What is a .VSCODEIGNORE file?
A .VSCODEIGNORE file is a simple text file used by people who make extensions for Microsoft Visual Studio Code, which is a program for writing and editing code. When someone creates an extension, which is like an add-on feature for Visual Studio Code, they might not want to include every single file in the final package that gets shared with others. This is where the .VSCODEIGNORE file comes in handy.
Think of the .VSCODEIGNORE file as a list that tells Visual Studio Code, "Hey, don't include these files when you're putting the extension package together." This list is made up of glob patterns, which are special strings that can match multiple file names. For example, if a developer doesn't want any text files (.txt) to be included, they can add a pattern to the .VSCODEIGNORE file that says so. This helps make the extension package smaller and only includes the necessary files.
To open and edit a .VSCODEIGNORE file, you can use Microsoft Visual Studio Code itself or any basic text editor, like Notepad on Windows or TextEdit on Mac. Some web-based tools and operating systems, like Chrome OS, also have built-in ways to open and edit these files.
Creating and using a .VSCODEIGNORE file is part of making and sharing Visual Studio Code extensions. Developers first build their extension in Visual Studio Code. When they're ready to share their extension with others, they use a special tool to publish it to the Visual Studio Code Extension Marketplace. But before publishing, they can use the .VSCODEIGNORE file to leave out any files that aren't needed, making the extension lighter and easier to download and use by others.
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