finishing-a-development-branch

name	finishing-a-development-branch
description	Use when implementation is complete, all tests pass, and you need to decide how to integrate the work - guides completion of development work through Prodige's Release Gate by presenting structured options for merge, PR, or cleanup

Finishing a Development Branch

Overview

Guide completion of development work by presenting clear options and handling chosen workflow through Prodige's governance system.

Core principle: Verify tests → Detect environment → Pass Release Gate → Present options → Execute choice → Clean up.

Announce at start: "I'm using the finishing-a-development-branch skill to complete this work through Prodige's Release Gate."

Integration with Prodige

This skill integrates with Prodige's governance system:

• Release Gate: Final quality checkpoint before merge/PR (see .ai/governance/review-gates.md)
• Review Gates: Builds on Review Gate (code quality + spec compliance)
• Commands: Triggered by /build completion and /parallel merge operations
• Runtime: Uses .ai/runtime/worktrees.json for worktree provenance tracking

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 Release Gate until tests pass.

Stop. Don't proceed to Step 2.

If tests pass: Continue to Step 2.

Step 2: Detect Environment

Determine workspace state before presenting options:

GIT_DIR=$(cd "$(git rev-parse --git-dir)" 2>/dev/null && pwd -P)
GIT_COMMON=$(cd "$(git rev-parse --git-common-dir)" 2>/dev/null && pwd -P)
BRANCH=$(git branch --show-current)

Submodule guard: Verify not in submodule:

git rev-parse --show-superproject-working-tree 2>/dev/null

This determines which menu to show and how cleanup works:

State	Menu	Cleanup	Notes
GIT_DIR == GIT_COMMON (normal repo)	Standard 4 options	No worktree to clean up	Main repository checkout
GIT_DIR != GIT_COMMON, named branch	Standard 4 options	Provenance-based (see Step 7)	Prodige-managed or manual worktree
GIT_DIR != GIT_COMMON, detached HEAD	Reduced 3 options (no merge)	No cleanup (externally managed)	Platform-managed workspace

Step 3: 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 4: Pass Release Gate

Prodige's Release Gate is the final checkpoint before integration.

Run the Release Gate checklist:

Release Gate Checklist

Quality Verification:

• All tests passing
• No compiler warnings or lint errors
• Code review completed (Review Gate passed)
• Implementation Gate requirements met

Documentation:

• CHANGELOG.md updated (if applicable)
• API documentation current
• Breaking changes documented

Integration Safety:

• Base branch up to date (git pull origin <base>)
• No merge conflicts
• CI/CD pipeline passing (if available)

Governance Compliance:

• Spec requirements fulfilled
• Design decisions documented in .ai/context/DECISIONS.md
• No deviations from approved architecture

If any Release Gate item fails: Report the failure and stop. User must resolve before proceeding.

If Release Gate passes: Continue to Step 5.

Step 5: Present Options

Normal repo and named-branch worktree — present exactly these 4 options:

Release Gate passed ✅

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?

Detached HEAD — present exactly these 3 options:

Release Gate passed ✅

Implementation complete. You're on a detached HEAD (externally managed workspace).

1. Push as new branch and create a Pull Request
2. Keep as-is (I'll handle it later)
3. Discard this work

Which option?

Don't add explanation - keep options concise.

Step 6: Execute Choice

Option 1: Merge Locally

# Get main repo root for CWD safety
MAIN_ROOT=$(git -C "$(git rev-parse --git-common-dir)/.." rev-parse --show-toplevel)
cd "$MAIN_ROOT"

# Ensure base branch is current
git checkout <base-branch>
git pull origin <base-branch>

# Merge — verify success before removing anything
git merge <feature-branch> --no-ff -m "Merge <feature-branch>: <brief-description>"

# Verify tests on merged result
<test command>

# Only after merge succeeds: cleanup worktree (Step 7), then delete branch

Integration with Prodige context:

# Update CHANGELOG.md
echo "## [$(date +%Y-%m-%d)] - <feature-name>" >> .ai/context/CHANGELOG.md
echo "- Merged <feature-branch>" >> .ai/context/CHANGELOG.md

# Update DECISIONS.md if architectural changes made
# (Manual review - ask user if needed)

Then: Cleanup worktree (Step 7), then delete branch:

git branch -d <feature-branch>

Report completion:

✅ Merged to <base-branch>
✅ Tests passing
✅ Worktree cleaned up
✅ Branch deleted

Release complete. Ready for next task.

Option 2: Push and Create PR

# Push branch
git push -u origin <feature-branch>

# Create PR using platform CLI (if available)
gh pr create --title "<feature-name>" --body "<description>" --base <base-branch>
# or
glab mr create --title "<feature-name>" --description "<description>" --target-branch <base-branch>

PR Description Template:

## Summary
<Brief description of changes>

## Changes
- <Change 1>
- <Change 2>

## Testing
- All tests passing (X tests, 0 failures)
- Manual testing: <describe>

## Checklist
- [x] Release Gate passed
- [x] Tests passing
- [x] Documentation updated
- [x] CHANGELOG updated

## Related
- Spec: `.ai/context/designs/<spec-file>.md`
- Implementation plan: `.ai/context/IMPLEMENTATION.md`

Do NOT clean up worktree — user needs it alive to iterate on PR feedback.

Report:

✅ Pushed to origin/<feature-branch>
✅ PR created: <PR-URL>
✅ Worktree preserved for PR iteration

Next: Wait for PR review, then use this skill again to clean up after merge.

Option 3: Keep As-Is

Report:

Keeping branch <name>.
Worktree preserved at <path>.
Release Gate passed - ready to merge when you're ready.

Don't cleanup worktree.

Option 4: Discard

Confirm first:

⚠️  WARNING: This will permanently delete:
- Branch: <name>
- All commits: <commit-list>
- Worktree at: <path>

This cannot be undone.

Type 'discard' to confirm.

Wait for exact confirmation.

If confirmed:

MAIN_ROOT=$(git -C "$(git rev-parse --git-common-dir)/.." rev-parse --show-toplevel)
cd "$MAIN_ROOT"

Then: Cleanup worktree (Step 7), then force-delete branch:

git branch -D <feature-branch>

Report:

✅ Branch deleted
✅ Worktree removed
✅ Work discarded

Ready for next task.

Step 7: Cleanup Workspace

Only runs for Options 1 and 4. Options 2 and 3 always preserve the worktree.

GIT_DIR=$(cd "$(git rev-parse --git-dir)" 2>/dev/null && pwd -P)
GIT_COMMON=$(cd "$(git rev-parse --git-common-dir)" 2>/dev/null && pwd -P)
WORKTREE_PATH=$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)

If GIT_DIR == GIT_COMMON: Normal repo, no worktree to clean up. Done.

If worktree exists, check provenance:

Prodige Worktree Tracking

Prodige tracks worktree provenance in .ai/runtime/worktrees.json:

{
  "worktrees": [
    {
      "path": "/path/to/.worktrees/feature-branch",
      "branch": "feature-branch",
      "created": "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z",
      "createdBy": "using-git-worktrees",
      "status": "active"
    }
  ]
}

Check provenance:

# Check if worktree is Prodige-managed
if [ -f .ai/runtime/worktrees.json ]; then
  # Parse JSON to check if this worktree is tracked
  # If tracked: Prodige owns cleanup
  # If not tracked: Externally managed
fi

If worktree path is under .worktrees/ or worktrees/: Prodige created this worktree — we own cleanup.

MAIN_ROOT=$(git -C "$(git rev-parse --git-common-dir)/.." rev-parse --show-toplevel)
cd "$MAIN_ROOT"
git worktree remove "$WORKTREE_PATH"
git worktree prune  # Self-healing: clean up any stale registrations

# Update Prodige tracking
# Remove from .ai/runtime/worktrees.json

Otherwise: The host environment (harness) owns this workspace. Do NOT remove it. If your platform provides a workspace-exit tool, use it. Otherwise, leave the workspace in place.

Integration with Prodige Commands

/build Completion

After /build completes all implementation tasks:

1. /build invokes this skill automatically
2. Release Gate verification runs
3. User chooses integration option
4. Workflow completes

/parallel Merge Operations

After parallel agents complete:

1. Each agent uses this skill in their worktree
2. Orchestrator collects completion status
3. Orchestrator merges work following Option 1 or 2
4. All worktrees cleaned up atomically

Parallel-specific considerations:

• Lock coordination: Check .ai/runtime/locks/ before merge
• Conflict detection: Verify no overlapping file changes
• Atomic cleanup: All parallel worktrees removed together

Rollback Integration

If user invokes /rollback after this skill:

# Rollback reads CHANGELOG.md for recent merges
# Can undo Option 1 merges (if not pushed)
# Cannot undo Option 2 PRs (must close PR manually)

Quick Reference

Option	Merge	Push	Keep Worktree	Cleanup Branch	Update Context
1. Merge locally	yes	-	-	yes	CHANGELOG.md
2. Create PR	-	yes	yes	-	PR description
3. Keep as-is	-	-	yes	-	-
4. Discard	-	-	-	yes (force)	-

Prodige-Specific Patterns

Context Synchronization

When Option 1 chosen (merge locally):

# Update context files
echo "## [$(date +%Y-%m-%d)] - Feature: <name>" >> .ai/context/CHANGELOG.md
echo "### Changes" >> .ai/context/CHANGELOG.md
echo "<summary>" >> .ai/context/CHANGELOG.md

# If architectural decision made
if [ "<has-architecture-change>" = "yes" ]; then
  echo "## Decision: <title>" >> .ai/context/DECISIONS.md
  echo "Date: $(date +%Y-%m-%d)" >> .ai/context/DECISIONS.md
  echo "Context: <context>" >> .ai/context/DECISIONS.md
  echo "Decision: <decision>" >> .ai/context/DECISIONS.md
fi

Worktree Provenance Tracking

Update .ai/runtime/worktrees.json on cleanup:

{
  "worktrees": [
    {
      "path": "/path/to/.worktrees/feature-branch",
      "branch": "feature-branch",
      "created": "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z",
      "createdBy": "using-git-worktrees",
      "status": "completed",
      "completedAt": "2024-01-15T12:45:00Z",
      "completionMethod": "merged-locally"
    }
  ]
}

Cache Invalidation

After merge (Option 1):

# Invalidate relevant cache entries
# (If cache-manager skill is active)
# Ensures next session has fresh context

Common Mistakes

Skipping Release Gate

• Problem: Merge code that doesn't meet quality standards
• Fix: Always run Release Gate checklist before presenting options

Skipping test verification

• Problem: Merge broken code, create failing PR
• Fix: Always verify tests before Release Gate

Open-ended questions

• Problem: "What should I do next?" is ambiguous
• Fix: Present exactly 4 structured options (or 3 for detached HEAD)

Cleaning up worktree for Option 2

• Problem: Remove worktree user needs for PR iteration
• Fix: Only cleanup for Options 1 and 4

Deleting branch before removing worktree

• Problem: git branch -d fails because worktree still references the branch
• Fix: Merge first, remove worktree, then delete branch

Running git worktree remove from inside the worktree

• Problem: Command fails silently when CWD is inside the worktree being removed
• Fix: Always cd to main repo root before git worktree remove

Cleaning up externally-managed worktrees

• Problem: Removing a worktree the harness/platform created causes phantom state
• Fix: Check provenance - only clean up Prodige-managed worktrees (.worktrees/ or tracked in worktrees.json)

No confirmation for discard

• Problem: Accidentally delete work
• Fix: Require typed "discard" confirmation

Not updating Prodige context

• Problem: CHANGELOG.md and DECISIONS.md become stale
• Fix: Update context files on Option 1 completion

Ignoring parallel lock coordination

• Problem: Race conditions when multiple agents finish simultaneously
• Fix: Check .ai/runtime/locks/ before merge in parallel workflows

Red Flags

Never:

• Skip Release Gate verification
• Proceed with failing tests
• Merge without verifying tests on result
• Delete work without confirmation
• Force-push without explicit request
• Remove a worktree before confirming merge success
• Clean up worktrees you didn't create (provenance check)
• Run git worktree remove from inside the worktree
• Skip context updates (CHANGELOG.md) on merge
• Ignore locks in parallel workflows

Always:

• Run Release Gate checklist before offering options
• Verify tests before Release Gate
• Detect environment before presenting menu
• Present exactly 4 options (or 3 for detached HEAD)
• Get typed confirmation for Option 4
• Clean up worktree for Options 1 & 4 only
• cd to main repo root before worktree removal
• Run git worktree prune after removal
• Update CHANGELOG.md on successful merge
• Check worktree provenance before cleanup
• Coordinate with locks in parallel workflows

Governance Integration Summary

This skill is the final step in Prodige's governance workflow:

PRD Gate → Architecture Gate → Implementation Gate → Review Gate → **Release Gate** → Merge/PR

Release Gate ensures:

• All tests passing
• Code review complete
• Documentation current
• Breaking changes documented
• Governance requirements met

After Release Gate:

• Option 1: Merge locally → Update context → Clean up
• Option 2: Create PR → Preserve worktree for iteration
• Option 3: Keep as-is → User decides timing
• Option 4: Discard → Confirm → Clean up

This skill bridges implementation completion to code integration, ensuring quality and governance compliance at every step.