Working with Sessions

Sessions in Factory provide a flexible and powerful workspace for your development tasks. Understanding how to navigate and customize the session interface will help you maximize your productivity. This guide will walk you through the key components of the session view and how to tailor it to your needs.

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Panel View Overview

When you start a session in Factory, you’re presented with a panel-based interface. This modular design allows you to organize your workspace efficiently, with each panel serving a specific purpose.

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Types of Panels

Factory offers several types of panels, each designed for specific tasks:

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1. Chat Panel

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2. Fragment Viewer

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3. Context Panel

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4. Chat History Panel

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Customizing Your Panel Layout

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Changing Panel Types

To change the type of a panel:

1. Locate the dropdown menu in the upper left corner of the panel.

2. Click to open the menu and select the desired panel type.

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Adding New Panels

New panels can be added in two ways:

1. Automatically: When certain actions are performed, like generating a new fragment.

2. Manually: Move your mouse to the right edge of the screen to reveal the panel addition menu.

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Resizing Panels

Adjust the size of your panels for optimal viewing:

1. Expand/Collapse: Click the expand button in the upper right corner of a panel to maximize it. Click again to restore the original size.

2. Drag to Resize: Hover over the border between panels until you see the resize cursor, then click and drag to adjust the size.

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Best Practices for Panel Management

1. Optimize for Your Workflow: Arrange panels based on your current task. For coding, you might want the fragment panel prominent, while for exploration, the Chat panel might take center stage.

2. Leverage the Chat History: Use the Chat History panel to navigate through your work process and revisit earlier parts of your conversation.

3. Keep Context Visible: The Context panel can be crucial for understanding your current working environment. Consider keeping it visible, even if small.

4. Utilize Keyboard Shortcuts: Learn and use keyboard shortcuts for quick panel navigation and management. (Tip: Use Cmd/Ctrl + K to open the command palette for quick actions)

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Conclusion

Mastering the session interface in Factory allows you to create a tailored environment that enhances your productivity. Experiment with different panel layouts and combinations to find what works best for your unique workflow.