Lanes includes a built-in file browser and code editor so you can view and edit project files without leaving the app. This is especially useful when you want to inspect what an AI agent changed, make a quick fix, or browse your codebase alongside the board.
Adding Projects to the Sidebar
Before you can browse files, Lanes needs to know which directories to show.
- Click the + button in the sidebar to add a project folder, or
- Open Settings > General and manage your working folders from there.
You can add multiple project directories. Each one appears as a top-level entry in the sidebar file tree.
The File Tree
The sidebar shows an expandable file tree for each project you have added. Folders can be expanded and collapsed by clicking the arrow next to them. The tree is lazy-loaded -- child entries are fetched only when you expand a folder, so even large projects stay responsive.
Default-Collapsed Directories
Some directories are collapsed by default because they are typically not useful to browse manually:
node_modules.gittargetdist
You can still expand them if you need to; they just start closed to keep the tree manageable.
Navigating Files and Folders
Click any folder to expand or collapse it. Click any file to open it in the editor panel on the right side of the screen. The file tree highlights the currently open file so you can see where you are.
The Monaco Editor
When you open a file, it appears in a full-featured Monaco editor -- the same editor engine that powers VS Code. You get:
- Syntax highlighting for all common languages and file types.
- Line numbers in the gutter for easy reference.
- Theme matching -- the editor follows your app theme (light or dark), so it blends naturally with the rest of Lanes.
Tab Management
You can have multiple files open at the same time. Each open file gets its own tab at the top of the editor area.
- Click a tab to switch to that file.
- Click the X on a tab to close it.
- Tabs appear in the order you opened them.
If you open many files, the tab bar scrolls so all your tabs remain accessible.
Unsaved Changes
When you edit a file, its tab shows a dot indicator to let you know there are unsaved changes. This gives you a visual cue before you navigate away or close the tab.
Saving Files
Press Cmd+S to save the current file. The dot indicator disappears once the save completes, confirming your changes are written to disk.
File Size Limits
For performance and safety, Lanes shows a warning when you try to open a file larger than 5 MB. Very large files (minified bundles, binary data, large logs) can slow down the editor. You can still choose to open them, but the warning lets you know what to expect.
Tips
- Use the file browser alongside agent sessions to review changes as the AI makes them -- open the terminal in one panel and the edited file in another.
- The editor is great for quick tweaks. For heavy editing sessions, you might still prefer your full IDE, but for inspecting diffs and making small fixes Lanes has you covered.
- Drag a file from the file tree onto an open terminal to inject its path. Handy when you want to tell an agent to look at a specific file.