Git Incremental Commits

Git Incremental Commits

Goal

Turn all uncommitted changes into a sequence of small, clear Conventional Commits, stopping when git status is clean.

Workflow

1. Run git status -sb and git diff --stat to understand scope.
2. Identify logical groups: dependencies, config, feature code, tests, docs, refactors, fixes.
3. Commit in smallest safe slices:
   • Prefer single-purpose commits.
   • Use git add -p to stage hunks when files mix concerns.
   • Use whole-file staging when the file is cohesive.
4. After each commit, re-check git status -sb and repeat.
5. Stop only when the working tree is clean and no untracked files remain (unless explicitly told to leave them).

Grouping Heuristics

• Dependencies: If package manifests change (e.g., package.json), commit them with their lockfiles in the same commit.
• Config/Build: Commit build or CI config separately (e.g., tsconfig, eslint, CI files).
• Feature work: Prefer one commit per feature slice.
• Fixes: Keep bug fixes isolated from refactors when possible.
• Tests: Pair tests with the change they validate, unless tests are a separate logical unit.
• Docs: Keep docs-only changes separate.

Conventional Commit Rules

• Use type(scope): subject or type: subject.
• Keep subject short, imperative, and specific.
• Suggested types: feat, fix, chore, refactor, docs, test, build, ci.
• Dependency changes: prefer build(deps): add <pkg> or chore(deps): bump <pkg>.

Safety Checks

• Do not include unrelated changes in the same commit.
• If a file mixes unrelated edits and hunk-splitting is ambiguous, ask before proceeding.
• If there are generated files or large diffs, confirm intent before committing.

Command Pattern

• Inspect: git status -sb, git diff --stat, git diff.
• Stage: git add -p or git add <file>.
• Commit: git commit -m "type(scope): subject".
• Repeat until clean.