common-git-collaboration

Git & Collaboration

Priority: P0 (CRITICAL)

1. Write Conventional Commits

• Format: <type>(<scope>): <description> (e.g., feat(auth): add login validation).
• Types: feat, fix, docs, style, refactor, perf, test, chore.
• Use imperative mood: "add feature" not "added feature".
• One commit = one logical change — no mega-commits.

See implementation examples for conventional commit examples.

2. Manage Branches

• Name with prefixes: feat/, fix/, hotfix/, refactor/, docs/.
• Create new branch for every task to keep main stable and deployable.
• Never push directly to main or develop — use Pull Requests.
• Pull before you push to resolve conflicts locally.
• Prefer git rebase over merge for linear history on feature branches.
• Use git rebase -i to squash messy commits before pushing.

3. Submit Quality Pull Requests

• Limit to < 300 lines of code for effective review.
• State what changed, why, and how to test. Link issues (Closes #123).
• Self-review for obvious errors before requesting peers.
• PRs must pass all CI checks (lint, test, build) before merging.

4. Protect Secrets and Metadata

• Never commit .env, keys, or certificates — use .gitignore strictly.
• Use husky or lefthook for local Git Hooks enforcement.
• Tag releases with SemVer (vX.Y.Z) and update CHANGELOG.md.

Anti-Patterns

• No direct push to main: All changes via PR, no exceptions.
• No mega-commits: One commit = one logical change. Split large ones.
• No secrets in history: Use git filter-repo to purge; rotate secret.

References

• Clean Linear History & Rebase Examples