Commit Message Formatting

Git and most Git tools have a convention for commit message formatting where the message is comprised of a one line summary that starts with the Jira issue ID (50 characters or less), a blank line and then an optional detailed description. Think of it like the subject and then body of an email. A more detailed description can be found here: https://github.com/blog/926-shiny-new-commit-styles

Tips, Tricks, and Useful Commands

• Visualizing your local repository

  • gitk

• Checkout a remote branch to a new local branch
  • git checkout -t origin/branchname
• Show the current status of your local working copy
  • git status
• Perform a diff of your local working copy, including files that have been staged for commit (git add)
  • git diff --cached

• Add specific changes to commit
  • git add path/to/file
• Commit all locally changed files
  • git commit -a
• Remove local changes from the working directory but keep track of them for later use
  • git stash
• Apply stashed changes
  • git stash pop