What is Husky?

Husky is a tool used in JavaScript projects to manage Git hooks, which are scripts that Git runs at certain points in the development process (such as before committing or pushing code). Husky makes it easy to add and configure these Git hooks directly from your project, improving the quality and consistency of your codebase by automating tasks like linting, testing, and formatting.

By using Husky, you can ensure that developers follow certain rules (like passing tests or meeting code style guidelines) before they commit or push their changes. This helps prevent issues from being introduced into the codebase, improves collaboration, and maintains high code quality throughout the development lifecycle.

Key Features of Husky
How Husky Works
Common Use Cases for Husky
Setting Up Husky in a Project
Conclusion

Key Features of Husky:

Git Hook Integration: Husky allows you to easily configure Git hooks like pre-commit, pre-push, and commit-msg to enforce rules before changes are committed to the repository.
Easy to Use: It provides simple configuration options and integrates seamlessly with modern JavaScript tools like ESLint, Prettier, and testing frameworks.
Prevents Bad Commits: Husky can automatically run tasks such as linting and testing before code is committed, ensuring that only code that meets the standards is pushed to the repository.
Customizable: You can define custom Git hook behaviors for various stages of the Git workflow, from committing to pushing and beyond.
Works with Other Tools: Husky integrates well with tools like lint-staged, which only runs tasks on staged files, making it more efficient.

How Husky Works:

Husky works by using Git hooks. Git hooks are scripts that Git executes during certain actions, such as when a commit is made (pre-commit), before a push (pre-push), or before a commit message is written (commit-msg). These hooks are typically set up in the .git/hooks directory.

Husky simplifies the process of adding and managing Git hooks. Once installed, it allows you to define commands to run at each stage of the Git process using a configuration file or package.json. For example, Husky can run linting or testing scripts before a commit is finalized, ensuring that only quality code is committed to the repository.

Common Use Cases for Husky:

Linting Code: Run ESLint or Prettier before commits to enforce coding standards and automatically fix issues before the code is committed.

Example:
```
"lint-staged": {
  "*.js": "eslint --fix"
}
```

Running Tests: Ensure that all tests pass before code is pushed to the repository.

Example:

"scripts": {
  "test": "jest"
},
"husky": {
  "hooks": {
    "pre-push": "npm test"
  }
}

Commit Message Validation: Ensure that commit messages follow a specific format, such as using conventional commit conventions.

Example:
```
"husky": {
  "hooks": {
    "commit-msg": "commitlint -E HUSKY_GIT_PARAMS"
  }
}
```
Preventing Dangerous Commands: Restrict or block certain Git commands from being executed unless specific conditions are met, such as preventing force pushes.

Setting Up Husky in a Project:

To get started with Husky, follow these steps:

Install Husky: Install Husky as a dev dependency in your project.
```
npm install husky --save-dev
```
Enable Git Hooks: Husky can automatically add Git hooks for your project. To enable Git hooks, run the following command:
```
npx husky install
```
Add Hooks to package.json: Configure the hooks you want to use in the husky section of your package.json or via dedicated hook scripts.

Example (using pre-commit hook to run linting):
```
"husky": {
  "hooks": {
    "pre-commit": "npm run lint"
  }
}
```
Set Up lint-staged (optional): If you want to run commands only on staged files (such as linting or formatting), install lint-staged.
```
npm install lint-staged --save-dev
```
Then, configure lint-staged in package.json:
```
"lint-staged": {
  "*.js": "eslint --fix"
}
```
Commit the Changes: Once the hooks are set up, Husky will run automatically at the specified stages (e.g., before each commit).

Conclusion:

Husky is a powerful tool for managing Git hooks, helping developers automate workflows such as linting, testing, and commit message validation. By integrating Husky into your project, you can enforce quality standards, catch errors early, and ensure that only properly formatted, tested, and linted code is committed to the repository. It is simple to set up and highly customizable, making it an essential tool for teams looking to improve code quality and automate repetitive tasks.