Files, editor and change review

6 minute read · Projects & Git

When the preview looks right, open the files and changes to understand how the agent got there. You can use Vortex through conversation and still review a particular change before keeping it.

• Review a change without reading the entire repository
• Deal with edits from outside Vortex
• Send useful context to the agent
• Use files and results as conversation context
• Files, editor and diff buttons

Review a change without reading the entire repository#

Open Files from the project and use quick-open to locate a filename. Files and Source Control have separate navigation: Files browses the checkout, while Source Control shows its Git changes. Select a text file to inspect or edit it; supported images and other formats use their own preview paths. File tabs and unsaved file drafts are separate from the message draft in the conversation.

Choose the checkout from the badges inside the panel, immediately below its heading. A folder identifies a project; a fork identifies an active, unmerged worktree by branch name. The selected badge has a check mark and stronger colour; the rest are muted. Hover to inspect the folder path and parent project. The small number is the changed-file count when Git information is available. These are the same project colours used in the sidebar, adjusted to your palette and theme.

Selecting a badge or a project in the sidebar changes what the tools browse. It does not move the current conversation or redirect its agent. Use Chat menu → Project & worktree… when you intend to change the chat's starting folder. See working copies.

After an agent finishes, open Source Control and review the changes. Begin with the file list: additions, deletions and unexpected files often reveal a scope problem faster than reading every line. Open a diff and choose unified or split presentation and wrapping to suit the file. Large diffs are virtualized, so use the file list to focus on the affected part rather than expanding everything.

Files and Git diffs open as tabs in the same editor rather than adding a separate panel for every file. The editor's top toolbar contains change selection, unified/split diff and wrapping controls. Expand and restore sit beside the close button.

Open Editor position in the editor heading: the single panel-and-four-arrows icon opens Move Editor. Choose Beside chat, Above chat, Above right panel, Below right panel or Float editor. The right-panel choices are disabled until Files or Source Control is open. The same icon opens Chat position in the chat toolbar. Drag the divider to adjust the space. The cards have a gap around them so you can distinguish the editor, tool panel and chats. Moving the editor preserves its unsaved drafts and changes the layout, not the file's location or Git branch. Review any unsaved draft before closing an editor tab.

For an article form, inspect the form component, validation and save handler together. Then try one valid submission, a missing title and a reload. A plausible diff alone does not prove that the user flow persists the record.

Panel widths, editor dimensions and terminal height carry across project and worktree switches within the same workspace and window. You do not need to resize each project's tools separately. Open tabs and unsaved edits remain associated with their project; another workspace keeps its own dimensions.

Deal with edits from outside Vortex#

When you save an open file, Vortex checks its version so an externally modified file is not silently overwritten. If another editor or agent changed it, inspect the newer contents before saving again. Preserve your draft while resolving the difference. Reopening the entire project is not a substitute for comparing the changed file.

Binary and unusually large content may have limited preview support. Do not convert or overwrite such a file simply because the text editor cannot display it. Export or open it through a supported viewer when that is the intended task.

Send useful context to the agent#

Select the relevant file or captured result and explain what needs attention. A saved vortex:// result link opens captured evidence; it does not rerun a command, query or request. Review that context for secrets before including it. When the change is ready, follow manual commits or the stricter automatic-commit workflow.

Use files and results as conversation context#

Open Files in the project surface, browse or quick-open a file and inspect it in a tab. Send a selected file or captured result into the conversation with a specific question. A result link opens the captured SQL/API/mail output without repeating the original request; check whether you want that snapshot or a fresh read.

Use unified or split diffs and wrapping to inspect the intended change. Added, removed and untracked files need review too; a short assistant summary may not mention generated files or configuration edits. A large diff can be displayed progressively without needing to expand every line before discussing the result.

When saving a text file, Vortex checks for external changes. If another editor or agent changed it, compare the versions and preserve your draft before resolving the conflict. A chat draft and a file-edit draft are separate pieces of unfinished work. Finish with a reviewed commit when the snapshot is ready.

Related guides: a Git commit, the app’s checks.

Files, editor and diff buttons#

The browser-demo screenshot marks 1 the Files tree, 2 the Source Control shortcut and 3 the Files shortcut. The data is fictional. Opening a file adds it to the editor; it does not create a new independent tool panel for every file.

The terminal is a separate card at the bottom; its divider sets its height. Panel expand/restore and close controls are in their headings. These layout actions do not change the Git branch. See Git controls.