efb - Executing File Browser

WARNING: This is very early in development

What is this?

A simple file browser, which runs a custom command when selecting a file.

I created it to be used as a file browser when I am coding in neovim, where I use neovim remote (https://github.com/mhinz/neovim-remote) to spawn a neovim process in one terminal, and then I have efb in another terminal, which executes neovim remote to open new files in the allready open neovim window. By having efb in a seperate window, I can control it with my windowmanager, instead of having it fixed to the same dimension as my neovim process.

Features

• Run a custom command on selected file
• Expandable directories (by pressing e)
  • So you can see content of subdirectories
• Vim inspired Keybindings:
  • Normal mode:
    • j,k: move down/up
    • h: go up directory
    • l: move into directory or run command with selected file
    • e: expand directory
    • g,G: Move to top/bottom
    • s: enter search mode
    • c: clear search text
    • r: sync with filesystem
    • q: quit
  • Search mode:
    • esc,enter: enter normal mode
    • up,down: move up/down

Development File Overview

• app/Main.hs is the starting point.
  • It parses command line options, and then runs Run.hs(run)
• Run.hs is starting the Brick app.
  • It defines the key mapping
  • It also calls other Brick things, like rendering
• Types.hs defines the major types used throughout the app
• Import.hs defines the imports required by a lot of the app
• Render.hs defines how the app should render
• UpdateFunctions.hs is a (messy) collection of functions used by the keymap to update the app according to the key pressed, and the "environment"

Todo

• A search mode searching through "closed" directories as well, maybe using capital s
  • In this case all files should not be kept in memory
  • The user interface might also be tricky, if you find a file nested in 7 directories
• A "history" to show the last X opened files
• A "bookmarking" to always show files at the top
• A grep like search to find files with specific content, perhaps on 'f'
• Implement Colors
• More keybindings
  • PgUp and PgDn for moving further
  • H, M and L to move to beginning, middle and end of screen.
  • Show and hide hidden files/folders
• ? Multiple different commands to execute with different key presses?
• File management
  • Creation of new file
  • Renamimg of file
  • ? Deletion of file
  • Copying of file
• ? Showing Git status
  • Maybe could be implemented as "run this command, and mark the files it returns" This way it could work with more systems. And it would also fit well with custom commands, as custom commands would then be able to add files in git, etc.
    • If this is done, it should probably be able to poll the file system for updates
• Automatically be updated when new files are created, files are renamed, etc.
• ? Command mode - if you press ":" you could write a command to run in the shell
  • ? ability to paste the file name of the file on the cursor
  • ? ability to still move while writing a command. Or maybe just remember the command afterwards. This way multiple files can easily be used for the command
• Look into minimizing the binary size