GitHub - halfline/git-stage-batch: Hunk-by-hunk and line-by-line staging for git

Hunk-by-hunk and line-by-line staging for git, designed for building clean commit history.

Writing code is messy. Git history doesn't have to be.

During development we experiment, refactor, backtrack, and fix mistakes. If every step ends up as a commit, the history becomes noise. A curated history turns that process into a clear sequence of logical changes.

git-stage-batch helps you build that history incrementally by letting you stage changes hunk-by-hunk or line-by-line, shaping commits around meaning instead of the order the edits happened.

Features

Command-based workflow - Perfect for automation and AI coding assistants
Line-level control - Stage specific lines within a hunk for maximum granularity
Interactive mode - Menu-driven hunk-by-hunk workflow inspired by git add -p
State persistence - Resume staging across multiple invocations
Batch operations - Save hunks for later, organize complex changes
Machine-readable output - --porcelain flag for scripting
No runtime Python packages - Uses the standard library and the external Git executable

Quick Start

# Start reviewing hunks
git-stage-batch start

# Include the selected hunk (stage it)
git-stage-batch include

# Skip it for now
git-stage-batch skip

# Discard it (remove from working tree)
git-stage-batch discard

# Stage specific lines within a hunk
git-stage-batch include --line 1,3,5-7
git-stage-batch skip --line 2,4
git-stage-batch discard --line 8-10

# Check what's been processed
git-stage-batch status

# Start fresh after committing
git-stage-batch again

AI Assistant Quick Start

# Install the command
python -m pipx install git-stage-batch

# Install Claude Code commit skills into this repository
git-stage-batch install-assets claude-skills --filter 'commit-*'

# Keep the local Claude assets out of reviews
git-stage-batch block-file --local-only .claude/

# Ask Claude Code to split and commit the unstaged work
claude "/commit-unstaged-changes"

Omit --filter when installing Claude skills if you also want the larger /decompose-and-commit-unstaged-changes workflow.

Example Workflow

# You have changes in multiple files
git status
# modified:   auth.py
# modified:   config.py

# Start staging
git-stage-batch start
# auth.py :: @@ -10,5 +10,5 @@
# [#1] - old_hash_function()
# [#2] + new_hash_function()

# Include this for first commit
git-stage-batch i

# Create first commit
git commit -m "auth: Upgrade to new hash function"

# Continue with remaining changes
git-stage-batch a

Why git-stage-batch?

Similar to git add -p but more granular and flexible:

✅ Line-by-line staging - Stage specific lines within a hunk
✅ Interactive mode - Continuous hunk-by-hunk workflow with menus
✅ Batch operations - Save hunks for later processing
✅ Colored output - Clear visual distinction in your terminal
✅ File operations - Stage/skip entire files at once

Interactive Mode

For a continuous hunk-by-hunk workflow:

# Launch interactive mode
git-stage-batch -i

# Navigate with single-key commands
# [i]nclude, [s]kip, [d]iscard, [l]ines, [f]ile, [a]gain, [q]uit

Machine-Readable Output

For scripting and automation, use the --porcelain flag:

# Get status as JSON
git-stage-batch status --porcelain

# Add active session status next to a __git_ps1 branch
PS1=$PS1'\r$(__git_ps1 "\n╎\e[32m%s$(git-stage-batch status --for-prompt=\|{status}\ {processed}/{total})\e[0m")\n'

# Check if a hunk exists (exit code 0/1)
git-stage-batch show --porcelain

Batch Operations

Save hunks for later processing with named batches:

# Create a new batch
git-stage-batch new feature-work --note "Refactoring work"

# List all batches
git-stage-batch list

# Annotate a batch
git-stage-batch annotate feature-work "Updated description"

# Drop a batch when done
git-stage-batch drop feature-work

Installation

# Using uv (recommended)
uv tool install git-stage-batch

# Using pipx
pipx install git-stage-batch

# Using pip
pip install git-stage-batch

Requirements

Python 3.10 through 3.13
Git 2.29 or newer
A POSIX operating system; Linux is the currently tested platform. Native Windows is not supported.

Documentation

Full Documentation - Complete guide and examples
Installation Guide - All installation methods
Commands Reference - Complete command documentation
Examples - Common workflows and use cases
AI Assistant Guide - Configure Claude, Cursor, etc.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please see CONTRIBUTING.md for:

Development setup instructions
A codebase guide with command paths and change checklists
A separate batch internals guide for saved-change storage and merge behavior
Commit message guidelines
Code style conventions

License

MIT License