Configuration Include Files

Oct 13, 2025 by wbrum.org 43 views

Introduction

As projects grow and become more complex, managing configuration across multiple repositories can become a daunting task. The pre-commit tool, which is widely used for enforcing coding standards and best practices, currently lacks a well-supported method for sharing a subset of configuration across multiple repositories. This can lead to awkward management and maintenance of configurations, especially in projects that are spread across many small Git repositories. In this article, we will explore the need for a configuration directory or configuration include files in pre-commit and discuss potential solutions.

The Current State of Configuration Management in pre-commit

pre-commit is a powerful tool that allows developers to enforce coding standards and best practices in their projects. However, as projects grow and become more complex, managing configuration across multiple repositories can become a challenge. Currently, there is no well-supported method for sharing a subset of configuration across multiple repositories. This can lead to cumbersome management and maintenance of configurations, especially in projects that are spread across many small Git repositories.

Desired Features

To address the current limitations of pre-commit configuration management, we need a solution that allows for easy sharing and management of configurations across multiple repositories. Some desired features include:

Configuration Directory: A centralized location for storing and managing configurations, which can be easily shared across multiple repositories.
Configuration Include Files: A feature that allows for embedding a pre-commit configuration excerpt in-line to serve as a base, making it easy to compose pre-commit configuration.

Current Workarounds

While there are no built-in features in pre-commit to support a configuration directory or configuration include files, there are a few workarounds that can be used to achieve similar results:

External Tool Generation: An external tool can be used to generate a .pre-commit.yaml file from input template files, a config directory, etc. This approach can be cumbersome and may not be suitable for all use cases.
Local Configuration File: A local .pre-commit-config.yaml file can be used to invoke pre-commit with a shared configuration file. However, this approach has limitations, such as not being able to pass through pre-commit command line arguments to target specific hooks, run only specific phases, etc.

Potential Solutions

Configuration Directory: A centralized location for storing and managing configurations, which can be easily shared across multiple repositories.
Configuration Include Files: A feature that allows for embedding a pre-commit configuration excerpt in-line to serve as a base, making it easy to compose pre-commit configuration.

Implementation

To implement a configuration directory or configuration include files in pre-commit, we can use the following approach:

Create a Centralized Configuration Directory: Create a centralized location for storing and managing configurations, which can be easily shared across multiple repositories.
Use Configuration Include Files: Use a feature that allows for embedding a pre-commit configuration excerpt in-line to serve as a base, making it easy to compose pre-commit configuration.

Example Use Case

Suppose we have a project with multiple repositories, each with its own set of configurations. We want to share a subset of configurations across all repositories, while still allowing each repository to have its own additions or overrides. We can use a configuration directory or configuration include files to achieve this.

Example Code

Here is an example of how we can use a configuration directory or configuration include files in pre-commit:

# .pre-commit-hooks.yaml
- id: shared-config
  name: Shared Configuration
  language: pre-commit
  config:
    - include: shared-config.yaml

# shared-config.yaml
- id: flake8
  name: flake8
  entry: flake8
  language: python
  stages:
    - commit
  always_run: true

Conclusion

In conclusion, pre-commit currently lacks a well-supported method for sharing a subset of configuration across multiple repositories. This can lead to awkward management and maintenance of configurations, especially in projects that are spread across many small Git repositories. To address this limitation, we need a solution that allows for easy sharing and management of configurations across multiple repositories. Some potential solutions include a configuration directory or configuration include files. By implementing these features, we can make it easier to manage configurations across multiple repositories and improve the overall development experience.

Future Work

To further improve the configuration management in pre-commit, we can explore the following ideas:

Improve Configuration Directory: Improve the configuration directory feature to make it easier to share and manage configurations across multiple repositories.
Enhance Configuration Include Files: Enhance the configuration include files feature to make it easier to compose pre-commit configuration.
Add Support for External Tools: Add support for external tools to generate a .pre-commit.yaml file from input template files, a config directory, etc.

References

Version

Introduction

In our previous article, we discussed the need for a configuration directory or configuration include files in pre-commit. We explored the current limitations of pre-commit configuration management and potential solutions to address these limitations. In this article, we will answer some frequently asked questions (FAQs) related to supporting a configuration directory or configuration include files in pre-commit.

Q: What is a configuration directory?

A: A configuration directory is a centralized location for storing and managing configurations, which can be easily shared across multiple repositories.

Q: What is a configuration include file?

A: A configuration include file is a feature that allows for embedding a pre-commit configuration excerpt in-line to serve as a base, making it easy to compose pre-commit configuration.

Q: Why do we need a configuration directory or configuration include files in pre-commit?

A: We need a configuration directory or configuration include files in pre-commit to make it easier to manage configurations across multiple repositories. This can help improve the overall development experience and reduce the complexity of managing configurations.

Q: How can we implement a configuration directory or configuration include files in pre-commit?

A: We can implement a configuration directory or configuration include files in pre-commit by creating a centralized configuration directory and using configuration include files to embed pre-commit configuration excerpts.

Q: What are some potential solutions to address the current limitations of pre-commit configuration management?

A: Some potential solutions to address the current limitations of pre-commit configuration management include:

Configuration Directory: A centralized location for storing and managing configurations, which can be easily shared across multiple repositories.
Configuration Include Files: A feature that allows for embedding a pre-commit configuration excerpt in-line to serve as a base, making it easy to compose pre-commit configuration.

Q: How can we use a configuration directory or configuration include files in pre-commit?

A: We can use a configuration directory or configuration include files in pre-commit by creating a .pre-commit-hooks.yaml file that includes a configuration entry with a language field set to pre-commit. We can then use a configuration include file to embed a pre-commit configuration excerpt.

Q: What are some benefits of using a configuration directory or configuration include files in pre-commit?

A: Some benefits of using a configuration directory or configuration include files in pre-commit include:

Improved Configuration Management: A configuration directory or configuration include files can help improve the management of configurations across multiple repositories.
Reduced Complexity: A configuration directory or configuration include files can help reduce the complexity of managing configurations.
Improved Development Experience: A configuration directory or configuration include files can help improve the overall development experience.

Q: What are some potential challenges of implementing a configuration directory or configuration include files in pre-commit?

A: Some potential challenges of implementing a configuration directory or configuration include files in pre-commit include:

Complexity: Implementing a configuration directory or configuration include files can add complexity to the pre-commit configuration management process.
Scalability: Implementing a configuration directory or configuration include files can be challenging in large-scale projects with multiple repositories.
Compatibility: Implementing a configuration directory or configuration include files can be challenging in projects with multiple versions of pre-commit.

Conclusion

In conclusion, supporting a configuration directory or configuration include files in pre-commit can help improve the management of configurations across multiple repositories and reduce the complexity of managing configurations. By understanding the benefits and challenges of implementing a configuration directory or configuration include files, developers can make informed decisions about how to manage their configurations.

Future Work

To further improve the configuration management in pre-commit, we can explore the following ideas:

Improve Configuration Directory: Improve the configuration directory feature to make it easier to share and manage configurations across multiple repositories.
Enhance Configuration Include Files: Enhance the configuration include files feature to make it easier to compose pre-commit configuration.
Add Support for External Tools: Add support for external tools to generate a .pre-commit.yaml file from input template files, a config directory, etc.

References

Version

pre-commit version: 4.1.0