TFS/Azure Devops ignoring my project folder and contents projects are named *.lib

Question

I have a solution with an API and an injectable service in 2 separate projects.

Solution

----> solution files

|--> project.api

----> project.api files

|--> project.Lib

----> project.Lib files

When I go to add the solution to my TFS Source repo, it adds the "project.api" project and a solution file that configures an extension but ignores the .lib project and all sub items/folders.

If I go an add any of the sub-items it gives me a message that this file(s) has been ignored, do I want to add it anyway.

I am assuming the project is being ignored due to the *.LIB extension????

Is this a reserved extension of some sort and if so, is there a way to change this?

Answer 1

This is an expected behavior. When you add a solution to TFS through the Visual Studio 201x "Add solution to source control" menu option certain (build output) files and folders are automatically ignored.

You could find already pre-defined list what files will be excluded by TFS if there is no custom .tfignore specified/present on the system.

You could refer to the "LocalItemExclusions.config" file under the path "C:\Users\youraccount\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Team Foundation\x.0\Configuration\VersionControl folder " and open. (There may be several folders named like 6.0, 7.0, you need to make sure open the folder that match your TFS version.)

You could see server folder and files types include .lib are ignored by default and they are defined in that file:

      <Exclusion>bin</Exclusion>
      <Exclusion>obj</Exclusion>
      <Exclusion>*.exe</Exclusion>
      ......
      <Exclusion>*.lib</Exclusion>