Git Worktree Generic

Git Worktree (Generic)

Use git worktrees to run parallel development sessions without switching branches or stashing changes. Each worktree is an independent working copy linked to the same repository.

This skill uses only native git worktree commands. Optional helper scripts are in scripts/ for convenience but are never required.

Prerequisites

• Git 2.5+ (worktree support)
• A clean repo on the integration branch (usually main, master, or develop)

Core Concept

Primary repo (integration surface, read-only during sessions)
├── .git/
├── src/
└── ...
    └── .worktrees/          ← sibling directory (auto-created by git worktree add)
        ├── feature-login-redesign/
        │   └── (full working copy, own index, own branch)
        └── hotfix-urgent-patch/
            └── (full working copy, own index, own branch)

• Primary repo = integration surface. Never edit directly during a session.
• Worktree = disposable working copy. Edit, build, test, commit here.
• One branch per worktree — never share a branch across worktrees.

Naming Conventions

Use YYYYMMDD date prefix to keep branches sorted and avoid collisions.

Slash (/) in branch names becomes dash (-) in worktree folder names:

• feature/250715-login-redesign → folder feature-250715-login-redesign
• hotfix/login-timeout → folder hotfix-login-timeout

Quick Start

# 1. Fetch latest and create a detached worktree from the integration branch
git fetch origin
git worktree add --detach ../<repo>.worktrees/<branch-as-folder> origin/main

# 2. Enter the worktree and create your task branch
cd ../<repo>.worktrees/<branch-as-folder>
git checkout -b feature/250715-login-redesign

# 3. Work normally (edit, build, test, commit)
git add . && git commit -m "feat(login): redesign login page"

# 4. Stay up to date
git fetch origin && git rebase origin/main

# 5. Merge back (from primary repo)
cd <primary-repo>
git merge --no-ff feature/250715-login-redesign

# 6. Clean up
git worktree remove ../<repo>.worktrees/feature-250715-login-redesign
git worktree prune
git branch -d feature/250715-login-redesign

Why --detach first? Creates the worktree from a clean base ref even when the primary repo has uncommitted changes. Branching happens inside the clean worktree.

Guardrails

Safety Protocol

Pre-action verification (three checks)

Before edit/build/test/commit when worktrees exist:

1. Inside the worktree? pwd must resolve under the worktree path, not the primary repo's root.
2. Correct branch? git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD must show the task branch, not the integration branch.
3. Correct repo root? git rev-parse --show-toplevel must resolve under the worktree path.

If any check fails, stop. The primary repo is read-only during a session.

For full recovery procedures (wrong-worktree recovery, dropped changes, conflict handling), see references/safety-protocol.md.

Common Operations Reference

QA Evidence & Binary Artifact Preservation

Files committed in the worktree survive through the merge. Gitignored binary artifacts (screenshots, videos, compiled binaries, logs) do not — copy them to the primary repo before worktree removal.

For detailed guidance, see references/qa-evidence.md.

Detailed Workflow Examples

End-to-end walkthroughs with full context (create, rebase, integrate, conflict resolution): see references/workflow-examples.md.

Optional Automation Scripts

This skill provides optional PowerShell scripts in scripts/ to automate repetitive multi-step workflows. They are never required — every operation is achievable with native git commands — but they reduce copy-paste effort and enforce consistency.

See each script's --help for usage examples.

Comparison: Native Git vs Scripted Approaches

Use the native approach when you want zero dependencies beyond git. Use scripts when you perform the same multi-step workflow repeatedly.