Re: [PATCH 1/6] SubmittingPatches: clarify expected structure of commit log message

[Weijie Yuan <wy@wyuan.org>]

On Sun, Jul 12, 2026 at 05:07:04PM -0700, Junio C Hamano wrote:
> Michael Montalbo <mmontalbo@gmail.com> writes:
> 
> > I think collapsing the "Formatting and Style Guidelines" section with
> > the above would be clearer than having a separate section.
> 
> Thanks for pointing it out; I tend to agree.
> 
> Before rerolling the series in entirety, here is what I have in my
> editor buffer right now, after attempting to move the formatting and
> styles into the main description.
> 
> I haven't checked if the formatting works as AsciiDoc yet, though.
> 
> --- >8 ---
> [[meaningful-message]]
> ==== Structure of a Commit Message
> 
> 1. Title:
>    The first line of the commit log message is the title that lets
>    readers of `git log --oneline` quickly understand what area the
>    commit touches and what problem it addresses.
> 
>    - Keep it short (50 characters is the soft limit).
>    - Skip the full stop at the end.
>    - Prefix the subject with the modified area followed by a colon
>      and a space (e.g., "area: subject").  The area is typically a
>      filename or identifier (e.g., `doc:`, `transport:`, `t5601:`).
>      Run `git log --no-merges` on target files to see conventions.
>    - Do not capitalize the first word after the "area:" prefix
>      unless there is a specific reason (e.g., `HEAD` is always in
>      uppercase).  For example, use "doc: clarify...", not "doc:
>      Clarify...".
> 
> 2. Body:
>    A well-structured commit message body typically follows a
>    three-part flow: Observation, Solution Design, and
>    Implementation.
> 
>    - Leave a blank line between the title and the body.
>    - Wrap lines in the body of the commit log message to around 70
>      columns.
>    - The body of the log message must be self-contained.  Do not
>      rely on external URLs (including mailing list archives) as the
>      sole explanation.  Summarize the relevant points of external
>      material so that readers can understand the change with the log
>      message alone.
> 
> [[present-tense]]
> 3. Observation (The Status Quo):
>    Explain the problem you are solving with your change by
>    describing what is wrong with the current code *without* your
>    change.
> 
>    - As this part is always about the current state by convention,
>      words like "currently" are unnecessary.
>    - Write this problem statement in the present tense (e.g., "The
>      code does X when given input Y", not "The code did X").
> 
> 4. Solution Design (The Approach):
>    Explain the approach you took, justify how it solves the problem,
>    and describe why you chose the particular design over other
>    alternatives.
> 
>    - Focus on describing _why_, not _how_ (e.g., "The code does X
>      when given input Y, but it should do Z _because_...").
>    - If your change only addresses a subset of a larger problem
>      (e.g., it handles directories but not files because ...),
>      explain this limitation.  This helps future developers
>      understand the boundaries of your work and whether it can be
>      safely extended.
>    - If your change resolves design or viability concerns raised by
>      the community during prior review rounds, ensure the message
>      records the resolution, explaining why the chosen approach was
>      accepted over alternatives.
> 
> [[imperative-mood]]
> 5. Implementation (The Execution):
>    Finally, describe how the changes are implemented.
> 
>    - Write this in the imperative mood (e.g., "Make xyzzy do frotz",
>      not "This patch makes xyzzy do..." or "I changed xyzzy..."), as
>      if you are instructing an agent to make changes to the
>      codebase.
>    - You do not have to repeat everything readers can discern from
>      the patch text.  Highlight the key points in your
>      implementation.

I think this might confuse readers. Now you place these points in
parallel:

 1. Title
 2. Body
 3. Observation (The Status Quo)
 4. Solution Design (The Approach)
 5. Implementation (The Execution)

But acatually you mean:

1. Title
2. Body
   The body typically follows three parts:
   a. Observation
   b. Solution Design
   c. Implementation

But I haven't written much about adoc, so I don't know its syntax and
how to write it.