Enhanced Find References (and Find Implementations) for VS Code: smarter grouping, multi-tab results, and faster navigation — while still using native VS Code controls for great performance.
Status: Early release
Features
Multi-tab Find References
Run multiple reference searches and keep them available at the same time:
Switch between previous searches instantly
Keep old results visible while a new search is still running
Native VS Code results UI means it stays fast and familiar
(including built-in behavior like F3 navigation and sticky lines)
Smart grouping (directory + symbol)
Make large result sets readable:
Group by directory to match project structure
Group by file symbol (class, method, property, etc.)
Direct navigation when the result is single
When a search resolves to exactly one result, Better Navigation can take you there immediately.
No extra clicks
Works great for “jump to definition-like” reference queries
Configurable timeout: control how long to wait before deciding it’s a single result
Navigate next/previous across global results
Move through results without refocusing the results tree:
Jump to Next result
Jump to Previous result
Works across the current search tab’s entire result set
Extremely configurable
Almost every behavior is configurable, including:
Which member types are used for smart grouping
Direct navigation behavior and timeout
Tab display style
(…and more)
Getting started
Open the editor and place the caret on a symbol.
Press Shift+F12 or run the better-navigation.findReferences command manually.
Enjoy the Better Navigation experience.
TODO:
Main features:
[x] Tabs and multisearch
[x] Auto-expand first result in tree view
[x] Preserve expanded state and selected element after rebuilding the tree and switching between results
[x] Display proper loading states
[x] Add an optional grouping by the directory
[x] Add an optional grouping by the member
[ ] Commands and keybindings:
[x] Run search with default shortcuts
[x] Navigate between results
[ ] Switch between result tabs
[x] Add an ability to navigate to a single result directly
[x] Add status bar item 'waiting for sync navigation...'
[x] ~~Ignore the item under caret? (TS support always return the symbol itself + usages. Especially bad if no real usages)~~ Would be too inconsistent. "No other results found" is good enough for now
Features:
[x] Implement references search
[x] Implement base inheritors search
[ ] Implement incoming calls (?)
[ ] Implement type hierarchy (?)
[ ] Add an option to show a quickpick instead of a result tree (with an option to switch to the tree view). But probably will have a performance hit: we would need to open all documents non-lazily
[ ] Add an alternative "tabs" view: show a quick pick when needed
Improvements:
[ ] Add reuse of search tabs:
[ ] Overwrite last item if it was not used (no clicks, no navigation, or "no results")
[ ] Go back to the existing result if search is on the same location and no changes happened? (But what if LSP server's state has changed... Refresh button?)
[ ] Grouping by member looks strange when we are searching 'implementations': member is in fact the result (but what if it's a method parameter that looks extremely alike? Lsp will not help here)
[ ] Add an optional grouping by write\read usages (custom API required)
[ ] Cancel search if tab is closed before it finishes
[x] ~~Add an ability to type in results to filter them~~ - F3!!!
[x] Add counter "N result(s)" to each item in a tree
[x] Use better icons to display the grouping state
[x] Can't switch tab when long "loading results" is in progress
[ ] 'get' usages when searching for property usages 🗿. Only custom API could help?
[x] View is not hidden after "Restart extensions"
[ ] Check, can we relax the vscode version requirement
