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The file tree provides a hierarchical view of all files and folders in your Glyph space, making it easy to navigate and organize your notes.

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File Tree Overview

The file tree appears on the left side of the Glyph window and displays:
  • Folders: Expandable/collapsible directory structure
  • Files: All files in your space (markdown and non-markdown)
  • Active file: Highlighted in the tree
  • Folder depth: Visual indentation and connecting lines

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Opening Files

1

Click to open

Click any file in the tree to open it in the main editor pane.
2

Active indicator

The currently open file is highlighted with a distinct background.
3

Preview mode

Some file types open in preview mode, showing a read-only rendering.

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Expanding Folders

  • Click folder name: Toggle expand/collapse
  • Click chevron icon: Same as clicking the folder name
  • Nested folders: Expand multiple levels to navigate deep structures
The file tree remembers which folders you’ve expanded, even after closing and reopening Glyph.

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File Operations

Right-click any file or folder to access context menu operations:

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Creating Files

Creates a new markdown note.
  1. Right-click a folder
  2. Select New Note
  3. Choose location and filename in the dialog
  4. Glyph creates the file with a default heading
Default content:
# Note Title

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Renaming Files and Folders

1

Start rename

Right-click and select Rename, or select the file and press F2.
2

Enter new name

Type the new name in the inline editor.
3

Confirm or cancel

Press Enter to confirm or Esc to cancel.
When you rename a note, Glyph automatically updates all wikilinks pointing to that note throughout your space.

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Moving Files

Drag and drop files or folders to move them:
  1. Click and hold on a file or folder
  2. Drag to the target folder
  3. Release to complete the move
Glyph updates all internal links automatically when you move markdown files.

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Deleting Files and Folders

Deletion is permanent. Deleted files are not sent to the system trash.
1

Right-click target

Select the file or folder you want to delete.
2

Select Delete

Choose Delete from the context menu.
3

Confirm deletion

A confirmation dialog appears. Click Delete to confirm.
Deleting a folder recursively deletes all files and subfolders inside it.

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File Types

The file tree displays all files, with special handling for different types:

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Markdown Files

  • Icon: Document icon
  • Open behavior: Opens in the rich markdown editor
  • Wikilink support: Can be referenced with [[filename]]
  • Search: Indexed for full-text search

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Database Files

  • Icon: Table/grid icon
  • Open behavior: Opens database view
  • Format: Markdown file with embedded database config

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Other Files

  • Images: .png, .jpg, .jpeg, .gif, .svg, .webp
  • PDFs: .pdf
  • Text files: .txt, .json, .csv, etc.
  • Binary files: Any other file type
Non-markdown files open in a preview pane when clicked.

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Sorting

Files and folders are automatically sorted:
  1. Folders first: All folders appear before files
  2. Alphabetical: Case-insensitive alphabetical order
  3. Natural sort: Numbers are sorted numerically (e.g., note2 before note10)

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Empty States

When a folder is empty or your space has no files:
  • The file tree shows “No files found.”
  • You can still right-click to create new files or folders
  • The message fades in with a subtle animation

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Visual Hierarchy

The file tree uses visual cues to show structure:
  • Indentation: Each level is indented 10px
  • Connecting lines: Vertical lines show parent-child relationships
  • Chevron icons: Point right when collapsed, down when expanded
  • Hover effects: Files and folders highlight on hover

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Performance

The file tree is optimized for large spaces:
  • Lazy loading: Only loads visible folders
  • Virtual rendering: Efficiently handles thousands of files
  • Incremental updates: Only re-renders changed items
  • Debounced file watching: Batches rapid file system changes