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 → Clean up.

The Process

Step 1: Verify Tests

Before presenting options, verify tests pass:

npm test / cargo test / pytest / go test ./...

If tests fail: Show failures. 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?

Don't add explanation — keep options concise.

Step 4: Execute Choice

Option 1: Merge Locally

git checkout <base-branch>
git pull
git merge <feature-branch>
<test command>          # verify tests on merged result
git branch -d <feature-branch>

Option 2: Push and Create PR

git push -u origin <feature-branch>
gh pr create --title "<title>" --body "$(cat <<'EOF'
## Summary
<2-3 bullets of what changed>

## Test Plan
- [ ] <verification steps>
EOF
)"

Option 3: Keep As-Is

Report: "Keeping branch <name>. Worktree preserved at <path>."

Don't cleanup worktree.

Option 4: Discard

Confirm first:

This will permanently delete:
- Branch <name>
- All commits: <commit-list>

Type 'discard' to confirm.

Wait for exact confirmation. Then:

git checkout <base-branch>
git branch -D <feature-branch>

Step 5: Cleanup Worktree

For Options 1, 2, 4:

git worktree list | grep $(git branch --show-current)
# if in worktree:
git worktree remove <worktree-path>

For Option 3: Keep worktree.

Quick Reference

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
• Get typed confirmation for Option 4
• Clean up worktree for Options 1 & 4 only

Verification

• Tests were verified passing before the options were presented
• Exactly the four standard options were offered, without extra explanation
• Option 1 reran tests on the merged result before deleting the branch
• Option 4 proceeded only after the user typed the exact confirmation word
• Worktree cleanup matched the option table — removed for 1 and 4, kept for 2 and 3