gitignore-scaffold

name	gitignore-scaffold
description	Gitignore pattern setup and directory scaffolding — covers negation patterns, .gitkeep tracking, and git check-ignore verification workflows
type	reference
version	1.0.0
category	development
capabilities	["gitignore_pattern_design","directory_scaffolding","negation_patterns"]
tools	["Bash","Read","Edit","Grep"]
related_skills	["shell-tdd","tdd-obra"]
requires	[]
see_also	[]
tags	[]

gitignore-scaffold

Quick Start

When adding directories that must exist in git but whose contents should be ignored, use the directory/* pattern (not directory/) combined with .gitkeep negation.

data/standards/promoted/*          # ignore contents
!data/standards/promoted/.gitkeep  # but track .gitkeep

When to Use

• Setting up empty directory structures that must persist in version control
• Adding gitignore rules for data directories, build outputs, or cache folders
• Troubleshooting why .gitkeep files are not being tracked

Workflow

1. Create directory structure

mkdir -p data/standards/promoted

2. Add .gitkeep to empty directories

touch data/standards/promoted/.gitkeep

3. Add gitignore patterns

Use directory/* form — never directory/ when .gitkeep must be tracked.

data/standards/promoted/*
!data/standards/promoted/.gitkeep

4. Verify with git check-ignore

# Should be ignored (exit 0):
git check-ignore -q "data/standards/promoted/example.csv"

# Should NOT be ignored (exit 1):
git check-ignore -q "data/standards/promoted/.gitkeep"

5. Regression-test existing patterns

After modifying .gitignore, confirm pre-existing patterns still work:

git check-ignore -q "path/to/known-ignored-file"

Pattern Types — Critical Distinction

Pattern	Ignores	Negation works?
directory/	Directory AND everything inside	No — git skips the entire tree
directory/*	Only the contents