Checkpoint Commit

What This Skill Does

Creates quick work-in-progress (WIP) checkpoint commits with auto-generated messages. Perfect for:

•Saving progress before risky operations
•Creating restore points mid-development
•Quick snapshots without crafting commit messages
•Preserving work before context switches

Quick Start

bash

# Basic checkpoint - stages all changes and commits
git add -A && git commit -m "checkpoint: WIP $(date +%Y-%m-%d_%H:%M:%S)"

Checkpoint Patterns

Pattern 1: Simple Timestamp Checkpoint

bash

git add -A && git commit -m "checkpoint: $(date +%Y-%m-%d_%H:%M:%S)"

Pattern 2: Checkpoint with Context

bash

git add -A && git commit -m "checkpoint: WIP on <feature-name>"

Pattern 3: Checkpoint Before Risky Change

bash

git add -A && git commit -m "checkpoint: before <risky-operation>"

Pattern 4: Checkpoint with File Summary

bash

# Shows what's being checkpointed
git add -A && git commit -m "checkpoint: $(git diff --cached --stat | tail -1 | xargs)"

Step-by-Step Guide

Creating a Checkpoint

•
Stage all changes:
bash
```
git add -A
```

•

Create checkpoint commit:

bash

git commit -m "checkpoint: WIP $(date +%Y-%m-%d_%H:%M:%S)"

•
Verify checkpoint created:
bash
```
git log --oneline -1
```

Restoring from Checkpoint

If you need to go back to a checkpoint:

bash

# View recent checkpoints
git log --oneline --grep="checkpoint:" -10

# Reset to a specific checkpoint (keeps changes staged)
git reset --soft <checkpoint-hash>

# Hard reset to checkpoint (discards all changes after)
git reset --hard <checkpoint-hash>

Cleaning Up Checkpoints

Before pushing, squash checkpoint commits into meaningful commits:

bash

# Interactive rebase to squash checkpoints
git rebase -i HEAD~<number-of-commits>

# In the editor, change 'pick' to 'squash' for checkpoint commits
# Then write a proper commit message

Best Practices

When to Checkpoint

•Before refactoring code
•Before deleting files
•Before merge operations
•When switching tasks mid-work
•Before running automated fixes (linting, formatting)
•After completing a logical unit of work

Checkpoint Message Conventions

code

checkpoint: WIP                    # Generic work-in-progress
checkpoint: before refactor        # Before risky operation
checkpoint: auth flow progress     # With feature context
checkpoint: 2024-01-15_14:30:00   # Timestamp-based

Never Push Checkpoints

Checkpoints are local-only. Always squash or rewrite before pushing:

bash

# Check for checkpoint commits before pushing
git log origin/main..HEAD --oneline --grep="checkpoint:"

# If found, rebase to clean up
git rebase -i origin/main

Troubleshooting

Issue: "Nothing to commit"

Cause: No changes since last commit Solution: Only checkpoint when there are actual changes

bash

# Check for changes first
git status --porcelain | grep -q . && git add -A && git commit -m "checkpoint: WIP"

Issue: Accidentally pushed checkpoints

Solution: If not shared, rewrite history:

bash

git rebase -i origin/main~<n>
# Squash checkpoint commits
git push --force-with-lease

Issue: Too many checkpoints cluttering history

Solution: Squash before continuing work:

bash

# Squash last N commits into one
git reset --soft HEAD~<n>
git commit -m "feat: <proper-message>"

Advanced Usage

Checkpoint with Branch Backup

For extra safety, create a backup branch:

bash

git branch backup/$(date +%Y%m%d_%H%M%S) && git add -A && git commit -m "checkpoint: WIP"

Auto-Checkpoint Hook (Optional)

Create a pre-commit alias for quick checkpoints:

bash

# Add to ~/.gitconfig
[alias]
    cp = "!git add -A && git commit -m \"checkpoint: WIP $(date +%Y-%m-%d_%H:%M:%S)\""

# Usage
git cp

View Checkpoint History

bash

# List all checkpoints
git log --oneline --all --grep="checkpoint:"

# Show checkpoint diff
git show <checkpoint-hash>

Related Commands

Command	Purpose
`git stash`	Temporary storage (not a commit)
`git commit --amend`	Modify last commit
`git reset --soft`	Undo commit, keep changes staged
`git reflog`	View all HEAD changes (recovery)