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 → Present options → Execute choice.

Announce at start: "I'm using the finishing-a-development-branch skill to complete this work."

The Process

Step 0: Check Pipeline State (if applicable)

If this branch was created via sp-ecc:subagent-driven-development:

1. Read docs/plans/*-pipeline-state.md for this feature
2. Check that all required stages are marked complete
3. If any required stages are unchecked:

Cannot finish — pipeline stages incomplete:

- [ ] <list unchecked required stages>

Complete these stages before finishing.

Stop. Don't proceed to Step 1.

If no pipeline-state file exists (non-pipeline usage), skip this step.

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 until tests pass.

Stop. Don't proceed to Step 2.

If tests pass: Continue to Step 2.

Step 2: Summarize Work Done

Prepare a summary of what was implemented:

• Files changed: List all created, modified, and deleted files
• Features added: Bullet list of what's new
• Tests added/updated: Count and brief description
• Verification status: Test results, lint status, build status

Step 2.5: Extract Patterns (optional, ask user)

Ask the user: "Would you like me to extract learned patterns from this session before finishing?"

• If yes: Invoke sp-ecc:extract-patterns to save useful patterns to the instinct system
• If no: Skip and continue to Step 3

Do not auto-invoke. Always ask first.

Step 3: Present Options

Present exactly these 4 options:

Implementation complete. All tests passing. What would you like to do?

1. Merge locally (merge this branch into main/target branch)
2. Push and create PR (push branch to remote, open pull request)
3. Keep as-is (leave branch for later, continue working)
4. Discard this work (delete branch and revert)

Which option?

Don't add explanation - keep options concise.

Step 4: Execute Choice

Option 1: Merge Locally

# Switch to target branch
git checkout main

# Merge the feature branch
git merge <feature-branch> --no-ff -m "Merge: <summary>"

# Delete the feature branch
git branch -d <feature-branch>

If in a worktree, clean up:

# Remove the worktree
git worktree remove <worktree-path>

If pipeline-state file exists, delete it (pipeline complete).

Report: what was merged, target branch, and cleanup status.

Option 2: Push and Create PR

# Push branch to remote
git push -u origin <feature-branch>

# Create PR using gh CLI
gh pr create --title "<summary>" --body "<description>"

If in a worktree, clean up:

# Remove the worktree (branch stays on remote)
git worktree remove <worktree-path>

If pipeline-state file exists, delete it (pipeline complete).

Report: PR URL, branch name, and cleanup status.

Option 3: Keep As-Is

Report: "Understood. Branch <branch-name> preserved. Continuing development. Let me know what to work on next."

Don't change anything. Stay in current session context.

Option 4: Discard

Confirm first:

This will delete branch <branch-name> and all uncommitted changes:

Files modified:
- <list of files>

Type 'discard' to confirm.

Wait for exact confirmation.

If confirmed:

# Switch to main
git checkout main

# Delete the branch
git branch -D <feature-branch>

# If in a worktree, remove it
git worktree remove <worktree-path> --force

If pipeline-state file exists, delete it (pipeline discarded).

Report what was cleaned up.

Quick Reference

Option	Action	Git Operations	Worktree Cleanup
1. Merge locally	Merge into main	merge, branch -d	worktree remove
2. Push & PR	Push, create PR	push -u, gh pr create	worktree remove
3. Keep as-is	Continue working	None	None
4. Discard	Delete branch	checkout main, branch -D	worktree remove --force

Common Mistakes

Skipping test verification

• Problem: Mark work complete when tests are broken
• Fix: Always verify tests before offering options

Open-ended questions

• Problem: "What should I do next?" → ambiguous
• Fix: Present exactly 4 structured options

No confirmation for discard

• Problem: Accidentally delete work
• Fix: Require typed "discard" confirmation

Red Flags

Never:

• Proceed with failing tests
• Delete work without confirmation
• Assume which branch or remote to target
• Force push to main/master

Always:

• Verify tests before offering options
• Present exactly 4 options
• Get typed confirmation for Option 4
• Clean up worktrees after merge/discard

Integration

Called by:

• subagent-driven-development (Step 6: Finish) - After all tasks and reviews complete
• executing-plans (Step 5) - After all batches complete

Works with:

• using-git-worktrees - Handles worktree cleanup for all options
• requesting-code-review - Can be invoked before choosing an option