Development Log — Noya Explorer

Noya Explorer received a huge update focused on turning it into a real file explorer instead of just a file browser.

First, I fixed a compilation issue caused by a duplicated tokio key in src-tauri/Cargo.toml, which was preventing Cargo from parsing the project correctly.

After that, I completely redesigned the interface and theme system. The old system with multiple dark-only themes(never see the day) was replaced with a cleaner light/dark theme setup with automatic system detection, a new purple accent color, and a more technical angular design. I removed the glassmorphism style, reduced border radius, improved typography, and created a more unique identity inspired by Linux file managers like Nautilus and Dolphin while keeping Noya Explorer’s own style.

The file icons were also improved with category-based colors: folders, images, videos, audio files, documents, archives, code files, and executables now have their own visual identity, making navigation easier.

The settings panel was redesigned with a simple Auto / Light / Dark selector instead of the previous theme cards system.

I also fixed file opening issues by replacing the Tauri opener plugin with a native Rust command using the system file opener (xdg-open on Linux, open on macOS, and cmd start on Windows), making file launching more reliable.

The biggest part of this update was transforming Noya Explorer into a real file manager. I added new Rust backend commands for creating files and folders, renaming, deleting, copying, moving entries, and retrieving detailed file information such as size, dates, permissions, and extensions.

On the React side, a large part of the application was rewritten to add real explorer features: multi-selection, copy/cut/paste operations, right-click context menus, file creation dialogs, rename dialogs, delete confirmations, a detailed properties panel, a new toolbar, and many keyboard shortcuts.

New shortcuts include:

• Ctrl+C to copy
• Ctrl+X to cut
• Ctrl+V to paste
• F2 to rename
• Delete to remove files
• Ctrl+A to select everything
• Ctrl+Shift+N to create a folder
• Alt + arrows for navigation

I also created new reusable components like ContextMenu, Dialog, and PropertiesPanel to keep the code cleaner and easier to maintain.

Finally, I adjusted the layout by moving the Analyze and Settings buttons into the sidebar footer, making the sidebar fixed, removing unnecessary elements, and improving the overall consistency of the UI.

This update is a major milestone for Noya Explorer. It is no longer just a file viewer, but a real modern file manager with its own design language. The next goals are advanced features like storage analysis, duplicate detection, suspicious file detection, and smarter file organization.