bytedance/deer-flow

Feature: Unified Workspace File Explorer and Linear File History

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#2117 opened on Apr 11, 2026

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 (1 comment) (1 reaction) (2 assignees)Python (67,767 stars) (9,005 forks)batch import
help wanted

Description

Background & Context

Currently, the DeerFlow frontend heavily relies on a chat-centric interface. When the agent edits files in the execution sandbox over multiple turns, the file updates are typically displayed as disjointed chat messages or multiple varying attachments. This leads to a chaotic naming system and makes it incredibly difficult for the user to track the linear progression of a specific file's edits. To bridge the gap between a standard AI chatbox and an IDE, we need a better file management system. Taking inspiration from the newly released Trae Solo (and features like Anthropic's Artifacts pane), we should introduce a dedicated, persistent environment for tracking and previewing files modified during a session.

Proposed Features

  1. Dedicated Workspace File Explorer Introduce a collapsible side panel (or secondary main pane) that acts as a real-time reflection of the agent's sandbox/workspace directory. Display all files generated, uploaded, or edited in the current thread in a structured file tree. Allow users to click on any file in the directory to open a rich preview (supporting markdown, code syntax highlighting, images, etc.) without having to scroll back through the chat history to find the attachment.

  2. Linear File History & Version Tracking Instead of repeatedly generating new files with chaotic names like script_v2.py or appending numbers, files should maintain their canonical names (script.py). Implement a version-control-style history scrubber or dropdown for each file. When a file is selected in the preview pane, the user should be able to scrub through "Iteration 1", "Iteration 2", etc., to see precisely what changed in each turn. Diff View: Display a clean diff when an agent applies a change to an existing file, allowing the user to explicitly accept/reject or just view what the agent modified.

  3. Improved Naming Conventions Enforce a strict, canonical naming system within the frontend logic to handle multi-turn edits seamlessly. Ensure the agent stops altering the file name in user-facing UI just to denote a new version.

UX/UI Considerations

Layout: The UI should evolve from a single chat column into a split view: Chat on the left/right, and the active Workspace/File Preview on the opposite side.

Interactivity: Editing a file directly in the preview pane should sync back to the agent's current sandbox context, ensuring the AI is aware of manual user tweaks.

Why this is important

This drastically reduces cognitive load for the user. Instead of reading through lengthy chat outputs to deduce if a script was fully updated, users can simply look at the file tree, view the current state of the document, and see its exact edit history. This brings DeerFlow closer to an operating "Agent IDE" workflow.

Contributor guide

Tech stack
pythonjavascriptreactcsshtml
Domain
frontenddeveloper experience
Issue type
feature
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
3
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
1-2 days
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
blocked
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
clear
Prerequisites
ReactCSSHTMLsandbox environment concept
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
40
Research direction
Start by examining the existing frontend codebase in the 'deer flow' repository, particularly the chat interface components and any file attachment handling. Look for existing file tree or preview components that could be extended. The main challenge is integrating a file explorer side panel that mirrors the sandbox directory in real time. Consider implementing a simple version history using immutable data structures for file content. Review the Trae Solo or Anthropic Artifacts UIs for inspiration. No linked PRs or further maintainer comments exist yet.