Code indexer cannot access generated code and nested repositories due to strict .gitignore enforcement

[mrawji]

What specific problem does this solve?

What specific problem does this solve?

The code indexer currently respects .gitignore patterns with no override mechanism, preventing Code Indexer from accessing code that developers intentionally exclude from version control but still need for development context.

Who is affected:

Developers using workflows that have:

• Generated code (TypeScript definitions, API clients, build artifacts)
• Meta-repository patterns with nested repositories
• Monorepos with selective version control
• Projects with substantial generated documentation or configuration

Current vs Expected Behavior:

Current: Code indexer skips ALL files matching .gitignore patterns, regardless of their value for AI context

Expected: Developers can specify inclusion patterns that override .gitignore for indexing purposes only (without affecting Git behavior)

Example Impact

• A meta-repository with subprojects/*/src/** gitignored at root level - AI can't assist with nested project development
• OpenAPI-generated client code in generated/api/ - AI lacks understanding of available API methods and types

This would significantly improve AI assistance quality for real-world development workflows while maintaining clean version control practices.

Workaround

• update .gitignore to ignore subprojects/*/generated/* and tolerate the dirty git directory.

Additional context (optional)

No response

Roo Code Task Links (Optional)

No response

Request checklist

• I've searched existing Issues and Discussions for duplicates
• This describes a specific problem with clear impact and context

Interested in implementing this?

• Yes, I'd like to help implement this feature

Implementation requirements

• I understand this needs approval before implementation begins

How should this be solved? (REQUIRED if contributing, optional otherwise)

No response

How will we know it works? (Acceptance Criteria - REQUIRED if contributing, optional otherwise)

No response

Technical considerations (REQUIRED if contributing, optional otherwise)

No response

Trade-offs and risks (REQUIRED if contributing, optional otherwise)

No response

[roomote]

I'm exploring a potential fix for this issue. The goal is to add a mechanism that allows the code indexer to include files that are gitignored but still valuable for AI context, such as generated code and nested repositories. I'll open a PR to share progress.

[roomote]

I've opened PR #7878 with my attempt at addressing this issue. The implementation introduces a .rooindex file that allows specifying patterns for files that should be indexed even if they are gitignored.

Key features of the solution:

• Uses the same pattern syntax as .gitignore for consistency
• Only affects the code indexer, not Git behavior
• Completely optional and backward compatible
• Includes comprehensive tests with 100% coverage

The implementation review showed a 95% confidence score with all tests passing. CI checks are currently running on the PR.

Feedback and suggestions are welcome!