Some simple tricks that make working with Pivotal Tracker even better... and easier... um, besier!
GitTracker, or git-tracker, is a Git hook that will scan your current
branch name looking for something it recognizes as a Pivotal Tracker
story number. If it finds one, it will automagically add it, in the special
format, to your commit message.
git-tracker
binaryYou need to get the git-tracker
binary onto your system.
via Homebrew (preferred)
$ brew install git-tracker
via RubyGems (if you must)
$ gem install git_tracker
Then you need to initialize the git hook into each local Git repository where
you want to use it.
# from inside a local Git repository
# for example: /path/to/repo/
$ git tracker init
This will put the prepare-commit-msg
hook in the /path/to/repo/.git/hooks
directory and make it executable.
NOTE: The hook needs to be initialized just once for each repository in
which you will use it.
With the hook initialized in a repository, create branches being sure to include
the Pivotal Tracker story number in the branch name.
$ git checkout -b a_useful_and_helpful_name_8675309
When you commit, Git will fire the hook which will find the story number in the
branch name and prepare your commit message so that it includes the story number
in the special Pivotal Tracker syntax.
# on branch named `best_feature_ever-8675309`
$ git commit
Will result in a commit message something like: (notice the two empty lines at
the top)
[#8675309]
# Please enter the commit message for your changes. Lines starting
# with '#' will be ignored, and an empty message aborts the commit.
# On branch best_feature_ever-8675309
# Changes to be committed:
# (use "git reset HEAD <file>..." to unstage)
#
# new file: feature.rb
#
You should then add a useful and responsible commit message.
If you pass a commit message on the command line the hook will still add the
story number, preceded by an empty line, to the end of your message.
# on branch named `best_feature_ever-8675309`
$ git commit -m'Look at this rad code, yo!'
Results in this commit message:
Look at this rad code, yo!
[#8675309]
However, if you include the story number in the Pivotal Tracker format within
your commit message, the hook will do nothing.
# on branch named `best_feature_ever-8675309`
$ git commit -m'[#8675309] Look at this rad code, yo!'
Results in this commit message:
[#8675309] Look at this rad code, yo!
You can use the custom keywords that Pivotal Tracker provides with the API.
The keywords are fixed
, completed
, finished
, and delivered
in square
brackets. You may also use different cases and forms of these verbs, such asFix
or FIXES
.
If you use those keywords in your commit message, the keyword will be prepended
to the story ID in the commit message.
For example:
# on branch named `bug/redis_connection_not_initializing_8675309`
$ git commit -am "Change the redis connection string [Fixes]"
Results in this commit message:
Change the redis connection string [Fixes]
[Fixes #8675309]
GitTracker allows you to include the story number any where in the branch
name, optionally prefixing it with a hash (#
). Examples:
best_feature_ever_#8675309
best-feature-ever-8675309
8675309_best_feature_ever
#8675309-best-feature-ever
your_name/8675309_best_feature_ever
your_name/#8675309_best_feature_ever
git checkout -b my_new_feature
)git commit -am 'Added some feature'
)git push origin my_new_feature
)