Yesterday's Log
"Nothing is older than yesterday's log."
So let's hide it. This VS Code extension declutters your workspace by showing only the most recent files in folders you specify — perfect for logs, build outputs, and other generated files that pile up fast.
Features
- Count-based filtering: Show only the N newest files
- Age-based filtering: Show files from the last N days/weeks/months
- Exclude patterns: Always hide specific files (e.g., lock files, temp files)
- Auto-refresh: Automatically updates when files are added or removed
- Merges with existing rules: Works alongside your existing
files.exclude settings
- Global + project rules: Set rules globally or per-project
Usage
1. Add a rule via Command Palette
- Open Command Palette (
Cmd+Shift+P / Ctrl+Shift+P)
- Run
Yesterday's Log: Add Folder Rule
- Enter a folder pattern (e.g.,
**/logs)
- Enter how many files to show (number or duration like
7d)
Right-click any folder in the Explorer and select Yesterday's Log: Add Folder Rule.
Add rules directly to your settings (user or workspace):
{
"yesterdaysLog.rules": [
{ "pattern": "**/logs", "show": 3 },
{ "pattern": "**/output", "show": "7d", "exclude": "*.tmp" }
]
}
Commands
| Command |
Description |
Yesterday's Log: Toggle On/Off |
Enable or disable file hiding (shows all files when off) |
Yesterday's Log: Add Folder Rule |
Add a new rule interactively |
Yesterday's Log: Open Global Settings |
Open user settings filtered to this extension |
Yesterday's Log: Open Project Settings |
Open workspace settings filtered to this extension |
Settings
| Setting |
Type |
Default |
Description |
yesterdaysLog.enabled |
boolean |
true |
Enable or disable the extension |
yesterdaysLog.rules |
array |
[] |
Rules for limiting files in folders |
Each rule has:
| Property |
Type |
Required |
Description |
pattern |
string |
Yes |
Glob pattern for matching folders, e.g., **/logs, build/output |
show |
number or string |
Yes |
Files to show: a number (e.g., 3) or duration (e.g., 7d, 2w, 3M) |
exclude |
string |
No |
Glob pattern for files to always hide and exclude from counting |
Duration units
When using age-based filtering, these units are supported:
| Unit |
Meaning |
m |
minutes |
h |
hours |
d |
days |
w |
weeks |
M |
months |
y |
years |
Examples: 30m (30 minutes), 12h (12 hours), 7d (7 days), 2w (2 weeks), 3M (3 months), 1y (1 year)
How it works
- The extension scans your workspace for folders matching your configured patterns
- For each matching folder, it lists all files and sorts them by modification time
- Files matching the
exclude pattern are always hidden (and not counted)
- Remaining files are filtered by count or age based on the
show value
- Hidden files are added to VS Code's
files.exclude setting
- When files change, the extension automatically re-scans and updates
The extension carefully tracks which exclusion patterns it manages, so your own files.exclude settings are preserved.
Examples
Keep 3 most recent files
{
"yesterdaysLog.rules": [
{ "pattern": "**/logs", "show": 3 }
]
}
If your logs folder contains:
app-2026-01-01.log (oldest)app-2026-01-02.logapp-2026-01-03.logapp-2026-01-04.logapp-2026-01-05.log (newest)
Only the 3 newest files will be visible:
app-2026-01-03.logapp-2026-01-04.logapp-2026-01-05.log
Show files from last 7 days
{
"yesterdaysLog.rules": [
{ "pattern": "**/reports", "show": "7d" }
]
}
Files older than 7 days will be hidden.
Exclude temporary files
{
"yesterdaysLog.rules": [
{ "pattern": "**/output", "show": 5, "exclude": "*.tmp" }
]
}
Temporary files (*.tmp) will always be hidden and won't count toward the 5 visible files.
Tips
- Use
**/ prefix to match folders at any depth (e.g., **/logs matches logs, src/logs, foo/bar/logs)
- Rules from user settings and workspace settings are merged
- Use "Toggle On/Off" to temporarily show all hidden files without changing your rules
- Check the Output panel (
Yesterday's Log) for debugging information
License
MIT
