--- name: marcus/merge-strategy source: https://app.decimal.ai/s/marcus-merge-strategy@1/SKILL.md source_sha256: 398b6ef74c01 --- # Merge Strategy Configuration This skill covers sidecar's git merge and pull operations, their current implementation, known gaps, and recommended configuration patterns. ## Current Implementation ### Git Status Plugin Pull Strategies Location: `internal/plugins/gitstatus/pull_menu.go`, `internal/plugins/gitstatus/remote.go` The git-status plugin offers four pull strategies via a modal menu: | Strategy | Command | Use Case | |----------|---------|----------| | Pull (merge) | `git pull` | Creates merge commit, preserves branch topology | | Pull (rebase) | `git pull --rebase` | Replays local commits on top of upstream | | Pull (fast-forward only) | `git pull --ff-only` | Only pulls if fast-forward possible (safest) | | Pull (rebase + autostash) | `git pull --rebase --autostash` | Rebase with automatic stash/unstash | ### Workspace Plugin Merge Workflows Location: `internal/plugins/workspace/merge.go` **PR Workflow:** 1. Push branch to remote 2. Create PR via `gh pr create` 3. Wait for PR merge (polling) 4. Cleanup: delete worktree, branches, pull base **Direct Merge (No PR)** at `merge.go:430-498`: ``` 1. git fetch origin 2. git checkout 3. git pull origin 4. git merge --no-ff -m "Merge branch ''" // Hardcoded --no-ff 5. git push origin ``` **Post-Merge Pull** at `merge.go:500-551`: - When on base branch: `git pull --ff-only origin ` (hardcoded) - Otherwise: `git fetch` + `git update-ref` **Divergence Resolution** at `merge.go:644-705`: - Rebase option: `git pull --rebase origin ` - Merge option: `git pull origin ` ## Known Issues and Gaps 1. **No configurable defaults** -- users must select strategy every time 2. **Limited merge strategies** -- direct merge hardcoded to `--no-ff`, missing `--ff`, `--ff-only`, `--squash`, rebase-based integration 3. **No squash merge support** -- no clean-history option for main branch 4. **Hardcoded commit messages** -- `fmt.Sprintf("Merge branch '%s'", branch)`, no templates 5. **Missing safety options** -- no GPG signing, no `--verify-signatures`, no `--force-with-lease` 6. **Autostash inconsistency** -- available for pull-rebase but not post-merge pull or divergence resolution 7. **No upstream tracking config** -- remote always `origin`, no configurable tracking 8. **Limited conflict recovery** -- only abort or dismiss, no continue/skip rebase 9. **No interactive rebase** -- no squash/reorder/edit before merge ## Recommended Configuration Schema Add to `internal/config/config.go`: ```go type GitConfig struct { DefaultPullStrategy string `json:"defaultPullStrategy,omitempty"` // "merge", "rebase", "ff-only", "autostash" DefaultMergeStrategy string `json:"defaultMergeStrategy,omitempty"` // "no-ff", "ff", "ff-only", "squash", "rebase" MergeCommitTemplate string `json:"mergeCommitTemplate,omitempty"` // Go template: .Branch, .BaseBranch, .PRTitle, .PRNumber SignCommits bool `json:"signCommits,omitempty"` SignMerges bool `json:"signMerges,omitempty"` AutostashOnPull bool `json:"autostashOnPull,omitempty"` DefaultRemote string `json:"defaultRemote,omitempty"` // Default: "origin" SetUpstreamOnPush bool `json:"setUpstreamOnPush,omitempty"` ProtectedBranches []string `json:"protectedBranches,omitempty"` // e.g. ["main", "master", "release/*"] PreMergeChecks []string `json:"preMergeChecks,omitempty"` // e.g. ["go test ./..."] } ``` Add to `PluginsConfig`: ```go type PluginsConfig struct { Git GitConfig `json:"git"` GitStatus GitStatusPluginConfig `json:"git-status"` // ... existing fields } ``` Example user config (`~/.config/sidecar/config.json`): ```json { "plugins": { "git": { "defaultPullStrategy": "rebase", "defaultMergeStrategy": "squash", "mergeCommitTemplate": "Merge {{.Branch}} into {{.BaseBranch}}", "signCommits": true, "autostashOnPull": true, "protectedBranches": ["main", "production"] } } } ``` ## Implementation Priorities ### Priority 1: Default Pull Strategy **Files:** `internal/config/config.go`, `internal/plugins/gitstatus/pull_menu.go`, `internal/plugins/gitstatus/update_handlers.go` - If `defaultPullStrategy` is set, execute directly (skip menu) - If unset, show menu as today - Consider adding "Always use this" option to menu ### Priority 2: Default Merge Strategy **File:** `internal/plugins/workspace/merge.go` -- `performDirectMerge()` ```go func (p *Plugin) performDirectMerge(wt *Worktree) tea.Cmd { strategy := p.ctx.Config.Plugins.Git.DefaultMergeStrategy if strategy == "" { strategy = "no-ff" // backward compatible default } var mergeArgs []string switch strategy { case "ff": mergeArgs = []string{"merge", branch, "-m", mergeMsg} case "ff-only": mergeArgs = []string{"merge", branch, "--ff-only"} case "squash": mergeArgs = []string{"merge", branch, "--squash"} case "rebase": // 1. git rebase baseBranch branch // 2. git checkout baseBranch // 3. git merge branch --ff-only default: // "no-ff" mergeArgs = []string{"merge", branch, "--no-ff", "-m", mergeMsg} } } ``` ### Priority 3: Squash Merge Support After `git merge --squash`, a separate commit is needed: ```go case "squash": mergeCmd := exec.Command("git", "merge", branch, "--squash") // execute... commitMsg := fmt.Sprintf("Squash merge branch '%s'", branch) commitCmd := exec.Command("git", "commit", "-m", commitMsg) ``` ### Priority 4: Merge Commit Templates ```go type MergeTemplateData struct { Branch, BaseBranch, PRTitle, PRNumber string } func renderMergeMessage(tmpl string, data MergeTemplateData) (string, error) { if tmpl == "" { tmpl = "Merge branch '{{.Branch}}'" } t, err := template.New("merge").Parse(tmpl) // ... execute template } ``` ### Priority 5: Protected Branch Warnings ```go func isProtectedBranch(branch string, patterns []string) bool { for _, pattern := range patterns { if matched, _ := filepath.Match(pattern, branch); matched { return true } } return false } ``` Show confirmation modal before direct merge to protected branches. ## Strategy Comparison | Strategy | History | Commit Count | Best For | |----------|---------|--------------|----------| | No Fast-Forward (`--no-ff`) | Preserves branch topology | +1 merge commit | Feature branches, audit trails | | Fast-Forward (`--ff`) | Linear when possible | No extra commits | Small changes, single commits | | Fast-Forward Only (`--ff-only`) | Always linear | Fails if not possible | Strict linear history | | Squash | Linear | Single commit | Clean history, large features | | Rebase | Linear, preserves commits | No merge commit | Clean history with detail | ### Team Recommendations - **Open source:** default `squash`, PR workflow recommended - **Internal teams:** default `no-ff`, direct merge acceptable - **Solo developers:** default `rebase` or `ff`, direct merge for speed ## Related Files | File | Purpose | |------|---------| | `internal/config/config.go` | Config struct definitions | | `internal/config/loader.go` | Config loading and defaults | | `internal/plugins/gitstatus/remote.go` | Pull/fetch operations | | `internal/plugins/gitstatus/pull_menu.go` | Pull strategy UI | | `internal/plugins/workspace/merge.go` | Merge workflow | | `internal/plugins/workspace/diff.go` | Base branch detection | | `internal/plugins/workspace/worktree.go` | Branch operations | ## Migration Notes - **Empty config = current behavior** -- all new fields default to empty/false - **Config validation** -- warn on invalid strategy names, do not fail - **Backward compatibility** -- if changing defaults, provide migration warnings