lattice-php/lattice/worktrees

Lattice Worktrees

Lattice is a package developed with Orchestra Testbench, not a full Laravel app. There is no Herd site, no Wayfinder, no app .env/key:generate/migrate ritual — the workbench/ skeleton and its SQLite database are managed by Testbench. Worktree setup is therefore just dependency installation plus the project's verification gates.

Use a worktree whenever you need to make changes while other agents may be editing the main checkout or another branch. Keep each agent's work isolated and never move, reset, delete, or overwrite another agent's files.

Layout: siblings of the main checkout

Worktrees live as siblings of the repo, directly under its parent directory, named lattice-<slug>:

/Users/bambamboole/Projects/lattice/
  lattice/                      # main checkout (repo root)
  lattice-<slug>/               # a worktree
  lattice-<other-slug>/         # another worktree

Do not nest worktrees inside the repo (no .worktrees/, no .claude/worktrees/). Siblings sit outside the working tree, so they need no .gitignore entry and never pollute git status.

First: take stock of existing worktrees

Before creating anything, list what already exists and clean up if it has grown:

git worktree list
git status --short
git branch --show-current

Rules:

• If there are already many worktrees (roughly 5+), do not silently add another. Tell the user

which ones look finished and should be closed first. A worktree is a candidate for closing when its branch is merged or its work is done: ``bash git branch --merged main # branches already merged — their worktrees can usually go git worktree list --porcelain # match branches back to worktree paths ``

• Recommend closing; never remove another agent's worktree yourself. Only the user (or the owning

agent) closes work you did not create.

• Treat every uncommitted change you did not make as another agent's work — do not clean, stash,

reset, checkout, or remove it.

• Pick a unique slug and branch name, usually <task>-<short-slug>. Do not reuse an existing

lattice-<slug> path or existing branch unless the user explicitly asks.

Create with the project script

Use the project script from the repo root. It creates the sibling worktree from main; the branch defaults to the worktree name when omitted:

bin/create-worktree.sh <slug> [branch]

The script creates ../lattice-<slug>, installs Composer and npm dependencies, refreshes the Boost-generated local agent context, and builds the workbench frontend. Testbench provisions the workbench/ skeleton and its SQLite database on demand; there is no Herd site, app .env, key generation, or manual migration step.

Use raw git worktree add only when the script cannot express the requested operation, such as continuing an existing branch or intentionally branching from a commit other than main. Reproduce the script's dependency installation and build steps in that exceptional worktree.

npm install refreshes the Laravel Boost guidelines and skills after the frontend package graph is installed, so package-detected skills such as React, Inertia, and Tailwind are available in fresh worktrees. The hook skips cleanly when Composer dependencies are not present, which keeps npm-only CI jobs working. If the guidelines ever look stale or missing, regenerate them on demand:

composer boost:refresh   # = php artisan boost:update --no-interaction

Verify

Always run both gates in a new worktree before reporting work — they mirror CI:

composer check    # Pint (test), PHPStan, Pest (Arch + Unit + Feature)
npm run check     # oxlint --fix, oxfmt, tsc, Vitest, build:lib

For anything touching rendered UI or browser behavior, also run the browser suite (the strongest signal):

composer test:browser

Never report green without having run the gates that match what you changed. Backend-only change → composer check. Frontend change → npm run check. UI/interaction change → add composer test:browser.

Serve

Serve the workbench app with Testbench — not Herd, not php artisan serve:

composer serve

(composer serve runs workbench:build then testbench serve.)

List

git worktree list
git worktree list --porcelain

Use porcelain output when deciding what belongs to another agent.

Remove with the project script

Only remove a worktree that belongs to your task and has no needed changes. Run from the main repo root:

bin/delete-worktree.sh <slug>

The script refuses dirty worktrees and deletes the associated branch only when Git considers it merged. Use bin/delete-worktree.sh <slug> --force only when the user explicitly says to discard that worktree's uncommitted changes and branch. Do not bypass the script with git worktree remove --force.

Multi-Agent Safety

• Prefer separate sibling worktrees over sharing one dirty checkout.
• Never assume a branch, worktree, or untracked file is disposable.
• Commit only your logical change set.
• If two agents touch the same files, stop and coordinate instead of overwriting.
• When worktrees pile up, surface the list and recommend which to close — don't just add more.