MacRight

Extend macOS Finder right-click menu with quick file creation and terminal access.

中文文档

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macOS has long lacked a built-in "New File" option in Finder's context menu — something Windows users take for granted. MacRight fills this gap with a lightweight Finder Sync Extension.

Features

• New Text File — Create an empty .txt file in the current directory
• New Word Document — Create a blank .docx file
• New Excel Spreadsheet — Create a blank .xlsx file
• New PowerPoint Presentation — Create a blank .pptx file
• Open Terminal Here — Launch Terminal.app or iTerm2 at the current directory

All menu items appear directly in Finder's right-click context menu — no extra clicks needed.

Screenshots

Requirements

• macOS 13.0 (Ventura) or later
• Apple Silicon or Intel Mac

Installation

Option 1: Download DMG

Download the latest .dmg from Releases, open it, and drag MacRight.app to /Applications.

Option 2: Build from Source

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/AgentBuff/mac-right.git
cd mac-right

# Generate blank Office templates
python3 Scripts/create_templates.py

# Build, sign, install, and launch
./build.sh

Only Xcode Command Line Tools are required (xcode-select --install). Full Xcode is optional.

Enable the Extension

After installation, you need to manually enable the Finder extension:

1. Open System Settings
2. Go to General → Login Items & Extensions
3. Click Added Extensions
4. Find MacRight and enable the Finder Extension

Or launch MacRight.app and click the "Open System Settings" button.

Usage

1. Right-click (or Control-click) in any Finder window
2. You'll see MacRight's menu items in the context menu
3. Click to create a file or open terminal

Created files use auto-incrementing names to avoid conflicts: Untitled.docx → Untitled 2.docx → Untitled 3.docx

Configuration

Open MacRight.app and go to Settings (Cmd + ,):

• Terminal: Choose between Terminal.app and iTerm2
• File Types: Toggle which file types appear in the context menu (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

Settings sync between the host app and extension via App Group shared UserDefaults.

Architecture

MacRight.app (Host App — SwiftUI settings UI)
└── Contents/PlugIns/
    └── FinderSyncExtension.appex (Finder Sync Extension — context menu)

• Host App: Displays extension status, provides settings UI, guides users to enable the extension
• Extension: Registers with Finder via FIFinderSync, builds context menu, handles file creation and terminal launching
• Communication: App Group shared UserDefaults (group.com.macright.app)

For detailed architecture, see docs/ARCHITECTURE.md.

Tech Stack

Component	Technology
Language	Swift 5.9+
Host App UI	SwiftUI
Extension	FinderSync framework (AppKit)
Build	swiftc CLI + shell script (no Xcode required)
File Templates	Minimal Office Open XML (ZIP-based)
Dependencies	None (pure Apple frameworks)

Development

See the full Development Guide for:

• Environment setup
• Build system details
• Debugging techniques
• How to add new file types or menu items
• App Sandbox & entitlements
• Packaging & distribution

Quick Start

# Build and install
./build.sh

# View extension logs
log stream --predicate 'eventMessage CONTAINS "MacRight"'

# Check extension registration
pluginkit -m -p com.apple.FinderSync

Known Limitations

• Submenus not supported — macOS Sequoia has a bug where Finder Sync Extension submenus dismiss prematurely. All items use a flat menu layout.
• System directories — Sandbox restrictions prevent file creation in system directories like /Users or /Applications. This is expected macOS behavior.
• Ad-hoc signing — Without a Developer ID, other users need to right-click → Open to bypass Gatekeeper on first launch.

License

MIT

Acknowledgments

Built with Swift and Apple's FinderSync framework. No third-party dependencies.