finishing-a-development-branch

To safely finish a git development branch after tests pass, you must validate the project state and choose the correct integration path. This involves selecting a base branch, then executing a local merge, pull request, preservation, or discard flow with safe workspace cleanup.

The best way to merge or discard a completed git worktree branch is using an environment-aware workflow that detects named worktrees and detached HEAD sessions. This ensures correct completion options are presented while protecting the workspace and requiring confirmation for destructive actions.

Creating a pull request directly from a detached HEAD session requires environment detection to guide the workflow. The process identifies the detached HEAD state to present the correct completion options, ensuring safe integration choices and proper workspace cleanup.

Merging a feature branch into a base branch requires test validation, environment detection, and base-branch selection. After verifying tests pass, you choose the local merge option from structured choices to complete the integration and clean up the workspace responsibly.

Branch finalization does require test validation before any branch-finalization action is offered. Enforcing test-first completion ensures the project is ready, after which you can safely discard the branch with required confirmation to protect the workspace from destructive actions.