p2p-file-sync

A lightweight, dual-pane file browser for Node.js that makes comparing and navigating local directories a breeze. Built with vanilla JavaScript and Node.js — no build tools, no frameworks, just pure simplicity.

Features

• Dual-Pane Interface — Side-by-side file browsing and comparison
• Gitignore Support — Automatically respects .gitignore patterns
• Custom Ignore Rules — Configure .syncignore for project-specific filtering
• Real-time File Operations — Read, compare, and navigate files on the fly
• Dark Mode UI — Built with a VS Code-inspired dark theme
• Zero Dependencies — Pure Node.js and browser APIs

Installation

Clone the repository and you're ready to go. No npm install required.

git clone <repository-url>
cd file-browser-node

Usage

Start the server:

node server.js [directory]

By default, the server serves the current working directory on port 3000. You can specify a custom directory as an argument.

Environment Variables

Variable	Description	Default
PORT	Server port	3000
SYNC_TOKEN	Optional authentication token for sync operations	""

Demo

Configuration

Ignoring Files

The browser respects the following ignore patterns (in order of precedence):

1. Default ignores: .git/, node_modules/, .DS_Store
2. .gitignore patterns in the served directory
3. .syncignore patterns in the served directory

Ignore patterns follow standard glob syntax:

• *.log — ignores all .log files
• build/ — ignores the entire build directory
• *.min.js — ignores minified JavaScript files

API Endpoints

• GET / — Main file browser interface
• GET /api/files — List files with filtering
• GET /api/file — Read file contents
• POST /api/compare — Compare multiple files

Development

The project is intentionally simple and straightforward:

• server.js — Node.js HTTP server with file operations
• index.html — Single-page frontend application

License

MIT