Ignore patterns and index state determine ordinary Git path handling.

.gitignore controls untracked paths

Git ignore rules influence which untracked paths ordinary discovery and add operations consider. They are useful for generated files, editor state, and local configuration. They do not create an access-control boundary, remove a file already in the index, or erase earlier commits. Treat the ignore file as a project convention with observable matching rules, not as a guarantee that a sensitive file cannot enter history. ...

November 15, 2027 · 4 min · XB Field Notes