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To be more specific, I am saving a file from my markdown editor. Within the save dialog box, I navigate to the folder I wish to save the file. I then decide to change the name of the file. I put my cursor at the end of the text string and hit CMD + Delete. The expected behavior is to delete the entire string. Instead, this deletes the previously selected folder I highlighted in the dialog box.

Typically, I expect CMD + Delete to remove an entire line of text. I also tested this with renaming a file. If my focus is on the string name of the file, why would CMD+delete remove the file, when Option+Delete removes individual words as expected.

I can do screen shots or short movie if this is confusing. I don't recall this happening previously but I'm not often creating files outside of Python.

13" rMBP using 10.10.1

2 Answers 2

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If the file name is highlighted then just use Delete, not the CMD+Delete.

The CMD+Delete will also delete the file on my MBA with 10.9.5 Finder.

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  • The downside to what you recommended is that for Delete alone to remove all the text I have to have it all highlighted. Delete removes it character by character unless I have everything selected. It just goes against the behavior I'm used to in every other instance when I'm manipulating strings. Thanks!
    – Taylor M.
    Jan 9, 2015 at 17:36
  • It is actually simple, just double click (slow click, otherwise it will open the file) on the file name to highlight all.
    – Ruskes
    Jan 9, 2015 at 17:38
  • I understand that, I'm just curious about why the default behavior of CMD+Delete when the focus is a string (file name, saving a file, folder name, or bit of code in Sublime) is different in the Finder than other places. The basic conclusion is just don't use CMD+Delete when dealing with file names. Thanks!
    – Taylor M.
    Jan 9, 2015 at 18:00
  • I agree, but in the File menu the cmd+delete is the "move to trash", why it does that when you just want to change the name text? well that's another story :)
    – Ruskes
    Jan 9, 2015 at 19:29
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when saving a file, by default the entire name excluding .extension ought to be selected, so just starting to type will rename it.

To navigate,

  • forward arrow will go to the end of the filename, before the extension
  • up arrow [or back arrow initially, until the fully-selected name is 'broken'] will go to the beginning,
  • down arrow to the end, if you want to accept the original name but add prefix/suffix etc
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  • It basically adds a few more keys to my 'normal' workflow for deleting a line. For unhighlighted things, I'll just have to be more careful when deleting. Thanks!
    – Taylor M.
    Jan 9, 2015 at 20:39

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