Our Verdict
One of the challenges of the Mac ’s pamphlet - metaphor user interface for working with files has always been moving an item from one locating to another when the original and fair game destinations are in dissimilar parts of your drive ’s folder hierarchy . For most mass , this signify open two Finder windows — one for the pamphlet presently hosting the particular , the other display the place to which you want to move the file — and then dragging the item between the two . You then have to “ strip up ” by closing one or both windows .
Of course , Mac OS does bring home the bacon pop - up booklet , so if you trail an point over the icon of your gruelling drive or a folder , a Finder windowpane opens ( after a shortsighted delay ) to display that container ’s content . you could then move your item over a folder insidethatwindow to pop it open , and so on , until you get to the trust location . You then drop the item to move it there . In some way , this coming is easier , but it still requires that the goal booklet ( or at least some pamphlet or drive confine it ) be seeable in the Finder or in the Dock . And if you ’ve used pop - up folders much , you know that folders not in Column see seldom open in a ordered location , and that if your drag is break up for any rationality , you must start over .
If you habituate OS X ’s Spaces feature , there ’s also the hassle of moving files between windows ( and programs ) in unlike workspace . And Lion ( OS X 7 ) sum the challenge of dragging file and folders to apps that you practice in full - blind style — there ’s no easy way to do it .
Drag a file or folder, and Yoink offers its shelf (left). Dragged items are added to the shelf (right) for later use.
A few years back — eight , to be exact — I covered a public utility cry XShelf , itself inspired by a NeXT OS feature , that ply an appealing alternative : a “ shelf ” where you could temporarily cache point you want to move . XShelf still seems to ferment in Lion , but it has n’t been update in 4 years , and it looks the part . It also does n’t bring with full - CRT screen apps .
Yoink(Mac App Store link ) is a brand - raw utility that aims to furnish similar functionality in Lion . With Yoink operate , whenever you start dragging a file cabinet or folder in the Finder , a modest , translucent ledge slide out from the side of your projection screen . Drag your item onto the shelf , and the point ’s ikon appears on the shelf . ( The actual detail remains — for now — in its original location . )
Now you may pilot to the destination localisation , either in the current Finder window or in a new one . You then just drag the item off the shelf and into the pamphlet . As with the Finder itself , if the destination is on the same intensity as the original , the item is move ; if the destination is on a different bulk , the item is copy .
Unlike XShelf ’s shelf , Yoink ’s shelf come out in every workspace , making it handy for move data file across workspace and even into full - screen apps . For many users , this feature of speech alone will make Yoink hugely likable .
Yoink ’s shelf usher only three items at a sentence , but if you drag in more than three items , the ledge gains a curlicue streak . For any particular you place in the Yoink ledge , you could click the remove ( x ) button to polish off the point from the ledge without do on it ( although there ’s no manner to quickly remove multiple items ) , and you could come home the Quick Look - style clit to get a basic prevue of the file . The latter choice is useful , although the preview is very small and it does n’t let in the full name of the detail , which , because of the narrow-minded breadth of the ledge , is seldom fully visible .
Unlike XShelf , which mechanically hides unless you move your cursor to the edge of the screen , Yoink ’s shelf remain seeable until it ’s empty . I by and large choose this behavior , as if there ’s something on the shelf , I usually want to play on it immediately . However , there are time I wish Yoink would let me veil the shelf with an item on it .
Yoink ’s preference windowpane offers a few extra options . you’re able to position the shelf at the center of either the left - hand or correct - paw border of your main screen . ( This pick is also available if you right - click or controller - click anywhere in the ledge . ) you could choose how long the shelf stays open after you drag on an item to or from it . you could also choose to automatically remove point from the ledge when you drag on them off , or to automatically empty the entire shelf when you add new items to it . eventually , perhaps my favorite feature is the choice to have the ledge ’s “ drop curtain zone ” seem next to the mouse cursor whenever you start to drag a Indian file or folder in the Finder , so you do n’t have to drag an point all the way across the screen to add it to the shelf .
XShelf does have a few features I miss in Yoink . For model , XShelf extend a number of options for fine-tune the visual aspect and position of the ledge . you may also operate each item one by one , so , for object lesson , you may keep particular item in the shelf even if you hale them off . ( With Yoink , that ’s an all - or - nothing circumstance . ) XShelf also lets you view the path to the current location of each item .
I hope future updates to Yoink contribute some of these feature , as well as the capability to drag in , say , ikon from your internet browser or text from a document to the shelf so you’re able to then drag them into other political program . I ’m look forward to future versions .
( Note : Although Yoink is available for purchase only from the Mac App Store , you could download a 15 - day tribulation edition from the developer ’s website to see if you like using Yoink before buying . )
