Finder Integration and Auto-Updating Shelves
I promised you big steps towards the official Version 1.0 of DesktopShelves and here is the next big step: DesktopShelves 0.7.
The biggest additions are Finder integration and auto-updating shelves. Again, BIG Thank You! to everybody who submitted feedback and shared their ideas. I love reading your emails and usually respond within minutes to every one of them. Try it!
Here is a demo video of all the recent additions to DesktopShelves.
Finder Integration
Creating new shelves is easier than ever. You can now open any folder as a shelf right from the Finder context menu! When you right or control click on a folder in Finder or on the Desktop, you'll notice a new menu entry at the bottom of the context menu: Open as Shelf on Desktop.
To activate the Finder integration you have to launch the latest version of Desktop shelves once, then log out and back in again. That step is necessary for Finder to add the new menu item to the context menu.
Auto-Updating Shelves
Another important feature on the way to version 1.0: If something in the shelf folder changes, if you create a new folder, copy over some files, or move others to the Trash, the shelf updates itself automatically.
As a side effect, all items on the shelf are now always sorted by name. That's also done automatically. You can test this by dragging a file away from the shelf and then dropping it back on. It will appear at the end of the shelf for a fraction of a second and then move back to its correct position.
Selecting Adjacent Shelf Items
A lot of you have sent me feedback saying that it is too hard to select adjacent shelf items. I heard you! Try the new version and let me know if the new behavior works for you.
Accepting Pre-Orders Soon
With the official release so close, I will open up DesktopShelves for pre-order in a few days from now. That means that for the remaining time of the Beta you will be able to purchase DesktopShelves for $10 instead of the soon-to-be official price of $15.
For now, you can sign up to the Pre-Release mailing list to get notified when the store opens.
Full List of Changes
- New: Finder context menu entry to open folders as shelf.
- New: Shelves automatcially update when the shelf folder is changed (e.g. if you add or remove files).
- New: Items on shelf are sorted by name automatically even after dropping more files on a shelf.
- Improved: Selecting adjacent items made easier (special thanks to Mark, Ken, John, and yohmi for your feedback).
- Improved: Selected item animations are a bit smoother now.
How do I update?
- Right/control click on any shelf to open the shelf context menu
- Select Check for Updates...