This article walks through the output features of
printtree.
demo <- file.path(tempdir(), "printtree-feature-tour")
if (dir.exists(demo)) unlink(demo, recursive = TRUE, force = TRUE)
dir.create(file.path(demo, "R"), recursive = TRUE)
dir.create(file.path(demo, "data", "raw"), recursive = TRUE)
dir.create(file.path(demo, "logs"), recursive = TRUE)
dir.create(file.path(demo, "empty"), recursive = TRUE)
file.create(file.path(demo, "R", "helpers.R"))
#> [1] TRUE
file.create(file.path(demo, "README.md"))
#> [1] TRUE
file.create(file.path(demo, "data", "raw", "sales.csv"))
#> [1] TRUE
file.create(file.path(demo, "logs", "debug.log"))
#> [1] TRUE
file.create(file.path(demo, "test_cache"))
#> [1] TRUECount summaries
By default, print_rtree() ends with a displayed
directory/file count.
print_rtree(demo, max_depth = 2)
#> printtree-feature-tour/
#> |-- data/
#> | `-- raw/
#> |-- empty/
#> |-- logs/
#> | `-- debug.log
#> |-- R/
#> | `-- helpers.R
#> |-- README.md
#> `-- test_cache
#>
#> 5 directories, 4 filesSet count_footer = FALSE for compact output.
print_rtree(demo, max_depth = 1, count_footer = FALSE)
#> printtree-feature-tour/
#> |-- data/
#> |-- empty/
#> |-- logs/
#> |-- R/
#> |-- README.md
#> `-- test_cachePattern ignores
The ignore argument still supports exact basenames, but
with ignore_type = "auto" it also treats wildcard entries
as glob patterns.
print_rtree(demo, ignore = c("*.log", "test_*"), max_depth = 2)
#> printtree-feature-tour/
#> |-- data/
#> | `-- raw/
#> |-- empty/
#> |-- logs/
#> |-- R/
#> | `-- helpers.R
#> `-- README.md
#>
#> 5 directories, 2 filesYou can opt into regular expression matching for more control.
print_rtree(demo, ignore = "^(README|test_)", ignore_type = "regex", max_depth = 1)
#> printtree-feature-tour/
#> |-- data/
#> |-- empty/
#> |-- logs/
#> `-- R/
#>
#> 4 directories, 0 filesPrune empty directories
Use prune = TRUE to hide directories with no displayable
children after ignores and depth limits are applied.
print_rtree(demo, ignore = "*.log", prune = TRUE)
#> printtree-feature-tour/
#> |-- data/
#> | `-- raw/
#> | `-- sales.csv
#> |-- R/
#> | `-- helpers.R
#> |-- README.md
#> `-- test_cache
#>
#> 3 directories, 4 filesQuiet capture
Use quiet = TRUE with return_lines = TRUE
when you want to work with the tree programmatically.
lines <- print_rtree(demo, return_lines = TRUE, quiet = TRUE)
head(lines, 4)
#> [1] "printtree-feature-tour/" "|-- data/"
#> [3] "| `-- raw/" "| `-- sales.csv"Text and Markdown export
write_tree() writes the same tree output to a text or
Markdown file. Parent directories are created automatically by
default.
tree_md <- file.path(tempdir(), "printtree-feature-tour-output", "tree.md")
write_tree(demo, tree_md, format = "md", title = "Feature Tour Tree")
readLines(tree_md, n = 8)#> [1] "# Feature Tour Tree" ""
#> [3] "```" "printtree-feature-tour/"
#> [5] "|-- data/" "| `-- raw/"
#> [7] "| `-- sales.csv" "|-- empty/"Mermaid and Graphviz diagrams
tree_to_mermaid() and tree_to_dot() convert
the tree to diagram text that renders in Quarto documents: Mermaid
flowcharts render natively in {mermaid} chunks (and on
GitHub), while DOT graphs render in {dot} chunks when
Graphviz is installed. Both accept the same filtering options as the
printed tree (ignore, max_depth,
show_hidden, prune).
flowchart TD
n1(["printtree-feature-tour/"])
n2(["raw/"])
n3(["data/"])
n4(["empty/"])
n5["debug.log"]
n6(["logs/"])
n7["helpers.R"]
n8(["R/"])
n9["README.md"]
n10["test_cache"]
n3 --> n2
n1 --> n3
n1 --> n4
n6 --> n5
n1 --> n6
n8 --> n7
n1 --> n8
n1 --> n9
n1 --> n10
Use view_mermaid() for the same rendered preview from an
interactive R session. The viewer includes pan/zoom controls for large
trees and browser-side SVG, PNG, and JPEG download buttons. The raw
Mermaid source remains available from
tree_to_mermaid().
view_mermaid(demo, pan_zoom = TRUE)
cat(tree_to_mermaid(demo, max_depth = 2))For automation, save writes a clean rendered image
without the viewer toolbar. PNG, JPEG, and PDF export require the
suggested webshot2 package and a Chrome/Chromium browser. A
missing extension is appended automatically; an explicit extension must
match save.
view_mermaid(demo, file = "tree.png", save = "png", open = FALSE)
view_mermaid(demo, file = "tree.pdf", save = "pdf", open = FALSE)These examples are not evaluated while building the vignette, so package and CRAN checks never launch a browser. Mermaid itself is loaded from a public CDN, which means the viewer and rendered export require an internet connection.
cat(tree_to_dot(demo, max_depth = 2))
#> digraph printtree {
#> rankdir=TB;
#> node [fontname="Helvetica"];
#> "n1" [label="printtree-feature-tour/", shape=folder];
#> "n2" [label="raw/", shape=folder];
#> "n3" [label="data/", shape=folder];
#> "n4" [label="empty/", shape=folder];
#> "n5" [label="debug.log", shape=note];
#> "n6" [label="logs/", shape=folder];
#> "n7" [label="helpers.R", shape=note];
#> "n8" [label="R/", shape=folder];
#> "n9" [label="README.md", shape=note];
#> "n10" [label="test_cache", shape=note];
#> "n3" -> "n2";
#> "n1" -> "n3";
#> "n1" -> "n4";
#> "n6" -> "n5";
#> "n1" -> "n6";
#> "n8" -> "n7";
#> "n1" -> "n8";
#> "n1" -> "n9";
#> "n1" -> "n10";
#> }write_tree() can write either diagram format directly,
or produce a minimal Quarto document with the tree embedded as a Mermaid
diagram:
tree_qmd <- file.path(tempdir(), "printtree-feature-tour-output", "tree.qmd")
write_tree(demo, tree_qmd, format = "qmd", title = "Feature Tour Tree",
max_depth = 2)
readLines(tree_qmd, n = 12)#> [1] "---"
#> [2] "title: 'Feature Tour Tree'"
#> [3] "---"
#> [4] ""
#> [5] "```{mermaid}"
#> [6] "flowchart TD"
#> [7] " n1([\"printtree-feature-tour/\"])"
#> [8] " n2([\"raw/\"])"
#> [9] " n3([\"data/\"])"
#> [10] " n4([\"empty/\"])"
#> [11] " n5[\"debug.log\"]"
#> [12] " n6([\"logs/\"])"Diagram extras
The diagram functions have a few more tricks.
git_colors = TRUE tints nodes by Git status (amber =
modified, green = untracked, blue = staged),
subgraph = TRUE wraps each directory in a Mermaid subgraph
container, and repo_url makes every node clickable, linking
to the file or directory on GitHub:
cat(tree_to_mermaid(demo, max_depth = 2, git_colors = TRUE, subgraph = TRUE,
repo_url = "https://github.com/PrigasG/printtree"))
#> flowchart TD
#> subgraph n1["printtree-feature-tour/"]
#> subgraph n3["data/"]
#> subgraph n2["raw/"]
#> end
#> end
#> subgraph n4["empty/"]
#> end
#> subgraph n6["logs/"]
#> n5["debug.log"]
#> end
#> subgraph n8["R/"]
#> n7["helpers.R"]
#> end
#> n9["README.md"]
#> n10["test_cache"]
#> end
#> click n1 "https://github.com/PrigasG/printtree/tree/main"
#> click n2 "https://github.com/PrigasG/printtree/tree/main/data/raw"
#> click n3 "https://github.com/PrigasG/printtree/tree/main/data"
#> click n4 "https://github.com/PrigasG/printtree/tree/main/empty"
#> click n5 "https://github.com/PrigasG/printtree/blob/main/logs/debug.log"
#> click n6 "https://github.com/PrigasG/printtree/tree/main/logs"
#> click n7 "https://github.com/PrigasG/printtree/blob/main/R/helpers.R"
#> click n8 "https://github.com/PrigasG/printtree/tree/main/R"
#> click n9 "https://github.com/PrigasG/printtree/blob/main/README.md"
#> click n10 "https://github.com/PrigasG/printtree/blob/main/test_cache"
#> n3 --> n2
#> n1 --> n3
#> n1 --> n4
#> n6 --> n5
#> n1 --> n6
#> n8 --> n7
#> n1 --> n8
#> n1 --> n9
#> n1 --> n10tree_to_mindmap() renders the same tree as a radial
Mermaid mindmap, and tree_to_html() produces a
self-contained HTML page with click-to-expand directories (no external
dependencies):
cat(tree_to_mindmap(demo, max_depth = 2))
#> mindmap
#> root((printtree-feature-tour/))
#> data/
#> raw/
#> empty/
#> logs/
#> debug.log
#> R/
#> helpers.R
#> README.md
#> test_cache
tree_html <- file.path(tempdir(), "printtree-feature-tour-output", "tree.html")
write_tree(demo, tree_html, format = "html", title = "Feature Tour Tree",
max_depth = 2)Finally, tree_diff_mermaid() and
tree_diff_dot() compare two directory trees: nodes only in
the second tree are green, nodes only in the first are red and
dashed.
cat(tree_diff_mermaid("project-v1", "project-v2"))To use the output in your own Quarto document, generate the diagram
once and paste it into a {mermaid} chunk — or let
write_tree() produce the whole Quarto document for you:
# Generate once, then paste the output into a {mermaid} chunk
# in your Quarto document:
cat(tree_to_mermaid("myproject", max_depth = 2))
# Or write a ready-to-render Quarto document directly:
write_tree("myproject", "tree.qmd", format = "qmd", title = "Project tree")Git status annotations
When the target folder is inside a Git work tree,
git = TRUE annotates changed paths with simple status
markers and includes a legend.
repo <- file.path(tempdir(), "printtree-feature-tour-git")
if (dir.exists(repo)) unlink(repo, recursive = TRUE, force = TRUE)
dir.create(repo, recursive = TRUE)
system2("git", c("-C", repo, "init"), stdout = FALSE, stderr = FALSE)
system2("git", c("-C", repo, "config", "user.email", "test@example.com"))
system2("git", c("-C", repo, "config", "user.name", "Test User"))
file.create(file.path(repo, "tracked.txt"))
system2("git", c("-C", repo, "add", "tracked.txt"), stdout = FALSE, stderr = FALSE)
system2("git", c("-C", repo, "commit", "-m", "initial"), stdout = FALSE, stderr = FALSE)
writeLines("changed", file.path(repo, "tracked.txt"))
file.create(file.path(repo, "new.txt"))
print_rtree(repo, git = TRUE)
print_rtree("path/to/repo", git = TRUE)