# Editor Tabs

> **TL;DR**
> `File | Settings | Editor | General | Editor Tabs` for Windows and Linux
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> `IntelliJ IDEA | Settings | Editor | General | Editor Tabs` for macOS
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> `Ctrl+Alt+S` (Windows), `⌘ Comma` (macOS), `⌘ Comma` (IntelliJ IDEA Classic (macOS)), `⌘ Comma` (macOS System Shortcuts), `Ctrl+Alt+S` (XWin), `Ctrl+Alt+S` (GNOME), `Ctrl+Alt+S` (KDE), `Ctrl+Alt+S` (Emacs), `Ctrl+Alt+S` (Sublime Text), `⌘ Comma` (Sublime Text (macOS)), `Ctrl+Alt+S` (NetBeans), `Ctrl+Alt+S` (Visual Studio), `⌘ Comma` (Visual Studio (macOS)), `Ctrl+Alt+S` (Eclipse), `⌘ Comma` (Eclipse (macOS)) ![the Settings icon](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.expui.general.settings.svg)

Use this page to configure the appearance of the [editor tabs](using-code-editor.html#manage_tabs)  and tab headers, specify their positioning on the screen, and define the opening and closing policy.

## Appearance

| Item | Description |
| --- | --- |
|  Tab placement  | Use the list to set the location of editor tabs. If you select None, no tabs will be displayed, and any new file will open in the current editor.  |
| Show tabs in |    Select the way in which you want to display multiple tabs.        * One row, and if tabs don't fit: place all tabs in one row, and if the tabs do not fit: * Scroll the tabs panel: hover over the tab row and use the scroll bar that appears or the mouse wheel to scroll the tabs. Alternatively, use the drop-down list (![Show Hidden Tabs](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.actions.inlayDropTriangle.svg)) on the right to open tabs that are outside the viewport. * Squeeze tabs: shrink tabs to fit them on the screen.    * Multiple rows: place tabs in several rows.      Scroll tabs:    ![Scroll tabs](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/scroll-tabs.png)                                   Squeeze tabs:    ![Squeeze tabs](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/squeeze-tabs.png)          Multiple rows:    ![Multiple rows](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/multiple-rows-tabs.png)           |
|  Show pinned tabs in a separate row  |  Select this option to automatically arrange [pinned tabs](null) in one row and unpinned tabs in other rows.  |
|  Show file icon  | Display file type icons in editor tabs. |
|  Show file extension  | Select if you want file extensions to be displayed in editor tabs. |
|  Show directory for non-unique file names  | If this checkbox is selected, the editor tabs will show the filename together with the parent directory name if the filename is not unique.  |
|  Mark modified (*)  |  Select to mark modified files with an asterisk ![](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.general.modified.svg).  |
|  Show full path on mouse hover  |  Select to be able to see complete file paths in a tooltip. If you need to configure the tooltip duration, use the  Tooltip delay  option located at the bottom of the [Code Editing](code-editing.html) page.   |
|  Close button position  |  Select where you want the closing button ![Close new](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.expui.general.closeSmall.svg) to be displayed on the tab.  |

## Tab Order

| Item | Description |
| --- | --- |
|  Sort tabs alphabetically  | Select this checkbox if you want the names of editor tabs to appear in the alphabetical order.  |
|  Open new tabs at the end  | Select this checkbox to open a new tab at the end of the already opened one. |

## Opening Policy

| Item | Description |
| --- | --- |
|  Enable preview tab  |  The [preview                         tab](using-code-editor.html#preview-tab)   allows you to view files in a single tab one by one without opening each file in a new tab. Any other file that you select will replace the previous one in this tab.  |

## Closing Policy

| Item | Description |
| --- | --- |
|  Tab limit  | Specify the maximum number of editor tabs to be displayed. |
| When tabs exceed the limit: |    In this area, specify which editor tab should be closed when the limit is reached and the user attempts to open a new file:        * Close unchanged : IntelliJ IDEA examines the tabs in the order they were opened and closes the first tab that has not been modified.    * Close unused : IntelliJ IDEA closes the tab with the less frequently modified content.    |
|  When the current tab is closed, activate  | Specify which editor tab to activate when closing the current tab. |

## Database

| Item | Description |
| --- | --- |
| Always show qualified names for database objects in tab titles | Adds a schema name to the table name for the tab. If the checkbox is selected, double-click the table in the   Database   tool window  to see a qualified tab name.       * Enabled ![Qualified names enabled](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/db_qualified_tab_names_on.png)    * Disabled ![Qualified names disabled](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/db_qualified_tab_names_off.png)    |
| Shorten datasource and object names in tab titles | Abbreviate names of data sources and objects in tab titles up to 20 symbols.       * Enabled ![Shorten data source and object names in tab titles](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/db_shorten_data_source_and_object_names_in_tab_titles.png)    * Disabled ![Full data source and object names in tab titles](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/db_full_data_source_and_object_names_in_tab_titles.png)    |

## See also

### Getting Started

### Procedures

[Editor tabs](using-code-editor.html#manage_tabs)