Recent Files (All)

A global Recent Files list for Visual Studio Code.

Unlike VS Code's built-in recent file history, Recent Files (All) maintains a single Most Recently Used (MRU) list across all workspaces and windows.

Files are always displayed in reverse chronological order, even while filtering.

Features

• Global recent files list across all workspaces
• True MRU ordering (most recent first)
• Live filtering while preserving chronological order
• File-type icons (Material Icon Theme style, optional)
• Tracks normal file activity automatically
• Supports programmatic addition of files via command API
• Resolves symlinks to their real filesystem paths
• Stores history locally using VS Code global extension storage
• No telemetry
• No external services
• No file contents are read or transmitted

Commands

Recent Files (All)

Displays the global recent files list.

Start typing to filter the list while preserving MRU order.

Recent Files (All): Clear History

Clears the recent files list.

Settings

recentFilesAll.maxItems

Maximum number of recent files to retain.

Default: 500

recentFilesAll.icon

Icon style shown next to each file in the list.

Default: "material"

recentFilesAll.showTimestamp

When enabled, shows the date and time each file was last accessed below the filename. Disabling this doubles the number of files visible in the list at one time.

Default: true

Programmatic Usage

Other extensions or scripts can add files to the recent files history:

vscode.commands.executeCommand(
	'recentFilesAll.addFile',
	filePath
);

Example use cases:

• Backup scripts
• Save-a-copy workflows
• Generated files
• Export tools

Privacy

Recent Files (All):

• Stores file paths locally inside VS Code extension storage
• Does not transmit any data
• Does not collect telemetry
• Does not access file contents beyond receiving file paths from VS Code events or commands

Requirements

Visual Studio Code 1.80.0 or later.

Known Limitations

• Untitled editors and non-filesystem documents are ignored
• Remote filesystem behaviour may vary depending on VS Code remote extensions

Release Notes

1.0.0

Initial public release.

Features include:

• Global MRU tracking across workspaces
• Live filtering with preserved chronological ordering
• Programmatic file registration API
• Configurable history size (default: 500 items)
• File-type icons with choice of Material, generic, or none
• Optionally hide timestamps to maximise list density

License

MIT