CopyTab

Description

Copy the content of all your open tabs with an intelligent project structure visualization. Perfect for sharing your code with LLMs (ChatGPT, Claude, etc.), AI coding assistants, or collaborators. CopyTab now includes a project file tree that shows your workspace structure alongside your code.

Features

• 📋 Copy All Open Files: With a simple command, copy the text content from all open files in your editor.
• 🌳 Project File Tree: Automatic visual directory tree showing your project structure - perfect for LLMs to understand your codebase layout.
• 🚫 Smart Filtering: Respects your .gitignore file to exclude build artifacts, dependencies, and temporary files.
• 📁 Intelligent Depth Limiting: Shows up to 3 levels of directory nesting to keep output clean and readable.
• 🌐 Cross-Language Support: Works with any file type VS Code supports - Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Go, Rust, C++, Java, and more.
• ⚡ Real-time Tab Tracking: Automatically tracks all currently open tabs and updates count in real-time as you open/close files.
• 📍 Enhanced Status Bar: Always-visible status bar showing exact file count (e.g., "CopyTab (3)"). Click to instantly copy all open tabs to clipboard.
• 🔄 Cross-Platform Compatible: Proper handling of Windows (\) and Unix (/) path separators.
• 🎯 Filename Headers: Each file's content is clearly labeled with its filename for better organization.
• ⚙️ Highly Customizable: 9 configuration options to tailor output for your specific needs - adjust tree depth, file paths, sorting, line numbers, filters, and more.

How to Use

1. Open Files: Open the files you want to copy in VS Code tabs. The extension automatically tracks all visible tabs.
2. Copy: Click the "CopyTab (N)" status bar button (bottom right of VS Code) showing your file count, or run "CopyTab All Open Files" from the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P).
3. Paste: Paste the clipboard contents into your LLM chat, documentation, or wherever you need it.

Output Format

The copied content includes:

=== PROJECT STRUCTURE ===
my-project/
├── src/
│   ├── components/
│   ├── utils/
│   └── index.js
├── package.json
└── README.md

=== FILE CONTENTS ===

File: src/index.js
[file content here]

File: package.json
[file content here]

This format is optimized for sharing with AI assistants like ChatGPT and Claude, as they can easily understand your project structure and analyze your code.

⭐ Love CopyTab?

If you find this extension helpful, please consider:

• ⭐ Rate it on the VS Code Marketplace - Help others discover CopyTab!
• 📝 Leave a review - Share your experience and use cases
• 🐛 Report issues on GitHub - Help us improve
• 💡 Suggest features - Tell us what you'd like to see
• ⭐ Star the GitHub repository - Show your support

Your feedback helps make CopyTab better for everyone and helps other developers discover this tool. Thank you! 🙏

Configuration

CopyTab is highly customizable! You can configure it through VS Code settings (File > Preferences > Settings, then search for "Copy Tab").

Available Settings

copyTab.treeDepth

• Type: Number (1-10)
• Default: 3
• Description: Maximum depth for directory tree visualization. Increase for deeper projects, decrease for simpler output.
• Example: 5 - Shows up to 5 levels of nested directories

copyTab.filePathFormat

• Type: String
• Options: "filename" | "relative" | "absolute"
• Default: "filename"
• Description: How file paths are displayed in the output.
  • filename: Just the filename (e.g., index.js)
  • relative: Path relative to workspace root (e.g., src/components/index.js)
  • absolute: Full path (e.g., C:\Dev\project\src\index.js)

copyTab.includeProjectStructure

• Type: Boolean
• Default: true
• Description: Include or exclude the project directory tree in output. Disable if you only want file contents.

copyTab.respectGitignore

• Type: Boolean
• Default: true
• Description: Filter files and directories using .gitignore patterns. Disable to see all files including ignored ones.

copyTab.sectionHeaders

• Type: Object
• Default:

  {
    "structure": "=== PROJECT STRUCTURE ===",
    "contents": "=== FILE CONTENTS ==="
  }
  

• Description: Customize the section headers in output. Useful for different LLMs or personal preferences.

copyTab.sortOrder

• Type: String
• Options: "alphabetical" | "type" | "modified"
• Default: "alphabetical"
• Description: How files and directories are sorted in the tree.
  • alphabetical: Sort by name A-Z
  • type: Directories first, then files
  • modified: Newest files first (by modification date)

copyTab.includeLineNumbers

• Type: Boolean
• Default: false
• Description: Add line numbers to file contents. Helpful when discussing specific lines with LLMs.
• Example Output:

    1 | const greeting = "Hello";
    2 | console.log(greeting);
  

copyTab.fileSeparator

• Type: String
• Default: "\n"
• Description: Separator between files in output. Customize for better visual separation.
• Examples:
  • "\n\n" - Double newline
  • "\n---\n" - Horizontal rule
  • "\n\n<!-- FILE BREAK -->\n\n" - Comment separator

copyTab.fileFilters

• Type: Array of strings
• Default: []
• Description: Filter which files to include using glob patterns.
• Examples:
  • ["*.js", "*.ts"] - Only include JavaScript and TypeScript files
  • ["*.py"] - Only Python files
  • ["!*.test.js", "!*.spec.ts"] - Exclude test files
  • ["*.js", "!*.min.js"] - Include JS but exclude minified files

Configuration Examples

Example 1: Minimal Output (Just filenames, no tree)

{
  "copyTab.includeProjectStructure": false,
  "copyTab.filePathFormat": "filename"
}

Example 2: Deep Project Analysis

{
  "copyTab.treeDepth": 8,
  "copyTab.filePathFormat": "relative",
  "copyTab.includeLineNumbers": true,
  "copyTab.sortOrder": "type"
}

Example 3: Only JavaScript/TypeScript Files

{
  "copyTab.fileFilters": ["*.js", "*.ts", "*.jsx", "*.tsx"],
  "copyTab.respectGitignore": false
}

Example 4: Custom Headers for Specific LLM

{
  "copyTab.sectionHeaders": {
    "structure": "## Project Structure",
    "contents": "## Code Files"
  },
  "copyTab.fileSeparator": "\n\n---\n\n"
}

Workspace vs User Settings

• User Settings: Apply globally to all projects
  • Go to: File > Preferences > Settings > User tab
• Workspace Settings: Override user settings for specific projects
  • Go to: File > Preferences > Settings > Workspace tab
  • Stored in .vscode/settings.json in your project

This allows you to have different configurations for different types of projects!

Release Notes

1.4.0 - Latest

Enhanced Status Bar & Improved Gitignore

• Status bar now always visible with real-time file count display (e.g., "CopyTab (3)")
• Fixed gitignore handling to properly respect all patterns including wildcards and root-level paths
• Status bar now tracks only visible tabs (not accumulated history)
• Better tab tracking using VS Code's tabGroups API
• Fixed startup bug where incorrect file count was shown

1.3.0 - Major Feature Release

Comprehensive Customization System - CopyTab is now highly configurable!

• Added: 9 new configuration options for complete control over output
• Added: copyTab.treeDepth - Customize directory tree depth (1-10 levels)
• Added: copyTab.filePathFormat - Choose filename, relative, or absolute paths
• Added: copyTab.includeProjectStructure - Toggle project tree on/off
• Added: copyTab.respectGitignore - Option to include/exclude ignored files
• Added: copyTab.sectionHeaders - Customize output section headers
• Added: copyTab.sortOrder - Sort by alphabetical, type, or modification date
• Added: copyTab.includeLineNumbers - Add line numbers to file contents
• Added: copyTab.fileSeparator - Custom separators between files
• Added: copyTab.fileFilters - Glob pattern filtering (e.g., only copy *.js files)
• Improved: Workspace settings override user settings for project-specific configurations
• Improved: All defaults match previous behavior (fully backwards compatible)

1.2.4

• Updated: Comprehensive README documentation with all new features
• Added: Example output format showing project structure
• Improved: Clarified benefits for LLM integration and AI coding assistants

1.2.2

• Fixed: Replaced low-quality icon with high-resolution PNG featuring proper transparency
• Improved marketplace appearance and professional visual identity

1.2.1

• Added: Custom marketplace icon for better visual identity

1.2.0 - Major Feature Update

• Added: Project file tree visualization showing directory structure in clipboard output
• Added: Automatic .gitignore pattern recognition for smart filtering
• Added: Intelligent depth limiting (3 levels) to keep output clean
• Fixed: Cross-platform path separator handling (Windows \ and Unix /)
• Fixed: Robust filename extraction with optional chaining
• Improved: Better support for large projects and complex directory structures

1.1.0

• Added: Filename headers above each file's code block for better organization
• Improved: Output formatting for better readability

1.0.0

Released on August 7, 2023.

• Release out of Alpha
• Added a clickable status bar item that allows users to execute the copy command directly from the status bar

0.1.0

Released on July 25, 2023.

• Improved the extension's clipboard functionality by using Visual Studio Code's built-in clipboard API
• Fixed a bug where some files were being copied multiple times
• Added error handling for more informative error messages

0.0.1

Released on July 22, 2023.

• Initial release of the CopyTab extension

Limitations

Due to the way Visual Studio Code's API works, there are a few limitations to be aware of when using this extension:

1. Interaction with Tabs: The extension currently copies the content from all tabs that you've interacted with in the current session. If you have tabs open that you haven't clicked on or interacted with since you've opened VS Code, the content of those tabs won't be copied. Make sure to click on each tab you want included before running the extension.

2. Non-Text Files: The extension is designed to work with text-based files (e.g., .js, .ts, .py, .html, etc.). It may not work properly with binary files or other non-text file types.

3. Large Files: If you're working with very large files, copying the entire contents of all open tabs could potentially cause performance issues. Use with caution if you have large files open.

4. Remote Files: As of the current version, the extension might not work as expected with files that are open from a remote source.

Please consider these limitations when using the extension. Future versions of the extension may address these issues.

Please feel free to report any additional bugs you discover by opening an issue on the GitHub repository.