From 4674df1e24f1db7125546ca4d15e0f66ddf0918c Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Pasukhin Dmitry <dpasukhi@opencascade.com>
Date: Sun, 3 May 2026 12:03:28 +0100
Subject: [PATCH] Samples - Add samples directory (#1257)

- Added `samples/README.md` describing where OCCT sample applications/wrappers are maintained (external repository + browsable site).
- Updated root `.gitignore` whitelist to allow tracking the `/samples/` directory at repository root.
---
 .gitignore        |  2 +-
 samples/README.md | 20 ++++++++++++++++++++
 2 files changed, 21 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
 create mode 100644 samples/README.md

diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 9da7c564cc..ccceb47426 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -20,8 +20,8 @@
 !/dox/
 !/src/
 !/tests/
-!/tools/
 !/.github/
+!/samples/
 
 # data/ level: Ignore everything except tracked subdirectories
 /data/*
diff --git a/samples/README.md b/samples/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a0f9e4f83f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/samples/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+# OCCT Samples
+
+The community-maintained registry of OCCT-based projects, sample apps,
+libraries, and language wrappers lives in its own repository:
+
+**[Open-Cascade-SAS/OCCT-Samples](https://github.com/Open-Cascade-SAS/OCCT-Samples)**
+([browsable site](https://open-cascade-sas.github.io/OCCT-Samples/))
+
+There you'll find:
+
+- Open-source applications and viewers built on OCCT
+- Sample apps in their own repositories (C#, Kotlin, ...)
+- Language wrappers (Python, JavaScript, ...)
+- Libraries that consume OCCT
+- Schema, taxonomy, and a structured GitHub issue flow for proposing
+  your own project
+
+For the **commercial** OCCT extensions maintained by Open Cascade SAS,
+see [Open-Cascade-SAS/OCCT-Components](https://github.com/Open-Cascade-SAS/OCCT-Components)
+and [occt3d.com/components](https://occt3d.com/components/).