30 added, 222 removed. Audit A to A.
---
name: finishing-a-development-branch
description: 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 → 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]
+ Integrate finished work: verify → detect environment → choose integration → execute → clean up.
- Cannot proceed with merge/PR until tests pass.
- ```
+ Under `[[no-staging-doctrine]]` + `[[main-only-branch]]` the default is **merge to `main` + auto-push** — diffs clearing all gates auto-merge. Don't offer "keep the branch as-is, handle it later"; finish the work this turn. PR only when a human review is explicitly wanted.
- Stop. Don't proceed to Step 2.
+ Announce: "Using the finishing-a-development-branch skill to complete this work."
- **If tests pass:** Continue to Step 2.
+ ## Step 1 — gate before integrating
- ### Step 2: Detect Environment
+ - Run the project test suite. Failures block — show them, fix first, do NOT integrate broken code.
+ - Full deploy + prod-E2E gate is `[[verification-loop]]` — local green ≠ done.
- **Determine workspace state before presenting options:**
+ ## Step 2 — detect environment
```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 4 options | No worktree to clean up |
- | `GIT_DIR != GIT_COMMON`, named branch | Standard 4 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
-
- ```bash
- # 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
-
- **Normal repo and named-branch worktree — 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?
- ```
-
- **Detached HEAD — present exactly these 3 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)
- 3. Discard this work
-
- Which option?
- ```
-
- **Don't add explanation** - keep options concise.
-
- ### 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 "$MAIN_ROOT"
-
- # Merge first — verify success before removing anything
- git checkout <base-branch>
- git pull
- git merge <feature-branch>
-
- # Verify tests on merged result
- <test command>
-
- # Only after merge succeeds: cleanup worktree (Step 6), then delete branch
- ```
-
- Then: Cleanup worktree (Step 6), then delete branch:
-
- ```bash
- git branch -d <feature-branch>
- ```
-
- #### Option 2: Push and Create PR
-
- ```bash
- # Push branch
- git push -u origin <feature-branch>
- ```
-
- **Do NOT clean up worktree** — user needs it alive to iterate on PR feedback.
-
- #### Option 3: Keep As-Is
-
- Report: "Keeping branch <name>. Worktree preserved at <path>."
-
- **Don't cleanup worktree.**
-
- #### Option 4: Discard
-
- **Confirm first:**
-
- ```
- This will permanently delete:
- - Branch <name>
- - All commits: <commit-list>
- - Worktree at <path>
-
- Type 'discard' to confirm.
- ```
-
- Wait for exact confirmation.
-
- If confirmed:
+ - `GIT_DIR == GIT_COMMON` → normal repo, no worktree cleanup.
+ - `GIT_DIR != GIT_COMMON`, named branch → worktree, provenance-based cleanup (Step 4).
+ - Detached HEAD → externally managed; no local-merge, no cleanup (push-as-branch or discard only).
+ - Base branch: `git merge-base HEAD main || git merge-base HEAD master`, or confirm with the user.
- ```bash
- MAIN_ROOT=$(git -C "$(git rev-parse --git-common-dir)/.." rev-parse --show-toplevel)
- cd "$MAIN_ROOT"
- ```
+ ## Step 3 — integrate
- Then: Cleanup worktree (Step 6), then force-delete branch:
+ - **Merge to base (default).** `cd` to main repo root first (CWD safety), merge, re-run tests on the merged result, then Step 4 cleanup, then `git branch -d`. Always auto-push the merged base.
- ```bash
- git branch -D <feature-branch>
- ```
+ ```bash
+ MAIN_ROOT=$(git -C "$(git rev-parse --git-common-dir)/.." rev-parse --show-toplevel); cd "$MAIN_ROOT"
+ git checkout <base> && git pull && git merge <feature> && <test cmd> && git push
+ ```
- ### Step 6: Cleanup Workspace
+ - **PR (review wanted).** `git push -u origin <feature>`. Do NOT clean up the worktree — it's needed to iterate on feedback.
+ - **Discard (abandon).** Require a typed `discard` confirmation listing branch + commits + worktree path. Then `cd` to main root, Step 4 cleanup, `git branch -D <feature>`.
- **Only runs for Options 1 and 4.** Options 2 and 3 always preserve the worktree.
+ ## Step 4 — cleanup (merge + discard only; PR preserves the worktree)
```bash
- GIT_DIR=$(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 | - |
- | 4. Discard | - | - | - | 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 4 structured options (or 3 for detached HEAD)
-
- **Cleaning up worktree for Option 2**
-
- - **Problem:** Remove worktree user needs for PR iteration
- - **Fix:** Only cleanup for Options 1 and 4
-
- **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
+ - Normal repo (`GIT_DIR == GIT_COMMON`) → nothing to remove.
+ - Worktree under `.worktrees/` or `worktrees/` → we own it. From main root (never from inside the worktree): `git worktree remove "$WORKTREE_PATH" && git worktree prune`.
+ - Anywhere else → harness-owned; use its exit tool (`ExitWorktree`) or leave in place. Never remove a worktree you didn't create.
- **Never:**
+ ## Ordering invariants (why the sequence is fixed)
- - Proceed with failing tests
- - Merge without verifying tests on result
- - 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
+ - Merge BEFORE removing the worktree — `git branch -d` fails while a worktree references the branch.
+ - `cd` to main root BEFORE `git worktree remove` — fails silently when CWD is inside the target.
+ - `git worktree prune` after removal self-heals stale registrations.
- **Always:**
+ ## See
- - Verify tests before offering options
- - Detect environment before presenting menu
- - Present exactly 4 options (or 3 for detached HEAD)
- - Get typed confirmation for Option 4
- - Clean up worktree for Options 1 & 4 only
- - `cd` to main repo root before worktree removal
- - Run `git worktree prune` after removal
+ - `[[no-staging-doctrine]]` · `[[main-only-branch]]` · `[[verification-loop]]`
+ - `using-git-worktrees` — the isolation setup this finishes