One area where OS X leaves a bit to be desired is in the setting of folder views. If you want every folder to open in one type of Finder view, you're all set; you can use or set the default Finder view.
But if you're like me and you want to set different folders to different views, then you're in for a headache. I want most of my folders to display in the Finder in List view, but I want my Pictures folder to display in Cover Flow view, and when I open the root folder of a hard drive, I want to see Column view.
See Finder Views: Using Finder Views for more information about the four ways you can view a folder.
In this guide, we're going to look at how to use the Finder to set specific Finder view attributes, including:
How to set a system-wide default for which Finder View to use when a folder window is opened.
How to set a Finder view preference for a specific folder, so that it always opens in your preferred view, even if it is different from the system-wide default.
We will also learn how to automate the process of setting the Finder view in sub-folders. Without this little trick, you would have to manually set the view preference for each and every folder within a folder.
Finally, we will create some plug-ins for the Finder so you can set views more easily in the future.
