---
date: 2021-03-19T09:30
tags:
  - git
---

# check non-trivial gitignore patterns using `git check-ignore`

today i ran into an issue where i tried creating a new `bin/` dir in a `git`
repo, and trying to add the files within to a new commit, but was greeted by:

```bash
$ git add bin/README.md

The following paths are ignored by one of your .gitignore files:
bin
hint: Use -f if you really want to add them.
hint: Turn this message off by running
hint: "git config advice.addIgnoredFile false"
```

confused, i ran a simple `grep` on the project's `.gitignore`:

```bash
$ grep bin .gitignore

```

which yielded nothing. i was pretty sure i didn't have that pattern set in my
global gitignore, either.

a quick internet search turned up a git util that is new to me:

https://git-scm.com/docs/git-check-ignore

using this command, i was able to trace the exact line responsible:

```bash
git check-ignore -v bin

.gitignore:123:[Bb]in   bin
```

ohhhhh, oops. well, that makes sense. neat! this could've been solved with a
more sophisticated `grep` pattern, but who has time for that?