Mercurial .hgignore for Visual Studio 2008 projects

Question

Here's my standard .hgignore file for use with VS2008 that was originally modified from a Git ignore file:

# Ignore file for Visual Studio 2008

# use glob syntax
syntax: glob

# Ignore Visual Studio 2008 files
*.obj
*.exe
*.pdb
*.user
*.aps
*.pch
*.vspscc
*_i.c
*_p.c
*.ncb
*.suo
*.tlb
*.tlh
*.bak
*.cache
*.ilk
*.log
*.lib
*.sbr
*.scc
[Bb]in
[Dd]ebug*/
obj/
[Rr]elease*/
_ReSharper*/
[Tt]est[Rr]esult*
[Bb]uild[Ll]og.*
*.[Pp]ublish.xml

This is specific to a C# project, but I ignore these files/directories:

• *.csproj.user
• /obj/*
• /bin/*
• *.ncb
• *.suo

I have no problems running the code in the depot on other machines after I ignore all of these files. The easiest way to find out what you need to keep is to make a copy of the folder and start deleting things you think aren't necessary. Keep trying to build, and as long as you can build successfully keep on deleting. If you delete too much, copy it from the source folder.

In the end you'll have a nice directory full of the only files that have to be committed.

I feel left out of the conversation. Here's my .hgignore file. It covers C#, C++ and Visual Studio development in general, including COM stuff (type libraries), some final builder files, CodeRush, ReSharper, and Visual Studio project upgrades. It also has some ignores for modern (c.2015) web development.

syntax: glob

* - [Cc]opy
* - [Cc]opy/
* - [Cc]opy (?)/
* - [Cc]opy.*
* - [Cc]opy (?).*
**/.*
**/scss/*.css
*.*scc
*.FileListAbsolute.txt
*.aps
*.bak
*.bin
*.[Cc]ache
*.clw
*.css.map
*.eto
*.exe
*.fb6lck
*.fbl6
*.fbpInf
*.ilk
*.lib
*.log
*.ncb
*.nlb
*.nupkg
*.obj
*.old
*.orig
*.patch
*.pch
*.pdb
*.plg
*.[Pp]ublish.xml
*.rdl.data
*.sbr
*.scc
*.sig
*.sqlsuo
*.suo
*.svclog
*.tlb
*.tlh
*.tli
*.tmp
*.user
*.vshost.*
*.docstates
*DXCore.Solution
*_i.c
*_p.c
__MVC_BACKUP/
_[Rr]e[Ss]harper.*/
_UpgradeReport_Files/
Ankh.Load
Backup*
[Bb]in/
bower_components/
[Bb]uild/
CVS/
[Dd]ebug/
[Ee]xternal/
hgignore[.-]*
ignore[.-]*
lint.db
node_modules/
[Oo]bj/
[Pp]ackages/
PrecompiledWeb/
[Pp]ublished/
[Rr]elease/
svnignore[.-]*
[Tt]humbs.db
UpgradeLog*.*

Here is the content of my .hgignore for C# Visual Studio projects:

syntax: glob
*.user
*.ncb
*.nlb
*.suo
*.aps
*.clw
*.pdb
*\Debug\*
*\Release\*

A few notes:

1. If you have custom "releases" besides "Debug" and "Release", you may need to add them.
2. Be careful when you manually edit your .hgignore. If you make a syntax error, then hgtortoise will no longer open the commit dialog.

My Mercurial .hgignore file contents:

syntax: glob
#-- Files
*.bak.*
*.bak
thumbs.db

#-- Directories
App_Data/*
bin/
obj/
_ReSharper.*/
tmp/

#-- Microsoft Visual Studio specific
*.user
*.suo

#-- MonoDevelop specific
*.pidb
*.userprefs
*.usertasks

Keep in mind that I mainly work on WinForms, ASP.NET MVC and Mobile projects using Microsoft Visual Studio and occasionally MonoDevelop. Depending on your toolset and project types, you will probably encounter other files that should be ignored.

I try to keep the latest version on CodePaste.NET at http://codepaste.net/zxov7i

some others I use:

output
PrecompiledWeb
_UpgradeReport_Files

#Guidance Automation Toolkit
*.gpState
#patches
*.patch

Here are a couple pesky ones: Matlab and Excel/Office autosaves.

# use glob syntax
syntax: glob

# Matlab ignore files
*.asv

# Microsoft Office
~$*

If I accidentally add them and then close the real file that was open, Excel and/or Matlab will delete the auto-save and then Mercurial will be stuck wondering where they went. I'm sure there are other programs that do similar things.