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:

# .NET / C# (ECTSystem)
dotnet test AF.ECT.Tests --no-build --logger "console;verbosity=minimal"

# Node.js
npm test

# Python
pytest

# Go
go test ./...

For ECTSystem specifically:

dotnet test AF.ECT.Tests --no-build --logger "console;verbosity=minimal"

If tests fail:

Tests failing (5 failures). Must fix before completing:

FAIL: GetWorkflow_WithValidId_ReturnsWorkflow
FAIL: CreateWorkflow_WithValidData_PersistsToDatabase
...

Cannot proceed with merge/PR until tests pass.

Stop. Don't proceed to Step 2.

If tests pass: Continue to Step 2.

Build verification (ECTSystem):

dotnet build ECTSystem.sln --no-restore
# Expected: 0 errors, 0 warnings

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: 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

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

# Pull latest
git pull

# Merge feature branch
git merge <feature-branch>

# Verify tests on merged result
# .NET / C# (ECTSystem)
dotnet test AF.ECT.Tests --no-build --logger "console;verbosity=minimal"
dotnet build ECTSystem.sln --no-restore

# Node.js
npm test

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

Then: Cleanup worktree (Step 5)

Option 2: Push and Create PR

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

# Create PR with verification checklist
# .NET / C# (ECTSystem) template
gh pr create --title "feat: [feature description]" --body "$(cat <<'EOF'
## Summary
- Added/fixed/changed [X]
- Implementation in [AF.ECT.Server/AF.ECT.Shared/AF.ECT.WebClient]
- Tests added: [list test names]

## Verification
- [x] `dotnet build ECTSystem.sln` succeeds (0 errors, 0 warnings)
- [x] `dotnet test AF.ECT.Tests` passes (X tests, 0 failures)
- [x] gRPC contracts updated (AF.ECT.Shared/Protos)
- [x] EF Core migrations applied (if DB changes)
- [x] Audit logging included (if applicable)

## Test Plan
- [ ] Manual test: [steps to verify]
- [ ] Run: `dotnet test AF.ECT.Tests --filter "[TestName]"` to verify
EOF
)"

Then: Cleanup worktree (Step 5)

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 5)

Step 5: Cleanup Worktree

For Options 1, 2, 4:

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

Option	Merge	Push	Keep Worktree	Cleanup Branch
1. Merge locally	✓	-	-	✓
2. Create PR	-	✓	✓	-
3. Keep as-is	-	-	✓	-
4. Discard	-	-	-	✓ (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 worktree cleanup

• Problem: Remove worktree 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

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

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