Atomic commits in git & it's benefits for software teams

Atomic commits refer to the practice of breaking down changes into smaller, self-contained units of work. Each commit represents a discrete and logical change to the codebase.

Atomic commits have the following benefits:

Clarity and Readability: Atomic commits make it easier for other developers (and your future self) to understand the changes made to the code. Each commit should have a clear and concise purpose, which helps in quickly grasping the modifications.

Granular Tracking of Changes: By having smaller, focused commits, you can track the history of changes in a more granular way. This makes it simpler to pinpoint when and why a specific change was introduced, aiding in debugging and troubleshooting.

Reverting Changes: If a particular commit introduces an issue or a bug, reverting that specific commit is straightforward. This prevents the need to undo an entire series of changes, which might include unrelated updates.

Easier Code Review: Smaller commits are easier to review. Reviewers can provide more specific feedback on each individual change, leading to a more efficient and constructive code review process.

Safer Collaboration: When multiple developers are working on the same codebase, atomic commits reduce the risk of conflicts. Different developers can work on different features or components independently without stepping on each other's toes.

Versioning and Release Management: With atomic commits, it becomes easier to manage versioning and create releases. You can cherry-pick specific commits to include in a release or exclude problematic commits if needed.

---

How Atomic Commits Aid in Tracking Changes, Reverting Code, and Collaborating:

Tracking Changes: Atomic commits provide a clear and organised history of the project's development. The commit messages should be descriptive, summarizing what each change accomplishes. Developers can use git log or other Git tools to visualize the commit history, making it easy to see the evolution of the codebase.

Reverting Code: If a commit introduces an unexpected bug or undesired behavior, you can use git revert to create a new commit that undoes the changes introduced by the problematic commit. This keeps the commit history intact and allows you to address issues more surgically.

Collaboration: When collaborating with other developers, atomic commits minimize the chances of merge conflicts. Developers can work on separate branches, and when they're ready to merge their changes into the main branch, Git will attempt to merge only the specific atomic commits.

---

Examples of Breaking Down Changes into Smaller, Logical Commits:

Consider a scenario where you are implementing a new feature for an online store. Instead of making a single large commit with all the changes, you can break it down into smaller, logical commits:

1. Commit 1: Add database schema for new feature

2. Commit 2: Implement backend API endpoints for the new feature

3. Commit 3: Create frontend UI components for the new feature

4. Commit 4: Integrate backend and frontend for the new feature

This approach makes it easier for others to understand the changes and helps in effective code reviews. It also allows you to revert or modify specific parts of the feature if needed, without affecting the entire implementation.