gitignore Which Rule - Shell-Bash

In Git, a .gitignore file is used to specify intentionally untracked files that Git should ignore. It is used to exclude certain files and directories from being tracked by Git.

An important question that often arises when using .gitignore is: Which rule to use when ignoring file patterns in Shell-Bash?

Common Rules

Here are some commonly used rules when creating a .gitignore file in Shell-Bash:

1. *.txt: Ignores all files with the .txt extension.
2. /logs/: Ignores the logs directory and all its contents.
3. debug.log: Ignores the specific file debug.log.
4. skip.txt: Ignores a file named skip.txt.
5. !important.txt: Includes important.txt file even if it matches a previous pattern.

Extended Rules

Apart from the common rules, there are some extended rules that can be used in Shell-Bash .gitignore files:

1. *.[oa]: Ignores all files ending with .o or .a extension.
2. /build/*/: Ignores directories named build at any level of the directory structure.
3. **/vendor/: Ignores all vendor directories at any level of the directory structure.
4. /logs/**/*.log: Ignores all .log files in any logs directory at any level of the directory structure.
5. *.tmp: Ignores all files ending with .tmp extension.

Note: It is important to use the appropriate rule to ensure that only the intended files and directories are ignored and that no unintended files are missed.

For a comprehensive list of the available rules and syntax, you can refer to the Gitignore documentation.

Remember to update your .gitignore file as needed to adapt to the specific requirements of your project.

Here is an example of how a .gitignore file in Shell-Bash should look like in markdown format:

## .gitignore

The `.gitignore` file is used to specify intentionally untracked files that Git should ignore.

### Common Rules

- `*.txt`: Ignores all files with the `.txt` extension.
- `/logs/`: Ignores the `logs` directory and all its contents.
- `debug.log`: Ignores the specific file `debug.log`.
- `skip.txt`: Ignores a file named `skip.txt`.
- `!important.txt`: Includes `important.txt` file even if it matches a previous pattern.

### Extended Rules

- `*.[oa]`: Ignores all files ending with `.o` or `.a` extension.
- `/build/*/`: Ignores directories named `build` at any level of the directory structure.
- `**/vendor/`: Ignores all `vendor` directories at any level of the directory structure.
- `/logs/**/*.log`: Ignores all `.log` files in any `logs` directory at any level of the directory structure.
- `*.tmp`: Ignores all files ending with `.tmp` extension.

For a comprehensive list of available rules and syntax, refer to the [Gitignore documentation](https://git-scm.com/docs/gitignore).

Make sure to update the examples and explanations with your specific use case.