Git Empty Commit | How To Push a Commit With No Changes, and When You Should Do It

Ever been stuck needing to initiate a new build in Git, but without any fresh changes to commit? This is a frequent dilemma developers face, especially when testing changes or retriggering a Continuous Integration (CI) build.

What’s the solution? Should you tweak the code just to create a new commit? Thankfully, Git offers a feature both simple and powerful – the empty commit. It’s akin to placing a bookmark in a novel. It marks a place without altering the storyline.

In this article, we’ll dive into the concept of an empty commit in Git, its practicality, and the process of creating one. So, whether you’re a seasoned developer or a novice just dipping your toes into the Git universe, let’s get started!

Understanding Empty Commits

To grasp the concept of empty commits, we must start from the basics. An empty commit, as the name implies, is a commit that does not incorporate any changes. It’s akin to a phantom commit, a marker that exists but doesn’t modify the code in any way.

Here’s how you create an empty commit in Git:

git commit --allow-empty -m 'Your commit message'

It might seem counterintuitive – why create a commit devoid of changes?

The answer lies within your Git history. When you push an empty commit, it materializes in your history just like any other commit. This feature proves to be incredibly beneficial in certain circumstances, which we’ll delve into later.

The Impact on Git History

What does it imply to have empty commits in your history? If used wisely, empty commits can serve as significant markers or placeholders in your project’s timeline. However, overuse can clutter your history, making it challenging to navigate.

An empty commit is a potent tool in your Git toolkit. It enables you to initiate a new build or process without altering the code, keeping your project pristine and your history meaningful.

So, when you need to trigger a build but want to avoid unnecessary changes, remember the power of the humble empty commit.

The Need for Empty Commits

Having grasped what an empty commit is, it’s time to explore the reasons for its use. Several scenarios call for the implementation of an empty commit, proving its utility.

Consistency in Repository

One typical use case is maintaining consistency in your repository. For instance, if you’re working on a feature branch and haven’t made any changes yet, but still want to push a commit to signify the start of your work, an empty commit is an ideal solution. It serves as a placeholder, marking the beginning of your new work without altering any code.

Triggering a Build or Process

Another instance is when you need to trigger a build or process without modifying the code. This could be necessary when dealing with server-side processes that are activated by a new commit, or when you need to re-run a Continuous Integration (CI) build.

While pushing an empty commit is straightforward, it’s important to bear in mind one key aspect: the commit message. Even if your commit doesn’t include any code changes, a meaningful and relevant commit message is still crucial.

This not only assists you in remembering why you made the commit but also aids in team communication. A well-written commit message can offer valuable context to your teammates, helping them understand the rationale behind a particular commit.

In essence, empty commits can serve as markers or signals in your project history, facilitating better project management and coordination.

So the next time you need to maintain repository consistency or trigger a process without code changes, remember the power of the empty commit.

Organizing Work with Empty Commits

Empty commits, while seemingly trivial, have a broad spectrum of uses. One of the most prevalent and effective applications is in organizing your work.

Starting a New Feature Branch

Consider this scenario: you’re about to embark on developing a new feature for your project. You’ve created a new branch, but there’s no code to commit yet. Here’s where an empty commit comes in handy. By pushing an empty commit, you establish the inception of your new feature branch, creating a clear starting point in your project’s history.

This can be particularly beneficial when collaborating in a team, as it allows others to see that you’ve embarked on the feature, even if there’s no code to showcase yet. It’s a straightforward and effective method to keep everyone updated and ensure that your project’s timeline is easy to follow.

Commit Message Format

To maximize this approach, it’s advisable to establish a commit message format in advance. This way, even though the commit is devoid of changes, the message can still convey valuable information. For instance, it could include the name of the feature, the expected duration of the work, and any other pertinent details.

Here’s how you create an empty commit with a message in Git:

git commit --allow-empty -m 'Start of user registration feature - expected completion in 2 weeks'

Let’s visualize this with a real-world example. Suppose you’re working on a web development project, and you’re about to initiate building a new user registration feature. You create a new branch and push an empty commit with the message Start of user registration feature - expected completion in 2 weeks. This immediate update informs your team of your current task and expected timeline, enhancing communication and coordination.

By leveraging empty commits to mark the commencement of new feature branches and setting up commit message formats, you can streamline your work organization and enhance project management.

It’s a testament to the versatility of Git, where even an empty commit can have a significant impact on your workflow.

Re-running the Delivery Pipeline

Imagine a situation where you need to re-run the delivery pipeline of a branch. This could be due to a failed build, a necessary update to the pipeline, or a simple need to retest the existing code. In such cases, you could make a minor modification to the code just to trigger the pipeline. But is that the best practice?

The answer is no. Unnecessary modifications can lead to confusion and clutter in your codebase. It’s not professional, and it’s certainly not efficient. Instead, you can use an empty commit to trigger the pipeline. It’s a clean, clear, and professional way to incite a build step in server-side processes without touching the code.

Real-world Example

Consider this scenario. You’re working on a project that employs a CI/CD pipeline. You’ve just updated the pipeline configuration, and you need to re-run the pipeline on your branch to ensure everything functions as expected.

Instead of making a meaningless change to your code, you can simply push an empty commit. With a well-crafted commit message, such as ‘Triggering pipeline with updated configuration’, the reason for the commit is immediately clear.

This example demonstrates the potency of empty commits in practical scenarios. They’re not merely placeholders or signals in your project’s history. They’re also a professional and efficient way to trigger builds and processes without making unnecessary code changes.

Here’s how you use an empty commit to trigger a pipeline:

git commit --allow-empty -m 'Triggering pipeline with updated configuration'

Maintaining a Clean Git History

While empty commits are a potent tool, their usage should be judicious to maintain a clean Git history. Overuse of empty commits can clutter your project’s timeline and make navigation challenging. So, how can one trigger a new build or process while still keeping the Git history clean? The solution lies in Git tags.

Git tags are references that point to specific points in your project’s history. They’re typically used to capture a point in time of your project that is used for a marked version release. However, they can also be used to trigger a new build or process, just like an empty commit.

Advantages of Git Tags

The advantage of using Git tags over empty commits is that they don’t appear in your commit history. Instead, they’re stored as references in a separate space, keeping your commit history clean and uncluttered. This makes Git tags a more advantageous tool for triggering builds or processes in certain scenarios.

To use a Git tag effectively, you’ll first need to create a new tag with the git tag command. For instance, if you wanted to create a new tag called ‘v1.0’, you would use the command:

git tag v1.0

Once the tag is created, you can push it to your remote repository with the git push --tags command. This will trigger a new build or process, just like pushing an empty commit.

git push --tags

Real-world Scenario

Consider a scenario where you’re working on a project that uses a CI/CD pipeline. You’ve just completed a new feature and want to trigger a new build to test it. Instead of pushing an empty commit, you could create a new Git tag and push it to your remote repository. This would trigger the build without adding an unnecessary commit to your history.

While empty commits are a useful tool in Git, it’s important to use them judiciously to maintain a clean and meaningful history. In scenarios where you need to trigger a new build or process without making code changes, consider using Git tags. They offer a clean and professional alternative that can help keep your project’s timeline uncluttered and easy to navigate.

Here’s how you create and push a Git tag:

git tag v1.0
git push --tags

Conclusion

Throughout this article, we’ve delved into the concept, advantages, and practical applications of empty commits in Git. They serve a multitude of purposes, from acting as placeholders in your project’s timeline to triggering builds and processes without making code changes.

Empty commits can enhance repository consistency, facilitate better project management, and improve team communication. They can streamline work organization, trigger server-side processes, and even re-run delivery pipelines.

Despite their power, it’s crucial to use empty commits judiciously to maintain a clean and meaningful Git history. In scenarios where you need to trigger a new build or process without making code changes, Git tags offer a clean and professional alternative. They help keep your project’s timeline uncluttered and easy to navigate.

Creating an empty commit is straightforward. Simply use the following command, replacing ‘Your commit message’ with a relevant and meaningful message.

git commit --allow-empty -m "Your commit message"

In conclusion, the humble empty commit is a testament to the versatility and power of Git. It’s a small feature with a big impact, capable of enhancing your workflow and making your development process more efficient.

So, the next time you find yourself needing to trigger a build but don’t want to make unnecessary changes, remember the power of the empty commit.