Slick Browser 2.x

Slick Browser is a deliberately simple day-to-day utility for people who spend time inside directory trees: sysadmins, analysts, students, educators, and anyone doing structure reviews, forensics, project template shaping, or routine data management.

The exported report is a single HTML file containing a clickable directory map. Folders are collapsed by default and expand on demand. Files are clickable via file:// links.

Why it exists

• Structure reviews without manually clicking through file managers.
• Project templating: export a canonical tree and compare against a standard.
• Forensics triage: map a directory quickly, preserve the view, share it.
• Documentation: generate a living “shape of the repo” snapshot as a report artifact.
• Education: demonstrate directory hygiene, naming, and hierarchy in a visible format.

This project is intentionally lightweight. No pip installs required.

Run

python3 slick.py

Linux note: Some minimal Python installs do not include Tk by default.

sudo apt install python3-tk

1. Select a root directory (Path).
2. Set Depth (how far down the tree to map).
3. Set Exclude patterns to ignore noise directories/files.
4. Export to HTML.
5. Open the exported report in a real browser.

Export output behavior

• Folders are rendered as <details> nodes: collapsed by default.
• Files are clickable via file:// links (OS/browser policy dependent).
• Output is a single portable HTML file: easy to archive, share, or attach to reports.

The exclude filter supports glob patterns, separated by commas or pipes. It matches both the item name and the relative path.

Example patterns

.git, node_modules, __pycache__, *.pyc, .cache
.cache|.local/share/Trash|*.log
dist, build, *.tmp, *.bak

Depth keeps exports purposeful. Item cap prevents accidental “export the entire planet” events.

• Depth: controls recursion depth (0 = root only).
• Item cap: stops output after N items for stability.

• Incident response: map suspicious directories, preserve a snapshot for case notes.
• Repo standardization: export tree for each project and compare to a canonical structure.
• Hand-off documentation: provide a “where things live” report with onboarding materials.
• Archive validation: ensure backups contain expected hierarchy before long-term storage.
• Education: teach directory patterns, naming conventions, and separation of concerns.

Slick Browser reads filesystem metadata (names/paths) to generate the tree. It does not upload anything. The output report is local unless you choose to share it.

• Local-only: no network calls required for operation.
• Data exposed: file and folder names (and relative paths).
• Be mindful: exported HTML is a map. Treat it like any internal documentation artifact.

• Browser policies: some browsers restrict file:// link behavior depending on settings.
• Very large trees: use Depth, Exclude, and Item Cap for performance and readability.
• Names only: the report focuses on structure, not file contents.

Slick Browser is intentionally boring in the best way: standard library only, predictable output, and no embedded HTML renderer to freeze the UI.

• Filesystem scan: uses fast directory iteration to gather entries.
• Output: generates deterministic HTML for archival and diff-friendly review.
• UI: small control surface to reduce friction and reduce operator error.

The app is intentionally basic. These are optional extensions if you ever want “just enough more.”

• Include file sizes and modified timestamps (toggleable).
• Add client-side search within the exported HTML report.
• Export JSON alongside HTML for tooling pipelines.
• Add a “compare two trees” report mode (baseline vs current).