49 added, 104 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
---
# 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
+ ## Step 1: Verify Tests
- **Before presenting options, verify tests pass:**
+ Run the project's full test suite (`npm test` / `cargo test` / `pytest` / `go test ./...`).
- ```bash
- # Run project's test suite
- npm test / cargo test / pytest / go test ./...
- ```
+ **If tests fail**, report the failures and stop — the menu comes after a green suite:
- **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: Detect Environment
+ **If tests pass:** continue to Step 2.
- **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 3 options | No worktree to clean up |
| `GIT_DIR != GIT_COMMON`, named branch | Standard 3 options | Provenance-based (see Step 6) |
- | `GIT_DIR != GIT_COMMON`, detached HEAD | Reduced 3 options (no merge) | No cleanup (externally managed) |
+ | `GIT_DIR != GIT_COMMON`, detached HEAD | Reduced 2 options (no merge) | Externally managed — leave in place |
- ### Step 3: Determine Base Branch
+ ## Step 3: Determine Base Branch
The base branch is whatever this work forked from — usually named in the
plan, the conversation, or the branch's upstream. If it is not already
known, ask: "This branch split from <your best guess> - is that correct?"
- Don't guess silently: merging into the wrong base is expensive to undo.
+ Confirm before merging: merging into the wrong base is expensive to undo.
- ### Step 4: Present Options
+ ## Step 4: Present Options
**Normal repo and named-branch worktree — present exactly these 3 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)
Which option?
```
**Detached HEAD — present exactly these 2 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)
Which option?
```
- **Don't add explanation** - keep options concise.
-
- Discarding the work is never offered. It exists only as a response to your
+ Present the menu exactly as written — concise, with every option coming
+ from the list above. Discarding the work happens only in response to your
human partner explicitly asking for it (see "If your human partner asks to
- discard the work" below).
+ discard the work" below). Wait for their answer; the integration decision
+ is theirs.
- ### Step 5: Execute Choice
+ ## Step 5: Execute Choice
- #### Option 1: Merge Locally
+ ### 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
```
- If tests fail on the merged result: STOP. Leave the worktree and branch in
- place and investigate — nothing has been pushed, so the merge is local and
- recoverable.
+ If tests fail on the merged result: stop, leave the worktree and branch in
+ place, and investigate — nothing has been pushed, so the merge is local
+ and recoverable.
- Then: Cleanup worktree (Step 6), then delete branch:
+ Once the merged result is green: clean up the worktree (Step 6), then
+ delete the branch:
```bash
git branch -d <feature-branch>
```
- #### Option 2: Push and Create PR
+ ### Option 2: Push and Create PR
```bash
- # Push branch
git push -u origin <feature-branch>
```
Then create the pull/merge request against <base-branch> with the forge's
tooling — its CLI if one is available, or the creation URL most forges
print when you push — following the repo's PR template and conventions if
present, and report the URL to your human partner.
- **Do NOT clean up worktree** — user needs it alive to iterate on PR feedback.
+ Keep the worktree — your human partner iterates on PR feedback there.
- #### Option 3: Keep As-Is
+ ### Option 3: Keep As-Is
Report: "Keeping branch <name>. Worktree preserved at <path>."
- **Don't cleanup worktree.**
-
- #### If your human partner asks to discard the work
+ ### If your human partner asks to discard the work
- Never offer this. Only do it when your human partner explicitly asks to
- throw the work away — and even then, confirm first:
+ This path exists only as a response to an explicit request to throw the
+ work away. Confirm first:
```
This will permanently delete:
- Branch <name>
- All commits: <commit-list>
- Worktree at <path>
Type 'discard' to confirm.
```
- Wait for exact confirmation.
+ Wait for that exact confirmation. When it arrives:
- If confirmed:
```bash
MAIN_ROOT=$(git -C "$(git rev-parse --git-common-dir)/.." rev-parse --show-toplevel)
cd "$MAIN_ROOT"
```
- Then: Cleanup worktree (Step 6), then force-delete branch:
+ Then clean up the worktree (Step 6) and force-delete the branch:
+
```bash
git branch -D <feature-branch>
```
- ### Step 6: Cleanup Workspace
+ ## Step 6: Cleanup Workspace
- **Only runs for Option 1 and confirmed discards.** Options 2 and 3 always preserve the worktree.
+ **Runs for Option 1 and confirmed discards.** Options 2 and 3 always
+ preserve 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=$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)
```
**If `GIT_DIR == GIT_COMMON`:** Normal repo, no worktree to clean up. Done.
- **If worktree path is under `.worktrees/` or `worktrees/`:** Superpowers created this worktree — we own cleanup.
+ **If worktree path is under `.worktrees/` or `worktrees/`:** Superpowers
+ created this worktree — we own cleanup. Run it from the main repo root
+ (removal fails from inside the worktree being removed):
```bash
MAIN_ROOT=$(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.
+ **Otherwise:** The host environment owns this workspace — leave it in
+ place. If your platform provides a workspace-exit tool, use it.
## Quick Reference
| Option | Merge | Push | Keep Worktree | Cleanup Branch |
|--------|-------|------|---------------|----------------|
| 1. Merge locally | yes | - | - | yes |
| 2. Create PR | - | yes | yes | - |
| 3. Keep as-is | - | - | yes | - |
| Discard (explicit request only) | - | - | - | 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 3 structured options (or 2 for detached HEAD)
-
- **Offering to discard the work**
- - **Problem:** Puts throwing away completed, passing work on the menu
- - **Fix:** Discard only on your human partner's explicit request, never as an offer
-
- **Cleaning up worktree for Option 2**
- - **Problem:** Remove worktree user needs for PR iteration
- - **Fix:** Only cleanup for Option 1 and confirmed discards
-
- **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
-
- **Never:**
- - Proceed with failing tests
- - Merge without verifying tests on result
- - Offer discarding the work — it happens only on explicit request
- - 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
+ ## Common Rationalizations
- **Always:**
- - Verify tests before offering options
- - Detect environment before presenting menu
- - Present exactly 3 options (or 2 for detached HEAD)
- - Get typed confirmation before any discard
- - Clean up worktree for Option 1 and confirmed discards only
- - `cd` to main repo root before worktree removal
- - Run `git worktree prune` after removal
+ | Excuse | Reality |
+ |--------|---------|
+ | "Tests passed earlier this session" | Run the suite now. The tree changed since the last green run. |
+ | "They obviously want it merged" | Integration is your human partner's decision. Present the menu and wait. |
+ | "They seem done with this feature — I'll offer to discard it" | The menu is complete as written. Discard happens only when your human partner asks for it in so many words. |
+ | "'Yeah, get rid of it' counts as confirmation" | Only the typed word `discard` authorizes deletion. |
+ | "The PR is up, so the worktree is clutter now" | PR feedback gets fixed in that worktree. It stays until the work lands. |
+ | "This other worktree looks stale — I'll clean it too" | Clean up only worktrees under `.worktrees/` or `worktrees/`. Everything else belongs to the host. |
+ | "The merged-result failure is probably flaky" | A failing merged result stops everything. Branch and worktree stay put while you investigate. |
+ | "The base branch is obviously main" | Confirm the fork point or ask. Merging into the wrong base is expensive to undo. |
+ | "The push was rejected — force-push will fix it" | A rejected push means the remote moved. Investigate; force-push only on your human partner's explicit request. |