Update for the creation page repo

[phoekerson]

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Hi guys, i noticed that the page for creation of a new repo has been update, i don't really understand the .gitignore part, because, when i click on it, it's ask me about a lot of thing, can someone explain me ?

[Con-Adonis]

gitignore is a text file that tells Git which files to ignore in a project, hence the name. It prevents Git from tracking files that aren't essential to the codebase like temporary files, build artifacts, dependencies, and configuration files. You use it by just listing the file types into the gitignore, this makes sure they arent accidentally committed to the project or included in the version history!
For example, when using Mac, an artifact that commonly occurs is .DS_Store and by just simply typing that into the file, Git no longer keeps track of it. Super useful for tracking only relevant project files, hope this helps!

[wassupjay]

.gitignore file tells github not to upload it to the github. Usually you add the file names which has secret information like a api key etc.

[wassupjay]

Hey @phoekerson, Can you help marking this answer as a helpful or as answered?

[chrisjcthomas]

A .gitignore file tells Git which files and folders it should intentionally ignore in your project. When you create a new repository on GitHub, the dropdown menu you're seeing offers a list of pre-made .gitignore templates tailored for specific programming languages, frameworks, or environments.

[Sivanandhpp]

Understanding the .gitignore Option on GitHub

The .gitignore dropdown menu on the new repository creation page allows you to automatically add a file that tells Git which files and folders to ignore in your project.

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What is a .gitignore file? 📝

A .gitignore file is a plain text file where you list files or folders that you don't want Git to track. This prevents non-essential, temporary, or sensitive files from being accidentally included in your project's version history.

Common things to ignore include:

• Build artifacts: Folders like /dist, /bin, or /build.
• Dependencies: Folders like node_modules/.
• System or IDE files: Files like .DS_Store (on macOS) or folders like .vscode/ and .idea/.
• Log files: Files ending in .log.
• Sensitive information: Files containing API keys or other secrets.

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Why does GitHub offer .gitignore templates? 📜

When you see the long list of options in the .gitignore dropdown, you're looking at pre-made templates tailored for specific programming languages, frameworks, or environments (e.g., Python, Node, Java).

Each template comes with a standard list of files and folders that are typically ignored for that specific technology. For example:

• The Python template will ignore files like .pyc and folders like __pycache__/.
• The Node template will ignore the node_modules/ folder, which can contain thousands of files.

This saves you the trouble of creating the file and figuring out what to ignore on your own.

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How should you use it? 🤔

Simply select the template that matches the primary technology you'll be using for your project. If you're not sure, or if your project doesn't fit a template, you can leave it blank. You can always create or edit your own .gitignore file manually later in your project.

[queenofcorgis]

Hey there! 👋

Thanks for posting in the GitHub Community, @phoekerson ! We're happy you're here. You are more likely to get a useful response if you are posting in the applicable category. The Accessibility category is a place for our community to discuss and provide feedback on the digital accessibility of GitHub products. Digital accessibility means that GitHub tools, and technologies, are designed and developed so that people with disabilities can use them.

I've gone ahead and moved this to the correct category for you, Repositories. Good luck!

[phoekerson]

Ok, all right ! Thank you dear

[jsoref]

There are two items in github's docs which should help with this:

• Creating a new repository from the web UI
• Ignoring files
  • including Further Reading
  • which points to github/gitignore

Oddly, afaict, the template option isn't covered in the docs.

[jsoref]

• Creating a new repository doesn't mention gitignore templates github/docs#39758

[phoekerson]

Thank you guys for the help ! I understand now, i will close the discussion now.