fork-dev-branch

Create a Development Branch

Sets up a new git branch for implementing a GitHub issue. The branch name follows a predictable pattern so anyone on the team can map a branch back to its issue instantly.

Naming Convention

issue-<number>

• <number> is the GitHub issue number (without the #)
• Examples: issue-42, issue-7, issue-138

Why this format? The issue itself already holds the full context — title, description, labels, discussion. The branch name only needs to point back to it.

Steps

1. Identify the Issue

Find the issue number from the conversation:

• Look for explicit mentions like "issue #42" or "implement #15"
• If the number isn't clear, list recent issues: gh issue list --limit 10
• If still ambiguous, ask the user which issue to target

Confirm the issue exists and is open:

gh issue view <number> --json state,title

If the issue is closed or missing, let the user know and stop.

2. Create the Branch

git checkout -b issue-<number>

Confirm to the user:

Created and switched to branch: issue-<number>

Error Handling

Problem	Response
Issue doesn't exist	Inform user, abort
Issue is closed	Inform user, abort
Branch name already taken	Inform user, suggest checking out the existing branch
No issue number provided	Ask user to specify one