Write and edit tests

When no file is open

With a project open and no editor tab, the center view is the start page — project name and path at the top, then Start and Recent.

Section	What you get
Start	Open File… (⌘P / Ctrl+P), Show Explorer / Hide Explorer (⌘B / Ctrl+B), Search in Project (⌘⇧F / Ctrl+Shift+F), Run Project (F5, when a project is ready to run), and Environments. On a workspace with no project selected you may also see New Project… / Import Project….
Recent	The last 3 files you opened. Empty state: No recent files.

Show Explorer opens the Explorer panel; Hide Explorer collapses the side panel. Same chord as View → Toggle Side Bar and clicking the activity-bar logo — see Keyboard shortcuts.

Open and create files

Use the Explorer to browse your project. You can:

• Create new files and folders
• Create a .robot file with a Settings / Variables / Test Cases / Keywords scaffold
• Rename (including case-only renames), duplicate, delete, and drag-move
• Multi-select with ⌘/Ctrl and Shift for bulk actions
• Copy path(s) and reveal in the OS file manager

Edit with confidence

The Robot editor is multi-tab and understands Robot Framework structure:

• Completions for Robot DSL and BuiltIn keywords
• Hover information and signature help while you type keyword calls
• Editor breadcrumbs for the current file path / structure
• Go to Definition (F12 or Ctrl/Cmd+Click), with a picker when multiple matches exist
• Find references and document symbols (Go → Go to Symbol in File…)
• Impact Analysis (Go → Impact Analysis or the command palette) — which tests are affected if you change the keyword at the caret (see Impact Analysis)
• Live diagnostics while you type (including library imports resolved through the active environment)
• Document Outline under Explorer for jumping within the file (Robot suites and Python modules, including Python variables and class fields). Click a symbol to move the caret and scroll it into view.
• Play control in the gutter of a .robot suite — click it (or Run → Run Test at Cursor) to run only that test instead of the whole file. See Run, stop & re-run.
• Format Document (⇧⌥F / Shift+Alt+F, or Edit → Format Document) and Format Selection on the current file

Python library files (.py, .pyi, .pyw) get the same treatment, resolved against the active environment: completions from the buffer, other project modules, the stdlib, and installed packages; Tab or Enter to accept; syntax errors, undefined names, unused imports, missing packages, and unknown from package import Name members in Problems; optional Python member checks (Settings → Editor) for unknown attributes and unexpected call keywords; and Rename Symbol (Edit → Rename Symbol…, or the command palette) to rename across the project. See Editor & language intelligence for the full list.

Save

• File → Save (⌘S / Ctrl+S) and Save All (⌘⇧S / Ctrl+Shift+S)
• Optional Auto Save in Settings → Editor (off by default)
• Save Before Run is on by default so runs pick up unsaved edits

Problems appear in the bottom Problems panel and stay in sync as you edit. The panel auto-opens when issues appear, and auto-closes when they clear only if Studio opened it and you are still on Problems. Switching to Terminal, or opening the panel yourself, keeps it open. Click a finding to jump to the line and column. When a Fix button is shown, it can install a missing package or add a Library import for a qualified unknown keyword. The status bar ERRORS / WARNINGS shortcut opens that panel quickly. Keyword calls also warn when a named argument is unknown, a required argument is missing, or extra arguments are passed. Unused Library and Resource imports in the current file show as information.

Find and replace

Use the editor find/replace for the current file (Edit → Find… / Replace…). For project-wide search, see Find code & symbols.

Keep the shell out of the way

The native window menu (File / Edit / View / Go / Run / Terminal) and the quiet toolbar keep project, environment, branch, and run actions close without crowding the editor. The toolbar project chip (left of Env) switches recent projects and can Reveal in Finder / Explorer.