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

If tests fail:

Tests failing (<N> failures). Must fix before completing:

[Show failures]

Cannot proceed with merge/PR until tests pass.

Stop. Don't proceed to Step 2.

If tests pass: Continue to Step 2.

Step 2: Determine Base Branch

# Try common base branches
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: Detect Spool Change

Check if working on a spool change:

# Check for in-progress spool changes
ls .spool/changes/ 2>/dev/null | head -5

If spool change detected: Include Option 5 (Archive) in the options.

Step 4: Present Options

Present the options (5 if spool change detected, otherwise 4):

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
5. Archive spool change (integrates specs, marks complete)  ← if spool change

Which option?

If spool change detected: Highlight option 5: "Recommended for spool changes: archives completed work into specs."

Don't add explanation - keep options concise.

Step 5: Execute Choice

Option 1: Merge Locally

# Switch to base branch
git checkout <base-branch>

# Pull latest
git pull

# Merge feature branch
git merge <feature-branch>

# Verify tests on merged result
<test command>

# If tests pass
git branch -d <feature-branch>

Then: Cleanup worktree (Step 6)

Option 2: Push and Create PR

# Push branch
git push -u origin <feature-branch>

# Create PR
gh pr create --title "<title>" --body "$(cat <<'EOF'
## Summary
<2-3 bullets of what changed>

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

Then: Cleanup worktree (Step 6)

Option 3: Keep As-Is

Report: "Keeping branch . Worktree preserved at ."

Don't cleanup worktree.

Option 4: Discard

Confirm first:

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

Type 'discard' to confirm.

Wait for exact confirmation.

If confirmed:

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

Then: Cleanup worktree (Step 6)

Option 5: Archive Spool Change (if spool change detected)

Invoke the spool-archive skill:

spool agent instruction archive --change <change-id>

Follow the printed instructions to:

• Integrate change specs into main specs
• Mark change as completed
• Clean up change directory

Then: Cleanup worktree (Step 6)

Step 6: Cleanup Worktree

For Options 1, 2, 4, 5:

Check if in worktree:

git worktree list | grep $(git branch --show-current)

If yes:

git worktree remove <worktree-path>

For Option 3: Keep worktree.

Quick Reference

Common Mistakes

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 structured options

Automatic worktree cleanup

• Problem: Remove worktree when might need it (Option 2, 3)
• Fix: Only cleanup for Options 1, 4, and 5

No confirmation for discard

• Problem: Accidentally delete work
• Fix: Require typed "discard" confirmation

Missing archive option for spool

• Problem: User forgets to archive completed spool changes
• Fix: Detect spool changes and present archive option

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
• Detect spool changes and include archive option
• Present structured options (not open-ended)
• Get typed confirmation for Option 4
• Clean up worktree for Options 1, 4, 5 only

Integration

Called by:

• spool-subagent-driven-development (after all tasks complete)
• spool-apply-change-proposal (after all batches complete)

Pairs with:

• spool-using-git-worktrees - Cleans up worktree created by that skill
• spool-archive - Used by Option 5 to archive spool changes