git:20260805.e24f9ec to git:20260830.00ec49f

---

name: ca-pr

description: Open a pull request the only sanctioned way — clear every BLOCK-level review finding, then stage the PR. Never a direct write to the default branch.

argument-hint: (none)

---

# $ca-pr — open a pull request

The only permitted path to a pull request. Every change lands through a PR — never a direct write or force-push to the default branch. No PR is drafted while any BLOCK-level review finding stands.

## Flow

Routes to the `finishing-a-development-branch` skill, open-PR path. The orchestrator reads the current

branch, its diff against the base, and the commit log to determine what changed and which reviewers

apply, then:

1. **Confirm the commit gate cleared** this session (`commit-gate` green, or `$ca-commit` completed).

2. **Path matrix** — inspect the diff and dispatch the reviewer agents the change demands:

- auth / crypto / middleware paths → `auth-crypto-reviewer` + `security-reviewer`

- migration files → `migration-reviewer`

- dependency manifests → `dependency-reviewer`

- all paths → `coverage-auditor`

3. **Run reviewers** in parallel where there are no dependencies.

4. **BLOCK check** — any CRITICAL or HIGH finding STOPs the flow; present it and do not draft the PR.

The user resolves, re-runs `$ca-commit`, then `$ca-pr`.

5. **Stage the PR** once all BLOCK findings clear: concise title; summary of what changed and why; a

bulleted test plan; a conflict-hierarchy tradeoff citation for any non-obvious tradeoff; a link to

any ADR the change implements or contradicts. The PR body is a user-facing deliverable: before

`medium-documents` leaf, and apply at least the §3.A em-dash ban and the §3.B copy self-audit to the

prose. Then `gh pr create`; return the URL.

6. **Auto-attach the babysitter** — resolve the flag with the canonical resolver, never by eyeballing

the env var (so the accepted `on|true|1` spellings and the dormancy gate can't drift). Resolve the

interpreter once by presence — `PY=python3; { command -v python3 >/dev/null 2>&1 && python3 --version >/dev/null 2>&1; } || PY=python`

— never `python3 X || python X`, which reruns X on any nonzero exit (#577):

```

```

It prints one JSON line, e.g. `{"enabled": true, "on_red": "propose"}`. Only when `enabled` is

true (the global flag `CODEARBITER_BABYSIT` is on — default off, mirrors `CODEARBITER_PRUNE` — and

the repo is arbiter-active), attach a CI watcher to the PR just opened, equivalent to

`$ca-watch <new-PR>`. When `enabled` is false, do nothing here — the user can still run `$ca-watch`

ad-hoc. Never enable the flag on the user's behalf.

## Routes to

open-PR path.

## When NOT to use

- Staged changes not yet committed → `$ca-commit`.

- Review a diff without opening a PR → `$ca-review`.

- A pre-implementation security pass → `$ca-threat-model`.

## Hard gate

MUST NOT open a PR while any BLOCK-level (CRITICAL or HIGH) finding is unresolved. MUST NOT skip a

reviewer the path matrix requires. MUST NOT open a PR before the commit gate ran this session. MUST

NOT open a PR, write, or force-push directly to the default branch. MUST NOT auto-attach a CI watcher

unless `CODEARBITER_BABYSIT` is on, and MUST NOT enable that flag on the user's behalf.