Groups > comp.sys.mac.system > #73487 > unrolled thread

How do mac users create a blank text file where you want it?

Started by	"Adam H. Kerman" <ahk@chinet.com>
First post	2015-04-20 00:40 +0000
Last post	2015-04-22 09:09 -0700
Articles	19 on this page of 379 — 28 participants

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#73768

From	David Ritz <dritz@mindspring.com>
Date	2015-04-20 10:33 -0500
Message-ID	<alpine.OSX.2.20.1504201014400.57809@mako.ath.cx>
In reply to	#73679

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On Monday, 20 April 2015 18:08 +1000, 
 in article <do_ray_me-60842F.18084620042015@aioe.org>, 
 dorayme <do_ray_me@bigpond.com> wrote:

> In article <alpine.OSX.2.20.1504192302500.57809@mako.ath.cx>,
>  David Ritz <dritz@mindspring.com> wrote:

>> On Monday, 20 April 2015 13:52 +1000, 
>>  in article <do_ray_me-0B0122.13525720042015@aioe.org>, 
>>  dorayme <do_ray_me@bigpond.com> wrote:

>>> In article <alpine.OSX.2.20.1504192135570.57809@mako.ath.cx>,
>>>  David Ritz <dritz@mindspring.com> wrote:

>>>> The easiest way I can come up with, to create a new text file, in 
>>>> the directory of your choice, is via Terminal application, found 
>>>> in /Applications/Utilities/.  To create the file, type

>>>>     touch /full/path/to/file.txt

>>> That's the easiest way eh on a Mac? Did you have a common-sense 
>>> bypass at some stage?

>> Criticize all you like, but I've yet to see anyone else offer a one 
>> step, or even two step solution.  ;)

> It's a one or two step solution in my Text-Edit. Just click the 
> dropdown item in the format menu when beginning.

You left out one or two steps, one of which is navigating to the 
correct directory in the Save dialog.

>> Do you have a problem with a simple, quite straight forward way of 
>> creating an empty text file, as requested.

> No, I don't have a problem but it feels complicated to ask a windoze 
> bloke who in turn is helping to show a Mac user (who ipso facto is 
> likely a bit of a novice) to create a text file...

Adam may be a Mac novice, but he's no novice to Usenet and computing.  
I'm semi-familiar with him, as he's a regular in alt.config and a few 
other Usenet specific newsgroups.

Adam may be best served by thinking of OS X as a slick GUI shell, 
running on Unix (Darwin, a BSD variant).  Chances are he is familiar 
with editing text files from the command line.  I pointed him to the 
command line and mentioned a few CLI editors, at least one of which 
he's used previously.

While suggesting ...

    vim /full/path/to/file.txt

... might have worked for him, I'm quite certain it would have left 
his friend baffled and befuddled.

-- 
David Ritz <dritz@mindspring.com>
 Be kind to animals; kiss a shark.

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#73781

From	Warren Oates <warren.oates@gmail.com>
Date	2015-04-20 12:13 -0400
Message-ID	<5535258c$0$19438$c3e8da3$b1356c67@news.astraweb.com>
In reply to	#73562

In article <do_ray_me-0B0122.13525720042015@aioe.org>,
 dorayme <do_ray_me@bigpond.com> wrote:

> That's the easiest way eh on a Mac? Did you have a common-sense bypass 
> at some stage?

Actually, I agree with him. It is in fact the easiest way to create an 
empty file that the system will recognize as a plain-text file. I always 
have a terminal open anyway. I create files that way sometimes.
-- 
Where's the Vangelis music?
Pris' tongue is sticking out in in the wide shot after Batty has kissed her.
They have put back more tits into the Zhora dressing  room scene.
  -- notes for Blade Runner

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#73783

From	Jolly Roger <jollyroger@pobox.com>
Date	2015-04-20 16:42 +0000
Message-ID	<cpkoj4Fig8hU1@mid.individual.net>
In reply to	#73781

On 2015-04-20, Warren Oates <warren.oates@gmail.com> wrote:
> In article <do_ray_me-0B0122.13525720042015@aioe.org>,
>  dorayme <do_ray_me@bigpond.com> wrote:
>
>> That's the easiest way eh on a Mac? Did you have a common-sense bypass 
>> at some stage?
>
> Actually, I agree with him. It is in fact the easiest way to create an 
> empty file that the system will recognize as a plain-text file. I always 
> have a terminal open anyway. I create files that way sometimes.

I use touch to create files all the time too - when I am already on the
command line. I definitely don't open a terminal window *just* to create
files, since there are much faster / better ways to do that from the
GUI.

-- 
E-mail sent to this address may be devoured by my ravenous SPAM filter.
I often ignore posts from Google. Use a real news client instead.

JR

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#73812

From	dorayme <do_ray_me@bigpond.com>
Date	2015-04-21 11:21 +1000
Message-ID	<do_ray_me-FECBF4.11213621042015@aioe.org>
In reply to	#73781

In article <5535258c$0$19438$c3e8da3$b1356c67@news.astraweb.com>,
 Warren Oates <warren.oates@gmail.com> wrote:

> In article <do_ray_me-0B0122.13525720042015@aioe.org>,
>  dorayme <do_ray_me@bigpond.com> wrote:
> 
> > That's the easiest way eh on a Mac? Did you have a common-sense bypass 
> > at some stage?
> 
> Actually, I agree with him. It is in fact the easiest way to create an 
> empty file that the system will recognize as a plain-text file. I always 
> have a terminal open anyway. I create files that way sometimes.

I am convinced about it being an easy way. Just that I baulked at a 
non-Mac teacher teaching a novice Mac user via Terminal. Seemed 
bizarre. 

--
You can kiss a duck's bum, but you have to be quick.

-- 
dorayme

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#73587

From	jamiekg@wizardling.geek.nz (Jamie Kahn Genet)
Date	2015-04-20 16:53 +1200
Message-ID	<1m36s6d.w6sxd718q3128N%jamiekg@wizardling.geek.nz>
In reply to	#73487

Adam H. Kerman <ahk@chinet.com> wrote:

> I tried to help a friend create a simple text file on
> Macintosh OSX 10.9.5 and it was very difficult.
> 
> Right clicking didn't have any option to create a text file.
> http://i.imgur.com/RkrcG3M.png
> 
> So I had to find an existing text file because I couldn't
> just create an empty text file.
> 
> Once I dug around and found a text file, I then found the 
> "duplicate" menu, and I duplicated it to "filename copy", 
> but was unable to just cut and paste it without duplicating
> it first.
> 
> After duplicating it, I was able to cut and paste it so 
> that I could put it in the folder where I wanted it to be.
> 
> But when I changed the name to a reasonable name to indicate
> it was a text file, the file simply disappeared! (I had named
> it something like filename.txt).
>  
> Having no idea what happened to the file I had just named
> filename.txt, I tried again by duplicating and then cutting
> and pasting without a filename extension, to just a file name 
> of "save_text".
> http://i.imgur.com/Vp0LkB4.png
> 
> Only then (after far too many steps), was I able to have a 
> text file in the location I wanted it.
> 
> Since the Mac is different from what I am used to, I am sure
> I am doing something very wrong since it can't be this complex
> to do something as simple as create an empty text file where
> you want it to exist with a file name that indicates it's
> a text file.
> 
> Given the simple goal of 
> a) Creating a blank text file
> b) In a desired location
> c) With some indication that it's a text file
> How would a Mac user have done this task?

Leaving aside the question of why I'd ever care to do this, simply
launch a text editor and save a blank document. Or you could wait till
you've actually got something to type into the document...
-- 
If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.

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#73660

From	"Adam H. Kerman" <ahk@chinet.com>
Date	2015-04-20 07:09 +0000
Message-ID	<mh28mv$i5o$46@news.albasani.net>
In reply to	#73587

jamiekg@wizardling.geek.nz (Jamie Kahn Genet) wrote in message
1m36s6d.w6sxd718q3128N%jamiekg@wizardling.geek.nz

> Leaving aside the question of why I'd ever care to do this, simply
> launch a text editor and save a blank document. Or you could wait till
> you've actually got something to type into the document...

I didn't actually want a blank document, although there are plenty of 
times that placeholder documents are useful - this wasn't one of them.

Since I didn't see a text editor in the user's desktop menus, and since 
I'm not familiar with Macintosh application names, I was unaware of the 
TextEdit editor.

However, I knew enough about the Mac to know that once I had a plain text 
file, that the default text editor would launch when I doubleclicked on 
that plain text file.

So that's the only reason I had initially wanted to create an *empty* 
plain text file.

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#73688

From	jamiekg@wizardling.geek.nz (Jamie Kahn Genet)
Date	2015-04-20 20:13 +1200
Message-ID	<1m371c3.1n6aksg1aq4t1jN%jamiekg@wizardling.geek.nz>
In reply to	#73660

Adam H. Kerman <ahk@chinet.com> wrote:

> jamiekg@wizardling.geek.nz (Jamie Kahn Genet) wrote in message
> 1m36s6d.w6sxd718q3128N%jamiekg@wizardling.geek.nz
> 
> > Leaving aside the question of why I'd ever care to do this, simply
> > launch a text editor and save a blank document. Or you could wait till
> > you've actually got something to type into the document...
> 
> I didn't actually want a blank document, although there are plenty of
> times that placeholder documents are useful - this wasn't one of them.
> 
> Since I didn't see a text editor in the user's desktop menus, and since
> I'm not familiar with Macintosh application names, I was unaware of the
> TextEdit editor.

If you mean the Finder's menus, you must think the Mac comes with no
applications at all. How can you be so stunningly clueless to not even
open a Finder window and see the Application folder?

> However, I knew enough about the Mac to know that once I had a plain text
> file, that the default text editor would launch when I doubleclicked on
> that plain text file.
> 
> So that's the only reason I had initially wanted to create an *empty*
> plain text file.

So instead of learning how a Mac works, specifically how to browse and
launch applications, you decided to do everything arse backwards?

I think you are a troll.
-- 
If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.

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#73795

From	bob <rcp27g@gmail.com>
Date	2015-04-20 20:23 +0200
Message-ID	<mh3g50$otb$1@dont-email.me>
In reply to	#73487

On 2015-04-20 00:40:12 +0000, Adam H. Kerman said:

> I tried to help a friend create a simple text file on
> Macintosh OSX 10.9.5 and it was very difficult.

[snip]

I must say, I have not seen such a fine example of the art of trolling 
in a very long time.

> Given the simple goal of
> a) Creating a blank text file
> b) In a desired location
> c) With some indication that it's a text file
> How would a Mac user have done this task?

Personally, I'd go with the following:

cmd - [space]
term
[return]
cd /path/of/my/choice
[return]
emacs
[return]
C-x C-f filename.txt
[create some content, you can't actually create an empty file this way]
[return]
C-x C-s C-x C-c

Works on any mac, straight out of the box.

HTH, HAND

Robin

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#73797

From	Tim Streater <timstreater@greenbee.net>
Date	2015-04-20 19:53 +0100
Message-ID	<200420151953414384%timstreater@greenbee.net>
In reply to	#73795

In article <mh3g50$otb$1@dont-email.me>, bob <rcp27g@gmail.com> wrote:

>C-x C-s C-x C-c

I've only run emacs twice in my life, in each case it took me 20 mins
to figure out how to quit it because of the line-noise-method one has
to use to do so.

-- 
"I love the way that Microsoft follows standards. 
 In much the same manner as fish follow migrating caribou."
                                               - Paul Tomblin, ASR

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#73836

From	gtr <xxx@yyy.zzz>
Date	2015-04-21 12:09 -0700
Message-ID	<201504211209125610-xxx@yyyzzz>
In reply to	#73795

On 2015-04-20 18:23:23 +0000, bob said:

> Personally, I'd go with the following:

Other than issuing a command to saving the file and typing in 
identifying text (I assume Windows users can even handle that without 
stress), in principle, I'd suggest the following:

1 Open TextEdit
2 Hit esc to get rid of the open file dialogue, *something that's 
become necessary only recently.
3 Command-N for a new text file. My preferences are already set to 
create plain text files.

But in actual practice, I have a hotkey fashioned through QuicKeys that 
allows me to:

1 Enter Shift-Ctl-T.  This hotkey opens a previously created empty text file.

*Is there any way to turn this new apparent system default off?  Pages 
and Numbers of also started doing this.

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#73846

From	M-M <nospam@ny.more>
Date	2015-04-21 20:43 -0400
Message-ID	<210420152043236832%nospam@ny.more>
In reply to	#73836

In article <201504211209125610-xxx@yyyzzz>, gtr <xxx@yyy.zzz> wrote:

> 1 Open TextEdit
> 2 Hit esc to get rid of the open file dialogue, *something that's 
> become necessary only recently.
> 3 Command-N for a new text file. My preferences are already set to 
> create plain text files.

It is annoying that the open file dialog now appears.

But you don't have to esc to get rid of it. Cmd-N will make it go away
and open a blank page.

-- 
m-m
http://www.mhmyers.com

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#73823

From	Howard S Shubs <howard@shubs.net>
Date	2015-04-21 10:19 +0000
Message-ID	<slrnmjc92f.307.howard@foxtrot.local>
In reply to	#73487

On 2015-04-20, Adam H. Kerman <ahk@chinet.com> wrote:
> Given the simple goal of 
> a) Creating a blank text file
> b) In a desired location
> c) With some indication that it's a text file
> How would a Mac user have done this task?

a) in Terminal, "touch filename"
b) in Word, save as text
c) in TextEdit, create and save a file
d) in BBEdit, ditto

What do you want to do with the file?  You're going to use a program on
it at some point; create it with that program.

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#73848

From	Alan Baker <email@domain.com>
Date	2015-04-21 18:28 -0700
Message-ID	<mh6tgn$21m$1@news.datemas.de>
In reply to	#73487

On 2015-04-20 00:40:12 +0000, Adam H. Kerman said:

> I tried to help a friend create a simple text file on
> Macintosh OSX 10.9.5 and it was very difficult.
> 
> Right clicking didn't have any option to create a text file.
> http://i.imgur.com/RkrcG3M.png
> 
> So I had to find an existing text file because I couldn't
> just create an empty text file.
> 
> Once I dug around and found a text file, I then found the
> "duplicate" menu, and I duplicated it to "filename copy",
> but was unable to just cut and paste it without duplicating
> it first.
> 
> After duplicating it, I was able to cut and paste it so
> that I could put it in the folder where I wanted it to be.
> 
> But when I changed the name to a reasonable name to indicate
> it was a text file, the file simply disappeared! (I had named
> it something like filename.txt).
> 
> Having no idea what happened to the file I had just named
> filename.txt, I tried again by duplicating and then cutting
> and pasting without a filename extension, to just a file name
> of "save_text".
> http://i.imgur.com/Vp0LkB4.png
> 
> Only then (after far too many steps), was I able to have a
> text file in the location I wanted it.
> 
> Since the Mac is different from what I am used to, I am sure
> I am doing something very wrong since it can't be this complex
> to do something as simple as create an empty text file where
> you want it to exist with a file name that indicates it's
> a text file.
> 
> Given the simple goal of
> a) Creating a blank text file
> b) In a desired location
> c) With some indication that it's a text file
> How would a Mac user have done this task?

Why would you actually WANT a blank text file?

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#73851

From	JF Mezei <jfmezei.spamnot@vaxination.ca>
Date	2015-04-21 21:40 -0400
Message-ID	<5536fbf5$0$44517$c3e8da3$66d3cc2f@news.astraweb.com>
In reply to	#73848

On 15-04-21 21:28, Alan Baker wrote:

> Why would you actually WANT a blank text file?

-Application which checked for existence of file as some sort of flag.

-Application which opens file as "append", and expects the file to be
present when it starts up. But you want to create a blank version at
start of month after you've moved the old log file elsewhere. (yeah,
some operating systems will automatically create the file with just an
"a", but some will fail if the file doesn't yet exist).


Or when you start some project, you create the filenames where you will
be entering notes at different stages of project. With the files already
there, you can just click on the relevant one and add comments to it
when needed.

There are plebnty opf scenarios where a blank file can be needed.

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#73855

From	Lewis <g.kreme@gmail.com.dontsendmecopies>
Date	2015-04-22 03:32 +0000
Message-ID	<slrnmje5ki.3d5.g.kreme@amelia.local>
In reply to	#73851

In message <5536fbf5$0$44517$c3e8da3$66d3cc2f@news.astraweb.com> 
  JF Mezei <jfmezei.spamnot@vaxination.ca> wrote:
> On 15-04-21 21:28, Alan Baker wrote:

>> Why would you actually WANT a blank text file?

> -Application which checked for existence of file as some sort of flag.

Like what?

> -Application which opens file as "append",

Like what?

> There are plebnty opf scenarios where a blank file can be needed.

Not really.

-- 
Q is for QUENTIN who sank in the mire
R is for RHODA consumed by a fire

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#73867

From	Warren Oates <warren.oates@gmail.com>
Date	2015-04-22 08:15 -0400
Message-ID	<553790eb$0$25104$c3e8da3$92d0a893@news.astraweb.com>
In reply to	#73855

In article <slrnmje5ki.3d5.g.kreme@amelia.local>,
 Lewis <g.kreme@gmail.com.dontsendmecopies> wrote:

> 
> > There are plebnty opf scenarios where a blank file can be needed.
> 
> Not really.

Well, I'm glad you've set us straight on that. I'll sleep better tonight.
-- 
Where's the Vangelis music?
Pris' tongue is sticking out in in the wide shot after Batty has kissed her.
They have put back more tits into the Zhora dressing  room scene.
  -- notes for Blade Runner

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#73852

From	dorayme <do_ray_me@bigpond.com>
Date	2015-04-22 12:07 +1000
Message-ID	<do_ray_me-6B64B3.12072722042015@aioe.org>
In reply to	#73848

In article <mh6tgn$21m$1@news.datemas.de>,
 Alan Baker <email@domain.com> wrote:

> Why would you actually WANT a blank text file?

To name it and keep it in a folder for a job, after which is done, to 
then write relevant things for say a Read Me. Why not do it later? 
Because some people like to do as many easy things on a big job as 
possible first, the low hanging fruit, it gets them to feel they are 
finally getting into the job they have been putting off.

-- 
dorayme

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#73869

From	M-M <nospam@ny.more>
Date	2015-04-22 09:45 -0400
Message-ID	<220420150945150077%nospam@ny.more>
In reply to	#73848

In article <mh6tgn$21m$1@news.datemas.de>, Alan Baker
<email@domain.com> wrote:

> Why would you actually WANT a blank text file?

I do all the time. I create blank text files with information I need
that I can access with Spotlight.

-- 
m-m
http://www.mhmyers.com

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#73881

From	Electric Comet <electric-comet@mail.invalid>
Date	2015-04-22 09:09 -0700
Message-ID	<mh8h6t$2n7$6@dont-email.me>
In reply to	#73487

On Mon, 20 Apr 2015 00:40:12 +0000 (UTC)
"Adam H. Kerman" <ahk@chinet.com> wrote:

> I tried to help a friend create a simple text file on
> Macintosh OSX 10.9.5 and it was very difficult.

i would've done 
touch newfile.txt

but you'd have to do so from a command line and leaving thew orld
of the gui can be daunting and scar yfor some

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csiph-web

How do mac users create a blank text file where you want it?

Contents

#73768

#73781

#73783

#73812

#73587

#73660

#73688

#73795

#73797

#73836

#73846

#73823

#73848

#73851

#73855

#73867

#73852

#73869

#73881