feat: Add global exclude patterns for file filtering

docs/cli/configuration.md

@@ -66,12 +66,14 @@ In addition to a project settings file, a project's `.blackboxcli` directory can
     - **`respectGitIgnore`** (boolean): Whether to respect .gitignore patterns when discovering files. When set to `true`, git-ignored files (like `node_modules/`, `dist/`, `.env`) are automatically excluded from @ commands and file listing operations.
     - **`enableRecursiveFileSearch`** (boolean): Whether to enable searching recursively for filenames under the current tree when completing @ prefixes in the prompt.
     - **`disableFuzzySearch`** (boolean): When `true`, disables the fuzzy search capabilities when searching for files, which can improve performance on projects with a large number of files.
+    - **`globalExcludes`** (array of strings): Global file exclusion patterns that apply to all projects. These patterns are combined with default exclusions and project-specific .blackboxignore files. Supports glob patterns.
   - **Example:**
     ```json
     "fileFiltering": {
       "respectGitIgnore": true,
       "enableRecursiveFileSearch": false,
-      "disableFuzzySearch": true
+      "disableFuzzySearch": true,
+      "globalExcludes": ["dist/", ".DS_Store", "**/*.pyc", "**/__pycache__/**"]
     }
     ```
 

packages/cli/src/config/config.integration.test.ts

@@ -119,6 +119,24 @@ describe('Configuration Integration Tests', () => {
 
       expect(config.getFileFilteringRespectGitIgnore()).toBe(true);
     });
+
+    it('should load global exclude patterns from configuration', async () => {
+      const configParams: ConfigParameters = {
+        cwd: '/tmp',
+        contentGeneratorConfig: TEST_CONTENT_GENERATOR_CONFIG,
+        embeddingModel: 'test-embedding-model',
+        sandbox: false,
+        targetDir: tempDir,
+        debugMode: false,
+        fileFiltering: {
+          globalExcludes: ['dist/', '.DS_Store', '**/*.pyc'],
+        },
+      };
+
+      const config = new Config(configParams);
+
+      expect(config.getCustomExcludes()).toEqual(['dist/', '.DS_Store', '**/*.pyc']);
+    });
   });
 
   describe('Configuration Integration', () => {

packages/cli/src/config/config.ts

@@ -673,6 +673,7 @@ export async function loadCliConfig(
       enableRecursiveFileSearch:
         settings.context?.fileFiltering?.enableRecursiveFileSearch,
       disableFuzzySearch: settings.context?.fileFiltering?.disableFuzzySearch,
+      globalExcludes: settings.context?.fileFiltering?.globalExcludes,
     },
     checkpointing:
       argv.checkpointing || settings.general?.checkpointing?.enabled,

packages/cli/src/config/settingsSchema.ts

@@ -473,6 +473,15 @@ export const SETTINGS_SCHEMA = {
             description: 'Disable fuzzy search when searching for files.',
             showInDialog: true,
           },
+          globalExcludes: {
+            type: 'array',
+            label: 'Global Exclude Patterns',
+            category: 'Context',
+            requiresRestart: true,
+            default: [] as string[],
+            description: 'Global file exclusion patterns that apply to all projects (e.g., ["dist/", ".DS_Store", "**/*.pyc"])',
+            showInDialog: true,
+          },
         },
       },
     },

packages/cli/src/ui/components/SettingsDialog.tsx

@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ export function SettingsDialog({
   );
 
   // Preserve pending changes across scope switches
-  type PendingValue = boolean | number | string;
+  type PendingValue = boolean | number | string | unknown[];
   const [globalPendingChanges, setGlobalPendingChanges] = useState<
     Map<string, PendingValue>
   >(new Map());
@@ -237,7 +237,34 @@ export function SettingsDialog({
 
   const startEditing = (key: string, initial?: string) => {
     setEditingKey(key);
-    const initialValue = initial ?? '';
+    let initialValue = initial ?? '';
+
+    if (!initial) {
+      const definition = getSettingDefinition(key);
+      const type = definition?.type;
+      if (type === 'array') {
+        // For arrays, initialize with current value as JSON
+        const path = key.split('.');
+        const currentValue = getNestedValue(pendingSettings, path);
+        const defaultValue = getDefaultValue(key);
+        const effectiveValue = currentValue !== undefined && currentValue !== null
+          ? currentValue
+          : defaultValue;
+        initialValue = JSON.stringify(effectiveValue || []);
+      } else if (type === 'number' || type === 'string') {
+        // For numbers/strings, initialize with current value
+        const path = key.split('.');
+        const currentValue = getNestedValue(pendingSettings, path);
+        const defaultValue = getDefaultValue(key);
+        const effectiveValue = currentValue !== undefined && currentValue !== null
+          ? currentValue
+          : defaultValue;
+        initialValue = effectiveValue !== undefined && effectiveValue !== null
+          ? String(effectiveValue)
+          : '';
+      }
+    }
+
     setEditBuffer(initialValue);
     setEditCursorPos(cpLen(initialValue)); // Position cursor at end of initial value
   };
@@ -254,7 +281,7 @@ export function SettingsDialog({
       return;
     }
 
-    let parsed: string | number;
+    let parsed: string | number | unknown[];
     if (type === 'number') {
       const numParsed = Number(editBuffer.trim());
       if (Number.isNaN(numParsed)) {
@@ -265,6 +292,19 @@ export function SettingsDialog({
         return;
       }
       parsed = numParsed;
+    } else if (type === 'array') {
+      try {
+        parsed = JSON.parse(editBuffer.trim());
+        if (!Array.isArray(parsed)) {
+          throw new Error('Not an array');
+        }
+      } catch {
+        // Invalid JSON array; cancel edit
+        setEditingKey(null);
+        setEditBuffer('');
+        setEditCursorPos(0);
+        return;
+      }
     } else {
       // For strings, use the buffer as is.
       parsed = editBuffer;
@@ -368,6 +408,7 @@ export function SettingsDialog({
             if (type === 'number') {
               pasted = key.sequence.replace(/[^0-9\-+.]/g, '');
             }
+            // For arrays, strings, allow all characters
             if (pasted) {
               setEditBuffer((b) => {
                 const before = cpSlice(b, 0, editCursorPos);
@@ -479,7 +520,8 @@ export function SettingsDialog({
           const currentItem = items[activeSettingIndex];
           if (
             currentItem?.type === 'number' ||
-            currentItem?.type === 'string'
+            currentItem?.type === 'string' ||
+            currentItem?.type === 'array'
           ) {
             startEditing(currentItem.value);
           } else {
@@ -699,6 +741,34 @@ export function SettingsDialog({
             const isDifferentFromDefault =
               effectiveCurrentValue !== defaultValue;
 
+            if (isDifferentFromDefault || isModified) {
+              displayValue += '*';
+            }
+          } else if (item.type === 'array') {
+            // For arrays, get the actual current value from pending settings
+            const path = item.value.split('.');
+            const currentValue = getNestedValue(pendingSettings, path);
+
+            const defaultValue = getDefaultValue(item.value);
+
+            if (currentValue !== undefined && currentValue !== null) {
+              displayValue = JSON.stringify(currentValue);
+            } else {
+              displayValue =
+                defaultValue !== undefined && defaultValue !== null
+                  ? JSON.stringify(defaultValue)
+                  : '[]';
+            }
+
+            // Add * if value differs from default OR if currently being modified
+            const isModified = modifiedSettings.has(item.value);
+            const effectiveCurrentValue =
+              currentValue !== undefined && currentValue !== null
+                ? currentValue
+                : defaultValue;
+            const isDifferentFromDefault =
+              JSON.stringify(effectiveCurrentValue) !== JSON.stringify(defaultValue);
+
             if (isDifferentFromDefault || isModified) {
               displayValue += '*';
             }

packages/core/src/config/config.ts

@@ -121,16 +121,25 @@ export interface GeminiCLIExtension {
 export interface FileFilteringOptions {
   respectGitIgnore: boolean;
   respectGeminiIgnore: boolean;
+  enableRecursiveFileSearch?: boolean;
+  disableFuzzySearch?: boolean;
+  globalExcludes?: string[];
 }
 // For memory files
 export const DEFAULT_MEMORY_FILE_FILTERING_OPTIONS: FileFilteringOptions = {
   respectGitIgnore: false,
   respectGeminiIgnore: true,
+  enableRecursiveFileSearch: true,
+  disableFuzzySearch: false,
+  globalExcludes: [],
 };
 // For all other files
 export const DEFAULT_FILE_FILTERING_OPTIONS: FileFilteringOptions = {
   respectGitIgnore: true,
   respectGeminiIgnore: true,
+  enableRecursiveFileSearch: true,
+  disableFuzzySearch: false,
+  globalExcludes: [],
 };
 export class MCPServerConfig {
   constructor(
@@ -205,6 +214,7 @@ export interface ConfigParameters {
     respectGeminiIgnore?: boolean;
     enableRecursiveFileSearch?: boolean;
     disableFuzzySearch?: boolean;
+    globalExcludes?: string[];
   };
   checkpointing?: boolean;
   proxy?: string;
@@ -296,6 +306,7 @@ export class Config {
     respectGeminiIgnore: boolean;
     enableRecursiveFileSearch: boolean;
     disableFuzzySearch: boolean;
+    globalExcludes: string[];
   };
   private fileDiscoveryService: FileDiscoveryService | null = null;
   private gitService: GitService | undefined = undefined;
@@ -408,11 +419,15 @@ export class Config {
       enableRecursiveFileSearch:
         params.fileFiltering?.enableRecursiveFileSearch ?? true,
       disableFuzzySearch: params.fileFiltering?.disableFuzzySearch ?? false,
+      globalExcludes: params.fileFiltering?.globalExcludes ?? [],
     };
     this.checkpointing = params.checkpointing ?? false;
     this.proxy = params.proxy;
     this.cwd = params.cwd ?? process.cwd();
     this.fileDiscoveryService = params.fileDiscoveryService ?? null;
+    if (this.fileDiscoveryService) {
+      this.fileDiscoveryService.setGlobalExcludes(this.fileFiltering.globalExcludes);
+    }
     this.bugCommand = params.bugCommand;
     this.model = params.model;
     this.extensionContextFilePaths = params.extensionContextFilePaths ?? [];
@@ -818,17 +833,10 @@ export class Config {
 
   /**
    * Gets custom file exclusion patterns from configuration.
-   * TODO: This is a placeholder implementation. In the future, this could
-   * read from settings files, CLI arguments, or environment variables.
+   * Returns patterns defined in the global settings.
    */
   getCustomExcludes(): string[] {
-    // Placeholder implementation - returns empty array for now
-    // Future implementation could read from:
-    // - User settings file
-    // - Project-specific configuration
-    // - Environment variables
-    // - CLI arguments
-    return [];
+    return this.fileFiltering.globalExcludes;
   }
 
   getCheckpointingEnabled(): boolean {
@@ -850,6 +858,7 @@ export class Config {
   getFileService(): FileDiscoveryService {
     if (!this.fileDiscoveryService) {
       this.fileDiscoveryService = new FileDiscoveryService(this.targetDir);
+      this.fileDiscoveryService.setGlobalExcludes(this.fileFiltering.globalExcludes);
     }
     return this.fileDiscoveryService;
   }

packages/core/src/services/fileDiscoveryService.ts

@@ -14,11 +14,13 @@ const GEMINI_IGNORE_FILE_NAME = '.blackboxignore';
 export interface FilterFilesOptions {
   respectGitIgnore?: boolean;
   respectGeminiIgnore?: boolean;
+  respectGlobalExcludes?: boolean;
 }
 
 export class FileDiscoveryService {
   private gitIgnoreFilter: GitIgnoreFilter | null = null;
   private geminiIgnoreFilter: GitIgnoreFilter | null = null;
+  private globalExcludesFilter: GitIgnoreFilter | null = null;
   private projectRoot: string;
 
   constructor(projectRoot: string) {
@@ -41,6 +43,19 @@ export class FileDiscoveryService {
     this.geminiIgnoreFilter = gParser;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Sets global exclude patterns that apply across all projects
+   */
+  setGlobalExcludes(patterns: string[]): void {
+    if (patterns.length > 0) {
+      const parser = new GitIgnoreParser(this.projectRoot);
+      parser.addPatterns(patterns);
+      this.globalExcludesFilter = parser;
+    } else {
+      this.globalExcludesFilter = null;
+    }
+  }
+
   /**
    * Filters a list of file paths based on git ignore rules
    */
@@ -100,13 +115,20 @@ export class FileDiscoveryService {
     if (respectGeminiIgnore && this.shouldGeminiIgnoreFile(filePath)) {
       return true;
     }
+    if (this.globalExcludesFilter && this.globalExcludesFilter.isIgnored(filePath)) {
+      return true;
+    }
     return false;
   }
 
   /**
    * Returns loaded patterns from .blackboxignore
    */
   getGeminiIgnorePatterns(): string[] {
-    return this.geminiIgnoreFilter?.getPatterns() ?? [];
+    const patterns = this.geminiIgnoreFilter?.getPatterns() ?? [];
+    if (this.globalExcludesFilter) {
+      patterns.push(...this.globalExcludesFilter.getPatterns());
+    }
+    return patterns;
   }
 }

packages/core/src/utils/gitIgnoreParser.ts

@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ export class GitIgnoreParser implements GitIgnoreFilter {
     this.addPatterns(patterns);
   }
 
-  private addPatterns(patterns: string[]) {
+  addPatterns(patterns: string[]): void {
     this.ig.add(patterns);
     this.patterns.push(...patterns);
   }

packages/core/src/utils/ignorePatterns.ts

@@ -164,7 +164,6 @@ export class FileExclusions {
     }
 
     // Add custom patterns from configuration
-    // TODO: getCustomExcludes method needs to be implemented in Config interface
     if (this.config) {
       const configCustomExcludes = this.config.getCustomExcludes?.() ?? [];
       patterns.push(...configCustomExcludes);
@@ -199,7 +198,6 @@ export class FileExclusions {
     const corePatterns = this.getCoreIgnorePatterns();
 
     // Add any custom patterns from config if available
-    // TODO: getCustomExcludes method needs to be implemented in Config interface
     const configPatterns = this.config?.getCustomExcludes?.() ?? [];
 
     return [...corePatterns, ...configPatterns, ...additionalExcludes];