caveman-commit

name	caveman-commit
description	Use when writing git commit messages, especially when ARCS Caveman mode is active. Produces Conventional Commits with terse, intent-preserving prose. Subject ≤50 chars; body only when the "why" isn't obvious from the diff.

Skill: caveman-commit

When

Writing git commit messages. Terse, exact, Conventional Commits. Why over what.

Flow

flowchart TD
    A[Read diff] --> B[Classify: feat/fix/refactor/perf/docs/test/chore]
    B --> C["Write subject: type(scope): imperative ≤50"]
    C --> D{Why obvious from diff?}
    D -->|yes| E[Subject only — done]
    D -->|no| F[Write body: why + context]
    F --> G{Breaking/security/migration?}
    G -->|yes| H[MUST include body]
    G -->|no| E
    H --> E

Format Rules

Element	Rule
Subject	<type>(<scope>): <imperative> ≤50 chars (hard cap 72)
Types	feat, fix, refactor, perf, docs, test, chore, build, ci, style, revert
Mood	Imperative: "add", "fix", "remove" — not past/present tense
Body	Wrap 72 chars, bullets -, skip if subject self-explanatory
Issues	End of body: Closes #42, Refs #17

Never Include

• "This commit does X", "I", "we", "now" — diff says what
• AI attribution (unless explicitly requested)
• Emoji (unless project history uses them)
• Trailing period on subject

Always Include Body For

• Breaking changes, security fixes (cite CVE), data migrations, reverts (name SHA)

Constraints

• Output message as code block only — do not run git commit
• "Stop caveman-commit" or "normal mode" → revert to verbose style