Finishing a Development Branch

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:

# 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: Detect Environment

Determine workspace state before presenting options:

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:

Step 3: 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 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

# 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:

git branch -d <feature-branch>

Option 2: Push and Create PR

# 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:

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:

git branch -D <feature-branch>

Step 6: Cleanup Workspace

Only runs for Options 1 and 4. Options 2 and 3 always preserve the worktree.

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.

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

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

Never:

• 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

Always:

• 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