ADR-011: Single feature/v0.1.0 Branch with Gated PR Review at Each Phase
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Decision ID | ADR-011 |
| Initiative | v0.1.0 development workflow |
| Proposed By | Chris Barlow |
| Date | 2026-05-08 |
| Status | Accepted |
WH(Y) Decision Statement
In the context of Protocol 4 requiring all changes on a feature branch (no direct commits to main) for a build that spans ~9 weeks across 5 implementation phases,
facing the choice between many small phase-by-phase branches with gated merges, a single long-lived feature branch with PR review on the open branch, or many ADR/spec-sized branches,
we decided for a single feature/v0.1.0 branch from main, kept open for the duration of the build, with Scott reviewing work-in-progress at each phase gate via the open PR, and a single squash-merge to main at v0.1.0 release,
and neglected phase-by-phase branches with gated merges (creates merge friction every 1–2 weeks; risks main becoming unstable if a phase merges before its gate passes) and per-ADR branches (high churn for solo build; over-engineered),
to achieve Protocol 4 compliance, a single coherent v0.1.0 PR with full journey traceability, in-flight tester feedback via the open PR, and a clean v0.1.0 commit on main after merge,
accepting that the open branch will accumulate ~9 weeks of commits before merge (mitigated by clear commit messages per phase), main will be silent during the build (acceptable — there are no other consumers of main in this period), and rebases against main will be unnecessary because nothing else lands on main while the branch is open.
Options Considered
| Option | Verdict |
|---|---|
Single feature/v0.1.0 branch (Selected) |
Selected by user in plan-mode prompt; Protocol 4 compliant; minimises merge friction |
| One branch per phase | Rejected — adds merge friction every 1–2 weeks; risks unstable main |
| One branch per ADR/spec pair | Rejected — high churn for solo build |
| Direct commits to main | Rejected — Protocol 4 violation |
Dependencies
| Relationship | ADR ID | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Refines | ADR-002 | Build tier | Operationalises the phasing |
References
| Reference ID | Title | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Protocol | docs/protocols.md Protocol 4 — Feature Branches |
../protocols.md |
Status History
| Status | Approver | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Accepted | Chris Barlow | 2026-05-08 |