QuickOpen

QuickOpen is a fast command-line utility that allows you to open any file on your computer in seconds directly from your terminal, without navigating through folder structures.

Quick Start • Features • Usage • Configuration • Troubleshooting • Contributing • License

Overview

The Problem

Locating and opening files requires navigating through multiple directory levels:

C:\Users\[YourName]\Documents\2024\Projects\Finance\Reports\report.pdf

Traditional Approach: Click → Folder → Folder → Folder → File → Open

With QuickOpen:

qopen report.pdf

The file opens instantly from anywhere in your terminal.

Why QuickOpen?

• Faster than OS search - Optimized indexing for rapid file discovery
• Terminal integration - Works directly from your command line
• Fuzzy search - Handles typos intelligently (reprt → report.pdf)
• Instant search - No repeated indexing after initial scan
• Smart file opening - Automatically selects the appropriate application (code files open in VS Code, media files in default apps)

Features

• Lightning Fast Search - Scan once, then search results appear in milliseconds
• Universal File Support - Works with documents, media, code, archives, and any file type
• Fuzzy Search - Finds files even with typos in the filename
• Smart File Opening - Automatically selects the best application (code files open in a new VS Code window with folder context)
• Cross-Platform - Fully supported on Windows, macOS, and Linux
• Persistent Cache - No repeated file system scanning required
• Interactive CLI - Clean and intuitive command-line interface
• Minimal Dependencies - Fast performance with lightweight dependencies
• Custom Ignore Lists - Exclude specific folders from scanning
• Configurable Root Path - Set a default directory for scanning operations

Quick Start

Installation

From npm (Recommended):

npm install @imhardik16/quickopen-cli

Usage from any terminal:

qopen report.pdf
qopen app.js
qopen photo.jpg

From Source:

git clone https://github.com/imHardik1606/QuickOpen.git
cd QuickOpen
npm install
chmod +x bin/open.js # Linux and macOS only
npm run scan

Example Workflow:

qopen report

Found 3 matches:
1. report.pdf
2. report_final.pdf
3. report_2024.pdf

Select file: 1
Opening report.pdf...

Performance Metrics

| Metric | Value | | --------------- | -------------- | | Setup Time | ~2 minutes | | Initial Scan | 1 to 3 minutes | | Search Speed | <100ms | | Supported Types | 50+ | | Dependencies | 3 |

Usage Guide

File Search Commands

qopen report.pdf              # Open a specific file
qopen app.js                  # Search for a file
qopen financial report 2024   # Multi-word search

Folder Operations

Open folders directly in VS Code or get their absolute paths:

qopen folder <folderName>    # Open folder by name in VS Code
qopen cd <folderName>        # Get absolute folder path

Examples:

qopen folder myproject       # Opens myproject folder in VS Code
qopen cd src                 # Returns the full path to 'src'

Notes:

• Searches for folders within the configured root directory
• If multiple folders match, displays an interactive menu for selection
• qopen folder opens the selected folder directly in VS Code
• qopen cd prints the path, which can be used in shell wrappers for navigation

Pro Tip: Shell Navigation with qopen cd

Add these functions to your shell profile to navigate instantly:

PowerShell ($PROFILE):

function qcd($name) {
    $path = qopen cd $name
    if (Test-Path $path) { cd $path }
}

Bash/Zsh (.bashrc / .zshrc):

qcd() {
    path=$(qopen cd "$1")
    if [ -d "$path" ]; then cd "$path"; fi
}

Cache and Scanning Commands

qopen scan         # Initial file system scan
qopen rescan       # Update the cache with new files
qopen cache-info   # View cache statistics
qopen clear-cache  # Reset the cache
qopen help         # Show help menu
qopen -v           # Show version

Configuration

Root Path Configuration

Set a default scanning root directory:

qopen set-root <path>    # Set default scanning root path
qopen get-root           # Display current root path

Examples:

qopen set-root C:\Users\YourName\Projects    # Windows
qopen set-root /home/username/projects       # Linux/macOS
qopen get-root                               # View current setting
qopen scan                                   # Scan from configured root

Notes:

• Configuration is persistent (stored in ~/.smart-file-opener/root-config.json)
• Default scanning directory is your home directory
• Use set-root to customize the scanning directory
• Explicit scan path takes precedence: qopen scan /other/path
• Root path must exist and be a valid directory

Ignore Folder Management

Exclude specific folders from scanning:

qopen ignore add <folderPath>     # Add folder to ignore list
qopen ignore remove <folderPath>  # Remove folder from ignore list
qopen ignore list                 # Display all ignored folders

Examples:

qopen ignore add Downloads        # Ignore Downloads folder
qopen ignore add temp             # Ignore temp folder
qopen ignore add .git             # Ignore .git folder
qopen ignore list                 # View ignored folders
qopen ignore remove temp          # Stop ignoring temp folder

Notes:

• Configuration is persistent (stored in ~/.smart-file-opener/ignore-config.json)
• Changes take effect on the next scan/rescan
• Duplicate entries are automatically prevented
• Built-in system folders (node_modules, .git, etc.) are always ignored

Default Settings

Default configuration is defined in src/utils/config.js:

const config = {
  ignoreFolders: [
    '**/node_modules/**',    // NPM packages
    '**/venv/**',           // Python virtual environments
    '**/AppData/**',        // Windows application data
    // ... and more
  ],
  fuzzyThreshold: 0.3,      // Search sensitivity threshold
  maxResults: 15            // Maximum search results
};

Platform Support

Cross-platform compatibility with automatic platform detection:

• Windows - Uses start command
• macOS - Uses open command
• Linux - Uses xdg-open command

No additional configuration required.

Examples

qopen budget.xlsx      # Opens in Excel
qopen photo.jpg        # Opens in image viewer
qopen video.mp4        # Opens in media player
qopen app.js           # Opens in VS Code with folder context
qopen reprt            # Fuzzy search finds report.pdf

Troubleshooting

Cache Not Found

Run the initial scan:

npm run scan

No Results Returned

Update the cache:

npm run rescan

Permission Denied

Grant execution permissions (Linux/macOS):

chmod +x bin/open.js

Testing

Run the test suite using Jest:

npm test

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please follow these steps:

git clone https://github.com/imHardik1606/QuickOpen.git
cd QuickOpen
npm install
git checkout -b feature/your-feature
npm test
git push origin feature/your-feature

Roadmap

• File preview before opening
• GUI application version
• VS Code extension
• Advanced search filters (by date, file type, size)

Support

If you find this project useful, please consider:

• Starring the repository
• Sharing it with others
• Contributing improvements or bug fixes

License

MIT License - See LICENSE file for details

Credits

This project utilizes the following libraries:

• inquirer - Interactive command-line prompts
• fast-glob - Fast file globbing
• fuse.js - Fuzzy search library