100 Tips #26: What Are Stacks?

Back in tip number 5, we had a look at how the Dock is laid out. Application shortcuts are on the left, folders on the right.

It’s pretty clear what the shortcuts do: they open an app for you. If it’s already open, they switch you to it. You can change which ones stay in the Dock all the time, so that you’ve got quick access to the applications you use most often. But what happens with the folders on the right, and how do they work differently?

The idea with folders in the Dock is to make it easier to get to what’s inside them. When they’re in the Dock, they’re known as “stacks”.

By default, OS X puts your Applications, Documents, and Downloads folders in there, but you can put any folder you like in the Dock. Just drag a folder from a Finder window and into the place you want it to be on the Dock. It has to be on the right side of the dividing line – apps and folders are kept separate.

(You can put files here too. If you have one or two files that you need to use very frequently – like a todo list, or an expenses sheet – you can drag their icons down here.)

When you click on a folder, its contents will be displayed for you in one of three ways. First, there’s the fan (shown at the top of this post). By design, this can only show a handful of items, so it’s not so great for folders with a lot of files inside.

Second, there’s the grid view, which lays out the folder’s contents like this:

Finally there’s a list view, which you probably won’t see unless you tell the computer to show it. To change the way a stack is displayed when you click on it, do a right-click (or control-click) and choose the display options that suit you.

DON'T MISS
Quick Look Works In Stacks Now Here’s How [OS X Tips]

To open a thing you see in a stack, just click on it. The stack will disappear and the thing you wanted will be opened.

To remove a stack from the Dock, just drag it out. It will disappear in a puff of smoke. Don’t worry – all you’ve deleted is the stack – the actual folder, and the files it contains, are still where you originally put them.

Stacks can be very helpful, particularly if you’re a very organized person who keeps files and folders tidy. Once a folder has more than a couple of dozen items in it, it starts getting unwieldy as a stack, no matter how it’s displayed. On the other hand, a well-maintained folder of shortcuts and aliases to important folders and documents can be an extremely useful thing to have.

(You’re reading the 26th post in our series, 100 Essential Mac Tips And Tricks For Windows Switchers. These posts explain to OS X beginners some of the most basic and fundamental concepts of using a Mac. Find out more.)

2 comments »