File Merger Tool

A lightweight command-line tool written in Go that helps you collect file contents from a project directory into a single data.txt file. You can interactively choose which files to include, apply ignore rules, and even use flexible selection syntax.

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Features

• Recursive file listing – Lists all files under a project directory.

• Ignore support – Skips files and directories defined in a .ignore file (similar to .gitignore).

• Negation rules – Use !pattern in .ignore to explicitly re-include certain files.

• Selection syntax –

  • 0,3,5 → choose specific files by index
  • * → choose all files
  • * !1,2 → choose all files except indices 1 and 2
  • * !1-3 → choose all files except indices 1 through 3 (range support)

• Output format – Writes selected files into data.txt with clear headers:

  // path/to/file.ext
  file content here...
  
  // another/file.ext
  more content...
  

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Installation

1. Make sure you have Go installed.

2. Clone this repository or copy the source file.

3. Build the binary depending on your platform:

   • Linux/macOS:

     go build -o filemerger main.go

   • Windows:

     go build -o filemerger.exe main.go
     ```

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Usage

After building, the compiled binary (filemerger.exe on Windows, filemerger on Linux/macOS) will be created in the current folder. To run it, you have two options:

1. Run from the same folder – Keep the binary in your project folder and run:

   ./filemerger

   ⚠️ Make sure the binary is present in the same folder where you run the command.

2. Add to PATH – To reuse the tool from anywhere:

   • Move the binary to a directory that is already in your system PATH (e.g., /usr/local/bin on Linux/macOS or a folder listed in the Windows PATH environment variable).

   • Then you can run it directly from any working directory:

     filemerger

The tool will then:

1. List all files (excluding those ignored).
2. Ask you which files to include using the selection syntax.
3. Write the chosen files into data.txt in the current working directory.

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The .ignore File

Place a .ignore file in the root of your project directory to control which files and directories should be skipped.

Examples:

# Ignore all log files
*.log

# Ignore a directory
build/

# Ignore all .exe files
*.exe

# Re-include one specific file
!important.log
!build/config.yaml

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Examples

Select all files

*

Select specific files

0,2,5

Select all except some

* !1,3

Select all except a range

* !2-5

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Output Example

If you selected two files (main.go and README.md), your data.txt will look like this:

// main.go
package main

func main() {
    println("Hello, world")
}

// README.md
# Project Title
Some description here.

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License

This project is released under the MIT License. You are free to use, modify, and distribute it.