Git - Ignore certain files contained in specific folders

Question

I'm using msysgit and have a project tree that contains many bin/ folders in the tree. Using the .gitignore file in the root of the project I need to ignore all .dll files that reside within a bin/ folder anywhere in the project tree. I've tried "bin/*.dll" but that doesn't work, I assume it is only working against the bin/ folder in the root of the project.

Episcopalian

I do confirm "git add --dry-run *.dll" only add non-ignored .dll. Could you post the content of your .gitignore file? – Heyde

You are right: '*/bin/.dll' only works for 'x/bin/z.dll' (depth 2), not 'x/y/bin/z.dll' (depth 3). Looking into it now. – Heyde

I am not sure gitignore pattern support recursive detection of directories... I have amended my answer. – Heyde

This question ( #992301 ) seems to have a solution, but I have not been able to make it work for all depths for a given directory to ignore... – Heyde

Answer 1

Update August 2016 (seven years later, Git 2.9.3/ Git 2.10)

**/bin/*.dll

That does work for any depth.

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Original answer (2009, Git 1.6)

Did you try:

**/bin/*.dll

It does work with my msysgit1.6.3 (with a .gitignore file at the root directory of the Git workspace).

Actually the above would only ignore 'x/bin/z.dll', not 'x/y/bin/z.dll'.

Another syntax could be:

**/*/bin/*.dll

But that would only get depth 3, not depth 2!

So if you do not have too many place where *.dll need to be ignored, the simplest solution would still be a local .gitignore file in those 'bin' directories...

Or a collection of directive to cover the main first depths:

bin/*.dll
**/bin/*.dll
**/*/bin/*.dll
**/**/*/bin/*.dll

and so on, all in one .gitignore file.

Heyde

I'm using msysgit 1.6.3 also but the pattern */bin/.dll didn't work. I added that pattern to my .gitignore in the root and then tried "git add --dry-run *.dll" from the root and it listed my .dll files contained in the bin/ folders of my project tree. – Episcopalian

Answer 2

Just had a similar problem and realized: The files were already added and checked in to git.

How to recognize the difference: Git didn't show the files as "new", but as "modified". This details has cost me quite some time...

If that is the problem, simply "git rm" these files and start over. Suddenly, .gitignore starts to work as expected.

Cabstand

this worked for me, but is the dumbest thing I've had to do involving Git. – Pantywaist

git rm -f -r /path #to force and remove a folder. – Fiscal

Answer 3

I just have /bin in my file and it seems to work. It ignore the whole folder (as opposed to specific files in it)

Here are the complete contents as of now (still evolving).

.svn*
obj/
bin/
*.suo
*.user
Log/
log/
*.db

Mecklenburg

Answer 4

.gitignore on windows, just does not seem to work. I am using msysgit v 1.7.6 beta, and it just does not work the way it should per the .gitignor man page. Now, if I copy the contents of my .gitignore file to the $GIT_DIR/info/exclude file, inside the repo, things do work.

So, the bummer is that this does not get replicated, but it is better than nothing.

Joule

Answer 5

Depending on language you are using, you can choose it from link

For example, If you are using java, you can use gitignore

Also https://www.gitignore.io/ allows you to create gitingore file online, you just need to enter operating system, IDE or programming language and based on it, It will give you gitignore file. Using it you can create gitignore file for your project easily.

Countermarch

Answer 6

*/bin worked for me

I'd think that */bin/ would as well.

Erumpent

That only works to depth 1: kernel.org/pub/software/scm/git/docs/gitignore.html "wildcards in the pattern will not match a / in the pathname" – Heelpiece

so what would work? */bin*? I think I did that later... for a different directory. – Erumpent