Path Navigator

Path Navigator is a VS Code extension for finding files and directories by their workspace-relative paths.

Features

• Search all descendant files and directories using partial or fuzzy names.
• Press Tab to complete a directory and continue searching inside it.
• Open files as pinned editor tabs by default.
• Reveal and select directories in the built-in Explorer.
• Index empty directories as well as files.
• Keep the index updated when files or directories are created or deleted.
• Support multi-root, remote, and virtual workspaces through workspace.fs.

Usage

1. Run Path Navigator: Open File or Reveal Directory from the Command Palette.
2. Alternatively press Cmd+Alt+P on macOS or Ctrl+Alt+P on Windows/Linux.
3. With an empty input, the picker shows the direct children of the current directory. Type part of a name to search all descendants in the current scope. Both ab and bc can match a directory named abc.
4. Press Tab to complete the active result. Completing abc changes the input to abc/ and shows only its immediate files and subdirectories.
5. Continue typing and pressing Tab to navigate the path one level at a time.
6. Press Enter on a file to open it, or on a directory to reveal it in Explorer.

Global search and directory navigation work together. Given abc/bcd/cde/file.ts, typing fi or ile at the workspace root finds the file immediately. After completing abc/ with Tab, the same search only returns matches located somewhere inside abc/.

For example, the path abc/bcd/cde can be reached as follows:

ab  → Tab → abc/
bc  → Tab → abc/bcd/
cd  → Tab → abc/bcd/cde

The refresh button in the picker rebuilds the path index. You can also run Path Navigator: Refresh Path Index.

Replace Cmd+P

VS Code does not provide an API for adding directories to its built-in Cmd+P results. To use Path Navigator in its place, add the following to your user keybindings.json:

{
  "key": "cmd+p",
  "command": "pathNavigator.open"
}

Use ctrl+p on Windows or Linux. You may also bind the original Quick Open command, workbench.action.quickOpen, to another shortcut.

Development

From the repository root, run:

npm install
npm run check --workspace extensions/path-navigator
npm test --workspace extensions/path-navigator
npm test

Press F5 in VS Code to launch an Extension Development Host.

Known limitation

Directory navigation uses VS Code's built-in revealInExplorer command. The command is used by bundled VS Code extensions but is not part of the documented public command API, so compatibility is tested on a best-effort basis.