Steps to create a hook from scratch

Navigate to the hooks directory: Git hooks are stored in the .git/hooks directory of your Git repository. Navigate to this directory using the command line.

cd /path/to/your/repo/.git/hooks

Create a new file for the hook: Create a new file in the hooks directory with the name of the hook you want to create. For example, if you want to create a pre-commit hook, you would create a file named pre-commit.

touch pre-commit

Make the hook executable: The hook must be executable to run. Change the file permissions to make it executable.

chmod +x pre-commit

Edit the hook script: Open the hook file in a text editor and write your script. The script can be written in any scripting language. The shebang at the top of the script should correspond to the language of the script. For example, if you’re writing a bash script, the shebang would be #!/bin/bash.

Example of a simple pre-commit hook script that prevents commits with a certain word in the commit message:

#!/bin/bash
if git rev-parse --verify HEAD >/dev/null 2>&1
then
    against=HEAD
else
    # Initial commit: diff against an empty tree object
    against=$(git hash-object -t tree /dev/null)
fi
# Check for forbidden words in the commit message
if test $(git diff --cached --name-only | xargs grep -l 'FORBIDDEN_WORD' | wc -l) != 0
then
    echo "Your commit contains a forbidden word. Please remove it."
    exit 1
fi
# If there were no issues, exit with success
exit 0

Test the hook: Make changes to your repository that would trigger the hook and ensure it behaves as expected.

Remember that Git hooks are unique to your Git repository and are not versioned. If you want to share your hooks with others, add them to your project in a separate directory and create a script to copy them to the .git/hooks folder.

Customizing Git Hooks for Workflow Automation

Git is a distributed version control system that monitors changes to a project. Git hooks are scripts that run in response to Git events such as commit or push. They automate tasks, enforce rules, and can be tailored to your project’s requirements. A pre-commit hook, for example, can detect errors in the code, whereas a post-receive hook can send email notifications. Customizing these hooks can help streamline your workflow and make Git a more versatile tool.

There are two types of Git Hooks: server-side and client-side. Client-side hooks function locally, while server-side hooks run on the Git server. Git hooks are commonly used to run tests before committing changes, enforce code-style guidelines, and notify team members after successful pushes.

Table of Content

Use Cases of Git Hooks
Types of Git Hooks
Steps to create a hook from scratch
Customizing Git Hooks
Best Practices
Custom Git Hooks – FAQs

Steps to create a hook from scratch

Customizing Git Hooks for Workflow Automation

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