checkin

name	checkin
description	Automates the full commit workflow: analyzes changes, runs tests, writes commit message, stages files, commits, and handles failures by fixing issues until the commit succeeds. Use when the user wants to commit their changes.

Checkin Skill

Automates the full commit workflow: analyzes changes, runs tests, writes commit message, stages files, commits, and handles failures by fixing issues until the commit succeeds.

Workflow

Step 1: Analyze Changes

Run these commands in parallel to understand the current state:

git status
git diff
git diff --staged

From this analysis:

• Identify what files changed and why
• Determine which files should be staged (exclude secrets, generated files, etc.)

Step 2: Run Tests and Checks First

CRITICAL: Always run all checks before committing. This catches issues early and prevents failed commits.

# Check formatting
cargo fmt --check

# Run clippy linting
cargo clippy -- -D warnings

# Run all tests
cargo test -q

If formatting issues are found:

1. Auto-fix with cargo fmt
2. Re-stage modified files

If clippy warnings are found:

1. Fix each warning in the source code
2. Do NOT add #[allow(...)] unless the warning is a genuine false positive

If tests fail:

1. Do NOT proceed with the commit
2. Launch the fix-test-failures agent to diagnose and fix the failures
3. Re-run tests after fixes
4. Only proceed to staging when all checks pass

Step 3: Stage and Commit

1. Stage relevant files using git add
2. Write a commit message following this format:
   • Subject line: Imperative mood, max 50 chars, no period (e.g., "Add boundary contour support" not "Added boundary contour support.")
   • Body (if needed): Blank line after subject, wrap at 72 chars, explain why not what
   • End with the co-author line
3. Commit using PowerShell syntax (this is a Windows/PowerShell environment):

$msg = "Subject line`n`nBody text`n`nCo-Authored-By: Claude <[e-mail]>"; git commit -m $msg

Step 4: Handle Failures

If the commit fails due to pre-commit hooks or other issues:

1. Identify the failure type from the output:
   • rustfmt formatting — Run cargo fmt to auto-fix, then re-stage
   • clippy warnings — Fix each warning manually
   • test failures — Launch the fix-test-failures agent
2. After fixing: Attempt the commit again

Step 5: Iterate Until Success

Repeat Step 4 until the commit succeeds. Each iteration:

• Run the commit
• If it fails, fix the issues
• Try again

Use --amend only when:

• The previous commit attempt succeeded but hooks modified files that need including
• The HEAD commit was created in this session
• The commit has NOT been pushed to remote

Otherwise, create a new commit with the fixes.

Step 6: Confirm Success

After a successful commit:

• Run git status to verify the commit succeeded
• Report the commit hash and summary to the user

Important Notes

• Do NOT push to remote — the user will handle that
• Do NOT commit files that contain secrets (.env, credentials, API keys, etc.)
• Do NOT weaken tests to make them pass — fix the actual bugs
• Shell is PowerShell on Windows — Do NOT use bash heredoc syntax (<<'EOF'). Use PowerShell string variables with backtick-n (`n) for newlines

Quality Commitment

Fix every single error. No exceptions.

When errors occur during the commit process:

• Do NOT skip errors or mark them as "known issues"
• Do NOT disable tests to make them pass
• Do NOT add workarounds that hide problems
• Do NOT give up after a few attempts

Take the hard path:

• Investigate root causes, not just symptoms
• Fix the underlying bug, even if it requires significant changes
• Ensure the fix is correct, not just passing
• Keep iterating until the code is genuinely right

Quality matters. Every error is an opportunity to make the code better.