Everything Extension for Raycast (Windows)

A powerful Raycast extension that integrates with Everything CLI to provide lightning-fast file system search and navigation on Windows. Transform your file discovery workflow with instant search results and comprehensive directory browsing capabilities.

Attribution: Initially inspired by the PuttTim/windows-terminal project structure & setup.

🚀 Features

Lightning-Fast Search

• Instant File Discovery: Search your entire file system using Everything's powerful indexing engine
• Real-time Results: Get search results as you type with intelligent throttling
• Configurable Search: Set minimum character thresholds to optimize performance
• Smart Filtering: Supports all Everything CLI command-line arguments for advanced filtering

Comprehensive Directory Navigation

• Browse Directory Action: Navigate into directories directly from search results
• Recursive Exploration: Browse through nested folder structures seamlessly
• Smart File Detection: Automatic distinction between files and directories
• Native System Icons: Uses Windows file icons for familiar visual experience

Rich File Interactions

• File Preview: Instant preview of text files (supports 20+ file types including .txt, .md, .json, .js, .ts, .py, .sql, etc.)
• Multiple Open Options: Open files with default applications or show in Windows Explorer
• Administrator Support: Run executable files as administrator when needed
• Custom File Explorer: Configure custom file manager commands

Flexible Actions & Shortcuts

• Copy Operations: Copy files, file names, or full paths to clipboard
• Configurable Default Action: Choose between opening files or showing folders as primary action
• Keyboard Shortcuts: Full keyboard navigation support
• Context-Aware Actions: Different actions available based on file type (file vs directory)

Advanced Configuration

• Custom Everything Path: Specify custom es.exe location
• Search Preferences: Configure minimum characters before search triggers
• File Explorer Integration: Set custom file manager commands with placeholder support
• Action Preferences: Choose default behavior for file/folder interactions

📦 Installation

1. Install Everything CLI: Install the command-line interface for Everything

   winget install --id=voidtools.Everything.Cli -e

2. Install Everything Desktop App: Ensure Everything is installed and running (for indexing)

   • Download from voidtools.com
   • Or install via:

   winget install voidtools.Everything

3. Install Extension: This extension is available through the Raycast store. Search for "Everything Search" in the Raycast store to install it.

🛠️ Configuration

Access the extension preferences in Raycast to customize:

• Everything CLI Path: Custom path to es.exe (leave empty to use system PATH)
• File Explorer Command: Custom file manager command (use %s as path placeholder)
• Default Action: Choose between opening files or folders as primary action
• Default Sort: Choose default sorting method for search results
• Search Threshold: Minimum characters required before search starts (default: 3)

💡 Usage Tips

• Quick Search: Start typing immediately - no need to wait for interface loading
• Directory Navigation: Use the "Browse Directory" action on folders to explore contents
• File Preview: Toggle detail view (Ctrl+Shift+I) to preview text files
• Keyboard Shortcuts:
  • Ctrl+C / Cmd+C: Copy file name
  • Ctrl+Shift+C / Cmd+Shift+C: Copy full path
  • Ctrl+Shift+.: Copy file to clipboard
  • Ctrl+Shift+I / Cmd+Shift+I: Toggle details

🔧 Development

Setting up Environment

If you want to contribute to this extension or run it locally:

1. Node.js: Install the latest version

   winget install -e --id OpenJS.NodeJS

2. Clone and Setup: Clone the repository and install dependencies

   git clone <repository-url>
   cd everything-raycast-extension
   npm install

Available Scripts

• Development: npm run dev - Start development mode with hot reload
• Build: npm run build - Build extension for distribution
• Lint: npm run lint - Run ESLint and Prettier checks
• Fix Linting: npm run fix-lint - Automatically fix linting issues
• Publish: npm run publish - Publish extension to Raycast store

Architecture Overview

• Main Component: src/search-everything.tsx - Primary React component handling search and navigation
• Everything CLI Integration: Uses Windows es.exe for file indexing and search
• File Preview System: Intelligent text file detection and preview for 20+ file types
• Windows-Specific Features: PowerShell integration for elevated permissions

📝 Notes

Author Note: Native "Search Files" was not working on my machine, so I created this as a temporary workaround that evolved into a comprehensive file navigation solution.

The extension leverages Everything CLI's powerful search capabilities, so in theory, every es.exe command-line argument for filtering should work through the search interface.