Save, Rename and Move Files With the Title Bar

You can save, rename and move files using the title bar while the file is open and you are working on it. There is no need to use the File menu for the most common file functions. You don't need to close a file to rename or move it.

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Video Transcript: Now if you have been using your computer for awhile you know that when you create a new file the standard way to do it is to create the file, then you save, and then you give it a file name. So, for instance, let's try creating something in TextEdit.
So I'm going to create a new document. I'm going to type something. Then I'm going to hit Command S or File, Save. It's going to ask me for a file name. I can determine where I want to put it. I can expand the menu here to actually have more choices about where to put it.  Then Save the file. 
But actually it could be a lot simpler than that. You don't actually even have to use the Save command anymore. So let's start over again. 
I'm going to create a new document here in TextEdit. It creates it. I'm going to type some text and I'm going to use the Title Bar to do everything. So in the Title Bar here you can see it gives me the default title, Untitled.txt. I can click on that and it will actually allow me to change the name. So I'll just call it My File and I can set where it goes. Here by default it's set to Save to the TextEdit area of iCloud. I can more that to say my Documents folder. 
That's it! The file is actually already saved. I didn't have to do the saving part at all. So I'll switch to the Finder here and I will create a new Finder window which holds my Documents folder and there's the file itself. I can actually continue to Save as I type, Command S, and you can see it updates the file there.
 In addition to that I can also Rename the file using the Title Bar. So a lot of these file functions that are here you no longer have to use under the File menu. You can use here in the Title Bar. So I click here and you can see I can change the name and watch what happens in the Finder here as I do that. As soon as I hit Return you can see it changes the name of the file. So you can Rename files using the Title Bar even while they're open. 
Now what if I wanted to move a file. I can do that in the Title Bar as well. So I can click here and it says Where is it going to be. Well I can click in there and select another location like let's say the Desktop. I can do that and you can see it moved from Documents to the Desktop all while I have the file open and all while using the Title Bar.  I had the option of going to Other here as well and select from a full array of locations. So I can move it back there into the Documents folder.
So using the Title Bar now you can save the document initially giving it a name, you can rename it, and you can move it all from the Title Bar while the file is open.  
This works in lots of apps. Most apps actually. So, for instance, in Pages here I can go open a document I've got in Pages. I can click here and see it's saved in this folder here. This is the name. I can call it something else. I can move it to say the Documents folder, in there, close it and you can see it has been renamed and moved all in the Title Bar, all while I was actually editing the file.

Comments: 9 Responses to “Save, Rename and Move Files With the Title Bar”

Mr. Luigi

8 years ago

Great tip!!! Using text edit you said the saved document continues to update automatically. Does this happen in all applications when you use the" title bar tip" to do the initial saving?

Gary Rosenzweig

Luigi: It happens in most applications, but has nothing to do with the title bar. Modern apps like Pages, Numbers, Keynote, TextEdit, etc, will save automatically. Try it. Create a document in Pages and save it. Then type something. Close the document without saving. Then open it again.

Jimmy

This is a great tip. Going to make things so much easier. Thank you

Paul Robinson

Spiffy!

Appreciate the full run down on this-- and your clear presentation, friendly approach, and good voice.

The programs you list are all Apple's. Alas, this does not seem to work in any of the programs in Microsoft Office.

It does, though, seem similar to how Pages and Numbers work in iOS-- at least so far as the naming and renaming goes.

Sharon Nale

Ignorance is here. You said TEXT EDIT. How do I find and use this? Is there an advantage to using TET EDIT over WORD?

Nevermind, Gary. I just found it in APPLICATIONS!

Sharon: TextEdit is a great Mac app that has been around for a long time. I've done lots of videos on it: http://macmost.com/tag/textedit

Rich S

What is the "tag" that shows when re-naming a file & how do you use it?

Rich: See http://macmost.com/finder-tags.html

Comments Closed.

Save, Rename and Move Files With the Title Bar

Comments: 9 Responses to “Save, Rename and Move Files With the Title Bar”

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