Explorer 2

Explorer 2 enhances your development workflow by providing dual independent file explorers in VS Code's sidebar. Navigate and manage files across different project directories simultaneously—ideal for working with monorepos, separating frontend and backend codebases, or comparing different modules side by side without constantly switching between views.

Features

Dual File Explorers

• Two Independent Views: Navigate different folders at the same time with "Panel I" and "Panel II"
• Dedicated Activity Bar Icon: Quick access via the sidebar with a custom "Explorer 2" icon
• Independent Navigation: Each explorer maintains its own folder context and state
• Persistent State: Automatically restores the last viewed folder in each explorer when you reopen VS Code

Complete File Operations

• Create: New files and folders with intuitive prompts
• Delete: Remove files and folders with confirmation
• Rename: Quick rename with F2 keyboard shortcut
• Cut/Copy/Paste: Full clipboard support with visual feedback
• Duplicate: Clone files and folders with custom naming
• Drag & Drop: Move or copy files between the two explorers

Enhanced Navigation

• Show/Hide Hidden Files: Toggle visibility of dotfiles and hidden directories
• Collapse/Expand All: Quickly manage folder tree expansion states
• Navigate to Folder: Right-click any folder to make it the root of that explorer
• Go to Parent Folder: Navigate up to the parent directory with toolbar button
• Sync with Active Editor: Automatically reveal the currently open file in the explorer
• State Persistence: Automatically remembers the last viewed folder in each explorer
• Smart Icons: Context-aware file icons based on file type and extension
• Sorted Display: Files organized alphabetically with folders first

Integration Features

• Open to Left/Right: Open files in split editor panes
• Reveal in Finder: Show files in your system file manager (macOS)
• Open in Chat: Integration with VS Code chat features
• Copy Path: Copy absolute or relative file paths to clipboard
• Auto-Refresh: File system watchers keep both explorers synchronized with disk changes

Installation

1. Open VS Code
2. Press Cmd+Shift+X (macOS) or Ctrl+Shift+X (Windows/Linux) to open Extensions
3. Search for "Explorer 2"
4. Click Install

Or install from the command line:

code --install-extension paul.explorer2

Usage

1. Click the "Explorer 2" icon in the Activity Bar (sidebar)
2. You'll see two explorer views: "Panel I" and "Panel II"
3. Navigate each explorer independently to different folders
4. Use context menu (right-click) to access file operations
5. Drag and drop files between explorers to move or copy them

Commands

All commands are accessible via the Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P / Ctrl+Shift+P):

Keyboard Shortcuts

Extension Settings

This extension contributes the following settings:

• explorer2.showHiddenFiles: Show or hide files and folders starting with . (default: false)
• explorer2.excludePatterns: Array of patterns to exclude from the explorer (default: ["node_modules", ".git", "dist", "build"])
• explorer2.sortBy: Sort files by "name", "type", or "modified" (default: "name")

Configure these settings in your VS Code settings:

{
  "explorer2.showHiddenFiles": true,
  "explorer2.excludePatterns": ["node_modules", ".git", "*.log"],
  "explorer2.sortBy": "name"
}

Use Cases

• Code Refactoring: View source and test files side by side
• File Organization: Move files between different project folders
• Multi-Project Work: Navigate multiple workspaces simultaneously
• Documentation: Keep docs open while browsing implementation files
• Large Codebases: Compare different modules or feature directories

Requirements

• VS Code version 1.108.1 or higher

Known Issues

None at this time. Please report issues on the GitHub repository.

Development

To contribute or modify this extension:

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/paulcaras/explorer2

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Run tests
npm run test

# Lint code
npm run lint

Quick Start

1. Install the extension
2. Click the Explorer 2 icon in the Activity Bar
3. Set each panel to a different folder
4. Use right-click context menus for file operations
5. Drag & drop between panels to move/copy files

Screenshots

Dual Independent Explorers

Side-by-side file navigation with independent folder contexts

File Operations

Complete context menu with create, delete, rename, and more

Split Editor Integration

Open files to left/right editor panes for side-by-side comparison

Troubleshooting

Views not showing?

• Ensure the Explorer 2 icon is visible in the Activity Bar
• Try running "Explorer 2: Refresh Panel I/II" from Command Palette

Files not refreshing?

• The extension uses file system watchers (except for excluded patterns)
• Try manual refresh using the refresh icon in the toolbar

Performance with large directories?

• Adjust explorer2.excludePatterns in settings to exclude node_modules or build folders
• Use the collapse buttons to reduce rendered tree nodes

Support & Feedback

Found a bug or have a feature request? Visit the GitHub repository

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See LICENSE.md for details.

Enjoy dual-pane file exploration!