.gitattributes Generator
Create a `.gitattributes` file to enforce consistent line endings and file handling across your team.
How to Use
Select Rules: Choose the rules you want to include in your `.gitattributes` file, such as the default line ending policy.
Add Binary File Patterns: Add patterns for files that should be treated as binary (e.g., `*.jpg`, `*.png`).
Copy and Save: Copy the generated content and save it as a `.gitattributes` file in your project's root.
Configuration Options
Generated .gitattributes
What is .gitattributes?
A `.gitattributes` file is a powerful Git feature that allows you to define specific attributes for files and paths within your repository. This helps you manage how Git treats different types of files, ensuring consistency and preventing common issues, especially in projects with multiple contributors using different operating systems.
Common Use Cases
Line Ending Normalization
The most common use case is to manage line endings (`LF` vs. `CRLF`) to prevent entire files from being marked as changed when the only difference is the line ending style.
Handling Binary Files
You can tell Git to treat specific file types (like images, videos, or compiled binaries) as binary, which prevents it from trying to generate meaningless text diffs.
Custom Diff and Merge Drivers
For advanced use cases, you can specify custom external tools to handle diffing or merging for specific file types.
Excluding Files from Archives
You can use `.gitattributes` to mark files that should be excluded when you create an archive of your repository using `git archive`.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a .gitattributes file?
A `.gitattributes` file is a simple text file that allows you to specify attributes for paths in your Git repository. These attributes can control things like how Git handles line endings, what files are treated as binary, and how diffs are generated.
Why is managing line endings important?
Different operating systems use different characters to mark the end of a line (LF for Unix/macOS, CRLF for Windows). If developers on different systems collaborate on a project, Git can report massive changes in files that are functionally identical. A `.gitattributes` file can normalize these line endings, preventing such issues.
How do I use the generated file?
Copy the generated content and save it as a file named `.gitattributes` in the root of your project repository. Commit this file, and Git will start using these rules for all new and updated files.
What does `* text=auto` do?
This is the most common and recommended setting. It tells Git to automatically handle line endings. When you commit a file, Git will convert the line endings to LF (the standard for Git), and when you check out a file, it will convert them to the native line endings for your operating system.
When should I mark a file as binary?
You should mark files as binary if they are not plain text and should not be diffed, such as images (e.g., `.png`, `.jpg`), compiled code, or archives. This prevents Git from trying to show a text-based diff for these files, which would be meaningless.