Finishing a Development Branch

Intent

Close out work safely by verifying tests, presenting integration options, and cleaning up worktrees consistently.

When to Use

• •After plan execution is complete.
• •Before merging, creating a PR, or discarding work.

Precondition Failure Signal

• •Tests have not been run in the branch before integration.
• •A merge or PR is created without verification evidence.
• •Work is discarded without explicit confirmation.

Postcondition Success Signal

• •Tests pass with fresh evidence.
• •One of the approved integration options is chosen.
• •Worktrees are cleaned up appropriately.

Process

1. •Verify Tests: Run the project test suite and record results.
2. •Determine Base Branch: Confirm merge base (usually main).
3. •Present Options:
   • •Merge locally.
   • •Push and create PR.
   • •Keep branch as-is.
   • •Discard work (requires explicit confirmation).
4. •Execute Choice: Follow the selected path precisely.
5. •Cleanup: Remove worktree for options that discard or merge work.

Example Test / Validation

• •Tests pass on the branch before presenting options.

Common Red Flags / Guardrail Violations

• •Skipping verification because "it passed earlier".
• •Automatically deleting worktrees without user confirmation.
• •Forcing a merge without tests on the merged result.

Recommended Review Personas

• •Tech Lead - validates readiness for integration.
• •Release Manager / SRE - validates release/traceability implications.

Skill Priority

P2 - Consistency & Governance

Conflict Resolution Rules

• •If tests fail, return to systematic-debugging.
• •Discarding work requires explicit user confirmation.

Conceptual Dependencies

• •verification-and-handover
• •change-risk-rollback

Classification

Governance
Operational

Notes

Branch closure is a release decision, not a formality.