File Nesting

[ciel]

Is there any possible chance we might see File Nesting in Visual Studio Code the same way it works in Visual Studio 2015? It was really convenient and helpful. I would adore such a feature!

[isidorn]

fyi @bpasero

[ciel]

The most ideal scenario for this is that anything that starts with the same text as a parent file, minus the extension gets nested, like this;

File1.cs
--- File1.File2.cs
--- File1.File3.cs
------ File1.File3.File4.cs

[bpasero]

No plans at the moment. Closing until we reconsider this.

[playerx]

This is important feature for large projects. I'm using asp.net vNext for Angular project and now I've following structure automatically (by naming):

src
--app.component.ts
----app.component.ts.sass
----app.component.ts.html
--login.component.ts
----login.component.ts.sass
----login.component.ts.html

In VS Code Explorer I got:

src
--app.component.ts
--app.component.ts.sass
--app.component.ts.html
--login.component.ts
--login.component.ts.sass
--login.component.ts.html

Creating folders for each component is bad solution for angular project (you will need to change references).

We need this feature to move to VS Code.

[serhiisol]

Agree, at least ts + js + map files (for instance like webstorm does)

[CreepGin]

It would be great to have file nesting for ts + js + map + style.

Currently we are hiding the .js and .map files which makes checking them an annoyance. Even with just ts + css, the sidebar still feels bloated.

[wupaz]

Agree I wish file nesting like this (especially for ng2)

Html
--css
--ts
-- etc ...

[uxsoft]

Please reconsider this! This is such an important issue.

Theres so many cases where generated files just clutter the workspace. Typescript! Typescript which you use as well! is a prime example. Or LESS/SASS -> css. Or Jade -> Html

[ajsheehan]

There is the option to conditionally hide the generated files. For example:

"files.exclude": {
    "**/*.js": {"when": "$(basename).ts"}
}

This same principal could be applied to your css and map files.

[uxsoft]

And i am using that option. The problem arises when i want to see the
hidden files. Also its not clear whether the hidden files are actually
there (that the generation is working...), which makes me open the folder
in explorer where the files are also not grouped... another thing is that
some of my collegues arent comfortable with not seeing half the files in
the project and we would like to use the same settings for the whole team.

For some reason most other editors deemed this feature useful enough to
implement it so why not vs code.

I would like to note that this is really not a complicated feature. Im
pretty sure it can be done in a day. (I was thinking about making a pull
request but it might require some small changes to the architecture around
FileStat)

On Sunday, September 25, 2016, Andrew Sheehan notifications@github.com
wrote:

There is the option to conditionally hide the generated files. For example:

"files.exclude": {
"*/.js": {"when": "$(basename).ts"}
}

This same principal could be applied to your css and map files.

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[RizwanAslam]

+1

[canda]

any extension that may do the job?

[MarcelMalik]

Why is this closed? It's not implemented and would be a great feature.

[mbeckenbach]

@uxsoft

For some reason most other editors deemed this feature useful enough to
implement it so why not vs code.

Maybe because they need a reason for people to use the real visual studio :-)

[bpasero]

This should have not been closed, reopening. Though there might exist duplicates meanwhile.

[bpasero]

@stevencl @chrisdias @seanmcbreen @egamma fyi we need some PM steering and guiding here if we want to turn the file explorer into a logical view. An initial PR was created by @playerx in #13754

My 2 cents at the moment: we should think about a solution for the scenarios our users want to solve and my feeling is that only supporting to show similar files in the same level below a root file is not enough. People may want something powerful as the solution explorer in VS.

[playerx]

@bpasero, my apologies, but question you asked is not correct. there are two different kind of features:

N1. Turn the file explorer into a logical view
Example: you can link fileA ("directoryX/fileA"), to fileB, which is placed in directoryY

N2. Give file explorer support to show real files with more elegant way and give developers ability to enable this feature, example:

Feature N1 and Feature N2 are not the same, it's very important part here, they don't cover each other.

Thanks

[bpasero]

@playerx I brought up the solution explorer because the description of this issue a reference to Visual Studio 2015 is made and to my knowledge there is only the solution explorer.

Independent from VS, our own project is putting all generated MAP and JS files into a out folder, not on the same level as the TS files and I am sure there are other projects that do the same. My point is that I would expect to nest those files under the TS files in the same way you do it when they are on the same level.

To me, nesting is not about grouping files with the same extension together, it is about showing files together that logically belong together (aka "derived resources"). Does that make sense?

[mbeckenbach]

@playerx N2 looks much better. For the angular 2 cli users, this should not require that naming convention. Maybe there could be some configurable pattern like in the hide files configuration.

Angular2 cli creates files like this:

my.component.ts
my.component.html
my.component.scss/css/less

[playerx]

@mbeckenbach good example, thanks

@bpasero nesting generated files, under TS files is great example, thanks

I want to ask everyone, let's put every possible practical example here (not theoretical please), that we would use in every day life and let's make solution based on that examples.

Let's the question be:
How to make Explorer "smarter" to visualize real picture of files structure, with more elegant way?

@bpasero okey? I'm still trying not to mix Feature N1 and Feature N2.

[IllusionMH]

Coincidence?

@JacksonKearl looks like to recording is broken

[markadrake]

I don't want this to overshadow the fact that I'm very pleased and happy to see that the team behind VSCode is trying to deliver this feature. I do have some critical feedback about this feature.

Is opening an issue really the best way to discuss this at length? I think issues are not the appropriate place to host discussions on feature sets. Let me know where you want my feedback to go and I'll make sure it gets there.

Perhaps the team could open up the discussions tab?

[favna]

I don't want this to overshadow the fact that I'm very pleased and happy to see that the team behind VSCode is trying to deliver this feature. I do have some critical feedback about this feature.

Is opening an issue really the best way to discuss this at length? I think issues are not the appropriate place to host discussions on feature sets. Let me know where you want my feedback to go and I'll make sure it gets there.

Perhaps the team could open up the discussions tab?

First of all, this issue predates discussions by many many years. I'm guessing you didn't see that the original issue was created on May 12, 2016.
Secondly, this repository doesn't even have discussions enabled.
Thirdly, the README of the repo literally references to the issue list at the line Submit bugs and feature requests, and help us verify as they are checked in as well as in the Contributing guidelines
Fourthly, if there is anything that really doesn't fit into this issue tracker, especially as a comment on a long requested feature like this, then it's people trying to suggest the VSCode team to do things differently from the way they have always done things. Do you really think they have no iteration plans, no retrospectives, no meetings and no internal feedback moments in which concerns like these have ever been voiced?

Honestly, next time you make an attempt at micro-managing someone else's project, maybe do your research first.

[markadrake]

Dear favna,

This is as polite as I will be with you. Perhaps English isn't your first language. Perhaps you have lost a loved one in the past 2 years, you have my condolences as many of us have.

I have no idea what's going on in your life to be a complete d-bag to me, but I'll entertain you with one cordial response.

FAVNA: First of all, this issue predates discussions by many many years. I'm guessing you didn't see that the original issue was created on May 12, 2016.

• Yes, I do know when this issue started. It was in 2016.
• My first comment on this thread was in April 8th, 2021 when I acknowledge that this issue has been running on for 5 years.
• Here are screenshots to prove to you I'm not lying.

Also for your reference, here are some of the many conversations I've tried to have on this topic. I apologize that I haven't put these in chronological order for you.

1. File Nesting #6328 (comment)
2. File Nesting #6328 (comment)
3. File Nesting #6328 (comment)
4. File Nesting #6328 (comment)
5. Iteration Plan for January 2022 #139607 (comment)
6. added "file nesting" support, based on file naming #13754 (comment)

FAVNA: Secondly, this repository doesn't even have discussions enabled.

• I'm well aware the discussions tab isn't enabled.
• I asked if the team would consider using it because I didn't feel like an issue is a place to have a discussion.
• It's just a question or proposal mate. Take your pick.

For reference, so you know that I'm not lying to you again I'm going to quote myself. You should be familiar with what I wrote since you too quoted it in your mean & aggravated reply:

"Perhaps the team could open up the discussions tab?"

FAVNA: Thirdly, the README of the repo literally references to the issue list at the line Submit bugs and feature requests, and help us verify as they are checked in as well as in the Contributing guidelines

Yes, I got this from Jackson's message above, in which I was replying to. I wanted to know if I should open up senseless amounts of issues when I don't know the intent, the design architecture, and the purpose driving the team. It's more of a discussion item. Discussions are (relatively) new to GitHub. Our lives, our code, and our processes are not immutable. Change is allowed. Discussions are allowed. Questions are allowed.

Even your unbridled hostility towards a stranger is allowed.

FAVNA: Fourthly, if there is anything that really doesn't fit into this issue tracker, especially as a comment on a long requested feature like this, then it's people trying to suggest the VSCode team to do things differently from the way they have always done things. Do you really think they have no iteration plans, no retrospectives, no meetings and no internal feedback moments in which concerns like these have ever been voiced?

Well I strongly suggest something changes.

The team behind Visual Studio Code doesn't appear to work closely with the Visual Studio team.

The team behind Visual Studio Code doesn't appear to work closely with the .NET Core team.

That's why I came here, to be proactive, to help share some thoughts and opinions as somebody who uses a Microsoft stack of technologies across web, mobile, and mixed reality. I would think my opinion has some value to the team.

Example: There's already a schema available to us in the open source, cross platform, .NET Core framework for defining nesting rules. I think it would be nice for compatibility. Also if VSCode could see that I have the rules defined already in the solution.

To Everyone Else as Confused As I Am

I was simply asking a question and proposing we turn on discussions for long winded issues like this. That's fine if you don't like my suggestion. I don't know what favna is going on about, but I don't think for a moment I was trying to dictate anything much less run somebody else's open source project.

[JacksonKearl]

@markadrake Yes, please open issues to provide feedback. The number of participants in this thread makes it inefficient for discussing finer details.

Please do link to this issue in any new issues created, so this issue's timeline can provide an index of ongoing/resolved side discussions for interested parties, without spamming every participant.

[coeur85]

The latest Insiders contains several explorer.experimental.fileNesting.* settings. Feedback appreciated!

(As this is experimental stage, expect bugs. ❤️ to any 🐛 reports that include a repo link, reproduction steps, and a screen recording!)

would you care to give an example of how it works ?

[coeur85]

The latest Insiders contains several explorer.experimental.fileNesting.* settings. Feedback appreciated!
(As this is experimental stage, expect bugs. ❤️ to any 🐛 reports that include a repo link, reproduction steps, and a screen recording!)

would you car you give an example of how it works ?

never mind i figured it out , thank you :)

[tjx666]

Just set:

"explorer.experimental.fileNesting.enabled": true,

[heartacker]

is there any API for language server to nest file？
for example：
.cpp/.h is used for cpp-tools https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-cpptools
.xaml/.xaml.cs is used for C# WPF

[JacksonKearl]

@heartacker no, though you can configure that in your settings with something like:

"explorer.experimental.fileNesting.patterns": {
  "*.cpp": "$(capture).h",
  "*.xaml": "$(capture).xaml.cs"
}

Alternatively, "*": "$(capture).*" for the general "addedExtension" case (in VS parlance).

Closing this out as the feature is released and will be available in the next stable release (in around 1 week). Please do continue to provide feedback in new issues, I'll remove this from experimental scope when I feel confident that the implementation meets general expectations.

[marsen]

So good to hear this feature implemented,
I can't wait, where can I have a try with the trial version?

❤️

[funder7]

It looks like it's reported in the 1.64.0 changelog (experimental feature):

[davidgabrichidze]

Wouldn't it be more UX-friendly if nested files will move with the parent one when I change the location of the parent file?
(e.g., drag and drop, or copy-paste).

It would be the same experience when I change the folder's location, including its content.

[IllusionMH]

@davidgabrichidze looks like great request, however I think it's better to create new issue for it instead of piling on 6 years old closed issue.

[davidgabrichidze]

@IllusionMH Yes, indeed, good idea.

I've created one #143632

[selrond]

Is there any way for custom file icons to indicate the nesting besides showing the arrows (which many hide in favor of custom folder icons)?

See moxer-theme/moxer-icons-code#40

[JacksonKearl]

@selrond looking into that this iteration, likely going to force arrows to show for nests even if they don't for folders.

[pichayean]

Thk