patrick91 / patrick91/shortcake

Add option to specify custom branch name

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Dominant language
Python
Stars
4
Forks
0
Avg merge
4h 22m
Merged PRs (30d)
5

Description

Problem

Currently, branch names are always auto-generated from the commit message with no way to override. This can be limiting when:

  • The commit message doesn't translate well to a branch name
  • User has a specific naming convention
  • Multiple commits with similar messages create confusing branch names

Examples from Other Tools

Charcoal:

charcoal create -n my-custom-branch -m "My commit message"

st:

st create my-custom-branch  # Or prompts interactively

Proposed Solution

Add a --name (or -n) flag to the create command:

shortcake create --name my-feature-branch
Implementation Options
Option 1: Flag Only
shortcake create --name custom-branch
# Opens editor, commits, uses 'custom-branch' as name
Option 2: Interactive Fallback
shortcake create
# After commit, show: "Generated branch name: add-new-feature"
# Prompt: "Use this name? [Y/n] (or enter custom name):"
Option 3: Positional Argument
shortcake create [branch-name]
# If provided, use it; otherwise auto-generate

User Stories

  • As a developer, I want to use my team's branch naming convention (e.g., feature/TICKET-123-description)
  • As a developer, I want to preview the auto-generated name and change it if needed
  • As a developer, I want to create branches without committing first (empty branch for future work)

Implementation Notes

Related code: shortcake/cli.py:125-132

Would need to modify the create command to accept an optional name parameter and skip auto-generation if provided.

Contributor guide

No contributing guide indexed for this repository

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start at the create command in shortcake/cli.py:125-132 and trace how the branch name is currently generated. Clarify which proposed interface should be implemented, then make the selected name override or complement auto-generation as specified. Done means the create command supports the agreed custom-branch workflow.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
python
Domain
cli
Issue type
Feature
Difficulty
3/5
Estimated time
1-2 days
Activity status
Quiet
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
52/100

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