---
title: Tabs
slug: tabs
summary: How Skimmark shows each open file as a tab, how to switch and close tabs, the keyboard shortcuts, how tabs come back after you quit, and the optional recent documents list.
---

# Tabs

Each open file gets one tab. A tab shows the file name; hover over it to see the full path.

- Opening a new file adds a tab at the end and switches to it.
- Opening a file that is already open switches to its tab. You never get two tabs for the same file.
- Each tab remembers how far you scrolled.
- The row of tabs stays at the top of the window while you scroll, so you never have to scroll back up to switch.
- A **~** after the file name means the file changed since you last marked it seen. See [Mark as seen](mark-as-seen.md).

## Switching tabs

Click a tab, or use the keyboard. On Mac use **Cmd**; on Windows and Linux use **Ctrl**. These shortcuts work on all three systems.

| To | Press |
|---|---|
| Go to tab 1 to 9 | Cmd/Ctrl + 1 to 9 |
| Next tab | Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + ] |
| Previous tab | Cmd/Ctrl + Shift +  |

Next and previous wrap around from the last tab to the first.

## Closing tabs

- Click the **×** on a tab, or press **Cmd+W** on Mac or **Ctrl+W** on Windows and Linux.
- On Mac and Linux you can also choose **File > Close Tab**. Windows has no menu yet.
- When you close the active tab, the tab to its right opens (or the one to its left if it was last).
- A tab with unsaved edits shows a dot (●) and does not close until you save it. If its edits can't be saved, closing it asks "Discard unsaved edits in <file name>?" with **Cancel** and **Discard**. Only clicking **Discard** closes it; **Cancel**, Escape, or closing the box keeps the tab, and on Mac and Windows so does Return; see [Editing and saving a file.
- Closing the last tab does not close Skimmark. The window shows the **Open a file** button and "Drop a Markdown file here", ready for the next file.

## Tabs come back after you quit

Skimmark remembers your tabs. The next time it starts, the same files open in the same order, and the tab you were on is active again.

- If you start Skimmark by opening a file (from the terminal, a double-click, or a drop), your saved tabs open first, then that file. If the file was already one of your tabs, Skimmark switches to it.
- If a file was moved or deleted since you quit, its tab still comes back in the same place. The tab shows "File moved or deleted." and an empty page. If the file comes back to the same place, the tab loads it. Close it with the **×** or **Cmd/Ctrl+W**.

## Recent documents

Skimmark can keep a list of the last 20 files you opened, newest first. The list is off unless you turn it on.

To turn it on, quit Skimmark, open `settings.json` in the Skimmark app data folder in a text editor, and change `"recent_documents": false` to `"recent_documents": true`. Skimmark creates this file the first time it starts. There is no settings screen yet. A change to the setting takes effect the next time Skimmark starts.

| System | App data folder |
|---|---|
| Mac | `~/Library/Application Support/com.skimmark.app` |
| Windows | `%APPDATA%\com.skimmark.app` |
| Linux | `~/.local/share/com.skimmark.app` |

When the list is on:

- The empty window shows a **Recent** list under the drop zone. Click a file, or move to it with **Tab** and press **Enter** or **Space**.
- On Mac and Linux, **File > Open Recent** lists the same files by name. Windows has no menu yet.
- If a file in the list was moved or deleted, choosing it shows "File not found:" and the path.

When the list is off, no list appears anywhere and Skimmark does not save one.