skill-finish-branch

name	skill-finish-branch
description	Wrap up a branch — run tests, create PR, merge or discard — use when implementation is done

Host: Codex CLI — This skill was designed for Claude Code and adapted for Codex. Cross-reference commands use installed skill names in Codex rather than /octo:* slash commands. Use the active Codex shell and subagent tools. Do not claim a provider, model, or host subagent is available until the current session exposes it. For host tool equivalents, see skills/blocks/codex-host-adapter.md.

Execution Contract (MANDATORY - CANNOT SKIP)

This generated Codex skill preserves an enforced workflow contract from the source skill.

PROHIBITED:

• Do not summarize, simulate, or skip the referenced workflow command when this skill requires execution.
• Do not claim provider output or validation artifacts exist without checking the actual files or command output.
• Do not continue silently when a required provider, command, or host capability is unavailable; report the unavailable dependency and use a supported fallback.

Finishing a Development Branch

Your first output line MUST be: 🐙 **CLAUDE OCTOPUS ACTIVATED** - Branch Completion

Overview

Full ship pipeline: tests → multi-provider review → version bump → changelog → commit → push → PR.

Core principle: Verify tests → Review diff → Bump version → Update changelog → Present options → Execute choice → Clean up.

The Process

Step 1: Verify Tests Pass

Before anything else, verify tests pass:

# Detect and run project's test suite
if [[ -f "package.json" ]]; then npm test
elif [[ -f "pytest.ini" ]] || [[ -f "pyproject.toml" ]]; then pytest
elif [[ -f "Cargo.toml" ]]; then cargo test
elif [[ -f "go.mod" ]]; then go test ./...
elif [[ -f "Makefile" ]] && grep -q '^test:' Makefile; then make test
fi

If tests fail: STOP. Show failures. Do not proceed.

If tests pass: Continue to Step 2.

Step 2: Multi-Provider Diff Review

Run a quick multi-provider review of the changes before shipping. This catches issues before they reach PR reviewers.

# Get the diff summary
DIFF_STAT=$(git diff --stat $(git merge-base HEAD main)..HEAD)
DIFF_FILES=$(git diff --name-only $(git merge-base HEAD main)..HEAD)

Always run a quick review — this is automatic, not optional:

# Quick review via orchestrate.sh (uses available providers)
${HOME}/.claude-octopus/plugin/scripts/orchestrate.sh spawn reviewer "Review this diff for bugs, security issues, and code quality problems. Be concise — only flag real issues, not style preferences.

$(git diff $(git merge-base HEAD main)..HEAD | head -500)"

If critical issues found: Present them and ask whether to fix or ship anyway. If clean: Continue to Step 3. Show a brief ✓ Review clean — no issues found.

Step 3: Determine Base Branch & Version

# Identify the base branch
BASE_BRANCH=$(git remote show origin 2>/dev/null | grep 'HEAD branch' | awk '{print $NF}')
[[ -z "$BASE_BRANCH" ]] && BASE_BRANCH="main"

# Check for VERSION file
VERSION_FILE=""
for f in VERSION version.txt package.json; do
  [[ -f "$f" ]] && VERSION_FILE="$f" && break
done

Step 4: Version Bump & Changelog (Optional)

If a VERSION file or package.json exists, offer to bump:

AskUserQuestion({
  questions: [{
    question: "Version bump?",
    header: "Version",
    multiSelect: false,
    options: [
      {label: "Patch (Recommended)", description: "Bug fixes, minor changes (1.2.3 → 1.2.4)"},
      {label: "Minor", description: "New features, backward compatible (1.2.3 → 1.3.0)"},
      {label: "Major", description: "Breaking changes (1.2.3 → 2.0.0)"},
      {label: "Skip", description: "Don't bump version"}
    ]
  }]
})

If bumping: Update the version file and prepend a changelog entry summarizing the diff:

# Generate changelog entry from commits
COMMITS=$(git log --oneline $(git merge-base HEAD $BASE_BRANCH)..HEAD)
# Prepend to CHANGELOG.md if it exists

Step 5: Present Options

Present exactly these 4 options:

✅ Ship ready. Tests passing. Review clean. What would you like to do?

1. **Create PR** (Recommended) - Push and create a Pull Request for review
2. **Merge locally** - Merge back to <base-branch> on this machine
3. **Keep as-is** - Leave the branch, I'll handle it later
4. **Discard** - Delete this work permanently

Which option? (1-4)

Keep options concise. Don't add explanations unless asked.

Step 4: Execute Choice

Option 1: Merge Locally

# Get current branch name
FEATURE_BRANCH=$(git branch --show-current)
BASE_BRANCH="main"  # or detected base

# Switch to base branch
git checkout $BASE_BRANCH

# Pull latest
git pull origin $BASE_BRANCH

# Merge feature branch
git merge $FEATURE_BRANCH

# Verify tests on merged result
npm test  # or appropriate test command

# If tests pass, delete feature branch
git branch -d $FEATURE_BRANCH

Report:

✅ Merged $FEATURE_BRANCH into $BASE_BRANCH
✅ Tests pass on merged result
✅ Feature branch deleted

Ready to push when you want: git push origin $BASE_BRANCH

Option 2: Create PR

# Get branch info
FEATURE_BRANCH=$(git branch --show-current)

# Push branch
git push -u origin $FEATURE_BRANCH

# Create PR with description
gh pr create \
  --title "feat: [description]" \
  --body "$(cat <<'EOF'
## Summary
- [What changed]
- [Why it changed]

## Test Plan
- [x] Unit tests pass
- [x] Manual verification done
- [ ] Code review needed
EOF
)"

Report:

✅ Branch pushed to origin/$FEATURE_BRANCH
✅ PR created: https://github.com/owner/repo/pull/123

Branch preserved for review process.

Option 3: Keep As-Is

✅ Keeping branch $FEATURE_BRANCH as-is.

Current state:
- Branch: $FEATURE_BRANCH
- Commits ahead of $BASE_BRANCH: N
- Tests: Passing

When ready, you can:
- Merge: git checkout main && git merge $FEATURE_BRANCH
- PR: git push -u origin $FEATURE_BRANCH && gh pr create
- Discard: git branch -D $FEATURE_BRANCH

Do NOT clean up anything.

Option 4: Discard

Confirm first (REQUIRED):

⚠️ This will PERMANENTLY delete:
- Branch: $FEATURE_BRANCH
- All commits:
  - abc1234 feat: add user validation
  - def5678 fix: handle edge case
  - ghi9012 test: add integration tests

Type 'discard' to confirm, or anything else to cancel.

Wait for exact confirmation: discard

If confirmed:

# Switch to base branch first
git checkout $BASE_BRANCH

# Force delete the feature branch
git branch -D $FEATURE_BRANCH

# If remote exists, delete it too (with confirmation)
git push origin --delete $FEATURE_BRANCH 2>/dev/null || true

Report:

✅ Branch $FEATURE_BRANCH deleted locally
✅ Remote branch deleted (if existed)

Work has been permanently discarded.

Step 5: Cleanup (If Using Worktrees)

For Options 1, 2, 4: Check if in a worktree and clean up:

# Check if current directory is a worktree
if git worktree list | grep -q "$(pwd)"; then
  # Get worktree path
  WORKTREE_PATH=$(pwd)
  
  # Switch to main worktree
  cd $(git worktree list | head -1 | awk '{print $1}')
  
  # Remove the worktree
  git worktree remove "$WORKTREE_PATH"
  
  echo "✅ Worktree cleaned up"
fi

For Option 3: Keep worktree intact.

Quick Reference

Option	Merge	Push	Keep Branch	Cleanup
1. Merge locally	✓	-	Delete	✓
2. Create PR	-	✓	Keep	-
3. Keep as-is	-	-	Keep	-
4. Discard	-	-	Delete	✓

Integration with Claude Octopus

After completing octopus workflows, use this skill:

# After tangle (develop) phase completes successfully
# After ink (deliver) phase validates the work

# User says: "I'm done, create a PR"
# → Invoke finishing-branch skill
# → Verify tests
# → Present options
# → Execute Option 2 (Create PR)

With Octopus Validation

# Run octopus validation before finishing
${HOME}/.claude-octopus/plugin/scripts/orchestrate.sh ink "Validate before merge"

# If validation passes, proceed with finishing-branch

Red Flags - Never Do

Action	Why It's Dangerous
Merge without testing	Ships broken code
Skip confirmation for discard	Loses work permanently
Force-push without asking	Destroys history
Delete remote branch silently	Affects collaborators
Proceed when tests fail	Corrupts main branch

Common Mistakes

Mistake	Fix
Offering options before testing	Always verify tests FIRST
Auto-merging without asking	Present 4 options, let user choose
Deleting without confirmation	Require typed "discard"
Cleaning up worktree on "keep"	Only cleanup for options 1, 2, 4

The Bottom Line

Finishing branch → Tests verified AND user chose option
Otherwise → Not complete

Verify tests. Present options. Execute safely. Clean up appropriately.