A lightweight terminal-based file browser and code viewer with syntax highlighting, built with Go and Bubble Tea.
This tool is designed to work alongside Claude Code, providing a convenient way to browse project directory structure and view source code directly in the terminal. It complements Claude Code's capabilities by offering a visual file explorer for quick code navigation.
- Split-pane Interface: Browse directory trees on the left, preview files on the right
- Syntax Highlighting: Support for 20+ programming languages using Chroma
- Vim-style Navigation: Intuitive keyboard shortcuts (h/j/k/l or arrow keys)
- Binary File Detection: Automatically detects and skips binary files
- Responsive Layout: Adapts to terminal window size
- Auto Refresh: Automatically updates file tree when files are added, removed, or renamed
- Debounced Updates: 200ms delay to prevent excessive refreshes during bulk operations
- Fast and Lightweight: Single binary with minimal external dependencies
Go, Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, JSX, TSX, Java, C, C++, Rust, Ruby, PHP, Bash, JSON, YAML, TOML, XML, HTML, CSS, SQL, Markdown, Dockerfile, Makefile
go install github.com/asathinkeroops/tiny-code-viewer@latest
## run
tiny-code-viewer# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/asathinkeroops/tiny-code-viewer.git
cd tiny-code-viewer
# Build
go build -o tcv
# Optional: Install to $GOPATH/bin
go install- Go 1.24.0 or later
# View current directory
./tcv
# View a specific directory
./tcv /path/to/project
# View a specific file's parent directory
./tcv /path/to/file.go| Key | Action |
|---|---|
↑ / k |
Move cursor up |
↓ / j |
Move cursor down |
← / h |
Collapse directory |
→ / l |
Expand directory / Open file |
Enter / Space |
Toggle directory / Open file |
r |
Refresh file tree (manual) |
Tab |
Switch focus between tree and preview panels |
q / Ctrl+C |
Quit |
The viewer automatically watches for file system changes:
- Auto-refresh: File tree updates automatically when files are added, removed, or renamed
- Debouncing: Changes are batched with 200ms delay to avoid excessive refreshes during bulk operations
- Smart watching: Only expanded directories are watched for better performance
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ /path/to/directory │ main.go [1/150 lines] │
│ ▼ src │ package main │
│ ▶ cmd │ │
│ ▶ internal │ func main() { │
│ main.go │ m := initialModel() │
│ config.go │ p := tea.NewProgram(m) │
│ ▼ pkg │ // ... │
│ utils.go │ } │
│ │ │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ ↑/k:Up ↓/j:Down ←/h:Collapse →/l:Expand r:Refresh ... [Tree] │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
- bubbletea - TUI framework (Elm Architecture)
- lipgloss - Terminal styling
- chroma - Syntax highlighting engine
- fsnotify - File system notification
tiny-code-viewer/
├── main.go # Application entry point and initialization
├── model.go # Data structures and styling definitions
├── tree.go # File tree building and flattening
├── file.go # File loading and language detection
├── watcher.go # File system watching and auto-refresh
├── update.go # Message handling and state updates
├── view.go # UI rendering
├── go.mod # Go module definition
├── go.sum # Dependency checksums
└── README.md # This file
MIT License