Commit Message Generation
Iris analyzes your staged changes and generates conventional commit messages that follow best practices, optionally enhanced with gitmoji for visual clarity.
Quick Example
bash
# Stage your changes
git add src/auth.rs
# Generate commit message (interactive)
git-iris gen
# Or auto-commit with generated message
git-iris gen --auto-commit
# Just print the message without committing
git-iris gen --printCommand Reference
bash
git-iris gen [FLAGS] [OPTIONS]Key Flags
| Flag | Description |
|---|---|
-a, --auto-commit | Automatically commit with generated message |
-p, --print | Print message to stdout and exit (for scripting) |
--no-gitmoji | Disable emoji prefixes for this commit |
--no-verify | Skip pre/post-commit hooks |
-i, --instructions "text" | Custom instructions for message style |
--preset <name> | Use instruction preset (e.g., concise, detailed) |
Global Options
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
--provider <name> | Override LLM provider |
--debug | Show agent execution details |
--quiet | Suppress spinners and progress output |
Workflow Modes
Interactive Mode (Default)
Launches Studio in Commit mode with a full TUI:
bash
git-iris gen- Edit generated message before committing
- View diff alongside message
- Chat with Iris to refine the message
- Press
cto commit orqto cancel
Auto-Commit Mode
Generate and commit in one step:
bash
git-iris gen --auto-commitNote: Not available for remote repositories. Use --print instead.
Print Mode
Output message for scripting or manual use:
bash
# Save to file
git-iris gen --print > commit-msg.txt
# Pipe to git commit
git-iris gen --print | git commit -F -
# Use in scripts
MSG=$(git-iris gen --print)
git commit -m "$MSG"Message Format
Iris generates messages following this structure:
<emoji> <type>: <subject>
<body>Example:
✨ feat: Add JWT authentication middleware
Implements secure token-based authentication using RS256 signing.
Includes refresh token rotation and automatic expiry handling.Customizing Style
Using Presets
bash
# Concise messages
git-iris gen --preset concise
# Detailed explanations
git-iris gen --preset detailed
# Technical focus
git-iris gen --preset technicalSee Presets for all available options.
Custom Instructions
bash
git-iris gen --instructions "Focus on performance impacts"
git-iris gen --instructions "Include migration notes for breaking changes"Gitmoji Control
Disable Globally
Edit ~/.config/git-iris/config.toml:
toml
use_gitmoji = falseDisable Per-Commit
bash
git-iris gen --no-gitmojiEnable/Disable via Config
bash
# Enable
git-iris config --gitmoji true
# Disable
git-iris config --gitmoji falseHook Integration
Skip Verification
If you have pre-commit hooks that modify files or fail unexpectedly:
bash
git-iris gen --auto-commit --no-verifyHook Workflow
Iris respects your Git hooks:
- Runs pre-commit hook before generating message
- If hook modifies staged files, regenerates message
- Runs commit-msg hook on generated message
- Runs post-commit hook after successful commit
Tips
For Large Changesets:
- Iris uses parallel subagent analysis for 20+ files
- Consider using
--preset conciseto keep messages focused - Split large changes into multiple commits when possible
For Scripting:
- Use
--printto integrate with CI/CD - Combine with
--quietto suppress all UI output - Use
--no-verifyonly when hooks are problematic
For Consistency:
- Set a default preset in your project config
- Use
--instructionsfor project-specific conventions - Configure gitmoji preference globally
Examples
bash
# Standard workflow
git add .
git-iris gen
# Edit in Studio, then press 'c' to commit
# Quick auto-commit
git add src/auth.rs
git-iris gen --auto-commit
# Concise style without emoji
git-iris gen --preset concise --no-gitmoji --print
# Detailed with custom focus
git-iris gen --preset detailed --instructions "Emphasize security changes"
# Debug agent execution
git-iris gen --debug --printError Handling
No Staged Changes:
⚠ No staged changes. Please stage your changes first.
→ Use 'git add <file>' or 'git add .'Remote Repository:
✗ Cannot automatically commit to a remote repository.
→ Use --print insteadPre-Commit Hook Failure: Iris will show the hook error and exit. Fix the issue and try again.