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

code

<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

Common Scopes

Example scopes for a repository:

Scope	Usage
`core`	Core library changes
`cli`	CLI application changes
`api`	API/interface changes
`auth`	Authentication/authorization changes
`db`	Database schema or query changes
`copilot`	GitHub Copilot instructions/skills
`config`	Configuration file changes
`deps`	Dependency updates

Breaking Changes

code

# 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

bash

# 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:

bash

# 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

bash

# 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)