| name | Finishing a Development Branch |
| description | Use when implementation is complete and tests pass, to integrate the work. Verifies the build/tests, then presents clear options - merge locally, open a pull request, keep as-is, or discard - and carries out the choice, including cleaning up the git worktree. |
Finishing a Development Branch
Verify the work, then present clear options and carry out the chosen one — including worktree cleanup.
Announce at start: "I'm using the finishing-a-development-branch skill to complete this work."
Step 1: Verify the build and tests
Before offering any options, confirm the work is green — run from inside the worktree:
- Prefer an
msbuild__build_* tool for a .NET solution; otherwise the project's configured build/test command via command__run.
If it fails: report the failures and stop. Don't present options — the branch isn't ready to merge or PR until it's green.
If it passes: continue.
Step 2: Determine the base branch
Find where the branch started — command__run git merge-base HEAD main (or master), or just ask: "This branch started from main — correct?"
Step 3: Present options
Present exactly these four, with no extra explanation:
Implementation complete and tests pass. What would you like to do?
1. Merge into <base> locally
2. Push and open a Pull Request
3. Keep the branch as-is (I'll handle it later)
4. Discard this work
Which option?
Step 4: Carry out the choice
All git below runs via the git tools / command__run. Cleaning up a worktree must happen from the workspace root, not from inside the worktree — so cd to the root (bare cd) before any worktree remove.
Option 1 — Merge locally.
cd to the workspace root.- Check out
<base>, pull, and merge the feature branch (git__checkout, git__pull, git__merge).
- Re-run the build/tests on the merged result; if they fail, stop and report.
- Only after a clean merge: remove the worktree —
git__worktree(action: "remove", path: ".worktrees/<branch>") — then delete the branch (git__branch delete). Report done.
Option 2 — Push and open a PR.
- Push the branch:
git__push (set upstream).
- Open the PR with the GitHub tools (
github__*) against <base>, with a title and a body summarizing the change. (Needs the github server configured with a token; if it isn't, push and give the user the compare URL to open the PR manually.)
- Do NOT remove the worktree — the user needs it alive to iterate on PR feedback. Report the PR link.
Option 3 — Keep as-is.
Report: "Keeping branch <branch>. Worktree preserved at .worktrees/<branch>." Don't remove anything.
Option 4 — Discard. Confirm first — this is destructive:
This permanently deletes:
- Branch <branch>
- Commits: <short list>
- Worktree at .worktrees/<branch>
Type 'discard' to confirm.
Wait for the exact word discard. Only then: cd to the workspace root, remove the worktree (git__worktree remove), and force-delete the branch.
Quick Reference
| Option | Merge | Push/PR | Keep worktree | Delete branch |
|---|
| 1. Merge locally | yes | — | no (remove) | yes |
| 2. Open PR | — | yes | yes | — |
| 3. Keep as-is | — | — | yes | — |
| 4. Discard | — | — | no (remove) | yes (force) |
Red Flags
Never:
- Present options before the build/tests pass.
- Merge without re-verifying tests on the merged result.
- Run
git__worktree remove from inside the worktree — cd to the workspace root first.
- Force-push, or discard work, without an explicit request (and a typed
discard for Option 4).
- Remove the worktree for Option 2 — the user needs it for PR iteration.
