---
description: 
globs: 
alwaysApply: false
---
# Gitignore Rules

The [.gitignore](mdc:.gitignore) file controls which files are tracked by Git.

## Key Patterns

- Cruft files (temporary/generated files) should always be ignored
- The `./temp` directory should exist in the repository
- Contents of `./temp` should be ignored (except for `.gitkeep`)

## Standard Cruft Files to Ignore

- `*.log` - Log files
- `*.tmp`, `*.bak` - Temporary and backup files
- `*.swp`, `*.swo` - Vim swap files
- `*.pyc`, `__pycache__/` - Python bytecode
- `node_modules/` - Node.js dependencies
- `dist/`, `build/` - Build output directories
- `*.DS_Store`, `Thumbs.db` - OS-specific files

## Temp Directory Setup

```gitignore
# Allow temp directory but ignore its contents
./temp/*
!./temp/.gitkeep
```

## Important Guidelines

- When adding files to a previously empty directory with a `.gitkeep`, remove the `.gitkeep` file
- Never commit sensitive data, temporary build artifacts, or large binary files
- Keep the temp directory clean by only using it for local testing