Common file operations

Rename, duplicate, delete, copy, move - the things you do constantly.

Common file operations

Explorer puts the “everyday operations” in three places:

  • the command bar (top actions)
  • the right-click menu
  • keyboard shortcuts

This page is the practical map: what’s available, where it lives, and what to expect.

Create New Items & 7 Code Templates

From the New menu in the Command Bar or Right-Click Context Menu, you can create:

  • Folder (⇧⌘N or F7)
  • Shortcut / Symlink (fs.createShortcut) or POSIX Hardlink (fs.createHardlink)
  • Zip Archive (.zip)
  • 7 Pre-Formatted File Templates:
    • Text Document (.txt)
    • Markdown Note (.md)
    • JSON Document (.json)
    • Python Script (.py)
    • Shell Script (.sh) (pre-populated with #!/usr/bin/env bash)
    • HTML5 Page (.html)
    • CSV Table (.csv)

Paste Clipboard Directly as a File (fs.clipboard.pasteAsFile)

If your macOS clipboard contains a screenshot, copied image, or copied text snippet rather than file URLs, choosing Paste as File saves the clipboard payload directly into the active folder as Clipboard_YYYY-MM-DD.png or Clipboard.txt / .md / .json.

Inline Rename & Batch Rename Studio (⇧⌘R)

  • Single Item Rename (Return or F2): starts inline rename while preventing accidental overwrites.
  • Batch Rename Studio (⇧⌘R or Return with multiple items selected):
    • 3 Modes: Find & Replace (with /regex/, Aa case sensitivity, and ⇄ Swap Find & Replace), Prefix & Suffix, and Numbering Pattern (custom Start # and Step #).
    • Inline Character Diff: highlights deleted characters in orange strikethrough and inserted characters in emerald green before you commit.
    • 6 Dynamic Tokens: {name}, {parent} (parent folder name), {n:02}, {n:03}, {date} (YYYY-MM-DD), and {ext}.
    • 6 Case Transforms: Original, lowercase, UPPERCASE, Title Case, snake_case, and kebab-case, plus saved custom presets.

Select by Pattern Studio (⇧⌘S)

Filter or modify complex selections in large directories:

  • 4 Modes: Replace, Add (+), Remove (−), or Invert matched selection across All, Files, or Folders.
  • Wildcard & /RegEx/ + ! Exclude: match *.png; *.svg or invert with ! Exclude to select everything except matching items.
  • Auto-Detected Folder Extensions & Size Pills: click detected .ext chips from the active folder (Shift-click to combine) or filter by > 1 MB, > 10 MB, or < 100 KB.

Quick Shelf / Drop Stack (⇧⌘K)

Collect files across multiple folders, tabs, or drives into a temporary holding basket:

  • Drag All Native OS Pill: drag the entire shelf stack out to Finder, Desktop, Mail, or Slack in one gesture.
  • 1-Click Batch Actions: Move All to Current Folder, Copy Here, ZIP Here, or Batch Rename shelf items.

Delete, Trash, Restore & 3-Pass Secure Shred

  • Move to Trash (⌘⌫ or Delete): moves items to the native macOS Trash.
  • Restore from Trash (fs.trash.restore): restores trashed items back to their original source path.
  • Delete Permanently (⌥⌘⌫ or Shift+Delete): unlinks immediately, bypassing Trash.
  • 3-Pass Secure Shred (fs.shred): overwrites sensitive files with 0xFF, 0x00, and cryptographic random bytes (arc4random_buf), flushes to disk, renames to a random UUID, and unlinks permanently.
  • Full Undo / Redo Stack (⌘Z / ⇧⌘Z): undo or redo Rename, Batch Rename, New Folder/File, Move, Copy, and Trash actions.

Copy / move (high level)

Copy/move is handled as a transfer job with progress and conflict handling.

  • Copy/cut/paste works like standard macOS apps.
  • Drag-and-drop supports copy/move with safety guards.
  • Conflicts can be handled automatically or via an “Ask” dialog.

Open, Share, Open With…

Explorer supports quick “do the obvious thing” actions:

  • Open files and folders directly from the list
  • Open With… to choose a specific app
  • Share… to bring up the system share sheet (macOS app)

Properties + “Copy as Path”

  • Cmd + I → Properties (path, type, size, modified/created dates)
  • Option + Cmd + C → Copy as Path (great for terminals, scripts, or support tickets)

Quick Look (fast inspection)

  • Space opens Quick Look for the selected item(s).
  • Pair it with the preview pane if you want details on the right while you browse.

Next steps