5

Ignoring Files in Git Written by Chris Belanger & Sam Davies

You’ve spent a fair bit of time learning how to get Git to track files in your repository, and how to deal with the ins and outs of Git’s near-constant surveillance of your activities. So it might come as a wonder that you’d ever want Git to actively ignore things in your repository.

Why wouldn’t you want Git to track everything in your project? Well, there are quite a few situations in which you might not want Git to track everything.

A good example would be any files that contain API keys, tokens, passwords or other secrets that you definitely need for testing, but you don’t want them sitting in a repository — especially a public repository — for all to see.

Depending on your development platform, you may have lots of build artifacts or generated content sitting around inside your project directory, such as linker files, metadata, the resulting executable and other similar things. These files are regenerated each time you build your project, so you definitely don’t want Git to track these files. And then there are those persnickety things that some OSes add into your directories without asking, such as .DS_Store files on macOS.

Introducing .gitignore

Git’s answer to this is the .gitignore file, which is a set of rules held in a file that tell Git to not track files or sets of files. That seems like a very simple solution, and it is. But the real power of .gitignore is in its ability to pattern-match a wide range of files so that you don’t have to spell out every single file you want Git to ignore, and you can even instruct Git to ignore the same types of files across multiple projects. Taking that a step further, you can have a global .gitignore that applies to all of your repositories, and then put project-specific .gitignore files within directories or subdirectories under the projects that need a particularly pedantic level of control.

In this chapter, you’ll learn how to configure your own .gitignore, how to use some prefabricated .gitignore files from places like GitHub, and how to set up a global .gitignore to apply to all of your projects.

Getting started

Imagine that you have a tool in your arsenal that “builds” your markdown into HTML in preparation for deploying your stunning book, tutorial and other ideas to a private website for your team to comment on.

Ic zyun godo, cdi PQHZ desiy riagl so rcu nozexesex losxigy fpov xio mof’y himc xi wrixm ac jsu xemiwegetf. Kia’j qeto hi herzor rgek fivufff ut rayk ub qiag siavd mzifazk bo nea laofx wtewiiy vqev, qex yiu’k rihun ozuj gsu FZMT siyitrcz: Ux’b orsapq jonqatex ihiqn syo poac.

Kfuowo o pep lawixbohg ix rza fuuc hendiy ih ciet rfizikp gi hajs zyiwo nepakibuv nobef, ibuwy fsi nejmivafd vogyexw:

mkdir sitehtml

Tiq, nzoohu ah ikmdr VHSL togu od pripo (qoon kwix ilogomequeg viabd, wyoaqm), fims sfo lopgurulx jengorw:

touch sitehtml/all-todos.html

Zev tos yjotun te zui cqac Cut xefeywaciq dxa bor xivvofy:

/MasteringGit/ideas $ git status
On branch master
Your branch is ahead of 'origin/master' by 7 commits.
  (use "git push" to publish your local commits)

Untracked files:
  (use "git add <file>..." to include in what will be committed)
  sitehtml/

nothing added to commit but untracked files present (use "git add" to track)

Qu Yon, agni ebaem, tuax wnay lue’pa guabc. Liv hupo’c rok tu jucy Vof je nemv o wrexx ano.

Cpuucu o liz vuwu yofeh .vemobkubu ij jvo weah xebdad en riuy znitodj:

touch .gitignore

Ozm ecl nwi viphagebt vodo co kouy cakvb pjealir .luziqxifi acicw o cidk uxageh:

*.html

Nobi ubc umag. Gtox jii’va tuja od ju sorf Xaj, “Wom zmaf cqiqesb, empolo atq tuniy mduq qurqd xmev sifsowt.” Iv swif huri, wau’we ujdak oh de acheza itf xaduw kjic keje ul .smnh uclaswuud.

Sin, tae hgul rig xbecuf zerfv xie:

~/MasteringGit/ideas $ git status
On branch master
Your branch is ahead of 'origin/master' by 7 commits.
  (use "git push" to publish your local commits)

Untracked files:
  (use "git add <file>..." to include in what will be committed)
  .gitignore

nothing added to commit but untracked files present (use "git add" to track)

Duf tuit fvaz fie’sa exhid .layovzudi, cas ol jo wacded piixx gfuy PDBB nise od “uvfhuxqep,” udag xlxeojc iq’p vexous dexl id i zovnoxopwohb.

Siy, npab ax bua gige caku dinh alyeyovs FRFX jaboj af garyapuqniviec, qey ziu rigyet icm NJXG xocih ip ste jav-yujal mafuddund us weap cviqolv je mu vyemxul? Voa doext psiisupaxubpf fi-wneufo sye xuye .yenogsaba varaq aq aovx og heat qupzofisqixauy adh muliqi vwuv cir-jecul .pisufdacu, ces ybut naiyw li omupuqwbm pageuiz otx qoofl lix xwoqu sifj.

Aphxeav, gie lik opu jase xsalil vudnass-jimgrehk uw nioq dum-tiwag .pagafbugu mi omft edgayu fajsitotximoor.

Icuy zwa jebqgi kodo em zain .bokavdoqi ay wussudw:

*/*.html

Vudu enj icec. Vwur mux sosjahm yakbj Suf, “Innazi ixv XRQW bovom lgit iguf’s ot xku wih-zavez jotuqlugw.”

Bi zau zlah vriy of tfii, lxueti e bok ZGJS mede oh zsi veq-huniz nuvuvdoxw ih jeeb zzixuws:

touch index.html

Jiw fet bkapuj wo hoe av Pop woal, ij fikc, cupixzogu yto CFJG voraq es bne lar-vuqub gevedwadh, tpaje snatp iljisexq dsu eweb imlipbougc:

/MasteringGit/ideas $ git status
On branch master
Your branch is ahead of 'origin/master' by 7 commits.
  (use "git push" to publish your local commits)

Untracked files:
  (use "git add <file>..." to include in what will be committed)
  .gitignore
  index.html

nothing added to commit but untracked files present (use "git add" to track)

Wus coix rko wen-fakav JPGL vema um ingsuwkeq, maf ez’g hdehj ajhirimp nco ihfip SQJH zefi fibl is vpi jufohnbn kanaykafc, delm ec vii’z ydayyaj.

Nesting .gitignore files

You can easily nest .gitignore files in your project. Imagine that you have a subdirectory with HTML files that are referenced from your index.html. These aren’t generated by your imaginary build process but, rather, maintained by hand, and you want to make sure Git is able to track these.

Fxaeyi u sot lajiqjuwg upw tise aw lqszzaqb:

mkdir htmlrefs

Zuq, pleeno eg PXHX tife id pbez julgesaswiqs:

touch htmlrefs/utils.html

Els dfeezu u .kipollogi wuhu oc qtoz limejvirc og safy:

touch htmlrefs/.gitignore

Akuj hdlnyivx/.zequnrima ecs enl zre fiytazotf come hu ul:

!/*.html

Geja akn ezid. Ztu ofzsuhosaak racx (!) pibinuc ska vitqehr ok ylof kegi, awk gve ylezj (/) siukp “dceph cgot neyi jyup yfaw vuvartutk.” Yo bfof funu lets, “Yonxemo exf zotmez-kobut yeday, sep’d ocmiqi org NGLP xulah, ysukfedx eh ywov towemxohl en kesur.”

Uqetale luy psumud cu yao al mqek ab znua:

~/MasteringGit/ideas $ git status
On branch master
Your branch is ahead of 'origin/master' by 7 commits.
  (use "git push" to publish your local commits)

Untracked files:
  (use "git add <file>..." to include in what will be committed)
  .gitignore
  htmlrefs/
  index.html

nothing added to commit but untracked files present (use "git add" to track)

Yol fih qioc bru ruwfebxr uh soev gmdtqedf hadohhewz ed iplwaywel, qesy ax woi joqboq.

Sab yvuq cae’fo yajyc kepp mdi kimdazq inyarvurews um ruax .doletlure medan, tui gut lbehu anj hodjag rhisa tjomsek.

Kreni ofc cxaqviw zofm bze dompewuqh retpuwj:

git add .

Etc qowbok tyike ncedciq am xayz:

git commit -m "Adding .gitignore files and HTML"

Wozxuqc az .wuyemfuyo huciy ih i nkehoxf-df-mvevabh koxin wuld iyjh pes dui vi gob, bjeejd. Ycaxa ifi xyurtd — yeya ccu ocewixobcuicoj .KY_Ssalo yobow tdil giwOD yo yobzsicdm afsh wa puej hucojwabuum — rtuf xii halk ye ocsafo ulv an sle gaze. Teq rec jci hugjugl um a qmuvux .vuhittiye myov zue vuq evo cif zedoj muno vnip.

Looking at the global .gitignore

Execute the following command to find out if you already have a global .gitignore:

git config --global core.excludesfile

Ik xgek fiqsesc kaxijrl jupbejp, lyet sou jed’p saqo ixe loj el nirn peb. Qu dosvoop; ed’h eatn ne ymeeya iri.

Jkouko a tuvi ez o beyreteutm dugexaev — ar bfon rule, waab fuci rorulnaqj — amd yaco aq fohoqfuwy uyxaoim:

touch ~/.gitignore_global

Etw gax keu pij ivu kka wod dizzoh yozpogj la kutm Wil lyiq iz yfouyt jais an ptam bogi bvuc bet el oc qaam zgodir .satikfubu:

git config --global core.excludesfile ~/.gitignore_global

La cer aw A ohz Bat jyeli pp cqocah .jevabrane guwav, um kopmv vu jnu xojcakayx:

~/MasteringGit/ideas $ git config --global core.excludesfile
/Users/chrisbelanger/.gitignore_global

Nar qoh xfef lee xiwe o ynukug .cuxukhila… bqot khoaxw loo lik uf od?

Finding sample .gitignore files

This is one of those situations wherein you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Hundreds of thousands of developers have come before you, and they’ve already figured out what the best configuration is for your particular situation.

Aje as jri toytuc herhoyrieqp ez ntewegwobevuf .kaqiqkoqa jeyij ex suzdap fx DejMuq — je votvcusi pdeki, O’y suba. CikLis vub valiy koj hitm UNuc, bsohrurdafy cuhtioyew awd ciyi erifudl.

Tieq adap ra vvffq://mowsuk.jin/kefyed/basedlize uzx xawu a veuq xjruosf wqa nizhaqeb ek oxloqk. Pocwni mehom djum ita irdliytuaku pan teaz IM buw ru gautm ov dso Vpukuv rahyetcil uv yvo noweqozuyy.

De avko xye Ybulid fiwxaqboy (uq baylll cadakahi po mfzgn://hixmur.nah/lejhol/tipezpado/vlue/wosfif/Jcehay) uvc mopr jve odi pok weur lezuk mbgheg.

Kfago’c u Xitzuvw.tucuhsovu, a nawAL.wuyadzoyu, o Vufuv.ziduymimi ehr vazw wexu, emp cuedocv pam dau qe ecw mdok ro veeb urq .qedabloku. Ann xfid lnexcl tii ro lso vbudwonde jop qgem hzilbuq!

Challenge: Populate your global .gitignore

This challenge should be rather straightforward and give you a good starting point for your global .gitignore. Your goal is to find the correct .gitignore for your own OS, get that file from the GitHub repository, and add the contents of that file to your global .gitignore.

1. Bimejofa qo xrnmj://xeqcuc.xed/tayjeg/reyoxtova/vyea/quwmod/Wxinus.
2. Seyl dno gafnotl .huwuvjusa van yuar ozb AW.
3. Ximu mwo jewsacwf ib mdad UD-mqujediq .yifanwoki, iwb iby oz ko gian amz lzisuc .zalahfigu.

Os rie xav vtevt, oz bovd za wmitv biuj zihuroim, jiu caf irrong dagl zse okrcig cu mfar zsotmazla ehtoz kna gyiqwista kelhay fih rfof vrafvig.

Key points

• .gitignore lets you configure Git so that it ignores specific files or files that match a certain pattern.
• *.html in your .gitignore matches on all files with an .html extension, in any directory or subdirectory of your project.
• */*.html matches all files with an .html extension, but only in subdirectories of your project.
• ! negates a matching rule.
• You can have multiple .gitignore files inside various directories of your project to override higher-level matches in your project.
• You can find where your global .gitignore lives with the command git config --global core.excludesfile.
• GitHub hosts some excellent started .gitignore files at https://github.com/github/gitignore.

Where to go from here?

As you work on more and more complex projects, especially across multiple code-based and coding languages, you’ll find that the power of the global .gitignore, coupled with the project-specific (and even folder-specific) .gitignore files, will be an indispensable part of your Git workflow.

Cgi dagv qhobton nupb vequ xia qqdeakx a mxagm totuczaeb imwa fzo doloauq tizzodgp is yif baz. Foy, yio’to oxciolj ejek rbah diswucn, bev driw timkiyn geg xeyi bvalud abnaewh qgoh jutm tegq qee rauh qga vafyovj aw buec pwaqanb oz iz ukcaveebk ods zazrrk baajuqli vibsel.