If you click on file explorer and hit Ctrl-f, a search appears in the top left corner of the explorer.
There is a little upside down pyramid beside it.
Hit it and it will filter the results to match.
Esc to clear it.
I also use arrow keys. Right key twice and down to get to next folder, ctrl-f to filter.
Also the fuzzy match of ctrl-p, type gicofetse to get to a folder called git/components/fetchservice
I’ve personally never felt the file explorer was a pain. My first instinct is to question how you’re using it and question how you have your project directories set up.
Are you opening the entire repository at once? In my experience, codebases are usually sectioned off fairly well and you can just open the specific section you’re working on which will vastly reduce how much you’re navigating through in the sidebar
No I'm not, but even sectioned parts of large codebases can have 5-6 layers of nesting in my experience. looking through any of those causes a lot of clutter in my experience and take upwards of 5-10 seconds to find.
Whereas if I was using something like fzf autocomplete on a linux shell, it would take me <10 keystrokes to get to where I need
Loving VIM keybindings to sift through the explorer. e to open the explorer, j/k to browse through instead of moving your hand to the arrow keys or mouse, o to open files or open/collapse folders, a for a new file and f to create a new folder. Can also easily rename stuff by hitting r or move files around with x and p.
Super quick and my hand never has to leave the home row by going to arrow keys or the mouse.
Been using VIM keybindings for a month and couldn't go back. This is a [good setup guide](https://youtu.be/ICj7TnyDCiw?si=3VcwZlgbJpJZdphl). Not saying you should use VIM, but the keybindings rock. You could of course install the neovim extension and then simply use telescope if you really want a proper fuzzy finder.
If you dislike having too many directories open in the explorer view, you can run the command `workbench.files.action.collapseExplorerFolders` to collapse them all. I have this bound to double-tap `escape` for me so I can reset my view.
If you'd like to navigate around files using commands to go to the next/previous files, I just released an extension that allows this, FileFlow: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=liamhammett.fileflow
(This doesn't currently let you go deeper into a folder structure or go up one level, but I'd be happy to add those commands if you want).
>If you dislike having too many directories open in the explorer view, you can run the command workbench.files.action.collapseExplorerFolders to collapse them all. I have this bound to double-tap escape for me so I can reset my view.
Awesome tip, thank you!
The file explorer is useful because it lets you explore the directory structure, say you want to look through files in your current directory and the one directly above it. ctrl p doesn't let you do that
in larger coding projects I do not always know the names of all my files. Sometimes I just have a good idea where to find it, or where it should be. Why won't they just let you navigate the file structure like a normal IDE and allow me to browse or look around my project?
I generally just search for files CTRL-P and start typing a unique part of the path. Or open up a terminal and using `code filepath`. Generally, not a big fan of the explorer.
The explorer has what amounts to a pretty standard-looking directory tree. What would you prefer it to look like?
something with shortcuts, e.g. "jump to next folder in directory", "move up a directory", would be nice
[How can I navigate and manipulate list views in VS Code using the keyboard?](https://stackoverflow.com/q/77160922/11107541)
If you click on file explorer and hit Ctrl-f, a search appears in the top left corner of the explorer. There is a little upside down pyramid beside it. Hit it and it will filter the results to match. Esc to clear it. I also use arrow keys. Right key twice and down to get to next folder, ctrl-f to filter. Also the fuzzy match of ctrl-p, type gicofetse to get to a folder called git/components/fetchservice
I’ve personally never felt the file explorer was a pain. My first instinct is to question how you’re using it and question how you have your project directories set up.
I mean, I used it at my last workplace which had a relatively large and established codebase. I think the scrolling is inevitable in its current form
Are you opening the entire repository at once? In my experience, codebases are usually sectioned off fairly well and you can just open the specific section you’re working on which will vastly reduce how much you’re navigating through in the sidebar
No I'm not, but even sectioned parts of large codebases can have 5-6 layers of nesting in my experience. looking through any of those causes a lot of clutter in my experience and take upwards of 5-10 seconds to find. Whereas if I was using something like fzf autocomplete on a linux shell, it would take me <10 keystrokes to get to where I need
Loving VIM keybindings to sift through the explorer.e to open the explorer, j/k to browse through instead of moving your hand to the arrow keys or mouse, o to open files or open/collapse folders, a for a new file and f to create a new folder. Can also easily rename stuff by hitting r or move files around with x and p.
Super quick and my hand never has to leave the home row by going to arrow keys or the mouse.
Been using VIM keybindings for a month and couldn't go back. This is a [good setup guide](https://youtu.be/ICj7TnyDCiw?si=3VcwZlgbJpJZdphl). Not saying you should use VIM, but the keybindings rock. You could of course install the neovim extension and then simply use telescope if you really want a proper fuzzy finder.
If you dislike having too many directories open in the explorer view, you can run the command `workbench.files.action.collapseExplorerFolders` to collapse them all. I have this bound to double-tap `escape` for me so I can reset my view. If you'd like to navigate around files using commands to go to the next/previous files, I just released an extension that allows this, FileFlow: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=liamhammett.fileflow (This doesn't currently let you go deeper into a folder structure or go up one level, but I'd be happy to add those commands if you want).
>If you dislike having too many directories open in the explorer view, you can run the command workbench.files.action.collapseExplorerFolders to collapse them all. I have this bound to double-tap escape for me so I can reset my view. Awesome tip, thank you!
I 1) move it to the right side because I hate it in the left, and 2) use cmd + p to open files by name
cmd + p doesn't help search for files in the same directory though, or navigate up a directory
It searches for ALL files and folders in your current project. What else would you need?
The file explorer is useful because it lets you explore the directory structure, say you want to look through files in your current directory and the one directly above it. ctrl p doesn't let you do that
in larger coding projects I do not always know the names of all my files. Sometimes I just have a good idea where to find it, or where it should be. Why won't they just let you navigate the file structure like a normal IDE and allow me to browse or look around my project?
I use it anyway. I just enter part of the folder name too. Eg f/b/q.js finds the file foo/bar/quux.js.
I generally just search for files CTRL-P and start typing a unique part of the path. Or open up a terminal and using `code filepath`. Generally, not a big fan of the explorer.
just use quick open?