Option to add existing files to a sketch

[Lorandil]

Describe the request

It would be great if the files drop down menu would allow to "add existing files"

Describe the current behavior

If I want to reuse some code I wrote earlier without creating a library, I manually copy those files to the sketch folder.

At the moment I have to restart the IDE to integrate them into the sketch. (tracked at #296)

Expected behavior

It is possible to add existing code files to a sketch via the Arduino IDE GUI.

Arduino IDE version

76f9f63

Operating system

Windows

Operating system version

10

Additional context

Additional reports:

• https://forum.arduino.cc/t/sketch-add-file/677557
• https://forum.arduino.cc/t/adding-files-change-of-behavior-bug-or-me-being-dumb/1068993

Issue checklist

• I searched for previous reports in the issue tracker
• I verified the problem still occurs when using the latest nightly build
• My report contains all necessary details

[ubidefeo]

@per1234
This one is something I have also found myself in need of.
What's your opinion?

[per1234]

I don't think it would do any harm. This tabs menu is not something a beginner needs to use, so adding additional functionality to it doesn't add complexity to the beginner's UI.

[ubidefeo]

thanks @per1234

let's create a task for this :)

[per1234]

Thanks to a forum user, I just discovered that Arduino IDE 1.x has this capability, so this is actually a matter of feature parity.

I remember that when the Sketch > Add File... capability was added to Arduino IDE 2.x, it was specified as a way to add supplemental files (e.g., documentation) to the data subfolder of the sketch. I never used this feature in Arduino IDE 1.x, but now that I try it out, I see the Arduino IDE 1.x behavior is more complex than what was specified for the Arduino IDE 2.x implementation:

• If the selected file has a supported sketch code file extension (e.g., .ino, .h, .cpp, .c, .S), add it to the the root of the sketch folder.
• If the selected file has any other file extension, add it to the data subfolder of the sketch.

Arduino IDE 2.x's Sketch > Add File... capability always does the second of these, even when adding a file with a supported sketch code file extension.

[kittaakos]

• If the selected file has a supported sketch code file extension (e.g., .ino, .h, .cpp, .c, .S), add it to the the root of the sketch folder.

And '.hpp', and '.hh'.