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The seven rules of a great git commit message

  1. Separate subject from body with a blank line
  2. Limit the subject line to 50 characters
  3. Capitalize the subject line
  4. Do not end the subject line with a period
  5. Use the imperative mood in the subject line
  6. Wrap the body at 72 characters
  7. Use the body to explain what and why vs. how

A properly formed git commit subject line should always be able to complete the following sentence:

If applied, this commit will <<your subject line here>>

 

For example:

  • If applied, this commit will Refactor subsystem X for readability
  • If applied, this commit will Update getting started documentation
  • If applied, this commit will Remove deprecated methods
  • If applied, this commit will Release version 1.0.0
  • If applied, this commit will Merge pull request #123 from user/branch

Notice how this doesn't work for the other non-imperative forms:

  • If applied, this commit will fixed bug with Y
  • If applied, this commit will changing behavior of X
  • If applied, this commit will more fixes for broken stuff
  • If applied, this commit will sweet new API methods

Remember: Use of the imperative is important only in the subject line. You can relax this restriction when you're writing the body.

Reference: http://chris.beams.io/posts/git-commit

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