workflow-branch-sync

Workflow: Branch Sync

Announce at start: "I'm using the workflow-branch-sync skill to bring this branch up to date and help resolve any conflicts."

When to Invoke

• User's branch has fallen behind the default branch and they want it brought up to date.
• User asks for help resolving merge/rebase conflicts, or wants guidance on "which side is correct".
• Invoked by /swe-workbench:sync.

What This Skill Does NOT Do

• Does not open, merge, or comment on a PR — that is swe-workbench:workflow-commit-and-pr / the user's action. Sole exception: Step 7.5 may trim provably-stale scope tags from the open PR's title (reported in the summary) — never pushes, comments, or merges.
• Does not resolve any conflict without first showing both sides and a recommendation with rationale.
• Does not auto-push — ever. The push is a separate, explicitly prompted step at the end.
• Does not rewrite history beyond the single merge or rebase the user asked for.

Sync Contract

Step 1 — Preflight Guard

command -v swe-workbench-skill-script >/dev/null 2>&1 || {
  echo "swe-workbench runtime commands not on PATH — reinstall or update the swe-workbench plugin." >&2
  exit 1
}
eval "$(swe-workbench-skill-script workflow-branch-sync preflight-guard.sh)"

Emits CURRENT_BRANCH, DEFAULT_BRANCH (detected — never hardcode main), IS_DEFAULT, DETACHED, DIRTY.

• IS_DEFAULT=1: refuse. Report "already on $DEFAULT_BRANCH — nothing to sync onto itself" and stop.
• DETACHED=1: refuse. Report "detached HEAD — checkout a branch first" and stop.
• DIRTY>0: offer stash-or-abort before touching history — git stash push -u -m "branch-sync: pre-sync stash" if the user opts to stash, otherwise stop and let the user commit or discard first. Never proceed with a dirty tree. If the user stashes, set STASHED=1 — Step 8 restores it before reporting.

Step 1.5 — Refresh Remote Refs

Never compare against a locally-cached origin/$DEFAULT_BRANCH — the sync decision is only as fresh as that ref. Before any advisory, capture, or mechanical sync runs: