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: 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

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 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

gh pr create --title "<title>" --body "$(cat <<'EOF'

Summary

<2-3 bullets of what changed>

Test Plan

• <verification steps> EOF )"

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

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