Git Commit Skill for Claude
Generate conventional commit messages for Java projects. Use when user says "commit", "create commit", "commit changes", or after completing code changes that need to be committed.
Install
one command, takes just this skill from the repositorynpx skills add https://github.com/decebals/claude-code-java --skill git-commitWhat comes with it
538 bytes besides the instructionThe instruction itself
27 sections, as written by the authorGit Commit Message Skill
Generate conventional, informative commit messages for Java projects.
When to Use
- After making code changes
- User says "commit this" / "commit changes" / "create commit"
- Before creating PRs
Format Standard
Use Conventional Commits format:
<type>(<scope>): <subject>
<body>
<footer>
Types (Java context)
- feat: New feature (new API, new functionality)
- fix: Bug fix
- refactor: Code refactoring (no functional change)
- test: Add/update tests
- docs: Documentation only
- perf: Performance improvement
- build: Maven/Gradle changes
- chore: Maintenance (dependency updates, etc)
Scope Examples (Java specific)
- Module name:
core,api,plugin-loader - Component:
PluginManager,ExtensionFactory - Area:
lifecycle,dependencies,security
Subject Rules
- Imperative mood: "Add support" not "Added support"
- No period at end
- Max 50 chars
- Lowercase after type
Body (optional but recommended)
- Explain WHAT and WHY, not HOW
- Wrap at 72 chars
- Reference issues: "Fixes #123" / "Relates to #456"
Examples
Simple fix
fix(plugin-loader): prevent NPE when plugin directory is missing
Check for null before accessing plugin directory to avoid
NullPointerException during initialization.
Fixes #234
Feature with breaking change
feat(api): add support for plugin dependencies versioning
BREAKING CHANGE: PluginDescriptor now requires semantic versioning
format (x.y.z) instead of free-form version strings.
Closes #567
Refactoring
refactor(core): extract plugin validation logic
Move validation logic from PluginManager to separate
PluginValidator class for better testability and separation
of concerns.
Test addition
test(plugin-loader): add integration tests for plugin loading
Add comprehensive integration tests covering:
- Loading from directory
- Loading from JAR
- Error handling for invalid plugins
Build/dependency update
build(deps): upgrade Spring Boot to 3.2.1
Update Spring Boot from 3.1.0 to 3.2.1 for security patches
and performance improvements.
Workflow
- Analyze changes using
git diff --staged - Identify scope from modified files
- Determine type based on change nature
- Generate message following format
- Execute commit:
git commit -m "message"
Token Optimization
- Read staged changes ONCE:
git diff --staged --stat+ targeted file diffs - Don't read entire files unless necessary
- Use concise body - aim for 2-3 lines max
- Batch multiple small changes into logical commits
Anti-patterns
❌ Avoid:
- "fix stuff" / "update code" / "changes"
- "WIP" commits (unless explicitly requested)
- Mixing unrelated changes (use separate commits)
- Over-detailed technical implementation in message
✅ Good commits:
- Single logical change
- Clear, searchable subject
- References issues when applicable
- Explains business value
Integration with GitHub
After commit, suggest next steps:
- "Push changes?"
- "Create PR for issue #X?"
- "Continue with next task?"
Common Patterns for Java Projects
Adding new functionality
feat(extension): add support for prioritized extensions
Allow extensions to specify priority order for execution.
Extensions with higher priority run first.
Closes #123
Fixing bugs
fix(classloader): resolve resource lookup in nested JARs
ClassLoader.getResource() was failing for resources in
JARs loaded from plugin JARs (nested JARs). Fixed by
implementing proper resource resolution chain.
Fixes #456
Dependency updates
build(deps): bump slf4j from 1.7.30 to 2.0.9
Updates SLF4J to latest stable version. No API changes
required as we use only stable APIs.
Documentation improvements
docs(readme): add plugin development quickstart guide
Add step-by-step guide for creating first plugin:
- Project setup
- Implementing Plugin interface
- Building and testing
Performance optimizations
perf(plugin-loader): cache plugin descriptors
Cache parsed plugin descriptors to avoid repeated I/O
and parsing. Reduces plugin loading time by ~40%.
Related to #789
Multi-file Changes
When changes span multiple components:
refactor(core): reorganize plugin lifecycle management
- Extract lifecycle state machine to separate class
- Move validation logic to validators package
- Update tests to reflect new structure
This refactoring improves testability and separation
of concerns without changing external APIs.
Related to #111, #222
Breaking Changes
Always use BREAKING CHANGE footer:
feat(api)!: replace Plugin.start() with Plugin.initialize()
BREAKING CHANGE: The Plugin.start() method has been renamed
to Plugin.initialize() for better semantic clarity. All
plugin implementations must update their code.
Migration guide: Replace @Override start() with @Override
initialize() in all Plugin implementations.
Closes #999
Quick Reference Card
| Change Type | Type | Example Scope |
|-------------|------|---------------|
| New feature | feat | api, core, loader |
| Bug fix | fix | plugin-loader, lifecycle |
| Refactoring | refactor | core, utils |
| Tests | test | integration, unit |
| Docs | docs | readme, javadoc |
| Build | build | maven, deps |
| Performance | perf | classloader, cache |
| Maintenance | chore | ci, tooling |
References
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How to use it
Take decebals/git-commit from the repository into ~/.claude/skills for personal
use, or into .claude/skills inside a project.
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same name cannot sit side by side — one of them will be ignored.