FileTree Component

The FileTree component displays hierarchical file and directory structures with automatic discovery via glob patterns and clickable file links. It’s perfect for documentation, code exploration, and project navigation.

Key Features

• 🔍 Auto-Discovery: Use glob patterns to automatically generate file trees
• 🔗 Clickable Links: Files link to editors, repositories, or file system
• 🖼️ Thumbnail View: Windows Explorer-style grid with image previews
• 🎯 Smart Filtering: Control depth, hidden files, and exclusions
• 🎨 Icon Support: Automatic file type icons
• 📱 Responsive: Works on all screen sizes
• ⚡ Fast: Efficient file system scanning

Basic Usage

Manual File Tree

The traditional way to create file trees by manually typing the structure:

• Directorysrc/

  • Directorycomponents/

    • Header.astro Main header component
    • Footer.astro
    • Navigation.astro
  • Directorylayouts/

    • Layout.astro
  • Directorypages/

    • index.astro
    • about.astro
• package.json
• README.md

<FileTree>
- src/
  - components/
    - **Header.astro** Main header component
    - Footer.astro
  - layouts/
    - Layout.astro
- package.json
</FileTree>

Glob Pattern Support

Auto-Generated Trees

Instead of manually typing file structures, use glob patterns to automatically discover and display files:

• Directorydirectory/

  • workflow.mdx
• Directoryhelpcenter/

  • 1.md
  • 2.md
  • 3.md
  • 4.md
• Directoryinfopages/

  • about.md
  • contact.md
  • contact.mdx
  • cookies.md
  • dpa.md
  • privacy.md
  • terms.md
• Directoryresources/

  • astro-development.mdx
  • collections.mdx
  • community.md
  • FileTree.mdx
  • Masonry.mdx
  • sidebar.mdx
  • software.md
  • test.mdx
  • web-performance.md
  • workflow.mdx
• Directorysystem/

  • overview.md

<FileTree glob="../**/*.{md,mdx}" maxDepth={2} />

Current Directory Files

• No files found matching pattern: ./*
  Searched in: C:/Users/zx/Desktop/polymech/library.polymech/src/content/en

<FileTree glob="./*" />

TypeScript Files Only

• config.ts

<FileTree glob="../**/*.ts" maxDepth={3} exclude={["node_modules", "dist"]} />

Thumbnail View

Windows Explorer Style

Perfect for browsing images and visual content:

<FileTree 
  glob="../public/images/**/*.{jpg,jpeg,png,gif,webp,svg}" 
  view="thumbs"
  thumbSize="medium"
  maxDepth={2}
/>

Different Thumbnail Sizes

Small thumbnails with mixed file types:

Large thumbnails for detailed preview:

File Type Icons in Thumbnails

Shows different icons for different file types with imagetools integration:

Image Optimization Features

Thanks to imagetools integration, thumbnails include:

• AVIF Format: Modern, efficient image format
• Blurred Placeholders: Smooth loading experience
• Responsive Sizing: Automatic width generation
• Lazy Loading: Performance optimization
• Aspect Ratio: Consistent square thumbnails

// Small thumbnails (80px)
<FileTree view="thumbs" thumbSize="small" />

// Medium thumbnails (120px) - default
<FileTree view="thumbs" thumbSize="medium" />

// Large thumbnails (160px)
<FileTree view="thumbs" thumbSize="large" />

Clickable File Links

Files in auto-generated trees are clickable by default, supporting multiple link types:

Default (File System)

• No files found matching pattern: ../src/components/polymech/**/*.{ts,astro}
  Searched in: C:/Users/zx/Desktop/polymech/library.polymech/src/content/src/components/polymech

VS Code Integration

Click files to open directly in VS Code:

• No files found matching pattern: ../src/components/polymech/**/*.astro
  Searched in: C:/Users/zx/Desktop/polymech/library.polymech/src/content/src/components/polymech

<FileTree 
  glob="../src/components/polymech/**/*.astro" 
  urlPrefix="vscode://file"
/>

GitHub Repository Links

• No files found matching pattern: ../**/*.json
  Searched in: C:/Users/zx/Desktop/polymech/library.polymech/src/content

<FileTree 
  glob="../**/*.json" 
  urlPrefix="https://github.com/username/repo/blob/main"
/>

Links Disabled

• No files found matching pattern: ../src/components/polymech/**/*.ts
  Searched in: C:/Users/zx/Desktop/polymech/library.polymech/src/content/src/components/polymech

<FileTree 
  glob="../src/components/polymech/**/*.ts" 
  linkFiles={false}
/>

Configuration Options

Props Interface

interface Props {
  glob?: string;           // Glob pattern to auto-generate file tree
  maxDepth?: number;       // Maximum directory depth (default: 5)
  showHidden?: boolean;    // Show hidden files starting with . (default: false)
  exclude?: string[];      // Patterns to exclude (default: [])
  urlPrefix?: string;      // URL prefix for file links (auto-detected)
  linkFiles?: boolean;     // Whether to make files clickable (default: true)
  view?: 'tree' | 'thumbs'; // Display mode (default: 'tree')
  thumbSize?: 'small' | 'medium' | 'large'; // Thumbnail size (default: 'medium')
}

Glob Patterns

Pattern	Description	Example
**/*	All files recursively	../src/**/*
*.ext	Files with specific extension	../**/*.ts
{a,b}	Multiple extensions	../**/*.{js,ts}
**/dir/**	Files in specific directory	**/components/**/*
!pattern	Exclude pattern	Use exclude prop instead

URL Prefix Types

Type	Prefix	Description
VS Code	vscode://file	Opens files in VS Code editor
GitHub	https://github.com/user/repo/blob/main	Links to GitHub repository
GitLab	https://gitlab.com/user/repo/-/blob/main	Links to GitLab repository
File System	file://	Opens local files in system
Custom	https://your-viewer.com	Custom file viewer
Default	Auto-detected	Uses current dev server

Comprehensive Examples

Development Workflow

Show project structure with VS Code integration:

• No files found matching pattern: ../src/**/*.{astro,ts,js}
  Searched in: C:/Users/zx/Desktop/polymech/library.polymech/src/content/src

<FileTree 
  glob="../src/**/*.{astro,ts,js}" 
  maxDepth={3}
  exclude={["node_modules", ".git", "dist", "build"]}
  urlPrefix="vscode://file"
/>

Documentation Files

• Directorydirectory/

  • workflow.mdx
• Directoryhelpcenter/

  • 1.md
  • 2.md
  • 3.md
  • 4.md
• Directoryinfopages/

  • about.md
  • contact.md
  • contact.mdx
  • cookies.md
  • dpa.md
  • privacy.md
  • terms.md
• Directoryresources/

  • astro-development.mdx
  • collections.mdx
  • community.md
  • FileTree.mdx
  • Masonry.mdx
  • sidebar.mdx
  • software.md
  • test.mdx
  • web-performance.md
  • workflow.mdx
• Directorysystem/

  • overview.md

<FileTree 
  glob="../**/*.{md,mdx}" 
  maxDepth={2}
  urlPrefix="https://github.com/yourorg/yourrepo/blob/main"
/>

Configuration Files

• No files found matching pattern: ../**/*.{json,yaml,yml,toml,config.js,config.ts}
  Searched in: C:/Users/zx/Desktop/polymech/library.polymech/src/content

<FileTree 
  glob="../**/*.{json,yaml,yml,toml,config.js,config.ts}" 
  maxDepth={2}
/>

Show Hidden Files

• config.ts
• directory
• helpcenter
• infopages
• resources
• system

<FileTree 
  glob="../**/*" 
  maxDepth={2}
  showHidden={true}
  exclude={["node_modules"]}
/>

Integration Examples

With Astro Projects

// Show Astro project structure
<FileTree 
  glob="../src/**/*.astro" 
  maxDepth={3}
  urlPrefix="vscode://file"
/>

// Show content collections
<FileTree 
  glob="../src/content/**/*.{md,mdx}" 
  maxDepth={2}
/>

With React/Vue Projects

// Show component files
<FileTree 
  glob="../src/**/*.{jsx,tsx,vue}" 
  maxDepth={3}
  exclude={["node_modules", "dist"]}
/>

With Documentation Sites

// Link to GitHub for editing
<FileTree 
  glob="../docs/**/*.md" 
  urlPrefix="https://github.com/yourorg/docs/edit/main"
  maxDepth={2}
/>

Custom File Viewer

// Link to custom file viewer API
<FileTree 
  glob="../**/*.log" 
  urlPrefix="https://yourapp.com/file-viewer"
  maxDepth={1}
/>

Advanced Features

File Type Icons & Modern Link Styling

The FileTree automatically displays appropriate icons and uses subtle, modern link styling:

File Icons:

• 📄 .md, .mdx - Markdown files
• 🟦 .ts, .tsx - TypeScript files
• 🟨 .js, .jsx - JavaScript files
• 🎨 .astro - Astro components
• ⚙️ .json, .yaml - Configuration files
• 📁 Directories with gold folder icons

Link Styling Best Practices:

• Subtle Colors: No aggressive blue links - uses content text color
• Background Hover: Gentle background highlight on hover instead of color change
• Subtle Underline: Thin, muted underline appears on hover
• Clickable Indicators: Small dots on thumbnails indicate clickable items
• Accessibility: Proper focus states and keyboard navigation
• Consistent: Same styling approach across tree and thumbnail views

Responsive Design

The FileTree adapts to different screen sizes:

• Desktop: Full tree with hover effects
• Mobile: Collapsible directories
• Touch-friendly click targets

Performance Optimized

• Efficient file system scanning
• Lazy directory expansion
• Cached glob results
• Minimal DOM updates

Best Practices

1. Use Appropriate Depth Limits

// Good - reasonable depth
<FileTree glob="../src/**/*" maxDepth={3} />

// Avoid - too deep, slow performance
<FileTree glob="../**/*" maxDepth={10} />

2. Exclude Unnecessary Directories

// Good - exclude build artifacts
<FileTree 
  glob="../**/*" 
  exclude={["node_modules", ".git", "dist", "build", ".cache"]}
/>

3. Use Specific Patterns

// Good - specific file types
<FileTree glob="../src/**/*.{astro,ts}" />

// Less efficient - too broad
<FileTree glob="../**/*" />

4. Choose Appropriate URL Prefixes

// Development - VS Code
<FileTree urlPrefix="vscode://file" />

// Documentation - GitHub
<FileTree urlPrefix="https://github.com/user/repo/blob/main" />

// Local browsing - file system
<FileTree urlPrefix="file://" />

Troubleshooting

No Files Found

If your FileTree shows “No files found”, the error message now includes debugging information:

No files found matching pattern: ./gallery/*.jpg
Searched in: /full/path/to/src/content/resources

This helps you verify:

1. Pattern Syntax: Check if your glob pattern is correct
2. Search Location: Verify the absolute path is where you expect
3. File Existence: Confirm files actually exist in the searched directory
4. Exclude Patterns: Check if exclude patterns aren’t too broad

Debug Examples

• No files found matching pattern: ./missing-dir/**/*.png
  Searched in: C:/Users/zx/Desktop/polymech/library.polymech/src/content/en/missing-dir

Links Not Working

If file links don’t work:

1. Check the urlPrefix is correct for your environment
2. Verify the protocol is supported by your system
3. For VS Code links, ensure VS Code is installed
4. For repository links, check the URL format

Performance Issues

If FileTree is slow:

1. Reduce maxDepth value
2. Use more specific glob patterns
3. Add more items to exclude array
4. Consider using linkFiles={false} for display-only trees

Migration Guide

From Manual Trees

Replace manual file listings:

// Old way
<FileTree>
- src/
  - components/
    - Header.astro
    - Footer.astro
</FileTree>

// New way
<FileTree glob="../src/components/**/*.astro" />

From Other File Tree Components

The FileTree component is compatible with standard markdown file tree syntax, making migration straightforward.

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The FileTree component transforms static file documentation into interactive, always-up-to-date navigation tools. Perfect for project documentation, code exploration, and development workflows!