DevCacheCleaner.ahk is an AutoHotkey v2 script designed to help you clean development-related cache files and directories on your Windows 11 system. It provides a graphical user interface (GUI) for a safe and controlled cleanup process.
- GUI-Based Operation: Easy-to-use interface for managing cache cleanup.
- Preview Before Deletion: Displays a preview of all identified cache paths and their sizes before any files are removed, allowing you to review and select items for deletion.
- User Confirmation: Requires explicit user confirmation before proceeding with any deletions, preventing accidental data loss.
- Configurable Cleanup: Utilizes
cleanup.inifor flexible configuration, including:- Defining root paths to scan for development projects.
- Specifying patterns for common cache directories (e.g.,
node_modules/.cache,__pycache__,.gradle/caches). - Setting exclusions to prevent specific files or directories from being deleted.
- Optionally including Windows temporary files and global application caches in the cleanup process.
- Logging: Maintains a
cleanup.logfile to record all cleanup actions. - Preservation List: Allows you to define a list of file names in
cleanup.inithat should never be deleted, even if they are found within a cache directory.
The script scans the specified root directories for development projects, identifies cache-like directories based on configured patterns, and presents them in a list. You can then select which items to delete. It also offers the option to clean common Windows temporary folders and global caches.
The behavior of the script is controlled by the cleanup.ini file, located in the same directory as the script. This file allows you to customize:
[General]settings likeConfirmBeforeDelete,MaxDepth,IncludeWindowsCleanup,IncludeGlobalCaches, and theLogFilepath.[Roots]where you define the base directories for your projects.[AlwaysDelete]for paths that should always be considered for deletion.[Markers]for files that indicate a project directory (e.g.,.git,package.json).[Patterns]for the actual cache directory names to look for.[Excludes]for directories or exact paths to skip during cleanup.[WindowsCleanup]for Windows-specific temporary directories.[GlobalCaches]for common global application caches.[Preserve]for file names that should never be deleted.
This script provides a powerful yet safe way to manage and clean up accumulated development caches, helping to free up disk space and maintain a tidy development environment.