pystruct is a cross-platform Python GTK3 application for generating, viewing, and copying ASCII-style directory trees. It features multi-tab support, file content preview, full-width row highlighting, and a classic tree view with ├──, └──, and │ connectors – perfect for developers, sysadmins, and anyone who needs a quick textual overview of a file hierarchy.
- Browse and select directories via GTK3 file chooser.
- ASCII directory tree with
├──,└──, and│connectors in the GUI. - File content preview – click any file to view its contents in a bottom panel.
- Copy selected file content to clipboard.
- Copy entire ASCII tree to clipboard.
- Configurable max depth (1-10) to limit tree expansion.
- Show/hide hidden files (overrides ignore patterns).
- Show permissions (Unix-style
rwxr-xr-x) and show groups (owner:group). - Ignore rules editor – edit built-in Python-centric patterns (
.venv/,__pycache__/, etc.) via a dialog.
- Multiple tabs – work with different directories simultaneously.
- "+" button to create new tabs with independent state and settings.
- Close button (X) on each tab (last tab cannot be closed).
- Tab labels display directory names (truncated to 10 characters with tooltips).
- Active tab highlighting with bold border using system theme colors.
- Runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows with identical functionality.
- Platform detection system automatically enables/disables platform-specific features.
- Cross-platform hidden file detection:
- Windows: Uses native
GetFileAttributesWAPI - macOS: Checks dot-files and BSD hidden flags
- Linux: Standard dot-file detection
- Windows: Uses native
- Theme-aware styling respects system GTK themes on all platforms.
- Cross-platform clipboard operations work consistently.
- Full-width row highlighting using your system's native GTK theme colors.
- Resizable split view – drag the divider to adjust tree vs. preview area size.
- Refresh button – reload the current tab's tree without changing settings.
- About dialog with project information, creator story, and donation addresses.
- Status bar with real-time feedback and error reporting.
- Python 3.6+
- PyGObject (GTK3)
- System GTK3 libraries
Linux (Debian/Ubuntu):
sudo apt install python3-gi python3-gi-cairo gir1.2-gtk-3.0
pip install PyGObjectLinux (Fedora/RHEL):
sudo dnf install python3-gobject gtk3
pip install PyGObjectmacOS:
brew install gtk+3 py3cairo pygobject3
pip install PyGObjectWindows (MSYS2):
pacman -S mingw-w64-x86_64-gtk3 mingw-w64-x86_64-python3-gobject
pip install PyGObject# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/mreinrt/pystruct.git
cd pystruct
# Create virtual environment
python -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate # On Windows: .venv\Scripts\activate
# Install dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt
# Run
python pystruct.py- Select a directory using the file chooser or type the path.
- Configure options:
- Hidden Files – show/hide hidden files/directories
- Permissions – show Unix file permissions (Linux/macOS only)
- Groups – show owner and group info (Linux/macOS only)
- Max Depth – limit tree expansion depth
- Click Generate to build the tree.
- Browse – click files to preview contents, double-click directories to expand/collapse.
- Copy – use
Copy Selected FileorCopy Treebuttons.
- Click "+" to create a new tab for a different directory.
- Click any tab to switch between different directory views.
- Click "X" on a tab to close it (cannot close the last tab).
- Each tab maintains independent settings and tree views.
- Click Refresh to reload the current tab's directory tree.
- Click About to view project information and donation addresses.
- Click Ignore Rules to edit patterns like
__pycache__/,.venv/,*.pyc.
- Gtk.TreeView with TreeStore for efficient tree rendering
- ASCII export preserves connector alignment
- Multi-encoding preview (UTF-8 → Latin-1 → CP1252)
- Recursive ignore system with
.gitignore-style matching - Dynamic GTK CSS theming
- Platform detection layer
pystruct/
├── pystruct.py
├── requirements.txt
├── CHANGELOG.md
├── LICENSE
├── README.md
└── media/
├── screenshot.png
├── tree_view.png
├── file_preview.png
└── ignore_rules.png
git checkout -b feature/amazing
git commit -m "Add amazing feature"
git push origin feature/amazingMIT License – see LICENSE
- GTK3 / PyGObject team
- Python ecosystem
Created by Mike Reinert (BigSlimThic).
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- Repository: https://github.com/mreinrt/pystruct
- Issues: https://github.com/mreinrt/pystruct/issues
- Changelog: CHANGELOG.md