neovimcraft

plugins configs about

file-explorer

CREATED

2021-11-09

UPDATED

2025-05-09

DREX

Another DiRectory EXplorer for Neovim

drex For showcase GIFs see here

easily navigate through your file system
split window and project drawer support
add, copy, move, rename and delete elements
mark and operate on multiple elements
automatic file system synchronization
powered by libuv

Installation

DREX requires Neovim version ≥ 0.7

Install DREX with your favorite plugin manager

packer

use {
  'theblob42/drex.nvim',
  requires = 'kyazdani42/nvim-web-devicons', -- optional
}

vim-plug

Plug 'theblob42/drex.nvim'
Plug 'kyazdani42/nvim-web-devicons' " optional

You only need to install nvim-web-devicons if you like to have nice file type icons. The plugin works fine without it.

Usage

Open a DREX buffer in the current working directory

:Drex

You can also provide a target path

:Drex ~/projects

To open the parent directory of the current file

:Drex %:h

Check the manual for cmdline-special and filename-modifiers

DREX also comes with a simple project drawer functionality

:DrexDrawerOpen

See :help drex-commands for more available commands

Default Keybindings

To see the definition of all default keybindings see the configuration section

Use j and k like in any other VIM buffer to navigate up and down
v is mapped to V because there is no need for charwise selection

Basic navigation

l expands the current element
- If it is a directory open its content in a subtree
- If it is a file open the file in the current window
  
  <Right> and <2-LeftMouse> are alternative keybindings
h collapses the current directories subtree
- If the element under the cursor is an open directory collapse it
- Otherwise collapse the parent directory of the element
  
  <Left> and <RightMouse> are alternative keybindings
<C-v> opens a file in a vertical split
<C-x> opens a file in a horizontal split
<C-t> opens a file in a new tab
<F5> reloads the current directory (dependent on the cursor position)
<C-h> opens a new DREX buffer in the parent directory of the current root
<C-l> opens the directory under the cursor in a new DREX buffer

Jumping

gj jumps to the next sibling
gk jumps to the previous sibling
gh jumps to the parent directory of the current element

Clipboard

m marks or unmarks the current element (add or remove it from the clipboard)
M marks the current element (add it to the clipboard)
u unmarks the current element (remove it from the clipboard)
cc clears the clipboard content
cs to show and edit the content of the clipboard in a floating window

File actions

s shows the stats for the current element
a creates a new file or directory
- to create a new directory end your input with a / (\ on Windows)
- non-existent parent directories will be created (e.g. foo/bar/file will create foo and bar if they don't exist yet)
d deletes the element under the cursor (or the visual selection)
D deletes all elements currently contained in the clipboard
p copies all elements from the clipboard to the path under the cursor
- this will NOT clear the clipboard, so you can continue to paste elsewhere
P moves all elements from the clipboard to the path under the cursor
r renames the element under the cursor (or the visual selection)
- this can move the element to another location
- non-existent parent directories will be created (e.g. foo/bar/file will create foo and bar if they don't exist yet)
R to multi rename all elements from the clipboard

Search

/ search for visible elements (see :help drex-search)

Copy strings

y copies the name of the element under the cursor
Y copies the relative path of the element under the cursor
<C-Y> copies the absolute path of the element under the cursor

In visual mode these copy all selected elements (separated by "\n")

Configuration

There is no initial setup needed to use DREX
However you may configure certain settings to your liking

Check out :help drex-configuration for more details about the individual options
See also the wiki pages about configuration and custom actions for more information about further customization

require('drex.config').configure {
    icons = {
        file_default = "",
        dir_open = "",
        dir_closed = "",
        link = "",
        others = "",
    },
    colored_icons = true,
    hide_cursor = true,
    hijack_netrw = false,
    keepalt = false,
    sorting = function(a, b)
        local aname, atype = a[1], a[2]
        local bname, btype = b[1], b[2]

        local aisdir = atype == 'directory'
        local bisdir = btype == 'directory'

        if aisdir ~= bisdir then
            return aisdir
        end

        return aname < bname
    end,
    drawer = {
        side = 'left',
        default_width = 30,
        window_picker = {
            enabled = true,
            labels = 'abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz',
        },
    },
    actions = {
      files = {
        delete_cmd = nil,
      },
    },
    disable_default_keybindings = false,
    keybindings = {
        ['n'] = {
            ['v'] = 'V',
            ['l'] = { '<cmd>lua require("drex.elements").expand_element()<CR>', { desc = 'expand element' }},
            ['h'] = { '<cmd>lua require("drex.elements").collapse_directory()<CR>', { desc = 'collapse directory' }},
            ['<right>'] = { '<cmd>lua require("drex.elements").expand_element()<CR>', { desc = 'expand element' }},
            ['<left>']  = { '<cmd>lua require("drex.elements").collapse_directory()<CR>', { desc = 'collapse directory'}},
            ['<2-LeftMouse>'] = { '<LeftMouse><cmd>lua require("drex.elements").expand_element()<CR>', { desc = 'expand element' }},
            ['<RightMouse>']  = { '<LeftMouse><cmd>lua require("drex.elements").collapse_directory()<CR>', { desc = 'collapse directory' }},
            ['<C-v>'] = { '<cmd>lua require("drex.elements").open_file("vs")<CR>', { desc = 'open file in vsplit' }},
            ['<C-x>'] = { '<cmd>lua require("drex.elements").open_file("sp")<CR>', { desc = 'open file in split' }},
            ['<C-t>'] = { '<cmd>lua require("drex.elements").open_file("tabnew", true)<CR>', { desc = 'open file in new tab' }},
            ['<C-l>'] = { '<cmd>lua require("drex.elements").open_directory()<CR>', { desc = 'open directory in new buffer' }},
            ['<C-h>'] = { '<cmd>lua require("drex.elements").open_parent_directory()<CR>', { desc = 'open parent directory in new buffer' }},
            ['<F5>'] = { '<cmd>lua require("drex").reload_directory()<CR>', { desc = 'reload' }},
            ['gj'] = { '<cmd>lua require("drex.actions.jump").jump_to_next_sibling()<CR>', { desc = 'jump to next sibling' }},
            ['gk'] = { '<cmd>lua require("drex.actions.jump").jump_to_prev_sibling()<CR>', { desc = 'jump to prev sibling' }},
            ['gh'] = { '<cmd>lua require("drex.actions.jump").jump_to_parent()<CR>', { desc = 'jump to parent element' }},
            ['s'] = { '<cmd>lua require("drex.actions.stats").stats()<CR>', { desc = 'show element stats' }},
            ['a'] = { '<cmd>lua require("drex.actions.files").create()<CR>', { desc = 'create element' }},
            ['d'] = { '<cmd>lua require("drex.actions.files").delete("line")<CR>', { desc = 'delete element' }},
            ['D'] = { '<cmd>lua require("drex.actions.files").delete("clipboard")<CR>', { desc = 'delete (clipboard)' }},
            ['p'] = { '<cmd>lua require("drex.actions.files").copy_and_paste()<CR>', { desc = 'copy & paste (clipboard)' }},
            ['P'] = { '<cmd>lua require("drex.actions.files").cut_and_move()<CR>', { desc = 'cut & move (clipboard)' }},
            ['r'] = { '<cmd>lua require("drex.actions.files").rename()<CR>', { desc = 'rename element' }},
            ['R'] = { '<cmd>lua require("drex.actions.files").multi_rename("clipboard")<CR>', { desc = 'rename (clipboard)' }},
            ['/'] = { '<cmd>keepalt lua require("drex.actions.search").search()<CR>', { desc = 'search' }},
            ['M'] = { '<cmd>DrexMark<CR>', { desc = 'mark element' }},
            ['u'] = { '<cmd>DrexUnmark<CR>', { desc = 'unmark element' }},
            ['m'] = { '<cmd>DrexToggle<CR>', { desc = 'toggle element' }},
            ['cc'] = { '<cmd>lua require("drex.clipboard").clear_clipboard()<CR>', { desc = 'clear clipboard' }},
            ['cs'] = { '<cmd>lua require("drex.clipboard").open_clipboard_window()<CR>', { desc = 'edit clipboard' }},
            ['y'] = { '<cmd>lua require("drex.actions.text").copy_name()<CR>', { desc = 'copy element name' }},
            ['Y'] = { '<cmd>lua require("drex.actions.text").copy_relative_path()<CR>', { desc = 'copy element relative path' }},
            ['<C-y>'] = { '<cmd>lua require("drex.actions.text").copy_absolute_path()<CR>', { desc = 'copy element absolute path' }},
        },
        ['v'] = {
            ['d'] = { ':lua require("drex.actions.files").delete("visual")<CR>', { desc = 'delete elements' }},
            ['r'] = { ':lua require("drex.actions.files").multi_rename("visual")<CR>', { desc = 'rename elements' }},
            ['M'] = { ':DrexMark<CR>', { desc = 'mark elements' }},
            ['u'] = { ':DrexUnmark<CR>', { desc = 'unmark elements' }},
            ['m'] = { ':DrexToggle<CR>', { desc = 'toggle elements' }},
            ['y'] = { ':lua require("drex.actions.text").copy_name(true)<CR>', { desc = 'copy element names' }},
            ['Y'] = { ':lua require("drex.actions.text").copy_relative_path(true)<CR>', { desc = 'copy element relative paths' }},
            ['<C-y>'] = { ':lua require("drex.actions.text").copy_absolute_path(true)<CR>', { desc = 'copy element absolute paths' }},
        }
    },
    on_enter = nil,
    on_leave = nil,
}

Internals

Like vim-dirvish every line is just a file path hidden via conceal (plus indentation and an icon). For file system scanning, file interactions (add, delete, rename, etc.) and monitoring DREX uses libuv which is exposed via vim.loop

See also :help drex-customization and the Wiki for more information and examples

Contributing

Contributions are very welcome :-) doesn't matter if it's a bug, a new feature or an addition/change to the wiki. Just go ahead and open an issue or a pull-request to kick off the discussion about it

In regards to code changes and pull-requests please consider the following points:

follow the conventional commits guidelines for your commit messages
make sure you're code is properly formatted using StyLua
- make sure you have the lua52 version installed, otherwise there will be problems with goto statements (see here)

neovimcraft

neovimcraft

TheBlob42/drex.nvim

CREATED

2021-11-09

UPDATED

2025-05-09

DREX

Installation

Usage

Default Keybindings

Configuration

Internals

Contributing

Credit