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Feature: Quick jump to visited folders in Omnibar (Ctrl+G) - #19090

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manuelcontrera wants to merge 1 commit into
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manuelcontrera:feat/omnibar-go-to-visited-folder
Closed

manuelcontrera wants to merge 1 commit into
files-community:mainfrom
manuelcontrera:feat/omnibar-go-to-visited-folder

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@manuelcontrera

@manuelcontrera manuelcontrera commented Nov 2, 2026 •

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Screenshot 2026-11-02 093009 **Resolved / Related Issues** - Related to #13251, #17879

Why this feature?

Navigating between deep project directories often means either setting up bookmarks manually or clicking through breadcrumbs repeatedly.

This PR adds an automatic "Go to folder" mode to the Omnibar (shortcut: Ctrl + G), powered by a frecency algorithm (frequency + recency, similar to zoxide or modern browser address bars).

  • Zero configuration: It records directories you visit as you work. No manual aliases or setup required.
  • Fast keyboard navigation: Hit Ctrl + G, type 2–3 letters of the folder name, hit Enter, and you're there.
  • Clean Omnibar integration: Once submitted or dismissed, the Omnibar immediately restores the regular breadcrumb bar and hands focus back to the active file list.

How it works

  1. IVisitedFoldersService: Tracks successful folder navigations in ModernShellPage and ColumnShellPage. Calculates a frecency score weighted by hours since last visit.
  2. Debounced persistence: Changes are debounced (5s) and serialized asynchronously to visited_folders.json in local AppData without blocking the UI thread.
  3. OmnibarGoToMode: A 4th native mode in NavigationToolbar.xaml with auto-focus, live in-place filtering, and keyboard navigation (Up/Down/Enter/Esc).
  4. Default seeding: If history is empty on first launch, standard user folders (Desktop, Downloads, Documents, etc.) are pre-populated so the dropdown works right away.

Transparency note

This feature was prototyped with AI-assisted vibe-coding, but thoroughly audited, debugged, and tested locally. A clean build was verified with -warnaserror (packaging to .msixbundle tested end-to-end).

Steps used to test these changes

  1. Opened Files and pressed Ctrl + G; verified the Omnibar enters Go-To mode with the folder icon and opens the dropdown with frequent folders.
  2. Typed characters (e.g. down); verified suggestion list filters instantly in real time.
  3. Pressed Enter; verified Files navigates immediately to the chosen folder, resets Omnibar back to Breadcrumb mode, and sets focus to the file pane.
  4. Navigated into multiple subfolders, closed Files, reopened, and verified visited folders persisted and score accordingly.
  5. Pressed Esc; verified Omnibar closes cleanly without changing directory.

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@yair100

yair100 commented Nov 2, 2026

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Merging with #18998.

@yair100 yair100 closed this Nov 2, 2026
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4 participants