Virtual File Tree README

A VS Code extension that lets you build custom, task-focused file trees without moving any files on disk.

Features

• Virtual Folders & Files: create folders and add files by path. Drag and drop from the native Explorer. Right-click any file to add it to a virtual folder.
• Group Open Tabs: bundle all open editor tabs into a new virtual folder with one command.
• Profiles: switch between separate workspace setups (e.g., "Frontend", "Bug 402"). Profiles can be shared (committed to Git) or local (tied to your current branch and gitignored).
• Self-Healing Paths: if you rename or move a physical file, the extension updates the virtual links automatically.
• Conflict Resolution: broken links turn red. Right-click to find a new path or bulk-clean missing files.
• Smart Folders: dynamic folders that update in real time:
  • Glob patterns (e.g., **/*.test.ts)
  • Git Changes (modified, added, untracked files)
  • Recent Files (your most recently used files)
• Dependency Engine: right-click a file and choose Generate Dependency Tree… to create a folder containing:
  • Upstream: files the target imports
  • Downstream: files that import the target
  • Both Works with any language that has an active language server.
• Extension API: other extensions can register custom upstream providers for languages the built‑in scanner doesn't cover.

Requirements

• VS Code 1.74.0 or later.
• For the Dependency Engine, the relevant language server extension should be installed (e.g., Pylance (Python), rust-analyzer, or the built-in TypeScript language features).

Getting Started

1. Install the extension.
2. Open any workspace. The Virtual File Tree view appears in the Activity Bar.
3. Add files to virtual folders: use the Explorer context menu, the editor tab context menu, or the Command Palette. You can also drag files from the native Explorer into a virtual folder.
4. Group your open tabs into a new virtual folder through the Command Palette or by right‑clicking a folder in the virtual file tree.
5. Generate a dependency tree for any file: available from the Explorer context menu, the editor tab context menu, the virtual file tree context menu, or the Command Palette. Choose upstream, downstream, or both.
6. Explore more options based on the set of features listed above.

Extension Settings

This extension does not contribute any VS Code settings at this time.

API

To register a custom upstream dependency provider for a specific language:

import * as vscode from 'vscode';

export async function activate() {
  const vt = vscode.extensions.getExtension('hjdesulme.virtual-file-tree');
  const api = vt.isActive ? vt.exports : await vt.activate();

  api.registerUpstreamProvider('myLang', {
    getUpstreamDependencies: async (uri: vscode.Uri) => {
      // return an array of vscode.Uri that this file depends on
      return [vscode.Uri.file('/path/to/dep')];
    }
  });
}

Known Issues

• The Dependency Engine relies on language server responsiveness; on very large projects it may time out gracefully.
• Dynamic imports and some less common languages may not be detected by the fallback scanner. Use the API to fill gaps.

Release Notes

1.0.2

• Bug Fix: The Dependency Engine now correctly ignores local third-party directories (node_modules, .venv, etc.) and build outputs (dist, out) from being generated in the tree.

1.0.1

• Lowered the minimum VS Code version requirement from 1.120.0 to 1.74.0 to improve backward compatibility.

1.0.0

• Initial release with the full Virtual File Tree feature set: virtual folders, profiles, smart folders, dependency engine, and the upstream‑provider API.

Feedback & Contributing

Found a gap in the dependency scanner? Have an idea for a new smart folder type? Have another bug, feature idea, or improvement? Issues and pull requests are highly encouraged.

• Reporting Issues: If a specific language's imports aren't being caught, please include a tiny code snippet of the syntax so we can add it to the fallback scanner.
• Pull Requests:
  • Extending the Scanner: A good PR includes the new import keyword(s) and a short test snippet.
  • Custom Providers: If you're building a full custom provider extension, the API section above has exactly what you need.

Roadmap

v1.1.0: Code quality improvements Focusing on internals (i.e., refactoring): cleaning up the architecture and making the codebase easier to contribute to. This is comprised of splitting the profile and smart folder logic into their own dedicated services, and replacing a bunch of any types with proper TypeScript types. No new user-facing features.

License

MIT – see LICENSE for details.