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The file picker

The file picker

Space f opens the file picker: a list of every file under the current directory, with a preview of the highlighted one on the right. There are only three files in this session, but the picker works the same way on a project with thousands.

The list is fuzzy. Start typing and it narrows to the files whose paths contain your letters in order — exr is enough to find exercise.txt, and you don’t need to type the directory. The best match floats to the top.

  • Up / Down move the highlight through the list
  • Enter opens the highlighted file
  • Escape closes the picker without opening anything

You’ll rarely need the arrow keys: a few distinctive letters usually leave one match, and Enter takes it.

The checklist starts with a warm-up from lesson 13. Then open example.rs with the picker — notice it arrives syntax highlighted — and use the picker again to come back here.

Note

Space e opens a file explorer instead: the same directory as a tree you walk with Enter. The picker is faster once you know a file’s name; the explorer is for when you don’t.

  1. Open welcome.txt in a split beside this window Warm-up from lesson 13 — the command that opens a file in a new window.
  2. Close that window again Lesson 13 — quit the window, and focus returns to exercise.txt.
  3. Open example.rs with the file picker The file picker — filter for the name and confirm.
  4. Come back to exercise.txt the same way The file picker again — a few letters of this file's name are enough.
Open welcome.txt in a split beside this window Warm-up from lesson 13 — the command that opens a file in a new window.

Next: Close that window again

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