git-flow-branch-creator

name	git-flow-branch-creator
description	Intelligent Git Flow branch creator that analyses git status/diff and creates appropriate branches following the nvie Git Flow branching model.
metadata	{"skill-author":"Marie-Lynne Block"}

Instructions

<instructions>
	<title>Git Flow Branch Creator</title>
	<description>This prompt analyzes your current git changes using git status and git diff (or git diff --cached), then intelligently determines the appropriate branch type according to the Git Flow branching model and creates a semantic branch name.</description>
	<note>
		Just run this prompt and Copilot will analyze your changes and create the appropriate Git Flow branch for you.
	</note>
</instructions>

Workflow

Follow these steps:

1. Run git status to review the current repository state and changed files.
2. Run git diff (for unstaged changes) or git diff --cached (for staged changes) to analyse the nature of changes.
3. Analyse the changes using the Git Flow Branch Analysis Framework below.
4. Determine the appropriate branch type based on the analysis.
5. Generate a semantic branch name following Git Flow conventions.
6. Create the branch and switch to it automatically.
7. Provide a summary of the analysis and next steps.

Git Flow Branch Analysis Framework

<analysis-framework>
	<branch-types>
		<feature>
			<purpose>New features, enhancements, non-critical improvements</purpose>
			<branch-from>develop</branch-from>
			<merge-to>develop</merge-to>
			<naming>feature/descriptive-name or feature/ticket-number-description</naming>
			<indicators>
				<indicator>New functionality being added</indicator>
				<indicator>UI/UX improvements</indicator>
				<indicator>New API endpoints or methods</indicator>
				<indicator>Database schema additions (non-breaking)</indicator>
				<indicator>New configuration options</indicator>
				<indicator>Performance improvements (non-critical)</indicator>
			</indicators>
		</feature>

		<release>
			<purpose>Release preparation, version bumps, final testing
			develop
			develop AND master
			release-X.Y.Z
			
				Version number changes
				Build configuration updates
				Documentation finalization
				Minor bug fixes before release
				Release notes updates
				Dependency version locks
			
		

		
			Critical production bug fixes requiring immediate deployment
			master
			develop AND master
			hotfix-X.Y.Z or hotfix/critical-issue-description
			
				Security vulnerability fixes
				Critical production bugs
				Data corruption fixes
				Service outage resolution
				Emergency configuration changes
			
		
	

Branch Naming Conventions

<naming-conventions>
	<feature-branches>
		<format>feature/[ticket-number-]descriptive-name</format>
		<examples>
			<example>feature/user-authentication</example>
			<example>feature/PROJ-123-shopping-cart</example>
			<example>feature/api-rate-limiting</example>
			<example>feature/dashboard-redesign</example>
		</examples>
	</feature-branches>

	<release-branches>
		<format>release-X.Y.Z</format>
		<examples>
			<example>release-1.2.0</example>
			<example>release-2.1.0</example>
			<example>release-1.0.0</example>
		</examples>
	</release-branches>

	<hotfix-branches>
		<format>hotfix-X.Y.Z OR hotfix/critical-description
		
			hotfix-1.2.1
			hotfix/security-patch
			hotfix/payment-gateway-fix
			hotfix-2.1.1
		
	

Analysis Process

<analysis-process>
	<step-1>
		<title>Change Nature Analysis</title>
		<description>Examine the types of files modified and the nature of changes</description>
		<criteria>
			<files-modified>Look at file extensions, directory structure, and purpose</files-modified>
			<change-scope>Determine if changes are additive, corrective, or preparatory</change-scope>
			<urgency-level>Assess if changes address critical issues or are developmental</urgency-level>
		</criteria>
	</step-1>

	<step-2>
		<title>Git Flow Classification</title>
		<description>Map the changes to appropriate Git Flow branch type</description>
		<decision-tree>
			<question>Are these critical fixes for production issues?</question>
			<if-yes>Consider hotfix branch</if-yes>
			<if-no>
				<question>Are these release preparation changes (version bumps, final tweaks)?
				Consider release branch
				Default to feature branch
			
		
	

	
		Branch Name Generation
		Create semantic, descriptive branch name
		
			Use lowercase with hyphens
			Name should clearly indicate the purpose
			Add ticket numbers or project context when available
			Avoid overly long names
		
	

Edge Cases and Validation

<edge-cases>
	<mixed-changes>
		<scenario>Changes include both features and bug fixes</scenario>
		<resolution>Prioritize the most significant change type or suggest splitting into multiple branches</resolution>
	</mixed-changes>

	<no-changes>
		<scenario>No changes detected in git status/diff</scenario>
		<resolution>Inform user and suggest checking git status or making changes first</resolution>
	</no-changes>

	<existing-branch>
		<scenario>Already on a feature/hotfix/release branch</scenario>
		<resolution>Analyze if new branch is needed or if current branch is appropriate</resolution>
	</existing-branch>

	<conflicting-names>
		<scenario>Suggested branch name already exists</scenario>
		<resolution>Append incremental suffix or suggest alternative name</resolution>
	</conflicting-names>
</edge-cases>

Examples

<examples>
	<example-1>
		<scenario>Added new user registration API endpoint</scenario>
		<analysis>New functionality, additive changes, not critical</analysis>
		<branch-type>feature</branch-type>
		<branch-name>feature/user-registration-api</branch-name>
		<command>git checkout -b feature/user-registration-api develop</command>
	</example-1>

	<example-2>
		<scenario>Fixed critical security vulnerability in authentication</scenario>
		<analysis>Security fix, critical for production, immediate deployment needed</analysis>
		<branch-type>hotfix</branch-type>
		<branch-name>hotfix/auth-security-patch</branch-name>
		<command>git checkout -b hotfix/auth-security-patch master</command>
	</example-2>

	<example-3>
		<scenario>Updated version to 2.1.0 and finalized release notes</>
		Release preparation, version bump, documentation
		release
		release-2.1.0
		git checkout -b release-2.1.0 develop
	

	
		Improved database query performance and updated caching
		Performance improvement, non-critical enhancement
		feature
		feature/database-performance-optimization
		git checkout -b feature/database-performance-optimization develop
	

Validation Checklist

<validation>
	<pre-analysis>
		<check>Repository is in a clean state (no uncommitted changes that would conflict)</check>
		<check>Current branch is appropriate starting point (develop for features/releases, master for hotfixes)</check>
		<check>Remote repository is up to date</check>
	</pre-analysis>

	<analysis-quality>
		<check>Change analysis covers all modified files</check>
		<check>Branch type selection follows Git Flow principles</check>
		<check>Branch name is semantic and follows conventions</check>
		<check>Edge cases are considered and handled</check>
	</analysis-quality>

	<execution-safety>
		<check>Target branch (develop/master) exists and is accessible</check>
		<check>Proposed branch name doesn't conflict with existing branches</check>
		<check>User has appropriate permissions to create branches</check>
	</execution-safety>

Final Execution

<execution-protocol>
	<analysis-summary>
		<git-status>Output of git status command</git-status>
		<git-diff>Relevant portions of git diff output</git-diff>
		<change-analysis>Detailed analysis of what changes represent</change-analysis>
		<branch-decision>Explanation of why specific branch type was chosen</branch-decision>
	</analysis-summary>

	<branch-creation>
		<command>git checkout -b [branch-name] [source-branch]</command>
		<confirmation>Verify branch creation and current branch status</confirmation>
		<next-steps>Provide guidance on next actions (commit changes, push branch, etc.)</next-steps>
	</branch-creation>

	<fallback-options>
		<alternative-names>Suggest 2-3 alternative branch names if primary suggestion isn't suitable</alternative-names>
		<manual-override>Allow user to specify different branch type if analysis seems incorrect</manual-override>
	</fallback-options>
</execution-protocol>

Git Flow Reference

<gitflow-reference>
	<main-branches>
		<master>Production-ready code, every commit is a release</master>
		<develop>Integration branch for features, latest development changes</develop>
	</main-branches>

	<supporting-branches>
		<feature>Branch from develop, merge back to develop</feature>
		<release>Branch from develop, merge to both develop and master</release>
		<hotfix>Branch from master, merge to both develop and master</hotfix>
	</supporting-branches>

	<merge-strategy>
		<flag>Always use --no-ff flag to preserve branch history</flag>
		<tagging>Tag releases on master branch</tagging>
		<cleanup>Delete branches after successful merge</cleanup>
	</merge-strategy>
</gitflow-reference>