---

name: commit-message-style description: "Write commit messages in the preferred generic style: type: imperative summary with backticks around code identifiers and no scope. Use when you are about to git commit, splitting work into multiple commits, or when the user asks you to commit code."

Commit Message Style

Format

• Use: type: <imperative summary>
• Use lowercase type, no scope: fix: ..., not fix(sdk): ...
• Prefer short, direct, present tense; no trailing period; keep to ~72 chars when possible
• Wrap code identifiers in backticks (types, fns, flags, files, crates): ``fix: gate Felt behind `cfg(miden)```
• Append an issue reference at the end only when relevant: ... #629
• For non-trivial changes, add a commit body (blank line after subject) explaining:
  • Why the change is necessary (problem/constraint), and
  • What changed at a high level (only if complex enough to benefit from an overview).
• Keep the body short (typically 1–8 lines), wrap at ~72 chars, and avoid implementation details.

Types

• fix: bugfix or behavior correction
• refactor: behavior-preserving changes (rename, extract, restructure)
• feature: user-visible functionality / new capability
• test: tests, fixtures, golden/expected outputs
• chore: docs/comments, cleanup, build/CI nits, dependency housekeeping

Verbs (prefer)

• add, remove, fix, refactor, extract, rename, unify, gate, document, update, simplify

Workflow

• If asked to address multiple review remarks: make one commit per remark (smallest coherent change per commit).
• Choose the type by intent (behavior change vs structure vs tests vs docs).
• Prefer stable naming (don’t churn identifiers) unless the change is explicitly a rename/refactor.
• When the subject/body contain backticks, avoid shell command-substitution by passing the message via stdin, e.g. git commit -F - with a quoted heredoc.

Examples (match style)

• refactor: extract \account_id_inputs` helper`
• feature: gate on-chain \Felt` behind `cfg(miden)``
• fix: serialize u64 as two u32 limbs
• chore: refine doc comments
• test: update integration expected outputs