# Find, reopen, and continue a note

Ouros is overbuilt. Benchmarks far surpass any reasonable purpose, just to be sure 1.5 million files was doable.

Bottom line, it will find whatever you are looking for.

## Before you start

Use a note you have already saved. If you are starting a new one, follow [Save a note](/docs/getting-started/fast-notes) first. Preserve any unfinished draft before opening another note.

Ouros preserves the current nonempty draft before switching to a saved note. If that save fails, Ouros keeps you in place and shows the error. Resolve it before switching.

## Levels of Importance

Apps are usually the most frequently picked item when a launcher is started. A close second would be recent docs, and from that point on niche cases become the norm.

Finder works with you. Type in whatever you might remember and use ↑ or ↓ to locate it.

### A hint is usually enough to strike a feel

**Ouros X file browser with launch-copy.md selected**

[Open the interactive Studio scene](/docs/studio-artifacts/docs-scenes/ouros-x-file-preview.html?time=0)

### Press enter to expand

**Ouros X expanded file preview ready for an in-place edit**

[Open the interactive Studio scene](/docs/studio-artifacts/docs-scenes/ouros-x-file-preview.html)

Search should be intuitive. Start with center search, then move onto walking files faster than you ever imagined.

## Edit From Anywhere

**Open the file. Edit in place.**

You shouldn't have to open a full editor to change one line. Find a file with Finder, open it, and edit it right where you are.

### How it works

1. Find the file with Finder.
2. Press **Enter** to expand it.
3. Make your change in place.

**Example:** You're drafting a note in a text file, and the copy runs too long. Open it, trim it, and you're back to what you were doing, no editor window to close afterward.

### Safe by design

Ouros panes are temporary, and your work stays safe while you move between them. That's the whole idea behind the ⌥ philosophy.

Save deliberately before you leave the edit. If the file changed somewhere else after you opened it, Ouros keeps your draft instead of overwriting the newer file.

## Reopen from Notes

1. Open Notes and reveal its notes sidebar.
2. Select the saved note you want to continue. Read its content before changing it.
3. Make a small edit and press **⌘S**.
4. Use **Reveal saved note** and confirm the same file contains the change.

## Find the file another way

If the note does not appear, search its filename within your configured locations or open its folder in Finder. File search by name is different from searching every word inside every note. Confirm the actual path before editing a similarly named file.

See [where files live](/docs/terminals-and-files/local-synced-and-cloud-only) if the file is in a synced folder or has not downloaded to this Mac.

## Handle an outside edit

If the note changed in another application after you opened it, Ouros refuses to overwrite that newer version and preserves your draft. Copy your draft, reopen the current saved note, compare both versions and merge changes deliberately.

After saving, reveal the file again and confirm that it contains the change you intended to keep.