Handling Untracked files Gracefully in Git : ChatGPT Output

Untracked files in Git are files that are not part of version control—they exist in your working directory but are not staged or committed. To delete untracked files, you can use Git commands to clean your repository. Proceed with caution, as this will permanently delete these files from your working directory.

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Steps to Delete Untracked Files:

1. Check Untracked Files

Before deleting, check which files are untracked:

git status

Untracked files will appear under the section "Untracked files:".

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2. Preview What Will Be Deleted

Use the git clean command with the -n flag to preview which files will be removed:

git clean -n

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3. Delete Untracked Files

To delete the untracked files, use the -f flag (force):

git clean -f

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4. Delete Untracked Directories

If you also want to remove untracked directories, add the -d flag:

git clean -fd

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5. Exclude Specific Files or Directories

To exclude certain files or directories from being cleaned, add them to a .gitignore file. Files listed in .gitignore will be preserved.

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6. Dry Run for Extra Caution

For an additional safety step, use both -n (dry run) and -d to preview:

git clean -nd

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Example Use Case

• You have a project folder with temporary files and build artifacts that you don’t want to commit. Running git clean -fd will remove these files and directories, keeping your repository clean.

By following these steps, you can safely remove unwanted untracked files and maintain a tidy Git repository.