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Understanding Hooks: Automating Git

Hooks are scripts that run automatically. Understanding hooks is understanding how to automate Git workflows.

🎯 The Big Picture​

Hooks run at specific points in Git workflow. Pre-commit, post-commit, pre-push, etc. They let you automate checks, tests, deployments.

Think of it like this: Hooks are like event listeners. They run when specific Git events happen.

Hook Types​

Client-Side Hooks​

  • pre-commit: Before commit
  • post-commit: After commit
  • pre-push: Before push
  • pre-rebase: Before rebase

Server-Side Hooks​

  • pre-receive: Before accepting push
  • update: Before updating branch
  • post-receive: After accepting push

Creating Hooks​

Pre-Commit Hook​

# Create pre-commit hook
cat > .git/hooks/pre-commit << 'EOF'
#!/bin/bash
# Run tests before commit
npm test
if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
    echo "Tests failed. Commit aborted."
    exit 1
fi
EOF

# Make executable
chmod +x .git/hooks/pre-commit

My Take: Hooks Are Automation​

Hooks automate workflows. Use them to enforce quality, run tests, deploy automatically.

Key Takeaways​

  1. Hooks automate - Run scripts at Git events
  2. Client and server - Different hook types
  3. Enforce quality - Run tests, checks
  4. Automate deployment - Post-receive hooks
  5. Powerful automation - Integrate with CI/CD

What's Next?​

Continue learning about Git automation. Explore DevOps Integration to see how hooks integrate with CI/CD.

Remember: Hooks are automation. Use them to enforce quality and automate workflows.