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Split panes & Tabs

Open notes, graph view, and Ask Octarine in flexible tabs and split panes for a multi-document workspace.

Nearly everything in Octarine is a tab. Notes, Views, Graph, Inbox items, and Ask Octarine chats can open in tabs, enabling a flexible multi-document workspace with both vertical and horizontal split layouts.

Tab Types and States

Each tab in Octarine has specific properties that define its behavior:

  • Focused tab: The tab you're currently editing or interacting with. Only one tab can be focused at a time across all panes. Identified by an accent-colored border at the top
  • Active tab: Each pane has one active tab - the currently visible tab in that pane. Shows a grey border on top when not focused
  • Dirty tab: Temporary tabs opened from the file tree, calendar, or meta sidebar links. These tabs are replaced when opening another file the same way. Identified by italic title text and a dot beside the name
    • To make a dirty tab permanent: right-click and select Protect from Replacement or start typing in the editor
    • Tabs opened via Cmd/Ctrl + P, Cmd/Ctrl + T, doclinks, or Open in new tab are permanent by default

Creating and Managing Panes

Split your workspace to view multiple documents simultaneously:

  • Vertical split: Cmd/Ctrl + \ - Places the duplicate tab beside the current pane
  • Horizontal split: Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + \ - Places the duplicate tab below the current pane
  • Move tabs between panes:
    • Drag tabs directly from one pane to another
    • Right-click a tab and use Split (duplicates to new pane) or Move (transfers between panes)
  • Pane navigation: Use the Back and Forward controls in the window breadcrumb to move through the focused pane's history

Tab Operations

Working with tabs within each pane:

  • New tab: Cmd/Ctrl + T - Opens a new empty tab in the current pane
  • Cycle tabs: Cmd/Ctrl + Tab - Cycles through all tabs in the current pane
  • Jump to tab: Cmd/Ctrl + [1-9] - Jumps directly to a numbered tab position
  • Close tab: Cmd/Ctrl + W - Closes the current tab
  • Reorder tabs: Drag tab headers horizontally within a pane to rearrange

Each pane maintains its own navigation history:

  • Back button: Returns to the previously viewed tab in that pane
  • Forward button: Moves forward through the navigation history
  • Closed tab recovery: Closing a tab and pressing Back will restore it
  • Keyboard shortcuts: Use Cmd/Ctrl + [ to go back and Cmd/Ctrl + ] to go forward

All the navigation options are also available via the Cmd/Ctrl + K bar.

Quick Answers

Does Octarine support split panes?

Yes. Octarine supports horizontal and vertical split panes so you can view and edit multiple notes or app views side by side.

What is the shortcut for a side-by-side split?

Press Cmd/Ctrl + \ to create a vertical split with the new pane beside the current one.

What is a dirty tab?

A dirty tab is a temporary tab opened from places like the file tree, calendar, or meta sidebar. It gets replaced when you open another file the same way unless you protect it or start editing.