squash-commits

Squash Commits Command

Squash all commits in the current branch into a single commit with a comprehensive message.

Instructions

Execute the following steps to squash commits safely:

Step 1: Validate State

First, verify the repository state is clean and identify the base branch:

# Check for uncommitted changes
git status --porcelain

# Identify the base branch (develop or main)
git branch -r | grep -E 'origin/(develop|main)$' | head -1

If there are uncommitted changes, STOP and inform the user they must commit or stash changes first.

Step 2: Identify Commits to Squash

Determine the merge base and list all commits:

# Find the merge base with the target branch (adjust branch name as needed)
git merge-base HEAD origin/develop

# Count commits since merge base
git rev-list --count $(git merge-base HEAD origin/develop)..HEAD

# List all commits with full messages
git log $(git merge-base HEAD origin/develop)..HEAD --format="=== COMMIT %h ===%n%B"

If there is only 1 commit, inform the user there is nothing to squash.

Step 3: Analyze Commit Messages

Read and analyze all commit messages from Step 2. Create a comprehensive combined message that:

1. Summarizes the overall change in a clear subject line (50 chars max if possible)
2. Preserves important details from each original commit
3. Groups related changes logically
4. Maintains any issue/PR references (e.g., #123, fixes #456)
5. Removes redundant information (e.g., repeated "fix typo" commits can be consolidated)

Format the message as:

<type>: <concise summary of all changes>

<Detailed description organized by logical groupings>

- <Key change 1>
- <Key change 2>
- ...

<Any preserved references or metadata>

Step 4: Perform the Squash

Use soft reset to squash (preserves all changes in staging):

# Store the merge base commit
MERGE_BASE=$(git merge-base HEAD origin/develop)

# Soft reset to merge base (keeps changes staged)
git reset --soft $MERGE_BASE

# Verify staged changes match expected
git diff --cached --stat