I call up a list of files in a folder in View as List, and I can order sort them by Name, Date Modified, Size, and Kind. But how do I order them manually? As in, where I DECIDE what order they get displayed in? Kind of annoying that I can't just grab and drop a file where I want it to appear in the list. In icon view, I can drag the icon wherever I want it. But I want list view. Sequoia 15.5.
iMac 24″, macOS 15.5
All I can think of are workarounds. Add a number at the start of the file name. A space or more at the start will send it to the top of the list. A "z" will send it to the end.
Icon view does let you put it where you want, but then it isn't a list as such.
OK, the answer is you just can't. I figured as much. That's disappointing, in that I can drag icons all over the place, and I can sort the list, but only in the ways that Apple wants me to. Yes, list view is an ordered list, but not the order I want.
Dannymac22 wrote:
That sounds practical, but doesn't entirely make sense. If I go into column view, I don't see any comments to sort on.
@MrHoffman meant to say you need to click "View" menu in the Finder and select "Show View Options...". There is a check box for "Comments" which will add this as a new Column in List View which you can use for sorting.
MrHoffman wrote:
Ugly, but avoids modifying the filename: add a comment on the file (Command-I), enable column view, and use that to control the displayed order.
Hey that's a nice although laborious way to sort all files in a custom order.
I have used Finder color tags and then View > Sort By > Tags.
If you are looking for an unordered list, then send feedback to Apple here:
Ugly, but avoids modifying the filename: add a comment on the file (Command-I), enable column view, and use that to control the displayed order.
That sounds practical, but doesn't entirely make sense. If I go into column view, I don't see any comments to sort on.
Ah, many thanks. that did the trick.
ordering files in a list manually
