A powerful VSCode extension that helps you manage git ignored files with an intuitive drag-and-drop interface. Perfect for managing configuration files like .env that you need to modify locally but don't want to commit.
✨ Features
🎯 Smart File Ignoring: Automatically handles both tracked and untracked files
Uses git update-index --skip-worktree for tracked files
Uses .git/info/exclude for untracked files
🖱️ Drag & Drop Interface: Simply drag files into the ignore panel
📝 Multiple Add Methods:
Drag and drop files from explorer
Right-click individual files
Batch add all changed files at once
🔧 Visual Management: Dedicated panel in SCM view with custom icons
⚡ Real-time Updates: Changes reflect immediately in Git status
🧹 Easy Cleanup: Remove files from ignore list or clear all at once
🚀 Use Cases
Perfect for scenarios where you need to:
Modify .env files with local development settings without committing them
Work with configuration files that contain internal network addresses
Temporarily ignore files while working on features
Manage multiple configuration files across different environments
📖 How to Use
Method 1: Drag and Drop
Open the Source Control panel in VSCode
Find the Git Ignore Helper section
Drag files from the Explorer or Git changes list into the panel
Method 2: Right-click Menu
Single File: Right-click on any file → "Add to Ignore List"
All Changes: Right-click on the "Changes" group → "Add All Changes to Ignore List"
Method 3: Inline Buttons
Click the ignore button next to files in the Git changes list
Managing Ignored Files
View: All ignored files appear in the Git Ignore Helper panel
Remove: Right-click on files in the panel to remove them
Clear All: Click the trash icon to clear the entire ignore list
Open Files: Click on files in the panel to open them
🛠️ Installation
From VSCode Marketplace
Open VSCode
Go to Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X)
Search for "Git Ignore Helper"
Click Install
From VSIX File
# Build the extension
pnpm install
pnpm build
pnpm pack
# Install in VSCode
code --install-extension vscode-git-ignore-*.vsix
⚙️ Configuration
Setting
Description
Type
Default
gitIgnoreHelper.autoSave
Automatically save ignore list changes
boolean
true
📋 Commands
Command
Title
Description
gitIgnoreHelper.addToIgnoreList
Add to Ignore List
Add a single file to the ignore list
gitIgnoreHelper.addAllToIgnoreList
Add All Changes to Ignore List
Add all changed files to the ignore list
gitIgnoreHelper.removeFromIgnoreList
Remove from Ignore List
Remove a file from the ignore list
gitIgnoreHelper.clearIgnoreList
Clear Ignore List
Remove all files from the ignore list
🎯 How It Works
For Tracked Files (e.g., existing .env files):
Uses git update-index --skip-worktree <file> to tell Git to ignore local changes
Files remain in the repository but local modifications won't appear in git status
Perfect for configuration files that exist in the repo but need local customization
For Untracked Files:
Adds files to .git/info/exclude (local gitignore that's not committed)
Files won't appear in git status and won't be accidentally committed
Only affects your local repository
🤝 Contributing
Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.
Fork the repository
Create your feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some amazing feature')
Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
