git-commit

When to Use

• Committing changes to the repository
• Writing or reviewing commit messages
• Staging files for commit
• Amending commits (with caution)

Conventional Commits Format

<type>[optional scope]: <description>

[optional body]

[optional footer(s)]

Types

Scope (Optional)

Indicates the section of the codebase:

feat(auth): add OAuth2 support
fix(api): handle null response
docs(readme): add installation steps

Commit Message Guidelines

Good Commit Messages

feat: add password strength indicator

- Show visual feedback for password strength
- Validate minimum requirements
- Display helpful suggestions

Closes #123

fix: prevent duplicate form submissions

Add debounce to submit button to prevent
multiple API calls when user clicks rapidly.

Bad Commit Messages

# Too vague
fix: fix bug

# Not descriptive
update code

# Too long for subject
feat: add new feature that allows users to reset their password by clicking a link sent to their email

Rules

Workflow

Before Committing

# Check status
git status

# Review changes
git diff

# Review staged changes
git diff --staged

Staging Files

# Stage specific files
git add path/to/file.js

# Stage all changes in directory
git add src/

# Stage all tracked files
git add -u

# Interactive staging (select hunks)
git add -p

Creating the Commit

# Commit with message
git commit -m "feat: add user profile page"

# Commit with body (opens editor)
git commit

# Commit with multi-line message
git commit -m "feat: add user profile page" -m "Includes avatar upload and bio editing"

Safety Rules

Never Do

Amend Safely

Only amend if ALL conditions are met:

1. Commit has NOT been pushed
2. You are the author
3. No one else has based work on it

# Safe: amend unpushed commit
git commit --amend -m "feat: corrected message"

# Check if pushed
git status  # Shows "Your branch is ahead of..."

Files to Never Commit

# Secrets
.env
.env.local
*.pem
credentials.json
secrets.yaml

# IDE
.idea/
.vscode/
*.swp

# Dependencies
node_modules/
vendor/
__pycache__/

# Build artifacts
dist/
build/
*.pyc

Commands Reference

# View recent commits
git log --oneline -10

# View commit details
git show <commit-hash>

# Undo last commit (keep changes staged)
git reset --soft HEAD~1

# Undo last commit (keep changes unstaged)
git reset HEAD~1

# Discard last commit entirely (DANGEROUS)
git reset --hard HEAD~1

# Create commit with sign-off
git commit -s -m "feat: add feature"

# Create commit skipping hooks (use sparingly)
git commit --no-verify -m "wip: work in progress"

Checklist

• Changes are related and atomic (one logical change)
• Commit message follows conventional format
• Subject line is under 50 characters
• No secrets or credentials included
• Tests pass (if applicable)
• Linting passes (if applicable)