IgnoreLens
A VS Code extension that shows how many files each ignore pattern matches and highlights redundant patterns.
Features
Match Counts
Each pattern displays a count showing its effect on the ignore set:
node_modules/ +444 (444)
*.js +1 (445) ≡22
!src/ −3 (442)
!dist/file.js −0 (442) ∅2 ✗1
| Symbol |
Meaning |
+N |
Files added to ignore set |
−N |
Files removed from ignore set |
(N) |
Current set size |
≡N |
Already in set (shadowed) |
∅N |
Not in set |
✗N |
Blocked by parent directory |
Counts are colour-coded:
- Green: Pattern is adding files
- Yellow: Negation pattern, or shadowed pattern (files already ignored by earlier pattern)
- Red: Redundant pattern (matches nothing)
Redundant Pattern Detection
Patterns that don't match any files are highlighted in red, making it easy to spot outdated or mistyped rules.
Real-time Updates
Decorations update automatically when you edit the file or when workspace files change.
How It Works
IgnoreLens aligns with Git's gitignore specification and tracks a cumulative set of ignored files, processing patterns in order:
- Normal patterns add matching files to the set
- Negation patterns (
!) remove matching files from the set
- Directory pattern (
dir/) blocks negations for files within
- Directory pattern (
dir/*) matches immediate contents only, allowing negations
- Directory pattern (
dir/**) matches all nested contents, allowing negations
View flow diagram
Usage
- Open any file with the
ignore language type in VS Code
- Patterns are automatically decorated based on their effect
To use with any file, change its language mode to ignore via the status bar or command palette (Ctrl+Shift+P → "Change Language Mode").
Configuration
| Setting |
Description |
Default |
ignorelens.enabled |
Enable or disable decorations |
true |
ignorelens.decorationStyle |
How to highlight redundant patterns: none, background, text, or both |
text |
ignorelens.showMatchCount |
Show match counts after each pattern |
true |
ignorelens.scanDebounceMs |
Delay before rescanning after changes (ms) |
500 |
ignorelens.debug |
Enable debug logging to Output panel |
false |
Customising Colours
Add to your settings.json:
{
"workbench.colorCustomizations": {
"ignorelens.noMatchForeground": "#f14c4c",
"ignorelens.noMatchBackground": "#4a1a1a40",
"ignorelens.matchCountForeground": "#6A9955",
"ignorelens.negationForeground": "#CCAA00"
}
}
Supported Patterns
Standard gitignore syntax is supported:
| Pattern |
Description |
* |
Matches anything except / |
** |
Matches any path including / |
? |
Matches any single character |
!pattern |
Negation (un-ignore) |
dir/ |
Directory pattern |
# |
Comment |
Limitations
- Empty directories are not detected. Directories are discovered by scanning files, so patterns targeting empty directories will show zero matches even if the directory exists.
Troubleshooting
If match counts aren't showing or the extension behaves unexpectedly, try uninstalling and reinstalling. VS Code can sometimes fail to fully load an updated extension.
Acknowledgements
Developed with assistance from:
Thanks to GitSparTV for identifying the cumulative set tracking issue.
Licence
MIT License - Copyright (c) 2025 Jason Gordon
Free to use, modify, and distribute. See LICENSE for details.
