⚠️ EXPERIMENTAL IMPLEMENTATIONS ⚠️

Directory Predictor

The Directory Predictor permits live directory file lookups for PSReadLine's auto-complete functionality.

powershell_directorypredictor_searcher_tutorial_guide_small.mp4

Features include...

• Pattern matching support (?, *, |)
• Search files, folders, or both
• Hide or show file extensions
• Search by file extension
• Ignore specific commands
• Sort results by files or folders
• Limit the number of results

Installation

PowerShell via PSGallery

Install-Module -Name DirectoryPredictor

Filepath .dll

Download the relevant .dll release and place where desired. In your $profile

Import-Module 'path\to\folder\DirectoryPredictor.dll'

PowerShell Configurations

1. Add the following to your $profile

   Enable-ExperimentalFeature PSSubsystemPluginModel

2. Check experimental features are enabled

   Get-PSSubsystem -Kind CommandPredictor

3. In $profile again

   Set-PSReadLineOption -PredictionSource HistoryAndPlugin

4. Restart or reload

5. Check the module is installed

   Get-PSSubsystem -Kind CommandPredictor

6. Test by typing in a directory

   <somecmd> <any letter or word>

Configuration

FileExtensions

Determine if file extensions should show or not in the prediction and in the autocomplete result.

Set-DirectoryPredictorOption -FileExtensions <string> [Include | Exclude]

DirectoryMode

Search for files, folders, or both.

Set-DirectoryPredictorOption -DirectoryMode <string> [Files | Folders | Mixed]

SortMixedResults

Sort your results by Files or by Folders first.

Set-DirectoryPredictorOption -SortMixedResults <string> [Files | Folders]

ExtensionMode

Search file extensions. Does not work with -DirectoryMode Folders.

Set-DirectoryPredictorOption -ExtensionMode <string> [Enabled | Disabled]

ResultsLimit

Specify how many results, from 1 to 10, to display. 10 is a current limit by PSReadLine but the module will accept up to 500 currently.

Set-DirectoryPredictorOption -ResultsLimit <int> [1-10]

IgnoreCommands

Ignore specific commands in a comma separated string. This will cause those commands to not display [Directory] suggestions.

Set-DirectoryPredictorOption -IgnoreCommands <string> [comma separated list]

Pattern Matching

You have 3 pattern matching operators.

• ? : Search anything that is available to be searched from the above cmdlet options

• * : Wildcard search. Before, after, or both.

• | : OR pattern search. Search for results that match any number of the patterns provided. Supports multiple | operators.

• Ex: ls 't|p or ls '*et|*pl or ls *ing or ls ?

  • Note the ' or " is only required for multiple patterns

Tips

• Each of these flags work great with aliases for fast on the fly adjustments

• Example

   Function ShowExtensions5 {
      Set-DirectoryPredictorOption -FileExtensions Include
   }
   Set-Alias -Name se -Value ShowExtensions
  
   Function HideExtensions {
   Set-DirectoryPredictorOption -FileExtensions Exclude
   }
   Set-Alias -Name he -Value HideExtensions
  

• You can disable the regular history results and only use the plugin with

  Set-PSReadLineOption -PredictionSource Plugin

Behaviour

• All symbols but spaces are respected
• Only the last word is used to search but previous input is respected
  • code -n hel will work and will match "hel" to filenames
• Commands are ignored and no searching will display with just a command
• Accepted completions are saved to the regular history at this time
• Check the intro gif above for more insight

Roadmap

As of v0.0.5, the plan is to gather even more user suggestions!

If you have an idea, suggestion or want to contribute, please open an Issue!

Disclaimers

1. This is dabbling in ExperimentalFeatures that come with a warning of breaking changes or unexpected behaviour.

2. The intended purpose of PSReadLine predictive plugins are to be predictive. This predictor does not predict anything.

Credit / Resources

PSReadLine Github

CompletionPredictor Github

Microsoft Docs - Creating a Cmdlet

Basic PSReadLine Configurations

PowerShell - Experimental Features