.gitignored

A minimal VS Code extension that adds a single button to the Explorer toolbar to show or hide files listed in your .gitignore.

Usage

The state is saved per-workspace in .vscode/settings.json and restored automatically on next open.

How it works

When hidden, the extension reads your root .gitignore, converts each pattern to a VS Code glob, and injects them into files.exclude in your workspace settings. When visible, it removes only the globs it injected — your own files.exclude entries are never touched.

The status bar shows the current state at a glance:

• $(eye) .gitignore: visible — gitignored files are shown (default)
• $(eye-closed) .gitignore: hidden — gitignored files are excluded from the Explorer

If .gitignore is modified while files are hidden, the exclude list updates automatically.

Hover Tooltips

Hover over any line in your .gitignore file to see which files match that pattern:

• Plain-English explanations for each pattern
• Match counts showing how many files the pattern matches

Requirements

• An open workspace folder (single or multi-root)
• A .gitignore file at the root of the workspace folder

Known Limitations

• Negation patterns (!pattern) in .gitignore are not supported — VS Code's files.exclude has no way to express them
• Only reads the root .gitignore; nested .gitignore files in subdirectories are not picked up

Why .gitignored?

• One-click toggle — a dedicated toolbar button right in the Explorer, no menu-diving needed.
• Status bar feedback — always know the current state at a glance.
• Safe settings management — injects and removes only its own globs; your existing files.exclude entries are never touched.
• Auto-updates — change your .gitignore while files are hidden, and the exclude list refreshes automatically.
• Lightweight — no dependencies, no configuration required, works out of the box.

Comparison with Alternatives

There are several other approaches to managing gitignored file visibility in VS Code. Here's how .gitignored compares:

VS Code Built-in Setting (explorer.excludeGitIgnore)

VS Code introduced the explorer.excludeGitIgnore setting in v1.68 (May 2022). It's a simple boolean toggle buried in settings — no toolbar button, no status bar, and no quick toggle from the command palette. Most of the extensions below (including .gitignored) exist because the built-in experience lacks convenient, one-click toggling.

Extension-by-Extension Comparison

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! To get started:

git clone https://github.com/juniorraja/gitignored.git
cd gitignored
npm install
npm run compile

Press F5 in VS Code to launch the Extension Development Host and test your changes.

To build a VSIX locally:

npm install -g @vscode/vsce
vsce package

Feel free to open an issue or submit a pull request.

License

MIT