Tree Viewer | Case Study

# Tree Viewer

An interactive CLI tool that displays directory structures with beautiful tree visualization. No command-line arguments required — just run and answer prompts.

Features

Feature	Description
Interactive	No CLI args needed, prompts guide you
Customizable Depth	Set how many levels deep to display
Hidden Files	Toggle visibility with Yes/No
Emoji Tree	Visual folder structure with icons
Standalone .exe	PyInstaller packaging supported

Usage

bash

python tree_viewer.py

Interactive Prompts

code

--- Select Root Directory ---
Enter the path to the folder you want to display: C:\MyProject

--- Tree Depth ---
How many levels deep should the tree go? (1-10): 3

--- Hidden Files ---
Show hidden files? (Y/N): Y

📂 MyProject/
├── 📁 src/
│   ├── 📄 main.py
│   └── 📁 utils/
│       └── 📄 helpers.py
├── 📁 tests/
│   └── 📄 test_main.py
└── 📄 README.md

Core Implementation

python

import os
from pathlib import Path

def display_tree(root_path: str, max_depth: int, show_hidden: bool):
    root = Path(root_path)
    
    def walk_tree(path: Path, prefix: str = "", depth: int = 0):
        if depth > max_depth:
            return
        
        # Get entries
        try:
            entries = sorted(path.iterdir(), key=lambda x: (not x.is_dir(), x.name))
        except PermissionError:
            return
        
        for i, entry in enumerate(entries):
            # Skip hidden files if not requested
            if not show_hidden and entry.name.startswith('.'):
                continue
                
            is_last = i == len(entries) - 1
            connector = "└── " if is_last else "├── "
            
            # Emoji based on type
            icon = "📁" if entry.is_dir() else "📄"
            print(f"{prefix}{connector}{icon} {entry.name}")
            
            # Recurse for directories
            if entry.is_dir():
                new_prefix = prefix + ("    " if is_last else "│   ")
                walk_tree(entry, new_prefix, depth + 1)
    
    print(f"📂 {root.name}/")
    walk_tree(root, "", 1)

PyInstaller Packaging

bash

pyinstaller --onefile --name "TreeViewer" tree_viewer.py

Output: dist/TreeViewer.exe — runs on any Windows machine without Python.

Use Cases

Project overview: Visualize folder structure for documentation
Code reviews: Understand project layout quickly
File organization: Debug directory structure issues
Sharing: Export tree view for team communication

Architecture Feedback

Spotted a potential optimization or antipattern? Let me know.