Suggestion Adding Commit Conventions To The Contribution Guide

Hey guys! Let's talk about a cool suggestion to improve our Contribution Guide. This is all about making our project even more awesome and easier for everyone to contribute to. So, what's the big idea? We're thinking of adding some guidelines on how to write commit messages. Trust me, this might sound a bit technical, but it's super helpful in the long run!

Why Commit Conventions Matter?

So, you might be wondering, why should we even care about commit message conventions? Well, let me tell you, **commit messages are like the breadcrumbs of our project's history **. They tell us what changes were made, why they were made, and how they were made. When we have clear and consistent commit messages, it becomes way easier to:

• Understand the History: Imagine trying to debug an issue months after the code was written. Good commit messages can help you trace back the changes and understand why certain decisions were made.
• Collaborate Effectively: When everyone follows the same conventions, it's easier for team members to understand each other's work and collaborate seamlessly.
• Generate Release Notes: Consistent commit messages can be automatically used to generate release notes, saving us a ton of time and effort.
• Maintain the Project: A well-documented commit history makes it easier to maintain the project in the long run. It helps new contributors get up to speed quickly and reduces the chances of introducing bugs.

Think of it this way: if our commit messages are messy and unclear, it's like trying to read a book with missing pages and random notes scribbled everywhere. Not fun, right? But with commit conventions, we can create a clean, organized, and easy-to-follow history for our project.

The Suggestion: Adding Commit Message Guidelines

Okay, so what exactly are we suggesting? The main idea is to add a section to our Contribution Guide that explains how to write good commit messages. This section would include:

• A Standard Format: We can introduce a standard format for commit messages, such as the popular Conventional Commits format. This format typically includes a type, a scope, and a description, like feat(auth): add user authentication. This might look like a bunch of jargon now, but we'll break it down further!
• Commit Types: We'd list out common commit types, like feat (for new features), fix (for bug fixes), docs (for documentation changes), style (for code style improvements), refactor (for code refactoring), test (for adding or improving tests), and chore (for miscellaneous tasks). Knowing these types helps people to quickly understand the purpose of commit, just at a glance.
• Scope (Optional): The scope helps to identify which part of the codebase the commit affects, for example, auth, user, or api. This gives added context and helps to filter messages. It's like adding a chapter to your commit book!
• Description: A clear and concise description of the changes made. This should explain what the commit does in a way that's easy to understand. Avoid vague language and try to be as specific as possible.
• Examples: We'd provide plenty of examples to illustrate how to write good commit messages. This will make it super clear for everyone to follow the guidelines. Everyone learns better with examples, right?

By adding these guidelines, we can ensure that our commit history remains clean, consistent, and informative. This will benefit everyone who contributes to the project, both now and in the future.

Exploring the Conventional Commits Specification

Let's dive a bit deeper into the Conventional Commits specification, since this is the format we're leaning towards. This specification provides a standardized format for commit messages, making them both human-readable and machine-readable. This means that tools can automatically parse these messages to generate release notes, changelogs, and more. Pretty neat, huh?

The basic structure of a Conventional Commit message looks like this:

<type>(<scope>): <description>

[body]

[footer(s)]

Let's break down each part:

• <type>: As we mentioned earlier, the type indicates the category of the commit. Common types include feat, fix, docs, style, refactor, test, and chore. There can be more types and sometimes custom types depending on the team. The most important is to settle on one list and stick to it.
• <scope> (optional): The scope specifies the part of the codebase affected by the commit. This could be a module, a component, or any other relevant identifier. Leaving it empty means the commit affects multiple parts, so use it with discretion.
• <description>: The description is a brief summary of the changes. It should be concise and start with a lowercase letter. Try to keep it under 50 characters to keep it readable. Think of it as the subject line of an email – it should give the reader a quick idea of what the commit is about.
• [body] (optional): The body provides more detailed information about the commit. This is where you can explain the why behind the changes, provide context, and discuss any trade-offs or considerations. You can use multiple paragraphs in the body.
• [footer(s)] (optional): The footer can be used to add metadata, such as issue tracker references (e.g., Closes #123) or breaking change notes (e.g., BREAKING CHANGE: Removed deprecated API).

Here are a few examples of Conventional Commit messages:

• feat(user): add user profile page
• fix(auth): prevent multiple login attempts
• docs: update contribution guide with commit conventions
• style(code): enforce consistent code formatting

By adopting the Conventional Commits specification, we can create a structured and consistent commit history that benefits both humans and machines. This will make our project easier to understand, maintain, and evolve over time.

Alternatives Considered: A Quick Look

Before settling on the idea of adding commit conventions to our guide, we also thought about a few other options. One alternative was to simply let everyone write commit messages however they want. But, as we discussed earlier, this can lead to a messy and inconsistent commit history, which can be a headache down the road.

Another idea was to enforce commit message conventions through automated tools, such as commit linters. These tools can check commit messages against a set of rules and reject commits that don't comply. While this approach can be effective, it can also be a bit too strict and might discourage new contributors. We want to make contributing as welcoming as possible, so we decided that a more gentle approach would be better.

That's why we believe that adding guidelines to our Contribution Guide is the best option. It provides a clear and helpful resource for contributors, without being overly restrictive. It's all about striking the right balance between guidance and flexibility.

Visualizing Commit Types with a Table

To make the commit types even clearer, we could include a table in our Contribution Guide. A table can provide a quick and easy reference for contributors, helping them choose the right type for their commits. Here's an example of what that table might look like:

This table provides a concise overview of the different commit types and their meanings. Contributors can quickly refer to this table when writing their commit messages, ensuring that they choose the most appropriate type for their changes.

Conclusion: Let's Make Contributing Even Better!

So, that's the suggestion in a nutshell! We think that adding commit conventions to our Contribution Guide is a great way to improve our project and make it even more welcoming for contributors. By providing clear guidelines and examples, we can ensure that our commit history remains clean, consistent, and informative. This will benefit everyone who contributes to the project, both now and in the future.

What do you guys think? We're open to your feedback and suggestions. Let's discuss this further and see how we can make our project even better together! Clear commit messages are really part of a culture of code excellence and we would be taking one step further in that direction.