vils

Recursively outputs file paths and contents in various formats.

Description

vils is a command-line tool designed for developers to recursively output file paths and their contents in various formats. It supports multiple output formats, including Markdown, HTML, JSON, plain text, and tree structure, making it versatile for different documentation and analysis needs.

Features

• Multiple Output Formats: Supports Markdown, HTML, JSON, plain text, and tree structure formats.
• Customizable Ignore Patterns: Allows users to specify patterns for ignoring certain files or directories.
• Configurable: Supports configuration through command-line arguments or configuration files.
• Interactive Confirmation: Provides an option to confirm before writing output to a file.
• Logging: Option to log output to the console for quick review.

Installation

To use vils, ensure you have Node.js installed (Node 20 recommended, minimum Node 12). You can run vils directly using npx, which will install the package automatically:

npx vils [source] [options]

Alternatively, you can install vils globally using npm:

npm install -g vils

Usage

Basic Usage

To output the contents of a directory in Markdown format:

npx vils [source] [options]

Options

Option	Description	Example
-l, --log	Log to console	npx vils --log
-f, --file	Output file	npx vils -f output.md
-c, --config	Config file path	npx vils -c ./vils.config.js
-i, --ignore	Ignore patterns	npx vils -i "node_modules" -i "dist"
-F, --format	Format (md, html, tree, json, plain)	npx vils -F html
-y	Assume yes for confirmations	npx vils -y
--info	Show info without executing	npx vils --info
-h, --help	Show help	npx vils -h

Format Types

Format	Description
md	Outputs the file structure and contents in Markdown format.
html	Outputs the file structure and contents in HTML format.
tree	Displays the file structure in a tree format.
json	Outputs the file structure and contents in JSON format.
plain	Outputs the file structure and contents in plain text format.

Examples

1. Output directory contents to a Markdown file:

   npx vils -f output.md

2. Output directory contents to the console in tree format:

   npx vils -F tree --log

3. Output directory contents to an HTML file, ignoring specific directories:

   npx vils -F html -f output.html -i "node_modules" -i "dist"

4. Show information about the directory structure without executing the output:

   npx vils --info

5. Assume yes for all confirmations and output to a JSON file:

   npx vils -F json -f output.json -y

Use Cases

• Project Documentation: Generate comprehensive documentation of a project's file structure and contents.
• AI Integration: Easily send the full content of a project to an AI for analysis or assistance.
• Backup and Review: Create a single file output for backup purposes or code review.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please fork the repository and submit a pull request with your changes. For major changes, please open an issue first to discuss what you would like to change.

To report bugs, please open an issue on the GitHub repository.