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git commit -m "First release of Hello World!"
[main (root-commit) 712c39a] First release of Hello World!
 3 files changed, 17 insertions(+)
 create mode 100644 README.md
 create mode 100644 bluestyle.css
 create mode 100644 index.html

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Always write a clear message so you and others can understand what changed.

Commit All Changes Without Staging (`-a`)

You can skip the staging step for already tracked files with git commit -a -m "message".

This commits all modified and deleted files, but not new/untracked files.

Example

git commit -a -m "Quick update to README"
[main bbb2392] Quick update to README
 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+)

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Warning: Skipping the staging step can make you include unwanted changes. Use with care.

Note: git commit -a does not work for new/untracked files. You must use git add <file> first for new files.

What happens if you try to commit a new file with `-a`?

git commit -a -m "Try to commit new file"
On branch main

Initial commit

Untracked files:
  (use "git add &lt;file&gt;..." to include in what will be committed)
        index.html

nothing added to commit but untracked files present (use "git add" to track)

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Write Multi-line Commit Messages

If you just type git commit (no -m), your default editor will open so you can write a detailed, multi-line message:

Example

git commit

Write a short summary on the first line, leave a blank line, then add more details below.

Commit Message Best Practices:

Keep the first line short (50 characters or less).
Use the imperative mood (e.g., "Add feature" not "Added feature").
Leave a blank line after the summary, then add more details if needed.
Describe why the change was made, not just what changed.

Other Useful Commit Options

Create an empty commit:
git commit --allow-empty -m "Start project"
Quickly add staged changes to last commit, keep message:
git commit --amend --no-edit

Troubleshooting Common Commit Mistakes

Forgot to stage a file?
If you run git commit -m "message" but forgot to git add a file, just add it and commit again. Or use git commit --amend to add it to your last commit.
Typo in your commit message?
Use git commit --amend -m "Corrected message" to fix the last commit message.
Accidentally committed the wrong files?
You can use git reset --soft HEAD~1 to undo the last commit and keep your changes staged.

View Commit History (`git log`)

To view the history of commits for a repository, you can use the git log command:

Example

git log
commit dceae35c9d24836eb69ce58671132960f2b0576e (HEAD -&gt; main)
Author: W3Schools &lt;[email protected]&gt;
Date:   Wed Jan 15 10:00:00 2025 +0000

    Updated index.html with a new line

commit 712c39a18de4a88c3ea87acf90c6246a69009bf6
Author: W3Schools &lt;[email protected]&gt;
Date:   Wed Jan 15 10:00:00 2025 +0000

    First release of Hello World!

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For a shorter view, use git log --oneline:

Example

git log --oneline
dceae35 (HEAD -&gt; main) Updated index.html with a new line
712c39a First release of Hello World!

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To see which files changed in each commit, use git log --stat:

Example

git log --stat
commit dceae35c9d24836eb69ce58671132960f2b0576e (HEAD -&gt; main)
Author: W3Schools &lt;[email protected]&gt;
Date:   Wed Jan 15 10:00:00 2025 +0000

    Updated index.html with a new line

 index.html | 1 +
 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+)

commit 712c39a18de4a88c3ea87acf90c6246a69009bf6
Author: W3Schools &lt;[email protected]&gt;
Date:   Wed Jan 15 10:00:00 2025 +0000

    First release of Hello World!

 README.md     |  2 ++
 bluestyle.css |  3 +++
 index.html    | 12 ++++++++++++
 3 files changed, 17 insertions(+)

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How to Commit with a Message (`-m`)

Commit All Changes Without Staging (`-a`)

What happens if you try to commit a new file with `-a`?

View Commit History (`git log`)