GitTracker

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.

You 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 as Fix 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

1. Fork it
2. Create your feature branch (git checkout -b my_new_feature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -am 'Added some feature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin my_new_feature)
5. Create new Pull Request