Summary
Document the file filtering and exclusion behaviors in ByteSync, explaining what types of entries are excluded, why, and on which platforms.
Background
ByteSync filters various filesystem entries during inventory building. This behavior should be documented for:
- End users who want to understand why files don't appear
- Contributors who need to understand the filtering logic
- Future maintainers
Proposed Documentation
Create or update documentation covering:
1. Entry Types and Handling
| Entry Type |
Behavior |
Platforms |
User Configurable |
| Regular files |
Included |
All |
No |
| Directories |
Traversed |
All |
No |
| Symbolic links |
Excluded |
All |
No |
| Block devices |
Excluded |
Linux/macOS |
No |
| Character devices |
Excluded |
Linux/macOS |
No |
| FIFOs |
Excluded |
Linux/macOS |
No |
| Unix sockets |
Excluded |
Linux/macOS |
No |
| Hidden files |
Excluded (optional) |
All |
Yes |
| Noise files |
Excluded (optional) |
All |
Yes |
2. Noise Files List
Document all files in the noise list with their platform and purpose.
3. Protected Paths
Document paths that cannot be used as data sources (/dev, /proc, etc.).
4. Platform-Specific Behaviors
- Windows:
FileAttributes.System, FileAttributes.Offline, ReparsePoint
- macOS: Dot-files as hidden, resource forks
- Linux: Dot-files as hidden, special filesystems
Proposed Location
Option A: docs/inventory-filtering.md (new file)
Option B: Section in existing README.md
Option C: Section in docs/synchronization-rules.md
Acceptance Criteria
Content Outline
# Inventory Filtering and Exclusions
## Overview
ByteSync filters certain filesystem entries during inventory...
## Entry Classification
### Regular Files
### Directories
### Symbolic Links
### POSIX Special Files
## Noise Files
### Windows
### macOS
### Linux
## Protected Paths
## Platform-Specific Behavior
### Windows
### macOS
### Linux
## User Settings
- Exclude hidden files
- Exclude system/noise files
Priority
Nice to Have — Improves user understanding and maintainability.
Summary
Document the file filtering and exclusion behaviors in ByteSync, explaining what types of entries are excluded, why, and on which platforms.
Background
ByteSync filters various filesystem entries during inventory building. This behavior should be documented for:
Proposed Documentation
Create or update documentation covering:
1. Entry Types and Handling
2. Noise Files List
Document all files in the noise list with their platform and purpose.
3. Protected Paths
Document paths that cannot be used as data sources (
/dev,/proc, etc.).4. Platform-Specific Behaviors
FileAttributes.System,FileAttributes.Offline,ReparsePointProposed Location
Option A:
docs/inventory-filtering.md(new file)Option B: Section in existing
README.mdOption C: Section in
docs/synchronization-rules.mdAcceptance Criteria
Content Outline
Priority
Nice to Have — Improves user understanding and maintainability.