commit-grouping-hygiene

name	commit-grouping-hygiene
description	Split landed work into focused commits and isolate stale automation cleanup
domain	git, review
confidence	high
source	earned
last_updated	2026-05-29T15:07:47.442+02:00

Context

Use this when a working tree already contains a completed feature or fix plus docs and leftover automation artifacts, and your job is to turn that diff into reviewable commits without rewriting history.

Pattern

• Inspect the whole diff before staging anything so you can group files by behavior lane instead of by directory alone.
• Put executable behavior changes first (for example tooling targets and CI proof), then documentation that explains the shipped behavior.
• If the branch contains stale automation debris such as .squad\commit-msg.txt, remove it in a final housekeeping commit together with any required Squad history or decision updates.
• Keep housekeeping out of the product commits unless the cleanup is required for the feature to function.
• Use direct git add <paths> and git commit -m "<message>" commands so the grouping stays deterministic and non-interactive.

Anti-patterns

• Mixing docs, product logic, and Squad bookkeeping into one commit when the diff naturally separates.
• Leaving temporary commit-message files or other automation leftovers dangling after the product commits are created.
• Amending or force-rewriting commits when the task only requires focused grouping of the current working tree.