finishing-work

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

Finishing Work

Overview

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

Core principle: Verify tests → Present options → Execute choice → Clean up.

The Process

Step 1: Verify Tests

Before presenting options, 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: 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

git checkout <base-branch>
git pull
git merge --no-ff <feature-branch>

Verify tests on merged result. Only after merge succeeds:

git branch -d <feature-branch>

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
)"

Do NOT delete the branch — user needs it alive to iterate on PR feedback.

Option 3: Keep As-Is

Report: "Keeping branch <name>. Ready to pick back up later."

Don't clean up anything.

Option 4: Discard

Confirm first:

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

Type 'discard' to confirm.

Wait for exact confirmation. If confirmed:

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

Quick Reference

Option	Merge	Push	Keep Branch	Cleanup
1. Merge locally	yes	—	—	delete branch
2. Create PR	—	yes	yes	—
3. Keep as-is	—	—	yes	—
4. Discard	—	—	—	force delete

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?" is ambiguous
• Fix: Present exactly 4 structured options

Deleting branch for Option 2

• Problem: Remove branch user needs for PR iteration
• Fix: Only cleanup for Options 1 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

Always:

• Verify tests before offering options
• Present exactly 4 options
• Get typed confirmation for Option 4
• Use --no-ff for merge to preserve branch history