.Gitignore for Visual Studio Projects and Solutions

A .gitignore file for Visual Studio projects and solutions helps you exclude files and directories that are not necessary to include in version control. These typically include build outputs, temporary files, user-specific settings, and other autogenerated files. Here’s a comprehensive .gitignore template for Visual Studio projects:

Basic .gitignore for Visual Studio

# Build results
[Dd]ebug/
[Dd]ebugPublic/
[Rr]eleases/
[Rr]eleasesPublic/
[Oo]utput/
[Ll]og/
[Ll]ogs/

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

# MonoDevelop
*.userprefs

# Auto-generated files by Visual Studio
*.ncb
*.suo
*.sdf
*.cache
*.dbmdl
*.opendb
*.pdb
*.psess
*.vsp
*.vsps
*.vssscc
*.vssscc
*.vsix
*.vsixmanifest
*.vscode/
.vscode/

# NuGet
*.nupkg
*.snupkg
*.nuspec
.nuget/
packages/
project.lock.json
project.fragment.lock.json
*.csproj.user

# Tye
.tye/

# Rider
.idea/

# JetBrains Rider
.idea/

# Backup files
*~
*.bak
*.tmp

# Folder-specific ignores
# Exclude folder for build output
bin/
obj/

# ASP.NET Scaffolding
ScaffoldingReadMe.txt

# VS Code settings
.vscode/

# Other
*.suo
*.sln.docstates

Explanation of Common Entries

• Build Results:
  • Debug/, Release/, bin/, obj/: These directories contain compiled binaries and intermediate files which should not be included in version control.
• User-specific Files:
  • .user, .suo, .userosscache: These files are specific to the user's local environment and IDE settings.
• Auto-generated Files:
  • .ncb, .sdf, .cache: These are temporary files generated by Visual Studio's IntelliSense and other features.
• NuGet:
  • .nupkg, .nuspec, .nuget/, packages/: These are related to NuGet packages. The packages/ directory can be ignored as it contains installed package binaries.
• VS Code:
  • .vscode/: Directory for VS Code workspace settings.
• Backup Files:
  • ~, .bak, .tmp: Common backup and temporary files that should not be versioned.
• JetBrains Rider:
  • .idea/: Directory for Rider-specific project settings.
• Tye:
  • .tye/: Directory for Tye (a tool for microservices) configuration and data.

Customization

You might need to customize the .gitignore file depending on specific project needs or additional tools you use. For example, if you use additional tools or have specific build outputs, you can add those directories and files to the .gitignore file.

How to Use the .gitignore File

1. Create the .gitignore File:
   • In the root of your Visual Studio solution, create a file named .gitignore.
2. Add the Contents:
   • Copy the template provided above into the .gitignore file.

3. Commit the .gitignore File:

   • Add and commit the .gitignore file to your repository to ensure it is versioned.
    

   Copied!

   git add .gitignore
   git commit -m "Add .gitignore for Visual Studio projects"
   

By properly configuring the .gitignore file, you can keep your Git repository clean and avoid unnecessary clutter from files that do not need to be versioned.

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