Automated Code Quality: The Pre-commit Hook Revolution

Today I focused on improving my development workflow and code quality processes, discovering some fascinating tools that could transform how I approach coding standards.

The CI Pipeline Frustration

I’ve been working with ESLint for code quality checks and had already built a CI pipeline for automated checking. However, I ran into some significant workflow issues that were creating mental pressure:

The main problem was the waiting time – every time I pushed code, it took several minutes to get results back from the CI pipeline. This delay was mentally taxing and broke my coding flow. Even worse, when format checks failed, fixing them felt annoying and disruptive.

While I could run local formatting before committing and pushing, I consistently forgot to do this step, leading to failed CI checks and wasted time.

Discovering Pre-commit Hooks

My research into solving this workflow problem led me to an interesting solution: pre-commit hooks using Git hooks. This approach automatically triggers scripts after making a commit, running processes before the code even reaches the remote repository.

I discovered a tool called Husky that can build pre-commit hooks (and actually any Git hook, though I’m focusing on pre-commit for now). This would allow me to catch formatting and linting issues immediately, before they ever reach the CI pipeline.

I also found another tool (though I can’t recall the name) that runs tests only on Git-staged files – just the changed parts rather than the entire codebase. This approach could save significant time and make the process much faster.

Commit Message Standards

An additional discovery was commit message standardization through hooks. I can set up checks that prevent commits if the message doesn’t follow established standards. This was completely new to me, but it makes a lot of sense for maintaining consistent project history and enabling automated tooling.

Next Steps and Reflections

While I’ve learned about these tools today, I haven’t implemented them yet. I plan to set this up today or tomorrow and start using this new workflow.

What excites me about this approach is that it forces me to maintain code quality without breaking my coding flow. Instead of waiting for CI pipeline results and dealing with the mental pressure of potential failures, I can catch issues immediately and fix them in context.

This discovery feels like finding the right balance between maintaining high standards and preserving development momentum. The pre-commit hook approach should help me build better coding habits while keeping the development process smooth and enjoyable.

The combination of immediate feedback, automated standards enforcement, and faster iteration cycles could significantly improve both my code quality and development experience.