commit-helper
Write clear, conventional commit messages. Use when the user asks to commit changes, needs help with commit messages, or when following Conventional Commits specification is required.
Install
npx skillscat add peopleforrester/claude-dotfiles/commit-helper Install via the SkillsCat registry.
SKILL.md
Commit Helper
Write clear, meaningful commit messages following conventions.
When to Use
- User asks to commit changes
- Help writing commit messages
- Following Conventional Commits
- Preparing commits for PR
Conventional Commits Format
<type>(<scope>): <subject>
<body>
<footer>Type (Required)
| Type | Use For |
|---|---|
feat |
New feature |
fix |
Bug fix |
docs |
Documentation only |
style |
Formatting, whitespace (not CSS) |
refactor |
Code change that neither fixes nor adds |
perf |
Performance improvement |
test |
Adding or fixing tests |
build |
Build system or dependencies |
ci |
CI configuration |
chore |
Maintenance tasks |
revert |
Reverting previous commit |
Scope (Optional)
The area of the codebase:
feat(auth): add OAuth login
fix(api): resolve timeout issue
docs(readme): update installation stepsSubject (Required)
- Imperative mood: "add" not "added" or "adds"
- Lowercase first letter
- No period at end
- Max 50 characters
Body (Optional)
- Explain "what" and "why", not "how"
- Wrap at 72 characters
- Blank line between subject and body
Footer (Optional)
- Breaking changes:
BREAKING CHANGE: description - Issue references:
Fixes #123,Closes #456
Examples
Simple Feature
feat: add user profile pageFeature with Scope
feat(auth): add password reset functionalityBug Fix with Issue Reference
fix(cart): resolve incorrect total calculation
The cart total was not including the shipping cost
when calculating the final amount.
Fixes #234Breaking Change
feat(api)!: change authentication to OAuth 2.0
BREAKING CHANGE: The /auth/login endpoint now requires
OAuth 2.0 credentials instead of username/password.
Migration guide: https://docs.example.com/oauth-migrationRefactoring
refactor(utils): extract date formatting to separate module
Moved date formatting functions from utils.ts to
dates.ts for better organization and reusability.Multiple Changes
If commits have unrelated changes, split them:
# Bad: one commit with unrelated changes
git commit -m "fix: login bug and add profile page"
# Good: separate commits
git commit -m "fix(auth): resolve login timeout issue"
git commit -m "feat(profile): add user profile page"Commit Message Process
1. Check What Changed
git status
git diff --staged2. Determine the Type
- Added something new? →
feat - Fixed a bug? →
fix - Only documentation? →
docs - Code reorganization? →
refactor
3. Identify the Scope
What area of the code?
auth,api,ui,db,config, etc.- Skip if change is global
4. Write the Subject
- Start with verb: add, fix, update, remove, refactor
- Be specific but concise
- Focus on what, not how
5. Add Body if Needed
Include body when:
- Change is complex
- Context helps future readers
- Non-obvious decisions were made
Good vs Bad Examples
Subject Line
# Bad
fix: fixed the bug
feat: new feature added
update: updated some stuff
# Good
fix(cart): resolve race condition in checkout
feat(search): add fuzzy matching support
refactor(api): extract validation to middlewareBody
# Bad (how, not why)
Changed the function to use a loop instead of recursion
and added a cache variable.
# Good (why)
The recursive implementation was causing stack overflow
on large datasets. Switched to iterative approach with
memoization to handle inputs up to 100k items.Commit Workflow
# Stage specific files
git add src/auth/login.ts src/auth/login.test.ts
# Write commit message
git commit -m "fix(auth): resolve session timeout issue
Sessions were expiring immediately due to incorrect
timestamp comparison. Fixed by using UTC timestamps.
Fixes #189"Amending Commits
# Amend last commit message
git commit --amend -m "new message"
# Add forgotten files to last commit
git add forgotten-file.ts
git commit --amend --no-editWarning: Don't amend commits that have been pushed.
Commit Message Template
Create .gitmessage template:
# <type>(<scope>): <subject>
#
# <body>
#
# <footer>
# Types: feat, fix, docs, style, refactor, perf, test, build, ci, chore
# Scope: auth, api, ui, db, etc. (optional)
# Subject: imperative, lowercase, no period, max 50 chars
# Body: what and why, wrap at 72 chars
# Footer: BREAKING CHANGE:, Fixes #, Closes #Configure git:
git config --global commit.template ~/.gitmessageQuality Checklist
- Type is appropriate for the change
- Subject is imperative mood ("add" not "added")
- Subject is under 50 characters
- Subject doesn't end with period
- Body explains why, not how (if included)
- Breaking changes are marked
- Related issues are referenced
Install
npx skillscat add peopleforrester/claude-dotfiles/commit-helper Install via the SkillsCat registry.