feat(config): add setting to make directory tree context configurable (#19053)

Author: kevin-ramdass

docs/get-started/configuration.md

@@ -633,6 +633,11 @@ their corresponding top-level category object in your `settings.json` file.
   - **Description:** The format to use when importing memory.
   - **Default:** `undefined`
 
+- **`context.includeDirectoryTree`** (boolean):
+  - **Description:** Whether to include the directory tree of the current
+    working directory in the initial request to the model.
+  - **Default:** `true`
+
 - **`context.discoveryMaxDirs`** (number):
   - **Description:** Maximum number of directories to search for memory.
   - **Default:** `200`

packages/cli/src/config/config.ts

@@ -454,6 +454,7 @@ export async function loadCliConfig(
   }
 
   const memoryImportFormat = settings.context?.importFormat || 'tree';
+  const includeDirectoryTree = settings.context?.includeDirectoryTree ?? true;
 
   const ideMode = settings.ide?.enabled ?? false;
 
@@ -745,6 +746,7 @@ export async function loadCliConfig(
     embeddingModel: DEFAULT_GEMINI_EMBEDDING_MODEL,
     sandbox: sandboxConfig,
     targetDir: cwd,
+    includeDirectoryTree,
     includeDirectories,
     loadMemoryFromIncludeDirectories:
       settings.context?.loadMemoryFromIncludeDirectories || false,

packages/cli/src/config/settingsSchema.ts

@@ -949,6 +949,16 @@ const SETTINGS_SCHEMA = {
         description: 'The format to use when importing memory.',
         showInDialog: false,
       },
+      includeDirectoryTree: {
+        type: 'boolean',
+        label: 'Include Directory Tree',
+        category: 'Context',
+        requiresRestart: false,
+        default: true,
+        description:
+          'Whether to include the directory tree of the current working directory in the initial request to the model.',
+        showInDialog: false,
+      },
       discoveryMaxDirs: {
         type: 'number',
         label: 'Memory Discovery Max Dirs',

packages/core/src/config/config.ts

@@ -436,6 +436,7 @@ export interface ConfigParameters {
   folderTrust?: boolean;
   ideMode?: boolean;
   loadMemoryFromIncludeDirectories?: boolean;
+  includeDirectoryTree?: boolean;
   importFormat?: 'tree' | 'flat';
   discoveryMaxDirs?: number;
   compressionThreshold?: number;
@@ -603,6 +604,7 @@ export class Config {
     | undefined;
   private readonly experimentalZedIntegration: boolean = false;
   private readonly loadMemoryFromIncludeDirectories: boolean = false;
+  private readonly includeDirectoryTree: boolean = true;
   private readonly importFormat: 'tree' | 'flat';
   private readonly discoveryMaxDirs: number;
   private readonly compressionThreshold: number | undefined;
@@ -786,6 +788,7 @@ export class Config {
     this.summarizeToolOutput = params.summarizeToolOutput;
     this.folderTrust = params.folderTrust ?? false;
     this.ideMode = params.ideMode ?? false;
+    this.includeDirectoryTree = params.includeDirectoryTree ?? true;
     this.loadMemoryFromIncludeDirectories =
       params.loadMemoryFromIncludeDirectories ?? false;
     this.importFormat = params.importFormat ?? 'tree';
@@ -1161,6 +1164,10 @@ export class Config {
     return this.loadMemoryFromIncludeDirectories;
   }
 
+  getIncludeDirectoryTree(): boolean {
+    return this.includeDirectoryTree;
+  }
+
   getImportFormat(): 'tree' | 'flat' {
     return this.importFormat;
   }

packages/core/src/core/client.test.ts

@@ -244,6 +244,7 @@ describe('Gemini Client (client.ts)', () => {
       getShowModelInfoInChat: vi.fn().mockReturnValue(false),
       getContinueOnFailedApiCall: vi.fn(),
       getProjectRoot: vi.fn().mockReturnValue('/test/project/root'),
+      getIncludeDirectoryTree: vi.fn().mockReturnValue(true),
       storage: {
         getProjectTempDir: vi.fn().mockReturnValue('/test/temp'),
       },

packages/core/src/utils/environmentContext.test.ts

@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ describe('getEnvironmentContext', () => {
         getDirectories: vi.fn().mockReturnValue(['/test/dir']),
       }),
       getFileService: vi.fn(),
+      getIncludeDirectoryTree: vi.fn().mockReturnValue(true),
       getEnvironmentMemory: vi.fn().mockReturnValue('Mock Environment Memory'),
 
       getToolRegistry: vi.fn().mockReturnValue(mockToolRegistry),
@@ -146,6 +147,24 @@ describe('getEnvironmentContext', () => {
     expect(getFolderStructure).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
   });
 
+  it('should omit directory structure when getIncludeDirectoryTree is false', async () => {
+    (vi.mocked(mockConfig.getIncludeDirectoryTree!) as Mock).mockReturnValue(
+      false,
+    );
+
+    const parts = await getEnvironmentContext(mockConfig as Config);
+
+    expect(parts.length).toBe(1);
+    const context = parts[0].text;
+
+    expect(context).toContain('<session_context>');
+    expect(context).not.toContain('Directory Structure:');
+    expect(context).not.toContain('Mock Folder Structure');
+    expect(context).toContain('Mock Environment Memory');
+    expect(context).toContain('</session_context>');
+    expect(getFolderStructure).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
   it('should handle read_many_files returning no content', async () => {
     const mockReadManyFilesTool = {
       build: vi.fn().mockReturnValue({

packages/core/src/utils/environmentContext.ts

@@ -53,7 +53,9 @@ export async function getEnvironmentContext(config: Config): Promise<Part[]> {
     day: 'numeric',
   });
   const platform = process.platform;
-  const directoryContext = await getDirectoryContextString(config);
+  const directoryContext = config.getIncludeDirectoryTree()
+    ? await getDirectoryContextString(config)
+    : '';
   const tempDir = config.storage.getProjectTempDir();
   const environmentMemory = config.getEnvironmentMemory();
 

schemas/settings.schema.json

@@ -1052,6 +1052,13 @@
           "markdownDescription": "The format to use when importing memory.\n\n- Category: `Context`\n- Requires restart: `no`",
           "type": "string"
         },
+        "includeDirectoryTree": {
+          "title": "Include Directory Tree",
+          "description": "Whether to include the directory tree of the current working directory in the initial request to the model.",
+          "markdownDescription": "Whether to include the directory tree of the current working directory in the initial request to the model.\n\n- Category: `Context`\n- Requires restart: `no`\n- Default: `true`",
+          "default": true,
+          "type": "boolean"
+        },
         "discoveryMaxDirs": {
           "title": "Memory Discovery Max Dirs",
           "description": "Maximum number of directories to search for memory.",