Secondary Explorer

Adds a secondary explorer view to manage files and folders—create, view, rename, and delete—outside the default workspace explorer.

Preview

Features

• 📁 Secondary Explorer View: Manage files and folders in a dedicated sidebar, separate from the default workspace explorer.

• 🗂️ Multi-Folder Support: Configure multiple local folders to display and organize.

• 📝 File & Folder Operations: Create, view, rename, delete, cut, copy, and paste files/folders directly from the secondary explorer.

• ✂️ Cut, Copy, Paste: Move or duplicate files/folders with context menu or keyboard shortcuts.

• 🗂️ Reveal & Copy Path: Reveal files/folders in File Explorer, copy absolute or relative paths.

• 🪟 Open Folder in New Window: Open any folder in a new VS Code window directly from the explorer.

• 🖉 Improved Rename: Renaming a folder updates open editors to the new path automatically.

• 🔄 Quick Actions: Refresh, open settings, and perform file operations with context menus and keybindings.

Getting Started

Installation

1. Open the Extensions view in VS Code (Ctrl+Shift+X).
2. Search for Secondary Explorer.
3. Click Install.

Activation

The extension activates automatically on startup and adds a new "Secondary Explorer" view to the sidebar.

Usage

Adding Folders

1. Click the Secondary Explorer icon in the sidebar.
2. If no folders are configured, click Pick a Folder or use the command palette (Ctrl+Shift+P) and run Secondary Explorer: Settings.
3. Add local folder paths to display in the secondary explorer.

File & Folder Operations

• New File/Folder: Use the toolbar or context menu to create entries.
• Rename/Delete: Right-click or use the toolbar for quick actions. Renaming a folder updates open editors to the new path.
• Cut/Copy/Paste: Use context menu or keyboard shortcuts to move or duplicate files/folders.
• Reveal in File Explorer: Right-click to reveal any file/folder in your OS file explorer.
• Copy Path/Relative Path: Right-click to copy absolute or relative path to clipboard.
• Open Folder in New Window: Right-click any folder to open it in a new VS Code window.
• Open File: Double-click or use the context menu to open files.

Keyboard Shortcuts

• Delete: Remove selected file or folder (when focused in Secondary Explorer).
• Ctrl+X: Cut selected file or folder
• Ctrl+C: Copy selected file or folder
• Ctrl+V: Paste into selected folder
• F2: Rename selected file or folder

Configuration

You can configure folders to display via VS Code settings:

// settings.json
"secondaryExplorer.folders": [
	"C:/path/to/folder1",
	"C:/path/to/folder2"
]

• Workspace-level configuration recommended.

Troubleshooting

[!IMPORTANT] If the Secondary Explorer view does not appear, reload the VS Code window or check your folder configuration in settings.

• Ensure folder paths are valid and accessible.
• For issues, check the Issues page on GitHub.

Acknowledgements

Built by Sivaraman — MIT License.

[!TIP] For more details, see the CHANGELOG.md and LICENSE.md files.