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Show HN: VS Code extension to edit the filesystem like a text buffer

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Voil

View on the Visual Studio Marketplace.

Youtube video showing voil features: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_L0c7rcYLs&t=5s.

Edit file system like a text buffer (similar to oil.nvim). Create new files/directories by typing their names in the editor (names ending with / are treated as directories). Convert your existing text-editing skills to file system manipulation skills, as opposed of the vscode's default file explorer which requires mouse interaction or memorizing new keybinds (and still is nowhere near as powerful). Demo:

voil.mp4

How it works

There is a hidden ID associated with each file which is how voil determines which file is being e.g. renamed or moved. This ID is normally hidden using vscode's decorations but you can show them by setting the following configs:

"voil.hideIdentifier": false, "voil.allowFocusOnIdentifier": true

If you e.g. want to copy or move a file you must make sure to use commands that also copy the identifier and not just the visible part (that is, commands that select entire lines and not words).

Example keybind configuration

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