> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.glyphformac.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# File Tree

> Navigate and organize your notes with the file tree sidebar

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.

## 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

## Navigation

### Opening Files

<Steps>
  <Step title="Click to open">
    Click any file in the tree to open it in the main editor pane.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Active indicator">
    The currently open file is highlighted with a distinct background.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Preview mode">
    Some file types open in preview mode, showing a read-only rendering.
  </Step>
</Steps>

### 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

<Tip>
  The file tree remembers which folders you've expanded, even after closing and reopening Glyph.
</Tip>

## File Operations

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

### Creating Files

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="New Note">
    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:**

    ```markdown theme={null}
    # Note Title
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="New Folder">
    Creates a new subfolder.

    1. Right-click a folder (or empty space for root)
    2. Select **New Folder**
    3. Glyph creates "New Folder" (or "New Folder 2", etc.)
    4. The folder enters rename mode automatically
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="New Database">
    Creates a database view file.

    1. Right-click a folder
    2. Select **New Database**
    3. Glyph creates a database.md file with default config
    4. Opens the database view automatically
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

### Renaming Files and Folders

<Steps>
  <Step title="Start rename">
    Right-click and select **Rename**, or select the file and press `F2`.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enter new name">
    Type the new name in the inline editor.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm or cancel">
    Press `Enter` to confirm or `Esc` to cancel.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  When you rename a note, Glyph automatically updates all wikilinks pointing to that note throughout your space.
</Note>

### 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.

### Deleting Files and Folders

<Warning>
  Deletion is permanent. Deleted files are not sent to the system trash.
</Warning>

<Steps>
  <Step title="Right-click target">
    Select the file or folder you want to delete.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select Delete">
    Choose **Delete** from the context menu.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm deletion">
    A confirmation dialog appears. Click **Delete** to confirm.
  </Step>
</Steps>

Deleting a folder recursively deletes all files and subfolders inside it.

## File Types

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

### 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

### Database Files

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

### 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.

## 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`)

## 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

## 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

## 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