Introduction¶

When working with DSH, the workspace is essentially a black box. The left sidebar only lists sessions; you cannot see which files and directories actually exist in the workspace. To make DSH operate on a specific file, you have to type the path from memory or have it ls around first. If you want to check what was generated mid-task, you have to switch to a separate file manager. For intelligent agent developers, these actions seem minor, but every interruption disrupts the flow.

The plugin introduced below, dsh-workspace-explorer (maintained by gaor0605-kq), brings the workspace into the DSH left sidebar: browse files while running tasks, find the one you need, drag it into the conversation, and DSH can read or modify it according to the path. It belongs to the client-side plugin category.

What is it¶

One-sentence positioning: Add a workspace file browsing panel to the Chats / Files toggle in the DSH left sidebar, supporting drag-and-drop or one-click insertion of @path references.

It solves the two specific problems: “workspace invisibility” and “inputting paths by memory”. Maintained by gaor0605-kq. See repository address at the end. The version given in the README is 1.2.0, license MIT.

Core Features¶

1. Left Sidebar Chats / Files Toggle — A compact segmented control next to the Workspace header. Files replaces the session list with the current session’s workspace tree, and Chats switches back. The last used view is remembered.
2. Lazy-loaded File Tree — Directories are only loaded when expanded, so large workspaces won’t lag. Supports filtering expanded items, collapsing all, and reloading.
3. Drag-and-Drop References — Drag files or folders to the chat area; the editor will insert a reference in the form of @path (quotes @"path" are used if the path contains spaces, folders end with /). After sending, DSH reads or modifies according to the path based on your instructions.
4. One-Click Insertion — Hover over a row and click ⤶ to insert the same reference.
5. Click to Preview — Clicking a file opens the built-in DSH preview in the right sidebar.
6. Context Menu — Files can have “Open containing folder” (show and select in Explorer/Finder), and folders can have “Show in file manager”. The menu also includes Preview, Insert into the composer, Copy full / relative path. Can be opened from keyboard via Menu key or Shift+F10.
7. VS Code-style Git Status — Filenames are colored based on relative status to the last commit. Right side shows single letters: M Modified (yellow), U Untracked / A Added (green), D Deleted (red strikethrough, kept in place), ! merge conflict; ignored entries (.gitignore) are dimmed; folders with internal changes show a dot. If the workspace itself is not a repo, it will pick up the repo of the next layer like VS Code. Updates every 5 seconds, when window gains focus, or on clicking Reload. Only executes read-only git status; does not modify the repo.
8. Optional Right Sidebar View — The guide in the right sidebar also provides a “Workspace explorer” with the same tree structure, suitable for wide screens.

Installation & Activation¶

DSH Desktop: Install inside the app Settings → Plugins (or one-click install from the dshmarket plugin marketplace).

CLI (replace web with your actual profile):

# Install from npm
dsh plugin --profile web add dsh-workspace-explorer

# Or install directly from GitHub
dsh plugin --profile web add github:gaor0605-kq/dsh-workspace-explorer

After installation, the DSH page needs to be reloaded (Ctrl+F5) for the switch to appear in the left sidebar.

Typical Usage¶

1. Open File View — Click 📁 Files in the switch next to the Workspace header in the left sidebar.
2. Find Files — Expand directories; type in the filter box when there are many items to narrow down expanded entries.
3. Hand off to DSH — Two ways: drag file/folder to the chat area (release when dashed line appears), or hover over a row and click ⤶. A reference like @src/app.ts will appear in the editor, then you supplement your request:

@src/app.ts check the login logic in this file for bugs
@docs/ summarize the documents in this folder into an index

4. Return to Chats — Click 💬 Chats in the switch.

Note: The tree displays the workspace of the currently open session; a prompt will appear to open one first if no session is open.

Use Cases & Notes¶

Suitable for scenarios where you do long-term development in DSH and need frequent DSH read/write operations on workspace files. The drag-and-drop inserts a text reference @path; after sending, DSH reads on demand and does not upload as an attachment. You can only browse files within the current session’s workspace.

Limitations: README states it was tested on DSH 0.2.1-rc.5 (Web GUI / Desktop). DSH does not currently provide a formal extension slot in the left sidebar Workspace header; the plugin locates the insertion point by hooking into the current sidebar layout. If DSH updates and changes the layout, the switch may degrade to the bottom of the sidebar. The switch hides when the left sidebar shrinks to an icon bar. “Open containing folder” depends on DSH’s built-in “Show file location”, which is only available when DSH is running on its own desktop; it is disabled in remote Web GUI.

Security: The plugin runs with the permissions of DSH’s current process. You should check the source code and license before installing.

Privacy: It only lists directories via DSH’s own workspace-files API; it does not read file contents, initiate network requests, or collect data. The repository license is MIT.

Conclusion¶

The value of dsh-workspace-explorer is simple: add workspace visibility and replace “typing paths” with “dragging once”. If you spend most of your time editing files within DSH sessions, it is worth installing; if you only use the remote Web GUI and don’t need “Open containing folder”, the benefits are relatively limited.

Directory page: https://www.skillhub.cn/plugins/gaor0605-kq/dsh-workspace-explorer

Repository: https://github.com/gaor0605-kq/dsh-workspace-explorer