author-contributions

Identify files an author contributed to on a branch, tracing contributions through git renames.

10|1|Updated Jul 13, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/KevinHuangIsLearning/shortestpath-ide --skill author-contributions-kevinhuangislearning
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: author-contributions
Source: https://github.com/KevinHuangIsLearning/shortestpath-ide/tree/main/.github/skills/author-contributions
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/KevinHuangIsLearning/shortestpath-ide --skill author-contributions-kevinhuangislearning

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve? Determining exactly which files a specific author contributed to on a feature branch is tedious with raw git commands, especially when files were renamed by other contributors during the branch's lifetime. This Skill automates the audit and produces a clean table showing each author's footprint relative to the upstream branch. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Exact author resolution: Matches the requested person to their precise git identity using git log output or the GitHub MCP get_me tool, avoiding false matches on similar names. - Rename-aware tracing: Builds a rename map from all branch commits and walks it transitively, so contributions survive multi-hop moves like contrib/chat/ → agentSessions/ → sessions/. - Merge-diff classification: Reports only files that will actually land in the upstream, labeling each as DIRECT or VIA_RENAME with line-change stats. - Use Case: Before merging a long-lived branch, ask who touched what; the Skill returns a markdown table of every file the author contributed to, including files renamed by teammates, plus a total line summary. ## Quick Start Ask the agent to find every file that a named author contributed to on your current branch compared to main, tracing contributions through renames, and return a markdown table.

Frequently Asked Questions about author-contributions

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I find all files an author changed on a git branch?▼

List the author's commits with git log --author on the upstream..branch range, extract touched files per commit with git diff-tree, then intersect with the merge diff from git diff --name-only. This Skill automates that pipeline and returns a markdown table.

How to track code contributions through file renames in git?▼

Build a rename map by running git diff-tree -M on every branch commit and parsing R-status lines into new-path to old-path mappings. Walk the map transitively so multi-hop renames still connect a file to its original author's edits.

Why does git log --author match the wrong person?▼

The --author flag does substring matching, so short names can match multiple contributors with similar display names. Resolve the exact identity first with git log --format="%an <%ae>" or the GitHub MCP get_me tool before filtering commits.

Does this include files the author edited that were later deleted?▼

No. Only files present in the merge diff between upstream and branch are reported, since deleted files will not land when the branch merges. Contributions to removed files are intentionally excluded from the final table.

Can this run as a subagent instead of inline?▼

Yes, and it is the recommended mode. The procedure executes many sequential git commands, so delegating to a subagent keeps the main context clean and returns only the concise summary table.