Git Operations & Workflow

Context

This repository uses Git for version control with a main branch deployment strategy. Changes are committed locally, pushed to GitHub, and automatically deployed via GitHub Actions.

Repository: oviney/blog
Main Branch: main
Remote: https://github.com/oviney/blog

Commit Convention: Use conventional commit format:

• feat: - New features
• fix: - Bug fixes
• docs: - Documentation changes
• style: - CSS/design changes
• refactor: - Code restructuring
• test: - Test additions/changes
• chore: - Maintenance tasks

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Check Status Before Committing

cd /Users/ouray.viney/code/economist-blog-v5
git status

Review:

• Red files = unstaged (not added)
• Green files = staged (ready to commit)
• Untracked files = new files not in git

2. Review Changes

# View all changes
git diff

# View staged changes only
git diff --cached

# View specific file changes
git diff path/to/file

3. Stage Files

# Stage specific files
git add path/to/file1 path/to/file2

# Stage all changes in directory
git add docs/skills/

# Stage all changes
git add .

4. Commit Changes

# Standard commit
git commit -m "feat: add Claude Skills persistence architecture"

# Multi-line commit with description
git commit -m "feat: implement defect tracking dashboard" -m "- Created GitHub Projects board
- Added bug issue template
- Set up labels for priority and components"

Commit Message Best Practices:

• Start with conventional commit prefix
• Use imperative mood ("add" not "added")
• Keep first line under 72 characters
• Add detailed description in second message if needed

5. Push to Remote

# Push to main branch
git push origin main

# Push new branch
git push -u origin feature-branch-name

6. Verify Push

• Check GitHub Actions: https://github.com/oviney/blog/actions
• Wait for deployment (~1-2 minutes)
• Verify on production: https://www.viney.ca/

Common Pitfalls

Pitfall 1: Committing Without Reviewing Changes

Problem: Accidentally commit unwanted files or sensitive data
Solution: Always run git status and git diff before committing
Prevention: Use git add for specific files, not git add . blindly

Pitfall 2: Vague Commit Messages

Problem: Messages like "fix stuff" or "updates" that don't explain what changed
Solution: Write clear, descriptive messages following conventional commit format
Example: "feat: add priority labels to bug tracker" instead of "updates"

Pitfall 3: Forgetting to Pull Before Push

Problem: Push rejected because remote has changes you don't have
Solution: Pull first if working with others: git pull origin main
Note: For solo projects, this is less common

Pitfall 4: Pushing Directly to Main Without Testing

Problem: Broken code deployed to production
Solution: Pre-commit hook validates builds locally before commit
Reminder: Never use --no-verify to bypass checks

Pitfall 5: Large Binary Files

Problem: Accidentally committing large images, videos, or generated files
Solution: Check file sizes before committing. Use `.gitignore` for build artifacts
Example: Don't commit _site/, node_modules/, .DS_Store

Code Snippets/Patterns

Standard Commit Workflow

cd /Users/ouray.viney/code/economist-blog-v5

# Check what changed
git status
git diff

# Stage specific changes
git add docs/skills/ docs/AI_CODING_GUIDELINES.md

# Commit with descriptive message
git commit -m "feat: implement Claude Skills persistence architecture"

# Push to remote
git push origin main

When to use: Every code change

Feature Branch Workflow

# Create and switch to new branch
git checkout -b feature/new-feature

# Make changes and commit
git add .
git commit -m "feat: implement new feature"

# Push branch to remote
git push -u origin feature/new-feature

# Create PR on GitHub, then merge

When to use: Large features that need review before merging

Undo Last Commit (Before Push)

# Keep changes, undo commit
git reset --soft HEAD~1

# Discard changes and commit
git reset --hard HEAD~1

When to use: Made a mistake in last commit, haven't pushed yet

Check Commit History

# View recent commits
git log --oneline -10

# View commits with file changes
git log --stat

# View specific file history
git log --follow path/to/file

When to use: Review what was changed and when

Stash Changes Temporarily

# Save uncommitted changes
git stash

# Apply stashed changes
git stash pop

# List all stashes
git stash list

When to use: Need to switch context without committing

Related Files

• `.gitignore` - Files excluded from git
• `.git/hooks/pre-commit` - Pre-commit validation script
• `docs/DEVELOPMENT_WORKFLOW.md` - Full development workflow
• `.github/workflows/jekyll.yml` - CI/CD pipeline

Success Criteria

• Changes reviewed with git status and git diff
• Only relevant files staged
• Commit message follows conventional format
• Pre-commit hook passed (if applicable)
• Push successful
• GitHub Actions build passed
• Changes visible on production (if applicable)

Version History

• 1.0.0 (2026-01-05): Initial git operations skill creation