# gitignore logic for stignore v2

**URL:** https://forum.syncthing.net/t/gitignore-logic-for-stignore-v2/14064
**Category:** Feature
**Created:** [November 12, 2019, 5:09pm UTC](https://forum.syncthing.net/t/gitignore-logic-for-stignore-v2/14064 "2019-11-12T17:09:53Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![TechupBusiness](https://forum.syncthing.net/user_avatar/forum.syncthing.net/techupbusiness/32/10832_2.png) [@TechupBusiness](https://forum.syncthing.net/u/TechupBusiness)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2019, 5:09pm UTC](https://forum.syncthing.net/t/gitignore-logic-for-stignore-v2/14064/1 "2019-11-12T17:09:53Z")

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Hi there,

I just more or less finished my contribution by implementation the reflection of stignore patterns for nautilus file manager ([https://github.com/syncthing/syncthing-gtk/pull/538](https://github.com/syncthing/syncthing-gtk/pull/538)), and realized that the logic of stignore files is very confusing.

As a developer I’m used to a hierarchical structure, and I do like the gitignore logic. The last applicable pattern wins.

In stignore, it seems to be mixed or reversed.

If I have a structure:

```
- Client Specific Documents
   - Client1
      - Data
      - Projects
   - Client2
   - Client3

```

My goal is to sync only the `Client1` Folder but not the `Data` folder within this folder. The correct stignore content is(?):

```
/Client Specific Documents/Client1/Data
!/Client Specific Documents/Client1
/Client Specific Documents

```

Means: I need to write the deepest level ignore first, then the exclude of ignore on a parent level and then the ignore for all files on the highest level. If I reverse the order oder write the ignore of `Data` after the exclude pattern (`!`), it would sync the data against my intention. And if I write the `/Client Specific Documents` as first line, it would sync also Client2 + 3. This makes pattern way more difficult to understand as they need to be.

A gitignore pattern would be very simple and logically easier:

```
/Client Specific Documents -> first exclude main folder and all sub-items
!/Client Specific Documents/Client1 -> Include Client1
/Client Specific Documents/Client1/Data -> Exclude the data of Client1

```

stignore seems to reverse the logic and requires to go from the most deep tree level to the top. Instead from top to a deeper level. Anyone else the same opinion that “overview first” and then “deeper level” is normally the right approach :)? Was this maybe already discussed in the past?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![TechupBusiness](https://forum.syncthing.net/user_avatar/forum.syncthing.net/techupbusiness/32/10832_2.png) [@TechupBusiness](https://forum.syncthing.net/u/TechupBusiness)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2019, 11:22am UTC](https://forum.syncthing.net/t/gitignore-logic-for-stignore-v2/14064/3 "2019-11-13T11:22:47Z")

</div>

Thanks for the hint! The discussion goes far beyond a more intuitive ignore logic (eg choosing which ignores should apply that can be synced, thats a very complex approach).