Say you’re working on a project with hundreds of files. Changes to one file necessitate changes in others in an unfathomably complex tree structure. Using File -> Open each time you need to switch files is time-consuming, which is why simple text editors have been widely abandoned by programmers in favor of integrated development environments (IDEs) that offer tabs and a widget that shows the file structure at all times. This, more than syntax highlighting, is the reason why few projects are edited in Notepad.
But that’s still not enough. Why navigate the depths of a file tree when you can simply type the name of the file you want? This is the most important feature an IDE can offer. In Eclipse, it’s called Open Resource. In TextMate, it’s called Go to File. In Coda and Apple’s own XCode, it’s aptly dubbed Open Quickly, and goes one step further by performing full-text search on the files in the current project using Spotlight. Personally, I prefer the instantaneous of the Eclipse/TextMate approach; but either way, it’s certainly faster than using the mouse.
If you’re a developer who isn’t using this feature, find it. It will change your life at least as much as I’m guessing Quicksilver already has.
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