Hey there! I totally get where you're coming from—switching editors can feel great until you hit that one essential feature you relied on daily. Let's break down how to get that Atom-style on-demand FTP browsing working in VS Code:

1. Tweak ftp-simple's Hidden Configuration #

First, let's try adjusting ftp-simple to stop preloading the entire directory tree. Many plugins hide advanced settings in VS Code's settings.json file. Add these lines to your workspace or user settings:

{
  "ftp-simple.remoteExplorer.preload": false,
  "ftp-simple.scanDepth": 1
}

• remoteExplorer.preload disables the automatic full directory tree scan when you connect
• scanDepth limits initial scanning to just the first level of directories (you can click into folders to load their contents on demand)

If these don't work, head to the ftp-simple plugin page in VS Code and check the "Extension Settings" tab—sometimes newer versions add a GUI toggle for this exact behavior.

2. Switch to a Plugin Built for On-Demand Browsing #

If ftp-simple doesn't cooperate, there are solid alternatives that natively support on-demand FTP directory loading:

• Remote - FTP: This plugin's default behavior matches Atom's ftp-edit perfectly. When you connect, it only loads the root directory's contents. Click any folder, and it fetches that folder's files/subfolders on the fly. You can even import your existing ftp-simple config to make the switch seamless.
• SFTP (by liximomo): While named for SFTP, it fully supports regular FTP too. Its file explorer loads directories on demand, and it includes extra perks like auto-upload on save and directory syncing. The config uses a familiar JSON format, so you won't have to re-learn everything.

3. Test the Behavior #

Whichever route you take, test the connection after setup: connect to your FTP server and check if only top-level directories/files load immediately. Click into a subfolder—if it loads without pre-downloading the entire tree, you're all set!

内容的提问来源于stack exchange，提问作者xakal