xzAscC · June 22, 2025 21:08 · Nov 21, 2022 · Nov 21, 2022 · Jan 13, 2022 · Jan 13, 2022
diff --git a/git-commit-template.md b/git-commit-template.md
@@ -59,6 +59,8 @@ No need to remember everything - or really much at all, except to *not* use
 `git commit -m "Commit message"`, as this means I won't see the template 
 I made. 
 
+**NOTE**: This kind of "template", strictly speaking consisting only of "commented out" stuff, depends on the `commit.cleanup` config being `strip` so the comments will be stripped out (ignored) in the commit message. `strip` is the default setting, so if you haven't changed it you should be good. (Thanks, [@devdrops](https://github.com/devdrops), for making me aware of this.)
+
 ## Template File 
 Here is my template*, which i put in a file called `.gitmessage` in my 
 home directory: 

diff --git a/git-commit-template.md b/git-commit-template.md
@@ -2,13 +2,13 @@
 
 The always enthusiastic and knowledgeable mr. [@jasaltvik](https://github.com/jasaltvik) shared with our team 
 an article on writing (good) Git commit messages: 
-[How to Write a Git Commit Message](https://chris.beams.io/posts/git-commit/). 
+[How to Write a Git Commit Message](https://cbea.ms/git-commit/). 
 This excellent article explains why *good* Git commit messages are important, 
 and explains what constitutes a good commit message. I wholeheartedly agree 
 with what [@cbeams](https://github.com/cbeams) writes in his article. (Have you read it yet? If not, go 
-[read it now](https://chris.beams.io/posts/git-commit/). I'll wait.) 
+[read it now](https://cbea.ms/git-commit/). I'll wait.) 
 It's sensible stuff. So I decided to start following the 
-[seven rules](https://chris.beams.io/posts/git-commit/#seven-rules) 
+[seven rules](https://cbea.ms/git-commit/#seven-rules) 
 he proposes. 
 
 ...There's only one problem: My mind is already stuffed with things I should do 

diff --git a/git-commit-template.md b/git-commit-template.md
@@ -20,12 +20,12 @@ what I see in my editor:
 
 ```
 # Title: Summary, imperative, start upper case, don't end with a period
-# No more than 50 chars. #### 50 chars is here: #
+# No more than 50 chars. #### 50 chars is here:  #
 
 # Remember blank line between title and body.
 
 # Body: Explain *what* and *why* (not *how*). Include task ID (Jira issue).
-# Wrap at 72 chars. ################################## which is here: #
+# Wrap at 72 chars. ################################## which is here:  #
 
 # At the end: Include Co-authored-by for all contributors. 
 # Include at least one empty line before it. Format: 
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ what I see in my editor:
 # with '#' will be ignored, and an empty message aborts the commit.
 #
 # On branch master
-# Your branch is up to date with 'origin/master'.
+# Your branch is up to date with 'origin/main'.
 #
 # Changes to be committed:
 #       new file:   installation.md
@@ -65,12 +65,12 @@ home directory:
 
 ```
 # Title: Summary, imperative, start upper case, don't end with a period
-# No more than 50 chars. #### 50 chars is here: #
+# No more than 50 chars. #### 50 chars is here:  #
 
 # Remember blank line between title and body.
 
 # Body: Explain *what* and *why* (not *how*). Include task ID (Jira issue).
-# Wrap at 72 chars. ################################## which is here: #
+# Wrap at 72 chars. ################################## which is here:  #
 
 
 # At the end: Include Co-authored-by for all contributors. 
@@ -110,6 +110,16 @@ which in turn contains a section on the `commit.template` configuration value.
 has a different kind of template, which is an actual template: It contains text 
 which will become a part of the commit message. 
 
+I also made a Gist on [Adding co-authors to Git commits](https://gist.github.com/lisawolderiksen/f9747a3ae1e58e9daa7d176ab98f1bad) to share the credit for collaborative efforts. 
+
+## Addendum
+
+An easy way to get this config using a single command:
+
+`printf "# Title: Summary, imperative, start upper case, don't end with a period\n# No more than 50 chars. #### 50 chars is here:  #\n\n# Remember blank line between title and body.\n\n# Body: Explain *what* and *why* (not *how*). Include task ID (Jira issue).\n# Wrap at 72 chars. ################################## which is here:  #\n\n\n# At the end: Include Co-authored-by for all contributors. \n# Include at least one empty line before it. Format: \n# Co-authored-by: name <[email protected]>\n#\n# How to Write a Git Commit Message:\n# https://chris.beams.io/posts/git-commit/\n#\n# 1. Separate subject from body with a blank line\n# 2. Limit the subject line to 50 characters\n# 3. Capitalize the subject line\n# 4. Do not end the subject line with a period\n# 5. Use the imperative mood in the subject line\n# 6. Wrap the body at 72 characters\n# 7. Use the body to explain what and why vs. how\n" > ~/.gitmessage && git config --global commit.template ~/.gitmessage`
+
+Thanks a lot to [@manav148](https://github.com/manav148), [@rany2](https://github.com/rany2) and [@drjasonharrison](https://github.com/drjasonharrison) for the suggestions in the comments! The command I included above includes some updates I made to the template that were not there at the time of the comments; the line length indicators and the missing space in the first item of the numbered list.
+
 ## Footnotes 
 
 *) It may be argued that this is, strictly speaking, not a template, as 

diff --git a/git-commit-template.md b/git-commit-template.md
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 # Using Git Commit Message Templates to Write Better Commit Messages
 
-The always enthusiastic and knowledgeable mr. @jasaltvik shared with our team 
+The always enthusiastic and knowledgeable mr. [@jasaltvik](https://github.com/jasaltvik) shared with our team 
 an article on writing (good) Git commit messages: 
 [How to Write a Git Commit Message](https://chris.beams.io/posts/git-commit/). 
 This excellent article explains why *good* Git commit messages are important, 
 and explains what constitutes a good commit message. I wholeheartedly agree 
-with what @cbeams writes in his article. (Have you read it yet? If not, go 
+with what [@cbeams](https://github.com/cbeams) writes in his article. (Have you read it yet? If not, go 
 [read it now](https://chris.beams.io/posts/git-commit/). I'll wait.) 
 It's sensible stuff. So I decided to start following the 
 [seven rules](https://chris.beams.io/posts/git-commit/#seven-rules) 

diff --git a/git-commit-template.md b/git-commit-template.md
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # Using Git Commit Message Templates to Write Better Commit Messages
 
-One of my colleagues shared an article on writing (good) Git commit messages 
-today: 
+The always enthusiastic and knowledgeable mr. @jasaltvik shared with our team 
+an article on writing (good) Git commit messages: 
 [How to Write a Git Commit Message](https://chris.beams.io/posts/git-commit/). 
 This excellent article explains why *good* Git commit messages are important, 
 and explains what constitutes a good commit message. I wholeheartedly agree 

diff --git a/git-commit-template.md b/git-commit-template.md
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ what I see in my editor:
 # How to Write a Git Commit Message:
 # https://chris.beams.io/posts/git-commit/
 #
-# 1.Separate subject from body with a blank line
+# 1. Separate subject from body with a blank line
 # 2. Limit the subject line to 50 characters
 # 3. Capitalize the subject line
 # 4. Do not end the subject line with a period
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ home directory:
 # How to Write a Git Commit Message:
 # https://chris.beams.io/posts/git-commit/
 #
-# 1.Separate subject from body with a blank line
+# 1. Separate subject from body with a blank line
 # 2. Limit the subject line to 50 characters
 # 3. Capitalize the subject line
 # 4. Do not end the subject line with a period

diff --git a/git-commit-template.md b/git-commit-template.md
@@ -27,7 +27,10 @@ what I see in my editor:
 # Body: Explain *what* and *why* (not *how*). Include task ID (Jira issue).
 # Wrap at 72 chars. ################################## which is here: #
 
-
+# At the end: Include Co-authored-by for all contributors. 
+# Include at least one empty line before it. Format: 
+# Co-authored-by: name <[email protected]>
+#
 # How to Write a Git Commit Message:
 # https://chris.beams.io/posts/git-commit/
 #
@@ -70,6 +73,10 @@ home directory:
 # Wrap at 72 chars. ################################## which is here: #
 
 
+# At the end: Include Co-authored-by for all contributors. 
+# Include at least one empty line before it. Format: 
+# Co-authored-by: name <[email protected]>
+#
 # How to Write a Git Commit Message:
 # https://chris.beams.io/posts/git-commit/
 #

diff --git a/git-commit-template.md b/git-commit-template.md
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# Using Git Commit Message Templates 
+# Using Git Commit Message Templates to Write Better Commit Messages
 
 One of my colleagues shared an article on writing (good) Git commit messages 
 today: 

diff --git a/git-commit-template.md b/git-commit-template.md
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# Using Git commit message templates 
+# Using Git Commit Message Templates 
 
 One of my colleagues shared an article on writing (good) Git commit messages 
 today: 

diff --git a/git-commit-template.md b/git-commit-template.md
@@ -0,0 +1,109 @@
+# Using Git commit message templates 
+
+One of my colleagues shared an article on writing (good) Git commit messages 
+today: 
+[How to Write a Git Commit Message](https://chris.beams.io/posts/git-commit/). 
+This excellent article explains why *good* Git commit messages are important, 
+and explains what constitutes a good commit message. I wholeheartedly agree 
+with what @cbeams writes in his article. (Have you read it yet? If not, go 
+[read it now](https://chris.beams.io/posts/git-commit/). I'll wait.) 
+It's sensible stuff. So I decided to start following the 
+[seven rules](https://chris.beams.io/posts/git-commit/#seven-rules) 
+he proposes. 
+
+...There's only one problem: My mind is already stuffed with things I should do 
+and things to remember. The chance of me remembering every rule every time I 
+commit something, are next to 0. So I made myself a Git commit message 
+template. That way, I don't have to remember the rules, they are presented to 
+me whenever I write a commit message. So now, when I do `git commit`, this is 
+what I see in my editor: 
+
+```
+# Title: Summary, imperative, start upper case, don't end with a period
+# No more than 50 chars. #### 50 chars is here: #
+
+# Remember blank line between title and body.
+
+# Body: Explain *what* and *why* (not *how*). Include task ID (Jira issue).
+# Wrap at 72 chars. ################################## which is here: #
+
+
+# How to Write a Git Commit Message:
+# https://chris.beams.io/posts/git-commit/
+#
+# 1.Separate subject from body with a blank line
+# 2. Limit the subject line to 50 characters
+# 3. Capitalize the subject line
+# 4. Do not end the subject line with a period
+# 5. Use the imperative mood in the subject line
+# 6. Wrap the body at 72 characters
+# 7. Use the body to explain what and why vs. how
+
+# Please enter the commit message for your changes. Lines starting
+# with '#' will be ignored, and an empty message aborts the commit.
+#
+# On branch master
+# Your branch is up to date with 'origin/master'.
+#
+# Changes to be committed:
+#       new file:   installation.md
+#
+```
+
+What I see consists of two parts; first my own template, then Git's standard 
+message asking me to "Please enter the commit message". 
+No need to remember everything - or really much at all, except to *not* use 
+`git commit -m "Commit message"`, as this means I won't see the template 
+I made. 
+
+## Template File 
+Here is my template*, which i put in a file called `.gitmessage` in my 
+home directory: 
+
+```
+# Title: Summary, imperative, start upper case, don't end with a period
+# No more than 50 chars. #### 50 chars is here: #
+
+# Remember blank line between title and body.
+
+# Body: Explain *what* and *why* (not *how*). Include task ID (Jira issue).
+# Wrap at 72 chars. ################################## which is here: #
+
+
+# How to Write a Git Commit Message:
+# https://chris.beams.io/posts/git-commit/
+#
+# 1.Separate subject from body with a blank line
+# 2. Limit the subject line to 50 characters
+# 3. Capitalize the subject line
+# 4. Do not end the subject line with a period
+# 5. Use the imperative mood in the subject line
+# 6. Wrap the body at 72 characters
+# 7. Use the body to explain what and why vs. how
+```
+
+## Git Configuration 
+
+To tell Git to use the template file (globally, not just in the current repo), 
+I used the following command: 
+
+`git config --global commit.template ~/.gitmessage`
+
+And that's all there was to it. (Except I have my dotfiles in a repo, so I had 
+to do some symlinking and update one of my config-scripts to be able to 
+recreate this setup from scratch if I need to.) 
+
+## Links and Documentation 
+
+The Git documentation contains a chapter on 
+[Customizing Git - Git Configuration](https://git-scm.com/book/en/v2/Customizing-Git-Git-Configuration) 
+which in turn contains a section on the `commit.template` configuration value. 
+
+[Better Commit Messages with a .gitmessage Template](https://thoughtbot.com/blog/better-commit-messages-with-a-gitmessage-template) 
+has a different kind of template, which is an actual template: It contains text 
+which will become a part of the commit message. 
+
+## Footnotes 
+
+*) It may be argued that this is, strictly speaking, not a template, as 
+no part of it is actually used/included in the commit message. :)