jcorpac Git Atomic Commits
An "atomic" commit is a single unit of work. It does one thing and does it completely. This practice makes history easier to read and reverts safer to perform.
Core Rules
- Single Responsibility: One commit = one feature, one bug fix, or one refactor.
- Working State: Every commit should leave the project in a buildable/testable state.
- No "Mixed Bag" Commits: Don't combine a bug fix with a new feature, or documentation with code changes.
Tactics
- Stage Hunks: Use
git add -pto interactively stage only the parts of a file that belong to the current unit of work. - Commit Early: If you're working on a feature and find a small bug, commit your progress, fix the bug in a separate commit, then resume your feature work.
Value
- Simplified Reverts: If a feature breaks something, you can revert just that commit without losing unrelated work.
- Clear Reviews: Pull requests with atomic commits are much easier for reviewers to follow and verify.