Configurable Project Panel sorting: folders-first/files-first/mixed + custom sort key & direction

[Else00]

Today the Project Panel always groups folders before files and sorts A→Z. That’s great for some workflows, but others benefit from seeing files and folders interleaved (or even files first). This request proposes making the Project Panel’s sort behavior configurable.

Problem

• Fixed “folders first, A→Z by name” ordering can slow navigation in repos where files are the primary entry points (e.g., component libraries where Button.tsx sits next to Button/), or when scanning recent edits.
• Different teams have different expectations (e.g., “files first,” or “don’t prioritize either—just sort everything together”).
• Lack of configurability makes it hard to align the panel with project conventions or personal preference.

Proposed solution
Add settings under project_panel.sort.*:

• project_panel.sort.mode: "folders_first" (default), "files_first", "mixed" (no prioritization; folders and files sorted together).
• project_panel.sort.key: "name" (default), "modified_time", "type" (by extension/MIME-ish), "size" (optional).
• project_panel.sort.direction: "asc" | "desc".
• project_panel.sort.natural: true | false (enable natural/human sort so 2 < 10).
• project_panel.sort.case_sensitive: true | false (default false).
• (If feasible when using time-based sort) project_panel.sort.folder_time: "self" (use the directory’s own mtime) | "aggregate" (use max mtime of any descendant). Default "self".

Example settings.json snippet:

{
  "project_panel": {
    "sort": {
      "mode": "mixed",
      "key": "modified_time",
      "direction": "desc",
      "natural": true,
      "case_sensitive": false,
      "folder_time": "self"
    }
  }
}

UX ideas

• Keep the JSON settings as source of truth; also expose a quick toggle in the Project Panel header or context menu:
  • “Folders first / Files first / Mixed”
  • “Sort by: Name • Modified time • Type • Size”
  • “Direction: Asc • Desc”
  • “Natural sort” (checkbox)
• Persist per-workspace with a global default.

Backwards compatibility

• Default values reproduce current behavior: mode: "folders_first", key: "name", direction: "asc", natural: false.

Alternatives / Workarounds today

• Use the file finder (⌘P / Ctrl+P) for quick navigation when the tree order isn’t ideal.
• Manually pin or favorite frequent targets (if/when supported).

Edge cases

• Symlinks and virtual folders should inherit the chosen rules.
• When sorting by type, define a stable tie-breaker (name then modified_time).
• For size, computing directory sizes can be expensive—consider lazy or cached calculation.

Related

• This discussion can include or be merged with I#32773 if appropriate.

Thanks for considering this enhancement! It would make Zed friendlier across a wider range of project shapes and personal workflows.

[mikeyhew]

It turns out there's a setting for this now, project_panel.sort_mode which has options files-first, directories-first and mixed. It's not in the UI yet but you can edit it in settings.json manually. Not sure if everything in this feature request is included but at least these parts are.

[rodion-maltsev]

I’d like to implement a limited type sort key: sort files by extension, use the current name comparator as a tie-breaker, and retain existing sort_mode behavior for files and directories. Is this still a direction the project would accept as a contribution?