[FEATURE] Desktop file panel: show hidden files, resolve symlinks, and handle binary files gracefully

Status Closed — not planned
Maintainer reply None cached
Activity 4 comments · opened Apr 26, 2026 · closed Jun 3, 2026

The file panel in the Claude Code desktop app has three related gaps that make it hard to use with real-world project structures:

1. Hidden files and folders are not visible
Dot-prefixed files and directories (.claude/, .env, .env.local, etc.) are invisible in the sidebar. There is no toggle to show them. For users whose most important config files are hidden, this makes the panel mostly decorative.

Request: Add an opt-in toggle (e.g. "Show hidden files") to display dot-prefixed entries in the file tree.

2. Symlinks are not followed
Symlinked directories appear in the tree but cannot be navigated into. Clicking them does nothing or fails silently.

Request: Resolve and traverse symlinks in the file panel the same way a terminal or IDE would.

3. Binary files (images, PDFs) open as raw ASCII
Opening a PNG, JPEG, or PDF in the file panel renders garbage characters. There is no graceful fallback.

Request: Either render images inline, or show a clear "Binary file — cannot preview" message instead of raw bytes.

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Environment:

  • Platform: macOS
  • App: Claude Code Desktop

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