Escape special characters when git-ignoring files

stefanhaller · jesseduffield · commit b0ab6529c15e · 2025-04-13T18:25:24.000+10:00
diff --git a/pkg/commands/git_commands/working_tree.go b/pkg/commands/git_commands/working_tree.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"regexp"
 
 	"github.com/go-errors/errors"
 	"github.com/jesseduffield/lazygit/pkg/commands/models"
@@ -230,15 +231,21 @@ func (self *WorkingTreeCommands) DiscardUnstagedFileChanges(file *models.File) e
 	return self.cmd.New(cmdArgs).Run()
 }
 
+// Escapes special characters in a filename for gitignore and exclude files
+func escapeFilename(filename string) string {
+	re := regexp.MustCompile(`^[!#]|[\[\]*]`)
+	return re.ReplaceAllString(filename, `\${0}`)
+}
+
 // Ignore adds a file to the gitignore for the repo
 func (self *WorkingTreeCommands) Ignore(filename string) error {
-	return self.os.AppendLineToFile(".gitignore", filename)
+	return self.os.AppendLineToFile(".gitignore", escapeFilename(filename))
 }
 
 // Exclude adds a file to the .git/info/exclude for the repo
 func (self *WorkingTreeCommands) Exclude(filename string) error {
 	excludeFile := filepath.Join(self.repoPaths.repoGitDirPath, "info", "exclude")
-	return self.os.AppendLineToFile(excludeFile, filename)
+	return self.os.AppendLineToFile(excludeFile, escapeFilename(filename))
 }
 
 // WorktreeFileDiff returns the diff of a file
diff --git a/pkg/integration/tests/file/gitignore_special_characters.go b/pkg/integration/tests/file/gitignore_special_characters.go
@@ -55,33 +55,12 @@ var GitignoreSpecialCharacters = NewIntegrationTest(NewIntegrationTestArgs{
 		excludeFile("file[x]")
 
 		t.Views().Files().
-			/* EXPECTED:
 			Lines(
 				Equals("▼ /"),
 				Equals("  ?? .gitignore"),
 				Equals("  ?? abc_def"),
 			)
-			ACTUAL:
-			  As you can see, it did ignore the 'file!abc' and 'file#abc' files
-			  correctly. Those don't need to be quoted because # and ! are only
-			  special at the beginning.
 
-			  Most of the other files are not ignored properly because their
-			  special characters need to be escaped. For * it's the other way
-			  round: while it does hide 'abc*def', it also hides 'abc_def',
-			  which we don't want.
-			*/
-			Lines(
-				Equals("▼ /"),
-				Equals("  ?? !file"),
-				Equals("  ?? #file"),
-				Equals("  ?? .gitignore"),
-				Equals("  ?? file[x]"),
-			)
-
-		/* EXPECTED:
 		t.FileSystem().FileContent(".gitignore", Equals("\\#file\nfile#abc\n\\!file\nfile!abc\nabc\\*def\nfile\\[x\\]\n"))
-		ACTUAL: */
-		t.FileSystem().FileContent(".gitignore", Equals("#file\nfile#abc\n!file\nfile!abc\nabc*def\nfile[x]\n"))
 	},
 })
