majiayu000 Write and Commit Skill
Purpose: Create a new file and commit it in a single atomic operation, reducing LLM round-trips from 4-5 to 2-3.
Performance: 60-75% faster than traditional workflow
When to Use This Skill
✅ Use write-and-commit When:
- Creating a new file that will be committed immediately
- File content is ready and complete (no iterative edits needed)
- You want to save time on routine file creation
- Creating scripts that need executable permissions
- Adding configuration files or documentation
- Creating test files or example code
❌ Do NOT Use When:
- Editing existing files (use Edit tool instead)
- File content is complex and may need iteration
- Creating multiple related files that should be in one commit together
- File is part of larger refactoring (commit all changes together)
- You need to review the file before committing
- Creating files in task protocol states that require agent delegation
Performance Comparison
Traditional Workflow (4-5 LLM round-trips, 20-30s)
[LLM Round 1] Write file
→ Write tool: Create file with content
[LLM Round 2] Make executable (if needed)
→ Bash: chmod +x file.sh
[LLM Round 3] Stage file
→ Bash: git add file.sh
[LLM Round 4] Commit file
→ Bash: git commit -m "Add file"
[LLM Round 5] Report success
→ Report commit SHA to user
Total: 20-30 seconds, 4-5 LLM round-trips
Optimized Workflow (2-3 LLM round-trips, 5-8s)
[LLM Round 1] Plan and execute
→ Write content to temp file
→ Write commit message to temp file
→ Bash: write-and-commit.sh file.sh /tmp/content /tmp/msg --executable
[LLM Round 2] Report success
→ Parse JSON result
→ Report commit SHA to user
Total: 5-8 seconds, 2-3 LLM round-trips
Savings: 60-75% faster
Usage
Basic File Creation
# Step 1: Prepare content and commit message (in LLM)
cat > /tmp/content-$$.txt <<'EOF'
File content goes here...
EOF
cat > /tmp/commit-msg-$$.txt <<'EOF'
Add new feature file
Description of what this file does.
EOF
# Step 2: Execute atomic creation
/workspace/main/.claude/scripts/write-and-commit.sh \
"path/to/file.txt" \
"/tmp/content-$$.txt" \
"/tmp/commit-msg-$$.txt"
Executable Script Creation
# For scripts that need executable permissions
/workspace/main/.claude/scripts/write-and-commit.sh \
".claude/scripts/my-script.sh" \
"/tmp/content-$$.txt" \
"/tmp/commit-msg-$$.txt" \
--executable
Output Format
Script returns JSON:
{
"status": "success",
"message": "File created and committed successfully",
"duration_seconds": 2,
"file_path": "path/to/file.txt",
"executable": false,
"commit_sha": "abc123def456",
"working_directory": "/workspace/main",
"timestamp": "2025-11-08T00:15:30-05:00"
}
LLM Integration Pattern
Example: User asks to create a new utility script
User: Create a script to clean up temporary files
LLM Round 1 (Planning + Execution):
# Draft script content
cat > /tmp/cleanup-script-$$.sh <<'SCRIPT'
#!/bin/bash
# Clean up temporary files
find /tmp -name "*.tmp" -mtime +7 -delete
SCRIPT
# Draft commit message
cat > /tmp/commit-msg-$$.txt <<'MSG'
Add temporary file cleanup script
Removes .tmp files older than 7 days from /tmp directory.
MSG
# Execute atomic creation
/workspace/main/.claude/scripts/write-and-commit.sh \
".claude/scripts/cleanup-temp.sh" \
"/tmp/cleanup-script-$$.sh" \
"/tmp/commit-msg-$$.txt" \
--executable
Script Output:
{
"status": "success",
"commit_sha": "3f8a920",
"duration_seconds": 2,
...
}
LLM Round 2 (Verification):
Created cleanup script successfully!
- File: .claude/scripts/cleanup-temp.sh
- Executable: Yes
- Commit: 3f8a920
- Duration: 2 seconds
Safety Features
Precondition Validation
- ✅ Verifies we're in a git repository
- ✅ Creates parent directories if needed
- ✅ Warns if overwriting existing file
Atomic Operation
- ✅ File creation and commit happen together
- ✅ If commit fails, file still exists (staged)
- ✅ Can be reverted with standard git commands
Error Handling
On any error, script:
- Exits immediately with clear error message
- Returns JSON with error status
- Leaves repository in clean state (file may be staged)
Recovery: If script fails after file creation but before commit:
# File exists but not committed
git reset HEAD <file> # Unstage
rm <file> # Remove if unwanted
Common Use Cases
1. Create Configuration File
# Creating .gitignore
cat > /tmp/content.txt <<'EOF'
*.tmp
*.log
build/
EOF
write-and-commit.sh ".gitignore" /tmp/content.txt /tmp/msg.txt
2. Create Documentation
# Creating README for a subdirectory
cat > /tmp/content.txt <<'EOF'
# Component Documentation
...
EOF
write-and-commit.sh "docs/component/README.md" /tmp/content.txt /tmp/msg.txt
3. Create Test File
# Creating a test file
cat > /tmp/content.txt <<'EOF'
public class MyTest {
@Test
public void testFeature() {
// Test implementation
}
}
EOF
write-and-commit.sh "src/test/java/MyTest.java" /tmp/content.txt /tmp/msg.txt
4. Create Executable Script
# Creating a hook script
cat > /tmp/content.txt <<'EOF'
#!/bin/bash
# Hook implementation
EOF
write-and-commit.sh ".claude/hooks/my-hook.sh" /tmp/content.txt /tmp/msg.txt --executable
When NOT to Use
Multiple Related Files
❌ Wrong: Create files one-by-one with write-and-commit
write-and-commit.sh file1.txt /tmp/content1 /tmp/msg1
write-and-commit.sh file2.txt /tmp/content2 /tmp/msg2
write-and-commit.sh file3.txt /tmp/content3 /tmp/msg3
# Result: 3 separate commits
✅ Correct: Use traditional workflow, commit together
Write file1.txt
Write file2.txt
Write file3.txt
git add file1.txt file2.txt file3.txt
git commit -m "Add related files"
# Result: 1 commit with all files
Files Needing Review
❌ Wrong: Commit immediately if unsure about content ✅ Correct: Create with Write tool, review, then commit manually
Task Protocol States
❌ Wrong: Main agent creates source files in IMPLEMENTATION state ✅ Correct: Delegate to stakeholder agents via Task tool
Frequency and Impact
Expected Usage: 10-20 times per day
Time Savings per Use: ~15 seconds
Daily Impact: 150-300 seconds (2.5-5 minutes)
Monthly Impact: 50-100 minutes (almost 2 hours)
Related
- Write tool: For creating files without immediate commit
- Edit tool: For modifying existing files
- git-squash-optimized.sh: For combining commits after creation
- CLAUDE.md § Backup-Verify-Cleanup Pattern: Git operation best practices