oabdelmaksoud 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, verify tests pass:
# Run project's test suite
npm test / cargo test / pytest / go test ./...
If tests fail: Stop. Don't proceed to Step 2.
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
Step 3: Present Options
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?
Step 4: Execute Choice
Option 1: Merge Locally
git checkout <base-branch>
git pull
git merge <feature-branch>
<test command>
git branch -d <feature-branch>
Option 2: Push and Create PR
git push -u origin <feature-branch>
gh pr create --title "<title>" --body "..."
Option 3: Keep As-Is
Report: "Keeping branch . Worktree preserved at ."
Option 4: Discard
Confirm first — require typed "discard" confirmation.
Step 5: Cleanup Worktree
For Options 1, 2, 4: Remove worktree if applicable. For Option 3: Keep worktree.
Red Flags
Never:
- Proceed with failing tests
- Merge without verifying tests on result
- Delete work without confirmation
- Force-push without explicit request
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