Indexes allow you to quickly access files by their name without using a standard open/save dialog, and without having to type the filepath and file extension every time. Every file in an index must have a unique name, even if they are in different directories within a directory structure.

OPEN/CREATE DIRECTORY FILE (Ctrl+m; Menu+dfe)

This allows you to very easily create and open files in the same directory as the filepath pertaining to the current tab (if it is a saved file). Menu+dfe let's you choose a default file extension. Ctrl+m is for both accessing and opening files. It doesn't overwrite files that already exist (it opens them instead; if they're already open, ideally, it would take you to them).

If you like this feature, you may also appreciate `Open/Create path` (Ctrl+Shift+i), and the Ki-style indexes mentioned below, as well as the `Favorites` feature. (Ctrl+shift+i lets you open or create a specified file or directory by its path. Add a slash to the end to show that it is a directory rather than a file, if you want to create a new one.)

Note that clicking the mousewheel button on a word is the same as having the word highlighted and pressing control+m (which is the same as pressing control+m and typing the word in). You can do very convenient links in plaintext this way! You do not have to highlight a word to click it (but you can do that, too).

KI-STYLE INDEXES

These allow you to pick a base directory. Then you can quickly access and create files within that entire directory structure (each file must have a unique name; they all have a set file extension unless you actually specify the extension).

If a key doesn't exist, you will be prompted to specify/accept a directory path within your chosen base directory structure wherein it will be created. The directory of the last key to be opened (or the base directory) will be filled in by default.

Differences between Ki-style indexes and the others mentioned below include these:
- Ki-style indexes search directories recursively. The others do not.
- The other indexes allow for aliases. Ki-style indexes do not. The aforementioned aliases only work within a Shule/Python/Wikiweb context. They're not saved as text files like the regular keys are.
- Ki-style indexes are independent. The others are indexes for a file or directory.
- You can add Ki-style keys to favorites. You can't for the others.
- With Ki-style indexes, you can open keys with different file extensions by manually typing them in. Again, there's only one file extension for the other indexes.
- Ki-style indexes use Ki. The others utilize Wikiweb (not very much of it, however; there's a lot of room for expansion).
- It's easy to find where your index keys are in a Ki-style index. You have to go through a bunch of directories to find them with the others.
- Ki-style indexes allow sub-directories within the index. The others would ignore those directories if you made them.
- You can safely edit Ki-style indexes outside of Shule. If you edit the other indexes (such as if you delete files) that might mess stuff up in the other indexes (since the structure is technically in the Wikiweb database; it's not just the text files in the directory).
- Middle-clicking will open selected text in a Ki-style index, while right-clicking selected text will open the other style of index.

In Shule you only have one base directory at a time, and it's always the default one (and you only need one). However, on the command-line when using a normal version of Ki, you can have as many as you want. If you want to understand that better, I recommend downloading Ki and reading its documentation. A base directory is the root of a directory structure that contains your unique index keys throughout that structure. When searching for a key, if base directories are even enabled, then Ki will search from the entire base directory, no matter where you are in it (rather than just from the current directory downward).

I added this feature to Shule so I wouldn't have to use Ki from the command-line all the time, since I use Ki a lot, but opening Shule from the command-line with Ki is kind of slow and requires a lot of window shifting. So, I integrated it to make it fast.

Note that clicking the right mouse button on a word is the same as having the word highlighted and pressing control+k (which is the same as pressing control+k and typing the word in). You can do very convenient links in plaintext this way! You do not have to highlight a word to click it (but you can do that, too).

WARNINGS:
• For Ki-style directories in Shule, you shouldn't make a base directory that is within another directory that you sometimes use as a base directory unless you know what you're doing. You could make duplicate keys on accident.
• Don't try to open a Ki-style index key from a base directory with zillions of irrelevant files within it, or it could take a really long time to open a key. The index should probably be dedicated for your index. Using your entire home directory as a base directory is probably a very bad idea.