majiayu000 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 → 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, run project test suite:
npm test / cargo test / pytest / go test ./...
If tests fail: Show failures and stop. Cannot proceed until tests pass.
If tests pass: Continue to Step 2.
Step 2: Determine Base Branch
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 3: Present Options
ALWAYS use AskUserQuestion - never present plain text numbered options:
Use AskUserQuestion tool with:
- question: "Implementation complete. What would you like to do?"
- header: "Complete"
- options:
- label: "Merge locally"
description: "Merge back to <base-branch> and clean up"
- label: "Create PR"
description: "Push and create a Pull Request for review"
- label: "Keep as-is"
description: "Keep the branch, I'll handle it later"
- label: "Discard"
description: "Delete this work permanently"
- multiSelect: false
Step 4: Execute Choice
See examples/merge-workflow.md for detailed implementation of each option.
| Option | Actions |
|---|---|
| Merge locally | Switch to base → Pull → Merge → Test → Delete branch → Cleanup worktree |
| Create PR | Push branch → Create PR with gh → Cleanup worktree |
| Keep as-is | Report preservation → Keep worktree |
| Discard | Confirm → Delete branch (force) → Cleanup worktree |
Worktree cleanup (Options 1, 2, 4 only):
git worktree list | grep $(git branch --show-current)
git worktree remove <worktree-path> # if found
Step 5: Issue Close & Continue
Only when invoked via /popkit:dev work #N - skip for standalone use.
5a: Close Prompt
After merge (Option 1) or PR (Option 2):
Use AskUserQuestion tool with:
- question: "Work on issue #N complete. Close the issue?"
- header: "Close Issue"
- options:
- label: "Yes, close it"
description: "Mark issue as completed"
- label: "No, keep open"
description: "Issue needs more work or follow-up"
If "Yes": gh issue close <number> --comment "Completed via /popkit:dev work #<number>"
5b: Epic Parent Check
Check for parent epic reference in issue body:
gh issue view <number> --json body --jq '.body' | grep -oE '(Part of|Parent:?) #[0-9]+'
If all children closed → Prompt to close epic.
5c: Context-Aware Next Actions
See examples/next-action-example.md for detailed flow.
Generate dynamic options by fetching prioritized issues, sorting by priority/phase, and presenting top 3 + "session capture and exit".
Quick Reference
| Option | Merge | Push | Keep Worktree | Cleanup Branch | Close Prompt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merge locally | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ (if issue) |
| Create PR | - | ✓ | ✓ | - | ✓ (if issue) |
| Keep as-is | - | - | ✓ | - | - |
| Discard | - | - | - | ✓ (force) | - |
Red Flags
Never:
- Proceed with failing tests
- Merge without verifying tests on result
- Delete work without confirmation
- Force-push without explicit request
Always:
- Verify tests before offering options
- Present exactly 4 options via AskUserQuestion
- Get typed "discard" confirmation for Option 4
- Clean up worktree for Options 1 & 4 only
Integration
Called by:
- subagent-driven-development (Step 7) - After all tasks complete
- executing-plans (Step 5) - After all batches complete
Pairs with:
- using-git-worktrees - Cleans up worktree created by that skill
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?" → ambiguous
- Fix: Present exactly 4 structured options
Automatic worktree cleanup
- Problem: Remove worktree when might need it (Option 2, 3)
- Fix: Only cleanup for Options 1 and 4
No confirmation for discard
- Problem: Accidentally delete work
- Fix: Require typed "discard" confirmation