/finishing-a-development-branch

name: finishing-a-development-branch
description: "Use when implementation is done and tests pass and the user must choose to merge locally, open a PR, keep the branch, or discard it. Presents those four options, executes the choice, and cleans up the worktree for merge and discard."
domain: engineering

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

If that prints nothing (neither branch exists), ask the user which base branch to use and wait for the answer. Do not continue with `<base-branch>` unset.

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: keep the worktree (no cleanup for Option 2)

Option 3: Keep As-Is

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

**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 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** - after all tasks complete (see its Integration section)
• **executing-plans** (Step 3: Complete Development) - after all batches complete

**Pairs with:**

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