Files, tree and editor
How the Files panel, the workspace tree, the editor and diffs are organized inside the project.
Working with files in Elyra happens in three places that complement each other: the Files panel (the tree), the editor (the content) and the diff (what changed). This page gives the map; the following pages give the step-by-step.
The project folder and the workspace folder
Two similar things that are not the same:
- git follows the project folder.
- Files follow the workspace folder.
A workspace is a name and a folder; several workspaces can point to the same folder. The Files panel shows the selected workspace’s tree, and that is what determines what you see when you open a file.
The Files panel
The Files panel is the workspace tree:
- Folders and files in rows, with per-folder expansion and loading, empty and error states.
- Action bar at the top, with collapse all, reload the files, show dotfiles, show git-ignored files and open in external applications.
- Per-row context menu, with the file’s or folder’s actions.
- Context menu on empty space, to create a file or folder at the root.
The tree is virtualized: even in large repositories, it draws what is in view.
The editor
Opening a file opens an editor tab. What appears inside the tab depends on the file type:
| Type | What you see |
|---|---|
| Text and code | Code editor, with tabs, search, replace and save |
| Markdown | Source, rich editing or preview, with a table of contents and export |
| Image, PDF, CSV, notebook, Mermaid | Its own viewer, generally read-only |
| Diff | Side-by-side or inline comparison |
The same editor appears in two places: as a tab and as an Inspector side panel.
Diffs
A diff compares what is on disk with what is in git — the file before and after your change. There are three ways to look at it:
- Single-file diff — that file’s original/modified pair.
- Combined diff — every section at once, with a side tree to navigate.
- Changes mode — the editing tab itself becomes the diff, without opening a separate tab.
Searches
There are three searches with different reaches, and confusing them is the most common source of unexpected results:
| Search | Reach |
|---|---|
| Filter by name | The file and folder names in the tree |
| Search content | The text inside the workspace’s files |
| Go to file | A palette that opens a file by name, with ranking |
What is saved and what is not
- Autosave exists, but not for every kind of tab: combined diff tabs and conflict review tabs have no autosave.
- External changes to the app interrupt autosave and ask for a decision.
- Rename moves the file; duplicate creates a copy; delete removes. All three touch the disk for real.