git

name	git
description	This skill should be used when the user asks to "commit changes", "create a pull request", "rebase safely", "manage branches", "fix merge conflicts", "undo a commit", "comment on a PR", "create a release", or performs any git/GitHub operations. Provides safety patterns, atomic commit formatting, PR descriptions, sensitive file detection, and GitHub API usage.
user-invocable	false
allowed-tools	Bash, Read, Grep, Glob

Git & GitHub Patterns

Unified skill for safe git operations, atomic commits, honest PR descriptions, and GitHub API interactions. Used by Coder and Git agents.

Iron Law

EVERY COMMIT TELLS AN HONEST, ATOMIC STORY [1][3]

Each commit captures one logical change with a message that explains what changed and why, not just how. Atomic commits make history reviewable, bisectable, and revertable. Never bundle unrelated changes. Never write vague messages.

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When This Skill Activates

• Staging files, creating commits, pushing branches
• Creating or updating pull requests
• Rebasing, force-pushing, merge conflicts, undoing commits
• GitHub API operations (PR comments, issues, releases)
• Any git or gh CLI command

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Safety

Lock File Handling

Check for lock before git operations. If .git/index.lock exists, wait or abort.

[ -f .git/index.lock ] && echo "Lock exists - wait" && exit 1

Sequential Operations

# WRONG: git add . & git status &
# CORRECT:
git add . && git status && echo "Done"

Forbidden Operations

Action	Risk
git push --force to main/master	Destroys shared history
git commit --no-verify	Bypasses safety hooks
git reset --hard without backup	Loses work permanently
Parallel git commands	Causes lock conflicts
Commit secrets/keys	Security breach
Amend pushed commits	Requires force push
Interactive rebase (-i)	Requires user input

Amend Safety

Only use --amend when ALL conditions are met:

1. User explicitly requested amend, OR commit succeeded but hook auto-modified files
2. HEAD commit was created by you in this conversation
3. Commit has NOT been pushed to remote

Never amend: If commit failed/rejected by hook, if pushed, or if unsure.

Branch Safety

Never force push to: main, master, develop, integration, trunk, release/*, staging, production

Branch naming: feat/, fix/, release/, hotfix/ prefixes with short descriptions.

Quick Recovery

git reset --soft HEAD~1  # Undo commit, keep staged
git reset HEAD~1         # Undo commit, keep unstaged

See references/patterns.md for extended recovery and stash workflows.

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Commits

ATOMIC COMMITS WITH HONEST DESCRIPTIONS — single logical change per commit, accurate messages.

Message Format

<type>(<scope>): <short summary> (max 50 chars)

<optional body explaining what and why>

<optional footer with references>

Co-Authored-By: Claude <[e-mail]>

Types

Type	Use When
feat	New feature or capability
fix	Bug fix
docs	Documentation only changes
style	Code style/formatting (no logic change)
refactor	Code change that neither fixes nor adds
test	Adding or updating tests
chore	Build, dependencies, tooling
perf	Performance improvements

HEREDOC Format (Required)

git commit -m "$(cat <<'EOF'
feat(auth): add JWT token validation

Implement token validation middleware with:
- Signature verification
- Expiration checking

Closes #123

Co-Authored-By: Claude <[e-mail]>
EOF
)"

Atomic Grouping

1. By Feature/Module: Changes within same directory or module
2. By Type: Source code, tests, docs, config separately
3. By Relationship: Files that change together for single logical purpose

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Pull Requests

Title Format

<type>(<scope>): <description> — under 72 characters, imperative mood.

Description Sections

Section	Purpose
Summary	2-3 sentences: what and why
Changes	Features, fixes, refactoring by category
Breaking Changes	User action required (or "None")
Testing	Coverage, manual steps, gaps
Related Issues	Closes/relates to links

Size Assessment

Size	Lines Changed	Action
Small	< 200	Proceed normally
Medium	200-500	Consider splitting if unrelated
Large	500-1000	Recommend splitting
Very Large	> 1000	WARN: Split into smaller PRs

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Sensitive File Detection

Never Commit These Patterns

Category	Patterns
Secrets	.env, .env.*, *secret*, *password*, *credential*
Keys	*.key, *.pem, *.p12, id_rsa*, id_ed25519*
Cloud	.aws/credentials, .npmrc, .pypirc, .netrc
Temp	*.tmp, *.log, *.swp, .DS_Store, *~

Quick Content Check

Block commits containing:

• BEGIN.*PRIVATE KEY — Private key material
• AKIA[0-9A-Z]{16} — AWS access key
• gh[pousr]_[A-Za-z0-9_]{36,} — GitHub token
• Database URIs with credentials: postgres://user:pass@

See references/detection.md for full check_for_secrets() function.

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GitHub API

RESPECT RATE LIMITS OR FAIL GRACEFULLY — remaining < 10 wait 60s, 1-2s between calls, batch where possible.

Standard Throttling

REMAINING=$(gh api rate_limit --jq '.resources.core.remaining')
if [ "$REMAINING" -lt 10 ]; then sleep 60; fi
sleep 1  # Between each API call

PR Comments

• Only lines in the PR diff can receive inline comments
• Deduplicate before posting (same file + line = keep one)
• Always include suggested fix and Claude Code attribution footer

Releases

[[ "$VERSION" =~ ^[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+$ ]] || exit 1  # Validate semver
git tag -a "v${VERSION}" -m "Version ${VERSION}" && git push origin "v${VERSION}"
gh release create "v${VERSION}" --title "v${VERSION}" --notes "$NOTES"

See references/github-api.md for extended API, CLI, and GraphQL patterns.

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Anti-Patterns

Violation	Impact	Fix
Parallel git commands	Index corruption	Sequential && chains
Grab-bag commits	Impossible to revert	One logical change per commit
Blind staging (git add .)	Accidental secret commits	Stage specific files
Force push to main	Destroys shared history	Create new commits
Ignoring rate limits	API lockout	Check remaining, throttle
Vague PR descriptions	Lost review context	Use structured template
Hidden breaking changes	Consumer surprises	Mandatory section

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Extended References

Reference	Contents
references/sources.md	Bibliography and citations
references/patterns.md	Safety flows, commit patterns, PR templates
references/violations.md	Safety, commit, and PR anti-patterns
references/detection.md	Sensitive file regex patterns and check functions
references/github-api.md	Rate limiting, CLI commands, GraphQL, releases

Checklist

• All git commands sequential (&& chains)
• No lock file conflicts
• No sensitive files staged
• Commit is atomic (single logical change)
• Message follows conventional format with HEREDOC
• PR description includes all required sections
• Rate limits checked before batch API operations