# Is there an API to the .gitignore capability? 2 messages from 2013-06-02 to 2013-06-03. Participants: Peng Yu, Duy Nguyen. Thread: https://gitlist.dev/t/34011 ## Peng Yu, 2013-06-02 14:40 Subject: Is there an API to the .gitignore capability? Message-ID: URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/CABrM6wnJYSGGsj%3DZxHOFRMmDCSgsU0dFwxus%3Dh1PtVazgpg3ug%40mail.gmail.com ``` Hi, .gitignore is a flexible way to customize what dir/file to search or not to search. So it is of general use and is more flexible than what is offered by "find". I'm wondering if there is an API than I can use besides using it within git. Thanks. -- Regards, Peng ``` ## Duy Nguyen, 2013-06-03 23:04 Subject: Re: Is there an API to the .gitignore capability? Message-ID: URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/CACsJy8DzcZ6PxBkGyYDobTZmY6sKF0ANhXnkz9xnULPG5USiNg%40mail.gmail.com In-Reply-To: ``` On Sun, Jun 2, 2013 at 9:40 PM, Peng Yu wrote: > Hi, > > .gitignore is a flexible way to customize what dir/file to search or > not to search. So it is of general use and is more flexible than what > is offered by "find". I'm wondering if there is an API than I can use > besides using it within git. Thanks. Git provides no C API, if that's what you mean. You can link with libgit.a, but there's no guarantee it won't break someday. At a higher "API" level such as shell scripting, still "no", but I think you could modify "git ls-files" to support running 'ls-files -i' without a git repository (like git-grep --no-index). I think it'll work, mostly, but not entirely sure. -- Duy ```