Add --status-after flag to mutation subcommands

[krlvi]

Summary

• Adds a global --status-after flag to the but CLI that appends workspace status output after mutation commands (rub, commit, stage, amend, absorb, squash, move, uncommit) complete
• In human mode, prints a blank line then full workspace status (with hints, matching standalone but status)
• In JSON mode, wraps both mutation result and status in a combined {"result": ..., "status": ...} object — agents save a round-trip by not needing a separate but status call
• Graceful error handling: if status query fails, mutation JSON is never lost (emits "status_error" field instead); on mutation failure, OutputChannel::drop flushes any buffered structured error JSON (e.g. illegal move details)
• Fixes absorb double-write bug: display_absorption_plan returns plan data instead of writing directly when in non-dry-run mode, allowing absorb_assignments to combine plan + result into a single write_value call
• All JSON keys use consistent snake_case (new_commit_id, squashed_count)
• Updates skill files (SKILL.md, reference.md, examples.md) with --json --status-after in all agent-facing examples

Implementation

• OutputChannel gains JSON buffering (start_json_buffering, begin_status_after, take_json_buffer) to capture mutation JSON before combining with status JSON
• maybe_run_status_after / run_status_after helpers handle the two-phase protocol across all mutation match arms, including the implicit rub path (no subcommand, two positional args)
• On mutation error, the buffer is NOT drained — OutputChannel::drop safety net flushes any non-null buffered JSON to stdout
• display_absorption_plan takes a write_json parameter: true (dry-run) writes JSON directly, false (non-dry-run) returns Option<JsonAbsorbOutput> for the caller to merge with operation results

Test plan

• cargo fmt -p but --check passes
• cargo clippy -p but --lib --bins clean
• cargo test -p but — all 160 tests pass (2 new)
• Snapshot tests updated for new --status-after in help output
• New: status_after_json_wraps_mutation_and_status — verifies {"result": {"ok": true}, "status": {"stacks": ..., "unassignedChanges": ...}} shape
• New: status_after_json_with_status_error_has_status_error_field — verifies status_error absent on success

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1 Skipped Deployment

Project	Deployment	Actions	Updated (UTC)
gitbutler-web	Ignored	Preview	Feb 6, 2026 9:56pm

[Copilot]

Pull request overview

Adds a global --status-after flag to the but CLI (legacy) to append workspace status output after mutation subcommands, including a JSON-mode wrapper that combines mutation output and status into a single JSON object for agents.

Changes:

• Introduces JSON buffering in OutputChannel to capture mutation JSON before emitting combined { result, status } output.
• Adds --status-after arg parsing and wires post-mutation status emission into rub, commit, stage, amend, and absorb.
• Updates CLI help snapshots and agent skill docs/examples to demonstrate --json --status-after usage.

Reviewed changes

Copilot reviewed 6 out of 8 changed files in this pull request and generated 2 comments.

Show a summary per file

File	Description
crates/but/src/utils/output_channel.rs	Adds a JSON buffer and helpers to capture JSON output for later combination with status output.
crates/but/src/lib.rs	Hooks --status-after into mutation subcommands and implements maybe_run_status_after / run_status_after helpers.
crates/but/src/args/mod.rs	Adds the global --status-after CLI flag and help text.
crates/but/tests/but/command/snapshots/help/rub-short-help.stdout.term.svg	Updates help snapshot to include the new flag.
crates/but/tests/but/command/snapshots/help/rub-long-help.stdout.term.svg	Updates long help snapshot to document the new flag.
crates/but/skill/references/reference.md	Documents --status-after in reference examples and flag list.
crates/but/skill/references/examples.md	Updates agent-oriented examples to use --json --status-after.
crates/but/skill/SKILL.md	Updates guidance to recommend --status-after for agents to save a separate but status call.

[Copilot]

Pull request overview

Copilot reviewed 13 out of 15 changed files in this pull request and generated 2 comments.

[Copilot]

Pull request overview

Copilot reviewed 15 out of 17 changed files in this pull request and generated 2 comments.

[Copilot]

Pull request overview

Copilot reviewed 15 out of 17 changed files in this pull request and generated 4 comments.

[Copilot]

Pull request overview

Copilot reviewed 16 out of 18 changed files in this pull request and generated 2 comments.