Git Commit with Conventional Commits

Overview

Create standardized, semantic git commits using the Conventional Commits specification. Analyze the actual diff to determine appropriate type, scope, and message.

Conventional Commit Format

<type>[optional scope]: <description>

[optional body]

[optional footer(s)]

Commit Types

Type Purpose

feat

New feature

fix

Bug fix

docs

Documentation only

style

Formatting/style (no logic)

refactor

Code refactor (no feature/fix)

perf

Performance improvement

test

Add/update tests

build

Build system/dependencies

ci

CI/config changes

chore

Maintenance/misc

revert

Revert commit

Breaking Changes

Exclamation mark after type/scope

feat!: remove deprecated endpoint

BREAKING CHANGE footer

feat: allow config to extend other configs

BREAKING CHANGE: extends key behavior changed

Workflow

1. Analyze Diff

If files are staged, use staged diff

git diff --staged

If nothing staged, use working tree diff

git diff

Also check status

git status --porcelain

2. Stage Files (if needed)

If nothing is staged or you want to group changes differently:

Stage specific files

git add path/to/file1 path/to/file2

Stage by pattern

git add .test. git add src/components/*

Interactive staging

git add -p

Never commit secrets (.env, credentials.json, private keys).

3. Generate Commit Message

Analyze the diff to determine:

• Type: What kind of change is this?

• Scope: What area/module is affected?

• Description: One-line summary of what changed (present tense, imperative mood, <72 chars)

4. Execute Commit

Single line

git commit -m "<type>[scope]: <description>"

Multi-line with body/footer

git commit -m "$(cat <<'EOF' <type>[scope]: <description>

<optional body>

<optional footer> EOF )"

Best Practices

• One logical change per commit

• Present tense: "add" not "added"

• Imperative mood: "fix bug" not "fixes bug"

• Reference issues: Closes #123 , Refs #456

• Keep description under 72 characters

Git Safety Protocol

• NEVER update git config

• NEVER run destructive commands (--force, hard reset) without explicit request

• NEVER skip hooks (--no-verify) unless user asks

• NEVER force push to main/master

• If commit fails due to hooks, fix and create NEW commit (don't amend)