Git Workflow and Versioning
addyosmani/agent-skills
Sets git habits for every change: short-lived branches, atomic commits with descriptive messages, clean pull requests, plus versioning, tagging and changelogs for releases.
Plans commits and PRs as reviewable work units, keeping tests and docs with the code they cover and splitting large changes into chained PRs.
Install Work-Unit Commits
$ npx skills add Gentleman-Programming/gentle-ai --skill work-unit-commits -a claude-codeProject install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.
$ gh skill install Gentleman-Programming/gentle-ai work-unit-commits --agent claude-codeProject scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/Gentleman-Programming/gentle-ai.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/work-unit-commits .claude/skills/work-unit-commits && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.
Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/
Install the "work-unit-commits" agent skill from https://github.com/Gentleman-Programming/gentle-ai/tree/main/skills/work-unit-commits into .claude/skills/work-unit-commits/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "work-unit-commits", then confirm the skill loads.Claude Code copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$skill-installer install https://github.com/Gentleman-Programming/gentle-ai/tree/main/skills/work-unit-commitsType this inside Codex. $skill-installer <name> installs a curated skill from openai/skills. The installer writes to $CODEX_HOME/skills (default ~/.codex/skills). Restart Codex if the skill does not show up.
$ npx skills add Gentleman-Programming/gentle-ai --skill work-unit-commits -a codexProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.codex/skills/.
$ gh skill install Gentleman-Programming/gentle-ai work-unit-commits --agent codexProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/Gentleman-Programming/gentle-ai.git skills-src && mkdir -p .agents/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/work-unit-commits .agents/skills/work-unit-commits && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.agents/skills/ instead of .agents/skills for a personal install.
Codex skills documentation · loads skills from .agents/skills/
Install the "work-unit-commits" agent skill from https://github.com/Gentleman-Programming/gentle-ai/tree/main/skills/work-unit-commits into .agents/skills/work-unit-commits/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "work-unit-commits", then confirm the skill loads.Codex copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ npx skills add Gentleman-Programming/gentle-ai --skill work-unit-commits -a cursorProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.cursor/skills/.
$ gh skill install Gentleman-Programming/gentle-ai work-unit-commits --agent cursorProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/Gentleman-Programming/gentle-ai.git skills-src && mkdir -p .cursor/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/work-unit-commits .cursor/skills/work-unit-commits && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.cursor/skills/ instead of .cursor/skills for a personal install.
Cursor skills documentation · loads skills from .cursor/skills/, .agents/skills/, .claude/skills/, .codex/skills/
Install the "work-unit-commits" agent skill from https://github.com/Gentleman-Programming/gentle-ai/tree/main/skills/work-unit-commits into .cursor/skills/work-unit-commits/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "work-unit-commits", then confirm the skill loads.Cursor copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ gemini skills install https://github.com/Gentleman-Programming/gentle-ai.git --path skills/work-unit-commits--scope user (default) or --scope workspace; --path is the subfolder of the repo that holds the skill; --consent skips the security confirmation prompt.
$ npx skills add Gentleman-Programming/gentle-ai --skill work-unit-commits -a gemini-cliProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.gemini/skills/.
$ gh skill install Gentleman-Programming/gentle-ai work-unit-commits --agent gemini-cliProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/Gentleman-Programming/gentle-ai.git skills-src && mkdir -p .gemini/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/work-unit-commits .gemini/skills/work-unit-commits && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.gemini/skills/ instead of .gemini/skills for a personal install, then run /skills reload.
Gemini CLI skills documentation · loads skills from .gemini/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "work-unit-commits" agent skill from https://github.com/Gentleman-Programming/gentle-ai/tree/main/skills/work-unit-commits into .gemini/skills/work-unit-commits/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "work-unit-commits", then confirm the skill loads.Gemini CLI copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ gh skill install Gentleman-Programming/gentle-ai work-unit-commitsInstalls for Copilot at project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Preview a skill first with gh skill preview. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).
$ npx skills add Gentleman-Programming/gentle-ai --skill work-unit-commits -a github-copilotProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.copilot/skills/.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/Gentleman-Programming/gentle-ai.git skills-src && mkdir -p .github/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/work-unit-commits .github/skills/work-unit-commits && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.copilot/skills/ instead of .github/skills for a personal install. Commit .github/skills so cloud agent and code review can use it.
GitHub Copilot skills documentation · loads skills from .github/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "work-unit-commits" agent skill from https://github.com/Gentleman-Programming/gentle-ai/tree/main/skills/work-unit-commits into .github/skills/work-unit-commits/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "work-unit-commits", then confirm the skill loads.GitHub Copilot copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ npx skills add Gentleman-Programming/gentle-ai --skill work-unit-commits -a opencodeOpenCode documents no install command of its own. Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.config/opencode/skills/.
$ gh skill install Gentleman-Programming/gentle-ai work-unit-commits --agent opencodeProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/Gentleman-Programming/gentle-ai.git skills-src && mkdir -p .opencode/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/work-unit-commits .opencode/skills/work-unit-commits && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.config/opencode/skills/ instead of .opencode/skills for a personal install.
OpenCode skills documentation · loads skills from .opencode/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "work-unit-commits" agent skill from https://github.com/Gentleman-Programming/gentle-ai/tree/main/skills/work-unit-commits into .opencode/skills/work-unit-commits/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "work-unit-commits", then confirm the skill loads.OpenCode copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
Facts
- Skill name
work-unit-commits- GitHub stars
- 7.6k
- Token cost
- ~1.1k tokens
- SKILL.md length
- 589 words
- Files
- 1
- Skills in repo
- 15
- Repo updated
- First seen
- Licence
- Apache-2.0
At a glance
Plans commits and PRs as reviewable work units, keeping tests and docs with the code they cover and splitting large changes into chained PRs.
- Works in 4 steps: Build the smallest independent work unit. → Include verification for that unit. → Commit it with a Conventional Commit… → …
- Splitting a large feature into reviewable commits
- SKILL.md covers When to Use, Critical Rules, Work Unit Checklist and Split Examples, plus 3 more sections
- Calls git
What it does
This skill guides what goes into each commit or PR. A commit should be one deliverable behavior, fix, migration or docs unit, not a layer such as models, then services, then tests. Tests stay in the same commit as the behavior they verify, docs travel with the user-visible change, and each commit should tell a story and could become a chained PR if the change grows.
A pre-commit checklist asks that the commit has one purpose, that the repo still makes sense with only that commit applied, that rollback is reasonable, that the focused test command and its exact result are recorded along with any runtime scenario, and that the message explains the outcome instead of listing files. When spec-driven tasks forecast a change over 400 lines, commits are grouped into chained PR slices before implementation starts. Messages follow the Conventional Commit style, and a table contrasts weak splits with better ones.
When your agent uses it
- Splitting a large feature into reviewable commits
- Preparing commits before opening a PR
- Turning a big change into chained or stacked PRs
- Keeping tests and docs in the same commit as the code they cover
Example prompts
- “Split my auth changes into work-unit commits before I open the PR.”
- “This branch is heading past 400 changed lines, so plan chained PR slices.”
- “Rewrite my commit plan so tests and docs ship with the behavior they cover.”
Workflow steps
4 steps, taken from the first numbered list in SKILL.md.
- Build the smallest independent work unit.
- Include verification for that unit.
- Commit it with a Conventional Commit message.
- If the PR approaches 400 changed lines, promote commits or groups of commits into chained PRs.
What it can do on your machine
Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 81d2225. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.
Tool permissions
Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.
From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.
Runs code
Shell commands in SKILL.md call:
git
From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.
Network
No URLs in SKILL.md. Its commands use git, which can reach the network depending on how they are called.
From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.
Credentials
Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.
From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.
Context cost
Work-Unit Commits loads about 1.1k tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 37 tokens; SKILL.md has 589 words of instructions outside code blocks.
Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.
Safety
Auto-check passed
The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.
Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.
SKILL.md
The full file from Gentleman-Programming/gentle-ai at commit 81d2225, republished under its Apache-2.0 licence (© Gentleman-Programming). 589 words, ~1,137 tokens.
Download SKILL.mdSave it as
.claude/skills/work-unit-commits/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder).- name
- work-unit-commits
- description
- Plan commits as reviewable work units. Trigger: implementation, commit splitting, chained PRs, or keeping tests and docs with code.
- license
- Apache-2.0
- metadata.author
- gentleman-programming
- metadata.version
- 1.0
When to Use
Load this skill when deciding what belongs in each commit or PR.
Use it for:
- Splitting a feature into reviewable work.
- Preparing commits before opening a PR.
- Turning a large change into chained or stacked PRs.
- Keeping reviewer cognitive load healthy.
- Applying SDD tasks without accidentally producing a PR above 400 changed lines.
Critical Rules
| Rule | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Commit by work unit | A commit represents a deliverable behavior, fix, migration, or docs unit. |
| Do not commit by file type | Avoid models, then services, then tests if none works alone. |
| Keep tests with code | Tests belong in the same commit as the behavior they verify. |
| Keep docs with the user-visible change | Docs belong with the feature or workflow they explain. |
| Tell a story | A reviewer should understand why each commit exists from its diff and message. |
| Future PR-ready | Each commit should be a candidate chained PR when the change grows. |
| SDD workload guard | If SDD tasks forecast a >400-line change, group commits into chained PR slices before implementation. |
Work Unit Checklist
Before committing, confirm:
- The commit has one clear purpose.
- The repo still makes sense after applying only this commit.
- Tests or docs for this unit are included when relevant.
- Rollback is reasonable without reverting unrelated work.
- Focused test command and exact result are recorded.
- Runtime harness command/scenario and exact result are recorded, or explicit
N/Aexplains why no runtime boundary exists. - Rollback boundary names the exact files/behavior removable without unrelated work.
- The commit message explains the outcome, not the file list.
Split Examples
| Weak split | Better work-unit split |
|---|---|
add models | feat(auth): add token validation domain model and tests |
add services | feat(auth): wire token validation into login flow |
add tests | Tests included with each behavior commit |
update docs | Docs included with the user-facing change they explain |
PR Relationship
Use work-unit commits as the foundation for chained PRs:
- Build the smallest independent work unit.
- Include verification for that unit.
- Commit it with a Conventional Commit message.
- If the PR approaches 400 changed lines, promote commits or groups of commits into chained PRs.
Show full SKILL.md (243 more words)Show less
ODD Relationship
Organic Driven Development (ODD) closes every substantial task with a work-unit commit on the feature branch:
- Every ODD task closes with at least one work-unit commit, branch first when on the default branch, with tests and docs alongside the behavior and a Conventional Commit message.
- The native review candidate is that commit, or the PR slice it belongs to when review is deferred, against the previous reviewed boundary. It is never a TODO checkbox and never the accumulated feature branch.
- The running authored line count from work-unit commits feeds the delivery-strategy vocabulary:
ask-on-risk,auto-chain,single-pr,exception-ok. - Count authored additions plus deletions for the
>400threshold. Exclude generated goldens from that authored count, but include every generated file in complete snapshot identity and receipt validation. - The ODD feature document records the commit identity as evidence and, once a delivery strategy applies, the chosen chain strategy and slice boundaries (which commits each PR holds).
Each ODD work unit should map cleanly to a commit or PR with:
- clear start state,
- clear finished state,
- verification in the same unit,
- rollback that does not remove unrelated work.
Its implementation evidence MUST include:
- Focused test command and exact result.
- Runtime harness command/scenario and exact result, or explicit
N/Awith reason. - Rollback boundary stated independently of commit creation; uncommitted work units still require it.
- When fixing a bounded review ledger, group atomic work units inside the single correction transaction; work-unit count never creates another fix budget.
Commands
# Review the story before committing
git diff --stat
git diff --cached --stat
# Check recent commit style
git log --oneline -5© Gentleman-Programming, Apache-2.0. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file
Files
Just SKILL.md in skills/work-unit-commits of Gentleman-Programming/gentle-ai.
Open the folder on GitHubat commit 81d2225
Compare with similar skills
Work-Unit Commits next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.
| Skill | Stars | Used in | Tokens | Auto-check | Licence | Repo updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Work-Unit Commits this skillGentleman-Programming/gentle-ai | 7.6k | — | ~1.1k | Automated safety check: Pass | Apache-2.0 | |
| Git Workflow and Versioningaddyosmani/agent-skills | 102k | 2 repos | ~3.5k | Automated safety check: Notes | MIT | |
| React Router Pull Request Creatorremix-run/react-router | 57k | — | ~2.5k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Emoji Commit ConventionsbaptisteArno/typebot.io | 11k | — | ~424 | Automated safety check: Pass | Custom licence | |
| Commit And PR Messagessuperplanehq/superplane | 7.7k | — | ~1.6k | Automated safety check: Pass | Custom licence | |
| Draft Pull Request Creatorwordpress-mobile/WordPress-Android | 3.2k | — | ~881 | Automated safety check: Notes | GPL-2.0 |
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Categories
Questions about Work-Unit Commits
What does Work-Unit Commits do?
Plans commits and PRs as reviewable work units, keeping tests and docs with the code they cover and splitting large changes into chained PRs. This skill guides what goes into each commit or PR. A commit should be one deliverable behavior, fix, migration or docs unit, not a layer such as models, then services, then tests.
When should I use Work-Unit Commits?
Work-Unit Commits fits situations like: splitting a large feature into reviewable commits; preparing commits before opening a PR; turning a big change into chained or stacked PRs; keeping tests and docs in the same commit as the code they cover.
How do I install Work-Unit Commits in Claude Code?
Run `npx skills add Gentleman-Programming/gentle-ai --skill work-unit-commits -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/work-unit-commits in Gentleman-Programming/gentle-ai) into .claude/skills/work-unit-commits in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.
How do I install Work-Unit Commits in Codex?
Run `npx skills add Gentleman-Programming/gentle-ai --skill work-unit-commits -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/work-unit-commits in Gentleman-Programming/gentle-ai) into .agents/skills/work-unit-commits in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.
Can I use Work-Unit Commits in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?
Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add Gentleman-Programming/gentle-ai --skill work-unit-commits -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/work-unit-commits, .gemini/skills/work-unit-commits, .github/skills/work-unit-commits and .opencode/skills/work-unit-commits in your project.
What does Work-Unit Commits need to run?
Going by SKILL.md and its folder, Work-Unit Commits needs the command-line tools its instructions call (git).
Does Work-Unit Commits access the network?
SKILL.md contains no URLs. Its commands use git, which can reach the network depending on how they are called. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.
Is Work-Unit Commits safe to install?
Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.
What licence does Work-Unit Commits use?
Work-Unit Commits is published under the Apache-2.0 licence (declared in SKILL.md). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.
How many tokens does Work-Unit Commits use?
About 1.1k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 4.5k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full.
What are the alternatives to Work-Unit Commits?
Skills that share tags, products or a category with Work-Unit Commits: Git Workflow and Versioning (addyosmani/agent-skills, 102k stars), React Router Pull Request Creator (remix-run/react-router, 57k stars), Emoji Commit Conventions (baptisteArno/typebot.io, 11k stars) and Commit And PR Messages (superplanehq/superplane, 7.7k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.
Who maintains Work-Unit Commits?
Gentleman-Programming (a GitHub organization) maintains it in Gentleman-Programming/gentle-ai, which has 7,583 GitHub stars. The repository holds 15 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 7, 2026.
Source: Gentleman-Programming/gentle-ai on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.