File Tree Notes

A VS Code extension that allows you to create and manage notes for your files. Each note is stored as a Markdown file and can be easily accessed from the source file.

Features ✅

• Create and manage notes for any file in your workspace
• Notes are stored as Markdown files for easy editing and version control
• Quick access to notes through the status bar
• Toggle between source files and their notes with a single click or keyboard shortcut
• Can enable split view to open note file side by side with source file
• Auto-close saved notes when switching to source files (configurable)
• Support for both global and workspace-local note storage
• Automatic .gitignore integration for notes directory
• Tree view for browsing and managing notes

Usage 🧑‍💻

Switching Between Notes and Source Files

There are several ways to switch between a file and its corresponding note:

1. Status Bar: Click the "Create Note" or "Open Note" button in the status bar.
2. Right-Click Context Menu: Right-click on a file in the Explorer or inside the editor and select "Create/Open Note" (for source files) or "Open Source File" (for note files).
3. Keyboard Shortcut:
   • Windows/Linux: Ctrl+Alt+N
   • Mac: Cmd+Alt+N
4. Command Palette: Use the "File Tree Notes: Toggle between Note and Source" command.

The extension will automatically focus the appropriate view when opening a note. You can quickly toggle whether notes open in the full editor view (default) or in a split view using the "File Tree Notes: Toggle Split View" command from the command palette. You can also configure this by changing the fileTreeNotes.openInSplitView setting.

Using with GitHub Copilot 🤖

File Tree Notes works great with GitHub Copilot! Try this:

1. Open both your source file and its corresponding note file in the chat context, use Agent mode
2. Ask "Generate documentation for this code in the markdown file"

Copilot can see both files in your context and can help create meaningful notes.

Split View 💔

By default, switching between the note and source file takes up the whole view. Enable in settings File Tree Notes: Open in split view or use command palette Toggle Split View to allow your note to open side by side with your source file.

Storage Options 🗄️

The extension supports two storage modes for notes:

1. Global Storage (default):

   • Notes are stored in a central location
   • All workspaces can access their notes from one place
   • You can specify a custom global storage path

2. Workspace Storage:

   • Notes are stored in a .notes directory within each workspace
   • Each workspace has its own isolated notes
   • Notes are automatically added to .gitignore

To switch storage modes:

1. Open the Command Palette
2. Use "File Tree Notes: Switch Notes Storage Mode"
3. Choose between global and workspace storage

Configuration ⚙️

The extension can be configured through VS Code settings:

• fileTreeNotes.storageMode: Choose between 'global' and 'workspace' storage
• fileTreeNotes.globalNotesPath: Custom path for global storage
• fileTreeNotes.workspaceNotesPath: Custom path for workspace storage (default: '.notes')
• fileTreeNotes.openInSplitView: Open notes in a split view (default: false)
• fileTreeNotes.autoCloseNotes: Automatically close saved notes when switching to source files (default: true)

Auto-Close Notes Feature

Auto-close automatically closes saved notes when you switch to their corresponding source files. This helps keep your workspace clean and focused.

How it works:

• When you switch from a note to a source file, the note automatically closes (if enabled)
• Only saved notes are auto-closed - unsaved changes are never lost
• The feature is enabled by default but can be toggled on/off

To toggle auto-close:

• Command Palette: Use "File Tree Notes: Toggle Auto Close Notes"
• Keyboard Shortcut:
  • Windows/Linux: Ctrl+Alt+C
  • Mac: Cmd+Alt+C