Cortex CLI

This CLI is used to generate commit messages for you using AI! Visit https://commits.denyhs.com/ to learn more ❤️

A command-line tool to generate commit messages based on your repository changes.

Installation

npm install -g @denyhs/cortex-cli

Configuration

Before using the CLI, you need to set your API token as an environment variable:

export CORTEX_GENERATE_COMMIT_MESSAGE_TOKEN=your_token_here

Or create a .env file in your project root:

CORTEX_GENERATE_COMMIT_MESSAGE_TOKEN=your_token_here

Configuration File

You can also create a .cortexrc file in your project root to set default options:

{
  "stageAllChanges": true,
  "include": ["src/**/*.js", "lib/**/*.js"],
  "exclude": ["test/**", "**/*.test.js"],
  "header": "feat: ",
  "commitStaged": true,
  "template": {
    "name": "quave-projects",
    "variables": {
      "taskId": "123",
      "taskName": "My task"
    }
  }
}

IDE Support

To make your IDE treat .cortexrc as a JSON file:

VS Code The repository includes .vscode/settings.json with the correct configuration:

{
  "files.associations": {
    ".cortexrc": "json"
  }
}

JetBrains IDEs (WebStorm, IntelliJ, etc.) The repository includes .idea/fileTypes/cortexrc.xml with the correct configuration. If you're not using the provided configuration:

1. Go to Preferences/Settings → Editor → File Types
2. Find "JSON" in the list
3. Add cortexrc pattern under "File name patterns"

Vim/Neovim Add to your configuration:

autocmd BufNewFile,BufRead .cortexrc setfiletype json

Configuration Priority

The CLI follows a strict priority order when applying configurations:

1. Command-line flags (highest priority)
2. .cortexrc file settings (lower priority)
3. Default values (lowest priority)

For example, if you have this .cortexrc:

{
  "include": ["src/**/*.js"],
  "header": "feat: "
}

And run:

cortex commit-message --include "lib/**/*.js" --header "fix: "

The CLI will use:

• include: ["lib/**/*.js"] (from command line)
• header: "fix: " (from command line)

The values in .cortexrc are overridden by the command-line flags.

Configuration Examples

Here are some common .cortexrc configurations:

// Basic configuration for a JavaScript project
{
  "stageAllChanges": true,
  "include": ["src/**/*.js", "lib/**/*.js"],
  "exclude": ["**/*.test.js", "**/*.spec.js"],
  "header": "feat: "
}

// TypeScript project with automatic commit
{
  "stageAllChanges": true,
  "include": ["src/**/*.ts", "src/**/*.tsx"],
  "exclude": ["**/*.test.ts", "**/__tests__/**"],
  "commitStaged": true,
  "header": "fix: "
}

// Full-stack project configuration
{
  "stageAllChanges": true,
  "include": [
    "frontend/src/**/*.{js,jsx,ts,tsx}",
    "backend/src/**/*.js",
    "shared/**/*.js"
  ],
  "exclude": [
    "**/*.test.*",
    "**/*.spec.*",
    "**/dist/**",
    "**/build/**"
  ],
  "commitAndPushStaged": true
}

// Configuration for documentation changes
{
  "stageAllChanges": true,
  "include": [
    "docs/**/*.md",
    "**/*.mdx",
    "**/README.md"
  ],
  "header": "docs: ",
  "commitStaged": true
}

Templates

Templates allow you to customize how your commit messages are generated using the template feature available at commits.denyhs.com/templates. You can use templates interactively with the --withTemplates flag or specify a template name with --templateName.

Template Configuration

First, create your template on commits.denyhs.com/templates. Templates use variables (prefixed with #) that will be replaced with actual values. For example:

#taskId - #taskName

#GENERATED_MESSAGE

Then, in your .cortexrc file, you can pre-define values for some or all of these variables:

{
  "template": {
    "name": "my-template",
    "variables": {
      "#taskName": "Creating login page"
    }
  }
}

When you run the CLI, it will:

1. Use the pre-defined variables from your .cortexrc
2. Prompt you to fill in any remaining variables (like #taskId in this case)
3. Replace #GENERATED_MESSAGE with the AI-generated commit message

Example Usage

Let's say you have this template named "my-proj" on commits.denyhs.com:

#taskId - #taskName

#GENERATED_MESSAGE

Your .cortexrc:

{
  "template": {
    "name": "my-proj",
    "variables": {
      "#taskName": "Creating login page"
    }
  }
}

When you run the CLI:

1. It will prompt you to enter the #taskId
2. After entering "123", it might generate a message like:

123 - Creating login page

Finishing my amazing login page

Note: While you can use templates interactively with CLI flags (--withTemplates or --templateName), pre-defining template variables is only possible through the .cortexrc file.

Usage

cortex commit-message [options]

Options

• --stageAllChanges: Stage all changes before generating the message
• --include <patterns...>: Include only files matching these patterns when staging (supports glob patterns)
• --exclude <patterns...>: Exclude files matching these patterns when staging (supports glob patterns)
• --header <text>: Add a custom header to the commit message (will be added above the generated message)
• --preScript <command>: Execute a command before generating the commit message (e.g., linting, tests)
• --commitStaged: After generating the message, prompt to commit staged changes
• --commitAndPushStaged: After generating the message, prompt to commit staged changes and push them to the remote repository
• --verbose: Show detailed information about the current configuration and execution
• --withTemplates: Show an interactive prompt to choose from available templates for generating the commit message
• --templateName <templateName>: Use a specific template by name to generate the commit message

Examples

# Generate message for staged changes
cortex commit-message

# Use interactive template selection
cortex commit-message --withTemplates

# Use a specific template
cortex commit-message --templateName "my-template"

# Run linter before generating message
cortex commit-message --preScript "npm run lint"

# Run tests and stage all changes if they pass
cortex commit-message --preScript "npm test" --stageAllChanges

# Stage specific files and generate message
cortex commit-message --stageAllChanges --include "src/**/*.js" --exclude "**/*.test.js"

# Stage changes in specific directories
cortex commit-message --stageAllChanges --include "src/**" "lib/**" --exclude "test/**"

# Stage changes with patterns and commit
cortex commit-message --stageAllChanges --include "src/**/*.js" --header="feat: new feature" --commitStaged

# Stage filtered changes, generate message, and commit and push
cortex commit-message --stageAllChanges --include "src/**" --exclude "test/**" --commitAndPushStaged

# Generate message with a custom header
cortex commit-message --header="feat: new feature implementation"

# Generate message, commit, and push with a custom header
cortex commit-message --commitAndPushStaged --header="fix: resolve critical bug"

Features

• Generates commit messages based on git diff
• Configurable via .cortexrc file or command-line options
• Pattern-based file inclusion/exclusion for staging
• Automatic staging of filtered changes
• Copies generated message to clipboard
• Optional custom header for commit messages
• Optional automatic commit after message generation
• Optional automatic push to remote after commit
• Environment variable validation
• Git repository validation