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# Marking files

Mark the files you want to work on, then copy, move, delete, tag, rename or run a script on
all of them at once. With nothing marked, those actions work on the entry under the cursor.

![The desktop app in ~/Documents with four files marked, the footer 25 items · 4 marked, and the Mark files dialog with Matching: *.md *.txt, Mark and Cancel](../screenshots/panels-marking.png)

<picture><source media="(prefers-reduced-motion: reduce)" srcset="../screenshots/copy.png"><img src="../screenshots/copy.gif" alt="The terminal app in Classic blue, ~/Documents on the left and ~/Backups on the right: Insert marks architecture.md, budget-da.txt and budget.txt, which turn yellow, the footer says 608 in 3 marked; F5 opens Copy 3 items with To: /home/demo/Backups; Enter copies them, the three files appear in the right panel and the status line says Copied 3 items"></picture>

*Marking and copying in the terminal app: **Insert** three times, **F5**, **Enter**.*

## How to use it

| Key | Does |
|---|---|
| **Insert**, **Shift+Down** | Mark or unmark the entry under the cursor, then move down |
| `+` | *Mark group*: the dialog *Mark files* asks for patterns (`*` to start with); files that match are marked |
| `-` | *Unmark group*: the dialog *Unmark files*, the same, unmarking |
| `*` | *Invert marks*: inverts the marks of all files (folders keep theirs) |
| **Ctrl+A** | Mark everything in the folder, files and folders, as a file explorer does (`..` never) |

Marking a group:

1. Press `+` (with the command line empty).
2. Type one or more patterns, separated by spaces, commas or semicolons: `*.jpg *.png`.
3. Press **Enter** (or click *Mark*; the line under the buttons says *Enter Mark · Esc
   Cancel*). Every file whose whole name matches one of them is marked, whatever its case.
   **Esc** cancels.

Patterns: `*` stands for any number of characters, `?` for one. `IMG_????.jpg` matches
`IMG_0042.jpg`. Groups mark files only, never folders.

With the mouse ([The mouse](mouse.md)):

| Mouse | Desktop app | Terminal app |
|---|---|---|
| Right-click | Marks or unmarks (details and thumbnails views) | Marks or unmarks |
| Ctrl-click (Cmd-click on a Mac) | Marks or unmarks, in every view | – |
| Shift-click | Marks the range from the cursor to the click (details view) | – |

## What you see

- Marked entries are drawn in the `marked` colour: bold yellow in NC and most themes. The
  cursor on a marked entry uses `marked_cursor`.
- The terminal app's info line, centred under the list: `4.2 MB in 3 marked`.
- The desktop app's pane footer: `17 items · 3 marked (4.2 MB)`.
- The dialog: *Mark files* / *Unmark files* in both apps, with *Files matching:* in the terminal
  app and *Matching:* in the desktop app; the button and the key line say *Mark* or *Unmark*.

What uses the marks: **F5** copy, **F6** move, **F8** / **Shift+F8** delete, **Alt+F5**
pack, **Ctrl+E** extract, **Ctrl+C** / **Ctrl+X** (desktop app), **Alt+T** colour tag,
**Ctrl+M** batch rename, the *Folder sizes* command, drags of a marked entry, and `%s` in
[scripts and the user menu](../commands/user-menu.md).

Marks go when you leave the folder, and after a copy, move, delete, pack or extract. A refresh
(**Ctrl+R**, or the desktop app seeing a change) keeps the marks of entries still there.

## Settings and config.toml

| Action | Config name | Default keys |
|---|---|---|
| Mark | `mark` | `Insert`, `Shift+Down` |
| Mark group | `mark_group` | `+` |
| Unmark group | `unmark_group` | `-` |
| Invert marks | `invert_marks` | `*` |
| Mark all | `mark_all` | **Ctrl+A** |

`+`, `-` and `*` only fire while the command line is empty, as in NC; otherwise they are typed
into it. Before 2.0 the three were `select_group`, `unselect_group` and `invert_selection`; the
first start of 2.0 renames them in `config.toml` ([Renamed in 2.0](../reference/configuration.md#renamed-in-20)). The marked colour is the `marked` slot of the theme ([Your own theme](../customise/own-theme.md)).

## In the terminal app

The same keys and patterns. It has no Ctrl-click or Shift-click. Its marked total, like the
desktop app's, adds a marked folder's size once it is measured, and nothing for it before.

## Questions

#### Why did `+` not mark any folders?

Groups mark files only, as in NC. Mark folders one by one with **Insert** or a right-click.

#### Why does typing `+` go to the command line?

The command line has text, and plain characters go to it. Press **Esc** to clear it first.

#### How do I mark every file?

Press **Ctrl+A**: every file and folder is marked, as in a file explorer. For files only, press `*` with nothing marked: every file is inverted, so all files are marked. Or `+` and
**Enter** with the `*` it offers.

#### How do I mark files and folders together?

`*` or `+` for the files, then **Insert** on each folder you want too. `..` can never be
marked.

#### Why does the marked total grow after I mark a folder?

A marked folder counts with its measured size ([Folder sizes](folder-sizes.md)), in both apps.
Marked before its size is known, it adds nothing at first; the total grows when the size
arrives. With folder sizes off, marked folders add nothing.

#### Why does it say *marked*, not *selected*?

Since 2.0 both apps use one word for it: *mark*. The actions are *Mark group*, *Unmark group*
and *Invert marks*, the dialogs *Mark files* and *Unmark files*, the footer `3 marked`. The keys
are the same: `+`, `-`, `*`.

#### Where did my marks go?

You left the folder, or an operation finished: both clear the marks, as in NC. Switching
tabs in the desktop app keeps each tab's marks.

#### Right-click does not mark in the columns view. Why?

The columns view marks with Ctrl-click (Cmd-click on a Mac) only. Right-click marks in the
details and thumbnails views, and in the terminal app.

#### Does `?` match a letter like "æ"?

Yes, in both apps: `?` is one letter, whatever its script, so `?.txt` marks `ø.txt` and
`日.txt` as well as `a.txt`.

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