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."

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 <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, 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

OptionMergePushKeep WorktreeCleanup Branch1. 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