Rice-dog/code-codex

Code‑Codex – a local‑file‑tree add‑on for Codex Desktop

What it is – Code‑Codex is a community‑built Windows helper that plugs into the official Codex/ChatGPT Desktop client (a GUI for OpenAI’s chat model). It adds a native file‑tree sidebar, a preview pane with syntax‑highlighted code, limited editing, and a plug‑in marketplace for extra preview and visual effects. The project is completely independent of OpenAI.

Key components

• Launcher & bridge – a small Windows executable (code‑codex‑launcher.exe) that starts the official Codex client, injects a TypeScript‑based explorer UI, and mediates a restricted workspace API.
• Explorer UI – an injected TypeScript UI that shows a collapsible file tree, drag‑and‑drop file operations, right‑click context menu (new, rename, delete, reveal in Explorer, refresh), and a tab bar for opened files.
• Preview & edit – built‑in text preview with syntax highlighting, thumbnail navigation, and a toggle for a lightweight editor. Markdown, CSV, PDFs, Jupyter notebooks, Office docs, images, video, audio and 3‑D glTF/GLB models are handled by optional plug‑ins.
• Plug‑in system – a “Preview Market” where 24 plug‑ins are grouped into Appearance, File‑Preview and Tools. Plug‑ins are downloaded on demand, verified with SHA‑256, and stored under <install‑dir>/plugins/…. No third‑party scripts can be installed.
• Appearance plug‑ins – a collection of WebGL visual effects (particle image, black‑hole, aurora, Milky Way, etc.) that replace the Codex background and automatically switch the client to dark mode while active.
• Tools plug‑in – a read‑only Git‑history viewer that shows branches, commits, changed files and colour‑coded diffs.

Installation

• Pre‑built binaries – Windows 10 x64 installer (.exe), MSI, or portable ZIP are provided on the GitHub releases page. The installer validates the download with a SHA‑256 checksum, backs up any existing Codex shortcuts, and writes files to %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\Code‑Codex (custom folder optional). It also keeps the previous version for safe cleanup.
• Build from source – Requires Windows 11 x64, Rust 1.85+, MSVC toolchain, Node ≥ 20, and Visual Studio Build Tools. scripts/build.ps1 produces the executables; scripts/package.ps1 creates the installer assets.

Usage flow

1. Launch Code‑Codex (or use the added Code‑Codex menu in Codex). The file‑tree appears in the sidebar.
2. Drag files/folders from Explorer into the tree, or use the context menu to manage them.
3. Click a file to open a preview tab; enable the editor toggle to make quick edits.
4. Open the Preview Market at the bottom of the tree, download and enable any plug‑in you need (e.g., Markdown preview or a particle background).
5. Updates are checked via the menu; the installer will download the new version while preserving settings.

Data layout

<install‑dir>/
  data/                # user settings, plugin parameters, media
  plugins/<type>/<id>/<ver>/  # verified plug‑in code & assets
  logs/runtime/       # recent run logs (≤5 MiB each)
  logs/diagnostics/  # crash & self‑check reports
  logs/install/       # installer logs
  logs/update/        # update events
  temp/                # temporary files during update
  backups/             # migration records

Uninstallers (Uninstall‑CodeCodex.exe or PowerShell scripts) restore any original Codex shortcuts and optionally remove all Code‑Codex data.

Target audience – developers who already use the Codex Desktop client and want a local project explorer, richer file previews, and optional visual customisations without leaving the chat UI.

License – MIT (with third‑party notices in THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES_ZH_CN.md).