Overview
Guide the completion of development work by offering clear options and handling the selected workflow.
Core principle: Verify tests → Present options → Execute choice → Clean up.
Announce at the start:"I am using the Complete Development Branch skill to complete this work."
Process
Step 1: Verify Tests
Before offering options, first verify that 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. Do not continue 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 was split off from the main branch - 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?
Do not add explanations - keep options concise.
Step 4: Execute Choice
Option 1: Local Merge
# 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: clean up worktree (step 5)
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: clean up worktree (step 5)
Option 3: Keep As Is
Report: "Keeping branch <name>. Worktree kept at <path>."
**Do not clean up the worktree.**
Option 4: Discard
First confirm:
This will permanently delete:
- Branch <name>
- All commits: <commit-list>
- Worktree at <path>
Type 'discard' to confirm.
Wait for explicit confirmation.
If confirmed:
git checkout <base-branch>
git branch -D <feature-branch>
Then: clean up worktree (step 5)
Step 5: Clean Up Worktree
For options 1, 2, 4:
Check whether in the worktree:
git worktree list | grep $(git branch --show-current)
If yes:
git worktree remove <worktree-path>
For option 3: Keep the worktree.
Quick Reference
| Option | Merge | Push | Keep Worktree | Clean Up Branch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Local Merge | ✓ | - | - | ✓ |
| 2. Create PR | - | ✓ | ✓ | - |
| 3. Keep As Is | - | - | ✓ | - |
| 4. Discard | - | - | - | ✓ (force) |
Common Mistakes
Skipping Test Verification
- **Problem:** merging broken code, creating a 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: deleting the worktree when it may still be needed (options 2, 3)
- Fix: only clean up options 1 and 4
Discarding Without Confirmation
- Problem: accidentally deleting work
- Fix: require entering "discard" confirmation
Red Flags
Never:
- Continue with failing tests
- Merge without verifying result tests
- Delete work without confirmation
- Force push without explicit request
Always:
- Verify tests before offering options
- Give exactly 4 options
- Get typed confirmation message for option 4
- Clean up worktree for options 1 and 4 only
All-in-one
Caller:
- Subagent-driven development(Step 7) - After all tasks complete
- Execute plan(Step 5) - After all batches complete
Pair with:
- using-git-worktrees - Cleanup via worktree created by this skill