WTF Is This File?

🔍 Instantly explain the mysterious files in your codebase.

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🤔 What is this?

Ever cloned a repo and wondered what .nvmrc, .browserslistrc, or .editorconfig actually do?

wtf is a zero-config CLI tool that tells you exactly what these files are, in plain English, right from your terminal.

npm install -g wtf-file
# Installs wtf!

wtf .nvmrc
# => WTF is .nvmrc
# => → Specifies the Node.js version. Used by nvm to automatically switch versions.
# => Want to know more? https://github.com/nvm-sh/nvm

wtf
# => Auto-detects files in your project root and explains them.

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🚀 Features

• 🔎 Explains config files like .nvmrc, .editorconfig, .prettierrc, .eslintrc, etc.
• 🤠 Human-readable summaries — no jargon or copy-pasting to Google.
• ⚡ Instant answers — no API keys, no setup, just run and learn.
• 📁 Auto-scan mode — run wtf with no args to scan the whole directory.
• 🧹 Extensible database — contribute your own explanations via PRs.

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Installation

Install globally:

npm install -g wtf-file
wtf

Or run directly:

npx wtf-file

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Examples

wtf .editorconfig
# => WTF is .editorconfig
# => → Defines editor settings like indentation and line endings. Helps maintain consistent code style.
# => Want to know more? https://editorconfig.org/

wtf .gitignore
# => WTF is .gitignore
# => → Lists files and directories Git should ignore.
# => Want to know more? https://git-scm.com/docs/gitignore

wtf .browserslistrc
# => WTF is .browserslistrc
# => → Specifies target browser versions for frontend tools like Babel, Autoprefixer, etc.
# => Want to know more? https://browsersl.ist/

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Supported Files (Partial List)

• .nvmrc
• .editorconfig
• .eslintrc
• .prettierrc
• .gitignore
• .browserslistrc
• tsconfig.json
• package-lock.json
• .env
• and many more, see →
• want to add more? →

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Why?

Because you shouldn't need to Google every weird file you see.

This tool is for:

• Beginners wondering "WTF is this file?"
• Experienced devs auditing unfamiliar repos
• Educators teaching tooling or DevOps

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Contributing

Want to add explanations for more files?

1. Fork the repo
2. Add your file, description and url (if possible) in wtf.json
3. Open a PR, it’s that easy.

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License

MIT — because WTF would it be anything else?

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Made with ❤️ by hxpe