How can I keep my root directory clean from config file clutter?

I can totally relate to the frustration with visual clutter. One option is to leverage your code editor's features—if you're using VS Code, you can enable file nesting to group your config files under a single parent. Just create an empty 'config' file, and as long as your editor is set up right, all your other config files can be hidden beneath it. It doesn’t tackle the problem of jumbled files in the terminal, but it helps keep your workspace visually simpler.

You can definitely use symlinks to manage these config files! What we've done is create a symlink that points to a config directory so that your editor (like VS Code) doesn’t show them all in the root. This keeps things cleaner without losing access to the files. You can also use an empty 'config' file as a placeholder in the root and add that to your .gitignore—this way, your teammates won't see any config files cluttering the main tree.

Have you thought about which tools you're using that you want to tidy up?

I think it's worth checking if the tools you use allow specifying a config directory. Some may be set to look in '.config/' by default for their settings, but others can require a bit of manual setup. So when you're putting together your files, confirm each tool can work without playing hide-and-seek with the config files!

It's a bit tricky since every setup is different and there isn't a one-size-fits-all answer. But one idea is to create a dedicated 'config' folder for all your config files and then adjust your tools to reference those files. For instance, you could move files like eslint, prettier, and webpack configurations there instead of keeping them in the root. This will also make your root cleaner and help others who join the team understand the project setup more easily. You might need to update your scripts in package.json to point to the new locations, though.

By the way, what kind of files are you specifically trying to manage? Sometimes it helps to discuss what's actually cluttering your root to find the best approach.

Another simple strat is to just move everything you see as clutter into a dedicated '.config' folder, then reference them in your scripts. This will help a lot with keeping your root directory clean. Just make sure the tools you use support loading from that location. By organizing it this way, you'll have a much clearer structure as your project grows!