git submodule icons in nvim-tree

It would be helpful to have a dedicated icon for Git submodules in the nvim-tree file explorer. Currently, while nvim-tree supports various Git status icons (e.g., staged, unstaged, untracked), there isn’t an option to display a unique icon for submodules.

This would improve the visual distinction of submodule folders and make it easier for users to identify them in the tree view.

Proposed Solution

Allow users to define a custom icon for Git submodules in the renderer.icons.git configuration. For example:

renderer = {
    -- other configurations...
    icons = {
        -- other icons...
        git = {
            -- existing git icons...
            submodule = '',  -- Git submodule icon
        },
    },
},

References

This feature idea was originally discussed here: Does nvim-tree have webicon for git submodules?.

Request

I’d appreciate guidance on how to proceed with implementing this feature.

Start by tracing the renderer.icons.git configuration and the existing Git status icon handling in nvim-tree. Identify where submodule folders are classified and where icon rendering is tested; done means a configurable submodule icon appears for those folders without changing existing Git status icons.