Project Visualizer

Project Visualizer is a powerful and flexible Node.js CLI tool to visualize directory structures and export them to formats like JSON. With optional metadata (file sizes, last modified dates, and line counts), it's perfect for analyzing, documenting, or sharing project structures.

Features

• Visualize Directory Structures: Recursively scan directories and generate structured outputs.
• Optional Metadata: Include details like file size, type, last modified date, and line count.
• Simple Mode: Use -s for clean output without metadata.
• Supports .gitignore: Automatically skips files and directories ignored by .gitignore.
• Default Behavior:
  • Input: The current directory is scanned if no path is specified.
  • Output: The JSON file is saved to the current directory.

Installation

Install Project Visualizer globally using NPM:

npm install -g project-visualizer

Usage

Basic Command

Visualize the directory structure (scans the current directory by default and saves output in the current directory):

pvis

Specify a Target Directory

Provide a specific directory to scan:

pvis <path_to_directory>

Simple Mode (No Metadata)

Use the -s or -simple flag to produce a lightweight JSON without metadata:

pvis <path_to_directory> -s

Examples

1. Default Mode (With Metadata)

pvis ./my-project

Output:

{
  "src": {
    "index.js": {
      "size": 1024,
      "type": "js",
      "lastModified": "2024-06-17T12:34:56Z",
      "lines": 50
    },
    "styles.css": {
      "size": 500,
      "type": "css",
      "lastModified": "2024-06-17T10:12:00Z",
      "lines": 20
    }
  },
  "README.md": {
    "size": 1024,
    "type": "md",
    "lastModified": "2024-06-17T08:00:00Z",
    "lines": 40
  }
}

2. Simple Mode (No Metadata)

pvis ./my-project -s

Output:

{
  "src": {
    "index.js": null,
    "styles.css": null
  },
  "README.md": null
}

Defaults

• Input: If no path is specified, the current working directory is scanned.
• Output: The JSON file is saved to the current directory as <project-name>-visualizer.json.

Output Formats

• Directories: Represented as nested objects.
• Files:
  • With Metadata: Includes size, type, lastModified, and lines.
  • In Simple Mode: Files are represented as null.

Flags

| Flag | Description | |--------------|--------------------------------------------| | -s | Outputs a simplified JSON (no metadata). | | -simple | Same as -s, produces clean JSON output. |

Requirements

• Node.js v12 or later.

Installation and Testing Locally

For local development or testing:

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/your-username/project-visualizer.git
   cd project-visualizer

2. Link the CLI tool locally:

   npm link

3. Test it:

   pvis ./your-directory

Contributing

1. Fork this repository.
2. Create a feature branch: git checkout -b feature-name.
3. Make your changes.
4. Submit a pull request.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.

Author

Developed by Your Name.
Feel free to reach out for feedback, suggestions, or contributions.