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Preview Gitignore Templates

Preview the content of one or more gitignore templates before adding them to your repository.

Usage​

gh-templates gitignore preview [TEMPLATES]...

Arguments​

ArgumentDescription
[TEMPLATES]...Names of gitignore templates to preview

Options​

OptionDescription
-h, --helpPrint help

Examples​

Preview a Single Template​

gh-templates gitignore preview rust

This displays the complete content of the Rust gitignore template.

Preview Multiple Templates​

gh-templates gitignore preview rust docker

Shows the content of both templates to see how they would combine.

Compare Similar Templates​

gh-templates gitignore preview javascript node react

Compare related templates to understand their differences.

Sample Output​

$ gh-templates gitignore preview rust

        === Preview: rust ===

# Generated by Cargo
# will have compiled files and executables
debug/
target/

# Remove Cargo.lock from gitignore if creating an executable, leave it for libraries
# More information here https://doc.rust-lang.org/cargo/guide/cargo-toml-vs-cargo-lock.html
Cargo.lock

# These are backup files generated by rustfmt
**/*.rs.bk

# MSVC Windows builds of rustc generate these, which store debugging information
*.pdb

Multiple Template Preview​

$ gh-templates gitignore preview python vscode

        === Preview: python ===

# Byte-compiled / optimized / DLL files
__pycache__/
*.py[cod]
*$py.class

# C extensions
*.so

# Distribution / packaging
.Python
build/
develop-eggs/
dist/
downloads/
eggs/
.eggs/
lib/
lib64/
parts/
sdist/
var/
wheels/
share/python-wheels/
*.egg-info/
.installed.cfg
*.egg
MANIFEST

# Virtual environments
env/
venv/
ENV/
env.bak/
venv.bak/

        === Preview: vscode ===

.vscode/*
!.vscode/settings.json
!.vscode/tasks.json
!.vscode/launch.json
!.vscode/extensions.json
!.vscode/*.code-snippets

# Local History for Visual Studio Code
.history/

# Built Visual Studio Code Extensions
*.vsix

Why Preview Gitignore Templates?​

Previewing gitignore templates helps you:

  1. Understand Patterns: See exactly what files will be ignored
  2. Avoid Conflicts: Identify patterns that might be too broad
  3. Plan Combinations: See how multiple templates work together
  4. Customize Effectively: Understand what might need modification

Pattern Analysis​

When previewing, pay attention to:

File Patterns​

  • Specific files: Cargo.lock, .DS_Store
  • File extensions: *.log, *.tmp
  • Generated files: debug/, target/

Directory Patterns​

  • Build outputs: build/, dist/
  • Dependencies: node_modules/, vendor/
  • Caches: __pycache__/, .cache/

Wildcard Usage​

  • * - Matches any characters
  • ** - Matches directories recursively
  • ? - Matches single character
  • ! - Negates a pattern (includes rather than ignores)

Common Pattern Types​

Language Artifacts​

# Rust
target/
Cargo.lock

# Python
__pycache__/
*.pyc

Build Outputs​

# General build
build/
dist/
out/

OS-Specific Files​

# Windows
Thumbs.db
desktop.ini

# macOS
.DS_Store
.AppleDouble

IDE/Editor Files​

# VSCode
.vscode/
!.vscode/settings.json

# IntelliJ
.idea/
*.iml

Understanding Negation​

Some templates use negation patterns (!) to include specific files:

.vscode/*
!.vscode/settings.json
!.vscode/tasks.json

This ignores all VSCode files except settings and tasks configurations.

Combination Preview​

When previewing multiple templates, consider:

  1. Overlap: Are there duplicate patterns?
  2. Conflicts: Do patterns contradict each other?
  3. Coverage: Are all your needs covered?
  4. Organization: How will patterns be grouped?

Best Practices​

  1. Preview Before Adding: Always preview to understand what will be ignored
  2. Check for Overbroad Patterns: Ensure patterns aren't too restrictive
  3. Understand Negations: Pay attention to ! patterns
  4. Consider Project Structure: Ensure patterns match your project layout

Customization Planning​

After previewing, you might want to:

  1. Add Project-Specific Patterns: Custom build outputs, config files
  2. Remove Unnecessary Patterns: Patterns for tools you don't use
  3. Adjust Paths: Modify patterns for your directory structure
  4. Add Comments: Document why certain patterns are included

Example Workflow​

# 1. List available templates
gh-templates gitignore list

# 2. Preview interesting templates
gh-templates gitignore preview rust docker

# 3. Preview combination
gh-templates gitignore preview rust docker vscode

# 4. Add if satisfied
gh-templates gitignore add rust docker vscode

Troubleshooting Preview​

If patterns seem incorrect:

  1. Check Template Name: Ensure you're using the correct template name
  2. Verify Content: Some templates might be minimal or comprehensive
  3. Consider Alternatives: Look for similar templates with different coverage

Next Steps​

After previewing templates:

  1. Add templates if they meet your needs:

    gh-templates gitignore add rust docker

  2. Plan customization for project-specific needs:

    • Add custom patterns after installation
    • Remove unnecessary patterns
    • Adjust paths as needed

  3. Test in practice to ensure patterns work correctly