fix(sync): include git stderr in branch-delete fatal error message (#719)

mvanhorn · web-flow · commit 5f335cee47e0 · 2026-04-17T23:14:34.000Z
## Summary Partially addresses #656. When `av sync --prune` (or any code path hitting `runDelete` in `internal/git/gitui/prune.go`) fails to delete a merged branch for a reason *other than* worktree ownership, the error message now includes the git stderr instead of the opaque `exit status 1`. ## Why this matters Issue #656 reports the user-facing error: ``` error: cannot delete merged branch "more_ci_improvements": git branch: exit status 1 ``` The "cannot delete merged branch" wrapper text traces to line 235 of `prune.go`, where the fatal-error path formatted the underlying error with `%v`. Since the error is an `*exec.ExitError`, `%v` resolves to `exit status 1` — stripping off the stderr git wrote to explain the failure. PR #660 already handled the specific "used by worktree" phrasing by catching that stderr and producing a recovery-oriented message, but any other failure reason still fell into this opaque path. ## What changed `internal/git/gitui/prune.go` — inside `runDelete()`, the `else` branch (non-worktree fatal error) now pulls `exiterr.Stderr` off the `*exec.ExitError` (same `errutils.As` helper the worktree check above already uses) and passes it to the error message: ```go errMsg := err.Error() if exiterr, ok := errutils.As[*exec.ExitError](err); ok { if stderr := strings.TrimSpace(string(exiterr.Stderr)); stderr != "" { errMsg = stderr } } deletionErr = errors.Errorf("cannot delete merged branch %q: %s", branch.branch.Short(), errMsg) ``` So the user now sees whatever git actually said rather than the wrapped shell status. ## Scope notes - The existing worktree-error handling (added in #660) is untouched; its friendlier recovery message still applies to "used by worktree" stderr. - The detached-HEAD concern from #656's second paragraph is already handled by the unconditional `CheckoutInitialState()` call after the delete loop; no change needed there. - Marking this as `Part of #656` rather than `Closes` because the issue's language covers worktree-specific UX that was delivered in #660, and this PR fills the remaining surface for non-worktree failures. ## Testing ``` go vet ./... # pass go build ./... # pass go test ./internal/git/... ./cmd/av/... # pass ``` Part of #656 This contribution was developed with AI assistance (Codex).
diff --git a/internal/git/gitui/prune.go b/internal/git/gitui/prune.go
@@ -227,17 +227,23 @@ func (vm *PruneBranchModel) runDelete() tea.Msg {
 	for i := len(vm.deleteCandidates) - 1; i >= 0; i-- {
 		branch := vm.deleteCandidates[i]
 		if err := vm.repo.BranchDelete(context.Background(), branch.branch.Short()); err != nil {
-			// Check if the error is due to the branch being checked out in a worktree
-			if exiterr, ok := errutils.As[*exec.ExitError](err); ok &&
-				strings.Contains(string(exiterr.Stderr), "used by worktree") {
-				// Collect worktree branches but continue deleting others
+			var stderr string
+			if exiterr, ok := errutils.As[*exec.ExitError](err); ok {
+				stderr = strings.TrimSpace(string(exiterr.Stderr))
+			}
+			// Branches checked out in a worktree fail here; collect them and keep going.
+			if strings.Contains(stderr, "used by worktree") {
 				worktreeBranches = append(worktreeBranches, branch.branch.Short())
 				continue
-			} else {
-				// Other errors are fatal
-				deletionErr = errors.Errorf("cannot delete merged branch %q: %v", branch.branch.Short(), err)
-				break
 			}
+			// Other errors are fatal. Surface the git stderr so users see the
+			// actual cause rather than just "exit status 1".
+			errMsg := err.Error()
+			if stderr != "" {
+				errMsg = stderr
+			}
+			deletionErr = errors.Errorf("cannot delete merged branch %q: %s", branch.branch.Short(), errMsg)
+			break
 		}
 		tx := vm.db.WriteTx()
 		tx.DeleteBranch(branch.branch.Short())
