finishing-a-development-branch

name	finishing-a-development-branch
description	Complete work on a development branch with final verification, review, and merge/PR decision. Use when all plan tasks are done and the branch is ready for integration.
version	1.0.0
permissions	["fs.read","shell.exec"]
triggers	[{"context":"all tasks completed"},{"context":"ready to merge"},{"context":"branch is done"},{"command":"/ship"}]
platforms	["claude-code","cursor","gemini-cli","copilot","codex","opencode","windsurf","kiro"]
dependencies	["verification-before-completion@^1.0.0","code-review-and-quality@^1.0.0"]
model_variants	{"claude":{"enforcement_style":"human-partner collaborative"},"gemini":{"enforcement_style":"structured-checklist"},"gpt":{"enforcement_style":"directive-imperative"}}
author	codehands-core
signed	true
tier	1

Overview

Finishing a branch is the transition from "development" to "integration." This skill ensures the branch is clean, tested, reviewed, and ready before asking the human how to proceed.

When to Use

• When all plan tasks are marked complete
• When the branch is ready for merging
• After final code review is approved
• NOT when tasks remain incomplete (finish tasks first)

Process

1. Final Verification

Run the complete verification suite:

# All tests
npm test           # or equivalent

# Build
npm run build      # or equivalent

# Lint (if configured)
npm run lint       # or equivalent

All must pass with zero failures.

2. Final Code Review

If not already done, dispatch a final code review of the entire branch diff:

git diff main...HEAD --stat   # Overview of all changes
git diff main...HEAD          # Full diff for review

3. Clean Up

• Remove any debugging code (console.log, debugger, print())
• Remove any commented-out code
• Verify .gitignore covers generated files
• Squash fixup commits if appropriate

4. Present Options to Human

Present the human with clear options:

"All tasks complete. Tests pass. Code reviewed. How would you like to proceed?"

1. Merge to main — I'll merge the branch and clean up the worktree
2. Open a PR — I'll create a pull request for team review
3. Keep the branch — Done for now, keep it for later
4. Discard — The work isn't needed, delete the branch

Wait for the human's decision. Don't assume.

Common Rationalizations

Rationalization	Reality
"Tests passed earlier, I don't need to rerun them"	Code could have changed since then. Rerun. Final verification catches last-minute issues.
"I'll clean up the debugging code later"	Debugging code in production is a bug. Clean it now.
"I'll just merge without asking"	The human decides how to integrate. They may want a PR, or they may not be ready. Ask.

Red Flags

• Merging without running the full test suite
• Console.log / print statements left in production code
• Merging without user consent
• Skipping final review

Verification

• All tests pass (full suite)
• Build succeeds
• No debugging code remains
• No commented-out code
• Final code review completed
• Human has chosen the integration method (merge/PR/keep/discard)

See Also

• codehands:using-git-worktrees — Where the branch was created
• codehands:git-workflow-and-versioning — Git workflow conventions
• codehands:ci-cd-and-shipping — For production deployments