File Browsing

File Browsing

Xplorer's core feature is an advanced file browser with multiple view modes, navigation history, and rich metadata display.

View Modes

Grid View

Displays files as a grid of cards with icons, filenames, and basic metadata. Best for visual browsing.

List View

Compact single-line entries showing filename, size, and date. Best for scanning large directories.

Details View

Full table with sortable columns: Name, Size, Type, Date Modified, and more. Best for precise file management.

Navigation

Address Bar

Click the address bar in the top bar to type a path directly, or click breadcrumb segments to navigate up the tree.

Navigation History

• Back/Forward buttons (or Alt+Left / Alt+Right)
• Up button to go to parent directory (or Alt+Up)
• The up button disables when at a drive root (e.g., C:\, D:\)

Quick Access

The left sidebar provides one-click access to:

• Home — User's home directory
• Desktop — Desktop folder
• Documents — Documents folder
• Downloads — Downloads folder
• Pictures — Pictures folder
• Music — Music folder
• Videos — Videos folder
• Drives — Local disk drives

File Selection

Single Selection

Click a file to select it. The right sidebar shows a preview and properties.

Multi-Selection

• Ctrl+Click — Toggle individual files in the selection
• Shift+Click — Select a range of files
• Ctrl+A — Select all files in the current directory

Advanced Selection

Xplorer includes an advanced selection extension with dialogs for:

• Select by Extension — Filter by file type (e.g., all .pdf files)
• Select by Date Range — Select files modified within a date range
• Select by Size Range — Select files within a size range
• Invert Selection (Ctrl+I) — Toggle selection on all files
• Select Similar — Find files similar to the current selection

Sorting

Files can be sorted by:

• Name (ascending/descending)
• Size (largest/smallest first)
• Date Modified (newest/oldest first)
• Type (by file extension)

Directories are always shown before files by default.

File Properties

Select a file and the right sidebar displays:

• File name, path, and extension
• File size (with human-readable formatting)
• Created, modified, and accessed dates
• MIME type
• For images: dimensions
• For directories: item count and calculated size

Recycle Bin / Trash

Xplorer integrates with the OS trash system:

• Delete to Trash — Delete key sends files to the recycle bin
• Permanent Delete — Shift+Delete permanently removes files
• View Trash — Navigate to xplorer://trash to see trashed items
• Restore — Restore individual items from the trash
• Empty Trash — Permanently remove all trashed items