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--- git_commit [2019/02/20 08:28] – [Overview] rpjday
+++ git_commit [2019/02/28 12:36] (current) – [-a] rpjday
@@ Line 77: / Line 77: @@
 $
 </code>
-===== Template =====
-This might be worth setting at the system level.
+===== Popular commit options =====
+==== "-m" ====
 <code>
-$ git config --global commit.template ~/.gitmessage.txt
+-m <msg>, --message=<msg>
+    Use the given <msg> as the commit message. If multiple -m
+    options are given, their values are concatenated as
+    separate paragraphs.
+    The -m option is mutually exclusive with -c, -C, and -F.
 </code>
-Example ''~/.gitmessage.txt'':
+==== "-a" ====
+Note how this option accommodates both the modifications and deletions of tracked files:
+<code>
+-a, --all
+    Tell the command to automatically stage files that have
+    been modified and deleted, but new files you have not told
+    Git about are not affected.
+</code>
+===== Defining a commit template =====
+You can define a more informative commit //template// message, say in a personal ''~/.gitmessage.txt'' file:
 <code>
@@ Line 94: / Line 112: @@
 [Ticket: X]
+</code>
+and have it used in one of two ways when committing.
+First, manually at the command line:
+<code>
+-t <file>, --template=<file>
+    When editing the commit message, start the editor with the
+    contents in the given file. The commit.template
+    configuration variable is often used to give this option
+    implicitly to the command. This mechanism can be used by
+    projects that want to guide participants with some hints on
+    what to write in the message in what order. If the user
+    exits the editor without editing the message, the commit is
+    aborted. This has no effect when a message is given by
+    other means, e.g. with the -m or -F options.
+</code>
+As a second option, set it once as a configuration setting:
+<code>
+$ git config --global commit.template ~/.gitmessage.txt
 </code>