helpers_git

Version: 7.1.0

wexample-helpers-git is a Python library of focused helpers for scripting common Git operations: branch switching, staged commits, push and pull with automatic retries, tag management, change detection, and .gitignore canonicalization. It is aimed at Python tooling and automation code in the wexample ecosystem that needs reliable, programmatic control over local repositories and remote interactions without encoding raw subprocess calls inline. Network-facing operations such as git_push_follow_tags, git_pull_rebase_autostash, and git_push_tag include built-in retry logic via GitRetryableCallbackManager, which recognises transient server errors like HTTP 5xx and RPC failures automatically.

Table of Contents

• Installation
• Quickstart
• Tests
• Architecture
• Integration in the Suite
• Dependencies
• Versioning & Compatibility Policy
• License
• About us
• Known Limitations & Roadmap
• Status & Compatibility
• Useful Links
• Migration Notes

Installation

pip install wexample-helpers-git

Requires Python >=3.10.

Quickstart

Install the package:

pip install wexample-helpers-git

The functions live in wexample_helpers_git.helper.git. Each one takes a cwd keyword argument pointing at the repository you want to operate on.

from wexample_helpers_git.helper.git import (
    git_current_branch,
    git_has_uncommitted_changes,
    git_get_current_commit_hash,
)

# Current branch name
branch = git_current_branch(cwd="/path/to/repo")
# → "main"

# Whether there are any staged or unstaged changes
dirty = git_has_uncommitted_changes(cwd="/path/to/repo")
# → True

# Full commit hash (pass short=True for the abbreviated form)
sha = git_get_current_commit_hash(cwd="/path/to/repo")
# → "a3f1c8d2e4b..."

All three calls run git in a subprocess and return a Python value directly — no Repo object to construct, no intermediate result to parse.

Tests

This project uses pytest for testing and pytest-cov for code coverage analysis.

Installation

First, install the required testing dependencies:

.venv/bin/python -m pip install pytest pytest-cov

Basic Usage

Run all tests with coverage:

.venv/bin/python -m pytest --cov --cov-report=html

Common Commands

# Run tests with coverage for a specific module
.venv/bin/python -m pytest --cov=your_module

# Show which lines are not covered
.venv/bin/python -m pytest --cov=your_module --cov-report=term-missing

# Generate an HTML coverage report
.venv/bin/python -m pytest --cov=your_module --cov-report=html

# Combine terminal and HTML reports
.venv/bin/python -m pytest --cov=your_module --cov-report=term-missing --cov-report=html

# Run specific test file with coverage
.venv/bin/python -m pytest tests/test_file.py --cov=your_module --cov-report=term-missing

Viewing HTML Reports

After generating an HTML report, open htmlcov/index.html in your browser to view detailed line-by-line coverage information.

Coverage Threshold

To enforce a minimum coverage percentage:

.venv/bin/python -m pytest --cov=your_module --cov-fail-under=80

This will cause the test suite to fail if coverage drops below 80%.

Architecture

The package lives entirely under src/wexample_helpers_git/ and has no runtime state. It is two sub-packages — helper/ and const/ — plus empty __init__.py stubs at each level.

helper/ — the functional layer

Four modules, each with a distinct responsibility.

src/wexample_helpers_git/helper/git.py is the main public API. It contains roughly thirty standalone functions covering branching (git_create_or_switch_branch, git_switch_new_branch, git_checkout_new_branch, git_switch_branch), staging and committing (git_commit_all_with_message), push and pull (git_push_follow_tags, git_push_tag, git_pull_rebase_autostash), tag operations (git_tag_annotated, git_tag_lightweight, git_tag_exists, git_tag_points_to_head), change detection (git_has_uncommitted_changes, git_has_index_changes, git_has_working_changes, git_get_changed_paths), and remote/upstream management (git_ensure_upstream, git_set_upstream, git_get_upstream, git_get_remote_url). Every function takes cwd: FileStringOrPath and resolves it via file_resolve_path from wexample-helpers before doing anything. All subprocess calls go through git_run, which is just:

def git_run(cmd: list[str], *args, **kwargs) -> ShellResult:
    return shell_run(cmd=["git", *cmd], *args, **kwargs)

Network-facing calls pass retries=3 to git_run, which forwards it to shell_run from wexample-helpers. gitpython's Repo object is used only in git_is_init (to detect whether a path is a repository) and git_remote_create_once (to create a remote via the GitPython API when one does not already exist).

src/wexample_helpers_git/helper/repo.py handles repository state fingerprinting. repo_get_state combines the HEAD hash with a hash of git diff --name-only output into a single string. repo_has_changed compares that string against a state file (.last_git_state by default) and updates it on change. repo_has_changed_since compares against a caller-held string instead of a file — useful when the caller wants to track state in memory.

src/wexample_helpers_git/helper/gitignore.py is pure Python with no subprocess calls. reorganize_gitignore_safe takes the raw text of a .gitignore, checks every non-comment line for glob characters (*, ?, [) or negations (!), and returns None if any are found — leaving the file untouched. When the file is safe, it splits it into blank-line-separated sections, deduplicates entries within each section, and sorts them case-insensitively, keeping leading comment blocks pinned to the top of each section and inline comments attached to their entry.

src/wexample_helpers_git/helper/git_retryable_callback_manager.py defines GitRetryableCallbackManager, a subclass of RetryableCallbackManager from wexample-helpers. On construction it populates transient_markers with a list of lowercase strings ("rpc failed", "http 503", "connection reset", etc.) and registers _should_retry_git as the should_retry_callback. That callback returns True when any marker appears in the lowercased error message. The class is designed to be instantiated directly for call-sites that need richer retry control beyond the retries= integer that git_run already accepts.

const/ — shared constants

src/wexample_helpers_git/const/common.py declares five string constants: GIT_BRANCH_MAIN, GIT_PROVIDER_GITHUB, GIT_PROVIDER_GITLAB, GIT_REMOTE_GITHUB, and GIT_REMOTE_ORIGIN. Importing them avoids scattering the strings "main", "origin", and "github" across call-sites.

Call path

A typical call such as git_commit_all_with_message("msg", cwd="/repo") walks this path:

1. file_resolve_path(cwd) turns the argument into a Path.
2. git_run(["add", "-A"], cwd=resolved) prepends "git" and calls shell_run.
3. shell_run executes the subprocess and returns a ShellResult with .stdout, .stderr, and .returncode.
4. A second git_run(["commit", "-m", message], ...) follows the same path.

For push and pull, step 2 also carries retries=3; shell_run re-runs the command on failure up to that limit.

External dependencies

wexample-helpers supplies shell_run, ShellResult, file_resolve_path, RetryableCallbackManager, and the @base_class decorator used by GitRetryableCallbackManager. gitpython is used only for the two functions that need a Repo object directly. attrs and cattrs are pulled in transitively through @base_class.

Integration in the Suite

This package is part of the Wexample Suite — a collection of high-quality, modular tools designed to work seamlessly together across multiple languages and environments.

Related Packages

The suite includes packages for configuration management, file handling, prompts, and more. Each package can be used independently or as part of the integrated suite.

Visit the Wexample Suite documentation for the complete package ecosystem.

Dependencies

• attrs: >=23.1.0
• cattrs: >=23.1.0
• gitpython:
• wexample-helpers: >=19.1.0

Versioning & Compatibility Policy

Wexample packages follow Semantic Versioning (SemVer):

• MAJOR: Breaking changes
• MINOR: New features, backward compatible
• PATCH: Bug fixes, backward compatible

We maintain backward compatibility within major versions and provide clear migration guides for breaking changes.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Free to use in both personal and commercial projects.

About us

Wexample stands as a cornerstone of the digital ecosystem — a collective of seasoned engineers, researchers, and creators driven by a relentless pursuit of technological excellence. More than a media platform, it has grown into a vibrant community where innovation meets craftsmanship, and where every line of code reflects a commitment to clarity, durability, and shared intelligence.

This packages suite embodies this spirit. Trusted by professionals and enthusiasts alike, it delivers a consistent, high-quality foundation for modern development — open, elegant, and battle-tested. Its reputation is built on years of collaboration, refinement, and rigorous attention to detail, making it a natural choice for those who demand both robustness and beauty in their tools.

Wexample cultivates a culture of mastery. Each package, each contribution carries the mark of a community that values precision, ethics, and innovation — a community proud to shape the future of digital craftsmanship.

Known Limitations & Roadmap

Current limitations and planned features are tracked in the GitHub issues.

See the project roadmap for upcoming features and improvements.

Status & Compatibility

Maturity: Production-ready

Python Support: >=3.10

OS Support: Linux, macOS, Windows

Status: Actively maintained

Useful Links

• Homepage: https://github.com/wexample/python-helpers-git
• Documentation: docs.wexample.com
• Issue Tracker: https://github.com/wexample/python-helpers-git/issues
• Discussions: https://github.com/wexample/python-helpers-git/discussions
• PyPI: pypi.org/project/wexample-helpers-git

Migration Notes

When upgrading between major versions, refer to the migration guides in the documentation.

Breaking changes are clearly documented with upgrade paths and examples.