> ## 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.

# 6.3 Tab system

> Switching between several files in the same panel

The tab system\
is how you **switch** between several files in the same panel.

Instead of having many files visible at once,\
it’s built so you can **move between them quickly** when you need to.

***

## When to use tabs?

Tabs fit when:

* You don’t need to see files at the same time but you switch often
* You want to keep several files in the same "work context"
* You want to keep flow without making the layout busy

Tabs are\
optimized for **switching**, not for expanding.

***

## Tabs vs. split view

They have different goals:

* **Split view**\
  → see several files at once
* **Tabs**\
  → switch between several files quickly

Simple rule:

* Need to **compare**? → Split view
* Need to **switch**? → Tabs

***

## How tabs work

Tabs work **per panel**.

* In one panel you can have several files as tabs
* Closing a tab doesn’t change the panel layout
* Each split panel can have its own set of tabs

So tabs\
change **context**, not the layout.

***

## What tabs are for

Tabs are not "recently opened."

They **keep the set of files you’re working with**.\
For example:

* Documents you switch between often
* Sheets you refer to
* Plot you check repeatedly

Keeping those in the same panel as tabs\
keeps your rhythm.

> Tabs are not a file list;\
> they’re **the set of contexts you’re in**.

***

## Summary

If split view\
**expands** what you see,

tabs\
**switch** context while keeping the same view.

Use tabs well and\
you don’t have to open and close files over and over;\
the flow stays smooth.

***

Related: [Basic UI and navigation](/en/guide/basic-ui-and-navigation/index), [Multi-view concept](/en/guide/multi-view/concept)