Workspace Isolation

Workspace Isolation

Overview

Git worktrees create isolated workspaces sharing the same repository, enabling work on multiple branches simultaneously without switching.

Core principle: Systematic directory selection + safety verification = reliable isolation.

Announce at start: "I'm applying the workspace-isolation skill to set up an isolated workspace."

The Prime Directive

NO FEATURE WORK ON THE MAIN BRANCH

No exceptions. No workarounds. No shortcuts.

When to Use

Required for:

• Feature development of any size
• Bug fixes requiring more than a single-line change
• Refactoring work
• Any task from a development plan (delegated or otherwise)
• Experimental or exploratory implementation

Not required for:

• Single-line hotfixes on main
• Documentation-only changes
• Configuration file updates (e.g., .gitignore, CLAUDE.md)
• Reading or investigating code without making changes

Cognitive Traps

Directory Selection Process

Follow this priority order:

1. Check Existing Directories

# Check in priority order
ls -d .worktrees 2>/dev/null     # Preferred (hidden)
ls -d worktrees 2>/dev/null      # Alternative

If found: Use that directory. If both exist, .worktrees takes precedence.

2. Check CLAUDE.md

grep -i "worktree.*director" CLAUDE.md 2>/dev/null

If preference is specified: Use it without asking.

3. Ask User

If no directory exists and no CLAUDE.md preference:

No worktree directory found. Where should I create worktrees?

1. .worktrees/ (project-local, hidden)
2. ~/.config/godmode/worktrees/<project-name>/ (global location)

Which do you prefer?

Safety Verification

For Project-Local Directories (.worktrees or worktrees)

MUST verify the directory is ignored before creating the worktree:

# Check if directory is ignored (respects local, global, and system gitignore)
git check-ignore -q .worktrees 2>/dev/null || git check-ignore -q worktrees 2>/dev/null

If NOT ignored:

Fix it immediately:

1. Add the appropriate line to .gitignore
2. Commit the change
3. Proceed with worktree creation

Why critical: Prevents accidentally committing worktree contents to the repository.

For Global Directory (~/.config/godmode/worktrees)

No .gitignore verification needed -- outside the project entirely.

Creation Steps

1. Detect Project Name

project=$(basename "$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)")

2. Create Worktree

# Determine full path
case $LOCATION in
  .worktrees|worktrees)
    path="$LOCATION/$BRANCH_NAME"
    ;;
  ~/.config/godmode/worktrees/*)
    path="~/.config/godmode/worktrees/$project/$BRANCH_NAME"
    ;;
esac

# Create worktree with new branch
git worktree add "$path" -b "$BRANCH_NAME"
cd "$path"

3. Run Project Setup

Auto-detect and run the appropriate setup:

# Node.js
if [ -f package.json ]; then npm install; fi

# Rust
if [ -f Cargo.toml ]; then cargo build; fi

# Python
if [ -f requirements.txt ]; then pip install -r requirements.txt; fi
if [ -f pyproject.toml ]; then poetry install; fi

# Go
if [ -f go.mod ]; then go mod download; fi

4. Verify Clean Baseline

Run tests to ensure the worktree starts clean:

# Examples - use the project-appropriate command
npm test
cargo test
pytest
go test ./...

If tests fail: Report failures, ask whether to proceed or investigate.

If tests pass: Report ready.

5. Report Location

Worktree ready at <full-path>
Tests passing (<N> tests, 0 failures)
Ready to implement <feature-name>

Quick Reference

Common Mistakes

Skipping ignore verification

• Problem: Worktree contents get tracked, pollute git status
• Fix: Always use git check-ignore before creating a project-local worktree

Assuming directory location

• Problem: Creates inconsistency, violates project conventions
• Fix: Follow priority: existing > CLAUDE.md > ask

Proceeding with failing tests

• Problem: Cannot distinguish new defects from pre-existing issues
• Fix: Report failures, get explicit permission to proceed

Hardcoding setup commands

• Problem: Breaks on projects using different tooling
• Fix: Auto-detect from project files (package.json, etc.)

Example Workflow

You: I'm applying the workspace-isolation skill to set up an isolated workspace.

[Check .worktrees/ - exists]
[Verify ignored - git check-ignore confirms .worktrees/ is ignored]
[Create worktree: git worktree add .worktrees/auth -b feature/auth]
[Run npm install]
[Run npm test - 47 passing]

Worktree ready at /home/user/myproject/.worktrees/auth
Tests passing (47 tests, 0 failures)
Ready to implement auth feature

Guardrails

Never:

• Create a worktree without verifying it is ignored (project-local)
• Skip baseline test verification
• Proceed with failing tests without asking
• Assume directory location when ambiguous
• Skip CLAUDE.md check

Always:

• Follow directory priority: existing > CLAUDE.md > ask
• Verify directory is ignored for project-local
• Auto-detect and run project setup
• Verify clean test baseline

Connections

Called by:

• delegated-execution - REQUIRED before executing any tasks
• task-runner - REQUIRED before executing any tasks
• task-planning - Plan assumes worktree is active
• Any skill needing isolated workspace

Pairs with:

• merge-protocol - REQUIRED for cleanup after work is complete