[thegenius2000]

Why use a file tree when you have a terminal? It's been shown to be the most effective (and before you shoot, by "effective" I mean fast) way to manage files, and that way you can do advanced searching through whatever code base you're using. Plus you can access all the other awesome tools (like Git) for managing your project.

[ebiester]

1. I forget exact file names in large codebases. I'm using the visual representation to jog my memory. 2. It's easier for me to remember where an infrequently-used command is in a menu tree than it is to remember the command. It is faster for me to scan through a menu than it is for me to go to stack overflow. 3. This is clunky: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/vim_mac/YUrhWQvlTRA and I don't know that it's any better on any platform. 4. My editor should be able to handle an interface to git as well. I have a plugin for it and MacVim personally.