git-workflow

name	git-workflow
description	Git workflow standards including commit messages, branch management, and success criteria. Use when committing code, creating branches, or preparing changes for review.
type	skill
aidlc_phases	["build","test","review"]
tags	["git","version-control","workflow","commits","branches"]
requires	[]
author	Melissa Benua
created_at	"2026-03-07T00:00:00.000Z"
updated_at	"2026-03-22T00:00:00.000Z"

Git Workflow Standards

When to Use

• When creating commits
• When deciding whether to create a branch
• Before declaring work complete
• When preparing changes for pull requests

Branch Protection

1. Never commit directly to main - create a feature branch first
2. Always pull from main before branching - run git fetch origin && git rebase origin/main (or git pull origin main) before creating a feature branch or starting work. This prevents merge conflicts in the PR.
3. Branch naming: Use kebab-case that describes the change (e.g., add-user-authentication, fix-memory-leak)
4. Stay on feature branches - don't create feature branches off feature branches

Success Criteria

Changes are considered successful when ALL of the following are met:

1. Requirements satisfied - original task goals are achieved
2. Build passes - code compiles without errors
3. Tests pass - all existing and new tests succeed
4. No linting errors - code follows project style guidelines
5. Files formatted - code is properly formatted
6. Complete changes - no partial or incomplete modifications
7. Dependencies included - all necessary imports and packages added
8. Documentation updated - relevant docs reflect the changes

Language-Specific Checks

Language	Build Command	Test Command
JavaScript/TypeScript	npm run build	npm test
Python	N/A	pytest or python -m unittest
Go	go build	go test ./...
Rust	cargo build	cargo test
C#	dotnet build	dotnet test

Commit Message Format

<type>(<scope>): <brief description>

<detailed description>

Cursor-Task: <original task description>

Types

Type	When to Use
feat	New feature
fix	Bug fix
refactor	Code restructuring without behavior change
style	Formatting, whitespace changes
docs	Documentation only
test	Adding or modifying tests
infra	Infrastructure, CI/CD, deployment
chore	Maintenance tasks

Guidelines

• Brief description: Max 72 characters, imperative mood ("add" not "added")
• Scope: Optional, indicates area affected (e.g., auth, api, ui)
• Detailed description: 1-2 sentences explaining the why
• Cursor-Task: Reference the original task that prompted the change

Examples

Good Commit

git commit -m "feat(auth): implement OAuth2 user authentication

Add Google OAuth2 authentication flow with JWT token handling.
Update user model to support OAuth providers.

Cursor-Task: Add OAuth2 authentication for user login"

Good Infrastructure Commit

git commit -m "infra(aws): update ECS task definitions

Increase memory allocation and add CloudWatch logging.

Cursor-Task: Optimize ECS resource allocation"

Bad Commits

• git commit -m "fixed stuff" - Missing type, not descriptive
• git commit -m "wip" - Never commit work-in-progress
• Committing with failing tests - Always verify success criteria first

Tools

• Prefer git command line for operations
• Use GitHub MCP for creating pull requests when available
• If MCP isn't working, prompt the user for next steps

Pre-Commit Checklist

Before every commit, verify:

• Pulled from main first — git fetch origin && git rebase origin/main before branching
• Build compiles successfully
• All tests pass
• No linting errors
• Changes match the original task
• No secrets or credentials in the commit
• Documentation updated if needed