2 ms·

>the number one rule of commit messages in my book is explaining WHY the commit exists The commit message should say what changed, not why. Comments are for e

• qznc 12y ago
  Comments tell why the code does what it does. Commit messages tell why the code does something different than before. Example comment: i++; // because server starts counting at 0 (not 1) Example commit: Our customer switched to bar (from foo), which starts counting at 0 instead
• pjc50 12y ago
  The diff shows you what changed. The commit message is a comment on the diff and absolutely should say what it's for. This enables you to easily compile release notes, for example.
  • davexunit 12y ago
    Yes, it should say what it's for, but it shouldn't need to explain itself any further. Sorry if I didn't make that clear. For example, if someone refactored something, the commit log can simply say "Factorize foo", it need not explain why they were refactoring in the first place.
• nirvdrum 12y ago
  That works as long as you're adding code. But what about when you're deleting code? I absolutely want to know why you've removed something.