Merging Feature Branches to Main

Merging Feature Branches to Main

Overview

Merge a completed and reviewed feature branch into main using git merge --squash to create a single clean commit in main's history.

Core principle: Main branch shows feature-level history (one commit per user story), not development-level history (many TDD commits).

Workflow context:

1. Worktree implementation → feature branch (via finishing-a-development-branch)
2. Human review on feature branch
3. Feature branch → main (THIS SKILL - squash merge)

When to Use

Use this skill when:

• Feature branch has all implementation work merged in (from worktrees)
• Human has reviewed the feature branch
• Ready to integrate feature branch into main
• Want single clean commit in main (not 10+ granular commits)
• Using TDD workflow that created many commits during implementation

Do NOT use when:

• Still working in worktree (use finishing-a-development-branch first)
• Feature hasn't been reviewed yet
• Tests are failing on feature branch
• Working directly on main branch
• Want to preserve all individual commits in main history

Background

We use TDD which creates many commits during development (test, implementation, refactor cycles). These granular commits are valuable during development but should be squashed to one commit when merging to main.

Prerequisites Checklist

Before starting, verify:

# 1. Check current branch (should be on feature branch)
git branch --show-current

# 2. Verify working directory is clean
git status
# Should show "working tree clean"

# 3. Ensure all work is committed
git log --oneline -5
# Review recent commits to confirm work is saved

# 4. Verify main branch exists
git branch -a | grep main

If any check fails, STOP and resolve before proceeding.

Step-by-Step Workflow

Step 1: Switch to Main Branch

git checkout main

If you have a remote, update main:

git pull origin main

Step 2: Perform Squash Merge

git merge --squash <feature-branch-name>

This stages all changes from feature branch WITHOUT creating a commit yet.

Verify changes are staged:

git status
# Should show "Changes to be committed"

Step 3: Create Commit with create-git-commit Skill

REQUIRED SUB-SKILL: Use create-git-commit skill to craft the commit message.

Do NOT write commit message manually. The create-git-commit skill ensures proper format, scope, and message quality.

# The create-git-commit skill will guide you through:
# - Analyzing the staged changes
# - Following repository commit message conventions
# - Creating a well-formatted commit message

After create-git-commit skill creates the commit, verify:

git log --oneline -1
# Should show your new squashed commit

Step 4: Delete Feature Branch

After successful merge, clean up the feature branch:

# Force delete (required since squash doesn't create merge commit)
git branch -D <feature-branch-name>

Why -D: The -D flag force-deletes because --squash doesn't create a merge commit, so git doesn't recognize the branch as "merged" with -d.

Step 5: Push to Remote (if applicable)

git push origin main

Step 6: Verification

Confirm main branch has clean history:

# View recent commits
git log --oneline -5

# Verify one commit for the feature (not 10+)
# Verify commit message follows conventions

Run tests on main to ensure everything works:

npm test
# Or your test command

Error Handling

Quick Reference

# Complete workflow
git checkout main
git pull origin main                      # If using remote
git merge --squash <feature-branch>
# Use create-git-commit skill here
git branch -D <feature-branch>
git push origin main                      # If using remote
git log --oneline -5                      # Verify

Common Mistakes

❌ Writing commit message manually

git commit -m "Add feature"  # WRONG

✅ Using create-git-commit skill

• Ensures proper format and conventions
• Analyzes all changes in the squash
• Creates comprehensive feature-level message

❌ Using -d flag for deletion

git branch -d feature-x  # FAILS
# Error: not fully merged

✅ Using -D flag

git branch -D feature-x  # WORKS
# Squash merges require force delete

❌ Forgetting to delete branch

• Leaves stale branches cluttering repository
• Makes it unclear which branches are active

✅ Always delete after successful merge

• Keeps repository clean
• Makes active work visible