[DL.CR.7] Create consistent and descriptive commit messages using a specification

Category: RECOMMENDED

Use a well-documented specification, descriptive commit message format that clearly explain what changes were made and why. Clear and consistent communication support the fast-paced, iterative nature of DevOps. Consistent commit messages improve collaboration, make it easier to track and understand changes, aid in debugging, and can be used to automatically generate change logs.

Adopt a specification, such as Conventional Commits, to indicate code features, fixes, and breaking changes through commit messages. Ideally, this would be enforced using pre-commit hooks and the developer experience improved through IDE integrations. Training and documentation can also be used to educate developers on the importance and use of this specification. If done consistently, this information could be used to automatically generate legible change log records for non-developer consumers and users of the system.

Adopting a commit specification is recommended as it greatly enhances communication and collaboration by clearly documenting the changes being made and why they are important to the overall system. This can significantly boost efficiency and transparency but isn't required as DevOps teams can function without it.

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