Explorer Dates

Explorer Dates brings file modification timestamps directly into VS Code's Explorer sidebar. See when files were last modified with intuitive time badges like 5m, 2h, 3d.

Features

Core Features

• Date Decorations: Shows last modified dates directly in the Explorer sidebar
• Smart Formatting: Multiple format options from concise relative time to full absolute dates
• File Size Display: Optional file size alongside dates (e.g., "5m • 1.2KB")
• Color Schemes: Choose from none, recency-based, subtle, or vibrant color coding
• Context Menu Integration: Right-click to copy file dates or show detailed file information

User Experience

• Keyboard Shortcuts: Quick toggle decorations with Ctrl+Shift+D (Cmd+Shift+D on Mac)
• Non-intrusive: Subtle decorations that don't clutter your workspace
• Accessibility: High-contrast mode and screen reader compatible
• Localization: Support for 6 languages (EN, ES, FR, DE, JA, ZH) with auto-detection

Performance & Customization

• Intelligent Performance: Smart caching, configurable exclusions, and file watching
• Flexible Configuration: 15+ settings to customize display, performance, and behavior
• Debugging Tools: Built-in logging, performance metrics, and troubleshooting commands

Productivity & Collaboration

• Workspace Templates: Save and reapply full Explorer Dates configurations, or export/share JSON templates for your team.
• Reporting & Analytics: Generate modification reports (JSON/CSV/HTML/Markdown) with activity retention controls and optional time-tracking integrations.
• Extensibility: Opt-in public API plus decoration provider plugin hooks for other extensions. Toggle enableExtensionApi/allowExternalPlugins if you need a locked-down environment.
• VS Code for Web Ready: Dedicated browser bundle keeps badges, templates, and reporting working inside vscode.dev, github.dev, and other remote/browser IDEs.

How It Works

The extension uses VS Code's FileDecorationProvider API to add date information as subtle badges next to file names in the Explorer. No separate panels or views - the dates appear directly where you need them.

Date Format Examples (practical 2‑char limit):

• Recent files: 5m, 2h, 3d, 1w
• This year (month token examples, truncated to 2 chars): Oc, Se, Ja
• Author initials (when selected via badgePriority: "author"): JD, AL
• Compact sizes (when badgePriority: "size" and showFileSize enabled): 5K, 2M, 12

Note: VS Code enforces a practical 2‑character limit for Explorer badges across platforms and fonts. Explorer Dates truncates visual badges to 2 characters to avoid rejection or layout issues. Full date, full size, and full Git info are always available in the decoration tooltip and in accessibility text.

Getting Started

Quick Start

1. Install the extension from VS Code Marketplace
2. Restart VS Code (decorations appear automatically)
3. Customize via Settings → search "explorer dates"
4. Try shortcuts: Ctrl+Shift+D to toggle, right-click files for options

First-Time Setup Recommendations

• Large projects: Enable performance exclusions for node_modules, dist, etc.
• Visual preference: Try colorScheme: "recency" and showFileSize: true
• Minimal look: Use dateDecorationFormat: "smart" (default)
• Accessibility: Enable highContrastMode if needed

Usage

1. View decorations: Date badges appear automatically in Explorer
2. Get details: Hover over decorations for full timestamps and Git info
3. Quick actions: Right-click files for "Copy File Date" and "Show File Details"
4. Commands: Use Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P) for:
   • Toggle Date Decorations
   • Copy File Date
   • Show File Details
   • Show Performance Metrics
   • Open Logs
   • Refresh Date Decorations

VS Code for Web Support

• Launch vscode.dev or github.dev and open your repo (File → Open Remote Repository, or press . in GitHub).
• Install Explorer Dates from the Extensions sidebar—no desktop dependencies required.
• Browser-specific behaviors:
  • Templates export/import via download dialogs because the sandbox cannot write to disk.
  • Persistent cache and onboarding data use VS Code’s synced globalState, so settings roam with your Microsoft/GitHub account.
  • Git-only commands automatically hide when the web host cannot expose repository metadata.
• Remote environments (Codespaces, Dev Containers, Remote Tunnels) leverage the same web bundle, so Explorer Dates stays lightweight even when running over the network.

Configuration

Quick Setup: Most users only need to configure the first 2-3 settings below. See SETTINGS_GUIDE.md for detailed configuration examples.

Essential Settings

Setting	Options	Default	Description
showDateDecorations	true/false	true	Enable/disable all date decorations
dateDecorationFormat	smart, relative-short, relative-long, absolute-short, absolute-long	smart	How dates are displayed
colorScheme	none, recency, file-type, subtle, vibrant, custom	none	Color coding for decorations

Display Enhancements

Setting	Options	Default	Description
showFileSize	true/false	false	Show file size with dates
fileSizeFormat	auto, bytes, kb, mb	auto	File size display format
fadeOldFiles	true/false	false	Fade decorations for files older than threshold
fadeThreshold	Number	30	Days after which to fade decorations (1-365)
showGitInfo	none, author, both	none	Show Git commit author info with dates
customColors	Object	{...}	Custom colors when colorScheme is 'custom'
highContrastMode	true/false	false	Enhanced visibility for accessibility

Badge Priority (practical 2‑char limit)

Setting	Options	Default	Description
badgePriority	time, author, size	time	Choose which information should occupy the visual badge (limited to 2 characters). time shows the time-based badge (default). author shows author initials when available. size shows a compact size indicator when showFileSize is enabled.

Notes:

• VS Code enforces a practical 2-character limit for Explorer badges; the extension truncates visual badges to 2 characters to remain compatible with different platforms and icon fonts.
• Git author initials and compact size indicators are shown only when requested via badgePriority. Otherwise Git/size information is surfaced in the tooltip and the accessibility text.
• Compact size examples: 5K, 2M, or 12 (two-digit fallback).

Debugging & Diagnostics

• Developer Tools: If you need to verify badge acceptance, open Help → Toggle Developer Tools (Extension Host console) while running the extension to view any rejection messages.
• Built-in diagnostic command (optional): Add the diagnostic snippet from DOCS/SETTINGS_GUIDE.md to register a temporary command that emits test badges for several lengths. Run it and capture Extension Host console output if you see rejection warnings.

Testing & Verification

• Run npm test for the full suite (lint, configuration wiring, feature-gate scenarios, workspace/reporting flows, and both bundle verifiers).
• npm run test:config ensures every contributed setting is referenced in code/docs before publishing.
• npm run test:config-scenarios activates the extension across 90+ mocked configuration permutations to flush out settings regressions.
• npm run test:feature-gates activates the extension in a mocked host and verifies the workspace templates, reporting, and API/plug-in toggles behave as expected.
• npm run test:flows exercises workspace templates, reporting, and the web bundle using lightweight VS Code shims.
• npm run test:bundle and npm run test:verify-bundle provide quick sanity checks for the packaged bundle/VSIX before submitting to the Marketplace.

Inspiration & Motivation

Inspired by the original explorer-plus concept, but completely reimplemented using VS Code's native FileDecorationProvider API for better performance and integration.

See CHANGELOG.md for complete details.

Release Notes

Version 1.2.2 (Latest)

Workspace Exclusion Reliability

• Automatic profile cleanup deduplicates every workspace exclusion list at startup, keeping .vscode/settings.json lean even after months of smart suggestions.
• Existing installs are sanitized before new suggestions run, so previously duplicated folders disappear without manual cleanup.

Smarter Suggestions & Prompts

• Smart Exclusion now only writes newly detected folders, preventing the repeated "add the same exclusions" prompts on every reload.
• When Explorer Dates auto-excludes something, you get a single Keep/Review/Revert prompt so you stay in control without cluttering settings.

Version 1.2.0

Configuration Validation & Progressive Loading

• VS Code for Web Compatibility: Added a dedicated browser bundle, filesystem adapter, and download-based exports so Explorer Dates runs seamlessly on vscode.dev, github.dev, and other web-hosted IDEs.
• Feature Gating: enableWorkspaceTemplates, enableReporting, enableExtensionApi, and allowExternalPlugins now actively control their respective managers and commands.
• Reporting Enhancements: Respect custom report formats, activity retention windows, and time-tracking integration metadata while keeping historical data trimmed.
• Progressive Loading Warm-up: When enabled, the batch processor now pre-warms Explorer decorations in the background for large workspaces.
• Template Accuracy: Built-in workspace templates reference real Explorer Dates settings so exports/imports remain reliable.
• Config Verification: Added npm run test:config to ensure every contributed setting is referenced before publishing.

Version 1.1.0

Major Configuration & Feature Update

• Fixed Configuration Conflicts
• File Size Display
• Enhanced Color Schemes
• Context Menu Integration
• Keyboard Shortcuts
• Improved Settings

Version 1.0.1

Performance & Localization Update

• Performance Optimization: Configurable exclusions, intelligent caching, and performance metrics
• Accessibility: High-contrast mode and enhanced screen reader support
• Localization: Support for 6 languages with auto-detection
• Debugging Tools: Built-in logging and performance metrics viewing

Version 1.0.0

Initial Release

• Native Integration: Built using VS Code's FileDecorationProvider API
• Intuitive Time Badges: Clear formats like 5m, 2h, 3d
• Smart Performance: Intelligent caching and file system watching
• Lightweight: Elegant native decorations without UI overlays

See CHANGELOG.md for complete details.

License

MIT