> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.pensiv.so/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# 1.4 Understanding panels

> Tab bar, file header, toolbar, main work area

*(Tab bar · File header · Toolbar · Main work area)*

When you open a file in Pensiv,\
you don’t just get a “document screen”;\
you get a **panel**.\
That panel contains several layers of the workspace.

***

## What is a panel?

A panel is **one workspace unit** where the file you’re working on is open.

* One document opens in one panel.
* One plotboard opens in one panel.
* One sheet opens in one panel.

With split view,\
you can have several panels at once.

So

> A panel is **the container where a file is shown and worked on**.

***

## What’s inside a panel

From top to bottom, a panel has:

```
Tab bar
→ File header
→ Toolbar
→ Main work area
```

Each part has a clear role.

***

## ① Tab bar — your open context

At the top of the panel is the tab bar.\
It shows the files currently open in that panel.

* You can keep several files open.
* Click a tab to switch.
* Move between thoughts without losing context.

Pensiv is not open‑and‑close;\
it’s **keep open and work in parallel**.

***

## ② File header — file info layer

Below the tabs is the file header.\
It holds:

* File path
* Status
* Tags
* Connection info
* Settings and more menu

This is not where you write content.\
It’s where you **manage the file’s state and structure**.

***

## ③ Toolbar — editing tools

Below the file header is the toolbar.\
Here you can:

* Set font
* Size and line spacing
* Alignment
* Emphasis
* Lists and block tools

The toolbar is for **working with the file’s content**.

***

## ④ Main work area — where you think

The large area below the toolbar\
is where the real work happens.

In a document you write;\
in a plotboard you arrange cards;\
in a sheet you organize information.\
This area is **the center of what you’re focused on**.

***

## Main idea about panels

A panel is not just a window.

* Tabs keep context.
* File header manages structure.
* Toolbar handles content.
* Main area is where thinking happens.

With split view,\
you get more than one panel.

So Pensiv is not “edit one file”;\
it’s **work with several panels and several thoughts in parallel**.

***

Related: [0.5 Viewing things side by side](/en/guide/getting-started/split-view-experience), [9.3 Shortcuts](/en/guide/settings/shortcuts)