Gemini Modular Conventional Commit Writer

Generate conventional commits in seconds! ⚡

AI-powered commit messages using Google Gemini (because it's free! 🎉) - No more struggling with commit message format or wording. Just stage your changes, click generate, and get a perfectly formatted conventional commit instantly.

Download for VSCode: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=shawnchee.vscode-gemini-commit-writer

Download for Cursor | Antigravity: https://open-vsx.org/extension/shawnchee/vscode-gemini-commit-writer

Professional commit messages with a single click using Google's Gemini AI models.

✨ Features

• 🤖 AI-Powered Commit Messages: Generate conventional commits based on your staged changes in seconds
• 📝 Brief or Detailed: Choose between single-line commits or multi-line with body and footer
• 💰 100% Free: Uses Google Gemini's free tier (no credit card required!)
• ⚡ Multiple Models: Choose from Gemini 2.5 Flash and Flash Lite
• 🎯 Conventional Commits: Follows the Conventional Commits specification
• 🧩 Modular: Automatically generates focused, single-purpose commits based on staged changes
• 🔒 Secure: API keys stored securely in VS Code's Secret Storage
• ⌨️ Keyboard Shortcut: Ctrl+Alt+G (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Alt+G (Mac)
• 🎨 Git Integration: Seamlessly integrates with VS Code's Source Control UI

🚀 Getting Started

1. Install the Extension

VS Code: Search for "Gemini Conventional Commit Writer" in VS Code Extensions marketplace or install from here.

Cursor IDE: Also available on Open VSX Registry for Cursor, Antigravity, and VSCodium users.

2. Get a Free Gemini API Key

1. Visit Google AI Studio
2. Click "Get API Key" (no credit card required!)
3. Copy your API key

⚠️ Privacy Notice: Google's free tier may use your data for training purposes. If your code contains proprietary information, consider using a paid Gemini API key which offers data protection guarantees. See Google's data usage policy for details.

3. Set Your API Key

Option 1: Via Command Palette

• Press Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+P (Mac)
• Search for "Gemini Commit: Set API Key"
• Paste your API key

Option 2: Via Source Control UI

• Open the Source Control view
• Click the gear icon (⚙️) in the SCM title bar
• Select "Set API Key"

4. Generate Your First Commit

1. Stage your changes in Git
2. Click the sparkle icon (✨) in the Source Control title bar or use Ctrl+Alt+G / Cmd+Alt+G
3. Choose commit style:
   • Brief Commit: Single-line (e.g., feat(auth): add google oauth)
   • Detailed Commit: Multi-line with body and footer for context
4. Commit message appears instantly in the input box!

🎮 Usage

Generate Commit Message

Three ways to generate:

1. Button: Click the sparkle icon (✨) in Source Control toolbar
2. Keyboard: Press Ctrl+Alt+G (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Alt+G (Mac)
3. Command Palette: Run "Gemini Commit: Generate Commit Message"

Then choose your style:

• Brief Commit - Perfect for quick, straightforward changes

  feat(api): add user authentication endpoint
  

• Detailed Commit - For complex changes that need context

  feat(api): add user authentication endpoint
  
  - Implement JWT token generation and validation
  - Add password hashing with bcrypt
  - Create user session management
  
  This enables secure user authentication and prepares
  the foundation for role-based access control.
  
  Refs: #123
  

Manage Settings

Click the gear icon (⚙️) in Source Control toolbar to access:

• Set API Key: Add or update your Gemini API key
• Clear API Key: Remove stored API key
• Open Settings: Configure extension preferences

⚙️ Configuration

Access settings via File > Preferences > Settings > Extensions > Gemini Commit Writer or click the gear icon in Source Control.

Available Settings

Setting	Default	Description
Model	gemini-2.5-flash	Choose your Gemini model (all free!)
Temperature	0.1	Control creativity (0.0 = consistent, 1.0 = creative)
Max Output Tokens	500	Maximum commit message length (~375 words)
Max Diff Length	5000	Maximum git diff size to analyze (characters)
Show Timing Info	false	Display performance metrics after generation

Model Comparison

Model	Best For	Speed	Quality
gemini-2.5-flash ⚡	Recommended for most users	Fast	High
gemini-2.5-flash-lite 💡	High-volume usage	Fastest	Good

All models are available on Google's free tier!

📝 Conventional Commits Format

Generated messages follow this format:

<type>(<scope>): <description>

Types:

• feat: New feature
• fix: Bug fix
• docs: Documentation changes
• style: Code style changes (formatting, etc.)
• refactor: Code refactoring
• perf: Performance improvements
• test: Adding or updating tests
• build: Build system changes
• ci: CI/CD changes
• chore: Maintenance tasks

Examples:

feat(auth): add google oauth integration
fix(api): resolve null pointer exception in user service
docs(readme): update installation instructions
refactor(utils): simplify date formatting logic

🔧 Troubleshooting

"No staged changes found"

Solution: Stage your changes first using git add or the Source Control UI.

"Gemini API key not found"

Solution: Set your API key via the gear icon (⚙️) in Source Control or Command Palette.

"Rate limit exceeded"

Solution: Google's free tier has usage limits. Wait a few minutes and try again. Consider:

• Using a lighter model (gemini-2.5-flash-lite)
• Reducing maxDiffLength in settings
• Waiting between requests

"Empty response from AI model"

Solution:

• Increase maxOutputTokens in settings (try 500-1000)
• Your diff might be too large, reduce maxDiffLength
• Try a different model

API Key Security

Your API key is stored securely using VS Code's Secret Storage API. It's never exposed in settings files or source control.

🤝 Contributing

Found a bug or have a feature request?

• Report Issues: GitHub Issues
• Source Code: GitHub Repository

📄 License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.

🙏 Acknowledgments

• Built with Google Gemini API
• Follows Conventional Commits specification
• Inspired by the developer community's need for better commit messages

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Enjoy writing better commits with AI! ⭐

If you find this extension helpful, please consider:

• ⭐ Starring the repository
• 📝 Writing a review
• 🐛 Reporting bugs