# preservim/nerdtree

A tree explorer plugin for vim.

Repository: https://github.com/preservim/nerdtree
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/nerdtree
Language: Vim Script
License: WTFPL
License Family: permissive
Topics: vim, vim-plugin, vim-plugins, file-management, file-manager
Last push: 2025-09-26T16:07:39+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 52/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-02T17:46:02.011165+00:00)
- activity 44, release rhythm 35, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 6750, "days_push": 341, "days_rel": null, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 0}
- flags: no_releases
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 20090, forks 1438 (observed 2026-08-28T04:11:29.649098+00:00)

## What it is
NERDTree is a file system explorer plugin for the Vim editor that displays directory hierarchies in a tree view. It lets users visually browse projects, open files, and perform basic file system operations from within Vim.

## Use cases
- browse project files in a tree sidebar in vim
- open files quickly from a vim file explorer
- create, delete, and rename files inside vim
- navigate large directory hierarchies in the terminal
- add a file manager to my vim setup

## When to choose
- you use Vim or Neovim and want a classic, battle-tested file tree explorer
- you need basic file operations (create, delete, move) without leaving the editor
- you want a widely adopted plugin with broad documentation and community support

## When to avoid
- you use a modern editor like VS Code with built-in explorers
- you prefer Neovim-native Lua alternatives such as nvim-tree or neo-tree
- you want fuzzy-finder-first navigation (e.g., fzf/telescope) instead of a tree view

## Facets
- artifact type: plugin
- maturity: stable
- function: file-system, developer-tools, editor
- domain: developer-tools, text-editors, files
- platform: editor-plugin, cross-platform
- tags: vim, file-explorer, file-tree, sidebar, vim-plugin

## Member repositories
- preservim/nerdtree (main) score 52

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:11:29.649098+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-29T16:59:21.515694+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/preservim/nerdtree (fetched 2026-08-28T04:11:29.649098+00:00, sha 41888336580f)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.