refactor(#2988): multi instance change_dir and dir_up #3209

Uanela · 2025-10-30T08:57:23Z

This PR is part of one of the Multi Instance tasks and aims to make a refactor moving the root actions change_dir and dir_up to the Explorer class.

PS: This is my first contribution to some nvim plugin, I've using nvim for almost 4-5 months now and become interested in getting involved into its Open source world.

alex-courtis

This is looking great, really happy with your contributions and it's working as per current behaviour.

Please:

The ones marked with a * will just go away if we move further with this refactor; see incoming comment.

alex-courtis · 2025-11-03T00:04:13Z

lua/nvim-tree/explorer/dir-up.lua

 local M = {}

---@param node Node
 function M.fn(node)


This function has been moved to Explorer:dir_up and it's working beautifully there.
This is great as this function is now unused, therefore we can delete this whole file.

alex-courtis · 2025-11-03T00:07:30Z

lua/nvim-tree/explorer/change-dir.lua


 ---@return boolean
 local function should_change_dir()
+  local explorer = core.get_explorer()


This variable explorer is unused and has been identified by the linter: https://github.com/nvim-tree/nvim-tree.lua/actions/runs/18935214550/job/54313031114?pr=3209

This line should be deleted.

alex-courtis · 2025-11-03T00:27:19Z

lua/nvim-tree/api.lua


-Api.tree.change_root_to_parent = wrap_node(actions.root.dir_up.fn)
+
+Api.tree.change_root_to_parent = wrap_node(Explorer.dir_up)


This change calls the new dir_up method. This isn't correct as the call is to the function Explorer.dir_up rather than the method Explorer:dir_up.
You can use

wrap_node(wrap_explorer("dir_up"))

instead. wrap_explorer will call dir_up as a method and wrap_node will pass the node.

Why is that a problem? When dir_up is called, self is set to the node, not explorer.
You can see this by adding some debug to the start of Explorer:dir_up

require("nvim-tree.log").line("dev", "self %s", self and self.absolute_path or "no self") require("nvim-tree.log").line("dev", "node %s", node and node.absolute_path or "no node")

- on the data directory as per base test cases.

[2025-11-03 11:34:32] [dev] self /home/alex/src/keyd/data [2025-11-03 11:34:32] [dev] node no node

Expected:

[2025-11-03 11:32:34] [dev] self /home/alex/src/keyd [2025-11-03 11:32:34] [dev] node /home/alex/src/keyd/data

alex-courtis · 2025-11-03T00:53:54Z

lua/nvim-tree/lib.lua

 local function handle_buf_cwd(cwd)
  if M.respect_buf_cwd and cwd ~= core.get_cwd() then
-    require("nvim-tree.actions.root.change-dir").fn(cwd)
+    require("lua.nvim-tree.explorer.change-dir").fn(cwd)


This change requires the moved change-dir.lua module. It's throwing an exception as the module does not exist.
The require should be require("nvim-tree.explorer.change-dir")

See the exception in section "Fail: respect_buf_cwd = true" in the test document.

alex-courtis · 2025-11-03T00:57:01Z

lua/nvim-tree/actions/root/init.lua

Great work! Unnecessary code gone!

alex-courtis · 2025-11-03T01:13:59Z

lua/nvim-tree/explorer/init.lua

  return self:clone()
 end

+---@param node Node


Annotations are necessary for linting and LSP integration. Thank you for adding them.

alex-courtis · 2025-11-03T01:17:35Z

lua/nvim-tree/explorer/init.lua

+  end
+end
+
+Explorer.change_dir = change_dir


Explorer.change_dir is assigned to the Explorer class, instead of the instance. This isn't great as all Explorer instances will share the same change_dir.
It should be set to the instance during the constructor e.g. self.change_dir = ...

alex-courtis · 2025-11-03T01:23:54Z

lua/nvim-tree/explorer/init.lua

+    end
+    local newdir = vim.fn.fnamemodify(utils.path_remove_trailing(cwd), ":h")
+    require("nvim-tree.explorer.change-dir").fn(newdir)
+    require("nvim-tree.actions.finders.find-file").fn(node.absolute_path)


The module find-file is required inline instead of at the start of the module. This isn't desirable: all modules should be required only once at startup and shared. Inline requires can result in problems appearing at runtime rather than startup, as they are lazily evaluated.

local find_file = require("nvim-tree.actions.finders.find-file")

Why do we have some inline requires? There are circular dependencies that forced it. One of the goals of this refactoring work is to remove circular dependencies.

alex-courtis · 2025-11-03T01:25:22Z

lua/nvim-tree/explorer/init.lua

+      return
+    end
+    local newdir = vim.fn.fnamemodify(utils.path_remove_trailing(cwd), ":h")
+    require("nvim-tree.explorer.change-dir").fn(newdir)


The change-dir.lua module is required inline however we can use the change_dir member of Explorer. It could be simplified to:

M.change_dir.fn(newdir)

alex-courtis · 2025-11-03T01:27:38Z

Testing with lua/nvim-tree/explorer/dir-up.lua deleted.

Success: Base Cases

Open /home/alex/src/keyd

:NvimTreeOpen

<C-]> data
:pwd
/home/alex/src/keyd/data

-
:pwd
/home/alex/src/keyd

-
:pwd
/home/alex/src

Fail: `respect_buf_cwd` = true

Open /home/alex/src/keyd

:NvimTreeOpen

-

q

:NvimTreeOpen

E5108: Error executing lua: ...ack/packer/start/nvim-tree.lua.dev/lua/nvim-tree/lib.lua:30: module 'lua.nvim-tree.explorer.change-dir' not found:
        no field package.preload['lua.nvim-tree.explorer.change-dir']
        no file '/usr/share/lua/5.4/lua/nvim-tree/explorer/change-dir.lua'
        ...
stack traceback:
        [C]: in function 'require'
        ...ack/packer/start/nvim-tree.lua.dev/lua/nvim-tree/lib.lua:30: in function 'handle_buf_cwd'
        ...ack/packer/start/nvim-tree.lua.dev/lua/nvim-tree/lib.lua:38: in function 'open_view_and_draw'
        ...ack/packer/start/nvim-tree.lua.dev/lua/nvim-tree/lib.lua:132: in function 'open'
        ...rt/nvim-tree.lua.dev/lua/nvim-tree/actions/tree/open.lua:32: in function 'open'
        /tmp/nd/config/nvim/nd.lua:52: in function </tmp/nd/config/nvim/nd.lua:52>

alex-courtis · 2025-11-03T01:46:06Z

This is great, I'm happy to merge (following fixes) OR we can go further in this pull request OR go further in the next pull request.

You've refactored the dir_up functionality to be a method of Explorer which is the best case end state.

If you're keen we can do the same for ALL the change-dir.lua functionality: fn(input_cwd, with_open) can be changed to a method Explorer:change_dir. The local functions in change-dir.lua can be changed to ---@private explorer methods.

What's the advantage? The code will simplify greatly when they are part of the explorer class:

core.get_explorer() won't be necessary
config is available so we can remove setup
core.cwd() is unnecessary etc.
other code will just melt away as methods are moved

alex-courtis · 2025-11-03T01:52:10Z

FYI you can execute all the CI checks locally so that you don't have to wait for CI.

Once you've merged this PR I can add you as a repo member so that you can run CI checks yourself.

Uanela and others added 3 commits October 30, 2025 10:50

chore: moving root actions to explorer

0f2b74b

Merge branch 'master' into refactor-explorer-actions

2a07d7c

chore: syncing changes

d9d70f0

Uanela mentioned this pull request Oct 30, 2025

Falling to first folder on path, e.g: nvim project/packages/docs, shows docs first and when open a file falls to project. #3182

Open

alex-courtis requested changes Nov 3, 2025

View reviewed changes

alex-courtis changed the title ~~Moving root actions change_dir and dir_up to the Explorer class~~ refactor(#2988): multi instance explore: change_dir and dir_up Nov 3, 2025

alex-courtis changed the title ~~refactor(#2988): multi instance explore: change_dir and dir_up~~ refactor(#2988): multi instance change_dir and dir_up Nov 3, 2025


		Api.tree.change_root_to_parent = wrap_node(actions.root.dir_up.fn)

		Api.tree.change_root_to_parent = wrap_node(Explorer.dir_up)

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refactor(#2988): multi instance change_dir and dir_up #3209

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alex-courtis commented Nov 3, 2025 • edited Loading Uh oh! There was an error while loading. Please reload this page.

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Success: Base Cases

Fail: respect_buf_cwd = true

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alex-courtis commented Nov 3, 2025

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Uanela commented Oct 30, 2025 •

edited by alex-courtis

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alex-courtis commented Nov 3, 2025 •

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Fail: `respect_buf_cwd` = true