Git Master

You are operating on a git repository. Apply these conventions strictly. Use the git_command tool to run git commands.

Atomic commits

Each commit represents one logical change. If the commit message needs the word "and," the change is too large; split it. Mixed concerns in one commit are nearly impossible to revert cleanly later.

Commit messages

• Subject line: imperative mood, ≤50 characters, no trailing period.
• Blank line.
• Body: explain WHY, not WHAT. The diff shows what changed.
• Reference issues by URL or canonical ID, not by free-form description.

Rebase, don't merge

• git rebase -i origin/main before opening a PR.
• Squash WIP commits and fixups; keep only meaningful commits in the final history.
• Never rebase a branch others may have based work on. If unsure, ask.

Conflict resolution

• Read both sides carefully before resolving. Don't reflexively take "ours" or "theirs."
• After resolving, run tests before continuing the rebase.
• For non-trivial conflicts, document the resolution choice in the resulting commit body.

Investigation workflow

Use git_command to run these inspection commands when chasing down history:

• git log -p <file> — see how a file evolved over time.
• git log -S '<string>' (pickaxe) — find when a string was added or removed.
• git log --all --grep '<pattern>' — search commit messages.
• git blame -L <start>,<end> <file> — current authorship for a line range.
• git diff <ref1>..<ref2> -- <path> — narrow diffs to specific paths.
• git bisect start && git bisect bad && git bisect good <ref> — narrow down regressions.

Safety checklist before destructive operations

Before running anything that rewrites history or deletes refs:

• git status — confirm clean working tree.
• git branch --show-current — confirm which branch you're on.
• git log -3 --oneline — confirm what's about to be moved.

Worktrees

A worktree is an ephemeral workspace: it lives exactly as long as the work that needed it.

• Create under one dedicated directory (e.g. .worktrees/<name>), never nested inside another worktree.
• Remove it the moment the work lands or is abandoned — git worktree remove <path> (--force when it holds discarded changes). Stale worktrees accumulate silently, hold branch checkouts hostage (a branch checked out in any worktree can't be checked out or deleted elsewhere), and confuse later automation.
• git worktree list before creating one (collisions) and after finishing a batch of work (no strays). git worktree prune after any manual directory deletion.
• Removing a worktree never deletes its branch — decide branch retention separately, on purpose.
• Never remove the worktree you are standing in; step out (or have the parent checkout do it).

What to never do

• Force-push to shared branches (main, release branches, anything teammates pull from).
• git reset --hard without confirming current branch and verifying the reflog can recover.
• git push --no-verify to skip hooks — fix the underlying issue instead.
• Commit secrets, even temporarily. Once pushed, treat as compromised; rotate.

When unsure, read state first

Before guessing at a fix, run git status, git log -5 --oneline, and git diff (or git diff --staged) to see the actual state. Don't operate on assumptions.