Git Changelog Plugin

Automatically creates structured, searchable changelog entries when committing code to git. Unlike traditional single-file changelogs that become unwieldy merge-conflict nightmares and lose context over time, this plugin creates individual timestamped entries that never conflict during merges, preserve complete context for each coding session, and build a rich searchable knowledge base of your project's evolution. Each entry captures not just what changed but WHY decisions were made, problems encountered, and lessons learned - creating a development journal that's infinitely more useful than a chronological list of bullet points. Plus, it's way cooler than anything Mike Dion proposed because it actually solves the real problems developers face: merge conflicts, lost context, and the inability to quickly find that one weird fix you did six months ago at 2am.

Features

• Auto-documentation: Every commit creates a detailed changelog entry
• Structured format: Captures what changed, why, issues encountered, testing notes, and next steps
• Searchable: Auto-generated index with keyword search
• Smart keywords: Suggests keywords based on file paths modified
• Merge-friendly: Timestamps prevent filename collisions across branches
• Universal: Works with any tech stack (JavaScript, Python, Rust, etc.)

Installation

Option 1: Via Plugin Manager (Recommended)

1. Open your terminal
2. Start Claude Code:

   claude

3. Add the marketplace to Claude Code:

   /plugin marketplace add https://github.com/justfinethanku/cc-changelog-plugin
   

4. Install the plugin:

   /plugin install changelog
   

5. Done! The plugin is now installed and ready to use

Option 2: Manual Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/justfinethanku/cc-changelog-plugin

2. Choose where to install:

   For all projects (personal skills directory):

   cp -r cc-changelog-plugin/skills/commit ~/.claude/skills/

   For current project only (project-specific):

   cp -r cc-changelog-plugin/skills/commit .claude/skills/

Usage

The skill activates automatically when you ask Claude Code to commit changes:

"Commit these changes"
"Let's commit this work"
"Create a git commit with changelog"

You can also provide a commit message:

"Commit with message: Add user authentication"

Skip Changelog (for trivial changes)

"Commit without changelog: Fix typo in README"

Amend Last Entry

"Amend the last changelog entry with these changes"

What Gets Created

First Time Setup

When you first commit with the plugin, it creates:

changelog/
├── .changelog-keywords.txt    # Predefined and project-specific keywords
└── README.md                  # Auto-generated searchable index

After Each Commit

changelog/
└── 2025-01-15-1430-feature-name.md   # Timestamped entry

Changelog Entry Format

Each entry includes:

• What Changed: Files modified with descriptions
• Why: Decision rationale
• Issues Encountered: Problems and workarounds
• Dependencies: NPM/pip/cargo packages added
• Testing Notes: What was tested, what wasn't, edge cases
• Next Steps: Remaining tasks

Searching Your Changelog

The auto-generated changelog/README.md includes:

• Keyword Index: All keywords with entry counts
• Monthly Groups: Entries organized by month
• One-line Summaries: Quick overview of each session

Use Cmd+F to search for keywords like [DATABASE], [BUG_FIX], etc.

Merge-Friendly Design

• Timestamps in filenames prevent collisions across branches
• Individual changelog entries never conflict during merge
• If README.md conflicts, ask Claude to regenerate it

Example Keywords

Common keywords automatically suggested:

• [FRONTEND], [BACKEND], [DATABASE]
• [API], [UI], [COMPONENTS]
• [TESTING], [BUG_FIX], [FEATURE]
• [REFACTOR], [PERFORMANCE], [SECURITY]
• [DEPLOYMENT], [DOCUMENTATION], [MIGRATION]

Add project-specific keywords as needed - they're automatically added to the vocabulary.

Best Practices

DO:

• ✅ Create entry for every feature, bug fix, or meaningful change
• ✅ Be specific in "What Changed" (file paths, function names)
• ✅ Explain "Why" decisions were made (most valuable for future you!)
• ✅ Document failed experiments (valuable context)

DON'T:

• ❌ Use for typo fixes (say "commit without changelog")
• ❌ Use generic descriptions ("made changes")
• ❌ Skip "Why" section
• ❌ Forget to test before committing

How It Works

1. Analyzes changes: Runs git diff --stat to see what changed
2. Suggests keywords: Based on file paths modified
3. Prompts for context: What, why, issues, testing notes
4. Creates entry: Timestamped markdown file in changelog/
5. Updates index: Regenerates README with all entries
6. Commits everything: Code + changelog together
7. Optional push: Prompts to push to remote

Contributing

Issues and PRs welcome at: https://github.com/justfinethanku/cc-changelog-plugin

License

MIT License - See LICENSE file for details

Author

Jonathan Edwards