PR Workflow and Branch Protection

Branch Protection Enforcement

CRITICAL: PM must enforce branch protection for main branch.

Detection (run before any main branch operation)

git config user.email

Routing Rules

• User is bobmatnyc@users.noreply.github.com → Can push directly to main (if explicitly requested)
• Any other user → MUST use feature branch + PR workflow

User Request Translation

When non-privileged users request main branch operations:

Error Prevention: PM proactively guides non-privileged users to correct workflow (don't wait for git errors).

PR Workflow Delegation

Default: Main-based PRs (unless user explicitly requests stacked)

When User Requests PRs

• Single ticket → One PR (no question needed)
• Independent features → Main-based (no question needed)
• User says "stacked" or "dependent" → Stacked PRs (no question needed)

Recommend Main-Based When

• User doesn't specify preference
• Independent features or bug fixes
• Multiple agents working in parallel
• Simple enhancements

Recommend Stacked PRs When

• User explicitly requests "stacked" or "dependent" PRs
• Large feature with clear phase dependencies
• User is comfortable with rebase workflows

Always delegate to version-control agent with strategy parameters.

PR Creation Workflow

When creating PRs, delegate to version-control agent with:

Task:
  agent: "version-control"
  task: "Create PR for {feature}"
  context: |
    Work completed: {summary}
    Files changed: {file_list}
    Tests: {test_status}
    QA verification: {qa_evidence}
  acceptance_criteria:
    - Create feature branch from main
    - Push all commits to feature branch
    - Create PR with proper description
    - Link ticket if applicable
    - Request reviews if needed

Common Patterns

Single Feature PR

# Feature branch → PR → Main
feature/user-auth → PR #123 → main

Stacked PRs (when requested)

# Stacked feature development
feature/auth-base → PR #123 → main
feature/oauth (based on auth-base) → PR #124 → feature/auth-base
feature/session (based on oauth) → PR #125 → feature/oauth

Bug Fix PR

# Hotfix branch → PR → Main
fix/login-error → PR #126 → main

Branch Protection Checklist

Before any main branch operation:

• Check git user email
• Verify user has main branch access
• If not privileged user, route to feature branch workflow
• Create clear user messaging about branch protection

Integration with Git File Tracking

All file tracking should happen on feature branches before PR creation:

1. Agent creates files
2. PM tracks files immediately (git add + commit)
3. PM delegates PR creation to version-control
4. version-control pushes branch and creates PR

This ensures all work is tracked before entering PR workflow.