git-coauthor

Insert an additional author to the last Git commit

$ git coauthor [name] [name@example.com]

git coauthor command [options] [arguments]

list
    Lists all configured co-authors with their initials, full names, and email addresses.

add <initials> <Name> <Email>
    Adds a new co-author entry to the configuration file. <initials> is a short identifier (e.g., 'ab'), <Name> is the full name, and <Email> is the email address.

remove <initials>
    Removes a co-author entry from the configuration file identified by its <initials>.

use <initials>...
    Specifies which co-authors should be added to the next commit. Multiple initials can be provided space-separated. This typically creates or updates a temporary file that a Git prepare-commit-msg hook reads.

edit
    Opens the co-author configuration file in your default editor for manual editing.

clear
    Clears the list of co-authors that were set to be used for the next commit.

The git-coauthor command is a utility designed to streamline the process of adding 'Co-authored-by:' trailers to Git commit messages. This is particularly useful in collaborative development environments such as pair programming or mob programming, where multiple individuals contribute to a single commit. The command typically manages a local configuration file (e.g., ~/.git-coauthors) that maps short initials to full names and email addresses.

When invoked, it appends the relevant 'Co-authored-by:' lines to the commit message, ensuring proper attribution and adherence to Git's commit trailer format. This automation saves time and ensures consistency compared to manually typing co-author lines for each collaborative commit.

The git-coauthor command is not a standard component of Git itself. It is typically a third-party script or a custom utility. As such, its specific implementation, available commands, and configuration file location may vary depending on where you obtained it. It commonly relies on Git hooks (specifically prepare-commit-msg) to inject co-author lines into the commit message before it's saved, meaning it may not work as expected if Git hooks are disabled or overridden.

The concept of git-coauthor tools emerged from the growing popularity of highly collaborative Git workflows, such as pair programming and mob programming, where multiple individuals contribute to a single commit. While Git natively supports adding 'Co-authored-by:' trailers, manually appending them can be cumbersome. Scripts like git-coauthor began to appear in the community to automate this process, making it easier to manage and apply co-authorship. Its development is largely community-driven, reflecting a common solution to a shared challenge in modern software development.

git-commit(1), git-log(1), git-config(1), git-hooks(5)