I understand that the new Pages Manager is the default view and whilst I’m sure many people enjoy using it, I think we should have the option to default back to the File Manager view if we choose.
I’m constantly in and out of project folders (css, js, img, fonts, and even dmxConnect sometimes) and it’s now an extra step to get back to the old file structure.
There is always a quick shortcut key alt-f
Is that maybe enough?
Handy to know but I still think it would be good to have a dropdown or toggle somewhere in options
With the reinstated and new shortcut keys, I hadn’t even noticed the default was Pages - but if I had, I would agree with @max_gb. The shortcuts are so useful*.
One related issue is that the currently selected panel isn’t remembered if you switch projects - so going backwards and forwards between two projects means constantly reopening the Files tab (for example). Even if I’m not using an option on the left, I always prefer to have one open so the screen layout remains consistent. This has always worked in the past - until the last update I think.
*When there are finally shortcuts for Design/Code/Split (or even better, a default setting), I shall be very happy.
Not really. Until there is a reason to use the Pages view I prefer the old Files view. And have to keep switching. Pages view is like ‘File View for Dummies’. I hope there will be more to it in the future but right now it seems to me to be a waste of your guys brilliant minds and resources.
Pages Manager will be getting much more powers in the next beta’s so you will need it more 
George, it’s actually a pain to work with. I have to switch projects all the time with same structure (cms for example). So now I have to change to Files all the time.
Please let the user choose by setting preferences and don’t set it as default. Thanks
I expect switching backwards and forwards between two (or more) projects is very common. Having switched, you would hope/expect the layout to be the same- but it needs a little reorganisation each time. It would be great if it were:
Alt+O (switch projects)
Click to select project (ideally shortcut)
… but it’s actually (at least in my case):
Alt+O
Click on project folder*
Click on project
Alt+F (open files panel)*
Click on ‘Split’*
* shouldn’t be necessary
I don’t think that using keys are any kind of options here.
The user himself should be able to decide how Wappler opens the Project Folder (also in case of NodeJS is insatlled for the project).
I don’t see any reason why user that are not using NodeJS are forced to switch around. Wappler is clever enough to find the same spot when switching through similar organized projects which really help updating/changing similar code/content. But with the need of change to “Files” each time I change to another project, this help is gone.
The current implementation is just a bad decision.
Hi Andre,
May I ask what is your usual workflow in using the file manager? What do you do there mostly ?
Hope you don’t mind me chipping in. I use just the File Manager and not the Pages Manager. The main uses are…
Seeing them all in the tight, simple list is ideal so the existing solution is fine. It looks like the Pages Manager is part of the new features with templates which looks great but, until it’s available for PHP, doesn’t provide me with anything.
Hi George
I do need direct access to the php pages. For bigger projects like zoo basel we have a developer clone of the site so we need to switch back a lot, means we now have to switch to Files, and open all the folders to get access to the file we are working on. A process that worked automaticly before.
Also we use our huge cms for every project and we are updating/improving it all day long. So here also we have to reopen the files in quite deep structures.
The best solution would be to have some preferences settings to define if Pages or File are opened by default. Along with the possibility to set default to Pages if NodeJS is part of the project.
Just to add: I do have the structure of the website in mind while working with it. So the tree view is by far better than listed icons. Icons request a 2nd view and search in the prcess of finding and opening a files, that’s not good. Especially for huge projects we’re working on.
I’m not sure what the Pages layout is for yet; hopefully it will become more apparent in due course.
I certainly see there are some useful features, but they’re features I would like to see in File Manager - eg searching and sorting files, and adding descriptions. As it is, I find Pages view confusing. I would be happy to filter the types of file that appear, but to have some files not appearing without any choice is disconcerting.
I can’t imagine I will ever feel that listing files across the page will be as useful as listing them downwards. I don’t think sorting works yet, but it would be useful - but much less so, with files appearing like this (and this is apparently the list view option):
If, in this case, only PHP files are listed, I don’t see the point of having icons. It would be good to have the option of showing file extensions.
File Manager is of course very useful as it is, but nevetheless, I’ll often open the OS file manager for more functionality - and it’s easy to do from File Manager. The option is not available in Pages view (perhaps it will be).
Having said all that, part of the issue is familiarity, and it’s quite possible that I shall become a fan of Pages view in the future.
If you have many files per folder with longer names, icons are not productive (means left to right listing with big icons). It’s far better having alphabetic ordered lists with full filename and extensions
It’s also good to see so much space left on this panel - plenty of room for more defaults. I expect setting the default view (Design/Code/Split) will be there soon. 
Oooh! That would be a good one!
I’ve just installed the update and realise the default to File Manager doesn’t actually make any difference if you use keyboard shortcuts. The issue of the left hand panel closing when you switch sites is still there, so the extra action is needed just as it was before.
Anyway, there’s room on the defaults panel for a new option ‘please don’t keep changing the layout’.
