gitignore and XML/IMI files

Question

I've added *.xml and *.iml to my gitignore_global.txt file, but those files still appear in the Unstaged Files list. Other file types in the gitignore_global.txt file (e.g. *.pyc) that I've added manually do not appear. What is causing this behavior, and is there a way to fix it?

I'm using SourceTree v 1.6.18.0, but the problem has been around for some time.

unknown · Answer

Thanks. That was the answer.

Seth · Answer

Have they been added by another user? You should be able to review your commit history and find the commits where they were added.

unknown · Answer

Thanks for the rapid response, much appreciated. My follow up question is how did these XML/IMI files get added to the repository in the first place? I didn't add them. They're created by PyCharm in the .idea folder it uses for configuration stuff, and they just appear in the list of Unstaged Files.

I've tried removing them from the repository before, but they just keep reappearing. Is there a way to stop this happening?