Explorer Dates brings file modification timestamps directly into VS Code's Explorer sidebar. See when files were last modified with intuitive time badges like 5m, 2h, 3d - no more cryptic single characters!
Features
📅 Date Decorations: Shows last modified dates directly in the Explorer sidebar
🧠 Smart Formatting: Recent files show relative time (e.g., "5min", "2hr", "yesterday"), older files show absolute dates
🎯 Non-intrusive: Subtle decorations that don't clutter your workspace
⚡ Performance: Intelligent caching and file watching for smooth performance
The extension uses VS Code's FileDecorationProvider API to add date information as subtle badges next to file names in the Explorer. No separate panels or views - the dates appear directly where you need them.
Date Format Examples:
Recent files: now, 5min, 2hr, yesterday
This year: Oct 5, Sep 12, Jan 3
Older files: Dec '23, Mar '22
Usage
Install the extension
Date decorations will automatically appear in the Explorer
Hover over any decoration to see the full timestamp
Use Ctrl+Shift+P → "Refresh Date Decorations" to manually refresh
Configuration
explorerDates.showDateDecorations: Enable/disable date decorations (default: true)
explorerDates.dateDecorationFormat: Choose format style - smart, relative, or absolute (default: smart)
Inspiration & Motivation
Inspired by the original explorer-plus concept, but completely reimplemented using VS Code's native FileDecorationProvider API for better performance and integration.
This extension addresses popular requests from the VS Code community:
