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Git Commit Message Guidelines

This guide captures recommended commit message conventions for this repository.

Consistent commit messages reduce review back-and-forth and make history lookups faster. They also support automated release-note generation from commit logs when teams choose to adopt it.

Format

Recommended structure:

  1. Subject line
  2. Blank line
  3. Body (one or more wrapped paragraphs)
  4. Optional grouped bullet sections
  5. Optional trailers (Refs:, Co-authored-by:, and similar)

Subject Line

  • Start with the ticket ID when available (for example: TKT-1234).
  • Keep it short and action-oriented.
  • Target about 50 characters when practical.
  • Use imperative style (Add, Fix, Update, Refactor).
  • Avoid a trailing period.

Common subject variants:

  • <ticket-id>: <short imperative title>
  • <ticket-id> <area>: <short imperative title>

Examples:

  • TKT-1234: Add Python linting with flake8 + pylint
  • TKT-1234 linting: Add groovylint and markdownlint

Body

  • Leave the second line blank.
  • Wrap lines around 72 characters.
  • Explain what changed and why.
  • Include useful validation context when it adds review value.

Good pattern:

  • Paragraph 1: primary change and intent.
  • Paragraph 2: related fixes discovered during validation.
  • Paragraph 3: validation scope or consumer testing notes.

Large or Multi-Area Commits

For broad commits, group the body by area so future readers can scan it quickly.

Examples:

  • Linter framework wiring:
  • Script implementation:
  • Docs and tooling updates:

Prefer grouped scope summaries over a long unstructured file list.

Style Recommendations

  • Keep wording factual and concise.
  • Avoid vague phrases like misc fixes.
  • Keep the subject focused even if the body explains added scope.

Signed-off-by Policy

HPE baseline policy requires a Signed-off-by: trailer for non-employee contributors.

Local group policy is stricter: require Signed-off-by: for all commits, including employee-authored commits.

This repository enforces Signed-off-by: trailers on pull requests through the DCO / Signed-off-by required status check.

References

For broader background, see the Git Book section on commit guidelines:

That section aligns well with the conventions used here, especially the short summary line, blank-line separation, imperative mood, and wrapping the body around 72 columns.

Example Template

SRE-XXXX: Short imperative summary

One or two sentences describing the primary change and purpose.

If needed, summarize related fixes discovered during validation and why
they were included in the same commit.

Validation summary (optional): list tested platforms, consumer repos, or
commands.

Linter framework wiring:
- ...

Script implementation:
- ...

Docs and tooling updates:
- ...