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 - no more cryptic single characters!

Features

• Date Decorations: Shows last modified dates directly in the Explorer sidebar
• Smart Formatting: Recent files show relative time (e.g., "5min", "2hr", "yesterday"), older files show absolute dates
• Non-intrusive: Subtle decorations that don't clutter your workspace
• Performance: Intelligent caching and file watching for smooth performance
• Configurable: Toggle decorations on/off, choose formatting style
• Localization: Support for multiple languages (EN, ES, FR, DE, JA, ZH)
• Accessibility: High-contrast theme support and screen reader compatible
• Debugging: Built-in logging and performance metrics for troubleshooting

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:

• Recent files: now, 5min, 2hr, yesterday
• This year: Oct 5, Sep 12, Jan 3
• Older files: Dec '23, Mar '22

Usage

1. Install the extension
2. Date decorations will automatically appear in the Explorer
3. Hover over any decoration to see the full timestamp
4. Use the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P or Cmd+Shift+P) for these commands:
   • Refresh Date Decorations: Manually refresh all decorations
   • Show Performance Metrics: View caching and performance statistics
   • Open Logs: View detailed logs for debugging

Configuration

Basic Settings

• explorerDates.showDateDecorations: Enable/disable date decorations (default: true)
• explorerDates.dateDecorationFormat: Choose format style - smart, relative, or absolute (default: smart)

Performance Settings

• explorerDates.excludedFolders: Folders to exclude from decorations (default: ["node_modules", ".git", "dist", "build", "out", ".vscode-test"])
• explorerDates.excludedPatterns: File patterns (glob) to exclude (default: ["**/*.tmp", "**/*.log", "**/.git/**", "**/node_modules/**"])
• explorerDates.cacheTimeout: Cache timeout in milliseconds (default: 30000, range: 5000-300000)
• explorerDates.maxCacheSize: Maximum number of cached file decorations (default: 10000, range: 100-50000)

Localization & Accessibility

• explorerDates.locale: Language for date formatting - auto, en, es, fr, de, ja, zh (default: auto)
• explorerDates.highContrastMode: Enable high-contrast styling for better visibility (default: false)

Debugging

• explorerDates.enableLogging: Enable detailed logging for debugging (default: false)

Inspiration & Motivation

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

This extension addresses popular requests from the VS Code community:

• GitHub Issue #164033 - Show file modified date in Explorer
• GitHub Issue #124115 - Display file timestamps
• Stack Overflow - Show last date modified in VS Code

Release Notes

Version 1.1.0

Major Feature 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

See CHANGELOG.md for complete details.

Version 1.0.0

Initial Release

• Native Integration: Built from the ground up using VS Code's FileDecorationProvider API
• Intuitive Time Badges: Clear format like 5m, 2h, 3d, 1w - no cryptic single characters!
• Smart Performance: Intelligent caching and file system watching
• Lightweight: No complex UI overlays, just elegant native decorations

See CHANGELOG.md for details.

License

MIT