-only.
-systemsboy
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ACoolie said 5:20PM on 6-25-2007
Yes, this is Cocoa only, so it won't work in applications such as iTunes, Finder, Microsoft Office, or any Adobe application.
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G said 6:37PM on 6-25-2007
It would be nice if I didn't have to click on anything, and it simply remembered where I set things the last time. But thanks for the tips. It does help.
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Darren said 8:37PM on 6-25-2007
In Finder, Option+Double-Click a column does the "Right Size All Columns Equally" trick
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bkpr said 5:57AM on 6-26-2007
-- 8. It would be nice if I didn't have to click on anything, and it simply remembered where I set things the last time. --
Here, here. It would be SUPER nice if you could select a box that tells Finder to automatically size all columns to show all text all the time.
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Doctor Hugs said 11:14AM on 6-26-2007
What I'd really like to know is what on earth "Today Shits.JPG" is.
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