feat(cli): construct skill ship opens a pull request instead of pushing to main

AGENTS.md

@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ rules that bite. (A maintainer-local `CLAUDE.md` overlay adds host-specific note
   rendered length is what counts, not the raw line count. Re-check after any edit.
   Normative as Standard §5.6, and gated in CI (`SKILL.md description cap` step,
   every `SKILL.md` in the tree) and by `construct skill ship`, which refuses to
-  stage or push an over-cap skill (exit 5, `CONFLICT`). The `.githooks/pre-commit`
+  stage or ship an over-cap skill (exit 5, `CONFLICT`). The `.githooks/pre-commit`
   hook is the fast local signal only — it is opt-in per clone
   (`git config core.hooksPath .githooks`), so trim *before* packing rather than
   relying on it.
@@ -35,9 +35,8 @@ rules that bite. (A maintainer-local `CLAUDE.md` overlay adds host-specific note
   assistant-driven changes alike. There is **no auto-push exemption** for
   skill-directory edits. An agent's work ends at opening the PR — **merging is
   the maintainer's call**, and an agent never merges its own PR.
-  **`construct skill ship` predates this rule and hard-codes
-  `git push origin main`** — do not use it to publish until it is reworked; run
-  the workflow in [`CONTRIBUTING.md`](CONTRIBUTING.md) by hand instead.
+  `construct skill ship` implements this end-to-end — branch, signed commit,
+  push, `gh pr create` — and never pushes to the default branch.
 - **Keep the README §2 catalogue row in sync** when adding, removing, or
   re-scoping a skill.
 

CONTRIBUTING.md

@@ -100,12 +100,15 @@ diverge. Verify with `unzip -l <name>.zip` before committing.
    Contributing agents stop at opening the PR — **merging is the maintainer's
    call**, and an agent never merges its own PR.
 
-   > **`construct skill ship` does not yet follow this rule.**
-   > `construct-cli/src/commands/ship.rs` hard-codes `git push origin main`, so
-   > the command publishes straight to the default branch. Until it is reworked
-   > (branch + `gh pr create`, or stop after the signed commit), do not use it
-   > to publish — follow steps 1–5 by hand. `--dry-run --no-sync` still
-   > exercises its §5.6 description-cap gate and bundle-drift check safely.
+   > `construct skill ship` automates steps 1–5: it enforces bundle-drift and
+   > the §5.6 description cap, switches to a feature branch (generated from the
+   > shipped skills, or `--branch`), stages by explicit name, makes the signed
+   > UTC commit, pushes the branch, and opens the PR with `gh`. It never pushes
+   > to the default branch and never merges. `--dry-run` reports the full plan,
+   > branch included, without changing anything.
+   >
+   > Because nothing lands on the default branch, `ship` does not sync — run
+   > `construct skill sync` after the PR merges.
 
 Never let `git status` show a skill-dir change without its matching bundle change.
 
@@ -207,7 +210,7 @@ consolidated zip intentionally differs from any on-disk tree).
   snippet above is only for a quick manual count:
   - **CI** — the `SKILL.md description cap` step runs the checker over every
     `SKILL.md` in the tree on each PR and push to `main`. This is the gate.
-  - **`construct skill ship`** — refuses to stage, commit, or push a skill whose
+  - **`construct skill ship`** — refuses to stage, commit, or open a PR for a skill whose
     description is over the cap, before any bundle is shipped (exit 5,
     `CONFLICT`, with an `oversized_skills` list naming each offender).
   - **The [pre-commit hook](#pre-commit-hook)** — the fast local signal. It is

construct-cli/src/cli.rs

@@ -212,9 +212,9 @@ pub(crate) enum SkillCommand {
     )]
     Sync(SyncArgs),
 
-    /// Ship local skill edits: commit (signed) + push, then sync.
+    /// Ship local skill edits: branch + commit (signed) + open a pull request.
     #[command(
-        after_help = "Examples:\n  construct skill ship --dry-run\n  construct skill ship --skills spacecraft-rust-guidelines\n  construct skill ship --message \"docs: clarify X\" --json"
+        after_help = "Never pushes to the default branch — every change goes through a\nfeature branch and a pull request, and merging is the maintainer's call.\nRun `construct skill sync` after the PR merges.\n\nExamples:\n  construct skill ship --dry-run\n  construct skill ship --skills spacecraft-rust-guidelines\n  construct skill ship --branch ship/palette-fix --message \"docs: clarify X\" --json"
     )]
     Ship(ShipArgs),
 }
@@ -373,8 +373,15 @@ pub(crate) struct ShipArgs {
     #[arg(short = 'm', long = "message", value_name = "MSG")]
     pub(crate) message: Option<String>,
 
-    /// Commit and push but skip the final `skill sync` step.
-    #[arg(long)]
+    /// Feature branch to commit onto (default: derived from the shipped
+    /// skills, or the current branch when it is not the default branch).
+    #[arg(short = 'b', long = "branch", value_name = "NAME")]
+    pub(crate) branch: Option<String>,
+
+    /// Deprecated no-op. `ship` opens a pull request instead of pushing to the
+    /// default branch, so nothing lands to sync; run `construct skill sync`
+    /// after the PR merges.
+    #[arg(long, hide = true)]
     pub(crate) no_sync: bool,
 }