How to Write Good Commit Messages: A Guide for Developers

As a developer, writing good commit messages is an important skill to have. Not only does it help to keep your codebase organized, but it also makes it easier for you and your team to understand changes made to the code over time. In this post, we'll go over some tips on how to write good commit messages.

1. Be concise
   The first tip is to keep your commit messages short and to the point. A good commit message should summarize the changes made in the commit in a single line, and provide more detail in the body of the message if necessary. This helps to make your commit messages easy to read and understand.

2. Use imperative mood
   When writing your commit messages, use the imperative mood (e.g. "Fix bug" instead of "Fixed bug" or "Fixes bug") to describe what the commit does, as if you're giving a command. This makes your commit messages more clear and actionable.

3. Include a summary
   The first line of your commit message should be a short summary of the changes made in the commit. This should be no longer than 50 characters, and should be followed by a blank line. The summary should be descriptive enough to give a high-level overview of the changes made.

4. Provide context
   In the body of the commit message, provide context for the changes made. This could include a brief explanation of why the change was made, any relevant background information, or a description of the approach taken to make the change. This helps to give your team a better understanding of the changes made.

5. Be consistent
   Establish a consistent style for your commit messages across your project, so that everyone on your team knows what to expect. This could include using a specific format for the summary, or using specific keywords to indicate the type of change being made (e.g. "feat" for a new feature, "fix" for a bug fix). Consistency helps to make your commit messages easier to read and understand.

6. Edit your message
   Before committing your changes, take a moment to review your commit message and make sure it accurately describes the changes you've made. If you realize there's something you've missed, don't be afraid to amend your commit message to provide more information.

By following these tips, you can write clear, concise commit messages that help to keep your codebase organized and easy to understand. Writing good commit messages may seem like a small thing, but it can have a big impact on your team's productivity and efficiency. So, take the time to craft good commit messages - your future self (and your team) will thank you!