Broot

Broot is a directory navigation tool for the terminal. It allows you to visualize directory structures, search for files, and execute commands on them through an interactive, keyboard-oriented interface. It differs from traditional tools like tree by showing content summaries and allowing quick, non-blocking searches.

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• Hierarchical visual navigation. Broot represents the directory structure in a tree format within the terminal. It displays contents in a summarized way for a clear visualization, even in large structures. The view updates dynamically as you navigate or search.
• Real-time search. As you type characters, Broot filters the file tree in real-time, highlighting matching names. The search does not block the interface; each new keystroke cancels the previous search to start a new one, resulting in immediate feedback.
• Quick directory changing (cd). It allows you to find a directory through search and change the current shell's working directory with a keyboard shortcut. This feature eliminates the need to remember full paths for navigation.
• File preview. With a side panel, you can preview the content of text files, code, or even images (in compatible terminals). The preview panel synchronizes with the selection in the main tree.
• Direct file manipulation. Includes built-in operations like moving (mv), copying (cp), deleting (rm), and creating directories (mkdir) from the interface. Actions are executed while keeping the file hierarchy visible for visual confirmation.
• Multiple panels. Supports opening several directory panels simultaneously. It facilitates operations between directories, such as copying or moving files from one panel to another via keyboard shortcuts.
• Custom verbs and commands. Users can define 'verbs', custom commands or scripts, to execute on selected files. Verbs can be assigned to keys or invoked by name.
• Staging area for file management. Allows selecting multiple files in a 'staging' area to then apply a single command or verb to the entire set at once. It is useful for batch operations.
• Git status information. Displays the status of files in Git repositories directly in the tree view. It indicates new, modified, or untracked files, and allows executing actions like diff or revert on them.
• Sorting and space analysis. Files and directories can be sorted by size, modification date, or other criteria. A specific mode helps identify items that consume the most disk space.
• Appearance customization. The interface colors, tree symbols, and highlight styles are configurable. Schemes are defined in a configuration file.
• Filtering by type and content. In addition to searching by name, you can filter using regular expressions or search for text within the content of files. Criteria can be combined with logical operators.
• Visibility manager. Controls the visibility of hidden files (starting with a dot) and files ignored by Git (.gitignore). These filters can be toggled on or off with keyboard shortcuts during the session.
• Advanced 'ls' substitute. Broot can act as a replacement for the 'ls' command, showing metadata like permissions, size, and modification date in a tree format, with the added benefit of interactive navigation.

The Broot tool was created by Canop. Its development began in 2019. The program is written in the Rust programming language, which contributes to its performance and memory safety.

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