gitignore

Template Reference

This comprehensive guide covers all available templates in gitignore, including built-in templates, custom templates, and GitHub synchronization.

📋 Table of Contents

• Template Overview
• Programming Languages
• Development Tools
• Operating Systems
• Infrastructure & DevOps
• Custom Templates
• Template Management
• Statistics & Analytics

🎯 Template Overview

Template Architecture

Gitignore uses a multi-tier template system for maximum flexibility:

┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│        Custom Templates             │  Highest Priority
│   ~/.config/gitignore/templates/    │
├─────────────────────────────────────┤
│        Built-in Templates           │  Compiled in binary
│   templates/*.gitignore             │
├─────────────────────────────────────┤
│        GitHub Sync Templates        │  Downloaded on-demand
│   github.com/github/gitignore       │
└─────────────────────────────────────┘

Template Categories

Category	Count	Description	Examples
Languages	8	Programming language specific	Python, Node.js, Rust
Editors	3	IDE and editor configurations	VS Code, IntelliJ, Vim
Operating Systems	3	OS-specific files	macOS, Linux, Windows
Infrastructure	4	DevOps and container tools	Docker, Kubernetes
Total Built-in	18	All categories combined	-

Template Features

• 📦 Embedded Design: All built-in templates compiled into binary (no external files)
• 🔄 Smart Merging: Automatic deduplication when combining templates
• 📥 GitHub Sync: Download official templates from github.com/github/gitignore
• 🎨 Custom Support: User-defined templates with highest priority
• ⚡ Performance: O(1) lookup time for built-in templates
• 💾 Caching: 24-hour cache for downloaded templates

🖥️ Programming Languages

Python

Template: python
Use Case: Python applications, libraries, and data science projects
Pattern Count: 148 lines

Ignored Categories:

• Bytecode: *.pyc, *.pyo, __pycache__/
• Distribution: build/, dist/, *.egg-info/
• Virtual Environments: venv/, env/, .venv/
• Testing: .coverage, htmlcov/, .tox/
• Documentation: docs/_build/
• IDE Files: .vscode/, .idea/, *.swp
• OS Files: .DS_Store, Thumbs.db

Usage Examples:

# Basic Python project
gitignore init python

# Django application
gitignore init python django vscode

# Data science project
gitignore init python jupyter vscode linux

Node.js

Template: node
Use Case: Node.js applications, npm packages, and JavaScript projects
Pattern Count: 156 lines

Ignored Categories:

• Dependencies: node_modules/, npm-debug.log*
• Logs: logs/, *.log, pids/
• Runtime: lib-cov/, *.pid, *.seed
• Coverage: coverage/, .nyc_output/
• Build: dist/, build/, .next/
• Environment: .env, .env.local
• IDE: .vscode/, .idea/

Framework-Specific Patterns:

• React/Next.js: .next/, out/
• Angular: dist/, tmp/
• Vue.js: dist/, .cache/

Rust

Template: rust
Use Case: Rust applications, libraries, and Cargo projects
Pattern Count: 89 lines

Ignored Categories:

• Build Artifacts: target/, debug/, release/
• Cargo: Cargo.lock (optional), .cargo/
• Backup Files: *.bk, *.orig
• IDE: .vscode/, .idea/, *.swp
• OS: .DS_Store, Thumbs.db

Cargo-Specific:

• Registry: ~/.cargo/registry/
• Git: ~/.cargo/git/
• Target Directories: target/

C/C++

Templates: c, cpp
Use Case: System programming, embedded development, and compiled applications

C Template

Pattern Count: 67 lines

• Object Files: *.o, *.ko, *.obj
• Executables: *.exe, *.out, *.app
• Libraries: *.a, *.so, *.dylib
• Build: build/, bin/, cmake-build/

C++ Template

Pattern Count: 94 lines

• Object Files: *.o, *.obj, *.lib
• Executables: *.exe, *.out
• Build Systems: cmake-build/, build/
• IDE: *.sln, *.vcxproj, .vs/

Java

Template: java
Use Case: Java applications, Maven/Gradle projects, and JVM development
Pattern Count: 112 lines

Ignored Categories:

• Compiled Classes: *.class, *.jar, *.war
• Build Outputs: target/, out/, build/
• IDE Files: .idea/, *.iml, .classpath
• Maven: .mvn/, pom.xml.tag
• Gradle: .gradle/, gradle-app.setting
• Eclipse: .project, .settings/

Go

Template: go
Use Case: Go applications, modules, and microservices
Pattern Count: 78 lines

Ignored Categories:

• Binaries: *.exe, *.exe~, *.dll
• Build Cache: *.tmp, *.test
• Coverage: *.out, coverage.txt
• Vendor: vendor/, Gopkg.lock
• IDE: .vscode/, .idea/

Go-Specific:

• Modules: go.sum (optional)
• Test Cache: Cached test results
• Build: Temporary build files

🛠️ Development Tools

Editors & IDEs

Visual Studio Code

Template: vscode
Pattern Count: 23 lines

Ignored:

• .vscode/ (settings, extensions, launch configs)
• OS-specific files in workspace

IntelliJ IDEA

Template: intellij
Pattern Count: 45 lines

Ignored:

• .idea/ (project files, workspace settings)
• out/ (compilation output)
• *.iml (module files)
• Eclipse compatibility files

Vim

Template: vim
Pattern Count: 18 lines

Ignored:

• *.swp, *.swo (swap files)
• *.bak, *~ (backup files)
• *.un~ (undo files)
• .netrwhist (netrw history)

Version Control

Git

Template: git
Pattern Count: 12 lines

Ignored:

• .git/ (Git repository data)
• .gitignore (self-referential)
• Git-specific temporary files

🖥️ Operating Systems

macOS

Template: macos
Pattern Count: 156 lines

Ignored Categories:

• System Files: .DS_Store, .AppleDouble/
• Spotlight: .Spotlight-V100/, .TemporaryItems/
• Trash: .Trashes/
• Metadata: ._*, .DocumentRevisions-V100/
• Applications: Temporary and cache files

Linux

Template: linux
Pattern Count: 34 lines

Ignored:

• *~ (backup files)
• core (core dumps)
• /tmp/ contents
• System-specific temporary files

Windows

Template: windows
Pattern Count: 67 lines

Ignored:

• Thumbs.db, ehthumbs.db
• Desktop.ini
• $RECYCLE.BIN/
• *.stackdump
• Windows system cache files

🏗️ Infrastructure & DevOps

Docker

Template: docker
Pattern Count: 45 lines

Ignored:

• Container images and layers
• Build contexts
• Docker-specific cache files
• Compose override files

Kubernetes

Template: kubernetes
Pattern Count: 23 lines

Ignored:

• kubectl configuration dumps
• Secret files
• Temporary manifests

Terraform

Template: terraform
Pattern Count: 34 lines

Ignored:

• .terraform/
• *.tfstate*
• Plan files
• Provider cache

Ansible

Template: ansible
Pattern Count: 28 lines

Ignored:

• *.retry files
• Vault-encrypted files
• Temporary inventory files

🎨 Custom Templates

Creating Custom Templates

Create personalized templates in your user configuration directory:

# Create templates directory
mkdir -p ~/.config/gitignore/templates

# Create a custom Django template
cat > ~/.config/gitignore/templates/django.gitignore << 'EOF'
# Django Project Template
# Database
*.sqlite3
*.db

# Static files
staticfiles/
static/

# Media files
media/

# Environment variables
.env
.env.local

# Python bytecode
__pycache__/
*.pyc

# IDE
.vscode/
.idea/
EOF

Template Discovery

Custom templates are automatically discovered and have the highest priority:

# List all templates (custom + built-in)
gitignore list

# Use custom template
gitignore init myproject

# Custom templates override built-in ones
gitignore init python  # Uses your custom python template if it exists

Template Format Standards

Structure your templates professionally:

# ===========================================
# Custom Template for [Project Type]
# ===========================================
# Description: Brief explanation of what this template ignores
# Author: Your Name
# Version: 1.0.0
# Last Updated: YYYY-MM-DD

# 1. Build Artifacts
# ------------------
dist/
build/
target/

# 2. Dependencies
# ---------------
node_modules/
vendor/

# 3. Environment & Secrets
# ------------------------
.env*
secrets/

# 4. IDE & Editor Files
# ---------------------
.vscode/
.idea/
*.swp

# 5. OS Generated Files
# ---------------------
.DS_Store
Thumbs.db

# 6. Logs & Temporary Files
# -------------------------
*.log
*.tmp
.cache/

Template Validation

Ensure your templates follow best practices:

• ✅ One pattern per line
• ✅ Use comments for organization
• ✅ Include comprehensive coverage
• ✅ Test with dry-run mode
• ✅ Follow naming conventions

🔧 Template Management

Listing Templates

# Show all available templates
gitignore list

# Filter by keyword
gitignore list python

# Show detailed information
gitignore list --verbose

# Show only built-in templates
gitignore list --builtin

# Show only custom templates
gitignore list --local

Previewing Templates

# Display template contents
gitignore show python

# Show multiple templates
gitignore show python node

# Preview custom template
gitignore show mytemplate

Template Information

Each template includes metadata:

$ gitignore show python --info
Template: python
Source: Built-in
Lines: 148
Categories: Python, IDE, OS
Last Updated: 2024-01-15
Description: Comprehensive Python .gitignore

🌐 GitHub Synchronization

Syncing Official Templates

Download templates directly from GitHub’s official repository:

# Sync single template
gitignore sync python

# Sync multiple templates
gitignore sync rust go java

# Force refresh (ignore cache)
gitignore sync python --no-cache

Sync Features

• Source: github.com/github/gitignore
• Caching: 24-hour local cache for performance
• Merging: Smart integration with existing .gitignore
• Fallback: Uses cache when offline
• Updates: Always gets latest official templates

Available Sync Templates

All official GitHub templates are available for sync, including:

Language	Framework	Tool
Python, JavaScript, Java	Django, React, Spring	Docker, Kubernetes
Go, Rust, C/C++	Rails, Laravel	Terraform, Ansible
PHP, Ruby, Swift	Vue, Angular	AWS, Azure

📊 Statistics & Analytics

Template Metrics

Category	Templates	Avg Patterns	Total Patterns	Coverage
Languages	8	98	784	43.6%
Editors	3	29	87	4.8%
Operating Systems	3	86	258	14.3%
Infrastructure	4	33	132	7.3%
Total Built-in	18	69	1,261	100%

Usage Statistics

Most Popular Templates:

1. python - 148 patterns (Data science, web dev)
2. node - 156 patterns (Full-stack JavaScript)
3. vscode - 23 patterns (Universal editor)
4. linux - 34 patterns (Cross-platform dev)
5. macos - 156 patterns (macOS development)

Performance Characteristics

• Binary Size: ~2MB (including all templates)
• Memory Usage: < 1MB runtime
• Lookup Time: O(1) for built-in templates
• Cache TTL: 24 hours for GitHub sync
• Load Time: Instant (embedded templates)

🛠️ Template Development

Contributing New Templates

1. Create Template:

   # Add to templates/ directory
   vim templates/swift.gitignore
   

2. Regenerate Database:

   make regen-templates
   

3. Test Template:

   make && ./gitignore init swift
   

4. Validate:

   ./gitignore show swift
   ./gitignore --dry-run init swift
   

Template Guidelines

• Comprehensive: Cover all common ignore patterns
• Organized: Use comments and sections
• Cross-Platform: Include OS-specific patterns
• Future-Proof: Consider emerging tools and practices
• Documented: Add clear comments explaining sections

🆘 Troubleshooting

Template Not Found

# Check available templates
gitignore list

# Check spelling and variations
gitignore list | grep -i template

# For custom templates
ls ~/.config/gitignore/templates/

Template Not Applying

# Preview template contents
gitignore show python

# Dry run to see changes
gitignore --dry-run init python

# Check file permissions
ls -la .gitignore

Custom Template Issues

# Verify template location
ls -la ~/.config/gitignore/templates/

# Check template syntax
cat ~/.config/gitignore/templates/mytemplate.gitignore

# Test template loading
gitignore list --local

Sync Problems

# Check network connectivity
curl -I https://github.com

# Clear cache and retry
gitignore cache clear
gitignore sync python

# Use built-in templates as fallback
gitignore init python

📚 Related Documentation

• Usage Guide - How to use templates effectively
• Configuration Guide - Customizing template behavior
• Contributing Guide - Adding new templates
• Building Guide - Template compilation process
• API Reference - Template system internals

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