finishing-a-development-branch

name	finishing-a-development-branch
description	Guide branch completion — structured options for merge, PR, or cleanup when implementation is done.

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 0: Verify Traceability

Before anything else, verify three things:

0a. Plane issue exists: Every runtime-code branch must trace to a Plane issue (STRK-XXX). If you can't name the issue, STOP — create one or find the existing one before proceeding. Legacy STAK-XXX references are historical only.

0b. Version number exists: The branch must have a version bump (via /release patch). If js/constants.js hasn't been updated with a new version in this branch, STOP — run /release patch before proceeding. Un-versioned PRs are not allowed.

0c. Implementation logs exist: If this branch was implementing a spec-workflow spec:

1. Call spec-status to see task completion counts
2. Verify each completed task has a corresponding log-implementation entry
3. If any are missing, STOP — log them before proceeding

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

First, check the current branch name — this determines the correct base:

git branch --show-current

Current branch pattern	Correct base	Notes
patch/* or patch-*	dev	StakTrakr patch workflow — NEVER target main
feature/*, fix/*, etc.	Check AGENTS.md PR Lifecycle section	May still be dev
dev	main	Only allowed via Phase 4.5, requires explicit user "release" instruction

# Only fall back to git merge-base if branch name gives no clear signal
git merge-base HEAD dev 2>/dev/null || git merge-base HEAD main 2>/dev/null

⛔ StakTrakr rule: If on a patch/* branch, the base is always dev. Never propose merging a patch branch to main. If the detected base would be main and you are NOT on the dev branch, STOP and ask the user before proceeding.

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 — ALWAYS use the base determined in Step 2 (never assume main)
gh pr create --base <base-branch> --title "<title>" --body "$(cat <<'EOF'
## Summary
<2-3 bullets of what changed>

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

⛔ Reminder: <base-branch> must come from Step 2. For patch/* branches it is always dev.

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: 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

Red Flags

Never:

• Proceed with failing tests
• Merge without verifying tests on result
• Delete work without confirmation
• Force-push without explicit request
• Target main from a patch/* branch — the base is always dev for patch branches
• Merge dev → main without explicit user "release" instruction — this is a protected action

Always:

• Verify tests before offering options
• Present exactly 4 options
• Get typed confirmation for Option 4
• Clean up worktree for Options 1 & 4 only
• Use the base branch determined in Step 2 — never assume main

Rationalization traps — STOP if you think:

• "The branch is based on main so I should PR to main" → check the branch name pattern first
• "This is the final step so it should go to main" → only dev → main goes to main, and only on user instruction
• "The workflow is complete, time to release" → completing implementation ≠ releasing; user decides when to release

Integration

Called by:

• spec-workflow Phase 4 - After all tasks complete

Pairs with:

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