Export¶

The export command allows you to save directory structures to various file formats. This guide covers how to use the export features effectively.

Basic Export Usage¶

To export the current directory structure:

recursivist export --format FORMAT

Replace FORMAT with one of: txt, json, html, md, or jsx.

For a specific directory:

recursivist export /path/to/directory --format FORMAT

Available Export Formats¶

Recursivist supports multiple export formats, each suitable for different purposes:

Exporting to Multiple Formats¶

You can export to multiple formats in a single command:

# Space-separated formats
recursivist export --format "txt json html md"

# Multiple format flags
recursivist export --format txt --format json --format html

Output Directory¶

By default, exports are saved to the current directory. To specify a different location:

recursivist export --format md --output-dir ./exports

This will create a file at ./exports/structure.md.

Customizing Filenames¶

By default, all exports use the prefix structure. You can specify a different prefix:

recursivist export --format json --prefix my-project

This will create a file named my-project.json.

Including File Statistics¶

You can include statistics in your exports, just like with the visualize command:

# Include lines of code in export
recursivist export --format md --sort-by-loc

# Include file sizes
recursivist export --format html --sort-by-size

# Include modification times
recursivist export --format json --sort-by-mtime

# Combine multiple statistics
recursivist export --format md --sort-by-loc --sort-by-size

These statistics will be included in the export file with appropriate formatting for each format.

Filtering Exports¶

All of the filtering options available for the visualize command also work with export:

recursivist export --format md \
--exclude "node_modules .git" \
--exclude-ext .pyc \
--exclude-pattern "*.test.js"

See the Pattern Filtering guide for more details on filtering options.

Depth Control¶

For large projects, you can limit the export depth:

recursivist export --format html --depth 3

Full Path Display¶

By default, exports show only filenames. To include full paths:

recursivist export --format json --full-path

This is particularly useful for JSON exports that might be processed by other tools.

Format-Specific Features¶

Text Format (.txt)¶

The text format provides a simple ASCII tree view:

📂 my-project
├── 📁 src
│   ├── 📄 main.py
│   └── 📄 utils.py
├── 📄 README.md
└── 📄 setup.py

This format works well in environments where Unicode is supported.

JSON Format (.json)¶

The JSON format provides a structured representation:

{
  "root": "my-project",
  "structure": {
    "src": {
      "_files": ["main.py", "utils.py"]
    },
    "_files": ["README.md", "setup.py"]
  }
}

When file statistics are included:

{
  "root": "my-project",
  "structure": {
    "_loc": 4328,
    "src": {
      "_loc": 3851,
      "_files": [
        { "name": "main.py", "path": "main.py", "loc": 245 },
        { "name": "utils.py", "path": "utils.py", "loc": 157 }
      ]
    },
    "_files": [
      { "name": "README.md", "path": "README.md", "loc": 124 },
      { "name": "setup.py", "path": "setup.py", "loc": 65 }
    ]
  },
  "show_loc": true,
  "show_size": false,
  "show_mtime": false
}

This format is ideal for programmatic processing or integration with other tools.

HTML Format (.html)¶

The HTML format creates a web page with an interactive directory structure. It includes:

• Proper styling for directories and files
• Color coding based on file types
• Statistics display when enabled
• Responsive design for viewing on different devices

When file statistics are included, they are displayed next to each file and directory with appropriate styling.

Markdown Format (.md)¶

The Markdown format creates a representation that renders well on platforms like GitHub:

# 📂 my-project

- 📁 **src**
  - 📄 `main.py`
  - 📄 `utils.py`
- 📄 `README.md`
- 📄 `setup.py`

With statistics:

# 📂 my-project (4328 lines)

- 📁 **src** (3851 lines)
  - 📄 `main.py` (245 lines)
  - 📄 `utils.py` (157 lines)
- 📄 `README.md` (124 lines)
- 📄 `setup.py` (65 lines)

React Component (.jsx)¶

The JSX format creates an interactive React component with:

• Collapsible folder structure
• Search functionality
• Breadcrumb navigation
• Path copying
• Dark mode toggle
• File statistics display when enabled
• Expand/collapse all buttons
• Mobile-responsive design

This is the most sophisticated export option, designed for integration into web applications.

Using the React Component¶

To use the exported React component in your project:

1. Copy the generated .jsx file to your React project's components directory
2. Install required dependencies:

   npm install lucide-react
   

3. Import and use the component:

import DirectoryViewer from "./components/structure.jsx";

function App() {
  return (
    <div className="App">
      <DirectoryViewer />
    </div>
  );
}

The component is designed to work with Tailwind CSS. If your project doesn't use Tailwind, you'll need to adapt the component accordingly.

Examples¶

Basic Export to Markdown¶

recursivist export --format md

Export to Multiple Formats with Custom Prefix¶

recursivist export \
--format "txt md json" \
--prefix project-structure \
--output-dir ./docs

Export Source Directory Only¶

recursivist export src \
--format html \
--prefix source-structure

Export with Depth Control and Exclusions¶

recursivist export \
--format jsx \
--depth 3 \
--exclude "node_modules .git" \
--exclude-ext ".log .tmp"

Export with File Statistics¶

recursivist export \
--format html \
--sort-by-loc \
--sort-by-size \
--sort-by-mtime

For more detailed information about export formats, see the Export Formats reference.