#1

Use case or problem

When using the multi-select in the File Explorer, the right-click (context) menu currently is only aware of the file directly under the click. Instead, the actions should apply to the entire selection.

This would allow for bulk move, copy, and delete from the File Explorer.

Proposed solution

If multiple items are selected in the File Explorer, the context menu should be aware of all the files in the selection. This will require updating the file-menu event to expect an array of TFiles. Then all the listeners will need to handle one or multiple TFiles. Some actions (such as rename) should only be added if files.length === 1.

Current workaround (optional)

Since these are all filesystem actions, they can be done from the OS file explorer.

Related feature requests (optional)

42 Likes
Enable Right Click Menu for Multiple Selection (file navigation, move)
Delete all selected files at once
Manage (copy/move) multiple files via global search
Selecting multiple files and then deleting them only deletes the first file
Not deleting
Right-click actions with multiple files selected only applies to one file
Note selections via in-note links, queries, and tags
In file pane, shift-click to multi-select notes then right-click to move only moves one note
#2

Maybe there is some way to optionally embed (parts of) Windows-File-Explorer menu to avoid work of reimplementing some available functions and to make custom items available.
For example I have WinMerge item added to Windows context menu. When two files are selected, then after click in menu, files are immediately open side-by-side with differences highlighted.

2 Likes
#3

At the moment when you right click, while having multiple files selected in the file explorer, the action is only performed on the file you right clicked on, not all of the files you had selected.

This breaks standard workflows such as selecting multiple files then moving them to a different vault folder or deleting them.

4 Likes
#4

This should also likely be linked:

1 Like
#5

up up ! currently need these feature to tidy folder categories.

1 Like
#6

+1
I often need to move multiple files at once which is not possible in Obsidian at the moment. It would be great if this could be implemented!

My workaround at the moment is moving the files within the Windows explorer.

1 Like
#7

This basic functionality is crucial and am shocked it hasn’t been added yet as compared to many other seemingly superficial features. I hope it can be implemented soon so that I can stop opening windows explorer or working from VS Code and its far inferior notetaking extensions

1 Like
#8

I would like this, but definitely don’t mind using the Windows Explorer in the meantime. However, I could definitely see this being helpful on Mobile, although I cannot speak from experience yet.

It could also be nice to add similar right click functionality to links, tags, or queries within a note. I will have to consider the potential downsides, but it feels like there is some potential workflow improvements. Perhaps even using a hybrid of the explorer and in note selections could be possible. I will return and link the feature request if I create one. Here’s the link: Note selections via in-note links, queries, and tags

Thanks.

1 Like
#9

bump +1

1 Like
#10

Yep, I absolutely support this FR!

Fell so often for marking files inside Obsidian using Shift-Click and Ctrl-Clicks (please don’t forget these!) and then realizing it only moves/deletes this one file.

Would be a great productivity enhancement.

1 Like
#11

Having the same issue on Windows 10.

1 Like
#12

+1 on this

1 Like
#13

This weakness of the file explorer seems to also apply to plugins such as MetaEdit. If we fixed this at the core product level, I imagine the batch edit functionality would be unlocked for MetaEdit, enabling us to batch edit attributes through MetaEdit. This possibility has re-prioritized this feature request for me personally.

2 Likes
#14

+1 for me as well

1 Like
#15

+1, would be a very handy feature to have. It’s possible to drag and drop multiple files but this becomes more difficult and tedious to do as one’s folder structure grows.

1 Like
#16

+10086

we need it! right now!

1 Like
#17

+1
The links won’t update themselves if notes are handled in the system explorer, making it a must to move them inside obsidian, which is a huge pain.

2 Likes
#18

Yes we really need this… it really break the sense of work flow when having to delete file one by one.

1 Like
#19

Hi, this is a good piece of software but the lack of this feature makes it loose quite a bit… I mean this thread shouldn’t even exists, it’s such a basilar thing.

Hope this will be fixed. Thank’s.

2 Likes
#20

+1e6 !

What is the current progress on this request?

As a beginner, I can confirm this is one of the first and also most frequent things that slows down progress when organising files