Preface¶

When using agents in the DSH Web UI, you often need to view source code, configurations, or artifacts in the workspace. Switching to a terminal, file manager, or editor breaks your current session context. dsh-file-explorer is a file browser plugin for the DSH Web UI that lets you browse workspace files, preview content, and perform inline edits on text files right next to your chat interface. Below, we cover its positioning, features, installation, and considerations.

What It Is¶

dsh-file-explorer is a DSH Web UI plugin released under the MIT license. The repository is at:

https://github.com/Zalpha263/dsh-file-explorer

The plugin directory page is:

https://www.skillhub.cn/plugins/Zalpha263/dsh-file-explorer

It addresses lightweight file operations in the DSH Web UI: viewing the current workspace file structure, opening text files, previewing content, saving changes, and performing basic file management tasks like creating, renaming, copying, pasting, moving, and deleting files.

Core Features¶

• Lazy-loaded directory tree: Workspace directories expand on demand.
• Preview and inline editing: Click a file to preview it; text files can be edited, saved with Ctrl+S, and exited with Esc; saving includes version detection.
• IDE-style context menu: Supports creating files, creating folders, renaming, copying, pasting, copying absolute or relative paths, and deleting to the recycle bin.
• Drag-and-drop moves: Drag a file or folder to a target directory row or empty area in the directory tree and release to move it; dropping onto itself or a subdirectory is rejected.
• Real-time refresh: The directory tree updates after creating, renaming, pasting, saving, deleting, or moving operations.
• Cross-platform recycle bin: Deletions prioritize the system recycle bin; when unavailable, files are moved to the built-in recycle bin at ~/.dsh-file-explorer-trash/, retained for 30 days with a maximum of 200 entries.
• Workspace auto-follow: After switching sessions or workspaces, the file browser target follows the current workspace.
• Dock and float modes: The panel can be docked or floated; when ui-beautify is installed, it is managed centrally by the plugin panel.
• Preference memory: Panel position, size, dock mode, and preview height can be remembered locally.

Installation and Activation¶

First, confirm the DSH version. Verified materials show two different version references: the prerequisite is DSH 0.1.1-rc.2 (or a compatible 0.1.x series), while the compatibility target version is DSH 0.1.0-rc.7. Since the minimum compatible version stated in the materials is not entirely consistent, it is recommended to verify your current DSH version and the official documentation before installation.

The official installation method requires pnpm. Run the following command to install the plugin:

dsh plugin --profile web add github:Zalpha263/dsh-file-explorer

Restart DSH after installation. After restarting, a file entry will appear on the right side of the session title bar; if ui-beautify is already installed, the entry will be managed centrally by the plugin panel.

To upgrade the plugin, run:

dsh plugin --profile web update dsh-file-explorer

To uninstall the plugin, run:

dsh plugin --profile web remove dsh-file-explorer

Typical Usage¶

Preview and Editing¶

After opening the file entry, click to expand directories and click a file to preview it. Text files can enter edit mode; after making changes, save with Ctrl+S, and exit editing with Esc. Saving includes version detection.

File Management¶

Right-click a file row or folder row to access the following capabilities:

• Create file
• Create folder
• Rename
• Copy
• Paste
• Copy absolute path
• Copy relative path
• Delete to recycle bin

For drag-and-drop moves, hold a file or folder row, drag it to a target directory row or empty area in the directory tree, and release to move it. Dropping onto itself or a subdirectory is rejected.

Panel Modes¶

When ui-beautify is not installed, you can open the file panel via the built-in entry and use dock or float modes. Once ui-beautify is installed, the plugin panel manages it centrally.

Security and Limitations¶

• Write operations are restricted to the current workspace root directory; writes, deletions, renames, and moves outside the workspace are rejected. Read-only browsing and previews are unrestricted.
• This restriction is the plugin’s own operational boundary and is not equivalent to DSH’s read-only / workspace-write policies. The plugin’s Host half executes file operations within the current DSH process, so it uses the file system permissions available to the current DSH process. Do not install or enable it in untrusted environments.
• Previews have a 512KB truncation limit; binary files are automatically detected; binary files and truncated files cannot be edited.
• Deletions prioritize the system recycle bin; when the system recycle bin is unavailable, files fall into the built-in recycle bin at ~/.dsh-file-explorer-trash/.
• The plugin depends on the @deepseek-ai/dsh-typert-protocol peer dependency that ships with DSH; do not install a standalone copy of this package.
• Some CSS selectors are written for specific DSH client builds; they may need review after major DSH version upgrades.

Suitable Use Cases¶

dsh-file-explorer is suitable for handling lightweight file tasks in the DSH Web UI, such as viewing agent-generated files, checking configurations, editing short texts, and organizing workspace directories. For full IDE capabilities, complex code navigation, batch processing, or strict permission isolation, dedicated editors or file management tools should still be used.

Before installation, it is recommended to review the source code, license, and DSH version compatibility notes.

References¶

• Plugin directory page: https://www.skillhub.cn/plugins/Zalpha263/dsh-file-explorer
• GitHub repository: https://github.com/Zalpha263/dsh-file-explorer