Add .roogitinclude to override gitignore for code indexing and mentions

[taltas]

Related GitHub Issue

Closes: 8124

Description

This PR introduces the .roogitinclude feature to allow selective inclusion of gitignored files in code indexing and @filename mentions, addressing the need to provide AI context for generated code, build outputs, and nested repositories while maintaining Git cleanliness.

Implementation approach:

• Created a new .roogitinclude file format (gitignore-style glob patterns) that explicitly lists paths to include even if gitignored
• Added three VSCode settings: codeIndex.respectGitignore (default: true), codeIndex.includePatterns (default: []), and mentions.respectGitignore (default: false)
• Implemented a strict priority order: .rooignore (always excluded) > include patterns > .gitignore > default (include)
• Extended both code indexing pipeline (scanner.ts, file-watcher.ts) and file search (file-search.ts) to support include patterns
• Maintained full backward compatibility by keeping current defaults unchanged

Key design decisions:

• Named .roogitinclude (not .rooinclude) to clearly indicate it overrides gitignore, not rooignore, preventing user confusion about security boundaries
• Made mentions gitignore support opt-in (default: false) to avoid breaking existing workflows where users expect to see all files
• Combined both .roogitinclude file patterns and VSCode settings patterns, allowing team-level (committed) and user-level (local) configuration

Reviewers should focus on:

• The priority order logic in scanner.ts:106-111 and file-watcher.ts:524-548 - ensure .rooignore can never be overridden
• The ripgrep integration in file-search.ts:114-194 - verify include patterns correctly override gitignored files
• Test coverage for edge cases (empty patterns, missing files, conflicting rules)

Test Procedure

Automated Tests:

cd src
npx vitest run services/glob/__tests__/roogitinclude.spec.ts
npx vitest run services/search/__tests__/file-search.spec.ts
npx vitest run services/code-index/__tests__/manager.spec.ts

All 33+ tests should pass, covering:

• .roogitinclude file parsing (comments, empty lines, whitespace)
• Include pattern matching (wildcards, nested paths)
• Priority order enforcement
• Mentions gitignore integration
• Backward compatibility
• Manual Testing

1. Test .roogitinclude file:

Create test workspace with gitignored files

mkdir test-workspace && cd test-workspace
git init
echo "generated/" > .gitignore
mkdir -p generated/api
echo "export const API = 'test'" > generated/api/client.ts

Create .roogitinclude

echo "generated/api/**" > .roogitinclude

2. Verify code indexing:

• Open test-workspace in VSCode
• Enable code indexing (Roo: Start Code Indexing)
• Verify generated/api/client.ts is indexed despite being gitignored

3. Test mentions:

• Set "roo-cline.mentions.respectGitignore": true in VSCode settings
• Type @ in Roo chat
• Verify generated/api/client.ts appears in file suggestions

4. Test settings override:

{
  "roo-cline.codeIndex.respectGitignore": false
}

Verify ALL files (except .rooignore patterns) are now indexed

5. Test priority order:

• Add generated/ to .rooignore
• Verify files are NOT indexed even with .roogitinclude patterns (.rooignore wins)
• Environment: Tested on macOS Sequoia with Node.js v18+, but should work on all platforms.

Pre-Submission Checklist

• Issue Linked: This PR is linked to an approved GitHub Issue (see "Related GitHub Issue" above).
• Scope: My changes are focused on the linked issue (one major feature/fix per PR).
• Self-Review: I have performed a thorough self-review of my code.
• Testing: New and/or updated tests have been added to cover my changes (if applicable).
• Documentation Impact: I have considered if my changes require documentation updates (see "Documentation Updates" section below).
• Contribution Guidelines: I have read and agree to the Contributor Guidelines.

Screenshots / Videos

Documentation Updates

Additional Notes

Get in Touch

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Important

Adds .roogitinclude support for selective inclusion of gitignored files in code indexing and mentions, with new settings and priority handling.

• Behavior:
  • Introduces .roogitinclude file to include gitignored files for code indexing and mentions.
  • Adds VSCode settings: codeIndex.respectGitignore, codeIndex.includePatterns, mentions.respectGitignore.
  • Implements priority: .rooignore > .roogitinclude > .gitignore > default.
• Code Changes:
  • Updates file-watcher.ts, scanner.ts, file-search.ts to support .roogitinclude.
  • Modifies CodeIndexManager and CodeIndexConfigManager to handle new settings.
  • Adds loadRoogitincludePatterns() and matchesIncludePatterns() in list-files.ts.
• Testing:
  • Adds tests in roogitinclude.spec.ts and file-search.spec.ts for new functionality.
  • Ensures backward compatibility and correct priority handling in tests.

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[roomote]

Rooviewer   See task on Roo Cloud

Review complete. All issues have been addressed.

• Ineffective include pattern filter in file-search.ts - the filter always returned true, making it a no-op. Fixed: The implementation now makes a second ripgrep call with --no-ignore to fetch gitignored files matching include patterns, then merges the results.

Previous reviews

• 8b6b2cb: Review #1

_{Mention @roomote in a comment to request specific changes to this pull request or fix all unresolved issues.}

[roomote]

Rooviewer   See task on Roo Cloud

Review complete. Found one minor issue:

• Ineffective include pattern filter in file-search.ts - the filter always returned true, making it a no-op. Fixed: The implementation now makes a second ripgrep call with --no-ignore to fetch gitignored files matching include patterns, then merges the results.
• Unused import of matchesIncludePatterns in file-search.ts - the import was left behind after the filter logic was removed in the fix. Should be cleaned up.

_{Mention @roomote in a comment to request specific changes to this pull request or fix all unresolved issues.}

[roomote]

The matchesIncludePatterns import is no longer used after the second commit replaced the filter logic with the second ripgrep call. This unused import should be removed.

Suggested change

	import { Package } from "../../shared/package"
	import { matchesIncludePatterns } from "../glob/list-files"
	import { Package } from "../../shared/package"

_{Fix it with Roo Code or mention @roomote and request a fix.}