I like my file list to be visible as I write, so is there any way in Python (or in the existing workflow actions) to call up a sidebar with a scrollable list of files (along with previews of the first few lines of text) and then, upon selecting a specific file, having it load into the editor? (But, unlike the default file list, not disappear afterwards?)
Thanks!
Also, just curious, can a Python sidebar be loaded from the left as well as the right? Thanks!
You might check out @JonB's EditArea which is a javscript editor within pythonista or editorial that allows you to open, browse and save files, with syntax highlighting. This would allow you to reorganize the UI to fit your needs.
Thanks! I'll give it a look.
Also, ed which is a Codemirror based editor, capable of editing many file types.
It all seems terribly complicated to me, since I am by no means a coder. I'd even be satisfied with a sidebar merely showing the contents of a file directory, without the ability to click them and pull them into the main writing space. I mainly want that Scrivener-like ability to view my documents as I write, so I can see where exactly I am within the structure of a big project.
Putting filenav in the Action Menu (under the wrench icon) might get you closer to your objective.
Thanks. I've actually spent the day picking apart some of the simpler sidebar workflows to see what makes them tick, and having some success figuring out what I want to do and how I want to implement it. What I want the sidebar to do has evolved a bit since I asked my original question. Now, having discovered that I can load UI elements into the sidebar, what I want to have is several textview windows in that sidebar, into which I'd be able load the contents of different files (which I'd choose via selecting from a list). I've managed to make it work via actions in Custom UI, but making it work in a sidebar is going to be just a bit more complicated. Still, it seems very doable.