Treat GIT_BRANCH_NAME naming the current branch as a no-op by drakeo338 · Pull Request #5006 · github/spec-kit

drakeo338 · 2026-10-17T14:24:16Z

Description

With GIT_BRANCH_NAME set to the branch that is already checked out, git checkout -b fails, so the feature-branch script reported "Branch already exists" and exited 1 unless --allow-existing-branch was passed. The branch is already in the requested state, so the bash, PowerShell and Python scripts now succeed without switching, as the --allow-existing-branch path does. A GIT_BRANCH_NAME naming a different existing branch still fails.

Testing

Existing and new tests in the git extension suites: 129 passed, 0 failed (the new tests fail without the fix). I did not run the other checks.

Tested locally with uv run specify --help
Ran existing tests with uv sync && uv run pytest
Tested with a sample project (if applicable)

AI Disclosure

I did not use AI assistance for this contribution
I did use AI assistance (fill in the disclosure below)

AI disclosure: Code and tests written by Claude Code (model: Claude Sonnet 5.5, autonomous), reviewed by two further agent passes.

Assisted-by: Claude Code (model: Claude Sonnet 5.5, autonomous)

When GIT_BRANCH_NAME names the branch that is already checked out, `git checkout -b` fails and the script reported "Branch already exists" and exited 1, unless --allow-existing-branch was passed. The branch is already in the requested state, so handle it the way the --allow-existing-branch path does and succeed without switching. Applied to the bash, PowerShell and Python scripts. A GIT_BRANCH_NAME naming a different existing branch still fails. Fixes github#5003 Assisted-by: Claude Code (model: Claude Sonnet 5.5, autonomous)

Add a PowerShell twin of the bash test for GIT_BRANCH_NAME naming the checked-out branch, use a case-sensitive comparison in the new PowerShell clause so a differently-cased branch is not mistaken for the current one, and document the behaviour in speckit.git.feature.md. Assisted-by: Claude Code (model: Claude Sonnet 5.5, autonomous)

Copilot

🟡 Changes recommended

Required PowerShell rejection coverage and Windows PowerShell 5.1 compatibility evidence remain missing.

2 open issues

What changed in this PR

Fixes #5003 by letting the git extension accept GIT_BRANCH_NAME when it names the current branch.

Changes:

Align Bash, PowerShell, and Python no-op behavior.
Add success regressions and Bash/Python rejection coverage.
Document the override behavior.

AI-generated review for the requester by GitHub Copilot (model: unknown; autonomous). Tests were not run.

File	Description
tests/extensions/git/test_git_extension.py	Adds Bash and PowerShell no-op tests.
tests/extensions/git/test_git_extension_python_parity.py	Tests no-op and rejection parity.
extensions/git/scripts/python/create_new_feature_branch.py	Accepts the current-branch override.
extensions/git/scripts/powershell/create-new-feature-branch.ps1	Accepts the current-branch override.
extensions/git/scripts/bash/create-new-feature-branch.sh	Accepts the current-branch override.
extensions/git/commands/speckit.git.feature.md	Documents current-branch success.

_{Review effort: Max}

-                if ($AllowExistingBranch) {
+                # An explicit GIT_BRANCH_NAME naming the checked-out branch is
+                # already satisfied, so treat it like -AllowExistingBranch.
+                if ($AllowExistingBranch -or ($env:GIT_BRANCH_NAME -and $currentBranch -ceq $branchName)) {


mnriem · 2026-10-19T13:48:21Z

Please address Copilot feedback

…g branch Mirror the Python parity negative test: without -AllowExistingBranch, a GIT_BRANCH_NAME naming a different existing branch must exit 1, report that the branch already exists, and leave HEAD unchanged. Assisted-by: Claude Code (model: Claude Sonnet 5.5, autonomous)

drakeo338 · 2026-10-20T04:31:02Z

Pushed 83df0e0: the PowerShell counterpart of the different-existing-branch test (exit 1, "already exists", HEAD unchanged). With pwsh 7.6.7, tests/extensions/git passes 181/181. On Windows PowerShell 5.1: the script change is one condition built from -or, -and, -ceq and $env:, all available in 5.1; I have no 5.1 host to run it on.

Copilot

🟡 Changes recommended

The extension version bump and required Windows PowerShell 5.1 validation evidence are missing.

2 open issues

1 previously missed issue

In code that hasn't changed since last review

Bump git extension version for bundled changes

extensions/git/scripts/bash/create-new-feature-branch.sh:574

This changes the bundled git extension, but extensions/git/extension.yml and its extensions/catalog.json entry still declare 1.0.1. The version guard rejects content changes without a version increase (.github/scripts/check_extension_version_bump.py:172–177). Existing installs also will not be offered the fix because updates are version-driven, as documented in extensions/EXTENSION-DEVELOPMENT-GUIDE.md:631–637.

Please bump both versions to 1.0.2 and update the pinned version assertion in tests/extensions/git/test_git_extension.py:148.

AI disclosure: GitHub Copilot (model: unknown, autonomous), acting for the requesting contributor; analysis and this comment are AI-generated.

1 resolved since last review

Add PowerShell coverage for rejecting existing branch overrides

_{Review effort: Max}

+            ["git", "checkout", "-q", "-b", "feature/PROJ-42-login"],
+            cwd=project, check=True,
+        )
+        result = _run_pwsh(


mnriem · 2026-10-20T13:49:08Z

Please address all Copilot feedback

The bundled git extension's scripts changed, so raise its version in extension.yml and catalog.json and update the pinned manifest version in the git extension tests. Installed copies are only offered the fix when the version increases. Assisted-by: Claude Code (model: Claude Opus 5.5, autonomous)

drakeo338 · 2026-10-23T13:54:56Z

Pushed a83c367: bumped the bundled git extension version in extension.yml and catalog.json and updated the pinned version in its manifest test, so the Extension Version Guard passes.

Copilot

🔵 Needs a closer look

Required Windows PowerShell 5.1 compatibility evidence remains missing for the changed behavior.

2 open issues

_{Review effort: Max}

mnriem · 2026-10-23T14:58:04Z

The new condition appears compatible with PowerShell 5.1, but the reported PowerShell 7.6.7 tests do not validate our required runtime. Please run the regression cases under Windows PowerShell 5.1 (powershell.exe): the current-branch override must succeed without switching, and an override naming a different existing branch must fail without switching. Include the exact commands, $PSVersionTable output, and results, with before/after evidence for the fixed case.

drakeo338 · 2026-10-29T19:48:24Z

I ran both regression cases under Windows PowerShell 5.1 (powershell.exe) on a GitHub-hosted windows-latest runner, using a scratch workflow in my fork: run 40943081027, workflow file. Each case runs in a fresh temp repo set up like _setup_project in the tests. "Before" is the script at the base c6a4c18f, "after" is the script at a83c3676.

PSVersion                 5.1.26100.33648
PSEdition                 Desktop
BuildVersion              10.0.26100.33648
CLRVersion                4.0.30319.42000
powershell.exe: C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe
git version 2.56.0.windows.2

Every case ran the same commands:

$env:GIT_BRANCH_NAME = '<branch>'
powershell.exe -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File .\.specify\extensions\git\scripts\powershell\create-new-feature-branch.ps1 -Json -ShortName login 'Login page'

Case A: the override names the current branch (setup: git checkout -q -b feature/PROJ-42-login, override feature/PROJ-42-login)

Before (c6a4c18f):

HEAD before: feature/PROJ-42-login
Error: Branch 'feature/PROJ-42-login' already exists. Please use a different feature name or specify a different number with -Number.
exit code: 1
HEAD after:  feature/PROJ-42-login

After (a83c3676):

HEAD before: feature/PROJ-42-login
{"BRANCH_NAME":"feature/PROJ-42-login","FEATURE_NUM":"feature/PROJ-42-login"}
exit code: 0
HEAD after:  feature/PROJ-42-login

Case B: the override names a different existing branch (setup: git branch feature/other while on main, override feature/other)

Before (c6a4c18f):

HEAD before: main
Error: Branch 'feature/other' already exists. Please use a different feature name or specify a different number with -Number.
exit code: 1
HEAD after:  main

After (a83c3676):

HEAD before: main
Error: Branch 'feature/other' already exists. Please use a different feature name or specify a different number with -Number.
exit code: 1
HEAD after:  main

So on 5.1 the current-branch override now exits 0 without switching branches, and an override naming another existing branch still exits 1 with "already exists" and leaves HEAD where it was. The full log, including the Write-Error record lines I trimmed here, is in the run linked above.

drakeo338 added 2 commits October 17, 2026 12:47

drakeo338 requested a review from mnriem as a code owner October 17, 2026 14:24

mnriem added the triage-must-have Verdict: high-value, important work for Spec Kit — do first label Oct 18, 2026

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Comment thread tests/extensions/git/test_git_extension.py

["git", "checkout", "-q", "-b", "feature/PROJ-42-login"],

cwd=project, check=True,

)

result = _run_pwsh(

mnriem requested a max review from Copilot October 23, 2026 14:32

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Treat GIT_BRANCH_NAME naming the current branch as a no-op - #5006

Treat GIT_BRANCH_NAME naming the current branch as a no-op#5006
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drakeo338 commented Oct 17, 2026

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🟡 Changes recommended

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🔵 Needs a closer look

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