finishing-a-development-branch

name	finishing-a-development-branch
description	Use when implementation is complete, all tests pass, and you need to decide how to integrate the work - guides completion of development work by presenting structured options for merge, PR, or cleanup

Finishing a Development Branch

Overview

Guide completion of development work by presenting clear options and handling chosen workflow.

Core principle: Verify tests -> Generate trace summary -> Update task state -> Present options -> Execute choice -> Clean up.

Announce at start: "I'm using the finishing-a-development-branch skill to complete this work."

The Process

Step 1: Verify Tests

Before anything else, verify tests pass:

# Run project's test suite
npm test / cargo test / pytest / go test ./...

If tests fail:

Tests failing (<N> failures). Must fix before completing:

[Show failures]

Cannot proceed with merge/PR until tests pass.

Stop. Don't proceed to Step 2.

If tests pass: Continue to Step 2.

Step 2: Generate Trace Summary

Read trace.jsonl and generate a trace summary report.

# Read the trace log
cat .superharness/tasks/{task}/trace.jsonl

Generate .superharness/tasks/{task}/trace-summary.md with:

# Trace Summary: {task name}

## Timeline

| Timestamp | Phase | Event | Detail |
|-----------|-------|-------|--------|
| ... | ... | ... | ... |

## Path Analysis

**Standard path:** brainstorm -> plan -> worktree -> implement (per task: implement -> spec review -> code review -> complete) -> finish
**Actual path:** [reconstruct from trace events]

## Anomalies

[Flag any deviations from the standard path:]
- Tasks that required multiple spec review rounds
- Tasks that were BLOCKED or NEEDS_CONTEXT
- Tasks where code review was CHANGES_REQUESTED multiple times
- Missing trace events (gaps in the expected sequence)
- Tasks that took significantly longer than others
- Any phase that was skipped or repeated unexpectedly

## Statistics

- Total tasks: N
- Tasks completed first try: N
- Tasks requiring rework: N (spec: X, quality: Y)
- Blocked/escalated tasks: N
- Total review rounds: N

Step 3: Update Task State

Update .superharness/tasks/{task}/task.json:

jq '.status = "completed" | .phase = "complete" | .completed_at = "'"$(date -u +%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ)"'" | .updated_at = "'"$(date -u +%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ)"'"' \
  .superharness/tasks/{task}/task.json > tmp.$$.json && mv tmp.$$.json .superharness/tasks/{task}/task.json

Clear the current-task pointer:

rm -f .superharness/tasks/.current-task

Step 4: Determine Base Branch

# Try common base branches
git merge-base HEAD main 2>/dev/null || git merge-base HEAD master 2>/dev/null

Or ask: "This branch split from main -- is that correct?"

Step 5: Present Options

Present exactly these 4 options:

Implementation complete. Trace summary generated at .superharness/tasks/{task}/trace-summary.md

What would you like to do?

1. Merge back to <base-branch> locally
2. Push and create a Pull Request
3. Keep the branch as-is (I'll handle it later)
4. Discard this work

Which option?

Don't add explanation -- keep options concise.

Step 6: Execute Choice

Option 1: Merge Locally

# Switch to base branch
git checkout <base-branch>

# Pull latest
git pull

# Merge feature branch
git merge <feature-branch>

# Verify tests on merged result
<test command>

# If tests pass
git branch -d <feature-branch>

Then: Cleanup worktree (Step 7)

Option 2: Push and Create PR

# Push branch
git push -u origin <feature-branch>

# Create PR
gh pr create --title "<title>" --body "$(cat <<'EOF'
## Summary
<2-3 bullets of what changed>

## Trace Summary
<key stats from trace-summary.md: tasks completed, rework rounds, anomalies>

## Test Plan
- [ ] <verification steps>
EOF
)"

Then: Cleanup worktree (Step 7)

Option 3: Keep As-Is

Report: "Keeping branch . Worktree preserved at ."

Don't cleanup worktree.

Note: .current-task has already been cleared and task.json already updated to completed in Step 3. This is correct -- the task is done, even though the branch persists.

Option 4: Discard

Confirm first:

This will permanently delete:
- Branch <name>
- All commits: <commit-list>
- Worktree at <path>

Type 'discard' to confirm.

Wait for exact confirmation.

If confirmed:

git checkout <base-branch>
git branch -D <feature-branch>

Then: Cleanup worktree (Step 7)

Step 7: Cleanup Worktree

For Options 1, 2, 4:

Check if in worktree:

git worktree list | grep $(git branch --show-current)

If yes:

git worktree remove <worktree-path>

For Option 3: Keep worktree.

Quick Reference

Option	Merge	Push	Keep Worktree	Cleanup Branch	Task State
1. Merge locally	Y	-	-	Y	completed
2. Create PR	-	Y	Y	-	completed
3. Keep as-is	-	-	Y	-	completed
4. Discard	-	-	-	Y (force)	completed

Note: Task state is always set to "completed" in Step 3, before presenting options. The options control git/worktree state, not task state.

Common Mistakes

Skipping test verification

• Problem: Merge broken code, create failing PR
• Fix: Always verify tests before offering options

Skipping trace summary

• Problem: Lose observability into the development process
• Fix: Always generate trace-summary.md before presenting options

Forgetting to update task state

• Problem: Stale .current-task pointer, task.json never marked completed
• Fix: Update task.json and clear .current-task in Step 3, before presenting options

Open-ended questions

• Problem: "What should I do next?" -- ambiguous
• Fix: Present exactly 4 structured options

Automatic worktree cleanup

• Problem: Remove worktree when might need it (Option 3)
• Fix: Only cleanup for Options 1, 2, and 4

No confirmation for discard

• Problem: Accidentally delete work
• Fix: Require typed "discard" confirmation

Red Flags

Never:

• Proceed with failing tests
• Merge without verifying tests on result
• Delete work without confirmation
• Force-push without explicit request
• Skip trace summary generation
• Leave .current-task pointing to a completed task
• Present options before updating task state

Always:

• Verify tests before offering options
• Generate trace-summary.md from trace.jsonl
• Update task.json status to "completed" and set completed_at
• Clear .superharness/tasks/.current-task
• Present exactly 4 options
• Get typed confirmation for Option 4
• Clean up worktree for Options 1, 2, and 4

Integration

Called by:

• superharness:subagent-driven-development (final step) - After all tasks complete
• superharness:executing-plans (final step) - After all batches complete

Pairs with:

• superharness:using-git-worktrees - Cleans up worktree created by that skill