[PR #19] Add --staged-only flag to fix unstaged changes attribution (Issue #16) #207

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opened 2026-03-02 04:12:57 +03:00 by kerem · 0 comments

kerem commented

2026-03-02 04:12:57 +03:00

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Original Pull Request: https://github.com/git-ai-project/git-ai/pull/19

State: closed
Merged: No

Pull Request: Add --staged-only flag to fix unstaged changes attribution (Issue #16)

Summary

This PR implements a solution for Issue #16 where unstaged changes were incorrectly attributed to AI agents, corrupting attribution accuracy. The solution adds a --staged-only flag that ensures only explicitly staged changes are tracked for attribution.

Problem

Git-ai was attributing ALL working directory changes (staged, unstaged, and untracked) to the checkpoint author. This caused:

Unstaged human changes incorrectly attributed to AI agents
Corrupted human vs AI contribution metrics
Loss of trust in attribution accuracy

Solution

Added --staged-only flag that:

✅ Only tracks staged changes (git add) for attribution
✅ Ignores unstaged changes with helpful warnings
✅ Preserves backward compatibility (flag is opt-in)
✅ Provides clear guidance to users

Changes Made

1. Core Implementation (`src/commands/checkpoint.rs`)

Added staged_only parameter to run() function
Implemented get_staged_files_only() - filters only staged changes using git2::Status flags
Implemented get_unstaged_files() - detects unstaged changes for warnings
Added warning system to inform users about ignored unstaged files

2. Command-Line Interface (`src/main.rs`)

Added --staged-only flag parsing
Updated help text with flag documentation
Passed flag through to checkpoint function

3. Comprehensive Testing (`tests/staged_only_attribution.rs`)

Test staged-only flag ignores unstaged changes
Test without flag includes all changes (backward compatibility)
Test warning messages for unstaged files
Test mixed staged/unstaged scenarios

4. Manual Testing (`test_staged_only.sh`)

Interactive test script for manual verification
Demonstrates flag behavior with real git scenarios

Usage Examples

Before (Problematic)

# Human makes changes but doesn't stage
echo "human code" > file.txt

# AI agent runs checkpoint - INCORRECTLY attributes human code to AI
git-ai checkpoint --author "Claude"

After (Fixed)

# Human makes changes but doesn't stage  
echo "human code" > file.txt

# AI agent runs checkpoint with --staged-only - ignores unstaged human code
git-ai checkpoint --author "Claude" --staged-only
# Warning: Found 1 unstaged file(s) that will be ignored:
#   file.txt
# Use 'git add' to stage changes or remove --staged-only to include unstaged changes

# Proper workflow: AI stages its changes
git add ai_generated_file.txt
git-ai checkpoint --author "Claude" --staged-only  # Only tracks AI's staged changes

Backward Compatibility

✅ No breaking changes - flag is opt-in
✅ Existing workflows continue working without the flag
✅ Authorship log format unchanged - no migration needed
✅ Clear migration path for users who want accurate attribution

Testing

Run the comprehensive test suite:

cargo test staged_only_attribution

Run manual verification:

./test_staged_only.sh

Future Considerations

This implementation provides a foundation for making staged-only the default behavior in future releases:

Phase 1 (This PR): Add --staged-only flag (opt-in)
Phase 2 (Future): Make staged-only default with --include-unstaged for backward compatibility
Phase 3 (Future): Remove backward compatibility flag

Files Changed

src/commands/checkpoint.rs (+74 lines) - Core implementation
src/main.rs (+6 lines) - CLI interface
tests/staged_only_attribution.rs (+251 lines) - Comprehensive tests
test_staged_only.sh (+73 lines) - Manual test script

Total: 407 additions, 3 deletions

Fixes

Closes #16

Review Notes

Implementation is minimal and focused - only adds filtering logic
No changes to existing data structures or formats
Clear error messages guide users to correct usage
Comprehensive test coverage for edge cases
Ready for immediate deployment with low risk

**Original Pull Request:** https://github.com/git-ai-project/git-ai/pull/19 **State:** closed **Merged:** No --- # Pull Request: Add --staged-only flag to fix unstaged changes attribution (Issue #16) ## Summary This PR implements a solution for **Issue #16** where unstaged changes were incorrectly attributed to AI agents, corrupting attribution accuracy. The solution adds a `--staged-only` flag that ensures only explicitly staged changes are tracked for attribution. ## Problem Git-ai was attributing ALL working directory changes (staged, unstaged, and untracked) to the checkpoint author. This caused: - Unstaged human changes incorrectly attributed to AI agents - Corrupted human vs AI contribution metrics - Loss of trust in attribution accuracy ## Solution Added `--staged-only` flag that: - ✅ Only tracks staged changes (`git add`) for attribution - ✅ Ignores unstaged changes with helpful warnings - ✅ Preserves backward compatibility (flag is opt-in) - ✅ Provides clear guidance to users ## Changes Made ### 1. Core Implementation (`src/commands/checkpoint.rs`) - Added `staged_only` parameter to `run()` function - Implemented `get_staged_files_only()` - filters only staged changes using git2::Status flags - Implemented `get_unstaged_files()` - detects unstaged changes for warnings - Added warning system to inform users about ignored unstaged files ### 2. Command-Line Interface (`src/main.rs`) - Added `--staged-only` flag parsing - Updated help text with flag documentation - Passed flag through to checkpoint function ### 3. Comprehensive Testing (`tests/staged_only_attribution.rs`) - Test staged-only flag ignores unstaged changes - Test without flag includes all changes (backward compatibility) - Test warning messages for unstaged files - Test mixed staged/unstaged scenarios ### 4. Manual Testing (`test_staged_only.sh`) - Interactive test script for manual verification - Demonstrates flag behavior with real git scenarios ## Usage Examples ### Before (Problematic) ```bash # Human makes changes but doesn't stage echo "human code" > file.txt # AI agent runs checkpoint - INCORRECTLY attributes human code to AI git-ai checkpoint --author "Claude" ``` ### After (Fixed) ```bash # Human makes changes but doesn't stage echo "human code" > file.txt # AI agent runs checkpoint with --staged-only - ignores unstaged human code git-ai checkpoint --author "Claude" --staged-only # Warning: Found 1 unstaged file(s) that will be ignored: # file.txt # Use 'git add' to stage changes or remove --staged-only to include unstaged changes # Proper workflow: AI stages its changes git add ai_generated_file.txt git-ai checkpoint --author "Claude" --staged-only # Only tracks AI's staged changes ``` ## Backward Compatibility - ✅ **No breaking changes** - flag is opt-in - ✅ **Existing workflows continue working** without the flag - ✅ **Authorship log format unchanged** - no migration needed - ✅ **Clear migration path** for users who want accurate attribution ## Testing Run the comprehensive test suite: ```bash cargo test staged_only_attribution ``` Run manual verification: ```bash ./test_staged_only.sh ``` ## Future Considerations This implementation provides a foundation for making staged-only the default behavior in future releases: 1. **Phase 1** (This PR): Add `--staged-only` flag (opt-in) 2. **Phase 2** (Future): Make staged-only default with `--include-unstaged` for backward compatibility 3. **Phase 3** (Future): Remove backward compatibility flag ## Files Changed - `src/commands/checkpoint.rs` (+74 lines) - Core implementation - `src/main.rs` (+6 lines) - CLI interface - `tests/staged_only_attribution.rs` (+251 lines) - Comprehensive tests - `test_staged_only.sh` (+73 lines) - Manual test script **Total: 407 additions, 3 deletions** ## Fixes Closes #16 ## Review Notes - Implementation is minimal and focused - only adds filtering logic - No changes to existing data structures or formats - Clear error messages guide users to correct usage - Comprehensive test coverage for edge cases - Ready for immediate deployment with low risk