finishing-a-development-branch

To finalize a git feature branch after tests pass, you can use a structured workflow that offers four deterministic options: merge locally, push and create a pull request, keep the branch, or discard the work entirely.

The best way to manage git branch cleanup is using a deterministic workflow that enforces test verification before integration, automatically detects the base branch, and performs optional worktree cleanup after the merge or pull request operation.

The gh CLI is optional for creating a pull request from your feature branch. The structured workflow uses standard Git commands for local operations but utilizes gh CLI specifically when you choose the push and create PR option.

You cannot discard git feature branch work through this workflow if tests fail, because test verification is strictly enforced. All tests on the current feature branch must pass before the four merge, PR, keep, or discard options are presented.

Base branch detection for local git merges works by automatically identifying the appropriate base branch, such as main or master, from your repository configuration to ensure the feature branch integrates cleanly into the correct target.