diff-ignore
Configure ignore patterns for file-tree-diff using .ftdignore files or CLI flags. Use when setting up ignore rules for directory comparisons, excluding build artifacts, or creating project-specific ignore configurations. Triggers include "ignore node_modules in diff", ".ftdignore", "exclude files from diff", "diff ignore patterns".
Best use case
diff-ignore is best used when you need a repeatable AI agent workflow instead of a one-off prompt.
Configure ignore patterns for file-tree-diff using .ftdignore files or CLI flags. Use when setting up ignore rules for directory comparisons, excluding build artifacts, or creating project-specific ignore configurations. Triggers include "ignore node_modules in diff", ".ftdignore", "exclude files from diff", "diff ignore patterns".
Teams using diff-ignore should expect a more consistent output, faster repeated execution, less prompt rewriting.
When to use this skill
- You want a reusable workflow that can be run more than once with consistent structure.
When not to use this skill
- You only need a quick one-off answer and do not need a reusable workflow.
- You cannot install or maintain the underlying files, dependencies, or repository context.
Installation
Claude Code / Cursor / Codex
Manual Installation
- Download SKILL.md from GitHub
- Place it in
.claude/skills/diff-ignore/SKILL.mdinside your project - Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill
How diff-ignore Compares
| Feature / Agent | diff-ignore | Standard Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Platform Support | Not specified | Limited / Varies |
| Context Awareness | High | Baseline |
| Installation Complexity | Unknown | N/A |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this skill do?
Configure ignore patterns for file-tree-diff using .ftdignore files or CLI flags. Use when setting up ignore rules for directory comparisons, excluding build artifacts, or creating project-specific ignore configurations. Triggers include "ignore node_modules in diff", ".ftdignore", "exclude files from diff", "diff ignore patterns".
Where can I find the source code?
You can find the source code on GitHub using the link provided at the top of the page.
SKILL.md Source
# diff-ignore Configure which files and directories to exclude from file-tree-diff comparisons. ## Methods ### 1. CLI flags (one-time) ```bash ftd --ignore "*.log" left/ right/ ftd --ignore "tmp/" --ignore "coverage/" left/ right/ ftd --ignore-common left/ right/ # built-in list ``` ### 2. .ftdignore file (project-specific) Create `.ftdignore` in either (or both) compared directories: ``` # gitignore syntax node_modules/ dist/ *.min.js *.log .cache/ # Negation: always include this !dist/MANIFEST.json ``` Auto-loaded when present. Both directories' .ftdignore files are merged. ### 3. Global ignore file (always applied) ``` ~/.config/file-tree-diff/ignore ``` Same syntax as .ftdignore. Applied to all comparisons. ## Built-in Common List (--ignore-common) ``` node_modules/ .git/ dist/ build/ .DS_Store *.pyc *.o __pycache__/ .pnpm-store/ .cache/ coverage/ .nyc_output/ *.min.js *.min.css ``` ## Pattern Syntax | Pattern | Matches | |---|---| | `*.log` | All .log files in any directory | | `tmp/` | Directory named tmp anywhere | | `src/*.test.ts` | Test files directly in src/ | | `**/generated/**` | Any path containing "generated" | | `!important.log` | Negation: include this file even if *.log matches | ## Viewing Active Patterns ```bash ftd --show-ignored left/ right/ ``` Shows which patterns are active and how many files were excluded.
Related Skills
migration-diff skill
## When to use
api-diff
Compare two OpenAPI spec files and produce a structured diff report. Use when you need to know what changed between two versions of an API spec, detect breaking changes before releasing a new API version, or check a PR's API spec changes in CI. Triggers include "diff API specs", "compare OpenAPI", "what changed in the API", "check API changes", "API spec diff", "compare swagger files", or any task involving comparing two versions of an OpenAPI or REST API specification.
json-differ
Compare two JSON blobs and view structural and value differences. Use when you need to compare API responses, config files, database records, or any two JSON objects. Triggers include "compare JSON", "JSON diff", "what changed", "JSON differences", "diff two objects", or any task involving comparing JSON data.
deep-diff
Compute structural differences between two JSON-compatible JavaScript values. Use this skill when you need to programmatically diff objects, check if two data structures are equivalent, or find what paths changed. Triggers include "diff two objects in code", "find changed keys", "compute JSON diff", "deep equality check with diff output".
file-tree-diff
Compare two directory trees and show added, removed, and changed files with color output. Use when you need to compare two versions of a directory, find what changed between releases, audit differences between staging and production file sets, or verify a deployment. Triggers include "compare directories", "directory diff", "what changed in", "file differences between", "ftd", "tree diff".
Skill: Uptime Monitoring
## Overview
Skill: Status Page
## Overview
Skill: unit-conversion
## Overview
Skill: recipe-scaler
## Overview
reading-list
Operate the reading-list API to save, manage, tag, search, and export articles.
email-digest
Configure, test, and troubleshoot the reading-list daily email digest delivered via nodemailer.
websocket-realtime
Use the WebSocket connection in poll-builder to receive live vote updates. Use when you need to stream real-time poll results, monitor a poll for new votes, or build a live dashboard. Triggers include "live results", "real-time updates", "stream votes", "watch poll", or "WebSocket".