Introduction

  • 1 minute

Software development teams need to deliver code changes quickly and safely. This requires automation that works throughout the development process. Git hooks are a powerful tool that can help teams automatically check code quality, find security problems, and follow coding rules. Many teams don't use Git hooks enough, but they can make development better.

Why Git hooks are important

Software development has many challenges. Teams must deal with security threats, follow company rules, maintain code quality, and deploy code quickly. Git hooks help solve these problems by adding automatic checks right where developers work - when they save changes to the code.

  • Automatic quality checks: Git hooks can check code quality automatically. Instead of finding problems later in the process, hooks catch issues early when they're easier and cheaper to fix.
  • Security protection: With more security threats every day, Git hooks act as the first line of defense. They can automatically prevent passwords, API keys, and other secrets from being saved in the code. They can also check for security problems.
  • Following company rules: For companies that must follow strict rules (like banks or healthcare), Git hooks can automatically check that every code change meets company standards and legal requirements.
  • Faster development: Good Git hooks create a system where problems are found immediately. It gives developers quick feedback, reduces waiting time, and makes the whole development process faster.

How Git hooks work

Git hooks work at different levels in the development process, and each level has different purposes:

Hooks on developer computers

  • Local development checks: These hooks run on each developer's computer. They provide immediate feedback and prevent bad code from ever leaving the developer's local environment.
  • Customizable checks: These hooks can be set up for specific projects, programming languages, and company standards while keeping consistency across all developers.

Hooks on the server

  • Central rule enforcement: Server-side hooks run on the main code repository. They provide central policy enforcement that individual developers cannot bypass.
  • Azure DevOps Integration: Modern Git platforms like Azure DevOps and GitHub provide powerful server-side hook features that work well with company development workflows and rule-checking systems.

Learning objectives

After completing this module, you'll know how to:

  • Plan Git hook strategy: Design complete Git hooks plans that help large development teams while keeping developers productive and workflows efficient.
  • Build advanced automation: Create pre-commit, post-commit, and push hooks that automatically check quality, scan for security issues, and validate company rules.
  • Create security-focused hooks: Build security hooks that prevent password leaks, detect vulnerabilities, and enforce security policies automatically.
  • Connect with Azure DevOps: Integrate Git hooks smoothly with Azure DevOps services, CI/CD pipelines, and company tools.
  • Manage team deployment: Set up scalable ways to deploy, manage, and maintain Git hooks across large development teams and complex company structures.

Prerequisites

To get the most from this module, you should have:

  • Strong Git skills: Good understanding of Git version control, branching strategies, and advanced Git workflows including hooks, rebase, and merge strategies.
  • Azure DevOps experience: Good experience with Azure DevOps services, especially Azure Repos, Azure Pipelines, and company development workflow implementation.
  • Automation and scripting skills: Good skills with scripting languages such as Bash, PowerShell, or Python, and understanding of automation principles and best practices.

This module builds on basic Git and Azure DevOps knowledge to teach advanced automation strategies that are important for large development teams.