Shelf tabsPro

A shelf is a place to park files for a moment: drop them in now, drag them out later, wherever they need to go. Choose New Shelf in the “+” menu (S on the New Tab page). Each shelf tab is a shelf of its own, and you can have as many as you like. (To browse a folder instead, use a folder tab.)

Put things on a shelf

• Files and folders: drop them from Finder. They stay where they are; the shelf just points to them, and follows a file that’s moved or renamed.
• Text, links and pictures: drop them from any app, or paste them with ⌘V. The shelf makes a file of each, so it drags out like any other: a .txt named after the text’s first line, a .webloc named after the link’s page or site, a .png for a picture. Text that’s only a web address becomes a link.
• Attachments and photos: what Mail, Photos and similar apps hand over in a drag is saved on the shelf too.

Dropping something that’s already on the shelf moves it to the top.

The list

Newest first. Each item shows its icon, its name, its size (or Folder) and when you added it, such as 12 KB · Added today at 9:41 AM. The header and the status line count the items and add up their size.

A file that’s gone (deleted, in the Trash, or on a disk that isn’t connected) shows dimmed, as Can’t be found, with only Remove. The shelf looks for its files again each time the panel shows.

Use what’s on it

• Drag items out to Finder, Mail or any app, several at once. They’re copied.
• Space shows Quick Look; Return or a double-click opens; ⌘C copies.
• Every row has four buttons on its right: Open, Show in Finder, Copy and Remove from Shelf. Each acts on its own row only. Right-click an item for the same four.

Take things off

• Remove from Shelf (or ⌫) never deletes your files. It only deletes the files the shelf made for text, links and pictures you dropped.
• Clear Shelf (in the header, or the tab’s menu) takes everything off, asking first when there are more than three items.
• Closing a shelf tab empties that shelf for good, the same way: your files stay where they are.

Quitting Brink keeps every shelf; they come back when it opens again. A shelf’s contents stay on this Mac.