Add gitignore.md to advanced-topics folder

pages/advanced-topics/gitignore.md

@@ -0,0 +1,144 @@
+---
+title: AppGini files to ignore in git repositories
+linkTitle: gitignore
+slug: help/advanced-topics/gitignore
+description: AppGini files to ignore in git repositories to avoid committing unnecessary/unsafe files to your repository.
+keywords: gitignore, git, repository, AppGini, files, folders, ignore
+---
+
+# AppGini files to ignore in git repositories
+
+If you plan to [use a version control system like git to manage your AppGini application](/appgini/screencasts/how-to-use-git-with-appgini-to-manage-code-changes),
+you should ignore certain files and folders to avoid committing unnecessary/unsafe files
+to your repository.
+
+But first, let's discuss the recommended way to set up your repository for an AppGini application.
+The instructions below assume you are using [git](https://git-scm.com/) as your version control system.
+Git is the most popular version control system and is widely used by developers around the world.
+
+## Recommended repository structure for AppGini applications
+
+When you generate an AppGini application, you are asked to select the output folder for the generated files.
+When the application is generated inside that folder, it will create the following structure:
+
+```
+your-app-folder/
+	admin/
+	hooks/
+	images/
+	resources/
+	templates/
+	index.php
+	.. # other files
+```
+
+Where `your-app-folder` is the folder you selected when generating the application.
+**We don't recommend creating (initializing) the git repository inside this folder.**
+
+The reason is that the repository data is stored in a `.git` folder inside the repository root folder.
+This folder might get uploaded to your server when you deploy your application, leading to exposing
+your repository data to the public. This is a security risk.
+
+Instead, we recommend setting the folder structure as follows before generating the application:
+
+```
+your-app-folder/
+	app/
+```
+
+Then, generate the application inside the `app` folder. This way, the repository root folder will be
+`your-app-folder`, and the `.git` folder will be at the root level, not inside the application folder.
+Your folder structure after generating the application will look like this:
+
+```
+your-app-folder/
+	app/
+		admin/
+		hooks/
+		images/
+		resources/
+		templates/
+		index.php
+		.. # other files
+```
+
+After initializing the git repository in `your-app-folder` using the command `git init`, your
+folder structure will look like this:
+
+```
+your-app-folder/
+	.git/
+	app/
+		admin/
+		hooks/
+		images/
+		resources/
+		templates/
+		index.php
+		.. # other files
+```
+
+You can then safely upload the contents of the `app` folder to your server, without exposing your
+repository data.
+
+## Files and folders to ignore in your git repository
+
+Some files and folders generated by AppGini are not meant to be committed to your repository.
+This is either because they are generated dynamically by your AppGini application, or because they contain sensitive
+information like database connection details.
+
+To ignore these files and folders, you should create a `.gitignore` file in the root of your repository
+and add the following lines to it:
+
+```
+# ignore files containing sensitive information
+app/config.php
+app/file-uploader.php
+app/admin/backups/*.sql
+
+# ignore files generated dynamically by AppGini application
+app/setup.md5
+app/tmp
+app/admin/tmp
+app/plugins
+
+# ignore user-uploaded files
+app/images
+!app/images/index.html
+!app/images/blank.gif
+```
+
+This will tell git to ignore the listed files and folders when committing changes to your repository.
+
+## TIP: Store your project file inside your repository
+
+Another advantage of setting up your repository as described above is that you can store your AppGini
+project file (the `.axp` file) inside your repository. This way, you can easily keep track of changes
+to your project file and revert to previous versions if needed.
+
+To do this, simply copy your `.axp` file to the root of your repository and commit it to your repository.
+The folder structure of your repository will look like this:
+
+```
+your-app-folder/
+	.git/
+	app/
+		admin/
+		hooks/
+		images/
+		resources/
+		templates/
+		index.php
+		.. # other files
+	your-app.axp
+```
+
+Where `your-app.axp` is your AppGini project file. Please note that in the above example, the project file
+is stored in the root of the repository, outside the `app` folder. This is recommended to avoid exposing
+your project file to the public. The project file contains your entire database structure and settings,
+so it's important to keep it secure.
+
+## Related topics
+
+* [Using git with AppGini to manage code changes](/appgini/screencasts/how-to-use-git-with-appgini-to-manage-code-changes)
+

pages/advanced-topics/index.md

@@ -34,5 +34,6 @@ slug: help/advanced-topics
 * [**Third party libraries**](/appgini/help/advanced-topics/third-party-libraries-and-resources)
 * [**Command-line parameters**](/appgini/help/advanced-topics/command-line-parameters)
 * [**URL parameters**](/appgini/help/advanced-topics/url-parameters)
-* [**Troublesooting errors and blank pages**](https://bigprof.com/appgini/help/advanced-topics/troubleshooting-errors-and-blank-pages)
+* [**Troublesooting errors and blank pages**](/appgini/help/advanced-topics/troubleshooting-errors-and-blank-pages)
+* [**AppGini files to ignore in git repositories**](/appgini/help/advanced-topics/gitignore)