Clean Untracked Files Safely

Clean Untracked Files Safely

Git clean helps you remove untracked files from your working directory. This guide will show you how to safely clean your repository while avoiding accidental deletions.

What You’ll Learn

• Basic cleaning
• Safe cleaning
• Dry runs
• Best practices
• Common scenarios

Implementation Steps

1. Preview Clean

   # Show what would be deleted
   git clean -n
   
   # Show directories too
   git clean -n -d
   
   # Show ignored files
   git clean -n -x
   

   • Check files
   • Review changes
   • Verify safety
   • Plan cleanup

2. Basic Cleaning

   # Remove untracked files
   git clean -f
   
   # Remove directories
   git clean -fd
   
   # Remove ignored files
   git clean -fx
   

   • Clean files
   • Remove directories
   • Handle ignored
   • Verify results

3. Interactive Clean

   # Interactive mode
   git clean -i
   
   # Interactive with directories
   git clean -id
   

   • Select files
   • Choose directories
   • Review changes
   • Confirm deletions

4. Selective Clean

   # Clean specific paths
   git clean -f path/to/dir
   
   # Clean with patterns
   git clean -f "*.log"
   

   • Target specific files
   • Use patterns
   • Control scope
   • Verify targets

Best Practices

1. Before Cleaning

   • Review changes
   • Check status
   • Backup if needed
   • Plan cleanup

2. During Clean

   • Use dry runs
   • Check patterns
   • Verify targets
   • Monitor progress

3. After Clean

   • Verify results
   • Check status
   • Update .gitignore
   • Document changes

4. Safety Measures

   • Use -n first
   • Check patterns
   • Verify paths
   • Keep backups

Common Use Cases

1. Remove Build Files

   # Clean build artifacts
   git clean -f -d build/
   git clean -f -d dist/
   

2. Clean Dependencies

   # Remove node_modules
   git clean -f -d node_modules/
   

3. Remove Logs

   # Clean log files
   git clean -f "*.log"
   

4. Clean Temporary Files

   # Remove temp files
   git clean -f "*.tmp"
   git clean -f "*.temp"
   

Advanced Usage

1. Pattern Matching

   # Clean with patterns
   git clean -f "*.{log,tmp,temp}"
   

2. Interactive Mode

   # Interactive clean
   git clean -i
   # 1: clean
   # 2: filter by pattern
   # 3: select by numbers
   # 4: ask each
   # 5: quit
   

3. Combined Options

   # Clean with multiple options
   git clean -fdx
   

4. Custom Patterns

   # Clean specific patterns
   git clean -f "*.{log,tmp,temp,swp}"
   

Common Issues and Solutions

1. Accidental Deletion

   # Recover from backup
   # Always use -n first
   git clean -n
   

2. Pattern Issues

   # Test patterns
   git clean -n "*.log"
   

3. Permission Problems

   # Check permissions
   ls -la
   # Fix if needed
   chmod -R u+w .
   

Conclusion

Safe cleaning is essential. Remember to:

• Use dry runs
• Check patterns
• Verify targets
• Keep backups
• Follow best practices

Next Steps

After mastering cleaning, consider:

• Learning about .gitignore
• Exploring Git hooks
• Understanding Git internals
• Setting up automated cleanup