As developers, our machines slowly fill up with development-related junk files.
Things like:
node_modules- build artifacts
- cached files
- temporary folders created during development
On Windows, general-purpose cleaners often feel either too aggressive or too opaque, while manual cleanup is repetitive and error-prone.
So I decided to build a small open-source tool called Dev-FileCleaner.
❓ Why I built it
I wanted a tool focused specifically on development folders, with a clear and predictable behavior.
My goals were:
- make cleanup safer and more transparent
- avoid “one-click magic” that deletes things blindly
- provide a simple graphical interface instead of command-line only tools
- focus only on development-related directories
The idea was to give developers control, not automation without context.
🖥️ What Dev-FileCleaner does
Dev-FileCleaner is a Windows desktop application written in C++ that scans for common development junk folders and lets you clean them in a controlled way.
It focuses on directories such as:
- dependency folders (for example
node_modules) - build outputs
- cached artifacts generated during development
Instead of running silently, the tool:
- shows what it finds
- lets the user review the results
- performs cleanup only when explicitly requested
⚙️ Why C++
I chose C++ mainly for:
- performance when scanning large directory trees
- low memory overhead
- direct control over filesystem operations
- building a native Windows application
This project was also a good opportunity to work with filesystem APIs and desktop application development in C++.
🧠 What I’d like feedback on
This is still an evolving project, and I’d really appreciate feedback on:
- the overall UX of the GUI
- safety assumptions around deleting folders
- features that would actually help developers
- ideas for improving usability or extending the tool
🔓 Open source
The project is fully open source and available on GitHub:
👉 https://github.com/Usero0/Dev-FileCleaner
If you work on Windows and often deal with development junk folders, I’d love to hear your thoughts or suggestions.
Thanks for reading 👋
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