superpowers/skills/finishing-a-development-branch/SKILL.md

---
name: finishing-a-development-branch
description: Use when implementation is complete, all tests pass, and you need to decide how to integrate the work
---

# Finishing a Development Branch

## Overview

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

**Core principle:** Verify tests → Detect environment → 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 1: Verify Tests

**Before presenting options, verify tests pass:**

```bash
# 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: Detect Environment

**Determine workspace state before presenting options:**

```bash
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)
```

This determines which menu to show and how cleanup works:

| State | Menu | Cleanup |
|-------|------|---------|
| `GIT_DIR == GIT_COMMON` (normal repo) | Standard 3 options | No worktree to clean up |
| `GIT_DIR != GIT_COMMON`, named branch | Standard 3 options | Provenance-based (see Step 6) |
| `GIT_DIR != GIT_COMMON`, detached HEAD | Reduced 3 options (no merge) | No cleanup (externally managed) |

### Step 3: Determine Base Branch

The base branch is whatever this work forked from — usually named in the
plan, the conversation, or the branch's upstream. If it is not already
known, ask: "This branch split from <your best guess> - is that correct?"
Don't guess silently: merging into the wrong base is expensive to undo.

### Step 4: Present Options

**Normal repo and named-branch worktree — present exactly these 3 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)

Which option?
```

**Detached HEAD — present exactly these 2 options:**

```
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)

Which option?
```

**Don't add explanation** - keep options concise.

Discarding the work is never offered. It exists only as a response to your
human partner explicitly asking for it (see "If your human partner asks to
discard the work" below).

### Step 5: Execute Choice

#### Option 1: Merge Locally

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

# Merge first — verify success before removing anything
git checkout <base-branch>
git pull
git merge <feature-branch>

# Verify tests on merged result
<test command>

# Only after merge succeeds: cleanup worktree (Step 6), then delete branch
```

If tests fail on the merged result: STOP. Leave the worktree and branch in
place and investigate — nothing has been pushed, so the merge is local and
recoverable.

Then: Cleanup worktree (Step 6), then delete branch:

```bash
git branch -d <feature-branch>
```

#### Option 2: Push and Create PR

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

Then create the pull/merge request against <base-branch> with the host's
tooling (`gh pr create`, `glab mr create`, or the URL git prints on push),
following the repo's PR template and conventions if present, and report
the URL to your human partner.

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

#### Option 3: Keep As-Is

Report: "Keeping branch <name>. Worktree preserved at <path>."

**Don't cleanup worktree.**

#### If your human partner asks to discard the work

Never offer this. Only do it when your human partner explicitly asks to
throw the work away — and even then, 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:
```bash
MAIN_ROOT=$(git -C "$(git rev-parse --git-common-dir)/.." rev-parse --show-toplevel)
cd "$MAIN_ROOT"
```

Then: Cleanup worktree (Step 6), then force-delete branch:
```bash
git branch -D <feature-branch>
```

### Step 6: Cleanup Workspace

**Only runs for Option 1 and confirmed discards.** Options 2 and 3 always preserve the worktree.

```bash
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 path is under `.worktrees/` or `worktrees/`:** Superpowers created this worktree — we own cleanup.

```bash
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
```

**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.

## Quick Reference

| Option | Merge | Push | Keep Worktree | Cleanup Branch |
|--------|-------|------|---------------|----------------|
| 1. Merge locally | yes | - | - | yes |
| 2. Create PR | - | yes | yes | - |
| 3. Keep as-is | - | - | yes | - |
| Discard (explicit request only) | - | - | - | yes (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?" is ambiguous
- **Fix:** Present exactly 3 structured options (or 2 for detached HEAD)

**Offering to discard the work**
- **Problem:** Puts throwing away completed, passing work on the menu
- **Fix:** Discard only on your human partner's explicit request, never as an offer

**Cleaning up worktree for Option 2**
- **Problem:** Remove worktree user needs for PR iteration
- **Fix:** Only cleanup for Option 1 and confirmed discards

**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 harness-owned worktrees**
- **Problem:** Removing a worktree the harness created causes phantom state
- **Fix:** Only clean up worktrees under `.worktrees/` or `worktrees/`

**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
- Offer discarding the work — it happens only on explicit request
- 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

**Always:**
- Verify tests before offering options
- Detect environment before presenting menu
- Present exactly 3 options (or 2 for detached HEAD)
- Get typed confirmation before any discard
- Clean up worktree for Option 1 and confirmed discards only
- `cd` to main repo root before worktree removal
- Run `git worktree prune` after removal