> How did you come up with this "./" syntax? It is a Unix thing: "./" or just "." refers to the current directory.
When calling scripts or programs in the current directory from a Unix command line, it is required to refer to them as, say, "./foo" (not just "foo") -- unless "." is in your PATH. Most people do put "." in their PATH for convenience but it is considered a little unsafe [1]. Personally, I am surprised that gitignore does not understand this notation. To me, OPs meaning was crystal clear: "./foo" should mean to only ignore the foo in the repository's root directory. [1] https://superuser.com/questions/156582/why-is-not-in-the-path-by-default ~ Tim
