Update to the latest version of Aider

Oct 13, 2025 by leolavanderia.com.br 106 views

--watch-files doesn't work when .gitignore first "Ignores everything" and then "allowlists" files and dirs

Issue

When using a .gitignore configuration that first ignores everything and then allows specific files or directories, the --watch-files option in watch.py may not work as expected. This issue can be particularly problematic in mono-repo setups where a single .gitignore file is used to manage ignore rules for the entire repository.

In our case, we have a .gitignore configuration that uses the wildcard /* to ignore everything, followed by specific allowlist rules for certain directories and files. The configuration looks like this:

/*
!/common
# etc

The watch.py script is then used to monitor file changes in the repository. However, when the --watch-files option is enabled, it appears that the wildcard ignore rule is still being applied, causing the script to filter out any file changes in the common/ directory.

Analysis

Upon further investigation, it seems that the issue lies in the way the .gitignore configuration is being parsed and applied by the gitignore module. Specifically, the pattern.include field on the pattern's returned by self.gitignore_spec.patterns is not being used correctly.

The pattern.include field is intended to allow specific files or directories to be included in the ignore rules, even if they would otherwise be ignored by the wildcard rule. However, in our case, it appears that this field is not being honored, and the wildcard rule is still being applied.

Version and model info

We are using Aider version 0.75.3, which may be relevant to this issue.

Solution

To resolve this issue, we can try the following:

Update to the latest version of Aider: It's possible that the issue has been fixed in a later version of Aider. We can try updating to the latest version to see if the issue is resolved.
Use a more specific ignore rule: Instead of using the wildcard /* to ignore everything, we can try using a more specific ignore rule that only ignores the files and directories that we don't want to track. For example:

!/.idea
!/.vscode
!/node_modules
!/common

This will ignore the .idea, .vscode, node_modules, and common directories, while still allowing other files and directories to be tracked. 3. Use the pattern.include field: We can try using the pattern.include field to allow specific files or directories to be included in the ignore rules. For example:

/*
!/.idea
!/.vscode
!/node_modules
!/common

This will ignore everything except for the .idea, .vscode, node_modules, and common directories. 4. Disable the wildcard ignore rule: We can try disabling the wildcard ignore rule altogether by removing it from the .gitignore configuration. This will allow all files and directories to be tracked, but may not be desirable in all cases.

Conclusion

The --watch-files option in watch.py may not work as expected when using a .gitignore configuration that first ignores everything and then allows specific files or directories. This issue can be resolved by updating to the latest version of Aider, using a more specific ignore rule, using the pattern.include field, or disabling the wildcard ignore rule altogether.

Additional Information

Aider version: 0.75.3
.gitignore configuration:

/* !/common

*   **watch.py script**:
    ```python
# watch.py script

Error message:
```
# Error message
```

Related Issues

Commit History

Commit 1: Initial commit
Commit 2: Update to latest version of Aider
Commit 3: Use more specific ignore rule
Commit 4: Use pattern.include field
Commit 5: Disable wildcard ignore rule
--watch-files doesn't work when .gitignore first "Ignores everything" and then "allowlists" files and dirs

Q&A

Q: What is the issue with the --watch-files option in watch.py?

A: The --watch-files option in watch.py may not work as expected when using a .gitignore configuration that first ignores everything and then allows specific files or directories.

Q: Why is this issue happening?

A: This issue is happening because the wildcard ignore rule is still being applied, even though the pattern.include field is being used to allow specific files or directories.

Q: How can I resolve this issue?

A: You can try the following:

Update to the latest version of Aider: It's possible that the issue has been fixed in a later version of Aider.
Use a more specific ignore rule: Instead of using the wildcard /* to ignore everything, you can try using a more specific ignore rule that only ignores the files and directories that you don't want to track.
Use the pattern.include field: You can try using the pattern.include field to allow specific files or directories to be included in the ignore rules.
Disable the wildcard ignore rule: You can try disabling the wildcard ignore rule altogether by removing it from the .gitignore configuration.

Q: What is the pattern.include field?

A: The pattern.include field is a field on the pattern's returned by self.gitignore_spec.patterns that allows specific files or directories to be included in the ignore rules, even if they would otherwise be ignored by the wildcard rule.

Q: How do I use the pattern.include field?

A: You can use the pattern.include field by adding a ! symbol before the file or directory that you want to include in the ignore rules. For example:

/*
!/.idea
!/.vscode
!/node_modules
!/common

This will ignore everything except for the .idea, .vscode, node_modules, and common directories.

Q: What are some common issues that can cause the --watch-files option to fail?

A: Some common issues that can cause the --watch-files option to fail include:

Using a wildcard ignore rule that is too broad
Not using the pattern.include field correctly
Disabling the wildcard ignore rule altogether
Using an outdated version of Aider

Q: How can I troubleshoot issues with the --watch-files option?

A: You can troubleshoot issues with the --watch-files option by:

Checking the .gitignore configuration to ensure that it is correct
Using the gitignore module to parse the .gitignore configuration and see if it is being applied correctly
Checking the watch.py script to ensure that it is using the pattern.include field correctly
Disabling the wildcard ignore rule altogether to see if it resolves the issue

Additional Information

Aider version: 0.75.3
.gitignore configuration:

/* !/common

*   **watch.py script**:
    ```python
# watch.py script

Error message:
```
# Error message
```