build,meta: rearrange and narrow git ignore rules

.gitignore

@@ -1,9 +1,13 @@
-# Whitelist dotfiles
+# Please take extra care not to add rules that will make tracked files ignored.
+# To test that, run `git ls-files -i --exclude-standard`.
+# To check why a specific file is ignored, run `git check-ignore -v <filepath>`.
+
+# === Rule for dotfiles ===
+# Ignore all dotfiles.
 .*
+# Exclude specific dotfiles that we want to track.
 !deps/**/.*
 !test/fixtures/**/.*
-!tools/node_modules/**/.*
-!tools/doc/node_modules/**/.*
 !.clang-format
 !.editorconfig
 !.eslintignore
@@ -19,109 +23,108 @@
 !.eslintrc.yaml
 !.cpplint
 
-core
-vgcore.*
-v8*.log
-perf.data
-perf.data.old
-tags
-*.pyc
-doc/api.xml
-tmp/
-test/tmp*/
-iojs
-iojs_g
-node
-node_g
-*.swp
-icu_config.gypi
-node_trace.*.log
-coverage/
-!**/node_modules/**/coverage
-
+# === Rules for root dir ===
+/core
+/vgcore.*
+/v8*.log
+/perf.data
+/perf.data.old
+/tags
+/doc/api.xml
+/node
+/node_g
+/*.exe
+/*.swp
 /out
+/*.txt
+
+# === Rules for artifacts of `./configure` ===
+/icu_config.gypi
+/config.gypi
+/config.status
+/config_fips.gypi
 
-# various stuff that VC++ produces/uses and is not in /out
+# === Rules for MSVS artifacts ===
 /Debug
 /Release
-!doc/blog/**
 *.sln
-!nodemsi.sln
 *.suo
-*.vcxproj
-!custom_actions.vcxproj
-*.vcxproj.user
-*.vcxproj.filters
+*.vcxproj*
 UpgradeLog*.XML
 _UpgradeReport_Files/
 *.sdf
 *.opensdf
-*.VC.db
-*.VC.opendb
-/*.exe
+*.VC.*
+*.wixobj
+/tools/msvs/genfiles/
+/npm.wxs
+# Exclude MSVS files used for .msi file generation
+!tools/msvs/msi/custom_actions.vcxproj
+!tools/msvs/msi/nodemsi.sln
 
-/config.mk
-/config.gypi
-/config.status
-/config_fips.gypi
+# === Rules for GYP artifacts ===
 *-nodegyp*
-/gyp-mac-tool
-/npm.wxs
-/tools/msvs/npm.wixobj
-/tools/msvs/genfiles/
+/gyp-*-tool
 /test/addons/??_*/
-email.md
-deps/v8-*
-deps/icu
-deps/icu*.zip
-deps/icu*.tgz
-deps/icu-tmp
-./node_modules
-android-toolchain/
+/*.mk
 
+# === Rules for other build artifacts ===
+/email.md
+/deps/v8-*
+/deps/icu
+/deps/icu*.zip
+/deps/icu*.tgz
+/deps/icu-tmp
+./node_modules
+/android-toolchain/
 # generated by gyp on Windows
-deps/openssl/openssl.props
-deps/openssl/openssl.targets
-deps/openssl/openssl.xml
-
+/deps/openssl/openssl.props
+/deps/openssl/openssl.targets
+/deps/openssl/openssl.xml
 # generated by gyp on android
 /*.target.mk
 /*.host.mk
-deps/openssl/openssl.target.mk
-deps/zlib/zlib.target.mk
-
-!deps/npm/node_modules
-# not needed and causes issues for distro packagers
-deps/npm/node_modules/.bin/
+/deps/openssl/openssl.target.mk
+/deps/zlib/zlib.target.mk
 
-# build/release artifacts
+# === Rules for release artifacts ===
 /*.tar.*
 /*.pkg
 /SHASUMS*.txt*
 
-# api docs artifacts
-tools/doc/node_modules
-
-# clang-format artifacts
-tools/clang-format/node_modules
+# === Rules for `node_modules` ===
+!**/node_modules/**
+/node_modules
+/tools/doc/node_modules
+/tools/clang-format/node_modules
 
-# test artifacts
-icu_config.gypi
-*.tap
+# === Rules for test artifacts ===
+/*.tap
 /*.xml
+/node_trace.*.log
+# coverage related
+/gcovr
+/build
 
-# Xcode workspaces and project folders
+# === Rules for XCode artifacts ===
 *.xcodeproj
 *.xcworkspace
+*.pbxproj
 
-# libuv book and GitHub template
-deps/uv/.github/
-deps/uv/docs/code/
-deps/uv/docs/src/guide/
-
-# do not override V8's .gitignore
+# === Rules for files in `/deps` ===
+# Exclude all files in the vendored `npm`.
+!/deps/npm/node_modules
+# These are not needed and causes issues for distro packagers.
+/deps/npm/node_modules/.bin/
+# Respect V8's .gitignore
 !deps/v8/**
-# ignore VS compiler output unhandled by V8's .gitignore
-deps/v8/third_party/eu-strip/
+# Ignore the libuv book and GitHub templates
+/deps/uv/.github/
+/deps/uv/docs/code/
+/deps/uv/docs/src/guide/
 
+# === Global Rules ===
+# Keep last to avoid being excluded
+*.pyc
+__pycache__
 .DS_Store