How to ignore file in Git / Sourcetree?

Git is the most popular version control system(VCS) used by developers. Sourcetree is a free Git client for Mac and Windows systems. Every developer that used Sourcetree/Git faces the issue while doing operations like pull, push or commit. The reason behind this is that it keeps unnecessary files that are either generated by compiler or Developer Tools you use. For example .dll, .sln, .cs, .java, .vs, .vscode, .log, .rar .zip, .txt, etc.

.gitignore

Sourcetree uses a .gitignore file to know the list of files to be ignored and those files will not show in Sourcetree. To ignore files in Git repository, First, we need to create .gitignore file inside the repository. There are several ways to specify the ignore pattern inside the .gitignore file.

1. Ignore specific file using .gitignore in Git/Sourcetree

For example, we want to ignore the file named Readme.txt then just write ReadMe.txt in .gitignore file. This matches the exact file name on the specified path and removes it from showing inside repository difference.

2. Ignore folder using .gitignore in Git/Sourcetree

There is a pattern to ignore the whole folder and all files inside it. For example, we want to ignore the bin folder with all files inside it, then just write "bin/" inside the .gitignore file.

3. Ignore files with extension using .gitignore in Git/Sourcetree

For example, we want to ignore all .dll files, then just write "*.dll" inside the .gitignore file.

.gitignore file in Sourcetree/Git

Note: If files are already committed in Git repository then even after creating .gitignore file it won't remove from repository. For that, We will have to untrack the files first. If we want every developer to follow the same pattern of ignoring files, then we will have to commit a .gitignore file to the repository.

How to ignore file in Sourcetree/Git without committing .gitignore file

Sometimes it happens that we keep some files inside the repository folder which are not committed in the repository, Those files/folder are needed just to support framework/build to get succeed. In that case, we might want to ignore those bunch of files from the repository and we also don't want to commit .gitignore file to the repository.

Below is the solution for those cases.

a. Create any text file outside the repository folder, we can name it anything. For example ".gitignore_global.txt".

b. Go to Sourcetree, Navigate to Tools -> Options -> Git. From the "Global Ignore List" option, browse the file created.

Note: This ignores the list applies to all the repository cloned in Sourcetree.

.gitingnore Pattern with Examples

Must Read .gitignore Pattern Format.

1. Ignore Asp.Net files in Git/Sourcetree Example

# ASP.NET Core #
## Ignore Visual Studio temporary files, build results, and
## files generated by popular Visual Studio add-ons.

# User-specific files
*.suo
*.user
*.userosscache
*.sln.docstates

# User-specific files (MonoDevelop/Xamarin Studio)
*.userprefs

# Build results
[Dd]ebug/
[Dd]ebugPublic/
[Rr]elease/
[Rr]eleases/
x64/
x86/
bld/
[Bb]in/
[Oo]bj/
[Ll]og/

# Visual Studio 2015 cache/options directory
.vs/
# Uncomment if you have tasks that create the project's static files in wwwroot
#wwwroot/

# MSTest test Results
[Tt]est[Rr]esult*/
[Bb]uild[Ll]og.*

# NUNIT
*.VisualState.xml
TestResult.xml

# Build Results of an ATL Project
[Dd]ebugPS/
[Rr]eleasePS/
dlldata.c

# DNX
project.lock.json
project.fragment.lock.json
artifacts/

*_i.c
*_p.c
*_i.h
*.ilk
*.meta
*.obj
*.pch
*.pdb
*.pgc
*.pgd
*.rsp
*.sbr
*.tlb
*.tli
*.tlh
*.tmp
*.tmp_proj
*.log
*.vspscc
*.vssscc
.builds
*.pidb
*.svclog
*.scc

# Chutzpah Test files
_Chutzpah*

# Visual C++ cache files
ipch/
*.aps
*.ncb
*.opendb
*.opensdf
*.sdf
*.cachefile
*.VC.db
*.VC.VC.opendb

# Visual Studio profiler
*.psess
*.vsp
*.vspx
*.sap

# TFS 2012 Local Workspace
$tf/

# Guidance Automation Toolkit
*.gpState

# ReSharper is a .NET coding add-in
_ReSharper*/
*.[Rr]e[Ss]harper
*.DotSettings.user

# JustCode is a .NET coding add-in
.JustCode

# TeamCity is a build add-in
_TeamCity*

# DotCover is a Code Coverage Tool
*.dotCover

# Visual Studio code coverage results
*.coverage
*.coveragexml

# NCrunch
_NCrunch_*
.*crunch*.local.xml
nCrunchTemp_*

# MightyMoose
*.mm.*
AutoTest.Net/

# Web workbench (sass)
.sass-cache/

# Installshield output folder
[Ee]xpress/

# DocProject is a documentation generator add-in
DocProject/buildhelp/
DocProject/Help/*.HxT
DocProject/Help/*.HxC
DocProject/Help/*.hhc
DocProject/Help/*.hhk
DocProject/Help/*.hhp
DocProject/Help/Html2
DocProject/Help/html

# Click-Once directory
publish/

# Publish Web Output
*.[Pp]ublish.xml
*.azurePubxml
# TODO: Comment the next line if you want to checkin your web deploy settings
# but database connection strings (with potential passwords) will be unencrypted
*.pubxml
*.publishproj

# Microsoft Azure Web App publish settings. Comment the next line if you want to
# checkin your Azure Web App publish settings, but sensitive information contained
# in these scripts will be unencrypted
PublishScripts/

# NuGet Packages
*.nupkg
# The packages folder can be ignored because of Package Restore
**/packages/*
# except build/, which is used as an MSBuild target.
!**/packages/build/
# Uncomment if necessary however generally it will be regenerated when needed
#!**/packages/repositories.config
# NuGet v3's project.json files produces more ignoreable files
*.nuget.props
*.nuget.targets

# Microsoft Azure Build Output
csx/
*.build.csdef

# Microsoft Azure Emulator
ecf/
rcf/

# Windows Store app package directories and files
AppPackages/
BundleArtifacts/
Package.StoreAssociation.xml
_pkginfo.txt

# Visual Studio cache files
# files ending in .cache can be ignored
*.[Cc]ache
# but keep track of directories ending in .cache
!*.[Cc]ache/

# Others
ClientBin/
~$*
*~
*.dbmdl
*.dbproj.schemaview
*.jfm
*.pfx
*.publishsettings
node_modules/
orleans.codegen.cs

# Since there are multiple workflows, uncomment next line to ignore bower_components
# (https://github.com/github/gitignore/pull/1529#issuecomment-104372622)
#bower_components/

# RIA/Silverlight projects
Generated_Code/

# Backup & report files from converting an old project file
# to a newer Visual Studio version. Backup files are not needed,
# because we have git ;-)
_UpgradeReport_Files/
Backup*/
UpgradeLog*.XML
UpgradeLog*.htm

# SQL Server files
*.mdf
*.ldf

# Business Intelligence projects
*.rdl.data
*.bim.layout
*.bim_*.settings

# Microsoft Fakes
FakesAssemblies/

# GhostDoc plugin setting file
*.GhostDoc.xml

# Node.js Tools for Visual Studio
.ntvs_analysis.dat

# Visual Studio 6 build log
*.plg

# Visual Studio 6 workspace options file
*.opt

# Visual Studio LightSwitch build output
**/*.HTMLClient/GeneratedArtifacts
**/*.DesktopClient/GeneratedArtifacts
**/*.DesktopClient/ModelManifest.xml
**/*.Server/GeneratedArtifacts
**/*.Server/ModelManifest.xml
_Pvt_Extensions

# Paket dependency manager
.paket/paket.exe
paket-files/

# FAKE - F# Make
.fake/

# JetBrains Rider
.idea/
*.sln.iml

# CodeRush
.cr/

# Python Tools for Visual Studio (PTVS)
__pycache__/
*.pyc

2. Ignore Java files in Git/Sourcetree Example

# Java Compiled class file#
*.class

# Log file
*.log

# BlueJ files
*.ctxt

# Mobile Tools for Java (J2ME)
.mtj.tmp/

# Package Files #
*.jar
*.war
*.nar
*.ear
*.zip
*.tar.gz
*.rar