finishing-a-development-branch

Finishing a Development Branch

Before running any VCS commands, read references/vcs-preamble.md and use the appropriate commands for the detected VCS (git or jj).

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."

VCS Detection

if jj root >/dev/null 2>&1; then
  VCS=jj
else
  VCS=git
fi

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:

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

git:

git merge-base HEAD main 2>/dev/null || git merge-base HEAD master 2>/dev/null

jj:

# Find the trunk bookmark (main or master)
jj log -r 'trunk()' --no-graph -T 'bookmarks' --limit 1

Or ask: "This branch split from main - is that correct?"

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:

# 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>

jj:

# Rebase feature onto base branch, skip commits that become empty
jj rebase -s <rev> -o main --skip-emptied

# Verify tests on merged result
<test command>

# If tests pass, delete the bookmark
jj bookmark delete <name>

Then: Cleanup workspace (Step 5)

Option 2: Push and Create PR

git:

# 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
)"

jj:

# Set bookmark and push
jj bookmark set <name> -r @-
jj git push -b <name>

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

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

Then: Cleanup workspace (Step 5)

Option 3: Keep As-Is

Report: "Keeping branch . Workspace preserved at ."

Don't cleanup workspace.

Option 4: Discard

Confirm first:

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

Type 'discard' to confirm.

Wait for exact confirmation.

If confirmed:

git:

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

jj:

jj abandon <rev>
jj bookmark delete <name>

Then: Cleanup workspace (Step 5)

Step 5: Cleanup Workspace

For Options 1, 2, 4:

git:

Check if in worktree:

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

If yes:

git worktree remove <worktree-path>

jj:

jj workspace forget <name>
rm -rf <path>

Note: jj workspace forget de-registers the workspace but does NOT delete files -- you must rm -rf the directory after.

For Option 3: Keep workspace.

Quick Reference

Option	Merge	Push	Keep Workspace	Cleanup Branch
1. Merge locally	yes	-	-	yes
2. Create PR	-	yes	yes	-
3. Keep as-is	-	-	yes	-
4. Discard	-	-	-	yes (force)

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 exactly 4 structured options

Automatic workspace cleanup

• Problem: Remove workspace 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

Using git commands in jj repos

• Problem: git checkout / git branch -D corrupts jj state
• Fix: Always detect VCS first; use jj equivalents in jj repos

Red Flags

Never:

• Proceed with failing tests
• Merge without verifying tests on result
• Delete work without confirmation
• Force-push without explicit request
• Use git mutating commands in jj repos

Always:

• Detect VCS before running commands
• Verify tests before offering options
• Present exactly 4 options
• Get typed confirmation for Option 4
• Clean up workspace for Options 1 and 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-worktrees - Cleans up workspace created by that skill