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 → 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 presenting options, verify tests pass:

# Auto-detect and run project's test suite
if [ -f package.json ]; then npm test -- --run
elif [ -f Cargo.toml ]; then cargo test
elif [ -f pyproject.toml ]; then pytest
elif [ -f go.mod ]; then go test ./...
else echo "No test framework detected — ask user for test command"
fi

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: 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 3: Present Options

Present exactly these 4 options:

Implementation complete. 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 4: 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 5)

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>

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

Then: Cleanup worktree (Step 5)

Option 3: Keep As-Is

Report: "Keeping branch . Worktree preserved at ."

Don't cleanup worktree.

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 5)

Step 5: Update Tracking Files

Before cleanup, update the project-init tracking files (if they exist at repo root) to close the loop. Show the proposed diff before writing.

For Options 1 (merge) and 2 (PR):

• backlog.md — Move the completed work item from "In Progress" → "Done". If the item wasn't pre-listed in the backlog, ask the user for a one-line description and append it directly to "Done".
• memory.md — If the work introduced an architectural decision, a non-obvious convention, or pitfall worth remembering, append a one-line entry under "Key Decisions" or "To Remember Across Sessions". Ask the user "Anything from this work worth recording in memory.md?" — accept "skip" for routine work.

For Option 4 (discard):

• backlog.md — If the item was in "In Progress", move it back to "Next Up" (or remove it, depending on whether the user wants to retry). Ask first.
• memory.md — If the discard revealed a dead-end approach worth not repeating, append a one-line entry under "To Remember Across Sessions".

For Option 3 (keep as-is): Skip this step; no completion event yet.

If the project doesn't have the project-init files, skip this step silently. Don't prompt to run project-init mid-finish.

Step 6: 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
1. Merge locally	✓	-	-	✓
2. Create PR	-	✓	✓	-
3. Keep as-is	-	-	✓	-
4. Discard	-	-	-	✓ (force)

Common Mistakes

Skipping test verification

• Problem: Merge broken code, create failing PR
• Fix: Always verify tests before offering 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 2, 3)
• Fix: Only cleanup for Options 1 and 4

No confirmation for discard

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

Common Rationalizations

Excuse	Reality
"Tests passed on the branch — no need to re-run after merge"	Merge can introduce new failures (conflicts, env drift, transitive deps). Verify the merged result.
"User said 'we're done' — I'll just merge and skip the options menu"	The 4-option menu is the contract. "We're done" is intent, not instruction. Show the options.
"Tests are flaky — I'll proceed anyway"	Flaky tests are still failing tests. Stop. Investigate or get explicit permission to proceed.
"No need for typed 'discard' confirmation — user clearly wants Option 4"	The typed gate is what prevents accidental data loss. Get the typed confirmation every time.
"I'll just force-push — it's faster than resolving the conflict"	Force-push is not in the skill's option set. If asked to do it, get explicit confirmation first.
"The branch was clean — I can clean up the worktree even on Option 2 (PR)"	Worktree cleanup is only for Options 1 and 4. Option 2 (PR) and Option 3 keep the worktree.
"Open-ended 'what's next?' is friendlier than the 4 options"	The 4 options exist because open-ended produces ambiguous next steps. Use them.

Red Flags

Never:

• Proceed with failing tests
• Merge without verifying tests on result
• Delete work without confirmation
• Force-push without explicit request

Always:

• Verify tests before offering options
• Present exactly 4 options
• Get typed confirmation for Option 4
• Clean up worktree for Options 1 & 4 only

Integration

Called by:

• globalcoder-development:subagent-driven-development (Step 7) - After all tasks complete
• globalcoder-development:executing-plans (Step 5) - After all batches complete

Pairs with:

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