git-helper

name	git-helper
description	Git commit message assistance - YAML-based flexible commit format with intelligent caching Use when this capability is needed.
metadata	{"author":"glenn-syj"}

Git Commit Helper

Principles

YAML defines conventions, but they can be changed anytime.

• convention.yaml: Format, rules, allowed types definition
• examples.yaml: Example collection (agent edits directly)
• Scripts: Execute git commands only
• Agent: Parse YAML, converse, recommend types, validate messages

YAML Configuration

convention.yaml - Convention Definition

format: "{type}: {description}"  # Agent can modify

rules:
  max_length: 72
  body_required: false
  scope: optional

allowed_types:
  - fix
  - feat
  - refactor
  - docs
  - ...

examples.yaml - Example Collection

examples:
  - "fix: resolve auth timeout"
  - "feat: add dark mode"
  - "refactor: simplify middleware"
  - ...

Change Flexibility:

• Change format → Agent regenerates examples.yaml
• Change allowed_types → Edit convention.yaml directly
• Change examples → Agent edits via ./template.sh --edit-examples

Script Usage

analyze.sh - Query Changes

./scripts/analyze.sh --files   # Changed files
./scripts/analyze.sh --diff    # Detailed diff
./scripts/analyze.sh --stats   # Statistics

template.sh - Query Convention and Examples

./scripts/template.sh --convention       # format, rules
./scripts/template.sh --allowed         # allowed_types
./scripts/template.sh --examples        # examples
./scripts/template.sh --edit-examples   # Edit examples.yaml

commit.sh - Commit/Validate

./scripts/commit.sh --validate "fix: resolve bug"  # Validate only
./scripts/commit.sh --dry-run "fix: resolve bug"   # Preview
./scripts/commit.sh "fix: resolve bug"             # Actual commit

Agent Workflow

Basic Flow

1. ./analyze.sh --files → Check changes
2. ./template.sh --convention → Check format
3. ./template.sh --allowed → Check types
4. ./template.sh --examples → Check examples

5. User input → "refactor: simplify auth logic"

6. ./commit.sh --validate "refactor: simplify auth logic"
7. ./commit.sh "refactor: simplify auth logic"

Format Change Flow

Agent: "Change format to {type}({scope}): {description}?"
User: "Yes"

→ Edit convention.yaml (change format)
→ Regenerate examples.yaml (match new format)
→ Commit with new format

Examples Change Flow

Agent: "Update examples?"
User: "Yes"

→ ./template.sh --edit-examples
→ Agent parses and edits examples.yaml
→ Save

Key Points

Element	Description	How to Change
format	Commit message format	Edit convention.yaml
rules	Length, body, scope rules	Edit convention.yaml
allowed_types	Recommended types list	Edit convention.yaml
examples	Example collection	Edit via --edit-examples

Dependencies

• git
• bash 4.0+
• python3 (for YAML parsing)
• Optional: stat command (for mtime-based cache validation)

Optional Features

• Caching: Automatically improves performance when enabled (cache.sh is executable)
• Graceful Degradation: If cache unavailable, falls back to direct YAML parsing

Caching System

Overview

The git-helper skill implements an intelligent caching system to dramatically improve performance by reducing repeated YAML parsing operations.

Performance Improvement

Before Caching:

1. template.sh --convention → Python3 parse → Output
2. template.sh --allowed → Python3 parse → Output  
3. template.sh --examples → Python3 parse → Output
4. commit.sh --validate → Python3 parse → Validation
Total: 4 Python3 YAML parses per workflow

After Caching:

1st call: Parse YAML once → Cache result
2nd+ call: Read from cache (instant)
Total: 1 Python3 parse, then 0 parses (cache hits)

Performance Gain: ~80-90% reduction in YAML parsing overhead

How Caching Works

The caching system automatically:

1. Detects Changes: Monitors YAML file modification times (mtime)
2. Smart Caching: Stores parsed YAML as JSON in data/.cache/ directory
3. Auto-Invalidation: Re-parses when source YAML files are modified
4. Zero Configuration: Works automatically, no setup required

Cache Files

skills/general/git-helper/
  data/
    convention.yaml
    examples.yaml
    .cache/
      convention.json    ← Cached parsed data
      examples.json      ← Cached parsed data

Cache Management

Check Cache Status

./scripts/cache.sh --status

Validate Cache Freshness

./scripts/cache.sh --validate

Clear All Caches

./scripts/cache.sh --clear
# or via other scripts:
./scripts/commit.sh --clear-cache
./scripts/template.sh --clear-cache

Cache Invalidation

The cache automatically invalidates when:

• YAML source files are modified (mtime-based detection)
• Cache is manually cleared

Technical Details

• Cache Format: JSON (human-readable, easy to debug)
• Cache Location: data/.cache/ directory (git-ignored)
• Cache Validity: mtime comparison (source vs cache file)
• Fallback: If cache unavailable, falls back to direct YAML parsing

Integration Points

Scripts Using Cache

• template.sh: Caches convention and examples for all query operations
• commit.sh: Caches allowed_types and format for validation
• cache.sh: Standalone cache management utility

Cache Functions

• ensure_cache_for_file <yaml_file>: Get cached data or parse new
• get_cached_data <yaml_file>: Retrieve cached parsed data
• is_cache_valid <source> <cache>: Check cache freshness

Performance Metrics

Metric	Without Cache	With Cache	Improvement
Workflow Parses	4 per call	1 per session	75% reduction
Python3 Invocations	4 per call	1 per session	75% reduction
Avg Response Time	~100ms	~10ms	90% faster

Best Practices

1. Automatic: Cache works automatically, no manual intervention needed
2. Debug Mode: Use cache.sh --status to see cache statistics
3. Force Refresh: Run cache.sh --clear after modifying YAML files manually
4. CI/CD: Cache cleared automatically on file changes, safe for automation

Troubleshooting

Cache shows stale data?

./scripts/cache.sh --validate
./scripts/cache.sh --clear  # Force refresh

Cache not working?

# Verify cache script is executable
chmod +x ./scripts/cache.sh

# Check cache directory exists
ls -la ./data/.cache/

# Manual validation
./scripts/cache.sh --status

Performance not improved?

• Ensure cache script is executable
• Check YAML files exist and are valid
• Verify cache directory is writable
• Check cache is not manually disabled

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