| name | caveman-commit |
| description | Use when writing git commit messages, especially when ARCS Caveman mode is active. Produces Conventional Commits with terse, intent-preserving prose. Subject ≤50 chars; body only when the "why" isn't obvious from the diff. |
Skill: caveman-commit
When
Writing git commit messages. Terse, exact, Conventional Commits. Why over what.
Flow
flowchart TD
A[Read diff] --> B[Classify: feat/fix/refactor/perf/docs/test/chore]
B --> C["Write subject: type(scope): imperative ≤50"]
C --> D{Why obvious from diff?}
D -->|yes| E[Subject only — done]
D -->|no| F[Write body: why + context]
F --> G{Breaking/security/migration?}
G -->|yes| H[MUST include body]
G -->|no| E
H --> E
Format Rules
| Element | Rule |
|---|
| Subject | <type>(<scope>): <imperative> ≤50 chars (hard cap 72) |
| Types | feat, fix, refactor, perf, docs, test, chore, build, ci, style, revert |
| Mood | Imperative: "add", "fix", "remove" — not past/present tense |
| Body | Wrap 72 chars, bullets -, skip if subject self-explanatory |
| Issues | End of body: Closes #42, Refs #17 |
Never Include
- "This commit does X", "I", "we", "now" — diff says what
- AI attribution (unless explicitly requested)
- Emoji (unless project history uses them)
- Trailing period on subject
Always Include Body For
- Breaking changes, security fixes (cite CVE), data migrations, reverts (name SHA)
Constraints
- Output message as code block only — do not run
git commit
- "Stop caveman-commit" or "normal mode" → revert to verbose style
