cdd-merge-base

Integrate the current state of the base branch into the feature branch. Two phases: a dry-run conflict assessment first, then the actual merge with conflict resolution. The approval between the two phases is conditional — the merge runs automatically when the dry run proves the case mechanically trivial (step 4), and stops for approval otherwise.

Run this command on the feature branch (not on the base branch). Use it when:

• The base branch has advanced under your feature branch and you want to integrate before opening or merging the PR.
• Something useful has landed on the base branch (a new utility, a refactor, an updated convention) that this branch should pick up without a separate roadmap task.

0. Resolve the base branch

BASE_BRANCH=$(cdd-state get base_branch 2>/dev/null)
BASE_BRANCH=${BASE_BRANCH:-$(git symbolic-ref --quiet --short refs/remotes/origin/HEAD 2>/dev/null || echo main)}

This reads the task's recorded base branch — the branch it was cut from and merges back into. When no base was recorded (every single-integration-branch project), it falls back to the hosting platform's default branch, so behaviour is unchanged there. Use $BASE_BRANCH everywhere main/origin/main appeared in earlier versions of this command. All git commands below use this variable.

1. Sanity check

Confirm the current branch is not the base branch:

git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD

Confirm the worktree is clean:

git status --porcelain

If there are uncommitted changes, stop and ask the user whether to stash or commit before continuing. Do not merge over uncommitted work.

2. Update local base branch reference

git fetch origin "$BASE_BRANCH"

Determine how far the branch has diverged from origin/$BASE_BRANCH:

git log --oneline "HEAD..origin/$BASE_BRANCH" | head -50
git log --oneline "origin/$BASE_BRANCH..HEAD" | head -50

Report:

• Number of commits on origin/$BASE_BRANCH not in this branch.
• Number of commits on this branch not in origin/$BASE_BRANCH.