5 Useful Tips For A Better Commit Message

The page argues that commit messages should be written for future readers, especially reviewers and the same developer weeks or years later. It recommends a short summary line, a blank line after it, spell checking and 72-column wrapping in Vim, and a fuller message that explains the reason for the change, the approach taken, and the side effects.

It also advises against using git commit -m, since that encourages overly compressed messages. Instead, it suggests including a link to the issue, story, or card, and treating the commit message as part of the project history.

Reading notes

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• Keep the first line to 50 characters or less, then leave a blank line.
• Use Vim commit plugins, plus spell checking and 72-column wrapping for git commit messages.
• Avoid git commit -m / –message= because it encourages poor commit messages.
• Explain why the change is necessary, how it addresses the issue, and what side effects it has.
• Include a full URL to the related issue, story, or card as a standard part of the message.
• Treat commit messages as part of the project history that helps others understand the change later.