Cut does not work reliably w/o CutPaste Buttons

TotalFinder
1

I have noticed on two different machines running 10.9 that cut via the Cmd+X keystroke does not work reliably (or at all) unless the CutPaste buttons are enabled in the menus. I would like to turn the buttons off because I never use them.

TotalFinder v 1.5.5. Not sure if it makes a difference, but I usually use column view with auto width enabled. I have tabs turned off.

2

This problem is at least 10 months old.
In the past I wrote several complains about cmd-X not working (username Singularity2033).

Unfortunately, TotalFinder authors are busy implementing useless new features, but cannot find several hours to fix the most important core functionality of their product.

HEY GUYS !!! HELOOOOO !!
PLEASE FIX THE GODDAMN CMD-X ALREADY !!!
PLEASE !!! PLEASE !!!

3

Can someone please confirm if those buttons are really needed…

I don’t have them on (and Cmd+x doesn’t work here neither), but I always have a Cut and Paste there without those buttons being enabled, if they weren’t there before, they are now. I don’t know at what point they were included in 10.9, but the buttons are not useful anymore, so the Cmd+x fix is really needed.

4

I have revisited the code again and I have found a possible code-path which would cause cut-operation to stop working suddenly. This will be fixed in 1.5.25 (I will release it this week on beta channel).

Hope this will fix this nasty issue once for all.

5

Ok, since 1.5.25 I have added special logging in release mode for cut-related code.

When you again experience broken cut operation, please go to Terminal.app and execute this command:

touch ~/.debug-totalfinder-cut

Do not restart TotalFinder. TotalFinder should immediately start reporting verbose logging info into Console.app.

Then please try to:

  1. open Main Menu -> Edit, see if Cut menu item is not grayed out
  2. hit CMD+X on some file
  3. execute CMD+X on some file via menu item in Edit menu

You should see bunch of lines prefixed [debug cut] in Console.app. I’m interested in those outputs, please paste them here or send them to support@binaryage.com.

Thanks a bunch!

6

v1.2.25 is out:
http://totalfinder.binaryage.com/beta-changes

7

Just experienced this issue again. Followed the debug steps above. Here are the results…

  1. open Main Menu -> Edit, see if Cut menu item is not grayed out
    It is greyed out.

  2. hit CMD+X on some file
    Does nothing.

  3. execute CMD+X on some file via menu item in Edit menu
    It is disabled. Does nothing.

Here’s the console output from CMD-X:

3/23/14 10:36:01.105 AM Finder[70449]: [debug cut] validateCut: sender=<NSMenuItem: 0x6080000a4fe0 Cut> 
3/23/14 10:36:01.106 AM Finder[70449]: [debug cut] set item title to 'Cut' 
3/23/14 10:36:01.106 AM Finder[70449]: [debug cut] context is AHCMContainerContext => bail out 
3/23/14 10:36:03.774 AM Finder[70449]: [debug cut] validateCut: sender=<NSMenuItem: 0x6080000a4fe0 Cut> 
3/23/14 10:36:03.774 AM Finder[70449]: [debug cut] set item title to 'Cut' 
3/23/14 10:36:03.775 AM Finder[70449]: [debug cut] context is AHCMContainerContext => bail out 
3/23/14 10:36:03.775 AM Finder[70449]: [debug cut] validateCut: sender=<NSMenuItem: 0x6180000a95a0 Cut> 
3/23/14 10:36:03.775 AM Finder[70449]: [debug cut] set item title to 'Cut' 
3/23/14 10:36:03.775 AM Finder[70449]: [debug cut] context is AHCMContainerContext => bail out

Here’s the console output from the disabled menu item:

3/23/14 10:39:09.966 AM Finder[70449]: [debug cut] validateCut: sender=<NSMenuItem: 0x6080000a4fe0 Cut>
3/23/14 10:39:09.967 AM Finder[70449]: [debug cut] set item title to 'Cut'
3/23/14 10:39:09.967 AM Finder[70449]: [debug cut] context is AHCMContainerContext => bail out
3/23/14 10:39:09.967 AM Finder[70449]: [debug cut] validateCut: sender=<NSMenuItem: 0x6180000a95a0 Cut>
3/23/14 10:39:09.968 AM Finder[70449]: [debug cut] set item title to 'Cut'
3/23/14 10:39:09.968 AM Finder[70449]: [debug cut] context is AHCMContainerContext => bail out

Re-enabling the “Show CutPaste buttons in Context Menus” immediately fixes the issue.

1 Like
8

Thank you very much.

AHCMContainerContext test should prevent cut operation when you right-click into container background. But it is probably more broad and affects normal operation. I have removed that restriction. Cut should be more flexible since 1.5.27 (to be released).

9

Now I can explain why could CutAndPaste feature got broken. This is a bug which caused hundreds of emails and endless hours of frustration.

Up until version 1.5.27 the behaviour was following:
Right-click context menu sets TotalFinder’s “context of operation” for subsequent cut attempt (context may be sidebar, file item, toolbar, etc.). This context is tested during cut operation and validation of menu items. I had a special condition there which disabled cut for “container” contexts which seemed like a reasonable behaviour. The problem was that this context stayed set until next opening of right-click context menu elsewhere. In other words context of last context menu determined future cut menu item availability (including keyboard shortcuts).

The problem why it was so hard for me to reproduce was that I never tried to click specifically into empty background window. I always tested it right-clicking some files. And didn’t see any clues up until now from @danderson.

I’m so glad. @danderson you deserve a bounty. Please drop me an email to antonin@binaryage.com with your bitcoin address, I will send some funny-internet-money your way :+1: