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2. Navigating the Interface

Athanor's interface is designed to streamline your AI-assisted workflow. Let's explore the main areas and their functions.

Interface Layout​

Athanor Interface Athanor's interface: File explorer (left), task management and prompt generation (right)

Athanor's interface is primarily divided into three main areas:

Left Panel: File Explorer​

The File Explorer shows your project's file tree with several key features:

  • Expand/Collapse: Click folder icons to navigate your project structure
  • Multi-Select: Check boxes next to files and folders to include them in prompts
  • Context Menu: Right-click any item to add it to .athignore or perform other actions
  • Refresh: Updates automatically when files change, or manually refresh if needed

On top of the File Explorer, buttons allows you to:

  • Open another project folder
  • Refresh the File Manager (and Athanor as a whole)
  • Copy the content of the selected files to the clipboard

Right Panel: Multi-Tab Workspace​

The right panel contains several tabs for different functions:

Prompt Studio (Workbench Tab)​

This is your main workspace, containing:

  • Task Description: Text area where you describe what you want the AI to do
  • Context Field: Optional area for ephemeral data like commit messages or specific instructions
  • Preset Prompts: Buttons for different prompt templates (Autoselect, Query, Coder, Architect, etc.)
  • Preset Tasks: Pre-defined tasks like "AI Summary" or "Refactor Code"
  • Generated Prompt: Display area for the final prompt, automatically copied to clipboard
  • Configuration Toggles: Options for Smart Preview, Include File Tree, Documentation Format

File Viewer Tab​

  • View the content of selected files
  • Preview file contents before including them in prompts

Apply Changes Tab​

  • Review AI-generated code changes
  • Preview diffs and selectively apply modifications
  • Accept or reject individual file changes

Settings Tab​

  • Manage project-specific and global application settings
  • Configure API keys for direct AI integration (optional)

Bottom Panel: Log Display​

The bottom log panel shows:

  • Messages and notifications
  • Error information
  • Clickable events for debugging
  • Re-inspection of previous actions

Key Interface Features​

Tooltips​

Throughout Athanor, hover over buttons, controls, and interface elements to see contextual help tooltips. This is the primary method for getting quick information.

Drag and Drop​

You can drag file paths from the File Explorer and drop them into:

  • Task Description text area
  • Context field
  • Any text input where file references are useful

Responsive Design​

The interface adapts to different window sizes and can be resized to fit your workflow preferences.

  1. Start with File Selection: Choose relevant files in the left panel first
  2. Use Task Description: Clearly describe your goal in the main text area
  3. Choose Appropriate Prompts: Different prompt types serve different purposes
  4. Monitor the Log: Check the bottom panel for helpful messages and feedback

Now that you're familiar with the interface, let's dive into creating your first AI prompt!