Seal

Finishing a Development Branch

Overview

SEAL — A seal closes and secures — nothing leaves without passing inspection. When invoked: verifies tests pass, presents exactly four structured completion options, executes the chosen path, and cleans up the isolated workspace. Nothing merges without evidence.

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

Announce at start: "Running SEAL to complete this branch."

The Process

Step 1: Verify Tests

Before presenting any options:

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npm test / cargo test / pytest / go test ./...

If tests fail:

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Tests failing (<N> failures). Must fix before completing:
[Show failures]
Cannot proceed until tests pass.

Stop. Do not present options.

If tests pass: proceed to Step 2.

Step 2: Determine Base Branch

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git merge-base HEAD main 2>/dev/null || git merge-base HEAD master 2>/dev/null

Or confirm: "This branch split from main — is that correct?"

Step 3: Present Exactly 4 Options

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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?

No extra explanation — keep options concise.

Step 4: Execute the Choice

Option 1 — Merge Locally

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git checkout <base-branch>
git pull
git merge <feature-branch>
<test command>          # Verify merged result
git branch -d <feature-branch>

Then: cleanup worktree (Step 5).

Option 2 — Push and Create PR

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git push -u origin <feature-branch>
gh pr create --title "<title>" --body "$(cat <<'EOF'
## Summary
<2-3 bullets of what changed>

## Test Plan
- [ ] <verification steps>
EOF
)"

Then: cleanup worktree (Step 5).

Option 3 — Keep As-Is

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

Do not clean up the worktree.

Option 4 — Discard

Confirm first — require typed confirmation:

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

Type 'discard' to confirm.

If confirmed:

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git checkout <base-branch>
git branch -D <feature-branch>

Then: cleanup worktree (Step 5).

Step 5: Cleanup Worktree (Options 1, 2, 4 only)

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git worktree list | grep $(git branch --show-current)
git worktree remove <worktree-path>

Option 3: keep worktree intact.

Quick Reference

Red Flags

Never:

• Present options before verifying tests
• Merge without re-verifying tests on the merged result
• Delete work without typed confirmation
• Force-push without explicit user request

Always:

• Verify tests before offering options
• Present exactly 4 options — no more, no less
• Require 'discard' typed confirmation for Option 4
• Only clean up the worktree for Options 1 and 4

Integration

Called by:

• phantom — after all plan tasks complete
• exodus — after all execution batches complete

Pairs with:

• vault — cleans up the worktree that VAULT created