5. File Manager
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## 5. File Manager

The MeshCMS file manager is a web-based version of the file manager you probably use daily on your computer. It allows to manage the file system of your website.

The look & feel of the file manager window should be familiar to everyone. On the left there is the directory tree, while the contents of the currently opened directory are shown on the right. There you can select some items and choose an action from the menu at the top of the window.

Most of the menu items are easy to understand. Probably the Themes menu is the most “obscure”, in fact it is rarely used. This menu allows to specify what theme should be applied to a page or directory. Normally it's easier to apply themes using the Page Manager feature of the Control Panel, but using the file manager you can apply themes even to files not included in the site map. Simply select the desired items and then pick a theme for them. If you choose `Don't Specify`, the theme will be inherited from the parent directory (this is the default for all items that don't have an associated theme, in fact if you only select a theme for the home page, all other pages will use it). If you choose `No Theme`, nothing will be applied to that file, which will be shown "as is".

### Note

Since the file manager is a web application, operations are not executed immediately. Commands are sent to the server the usual request-execution-response cycle must happen. While much care has been taken to ensure that command are interpreted correctly, please try to execute one task at a time, making sure you wait it to complete before doing another thing.

### 5.1. Upload

The upload tool is essential, since it is used to add new files. You can upload one file at a time, so if you need to upload many files, you better create a ZIP archive, upload it and finally unzip it.

To upload a file, navigate to the desired directory and select Upload from the `Tools` menu. Then select the file from your computer and start uploading.

### Important

a file with the same name will be overwritten without confirmation.

### 5.2. Unzip

You can unpack a ZIP archive from within the file manager. It will be unpacked in the same directory or in a subdirectory, so make sure to put it in the right place before unzipping (you can always move the unpacked items later).

Select the ZIP file (it can have any extension) and choose Unzip from the `Tools` menu. You'll see a list of the files that are packed into the archive. If you prefer, you can check the flag to unzip the files in a new directory and edit its name. Note that many archives already put all files in a directory: you can verify if this is the case by looking at the list of files.

### Important

this operation is quite dangerous, since it will overwrite files if needed, without backing them up. So it is highly recommended to unzip files in a new directory as described above. Then you can move them safely.

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