jcsaaddupuy/gitignore

GitIgnore Generation Skill

Overview

This skill provides instructions for generating .gitignore files using the toptal.com gitignore API via curl commands.

API Endpoints

• Generate gitignore: https://www.toptal.com/developers/gitignore/api/{templates}
• List available templates: https://www.toptal.com/developers/gitignore/dropdown/templates.json

Usage

Listing Available Templates

To see all available templates:

curl --silent https://www.toptal.com/developers/gitignore/dropdown/templates.json | jq -r '.[].id'

This will output template IDs like:

• python
• node
• java
• c
• vuejs
• go
• etc.

Generating a .gitignore File

To generate a .gitignore file for specific technologies, use comma-separated template names:

curl 'https://www.toptal.com/developers/gitignore/api/python,c,vuejs'

Examples

Single Technology

# Python project
curl 'https://www.toptal.com/developers/gitignore/api/python' > .gitignore

# Node.js project
curl 'https://www.toptal.com/developers/gitignore/api/node' > .gitignore

Multiple Technologies

# Python + Docker + VS Code
curl 'https://www.toptal.com/developers/gitignore/api/python,docker,visualstudiocode' > .gitignore

# Full-stack JavaScript project
curl 'https://www.toptal.com/developers/gitignore/api/node,vuejs,macos,linux,windows' > .gitignore

Search for Specific Templates

# Find all templates containing "python"
curl --silent https://www.toptal.com/developers/gitignore/dropdown/templates.json | jq -r '.[].id' | grep -i python

# Find templates for specific IDE
curl --silent https://www.toptal.com/developers/gitignore/dropdown/templates.json | jq -r '.[].id' | grep -i "vscode\|intellij\|eclipse"

Best Practices

1. Multiple technologies: Always combine all relevant technologies in a single request (e.g., language + OS + IDE)
2. Direct output: Redirect output directly to .gitignore file using >
3. Review before committing: Always review the generated .gitignore before committing
4. Case-insensitive: Template names are case-insensitive (Python, python, PYTHON all work)
5. Append mode: Use >> if you need to add to an existing .gitignore

Common Template Combinations

Python Projects

curl 'https://www.toptal.com/developers/gitignore/api/python,venv,pycharm,visualstudiocode' > .gitignore

Node.js Projects

curl 'https://www.toptal.com/developers/gitignore/api/node,npm,visualstudiocode' > .gitignore

Go Projects

curl 'https://www.toptal.com/developers/gitignore/api/go,goland,visualstudiocode' > .gitignore

Multi-platform Development

curl 'https://www.toptal.com/developers/gitignore/api/macos,linux,windows,visualstudiocode' > .gitignore

Workflow

When asked to create a .gitignore file:

1. Identify technologies: Determine the programming language, frameworks, OS, and IDE being used
2. Search templates (if needed): Use the templates.json endpoint to find exact template names
3. Generate file: Combine all relevant templates in a single curl command
4. Verify: Confirm the file was created and contains expected patterns

Notes

• The API is free and doesn't require authentication
• Templates are community-maintained on GitHub (github/gitignore)
• You can combine unlimited templates in a single request
• Invalid template names are silently ignored