Git

Controlling version control.

We use Git for version control and use Conventional Commits for branch names and commit messages to enforce consistency and enjoy automatic changelog generation.

Branches

Use short and descriptive, kebab-cased names with a conventional commits type prefix separated by a slash, like so:

• feat/implement-arbitrator

• fix/invalid-rulings-from-arbitrator

When several people are working on a branch, you may create personal branches that can be merged before merging the main branch to develop. For example:

• feat/implement-arbitrator/alice

• feat/implement-arbitrator/bob

Always delete merged branches, locally and remotely. You can use the following command to list them, git branch --merged | grep -v "\*".

Commits

It's important for commits to follow a standard to allow efficient navigation of change history in the case of regressions and to make reviewers' lives easier.

When to Commit

As a general guideline, each commit should be a single logical change. Don't make several logical changes in one commit. For example, if a commit fixes a bug and optimizes the performance of a feature, split it. Here are some useful tips:

• Use git add -p to interactively stage specific portions of modified files.

• Commit early and often. Small, self-contained commits are easier to understand and revert when something goes wrong.

• Order commits logically.

When working locally, it's OK if your branch history is not perfect, but that should be cleaned up before pushing upstream.

Messages

Follow Conventional Commits. If the repo uses Kathari, you can just run yarn run cz and follow the prompts to craft a valid message.

Note that all the words in a commit message are in present tense except for the first word in the footer, e.g. Closes, Fixes, etc.

Merging

Branches that are used by CI/CD processes, like develop and master should never have their history rewritten.

Before merging:

• Make sure the branch you are merging is fresh by rebasing it into the target branch.

• Verify that all commits adhere to this guide, otherwise, fix them.

• Wait for all CI/CD processes to give the green light.

Always alert other people who are working on a branch when you are about to rewrite its history.

Misc. Tips

Test before you push. Do not push half-done work.

Use lightweight tags to bookmark commits for future reference.

Keep repos in good shape by performing maintenance tasks from time to time:

• git-gc

• git-prune

• git-fsck