RipScope for Visual Studio Code

System-wide directory search and workspace management using ripgrep and fzf.

Requirements

• ripgrep: Comes bundled with VS Code (auto-detected).
• fzf Enhanced fuzzy matching and ranking. Optional but highly reccommended. Ripgrep can find the fzf executable for you in your system if it's not in your PATH.

Features

• Unified directory search workflow: Single command with post-selection action prompts for streamlined usage
• Fast directory discovery: Uses ripgrep to find directories across specified search paths.
• Intelligent caching: Results cached for 2 minutes with automatic background refresh.
• Enhanced fuzzy matching: Optional fzf integration for superior search quality.
• Multi-path search: Search across multiple root directories simultaneously.
• Context-aware actions: Action options adapt based on single vs. multiple directory selection.
• Workspace management:
  • Add directories to workspace or replace entire workspace with new selections.
  • Open .code-workspace files directly, or extract and add their folder paths to the current workspace.

Search Interface

When fzf is available and actively filtering, visual indicators show match quality:

• ★ - Excellent fuzzy matches (top 10% of results).
• • - Good matches (top 30% of results).
• · - Fair matches (top 70% of results).
• $(git-branch) - Git repositories (when git repo boost enabled).
• $(repo) - .code-workspace files.
• Standard VS Code letter highlighting for basic matches.

Large datasets automatically use VS Code's built-in fuzzy matching without quality indicators.

The Search Directories command (Ctrl+Alt+S) provides a streamlined workflow:

1. Search and Select: Use the directory picker to find and select one or more folders
2. Choose Action: After selection, choose what to do with your folders from context-aware options

Custom Keybindings

Most commands don't have default keybindings to avoid conflicts. You can assign your own keybindings through VS Code's Keyboard Shortcuts settings (Ctrl+K Ctrl+S) or by adding them to your keybindings.json:

{
  "key": "ctrl+alt+d",
  "command": "rip-scope.addToWorkspace"
}

Configuration

Search Paths

{
	"ripScope.searchPath": ["C:\\Users\\username", "/home/user/projects"]
}

Performance Tuning

{
	"ripScope.enableCache": true,
	"ripScope.enableBackgroundRefresh": true,
	"ripScope.uiDisplayLimit": 100
}

Tool Paths

{
	"ripScope.ripgrepPath": "auto", // auto-detect or specify path
	"ripScope.fzfPath": "fzf" // assumes fzf in PATH
}

Advanced Ripgrep Configuration

{
	"ripScope.additionalRipgrepArgs": [
		"--max-depth=10",
		"--hidden",
		"--no-ignore"
	],
	"ripScope.boostGitRepos": true,
	"ripScope.includeWorkspaceFiles": true
}

Commands

Primary Command (Recommended)

Command	Default Keybinding	Description
ripScope: Search Directories	Ctrl+Alt+S	Unified search - select folders, then choose action

After selecting directories, you'll be prompted to choose from context-aware actions:

• Add to Workspace - Add selected folders to current workspace
• Replace Workspace - Replace entire workspace with selected folders
• Open in Current Window - Replace current workspace and open folders
• Open in New Window - Open folders in new VS Code window
• Create Folder (single selection only) - Create new folder inside selected directory
• Delete - Permanently delete selected folders or workspace files

Direct Action Commands

Command	Default Keybinding	Description
ripScope: Add Directories to Workspace	-	Search and add to workspace
ripScope: Replace Workspace	-	Search and replace entire workspace
ripScope: Create Folder	-	Search and create new folder
ripScope: Open Folder	-	Search and open folder (prompts for window choice)
ripScope: Copy	-	Search and copy folder (prompts for destination)
ripScope: Move	-	Search and move folder (prompts for destination)
ripScope: Delete	-	Search and delete folder

Workspace Management Commands

Command	Default Keybinding	Description
ripScope: Remove Selected Folder from Workspace	Ctrl+Shift+Del	Remove selected folder from workspace
ripScope: Replace Workspace with Parent Folder	-	Replace workspace with parent folder
ripScope: Open Parent Folder	-	Open parent folder (prompts for window choice)
ripScope: Close and Delete Workspace	-	Close workspace and delete the workspace file

Utility Commands

Command	Default Keybinding	Description
ripScope: Clear Search Cache	-	Force cache refresh
ripScope: Reset Settings to Default	-	Reset all settings to default values

Performance Notes

• Large datasets (>5000 directories) automatically fallback to basic sorting.
• fzf filtering is triggered automatically when search results narrow down.
• Background cache refresh maintains responsiveness for subsequent searches.
• Memory and file-based caching optimize repeated searches.