I mostly use windows, and that's my problem, of course.
But with i3/xmonad, if I run vscode or intellij, can I have the file explorer view be in a different place in the hierarchy than right next to the source editors?
IntelliJ lets you split out its internal file explorer view into a separate window, so you can place it anywhere in the hierarchy, even in a separate virtual desktop.
vscode doesn't let you split out the internal file explorer view, but the reverse is possible- you can quickly open any file in its own window, which can then be placed arbitrarily.
Many tiling window managers also allow you to group arbitrary windows into tabs.
But with i3/xmonad, if I run vscode or intellij, can I have the file explorer view be in a different place in the hierarchy than right next to the source editors?