Dropbox Ignore Node Package

Dropbox Ignore is a command-line utility that allows you to easily set Dropbox to ignore specific files or directories, similar to how .gitignore works for Git.

Installation

To use this package, make sure you have Node.js installed on your machine. Then, follow these steps:

1. Open your terminal or command prompt.
2. Navigate to your project directory.
3. Run the following command to install the package:

npm install dropbox-ignore-cli

Usage

Command-Line Interface (CLI)

You can use the package via the command-line interface (CLI) by running the dropbox-ignore-cli command.

Ignore Files or Directories

To add files or directories to the Dropbox ignore list, run the following command:

dropbox-ignore-cli

This will create a .dropboxignore file in the current directory and automatically add the node_modules directory if it exists. Any additional files or directories can be specified in the .dropboxignore file.

Remove Files or Directories from Ignore List

To remove a file or directory from the Dropbox ignore list, run the following command:

dropbox-ignore-cli -u <file_or_directory_path>

Replace <file_or_directory_path> with the path to the file or directory you want to remove from the ignore list.

Clear Ignore List

To clear the entire Dropbox ignore list, removing all files and directories, run the following command. Note that this will not modify your .dropboxignore file, so if you re-run dropbox-ignore-cli, you can undo this command.

dropbox-ignore-cli clear

Important Note for PowerShell Users

If you're using PowerShell, you might encounter an error about running scripts being disabled on your system. This is due to PowerShell's execution policy.

To enable scripts, you can run the following command in PowerShell as an administrator:

Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser

Please note that changing the execution policy can potentially expose you to security risks. Only proceed if you understand the implications.

Alternatively, you can use a different command prompt, like Git Bash or the standard Windows Command Prompt, which do not enforce such policies.

JavaScript API

You can also use the package programmatically in your Node.js applications.

Importing the Package

To import the package into your JavaScript file, use the following code:

const dropboxIgnore = require('dropbox-ignore-cli');

Adding Files or Directories to Ignore List

To add files or directories to the Dropbox ignore list, use the following code:

dropboxIgnore.createDropboxIgnoreFile(directory);

Replace directory with the path to the directory where you want to create the .dropboxignore file. This will create the file and automatically add the node_modules directory if it exists. You can modify the .dropboxignore file to add more files or directories.

Removing Files or Directories from Ignore List

To remove a file or directory from the Dropbox ignore list, use the following code:

dropboxIgnore.unignoreFile(directory, file);

Replace directory with the path to the directory containing the .dropboxignore file, and replace file with the path to the file or directory you want to remove from the ignore list.

Clearing Ignore List

To clear the entire Dropbox ignore list, removing all files and directories, use the following code:

dropboxIgnore.createDropboxIgnoreFile(directory, true);

Replace directory with the path to the directory containing the .dropboxignore file.

Notes

• This package uses PowerShell commands (Set-Content and Clear-Content) to interact with the Dropbox ignore settings on Windows. Make sure you have PowerShell installed on your machine.
• The package assumes that the current working directory is the root directory of your project. Make sure to run the commands from the appropriate directory.
• Make sure you can get your files from other sources(similar to how node install does). Adding a file to .dropboxignore list will make it disappear on every other machine connected to your Dropbox account, as if it was deleted.
• In order to use this command in PowerShell, you need to change it's execution policy using Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser.
• This has been built using the help of chatGPT4.

License

This package is released under the MIT License.