finishing-a-development-branch

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.

1. cd to the workspace root.
2. Check out <base>, pull, and merge the feature branch (git__checkout, git__pull, git__merge).
3. Re-run the build/tests on the merged result; if they fail, stop and report.
4. 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.

1. Push the branch: git__push (set upstream).
2. 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.)
3. 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.