diff --git a/client/src/setupPDEFiles.ts b/client/src/setupPDEFiles.ts
index fa8e740..8ebc6ff 100644
--- a/client/src/setupPDEFiles.ts
+++ b/client/src/setupPDEFiles.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,24 @@ export function setupPDEFiles() {
 async function OpenSketchFiles(folder: WorkspaceFolder) {
 	// find all the .pde files in the folder
 	const files = await workspace.findFiles(new RelativePattern(folder, '*.{pde,java}'));
+	let mainFile = files.find(file => file.fsPath.endsWith(`${folder.name}.pde`));
+	// read the properties file if it exists
+	// and check if main has been declared
+	const [propertiesFile] = await workspace.findFiles(new RelativePattern(folder, 'sketch.properties'));
+	if (propertiesFile) {
+		const propertiesDoc = await workspace.openTextDocument(propertiesFile);
+		const propertiesText = propertiesDoc.getText();
+		const mainMatch = propertiesText.match(/main\s*=\s*(\S+)/);
+		if (mainMatch) {
+			const mainFileName = mainMatch[1];
+			mainFile = files.find(file => file.fsPath.endsWith(mainFileName));
+		}
+	}
+	if (mainFile) {
+		// move the declared main file to the front
+		files.splice(files.indexOf(mainFile), 1);
+		files.unshift(mainFile);
+	}
 
 	for (const file of files) {
 		const doc = await workspace.openTextDocument(file);
@@ -19,6 +37,8 @@ async function OpenSketchFiles(folder: WorkspaceFolder) {
 			window.showErrorMessage(`Could not open sketch file: ${file.fsPath}`);
 			return;
 		}
-		await window.showTextDocument(doc, { preview: false });
+		await window.showTextDocument(doc, { preview: false, preserveFocus: true });
 	}
+	if (mainFile) { await window.showTextDocument(mainFile, { preview: false }); }
+
 }
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