A VS Code extension and CLI tool to generate a smart commit message based on file changes (without AI)

Starting from an empty commit message, the extension created a recommended message and populated it inside the Git pane of VS Code:

How to install and run the extension in VS Code.

Install the CLI tool quick and easy so you are not tied to the IDE - see CLI docs.

Just click the extension's one button in the Git pane.

This is what the extension can do:

• Look at any staged changes files, otherwise falls back to all unstaged changes.
• Generate a commit message (based on rules and templates, no AI). You edit the message before comitting.
  • It can describe a variety of changes - when a file is added, removed, moved, renamed, etc. ,
  • Can handle multiple files at once and count the files.
  • Based on paths and extensions, infers a Conventional Commit prefix type e.g. feat, chore, ci, build, build(deps), docs.

See more info on the Features page in the docs.

Other extensions usually require some manual input, such as selecting prefix type from a droplist or writing a commit message by hand along with other form parameters.

This extension takes zero parameters. Just click a button.

This extension does not use AI. With the explosion of AI tools, you can find alternatives to this extension which use do AI - see notes here under AI tools.

Here are some screenshots of what messages the extension generates based on changed files.

If you created a new file and staged it:

If you updated a build-related file:

If updated a file in docs/ or a README.md anywhere:

If you renamed a file:

Guides for installing and using the pre-built extension and for developers to build from source code.

See the Contributing guide.

Released under MIT by @MichaelCurrin.

See the Credit doc for more info.