The file of the version control system Git that lists the folders and files that are never saved.
Data folders and files with credentials belong in the .gitignore. It has to be complete before the first version is saved: whatever is in the history once stays there, even if you delete the file later. That is why the security check asks whether the .gitignore has gaps.
Example from Module 2
The contact list and credentials are in the .gitignore before the first version is saved.
Module 2: “Protecting data: encapsulate and check”. In the Werkbank course room, with sign-in.