git-commit Skill

Git Commit

Create a commit with a conventional commit message based on staged changes. Automatically stages all changes and analyzes the diff to generate an appropriate commit message.

Workflow

Execute these steps in order.

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Step 1: Check Repository State

Check for changes to commit:

git status --porcelain

• If output is empty, report: "Nothing to commit. Working directory is clean." and stop.
• If changes exist, continue to Step 2.

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Step 2: Stage All Changes

Stage all changes including untracked files:

git add .

Report: "Staged all changes."

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Step 3: Analyze Changes

View the staged diff to understand what changed:

git diff --cached --stat

git diff --cached

Analyze the diff to determine:

• The type of change (feat, fix, docs, refactor, etc.)
• The scope (optional, based on affected files/modules)
• A concise description of what changed

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Step 4: Construct Commit Message

Build a conventional commit message following this format:

<type>(<optional-scope>): <description>

[optional body]

Types:

• feat - New feature
• fix - Bug fix
• docs - Documentation only
• style - Formatting, no code change
• refactor - Code restructuring without behavior change
• test - Adding or updating tests
• chore - Maintenance tasks
• build - Build system or dependencies
• ci - CI configuration
• perf - Performance improvement

Rules:

• Use imperative mood ("add" not "added")
• Use lowercase
• No trailing period
• Keep description under 72 characters
• Add a body only for complex changes or breaking changes
• Do NOT add co-author, attribution, or "Generated with" lines

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Step 5: Create Commit

Create the commit using a heredoc for proper formatting:

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

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Step 6: Handle Result

On success:

• Report the commit hash: "Committed: {short_hash} - {message}"

On pre-commit hook failure:

• Report: "Pre-commit hook failed. The commit was NOT created."
• Explain what the hook reported
• Instruct: "Fix the issues above and run the commit command again. Do NOT use --amend as that would modify the previous commit."

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Error Recovery

If the commit fails:

• Hook failure: Fix the reported issues, then stage and commit again (do NOT amend)
• Unstage changes: git reset HEAD to unstage without losing changes

Notes

• This command stages ALL changes including untracked files
• Pre-commit hooks run automatically; their failures mean no commit was created
• Always create a NEW commit after hook failure, never amend the previous commit