Phials documentation
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The File Explorer

The file explorer is the main window where you browse folders, open files, and arrange your work. Most of what you do in Phials happens here: picking a location, scanning a list, and glancing at a preview without leaving the flow.

The layout at a glance

From left to right, a typical file explorer tab looks like this:

  • Navigator: the left sidebar with Favorites, Locations (drives and volumes), Vials, and Workspaces.
  • Center panes: one or more file lists. Each pane has its own folder, selection, and view settings. See Tabs and Arranging panels when you want more than one pane.
  • Preview area: shows the selected file (image, Markdown, properties, and more). See File previews.
  • Tab bar: runs across the top of the window. Switch between open tabs here.

Each file list pane is built from the same pieces:

  1. Path bar: back, forward, up, refresh, breadcrumb, and quick actions above the list.
  2. View & arrange strip: opens under the path bar (view mode, sort, filter, group, saved views). See View modes and Sorting, filtering & grouping.
  3. File list: the items in the current folder for that pane.
  4. Status bar: runs along the bottom of the pane. Item counts sit on the left, and item size and view options sit on the right.

Path bar

The path bar sits above each pane’s file list. Use it to:

  • Go back and forward in that pane’s history.
  • Move up to the parent folder.
  • Refresh the listing if files changed on disk.
  • Click breadcrumb segments to jump to a parent path.
  • Open View & arrange to change how the folder looks (see View modes).

Search is available from the toolbar (Search, or ⌘F / Ctrl+F). That opens the search panel in the Navigator area; see Search.

The Navigator is your shortcut rail:

  • Favorites: folders you pin for quick access.
  • Locations: drives and other mount points on your machine.
  • Vials: folders with portable metadata. Click a Vial to open its root.
  • Workspaces: saved tab setups you can reopen.

Middle-click a favorite, location, or Vial row to open that path in a new tab.

Preview area

When you select a file, the preview area shows an appropriate preview: an image, text, the Markdown editor, metadata, Vial properties, and so on. Previews stay in sync with your selection in the active pane.

For a tour of preview types, start at File previews.

Status bar

The strip at the bottom of each pane summarizes what you are looking at:

  • Counts: how many files and folders are in the current listing (after filters).
  • Item size: in Details, Thumbnails, and Gallery views, a slider adjusts row height or thumbnail size (XS through L).
  • View options: when the active view offers extra toggles (for example alternate row colors in Details), they appear in a ⋯ menu on the right.

Each pane has its own status bar settings; they do not force the same size on split panes.