Git: inverse ignoring (.gitignore)

Question

I created a repository for my home folder. This is my .gitignore file:

!.vim/plugin/* !.vim/doc/* .* * .viminfo .vim/.netrwhist .vim-fuf-data/file/stats bin/dwm/dwm 

So when I create a new file inside .vim/plugin I expected that after git status this file was shown, but no..why?

EDIT: after a pair of answers I changed the position of inverse ignoring lines this way below, but the problems is the same: the new files I create inside the .vim/plugin folder are not shown after git status..

.* * .viminfo .vim/.netrwhist .vim-fuf-data/file/stats bin/dwm/dwm !.vim/plugin/* !.vim/doc/* 

Answer 1

In line 4 you're ignoring everything with *. This overrides the previous negating pattern. From the man page:

within one level of precedence, the last matching pattern decides the outcome

Where "level of precedence" means different sources for ignore patterns like .gitignore and $GIT_DIR/info/exclude.

If you want to ignore everything but the patterns beginning with ! you should move the * to the beginning of .gitignore

---

Edit

I found a solution with the help of another question on SO:

* !*/ !.vim/plugin/* 

Answer 2

Try moving the negated lines (those starting with !) to the bottom of the .gitignore file.

See the Examples section here