Unable to move the sidebar to the right side

[titoBouzout]

Some users (like me) would prefer to have the sidebar to the right side of the editor, not the left side. This is not only a preference, but also have some strong arguments.

• For those of us that write in LTR languages, we have our focus in the left side of the screen (apply the following point in reverse mode if you write RTL):
• We have different backgrounds applied to sidebar and to text editor. Imagine Sidebar light background, and editor dark background(or in reversed mode). This contrast difficulties reading/writing.
• It would be nice to not have distracting UI to the left side of our writing. (it should be the end of the world(screen))
• changing tabs(currently) makes the sidebar to apply some fun animations, change of selections and focus. is distracting.

[ooooak]

+1

[borela]

Any updates on this? Is it on the roadmap?

[pixelwatt]

Any updates? This really becomes a burden on large displays when working with a browser on one half of the screen and Sublime on the other. It's a barrier between my code and the browser I'm testing code in. It wouldn't be efficient to close it, but it's not efficient to keep having to jump over.

[jordanlittle]

+1

Visual Studio Code has it now. ¯/_(ツ)_/¯

[DominikSerafin]

Atom too, to which I've switched from Sublime. One reason for that was exactly this sidebar issue.

[barkertron]

This has been an issue for a long time and is the main reason why I reluctantly choose other editors wherever possible. It might sound extremely pedantic - I certainly envy people who are fine with the sidebar where it is - but for me it's extremely bad UI. The OP gives a good account of several issues with this approach; my main gripe is that I find it jarring to jump an arbitrary distance from the side of the screen whenever I start typing.

I think ST is pretty much the only remaining editor that won't allow this - Atom, VSCode, Visual Studio, TextMate, even Dreamweaver (ugh) give you this flexibility. I love everything else about Sublime but I really, really wish they'd do something about this! Would probably be my #1 editor if so.

[jportoles]

Any news?

[eternalduck]

it's really disappointing.. waiting for the solution!

[jimpriest]

Bueller? Would love to see this. VSCode can do it :)

[reedwade]

Upvoted but also just adding the note that for me it's partly useful because my left eye just doesn't see as well as my right one. I actually prefer the left otherwise but find it harder to read.

[pkayokay]

Works nicely when you have two vertical windows and the sidebar to the right, I do this in VSCode but yes, would be nice on ST

[jimpriest]

My main thing is with it on the right my whole view doesn't shift when I show/hide the sidebar. The code is always hard left and doesn't move. I'm not familiar with Sublimes code but I can't image this is that difficult to implement.

[somyadashora]

In dire need of this feature in the best code editor

[pbannister]

Came here looking for how to move the sidebar to right. Kind of late to expect anything from this, but have to register my interest.

From the very first IDEs (in 80s/90s), I always thought the sidebar belonged on the right, and set that in preferences when possible. (Picked up Visual Studio Code lately, and did the same.)

My reasoning was/is that the main focus should be the text/code. Putting optional/flyaway panels on the left means the text is jerked sideways, disrupting focus, and forcing your eyes to scan the change. With optional/flyaway panels always on the right, the text/code does not move. (Also overlay panels on the right most likely cover empty space.) Also (also) the visual clutter of less-used side panels is further from text when on the right, and less distracting. Common theme here is to not waste any mental CPU cycles.

The common default with panels on the left means we now have generations of programmers who have become accustomed, and do not question the convention ... which is unfortunate.

[jimpriest]

6 years later... still using Sublime - still wishing I could move the $%^&@&@ sidebar to the right :)

[fakefarm]

Hopefully ST4 will have this! 🙏

[jimpriest]

I look at the v4 changelog every once in awhile but so far it seems they are working on more internals. I do see some changes now in 2021 that look more cosmetic so maybe :)

[somyadashora]

Yes please, only good things in 2021.

[asyraffff]

I am craving for this feature 🔥

[waynehoover]

This is essential for me.

[ooooak]

• opened this issue on May 31, 2014

Maybe its time to just close this request 😄

[FichteFoll]

As far as I'm concerned, this is not how request tickets function. There is obviously demand for this feature, so unless it was declined it is still up for the devs to implement based on their priorities.

[jimpriest]

Maybe it will be in Sublime 5?? (sigh)

[andreseduardop]

I have faith that one day they will listen to us and we can place the sidebar wherever we want. 🙏

At the very least, moving this from the left side to the right would be an improvement.

[deepanmania]

+1

[dinghaixing]

I think maybe is it a hobby to torture people who like TS.

[khadegd]

Any update on this one?

[UltraInstinct05]

Generally, what I have seen so far is that if a issue is being worked on, then a SHQ developer will assign it to himself. If not, you can probably be assured that the issue is not being worked on and there is no point in asking if there are any updates or not.

[jimpriest]

I check in here once a year to see if there has been any progress.

2023. Nope. :(

[timofey-nekhaenko-stenn]

We'll celebrate 10 years of this request soon)

[barkertron]

We'll celebrate 10 years of this request soon)

I think we should all get together for a party. Meeting spot is at the right hand side of the bar

[damienOlsen]

Pleeease implement this feature! 🙏

[xshapira]

It's been almost a decade, yet Sublime lacks a desired feature that other editors have already implemented. A simple feature that most likely won't see daylight.

It forces me to stick to VS Code and wait for a refined version of Zed (written in Rust by the creators of Atom).

[xshapira]

Important UPDATE (10 year anniversary) - 2024:

A lead Sublime Text developer has confirmed that the groundwork for this feature has been done, but he cannot provide a timeline yet.

Stay tuned.

[andradei]

So another 10 years? :smile: Jk, that's great news.

[sergiors]

+1

[solmanter]

Happy 10 years of this issue!

[jimpriest]

Well I'm glad Sublime is still around even though I don't use it anymore. Still one of the most oddly managed projects. What's New - hasn't been updated since 2021. Seemingly 'simple' features like this are ignored for years... but still a fantastic editor!

[Scullyon]

Important UPDATE (10 year anniversary) - 2024:

A lead Sublime Text developer has confirmed that the groundwork for this feature has been done, but he cannot provide a timeline yet.

Stay tuned.

I hope they add the ability to dock it at the top and bottom as well, for people with vertical monitors.

I stopped using Sublime years ago as my main text editor, partly due to issues like this one. I do wonder what state their code must be in if such a simple feature is taking them so long. Pretty much all of their competitors support this, including a well known free one.

[brokedarius]

Important UPDATE (10 year anniversary) - 2024: A lead Sublime Text developer has confirmed that the groundwork for this feature has been done, but he cannot provide a timeline yet. Stay tuned.

I hope they add the ability to dock it at the top and bottom as well, for people with vertical monitors.

I stopped using Sublime years ago as my main text editor, partly due to issues like this one. I do wonder what state their code must be in if such a simple feature is taking them so long. Pretty much all of their competitors support this, including a well known free one.

I agree and as someone who bought the license, I am disappointed that in 2024 certain functions like that one and the terminal are so lack luster in comparison to that 'well known free one'.

People requested this 10 years ago and it's tbd? Really? At this point I only use sublime as a notepad basically because it's a bit faster to open that the others.

Yesterday when I saw there was an new update I really thought hey maybe if I check the changelog I will see this finally but no there was only one change regarding the sidebar if I recall and it was not that sadly.

I don't mean to be rude or anything but when all the others do it for free and you make people pay for it but you don't it looks a bit bad, just saying.

[lunafoxfire]

I am very keen to switch away from VSCode, but (it may sound dumb) this missing feature is pretty important to me and is one of my main frustrations. Configurability is pretty important to me as I will be spending many hundreds of hours using this tool.