# How do i select more than one file?



## jacko0 (Sep 28, 2005)

Hi,
   I have just bought a Mac Mini and I am loving it. But being a windows user I am finding a few things strange.

How do i select more than one file at a time in finder. In windows i just hold down Ctrl and highlight the files. But in Tiger I cant seem to get it to work. (i have a mighty mouse with 2 buttons)

Also in Itunes I want to select many files at a time, but if I hold down the mouse button and drag the mouse it just moves the file. In windows it would normally select a group of files.

Thanks for any help

Jacko

I think I have posted to the wrong forum, but I cant move it now


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## HomunQlus (Sep 28, 2005)

Instead of holding Ctrl, you have to hold down the Apple key to select multiple files.


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## Lt Major Burns (Sep 28, 2005)

this is a fundamental:

all the things you would use ctrl for in windows are replaced by the apple key, or command (cmd).

the apple key is central to a lot of stuff, it's the commanding/controlling key. i.e. to quit something, it's not alt+f4 (why would it be?) it's apple+q, for quit. to switch applications, it's apple+tab. cut copy and paste is apple+x, c or v.

alt is, simply, alternative/alternate, and is far more so than in windows. use this to modify things before clicking them. this works on a lot more than you would think, functions in macos change subtley with the alt key held down (look at the playlist button in itunes when holding it, and also the rotate picture button in iphoto for examples). menu items also change to their alternates/opposites. alt wil never be a command/control key like cmd, it will only ever modify.

ctrl in macos is pretty much just for ctrl-clicking (right click menu for one button mouses)

drag selecting is not possible in itunes. it was deemed impractical S)  instead, cmd/shift clicking instead is required.


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## Mikuro (Sep 28, 2005)

Lt Major Burns said:
			
		

> this is a fundamental:
> 
> all the things you would use ctrl for in windows are replaced by the apple key, or command (cmd).


In case this isn't 100% clear, the Apple key and the Command key are the same thing. Command is the official name for it, and Apple is what people call it because on the default keyboards shipped with new Macs, it has an Apple on it. It's also sometimes called the Flower key, because the other symbol on it looks a little like a flower.

And Alt is usually called Option in the Mac world, just so you know.

Back to the original questions....

To add to what HomunQlus and Burns said, there are two standard ways of selecting multiple list items in the Mac.

First of all, you can hold down the Command/Apple key and click on each item you want to select (or deselect if it's already selected).

The second way is to hold down the Shift key and click on an item. This will select every item from the first previously-selected item down to the item you clicked on.

A somewhat less-standard behavior is dragging. Some applications let you do this, some don't. It can be very confusing in programs that let you drag the items around, like iTunes. It's also a little strange in the Finder  if you click on the name of an item and drag, it will move the item, but if you click on the empty space in a row and drag, it will expand the selection. Again, this is not much of a standard. (I much prefer the way Apple handled it prior to 10.3, but I won't go into that here.)


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