Core Features

Default Excludes Guide

Understanding m1f's automatic exclusions for minimal configurations

configuration excludes optimization

This guide explains the files and directories that m1f excludes by default, helping you write minimal and efficient .m1f.config.yml configurations.

🚨 CRITICAL: Correct Bundle Format

ALWAYS use the sources: array format, NOT source_directory:!

# ✅ CORRECT FORMAT:
bundles:
  - name: my-bundle
    sources:
      - "./src"
    output_file: "m1f/my-bundle.txt"
    separator_style: Standard  # Or omit - Standard is default

# ❌ WRONG FORMAT (will cause errors):
bundles:
  my-bundle:
    source_directory: "./src"  # This format causes "ERROR: At least one of -s/--source-directory..."
    output_file: "m1f/my-bundle.txt"
    separator_style: Detailed  # Don't use for AI bundles!

ALWAYS test with m1f-update immediately after creating/editing .m1f.config.yml!

Understanding Default Excludes

IMPORTANT: m1f automatically excludes many common directories and files. You DON’T need to repeat these in your configuration - only add project-specific exclusions!

Default Excluded Directories

The following directories are ALWAYS excluded unless you explicitly use --no-default-excludes:

# These are excluded automatically - no need to add them to your config!
- vendor/           # Composer dependencies (PHP)
- node_modules/     # NPM dependencies (JavaScript)
- build/            # Common build output directory
- dist/             # Distribution/compiled files
- cache/            # Cache directories
- .git/             # Git repository data
- .svn/             # Subversion data
- .hg/              # Mercurial data
- __pycache__/      # Python bytecode cache
- .pytest_cache/    # Pytest cache
- .mypy_cache/      # MyPy type checker cache
- .tox/             # Tox testing cache
- .coverage/        # Coverage.py data
- .eggs/            # Python eggs
- htmlcov/          # HTML coverage reports
- .idea/            # IntelliJ IDEA settings
- .vscode/          # Visual Studio Code settings

Default Excluded Files

These specific files are also excluded automatically:

# These files are excluded by default:
- LICENSE           # License files (usually not needed in bundles)
- package-lock.json # NPM lock file
- composer.lock     # Composer lock file
- poetry.lock       # Poetry lock file
- Pipfile.lock      # Pipenv lock file
- yarn.lock         # Yarn lock file

Writing Minimal Configurations

❌ BAD - Overly Verbose Configuration

# DON'T DO THIS - repeating default excludes unnecessarily!
global:
  global_excludes:
    - "**/node_modules/**"    # Already excluded by default!
    - "**/vendor/**"          # Already excluded by default!
    - "**/__pycache__/**"     # Already excluded by default!
    - "**/build/**"           # Already excluded by default!
    - "**/dist/**"            # Already excluded by default!
    - "**/.git/**"            # Already excluded by default!
    - "**/cache/**"           # Already excluded by default!
    - "**/.vscode/**"         # Already excluded by default!
    - "**/*.pyc"              # Project-specific - OK
    - "**/logs/**"            # Project-specific - OK

✅ GOOD - Minimal Configuration

# Only add project-specific exclusions!
global:
  global_excludes:
    - "**/*.pyc"         # Python bytecode
    - "**/logs/**"       # Your project's log files
    - "**/tmp/**"        # Your temporary directories
    - "/m1f/**"          # Output directory
    - "**/secrets/**"    # Sensitive data

Common Patterns by Project Type

Python Projects

# Only add what's NOT in default excludes
global:
  global_excludes:
    - "**/*.pyc"         # Bytecode files
    - "**/*.pyo"         # Optimized bytecode
    - "**/*.pyd"         # Python DLL files
    - "**/venv/**"       # Virtual environments
    - "**/.venv/**"      # Alternative venv naming
    - "**/env/**"        # Another venv naming

Node.js Projects

# node_modules is already excluded!
global:
  global_excludes:
    - "**/.next/**"      # Next.js build cache
    - "**/.nuxt/**"      # Nuxt.js build cache
    - "**/coverage/**"   # Test coverage reports
    - "**/*.log"         # Log files

WordPress Projects

# Only WordPress-specific excludes needed
global:
  global_excludes:
    - "**/wp-content/uploads/**"  # User uploads
    - "**/wp-content/cache/**"    # Cache plugins
    - "**/wp-content/backup/**"   # Backup files
    - "wp-admin/**"               # Core files
    - "wp-includes/**"            # Core files

Using .gitignore as Exclude File

Instead of manually listing excludes, use your existing .gitignore:

global:
  global_settings:
    # This automatically uses your .gitignore patterns!
    exclude_paths_file: ".gitignore"

Or use multiple exclude files:

global:
  global_settings:
    exclude_paths_file:
      - ".gitignore"    # Version control ignores
      - ".m1fignore"    # m1f-specific ignores

Checking What’s Excluded

To see all excluded paths (including defaults), use verbose mode:

m1f -s . -o test.txt --verbose

This will show:

  • Default excluded directories
  • Patterns from your config
  • Files matched by your exclude patterns

Disabling Default Excludes

If you need to include normally excluded directories:

# Include everything, even node_modules, .git, etc.
m1f -s . -o complete.txt --no-default-excludes

⚠️ WARNING: This can create HUGE bundles and include sensitive data!

Best Practices

  1. Start Simple: Begin with no excludes and add only as needed
  2. Use .gitignore: Leverage existing ignore patterns
  3. Test First: Run with --verbose to see what’s excluded
  4. Document Why: Add comments explaining non-obvious excludes
global:
  global_excludes:
    # Project-specific build artifacts
    - "**/generated/**"    # Auto-generated code
    - "**/reports/**"      # Test/coverage reports
    
    # Large data files
    - "**/*.sqlite"        # Database files
    - "**/*.csv"           # Data exports
    
    # Sensitive information
    - "**/.env*"           # Environment files
    - "**/secrets/**"      # API keys, certs

Quick Reference

Already Excluded (Don’t Repeat)

  • node_modules/, vendor/, build/, dist/
  • .git/, .svn/, .hg/
  • __pycache__/, .pytest_cache/, .mypy_cache/
  • .idea/, .vscode/
  • Lock files: *.lock, package-lock.json

Commonly Added (Project-Specific)

  • Virtual envs: venv/, .venv/, env/
  • Logs: *.log, logs/
  • Temp files: tmp/, temp/, *.tmp
  • Database: *.sqlite, *.db
  • Environment: .env, .env.*
  • Output: /m1f/ (your bundle directory)

Summary

Keep your .m1f.config.yml files clean and minimal by:

  1. NOT repeating default excludes
  2. Only adding project-specific patterns
  3. Using .gitignore when possible
  4. Documenting non-obvious exclusions

This makes your configurations easier to read, maintain, and share with others!

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Python API Reference