Finder alternative with New File

Question

Coming from the Windows/Ubuntu world I enjoy a lot of macOS things, but one thing that drives me crazy is the lack of new file button in the finder. I know that you are supposed to save the file from the proper application but I hate it.

Is there a Finder plugin (or anything like an Alfred workflow) or an alternative explore manager that have this functionality?

Answer 1

I can offer you 3 options:

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Option 1.

I think the most popular alternative to Finder is Path Finder and it has the "new file" feature.

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Option 2.

If you search the App Store with "New file", you'll find quite a few Finder extensions that do this.

I'd maybe suggest:

• New File Menu Free
  • You'd probably want to set the template to be Blank Document
• New File Menu (~$2)
  • I believe the key difference is that the free one only allows one new file item to be added at a time and the paid one allows you to add multiple.

I haven't really tested many of these so I don't know if this is the best one or not.

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Option 3.

I've made myself this applescript:

This could be triggered using Alfred or pretty much anything that supports applescripts.

A dialog window will open up asking for filename and when you press enter, new file will be put in the current Finder or Path Finder folder. It is restricted to only proceed if Path Finder or Finder is the active application.

• This is the icon I use in the script (not that it's important or anything...)
• If it was unclear, in the code the path to the icon is the root of the user folder: ~/new-file.icns and it is defined in the iconfile variable.

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if application "Path Finder" is frontmost then

    tell application "Path Finder"
        set currentPath to the path of the target of the front finder window
    end tell

    makeNewFile( currentPath )

else if application "Finder" is frontmost then

    tell application "Finder"
        set currentPath to (folder of the front window) as alias
    end tell

    makeNewFile( currentPath )

end if

on makeNewFile( currentPath )

    set userPath to POSIX path of (path to home folder)
    set iconfile to POSIX file (userPath & "new-file.icns") as alias

    display dialog "For instance: 
My File.txt, index.html, Markdown file.md" with title "Create a new file..." default answer "" with icon iconfile
    set fileName to text returned of result

    tell application "Finder"
        make file at currentPath with properties {name:fileName}
    end tell

end makeNewFile

Answer 2

I created a little AppleScript applet you can add to the toolbar in Finder. When clicked, it creates a new blank file in the current directory, letting you rename it immediately – just like in Windows.

In the future, I plan to implement it also as a Finder extension.

Answer 3

The app "Forklift" does just what you're asking for, plus much, much more!

http://binarynights.com/forklift/index