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

name, description

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

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 1: Detect Environment

Run this FIRST, before test verification:

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)

Path A — GIT_DIR differs from GIT_COMMON AND BRANCH is empty (externally managed worktree, detached HEAD):

This is a restricted sandbox environment (e.g., Codex App worktree thread). The test toolchain may not be available. Do NOT attempt test verification — skip directly to the handoff.

First, ensure all work is staged and committed (git add + git commit). If staging/committing fails due to sandbox restrictions, note the uncommitted files in the handoff message.

Then present this to the user (do NOT present the 4-option menu):

Implementation complete.
Current HEAD: <full-commit-sha>

This workspace is externally managed (detached HEAD).
I cannot create branches, push, or open PRs from here.

⚠ These commits are on a detached HEAD. If you do not create a branch,
they may be lost when this workspace is cleaned up.

If your host application provides these controls:
- "Create branch" — to name a branch, then commit/push/PR
- "Hand off to local" — to move changes to your local checkout

Suggested branch name: <ticket-id/short-description>
Suggested commit message: <summary-of-work>

Branch name: use ticket ID if available (e.g., pri-823/codex-compat), otherwise slugify the first 5 words of the plan title, otherwise omit. Avoid sensitive content in branch names.

Skip to Step 6 (cleanup is a no-op — see guard below).

Path B — GIT_DIR differs from GIT_COMMON AND BRANCH exists (externally managed worktree, named branch):

Proceed to Step 2 (verify tests, then 4-option menu).

Path C — GIT_DIR equals GIT_COMMON (normal environment):

Proceed to Step 2 (verify tests, then 4-option menu).

Step 2: 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 3.

If tests pass: Continue to Step 3.

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: 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 5: 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 6)

Option 2: Push and Create PR

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

# Create PR
gh pr create --title "<title>" --body "$(cat <<'EOF'
## Summary
<2-3 bullets of what changed>

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

Then: Cleanup worktree (Step 6)

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 6)

Step 6: Cleanup Worktree

First, check if worktree is externally managed:

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)

If GIT_DIR differs from GIT_COMMON: skip worktree removal — the host environment owns this workspace.

Otherwise, for Options 1 and 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

Always:

• Verify tests before offering options
• Present exactly 4 options
• Get typed confirmation for Option 4
• Clean up worktree for Options 1 & 4 only

Integration

Called by:

• subagent-driven-development (Step 7) - After all tasks complete
• executing-plans (Step 5) - After all batches complete

Pairs with:

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