commit-changes

Commit Changes

Stage files selectively, write clear commit messages, and verify commit history.

When to Use

• Saving a logical unit of work to version control
• Creating a commit with a descriptive, conventional message
• Amending the most recent commit (message or content)
• Reviewing what will be committed before committing

Inputs

• Required: One or more changed files to commit
• Optional: Commit message (will be drafted if not provided)
• Optional: Whether to amend the previous commit
• Optional: Co-author attribution

Procedure

Step 1: Review Current Changes

Check working tree status and inspect diffs:

# See which files are modified, staged, or untracked
git status

# See unstaged changes
git diff

# See staged changes
git diff --staged

Got: A clear picture of all modified, staged, and untracked files.

If fail: If git status fails, verify you are inside a git repository (git rev-parse --is-inside-work-tree).

Step 2: Stage Files Selectively

Stage specific files rather than using git add . or git add -A to avoid accidentally including sensitive files or unrelated changes:

# Stage specific files by name
git add src/feature.R tests/test-feature.R

# Stage all changes in a specific directory
git add src/

# Stage parts of a file interactively (not supported in non-interactive contexts)
# git add -p filename

Review what is staged before committing:

git diff --staged

Got: Only the intended files and changes are staged. No .env, credentials, or large binaries.

If fail: Unstage accidentally added files with git reset HEAD <file>. If sensitive data was staged, unstage before committing.

Step 3: Write a Commit Message

Use conventional commits format. Always pass the message via HEREDOC for proper formatting:

git commit -m "$(cat <<'EOF'
feat: add weighted mean calculation

Implements weighted_mean() with support for NA handling and
zero-weight filtering. Includes input validation for mismatched
vector lengths.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <[email protected]>
EOF
)"