What is .gitignore?
A complete beginner's guide to understanding .gitignore files and why they're essential for every developer.
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Quick Answer:
.gitignore tells Git which files to ignore and never track in your repository
What Does .gitignore Do?
.gitignore is a text file that tells Git which files and folders to ignore when tracking changes in your project.
✅ What Git WILL Track:
- • Source code files (.js, .py, .java)
- • Configuration files
- • Documentation
- • Project files
❌ What Git WON'T Track (with .gitignore):
- • Build files and compiled code
- • Dependencies (node_modules)
- • Secret keys and passwords
- • Temporary files
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