File Previews
What the in-app viewer can render well, what should stay read-only, and when to fall back to download or external tools.
What previews are good at
The built-in preview experience works best for quick inspection, not for replacing a full desktop IDE.
It is typically good for:
- source files and config files
- markdown and lightweight text docs
- JSON, YAML, env-like files, and logs
- quick copy, scan, and compare workflows inside a project
Binary and large files
Some files should not be treated like normal text previews.
Examples:
- images may be previewed visually
- PDFs may open in a document-style viewer
- archives, databases, media exports, and compiled assets are better downloaded or opened externally
If a file is too large or structurally unsuitable, prefer external handling over forcing an in-app render.
Editing expectations
Use the preview pane for inspection first.
For meaningful code changes:
- use Chat with explicit change requests
- use GitHub if your team relies on PR review
- avoid treating preview as the only source of truth for large refactors