How many times have I wished for a way to somehow enter a short note in a folder window - or on the desktop for that matter - without having to make a document of some type.
For example, a folder of project files with a "note" saying "Continue file xyz next."

If push comes to shove, I make a new "folder" and title it with a note, but that seems a poor method.

As a model, when you open some downloaded application images, the window has simple instructions for what to do. How do they do it? Possible for everyday use?

Running 10.4.11 on desktop; new MBPro has 10.5.?

I've never tried or utilized this before, but the first thought that came to my mind was the following. Maybe it'll fulfill your wish.

With a Folder selected in the Finder, Get Info (Command-I). At the top of the Folder's Info window, is an area for Spotlight Comments. I tested it out, and it's also searchable with Spotlight.

quote:

Originally posted by Mary Jo Disler:

As a model, when you open some downloaded application images, the window has simple instructions for what to do. How do they do it? Possible for everyday use?

Not really. They are background graphics.

Also the background image method falls apart if the folder is viewed any other way than by icon and on a Mac.

quote:

Originally posted by Jack Beckman:

quote:

Originally posted by Mary Jo Disler:

As a model, when you open some downloaded application images, the window has simple instructions for what to do. How do they do it? Possible for everyday use?

Not really. They are background graphics.

Is the image method within the folder window (what I'm thinking of in my comments), or a special folder icon? Just curious.

Mike - I thought of the Get info, but when I opened it for either a folder or file, there was no "comments" area (OS 10.4.11). (I remember that there used to be.)

Still think it's a good idea for the OS. For now will just keep on with the To Do list (Still wish I could get beyond the scraps of paper & stacks-on-my-desk method!)

Terry & others - Maybe that's a short topic for a meeting. Folks who have to keep track of a ton of info & projects management should have good ideas for how to do it. "Project & schedule management with your computer" or something like that.

The file has to have a special name and be placed in the folder. I don't know what you mean by an "image method".

Sorry for the confusion. "Image method" was referring to your comment re "background graphics," & Terry's reference to "background image method."

Even if it were possible in ordinary use, sounds like it would be complicated & contradict the wish for something quick & handy.

Just thinking out loud.

Closest I can come seems to be to make a short note in very large type. Print to pdf. Put the pdf in the folder, open the project folder in column view & select the pdf file. The preview shows the note.

Back to the little post-its & scraps of paper notes I think.

Not very fast or practical in the long run.

At the risk of bordering on the ridiculous, there is another similar way to see a note in a folder window (sort of) without the pdf step:

Write notes in Textedit, or any other application that permits dragging text to the desktop for a Text Clipping.
Put the clipping in the folder. Select the clipping with the folder in column view. The contents of the clipping show in Preview.

Didn't we used to be able to put notes in the Info box for files? Way back in System 7 and 8?

We still can in the latest OS.

quote:

Originally posted by Donna:
Didn't we used to be able to put notes in the Info box for files? Way back in System 7 and 8?

Mary Jo,

As I vaguely mentioned earlier, and Phyllis concurred, Notes can be entered for a Folder and/or a File in its Info Box/Window. I'm running Leopard 10.5.6 - perhaps it's not available in 10.4. It's actually pretty slick and might be a solution for your needs, with an upgrade. Some benefits: adding notes/comments does not increase the size of the folder itself (still 0KB) - you can enter multiple notes by using a separator of some sort (like a hyphen) - the Folder and the notes/comments are searchable by Spotlight. I tested it out, and provided some small screen shots, following.

1. I created an empty folder, called "Test Folder"
2. I opened the Info Box/Window for the folder, and entered some text in the Spotlight Comments box ("Short Entry for Test Folder") - then closed the Window.
3. With a Spotlight Search, entering "Test Folder" will obviously locate it. AND, by starting to enter the text "Short Entry, etc." in the Spotlight Search, the Test Folder still appears in the search results. So, Spotlight has located the text entry - and, though it's not showing the specific text in the results, it's showing that it's located in the Test Folder.

Sorry, I couldn't figure out how to attach both screen shots to this reply. Here's the first one, which is the Info window. The second one will follow in another reply.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Mike Gawet,

Here's the second screen shot, which is the Spotlight search results.

Mary Jo,

I was curious and nosed around a bit. Apparently their is a Comments area in the Info Window in 10.4. It's located at the bottom of the window. It also seems to be searchable by Spotlight in 10.4. Following is a screen shot, from this article.

http://developer.apple.com/MacOsX/spotlight.html

Donna, Phyl & Mike: I have looked numerous times at the Get Info window for 10.4.11, both for folders & files of various formats. "Comments" just isn't there in this OS version. Preview & Ownership are the last in the list. I opened them to see if Comments was hiding somewhere. - Nowhere to be found.

I'll try same for 10.5 on my laptop, but my comment was generated by a project currently on my desktop Mac (2002).

I'm afraid this question is bordering on the frivolous, and don't mean to take so much of everyone's time & effort. - But thanks to you all for your ideas.

A screen shot showing my text clipping solution described above.

Click on the toggle next to Spotlight Comments:. It will open a window where you can type your comments.

In 10.4.11 it is up at the top of the Get Info window and is now called Spotlight Comments.

Heavenly days. 17 years on a Mac & stuff is still hiding!

Thanks a bunch Phyl & Donna.

(We all LOVE the upgrade interface changes, don't we!)