Introduction to Gitignore Tracked Files in Shell-Bash

As a programmer, using Git for version control is essential. Gitignore is a powerful tool that allows you to tell Git which files or directories it should ignore, meaning Git won't track them or show changes made to them. This is especially useful when working on a project with multiple contributors or when working with different technologies.

How to use Gitignore in Shell-Bash

To use Gitignore in Shell-Bash, you need to do the following:

1. Create a .gitignore file in the root directory of your project by using the command: touch .gitignore
2. Open the .gitignore file using your preferred text editor.
3. Add the names of files or directories you want to ignore in the .gitignore file, each on a new line, using standard wildcard patterns. For example:

# Ignore all .log files
*.log

# Ignore temp folder
/temp/*

# Ignore build artifacts
/build/

4. Save the .gitignore file and commit it to Git. From now on, Git will ignore the files and directories listed in the .gitignore file.

Examples of Gitignore Tracked Files

Here are some examples of files that you can track with Gitignore in Shell-Bash:

IDE/Editor Files

When working with an IDE or a code editor, the project usually generates some files or directories that you don't need to track. For example, Visual Studio Code generates .vscode and .settings directories, while IntelliJ IDEA generates .idea directories.

# Ignore IDE/Editor files
/.idea/
/.vscode/
/.settings/

Log Files

Log files can quickly become large and bloated, taking up valuable space in your repository. Use Gitignore to ignore .log files, or any other similarly verbose files.

# Ignore all .log files
*.log

Build Artifacts

When building a project, you might create temporary files and compiled code. These files can be excluded from your repository by using Gitignore.

# Ignore build artifacts
/build/
/target/
/bin/
/obj/

Local Configuration Files

Sometimes, you might have local configuration files that you don't want to share with others or include in your repository.

# Ignore local configuration files
.env
.env.local
.secrets/

Conclusion

Using Gitignore to track the right files and directories is an important part of maintaining a clean and organized repository. When working in Shell-Bash, using Gitignore is straightforward and easy. Just create a .gitignore file, list the file names and directories you want to ignore, save the file, commit the changes, and you're done!