commit

name	commit
description	Create a git commit with an impact-focused conventional commit message

Commit

Create a git commit following these steps:

1. Analyze staged and unstaged changes

Run these commands to understand the current state:

git status
git diff --cached
git diff
git log --oneline -5

Review the output carefully. Identify:

• What files are staged vs unstaged
• The nature of each change (new feature, bug fix, refactor, docs, tests, chore)
• The user-visible impact of the changes

2. Draft a commit message

Follow these rules strictly:

Type prefix (required): feat:, fix:, refactor:, docs:, test:, chore:

• Use optional scope when it clarifies the affected area: feat(desktop):, fix(ci):, chore(specs):
• Match the scoping conventions visible in recent commit history

Subject line:

• Maximum 72 characters (hard limit -- count them)
• Lead with the IMPACT or problem solved, not the technique used
• No trailing period
• No emojis

Good vs bad examples:

• BAD: feat: add pre-edit tagging for non-agentic AI providers
• GOOD: fix: OpenAI/LMStudio diffs now persist across app restarts
• BAD: refactor: extract helper function for validation
• GOOD: fix: prevent crash when user input is empty
• BAD: feat(desktop): implement checkpoint restore UI components
• GOOD: feat(desktop): checkpoint/restore UI panel (Feature 041, Slice G)

Body (optional):

• Separate from subject with a blank line
• Use bullet points (dash prefix) only if there are multiple distinct changes
• Keep each line under 72 characters
• Explain HOW only if it is non-obvious; the subject covers WHAT and WHY

Issue linking (when applicable):

• For GitHub issues: Fixes #XXX or Closes #XXX on its own line after the body

3. Stage relevant files

Use git add with specific file paths. Do not use git add -A or git add . unless every changed file belongs in this commit. Never stage files that appear to contain secrets (.env, credentials, tokens).

4. Pre-commit gate

Run make pr-prep before committing on a PR branch. This regenerates the codebase index and runs the coupling gate (npx spec-spine couple --base origin/main): the two checks that fail first in CI when forgotten. If the index drifted, stage the regenerated .derived/codebase-index/ shards.

make pr-prep

If make pr-prep exits non-zero, fix the reported issue before creating the commit. Do not skip or suppress the gate.

5. Create the commit

Use a HEREDOC to pass the message:

git commit -m "$(cat <<'EOF'
type(scope): subject line here

Optional body with details.
EOF
)"

6. Verify

Run git status to confirm the commit succeeded and the working tree is in the expected state.

Banned content

• Do NOT add Co-Authored-By or any attribution lines
• Do NOT add marketing taglines, links, or promotional text
• Do NOT add emojis anywhere in the commit message
• Do NOT pad the message with unnecessary details about what was not changed
• Be direct and factual

$ARGUMENTS