I built a merge gate that quizzes developers on their own code changes — here's why and how

The author addresses the increasing problem of code being merged without proper understanding, exacerbated by AI coding tools. To combat this, they created Commit Comprehension Gate (CCG), a GitHub Action designed to ensure developers understand their code before merging. CCG intercepts pull requests and uses the Anthropic API to generate multiple-choice questions based on the code changes. These questions are posted as comments, and the merge is blocked until the author answers them correctly. A key design choice was to create a stateless system, avoiding the need for an external database or storage service. The answer key is cleverly stored as a base64-encoded hidden HTML comment within the PR comment. This allows for instant answer verification after the initial API call to generate questions. Only the PR author can answer the questions, preventing teammates or bots from bypassing the gate. Costs are kept low by limiting API calls, typically costing $0.05 - $0.10 per PR. CCG is intended for teams that struggle with superficial code reviews and AI-generated code. The project is open source, easily set up, and encourages feedback from users. The author emphasizes that CCG forces developers to demonstrate their understanding of the changes they are making. This innovative approach ensures a deeper understanding of merged code.