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File Explorer

Browse, create, rename and delete files in a workspace, see Git status, and run Git actions from the right-click menu.

Overview

The file explorer is the Files tab in the EXPLORER section of the Workspaces sidebar. It shows the folder tree of the active workspace, with folders first and VS Code-style file icons.

Workspaces, and so the file explorer, are available in the standalone desktop app only. In a remote workspace, the explorer shows the files on the remote server.

Every file and folder is listed, including dotfiles such as .git and .netstacks.

The header shows the workspace folder name and three buttons:

ButtonAction
+New File
📁+New Folder
⟳Refresh the tree

In a Git repository, the header also shows the current branch (⎇), commits ahead/behind (↑/↓) and the number of modified (M) and staged (S) files.

New files and folders, and renames, use an inline text box in the tree. Press Enter to confirm or Esc to cancel.

Selecting and Opening Files

ActionResult
ClickSelect a file, or expand/collapse a folder
Double-click a fileOpen it in the editor (images, PDFs, audio and video open in the media viewer)
Cmd/Ctrl+clickAdd or remove an item from the selection
Shift+clickSelect a range
Delete / BackspaceDelete the selected items (asks for confirmation)
SpaceQuick Look preview of the selected file (macOS only)

Right-Click Menu

Right-click a file or folder to get:

  • Open (files)
  • Git actions (in a Git repository, see below)
  • New File and New Folder
  • Rename
  • Delete
  • Copy Path (absolute) and Copy Relative Path (from the workspace root)

Right-clicking empty space in the tree gives the same menu for the workspace root. With several items selected, the menu offers Delete {n} Items, which asks you to confirm with Delete All.

Deletes are permanent
Deleting a folder deletes everything inside it. The confirmation dialog is the only safeguard; deleted files are not moved to a trash folder.

Git Status in the Explorer

When the workspace is a Git repository, the explorer refreshes Git status every 5 seconds (10 seconds for remote workspaces), and the right-click menu adds Git actions:

ItemMenu entries
File with changesStage Changes or Unstage Changes, and Revert Changes
Any fileView Diff, Blame
FolderStage All in Folder
Revert Changes does not ask first
Revert Changes immediately restores the file to the last committed version and discards your edits.

See Git Integration for the full Git panel.

Tips and Limits

  • The tree has no search box. Use a $ shell in the terminal panel (for example find or grep) to search.
  • You can't drag and drop to move files, and you can't drop files from your desktop into the tree. Use the terminal panel to move or copy files.
  • The .netstacks/ folder holds workspace state, notes saved from the Scratchpad and pasted screenshots. NetStacks adds it to .gitignore automatically.