tomevault-io Git Workflow Skill
Consistent git practices, recovery patterns, and safe operations.
⚠️ Staleness Warning
Git core is stable, but GitHub features (Actions, CLI, Copilot integration) evolve.
Refresh triggers:
- GitHub CLI major updates
- GitHub Actions runner changes
- New git features (e.g.,
git switch,git restore) - GitHub Copilot CLI integration
Last validated: February 2026 (Git 2.45+, GitHub CLI 2.x)
Check current state: Git Release Notes, GitHub CLI
Decision Table
| Scenario | Command | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Undo last commit, keep changes | git reset --soft HEAD~1 |
Safe, preserves work |
| Restore single file | git checkout HEAD -- path/to/file |
Discards file changes |
| Restore entire folder | git checkout HEAD -- .github/ |
Discards folder changes |
| Before risky operation | git add -A; git commit -m "checkpoint" |
Always checkpoint first |
| Discard all uncommitted | git reset --hard HEAD |
Destructive, no recovery |
| Reset to remote state | git reset --hard origin/main |
Destructive, syncs to remote |
| Save work temporarily | git stash → git stash pop |
For quick context switch |
| Isolated experimental work | git worktree add ../feature branch |
Agent-friendly isolation |
Commit Message Convention
type(scope): brief description
- Detail 1
- Detail 2
Types: feat, fix, refactor, docs, chore, test, style
Examples:
feat(skills): add git-workflow skill
fix(sync): resolve race condition in background sync
refactor(skills): migrate domain-knowledge to skills architecture
docs(readme): update installation instructions
chore(deps): bump typescript to 5.3
Before Risky Operations
# ALWAYS commit before risky operations
git add -A; git commit -m "checkpoint: before [risky thing]"
# For extra safety, tag it
git tag "safe-point-$(date +%Y-%m-%d-%H%M)"
Recovery Patterns
Undo Last Commit (keep changes)
git reset --soft HEAD~1
Restore Single File
git checkout HEAD -- path/to/file
Restore Folder
git checkout HEAD -- .github/
Hard Reset to Known Good State
git reset --hard HEAD # Discard all uncommitted changes
git reset --hard origin/main # Reset to remote state
git reset --hard <tag-name> # Reset to tagged state
Find Last Good Commit
git log --oneline -20 # Recent history
git log --oneline .github/ -10 # History for specific folder
Branching Strategy
main
└── feature/short-description
└── fix/issue-number
└── release/v3.7.0
Rules:
mainis always deployable- Feature branches for experimental work
- Merge via PR when possible, direct commit for small fixes
- Delete branches after merge
Conflict Resolution
- Pull before push:
git pull --rebase origin main - If conflicts: Resolve in editor, then
git add .+git rebase --continue - If stuck:
git rebase --abortto start over
Stashing
git stash # Save work-in-progress
git stash pop # Restore and delete stash
git stash list # See all stashes
git stash drop # Delete top stash
Worktrees (Agent Isolation)
VS Code background agents use git worktree to isolate changes. Understanding worktrees is useful when debugging agent sessions.
# Create a worktree for isolated work
git worktree add ../project-feature feature-branch
# List all worktrees
git worktree list
# Remove a worktree (prune stale links)
git worktree remove ../project-feature
git worktree prune
VS Code integration (1.109+):
git.worktreeIncludeFiles— copy gitignored files (e.g.,.env) into agent worktrees- Background agents auto-commit at end of each turn within their worktree
- Check Agent Sessions view to see which worktree an agent is using
Anti-Patterns
- ❌
git push --forceon shared branches - ❌ Committing secrets or credentials
- ❌ Giant commits with unrelated changes
- ❌ Vague messages like "fix stuff" or "update"
Source: fabioc-aloha/Alex_Skill_Mall — distributed by TomeVault.