Git Commit Guide
This guide outlines best practices for creating clear, informative, and useful Git commits. By following these guidelines and leveraging Penify-CLI, you can maintain a clean and understandable project history.
1. Commit Often
- Make small, focused commits rather than large, multi-purpose ones.
- Each commit should represent a single logical change.
2. Write Clear Commit Messages
2.1 Structure
Use the following structure for your commit messages:
<type>(<scope>): <subject>
<body>
<footer>- Type: Describes the kind of change (e.g., feat, fix, docs, style, refactor, test, chore)
- Scope: Describes what is affected by the change (optional)
- Subject: A brief description of the change
- Body: A more detailed explanation of the change (optional)
- Footer: References to issue trackers, etc. (optional)
2.2 Subject Line
- Keep it under 50 characters
- Use imperative mood (e.g., "Add feature" not "Added feature")
- Capitalize the first letter
- Don't end with a period
2.3 Body
- Wrap at 72 characters
- Explain what and why, not how
- Use bullet points for multiple points
3. Using Penify-CLI for Commit Messages
Penify-CLI can help generate comprehensive commit messages:
penify-cli commit -gf /path/to/repo -t your_tokenThis command will analyze your changes and generate a commit message. You can then review and edit if necessary.
4. Commit Content
- Only commit files that are directly related to the described change
- Don't commit configuration files or compiled files
- Use .gitignore to exclude unnecessary files
5. Atomic Commits
- Each commit should be a single, reversible change
- If you need to make multiple changes, make multiple commits
6. Use Branches
- Use feature branches for new features or bug fixes
- Keep the main branch stable
- Delete branches after merging
7. Commit Best Practices
7.1 Don't Commit Half-Done Work
- Use Git's staging area to only commit related changes
- If you need to save half-done work, use Git stash
7.2 Test Before You Commit
- Ensure your code compiles and passes tests before committing
- Use pre-commit hooks to run tests automatically
7.3 Version Control is not a Backup System
- Commit logical changes, not just your daily work
8. Rewriting History
- Use
git commit --amendfor small changes to the last commit - Use interactive rebase (
git rebase -i) to clean up multiple commits before pushing
9. Good Commit Message Examples
feat(auth): implement JWT authentication
- Add JWT token generation in auth service
- Implement token validation middleware
- Update user routes to use new authentication
Closes #123fix(api): resolve race condition in user creation
- Add database transaction to ensure atomicity
- Implement retry mechanism for concurrent requests
This fixes a bug where simultaneous user creations
could result in duplicate entries.
Fixes #45610. Using Penify-CLI for Commit Analysis
Penify-CLI can help analyze your commits and suggest improvements:
penify-cli analyze-commits -gf /path/to/repo -t your_tokenThis command will provide feedback on your recent commits and suggest ways to improve them.
11. Commit Conventions
Consider adopting a commit convention like Conventional Commits (https://www.conventionalcommits.org/). This can help standardize commit messages across your team and can be useful for automated versioning and changelog generation.
12. Reviewing Commits
Before pushing your commits:
- Review the changes using
git diff - Use
git logto ensure your commit history is clean and logical
13. Collaborative Commits
When working in a team:
- Communicate with your team about commit standards
- Use pull requests for code review before merging into the main branch
- Consider using Penify-CLI in your CI/CD pipeline to enforce commit message standards
By following these guidelines and leveraging Penify-CLI, you can create a clear, useful, and maintainable Git history that enhances collaboration and project understanding.