finish-branch

Finishing a Development Branch

Overview

Core principle: Verify tests → Detect environment → Present options → Execute choice → Clean up.

Announce at start: "I'm using the finish-branch skill to complete this work."

Step 1: Verify Tests

Run the project's full test suite (npm test / cargo test / pytest / go test ./...).

If tests fail, report the failures and stop — the menu comes after a green suite:

Tests failing (<N> failures). Must fix before completing:

[Show failures]

If tests pass: continue to Step 2.

Step 2: Detect Environment

GIT_DIR=$(cd "$(git rev-parse --git-dir)" 2>/dev/null && pwd -P)
GIT_COMMON=$(cd "$(git rev-parse --git-common-dir)" 2>/dev/null && pwd -P)
# Capture now, while still inside the workspace — Step 5 changes directory
# before cleanup (Step 6) needs this value
WORKTREE_PATH=$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)

This determines which menu to show and how cleanup works:

State	Menu	Cleanup
GIT_DIR == GIT_COMMON (normal repo)	Standard 3 options	No worktree to clean up
GIT_DIR != GIT_COMMON, named branch	Standard 3 options	Provenance-based (see Step 6)
GIT_DIR != GIT_COMMON, detached HEAD	Reduced 2 options (no merge)	Externally managed — leave in place

Step 3: Determine Base Branch

Use the BASE_BRANCH and BASE_SHA recorded when the worktree was created. Verify that BASE_SHA is an ancestor of the feature branch before presenting integration options. If the lifecycle predates those fields, recover the base from the plan, conversation, or branch upstream and ask: "This branch split from <your best guess> - is that correct?" Record the confirmed values before merging. Never replace missing intent with whichever branch happens to be the current merge base.

Step 4: Present Options

Normal repo and named-branch worktree — present exactly these 3 options:

Implementation complete. What would you like to do?

1. Merge back to <base-branch> locally
2. Push and open a Merge Request
3. Keep the branch as-is (I'll handle it later)

Which option?

Detached HEAD — present exactly these 2 options:

Implementation complete. You're on a detached HEAD (externally managed workspace).

1. Push as new branch and open a Merge Request
2. Keep as-is (I'll handle it later)

Which option?

Present the menu exactly as written — concise, with every option coming from the list above. Discarding the work happens only in response to your human partner explicitly asking for it (see "If your human partner asks to discard the work" below). Wait for their answer; the integration decision is theirs.

Step 5: Execute Choice

Option 1: Merge Locally

# Get main repo root for CWD safety
MAIN_ROOT=$(git -C "$(git rev-parse --git-common-dir)/.." rev-parse --show-toplevel)
cd "$MAIN_ROOT"

# Merge first — verify success before removing anything
git checkout <base-branch>
git pull
git merge <feature-branch>

# Verify tests on merged result
<test command>

If tests fail on the merged result, fix it before continuing — per merge-discipline, it does not matter whether the failing line is in your changeset, the base branch's, or predates both; merging made it yours to ship working. Nothing has been pushed, so the merge is local and recoverable while you fix it. Only stop and ask if the fix needs a judgment call your human partner has to make.

Once the merged result is green: clean up the worktree (Step 6), then delete the branch:

git branch -d <feature-branch>

Option 2: Push and Open Merge Request

git push -u origin <feature-branch>
# From a detached HEAD, name the new branch on the remote:
# git push origin HEAD:refs/heads/<new-branch>

Then open the merge request against <base-branch>, using the forge's own CLI or the creation URL it prints on push, and follow that repo's own template.

Report the MR URL to your human partner and keep the worktree — feedback gets addressed there.

Option 3: Keep As-Is

Report: "Keeping branch <name>. Worktree preserved at <path>."

If your human partner asks to discard the work

This path exists only as a response to an explicit request to throw the work away. Confirm first:

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

Type 'discard' to confirm.

Wait for that exact confirmation. When it arrives:

MAIN_ROOT=$(git -C "$(git rev-parse --git-common-dir)/.." rev-parse --show-toplevel)
cd "$MAIN_ROOT"

Then clean up the worktree (Step 6) and force-delete the branch:

git branch -D <feature-branch>

Step 6: Cleanup Workspace

Runs for Option 1 and confirmed discards. Options 2 and 3 always preserve the worktree. Both callers have already changed directory to the main repo root — worktree removal must run from outside the worktree — and use the GIT_DIR/GIT_COMMON/WORKTREE_PATH values captured in Step 2, from before that directory change.

If GIT_DIR == GIT_COMMON: Normal repo, no worktree to clean up. Done.

If WORKTREE_PATH is under .moe/worktrees/, .worktrees/, or worktrees/: Moe created this worktree — we own cleanup:

git worktree remove "$WORKTREE_PATH"
git worktree prune  # Self-healing: clean up any stale registrations

If removal is refused (contains modified or untracked files): the worktree holds files that exist nowhere else — uncommitted plans, notes, or scratch work. Never --force on your own initiative. Show your human partner what is at stake and ask:

git -C "$WORKTREE_PATH" status --porcelain -uall

Worktree removal refused — these files were never committed:

<file list>

1. Commit them to <branch> before cleanup
2. Move them into <main repo root>
3. Delete them (unrecoverable)

Which?

Carry out the choice, then remove the worktree.

Otherwise: The host environment owns this workspace — leave it in place. If your platform provides a workspace-exit tool, use it.

Quick Reference

Option	Merge	Push	Keep Worktree	Cleanup Branch
1. Merge locally	yes	-	-	yes
2. Open MR	-	yes	yes	-
3. Keep as-is	-	-	yes	-
Discard (explicit request only)	-	-	-	yes (force)

Common Rationalizations

Excuse	Reality
"Tests passed earlier this session"	Run the suite on the tree you are about to integrate. A green run only proves the tree it ran on.
"They obviously want it merged"	Integration is your human partner's decision. Present the menu and wait.
"They seem done with this feature — I'll offer to discard it"	The menu is complete as written. Discard happens only when your human partner asks for it in so many words.
"'Yeah, get rid of it' counts as confirmation"	Only the typed word discard authorizes deletion.
"The MR is up, so the worktree is clutter now"	MR feedback gets fixed in that worktree. It stays until the work lands.
"This other worktree looks stale — I'll clean it too"	Clean up only worktrees under .moe/worktrees/, .worktrees/, or worktrees/. Everything else belongs to the host.
"Removal refused — --force is just finishing the cleanup"	The refusal means files exist only in that worktree. --force destroys them permanently. Show your human partner and ask.
"The merged-result failure is probably flaky"	A failing merged result stops everything. Branch and worktree stay put while you fix it.
"That failure isn't in the commits I wrote"	Doesn't matter — see merge-discipline. You're the one merging, so you own the result.
"The base branch is obviously main"	Confirm the fork point or ask. Merging into the wrong base is expensive to undo.
"The push was rejected — force-push will fix it"	A rejected push means the remote moved. Investigate; force-push only on your human partner's explicit request.