Commit message checks

[davidrudlstorfer]

Currently we have this https://github.com/4C-multiphysics/4C/blob/main/utilities/code_checks/commit-msg script which checks our commit messages.

At least for me it is pretty annoying, for example, that we can not use lower case style for commit messages. This "rule" is more or less arbitrary and also contradicts pretty wide-ranged standards (https://www.conventionalcommits.org/en/v1.0.0/)

Also already discussed with @sebproell: we never check the commit message in our repo, so if one decides to just disable the check locally he can just push any commit message.

Therefore, the following questions arise:

• Should we switch to standardized commit messages, as for example https://www.conventionalcommits.org/en/v1.0.0/
• Then we could also just use a basic ready-to-use pre-commit hook
• Update our custom message checker so it is somewhat readable
• Completely ignore this

Maybe it bugs more people and I am not the only one

[isteinbrecher]

I find this check pretty annoying and am fine with any other solution.

[sebproell]

I am not a big fan of the current pre-commit hook since it is not enforced (in CI). I think whatever rules we go for, we should also enforce them. As you said, @davidrudlstorfer, currently you can just skip this hook (I am also guilty of doing that from time to time). Note the possible relation of conventional commits to #69

[mayrmt]

The current commit message check follows this guideline: https://cbea.ms/git-commit/ (the same rules can be found at many other places on the web.)

As far as I know, the original source is this one: https://tbaggery.com/2008/04/19/a-note-about-git-commit-messages.html

[sebproell]

These rules are

1. Separate subject from body with a blank line
2. Limit the subject line to 50 characters
3. Capitalize the subject line
4. Do not end the subject line with a period
5. Use the imperative mood in the subject line
6. Wrap the body at 72 characters
7. Use the body to explain what and why vs. how

I find all of them reasonable. The main differences when using conventional commits would be in point 5, which replaces the rule with "choose a certain conventional prefix", and in point 3 which becomes "do not capitalize".

[mayrmt]

I don't mind to start the first line with a capital letter. In fact, this is very normal to me, since every sentence in a regular text starts with a capital letter. However, I'd be annoyed if having to type certain keywords at the beginning of the first line -- especially since they can become quite complex, if one wants to use them correctly, cf. all the different "types" and specialized additions outlined at https://www.conventionalcommits.org/en/v1.0.0/#examples

The website of conventional commits advertises there use in combination with semantic versioning. We do not do semantic versioning, so this benefit is probably less pronounced for us than for other projects.