- Make atomic commits of changes, even across multiple files, in logical units. That is, as much as possible, each commit should be focused on one specific purpose.
- As much as possible, make sure a commit does not contain unnecessary whitespace changes. This can be checked as follows:
$ git diff --check
As a general rule, your commit message should start with a single line that's no more than about 50 characters and that describes the commit concisely. If you feel the need for more detailed explanations, create a blank line, followed by a more detailed explanation.
For consistency, try and use the imperative present tense when creating a message. Examples:
- Use "Add tests for" instead of "I added tests for"
- Use "Change x to y" instead of "Changed x to y"
This information has been curated base on the Issues 2.0 release blog post
In order to associate commits with GitHub Issues, the commit message should indicate one or more issue number and (optionally) a state change for the story. The commit message should start with square brackets containing a hash mark followed by the issue number. For example:
[#123] Diverting power from warp drive to torpedoes
To automatically close an issue by using a commit message, include "Closes" in the square brackets in addition to the issue number. For example:
[Closes #123] Torpedoes now sufficiently powered
Note: There is more than one way of closing an issue via the commit message, however "Closes" is our suggested standard:
Fixes #xxxFixed #xxxFix #xxxCloses #xxxClose #xxxClosed #xxx
Theoretically, it is possible to enclose more than one issue numbers within brackets, as well as combine actions with commit tracking. For example:
[Closes #123][#124][#125] Torpedoes now sufficiently powered
This would close issue 123 and add commit references to issues 124 and 125 for tracking purposes.
Based on the blog post by tbaggery, here is a template to use as guideline for commit messages:
[<optional state> #issueid] (50 chars or less) summary of changes
More detailed explanatory text, if necessary. Wrap it to about 72
characters or so.
Further paragraphs come after blank lines.
- Bullet points are okay, too
- Typically a hyphen or asterisk is used for the bullet, preceded by a
single space, with blank lines in between, but conventions vary here
Wouldn't an imperative present tense commit be something more like "Add unit tests" or "Change x to y"?