// the find
Shougo/defx.nvim
:file_folder: The dark powered file explorer implementation for neovim/Vim8
defx.nvim is a file explorer plugin for Neovim/Vim8 implemented as a Python3 remote plugin. It was Shougo's replacement for the deprecated vimfiler, built around a column/source architecture that makes it extensible. Development has officially stopped — the README points you to ddu-ui-filer as the successor.
The column system is genuinely well-designed: filename, icon, indent, mark, size, and time are separate composable units you can mix and reorder. The source abstraction (borrowing from denite.nvim's design) means the file browser isn't hardcoded to the local filesystem. It works on both Vim8 and Neovim, which was non-trivial to pull off at the time. The Python3 remote plugin architecture kept the Vimscript surface tiny — just a thin shim over the real implementation.
It's dead. The README says so explicitly, and the last meaningful activity is over a year old — do not adopt this for a new setup. The Python3 remote plugin dependency adds startup latency and a pynvim install requirement that trips up many users. Vim8 support requires two extra compatibility shims (nvim-yarp, vim-hug-neovim-rpc) that themselves need maintenance. Configuration is opaque enough that the docs just say 'read :help defx-examples' with no inline quick-start.