Generating Commit Messages

Step-by-Step Instructions

Installation

1. Run the install script to download and set up CodeGPT:

   bash < <(curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/appleboy/CodeGPT/main/install.sh)
   

2. Configure your AI provider in ~/.config/codegpt/.codegpt.yaml:

   openai:
     provider: openai # or: azure, anthropic, gemini, ollama, groq, openrouter
     api_key: your_api_key_here
     model: gpt-4o
   

Basic Usage

1. Stage your changes:

   git add <files>
   

2. Generate and commit with AI-generated message:

   codegpt commit --no_confirm
   

   Note: You don't need to manually run git diff to review your changes. CodeGPT automatically reads the staged changes and analyzes them to generate an appropriate commit message.

Advanced Options

• Set language: Use --lang to specify output language (en, zh-tw, zh-cn)

  codegpt commit --lang zh-tw --no_confirm
  

• Use specific model: Override the default model

  codegpt commit --model gpt-4o --no_confirm
  

• Exclude files: Ignore certain files from the diff analysis

  codegpt commit --exclude_list "*.lock,*.json" --no_confirm
  

• Custom templates: Format messages according to your team's style

  codegpt commit --template_string "[{{.summarize_prefix}}] {{.summarize_title}}" --no_confirm
  

• Amend commit: Update the previous commit message

  codegpt commit --amend --no_confirm
  

Examples of Inputs and Outputs

Example 1: Adding a new feature

Input:

# After making changes to add user authentication
git add src/auth.go src/middleware.go
codegpt commit --no_confirm

Output:

feat: add user authentication middleware

Implement JWT-based authentication system with login and token validation
middleware for protecting API endpoints.

Example 2: Fixing a bug

Input:

# After fixing a null pointer error
git add src/handlers/user.go
codegpt commit --no_confirm

Output:

fix: resolve null pointer exception in user handler

Add nil checks before accessing user object properties to prevent crashes
when processing requests with missing user data.

[Preview shown, waiting for confirmation...]

Example 3: Chinese language commit

Input:

git add docs/README.md
codegpt commit --lang zh-tw --no_confirm

Output:

docs: 更新專案說明文件

新增安裝步驟說明以及使用範例，讓新使用者能夠快速上手。

Example 4: Custom template with ticket number

Input:

git add src/api/payment.go
codegpt commit --template_string "{{.summarize_prefix}}(JIRA-123): {{.summarize_title}}" --no_confirm

Output:

feat(JIRA-123): integrate payment gateway API

Example 5: Excluding lock files

Input:

git add .
codegpt commit --exclude_list "package-lock.json,yarn.lock,go.sum" --no_confirm

Output:

refactor: reorganize project structure

Move utility functions into separate packages and update import paths
throughout the codebase for better modularity.

(Lock files excluded from analysis)

Common Edge Cases

No staged changes

Issue: Running codegpt commit without staging any changes.

Solution: Stage your changes first:

git add <files>
codegpt commit

API timeout for large diffs

Issue: Large changesets may cause API timeouts.

Solution: Increase timeout or commit changes in smaller batches:

codegpt commit --timeout 60s --no_confirm

Generated files in diff

Issue: Lock files or generated code affecting commit message quality.

Solution: Exclude these files from analysis:

codegpt commit --exclude_list "package-lock.json,yarn.lock,*.min.js,dist/*" --no_confirm

API key not configured

Issue: Error message about missing API key.

Solution: Set up your API key in the config file:

codegpt config set openai.api_key "your-api-key-here"

Custom commit format required

Issue: Team requires specific commit message format (e.g., with ticket numbers).

Solution: Use custom templates:

codegpt commit --template_string "[{{.summarize_prefix}}](TICKET-123): {{.summarize_title}}"

Or save it in config file:

git:
  template_string: "[{{.summarize_prefix}}]({{.ticket}}): {{.summarize_title}}"

Network proxy required

Issue: API calls fail due to corporate firewall.

Solution: Configure proxy settings:

codegpt commit --proxy http://proxy.company.com:8080
# Or for SOCKS proxy
codegpt commit --socks socks5://127.0.0.1:1080