moai-workflow-worktree

MoAI Worktree Management

Git worktree management system for parallel SPEC development with isolated workspaces, automatic registration, and seamless MoAI-ADK integration.

Core Philosophy: Each SPEC deserves its own isolated workspace to enable true parallel development without context switching overhead.

Quick Reference (30 seconds)

What is MoAI Worktree Management? A specialized Git worktree system that creates isolated development environments for each SPEC, enabling parallel development without conflicts.

Key Features:

• Isolated Workspaces: Each SPEC gets its own worktree with independent Git state
• Automatic Registration: Worktree registry tracks all active workspaces
• Parallel Development: Multiple SPECs can be developed simultaneously
• Seamless Integration: Works with /moai:1-plan, /moai:2-run, /moai:3-sync workflow
• Smart Synchronization: Automatic sync with base branch when needed
• Cleanup Automation: Automatic cleanup of merged worktrees

Quick Access:

• CLI commands: Refer to Worktree Commands Module at modules/worktree-commands.md
• Management patterns: Refer to Worktree Management Module at modules/worktree-management.md
• Parallel workflow: Refer to Parallel Development Module at modules/parallel-development.md
• Integration guide: Refer to Integration Patterns Module at modules/integration-patterns.md
• Troubleshooting: Refer to Troubleshooting Module at modules/troubleshooting.md

Use Cases:

• Multiple SPECs development in parallel
• Isolated testing environments
• Feature branch isolation
• Code review workflows
• Experimental feature development

---

Implementation Guide (5 minutes)

1. Core Architecture - Worktree Management System

Purpose: Create isolated Git worktrees for parallel SPEC development.

Key Components:

1. Worktree Registry - Central registry tracking all worktrees
2. Manager Layer - Core worktree operations including create, switch, remove, and sync
3. CLI Interface - User-friendly command interface
4. Models - Data structures for worktree metadata
5. Integration Layer - MoAI-ADK workflow integration

Registry Structure:

The registry file stores worktree metadata in JSON format. Each worktree entry contains an identifier, file path, branch name, creation timestamp, last sync time, status (active or merged), and base branch reference. The config section defines the worktree root directory, auto-sync preference, and cleanup behavior for merged branches.

File Structure:

The worktree system creates a dedicated directory structure in the user's global home directory. At the worktree root (~/.moai/worktrees/{ProjectName}/), you will find the central registry JSON file and individual directories for each SPEC. Each SPEC directory contains a .git file for worktree metadata and a complete copy of all project files.

Detailed Reference: Refer to Worktree Management Module at modules/worktree-management.md

---

2. CLI Commands - Complete Command Interface

Purpose: Provide intuitive CLI commands for worktree management.

Core Commands:

To create a new worktree for a SPEC, use the new command followed by the SPEC ID and description. To list all worktrees, use the list command. To switch to a specific worktree, use the switch command with the SPEC ID. To get the worktree path for shell integration, use the go command with eval. To sync a worktree with its base branch, use the sync command. To remove a worktree, use the remove command. To clean up merged worktrees, use the clean command. To show worktree status, use the status command. For configuration management, use the config command with get or set subcommands.

Command Categories:

1. Creation: The new command creates an isolated worktree
2. Navigation: The list, switch, and go commands enable browsing and navigating
3. Management: The sync, remove, and clean commands maintain worktrees
4. Status: The status command checks worktree state
5. Configuration: The config command manages settings

Shell Integration:

For switching to a worktree directory, two approaches work well. The switch command directly changes to the worktree directory. The go command outputs a cd command that can be evaluated by the shell, which is the recommended pattern for shell scripts and automation.

Detailed Reference: Refer to Worktree Commands Module at modules/worktree-commands.md

---

3. Parallel Development Workflow - Isolated SPEC Development

Purpose: Enable true parallel development without context switching.

Workflow Integration:

During the Plan Phase using /moai:1-plan, the SPEC is created and the worktree new command sets up automatic worktree isolation.

During the Development Phase, the isolated worktree environment provides independent Git state with zero context switching overhead.

During the Sync Phase using /moai:3-sync, the worktree sync command ensures clean integration with conflict resolution support.

During the Cleanup Phase, the worktree clean command provides automatic cleanup with registry maintenance.

Parallel Development Benefits:

1. Context Isolation: Each SPEC has its own Git state, files, and environment
2. Zero Switching Cost: Instant switching between worktrees
3. Independent Development: Work on multiple SPECs simultaneously
4. Safe Experimentation: Isolated environment for experimental features
5. Clean Integration: Automatic sync and conflict resolution

Example Workflow:

First, create a worktree for SPEC-001 with a description like "User Authentication" and switch to that directory. Then run /moai:2-run SPEC-001 to develop in isolation. Next, navigate back to the main repository and create another worktree for SPEC-002 with description "Payment Integration". Switch to that worktree and run /moai:2-run SPEC-002 for parallel development. When needed, switch between worktrees and continue development. Finally, sync both worktrees when ready for integration.

Detailed Reference: Refer to Parallel Development Module at modules/parallel-development.md

---

4. Integration Patterns - MoAI-ADK Workflow Integration

Purpose: Seamless integration with MoAI-ADK Plan-Run-Sync workflow.

Integration Points:

During Plan Phase Integration with /moai:1-plan, after SPEC creation, create the worktree using the new command with the SPEC ID. The output provides guidance for switching to the worktree using either the switch command or the shell eval pattern with the go command.

During Development Phase with /moai:2-run, worktree isolation provides a clean development environment with independent Git state preventing conflicts and automatic registry tracking.

During Sync Phase with /moai:3-sync, before PR creation run the sync command for the SPEC. After PR merge, run the clean command with the merged-only flag to remove completed worktrees.

Auto-Detection Patterns:

The system detects worktree environments by checking for the registry file in the parent directory. When detected, the SPEC ID is extracted from the current directory name. The status command with sync-check option automatically identifies worktrees that need synchronization.

Configuration Integration:

The MoAI configuration supports worktree settings including auto_create for automatic worktree creation, auto_sync for automatic synchronization, cleanup_merged for automatic cleanup of merged branches, and worktree_root for specifying the worktree directory location with project name substitution.

Detailed Reference: Refer to Integration Patterns Module at modules/integration-patterns.md

---

5. --spawn — Launch a Teammate Session in a New tmux Window

Purpose: start a Claude or GLM session in a worktree without giving up the session you are in.

The launch commands (moai cc, moai glm, moai cg) normally replace the running shell, which is right for "work here now" but cannot express "keep going and start a teammate alongside me". --spawn re-issues the same command in a new tmux window instead, then returns so the caller keeps working.

Combined with -w <name>, one command opens a teammate in an isolated worktree:

moai cg -w feat-auth --spawn    # GLM teammate in .claude/worktrees/feat-auth
moai cc -w feat-auth --spawn    # Claude teammate, same worktree
moai glm -w feat-auth --spawn   # all-GLM teammate

Behavior:

• The new window is created detached (tmux new-window -d), so focus stays in the caller's pane. The printed pane id (e.g. %7) is the handle for switching to it.
• The spawned window starts at the project root, so a short -w <name> value resolves against .claude/worktrees/<name>/.
• --spawn is consumed by MoAI and never reaches Claude Code. Tokens after the -- pass-through marker are left untouched.
• Arguments are shell-quoted, so a worktree name containing spaces or shell metacharacters reaches the spawned process intact.

Requirements — each is refused with a clear error rather than a silent fallback, because falling back would replace the caller's session, the exact outcome --spawn exists to avoid:

Missing	Message
$TMUX (not inside a session)	tmux session required for --spawn
tmux binary	--spawn requires the tmux binary
moai binary in PATH	--spawn needs the moai binary in PATH

No settings are mutated before these checks run, so a refusal leaves the environment untouched. The spawned command performs its own mode setup (applyCCMode / applyCGMode) inside the new window.

Relationship to the retired --team flag: moai worktree new --team previously created a worktree and launched a session in one step, across four patterns. Three of them are now covered by -w alone (in-place launch, and its handoff-guidance fallback), and the fourth — the new-tmux-window spawn — is --spawn. Its write-only swarm registry was retired with it; nothing ever read .moai/state/swarm/.

---

Advanced Implementation (10+ minutes)

Multi-Developer Worktree Coordination

Shared Worktree Registry:

Configure team work

---

Content truncated.