feat(cli): enhance exclusion pattern handling and improve user feedback

contextzip/cli.py

@@ -927,6 +927,18 @@ def _run(
         if saved:
             project_cfg = load_project_config(project_dir)
 
+    # ── Include/exclude inputs shared by every scan mode ─────────────────────
+    # CLI --exclude/-e patterns plus any standing always_exclude patterns from
+    # project config — both are additive, persistent behavior comes from
+    # config.json so it doesn't need to be re-typed every run. always_include
+    # is a standing negation. Built once here so standard and --git-changes
+    # runs honour project config identically.
+    normalized_exclude = [normalize_pattern(p) for p in extra_exclude or []]
+    normalized_exclude += [normalize_pattern(p) for p in project_cfg.always_exclude]
+    force_include = build_force_include_spec(
+        [normalize_pattern(p) for p in project_cfg.always_include]
+    )
+
     # ── Git-changes mode ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────
     if git_changes:
         with console.status("[cyan]Querying git for changed files…[/]", spinner="dots"):
@@ -939,7 +951,7 @@ def _run(
         print_git_deleted_and_submodules(git_result)
 
         if git_result.is_empty:
-            info("Nothing to package — working tree is clean.")
+            info("Nothing to compress in this one — working tree is clean.")
             return
 
         scan_label, scan_detail = git_scan_label_and_detail(git_result)
@@ -953,27 +965,21 @@ def _run(
                 large_file_warn_bytes=int(
                     project_cfg.limits.max_file_size_mb * 1024 * 1024
                 ),
+                extra_exclude=normalized_exclude if normalized_exclude else None,
+                include_only=include_only if include_only else None,
+                force_include=force_include,
             )
 
     else:
         # ── Build exclusion spec ─────────────────────────────────────────────
         gitignore_path = None if no_gitignore else (project_dir / ".gitignore")
 
-        # CLI --exclude/-e patterns plus any standing always_exclude patterns
-        # from project config — both are additive, persistent behavior comes
-        # from config.json so it doesn't need to be re-typed every run.
-        normalized_exclude = [normalize_pattern(p) for p in extra_exclude or []]
-        normalized_exclude += [normalize_pattern(p) for p in project_cfg.always_exclude]
-
         with console.status("[cyan]Building exclusion rules…[/]", spinner="dots"):
             spec = build_spec(
                 rule_modules=detection.rule_modules,
                 extra_exclude=normalized_exclude if normalized_exclude else None,
                 gitignore_path=gitignore_path,
             )
-            force_include = build_force_include_spec(
-                [normalize_pattern(p) for p in project_cfg.always_include]
-            )
 
         # ── Resolve files ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────
         with console.status("[cyan]Scanning project files…[/]", spinner="dots"):
@@ -1027,7 +1033,7 @@ def _run(
         return
 
     if not resolved.included:
-        err("Nothing to package — all files were excluded.")
+        err("Nothing to compress in this one — all files were excluded.")
         info("Try contextzip include PATH or -i PATH to override.")
         return
 

contextzip/cli_ai.py

@@ -15,38 +15,11 @@ from pathlib import Path
 from rich.console import Console
 
 from contextzip.cli_display import print_ai_selection, err, warn, info
+from contextzip.filters import normalize_pattern  # noqa: F401  (re-exported for cli.py)
 
 console = Console()
 
 
-# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-# Pattern normalisation
-# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-
-def normalize_pattern(p: str) -> str:
-    """
-    Canonicalise a user-supplied exclusion pattern.
-
-    Rules applied in order:
-      1. Strip a leading ``./`` or ``.\\`` so that ``./CHANGELOG.md``
-         and ``CHANGELOG.md`` are treated identically.
-      2. Replace every backslash with a forward slash for cross-platform
-         consistency (Windows paths entered on the CLI).
-      3. Collapse ``folder/*`` → ``folder/`` so that gitignore-style
-         directory globs work as expected.
-    """
-    # 1. Strip leading ./ or .\\
-    if p.startswith("./") or p.startswith(".\\"):
-        p = p[2:]
-    # 2. Normalise path separators
-    p = p.replace("\\", "/")
-    # 3. folder/* → folder/
-    if p.endswith("/*"):
-        p = p[:-1]
-    return p
-
-
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # AI selection (full run — produces ZIP)
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

contextzip/cli_display.py

@@ -64,6 +64,10 @@ def print_detection(detection, *, con: Console = console) -> None:
     """One line: what was detected and how confident contextzip is."""
     if detection.is_unknown:
         ok("Detected", "unknown ecosystem, base rules only", con=con)
+        info(
+            "Don't see your language? Add it here: https://example.com",
+            con=con,
+        )
         return
 
     parts = []