Navigate to paths outside the project from the Files panel (../, ~/, absolute)

[josephv123]

What I'm trying to do

I want to reach files outside the current project from the Files panel by typing their path. One common case: some of my projects are subfolders of a larger repo, for example ~/work/monorepo/sub-a, with ~/work/monorepo added as its own project too. While working in sub-a I often need to glance at a file one level up or in a sibling folder, like ../README.md or ../sub-b/notes.md, without switching projects.

What happens today

The Files panel's search box only fuzzy-matches paths inside the project. Typing ../, ../sub-b/notes.md, ~/work/... or an absolute path matches nothing, and the tree stays on the project's own files. The only way to see a sibling file is to switch to the parent project, which moves me out of the thread I'm in.

From the code (main @ bd89c13):

• apps/web/src/components/files/FileBrowserPanel.tsx:118-120: the input feeds useProjectPathSearch({ cwd, query }).
• apps/server/src/workspace/WorkspaceEntries.ts:235-243: search queries the workspace search index for that root only.
• apps/server/src/workspace/WorkspaceEntries.ts:283-303: list rejects any directory that resolves outside the root ("Directory must be inside the workspace and outside .git.").
• apps/server/src/workspace/WorkspaceFileSystem.ts:5-8: file reads already accept absolute host paths "so clients can show files an agent left outside the workspace", so read-only viewing outside the root is already supported on the server.

What I'd like

When the Files input looks like a path (starts with /, ~/ or ../), treat it as path navigation instead of fuzzy search:

• Autocomplete directory entries at that path, like a shell or the "add project" folder picker.
• Open the chosen file in the file preview read-only, the same way out-of-root files are already readable.
• Optionally allow fuzzy search within the typed directory (../sub-b/ notes).

This should work for any path on the machine, not just the project's own repo: I also want to peek at files in unrelated folders (another repo, a downloads folder, a config file in ~) without adding each one as a project. Writes stay confined to the workspace root, as they are now. If maintainers want a guard, a setting to turn off out-of-project browsing would be fine, but the default should allow it, since the agent in the thread can already read those paths.

Related

• [Feature]: Open chat file links outside the project root in the file panel #7965: open chat file links outside the project root in the file panel (the same read-only viewing, reached from chat links instead of the Files panel).
• Allow browser preview for absolute file links outside project root #7027: browser preview for absolute file links outside the project root.