Git Commit

Guide the user through creating a focused, well-described git commit. This skill works in any Git repository.

Commits happen frequently during development -- they protect against lost work and repository damage. Speed and clarity matter.

Workflow

Step 1: Review Changes

Show the user what has changed so they can decide what to commit.

1. Run git status to display staged and unstaged changes.
2. Run git diff (unstaged) and git diff --staged (staged) to show the content of changes.
3. If there are no changes at all (clean working tree with nothing staged), inform the user there is nothing to commit and stop.

Step 2: Stage Files

Determine which files to include in this commit.

• If the user has already specified files to commit, stage those files with git add.
• If files are already staged, skip to Step 3.
• If no files are staged, stage all changed files automatically. If the user specified particular files, stage only those.

Stage specific files by name -- avoid git add -A or git add . as they can accidentally include sensitive files or unintended changes.

Step 3: Commit

Draft a commit message and create the commit.

1. Analyze the staged diff to draft a concise commit message:
   • First line: imperative summary under 72 characters
   • Blank line, then body with context if the change is non-trivial
   • Follow repository conventions if visible from recent git log
2. Create the commit with the drafted message.
3. Display the resulting commit hash and message.

Use a HEREDOC to pass the commit message to avoid shell escaping issues:

git commit -m "$(cat <<'EOF'
Commit message here
EOF
)"

Error Recovery

Pre-commit hook failure: If a pre-commit hook fails, display the hook's error output. After the user fixes the issue, create a new commit -- never use --amend, because the failed commit did not happen and amending would modify the previous (unrelated) commit.

Before Finishing

After creating the commit, check for leftover changes:

• Remaining changes? Run git status after the commit. If unstaged changes remain, inform the user -- they may be related changes that should be included, or incidental changes that need a plan for when they will be committed.

Constraints

• Never use --no-verify or skip hooks unless the user explicitly requests it.
• Never use git add -A or git add . -- always stage specific files.
• Never amend a commit unless the user explicitly requests it.
• Do not add co-author trailers or attribution to commit messages.