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Commits

Git-Staging-Diagram-2

Commits keep track of progress and changes as we work. Git treats each commit as a "save point". It's a point in the project which can be reverted to if a bug is found, or you want to make a change.

Whenever performing a commit, always include a commit message. Following this practice improves the comprehension of your code and subsequently improves your project's maintainability.

[user@localhost] $ git commit -m "init commit"
[master (root-commit) d3d38f6] init commit
 3 files changed, 23 insertions(+)
 create mode 100644 README.md
 create mode 100644 index.html
 create mode 100644 styles.css

git commit performs a commit and the -m "message" adds a message to the commit.
Now the staging area has been committed to the repository with the message "init commit".

There are general guidelines for writing git commit message which are common in industry. It's highly valuable to be aware of these practices to write effective and informative commit messages.

Git Commits without staging​

Sometimes when small changes are made, the staging area can seem like a hassle. Hence, it's convienient to commit directly and avoid the staging area.
By using the -a option on git commit, it's possible to stage every changed and already tracked file.

To show this let's update index.html slightly:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
    <head>
        <title>Hello World!</title>
        <link rel="stylesheet" href="styles.css">
    </head>

    <body>
        <h1>Hello world!</h1>
        <p>This is the first file in my new Git Repo.</p>
        <p>A new line within our page!</p>
    </body>
</html>
info

Recall, to open a file to edit in your working directory with Vim, enter the command vim filename and enter insert mode (I key on the keyboard). To save and exit enter normal mode (esc key) and enter the command :wq (write and quit).

Now let's check the status of our repo, however with the --short option to get a more compact response:

[user@localhost] $ git status --short
M index.html

Note: The --short option on git status is also synonymous with -s. Hence, either git status -s or git status --short can be used to perform the same action.

Here's some valuable information about short git status flags.

Now let's commit directly:

[user@localhost] $ git commit -a -m "feat: Added a new line in index.html"
feat: Added a new line in index.html
 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+)

Notice how the commit message follows the conventional commits structure.

warning

Warning: It's typically not best practice to skip the staging area since it's possible to accidentally commit unwanted changes. Commit carefully.

In order to view the commit history of your repository, use the log command:

[user@localhost] $ git log
commit c4c4abe5c0156a5626cdafc1e5722d5b2b23e833 (HEAD -> master)
Author: example user <user@example.com>
Date:   Sun Jul 21 14:12:35 2024 -0400

    feat: Added a new line in index.html

commit d3d38f65bb0bde98b47a6747d8d02b2e53bd0bcb
Author: example user <user@example.com>
Date:   Sun Jul 21 13:46:57 2024 -0400

    init commit