start-feature
Create or switch to feature branches with proper naming conventions. Use when user wants to start working on a new feature, start a feature. Generates feature/branch-name patterns from descriptions, checks existence, and creates/switches accordingly.
When & Why to Use This Skill
The 'start-feature' skill automates Git branch management by converting natural language feature descriptions into standardized, SEO-friendly branch names. It streamlines the developer workflow by handling status verification, branch creation, and switching, ensuring projects maintain consistent naming conventions and organized version control without manual overhead.
Use Cases
- Streamlined Feature Initiation: Quickly create a properly formatted branch like 'feature/api-refactor' by simply describing the task to the AI, eliminating manual naming decisions.
- Context Switching: Seamlessly switch back to existing feature branches by referring to the feature name, allowing the AI to identify and checkout the correct branch automatically.
- Workflow Standardization: Enforce consistent 'feature/<slug>' naming patterns across a repository to improve team collaboration and repository maintainability.
- Safe Development Practices: Automatically verify git status before branching to ensure the working directory is clean, preventing accidental code conflicts or lost changes.
| name | start-feature |
|---|---|
| description | Create or switch to feature branches with proper naming conventions. Use when user wants to start working on a new feature, start a feature. Generates feature/branch-name patterns from descriptions, checks existence, and creates/switches accordingly. |
| allowed-tools | Bash(git status:*), Bash(git branch:*), Bash(git checkout:*) |
Start Feature
Overview
Creates or switches to feature branches following the feature/<slug> naming convention. Analyzes feature descriptions to generate concise, descriptive branch names and handles branch creation or switching automatically.
Process
1. Check Current Branch
1. Parse Feature Description
Extract 2-4 key words that capture the essence of the feature from the description.
Branch naming rules:
- Format:
feature/<slug> - Slug: 2-4 words, kebab-case
- Extract core concept from description
- Avoid redundant words: "feature", "new", "add"
Examples:
- "user authentication" →
feature/user-auth - "dark mode toggle" →
feature/dark-mode - "add pagination to table component" →
feature/table-pagination - "refactor the api client" →
feature/api-refactor
2. Verify Git Status and Current Branch
Before creating or switching branches, verify current git status:
git status
Ensure working directory is clean or changes are properly handled.
git branch --show-current
Is it already a feature branch? If so ask the user if they want to branch off from here or go back to main branch first.
3. Check Branch Existence
Check if the branch already exists:
git branch --list feature/<slug>
4. Create or Switch
If branch doesn't exist:
git checkout -b feature/<slug>
Confirm: "Created and switched to feature/<slug>"
If branch exists:
git checkout feature/<slug>
Confirm: "Switched to existing feature/<slug>"
5. Confirm Ready
Output format:
- Branch name:
feature/<slug> - Action taken: "Created and switched to..." or "Switched to existing..."
- Ready message: "Ready to work on [feature description]"
Constraints
- Never create branches outside the
feature/prefix - Branch names must be lowercase kebab-case
- If description is unclear or empty, ask for clarification before proceeding
- Always verify current git status before creating/switching branches
Example Usage
User request: "Start feature for user profile editing"
Process:
- Extract key words: "user", "profile", "editing" → "user-profile-edit"
- Check:
git branch --list feature/user-profile-edit - Create:
git checkout -b feature/user-profile-edit - Confirm: "Created and switched to
feature/user-profile-edit. Ready to work on user profile editing."