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The only reason that the return key is the 'least obvious' key to you is because you're used to that being the 'open' key on other operating systems.

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On literally every other operating system. I've used dozens of platforms, some of them pretty obscure, some of them hobbyist, some of them were purpose built for hardware that stopped being manufactured 20, 30 or more years ago, and all of them supported return as a trigger in menus, be it graphical or text based. Finder really is the odd ball with regards to binding it to rename.

Well, it makes total sense in one way - ENTER toggles name editing. After you change a file name, you press ENTER to 'save' the new name and finish editing. That seems logical, I think. So why not have the same key to start editing the name too? In the way PLAY/STOP are usually the same button etc.

Because, as was mentioned, in every other context/OS, that is not what Enter does?

My question was rhetorical. Sorry I wasn't clearer.

Also, you use cod+down to open a file. Just like you use cmd+down to enter a directory. You’re going “down” into the directory (to view its content), and if you go “down” into the file it should be opened with its default application (to view its content). Alternatively, cmd+down “activates” the directory so you want the same shortcut to “activate” files.

I understand the frustration and I'm with you that Finder is atrocious.

My head-cannon about this is that for consistency within macos, all actions must be cmd+something, so is cmd+O for opening a file. In the terminal you can also use the "open" command which opens the file or the directory (I use "open ." a lot, I find faster navigating in the shell that in the finder).

> all actions must be cmd+something

Which is why I always try Cmd+R for renaming a file and then nothing happens.

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