Git Commit Feature

The responsible-vibe-mcp server supports configurable automatic git commits during development interactions. This feature allows users to control when the system creates commits, providing better integration with git workflows.

Overview

The git commit feature provides four levels of commit automation:

1. step: Commit after each development step (most granular)
2. phase: Commit before each phase transition (milestone commits)
3. end: Single final commit at development completion (default)
4. none: No automatic commits (manual git control)

Configuration

Git commit behavior is configured when starting development using the start_development tool:

start_development({
  workflow: 'waterfall',
  commit_behaviour: 'end', // Options: "step", "phase", "end", "none"
});

Commit Behavior Options

• step: Creates commits after each development step, providing detailed progress tracking
• phase: Creates commits before phase transitions, marking major milestones
• end: Creates a single commit when development is complete (recommended default)
• none: Disables automatic commits, giving you full manual control

Default Behavior

The system automatically chooses sensible defaults:

• Git repositories: Defaults to "end" (single final commit)
• Non-git projects: Automatically uses "none" (no commits possible)

Usage Examples

Recommended Usage (Default)

// Single final commit (recommended for most cases)
start_development({
  workflow: 'waterfall',
  commit_behaviour: 'end',
});

Detailed Progress Tracking

// Commit after each step for detailed history
start_development({
  workflow: 'epcc',
  commit_behaviour: 'step',
});

Milestone Tracking

// Commit at major phase transitions
start_development({
  workflow: 'bugfix',
  commit_behaviour: 'phase',
});

Manual Git Control

// No automatic commits
start_development({
  workflow: 'minor',
  commit_behaviour: 'none',
});

Commit Message Format

The system creates descriptive commit messages based on the development context:

Step Commits ("step")

WIP: [workflow] - [current phase] step completion

Example: "WIP: waterfall - requirements step completion"

Phase Commits ("phase")

WIP: [workflow] - transition to [next phase]

Example: "WIP: waterfall - transition to design phase"

Final Commits ("end")

[conventional commit format based on development context]

Example: "feat: implement user authentication system"

Technical Details

Git Repository Detection

The system automatically detects if the current project is a git repository. If not, commit operations are silently skipped regardless of the commit_behaviour setting.

Commit Creation Logic

• Change Detection: Only creates commits when there are actual changes to commit
• Staging: Automatically stages all changes before committing (git add .)
• Error Handling: Gracefully handles git errors without interrupting development flow

Integration with Workflows

The git commit feature works with all available workflows:

• waterfall: Commits at requirements, design, implementation, qa, testing phases
• epcc: Commits at explore, plan, code, commit phases
• bugfix: Commits at reproduce, analyze, fix, verify phases
• minor: Commits at explore and implement phases
• greenfield: Commits at ideation, architecture, plan, code, document phases
• custom: Works with any custom workflow definition

Best Practices

1. Use "end" for most cases: Single final commit keeps history clean while preserving work
2. Use "phase" for milestone tracking: Good for longer development sessions
3. Use "step" for detailed tracking: Helpful when debugging or learning the workflow
4. Use "none" for manual control: When you have specific git workflow requirements

Troubleshooting

No Commits Created

• Verify the directory is a git repository (git status)
• Check that there are actual file changes to commit
• Ensure git configuration is correct (git config user.name and git config user.email)
• Check that commit_behaviour is not set to "none"

Git Errors

• Git errors are logged but don't interrupt development flow
• Check git repository status and permissions
• Verify git configuration is correct
• Ensure no merge conflicts or other git issues

Unexpected Commit Behavior

• Remember that commit_behaviour is set once at the start of development
• Different workflows may have different phase structures affecting when commits occur
• Check the development plan file to see which phase you're currently in