Next time you check-in code, think about it
October 22nd, 2009
Writing check-in messages is normally a reflection time for me. And lately I’ve been inclined to describe why I changed the code, instead of just describing what I’ve changed.
I know I have to consider that all the time, but it can still serve as a last sanity check. It makes me think: “Am I really adding a valuable change to the codebase?”
Do you agree with this approach? Think about it next time you check-in and then let me know in the comments.
I do agree with your approach and I don’t know why anyone would disagree. I personally have to take a deep breath to control myself when I see a commit message that looks like “changed routine X”. I can’t help thinking “Dude, I know you changed routine X by looking at the diffs, you have to tell me why on earth you changed it!”
Today I wrote my check in comment in French to amuse the guy I’d been sat next to all day because we needed some levity after deciding not to refactor more into a DDD design as it would break the anemic model that we currently use. if we passed in it’s collaborators it would require a rewrite of it’s tests and 6 or 7 other classes and their tests and become 1 or 2 day’s work….
*Sad Face*
still, got a laugh out of my poor french. especially when Sebastien noticed and corrected it…..