Refactored the `expandTask` feature (`scripts/modules/task-manager/expand-task.js`) and related components (`commands.js`, `mcp-server/src/tools/expand-task.js`, `mcp-server/src/core/direct-functions/expand-task.js`) to integrate with the unified AI service layer (`ai-services-unified.js`) and configuration management (`config-manager.js`).
The refactor involved:
- Removing direct AI client calls and configuration fetching from `expand-task.js`.
- Attempting to use `generateObjectService` for structured subtask generation. This failed due to provider-specific errors (Perplexity internal errors, Anthropic schema translation issues).
- Reverting the core AI interaction to use `generateTextService`, asking the LLM to format its response as JSON containing a "subtasks" array.
- Re-implementing manual JSON parsing and Zod validation (`parseSubtasksFromText`) to handle the text response reliably.
- Updating prompt generation functions (`generateMainSystemPrompt`, `generateMainUserPrompt`, `generateResearchUserPrompt`) to request the correct JSON object structure within the text response.
- Ensuring the `expandTaskDirect` function handles pre-checks (force flag, task status) and correctly passes the `session` context and logger wrapper to the core `expandTask` function.
- Correcting duplicate imports in `commands.js`.
- Validating the refactored feature works correctly via both CLI (`task-master expand --id <id>`) and MCP (`expand_task` tool) for main and research roles.
This aligns the task expansion feature with the new architecture while using the more robust text generation approach due to current limitations with structured output services. Closes subtask 61.37.
Refactored the feature and related components (CLI command, MCP tool, direct function) to integrate with the unified AI service layer ().
Initially, was implemented to leverage structured output generation. However, this approach encountered persistent errors:
- Perplexity provider returned internal server errors.
- Anthropic provider failed with schema type and model errors.
Due to the unreliability of for this specific use case, the core AI interaction within was reverted to use . Basic manual JSON parsing and cleanup logic for the text response were reintroduced.
Key changes include:
- Removed direct AI client initialization (Anthropic, Perplexity).
- Removed direct fetching of AI model configuration parameters.
- Removed manual AI retry/fallback/streaming logic.
- Replaced direct AI calls with a call to .
- Updated wrapper to pass session context correctly.
- Updated MCP tool for correct path resolution and argument passing.
- Updated CLI command for correct path resolution.
- Preserved core functionality: task loading/filtering, report generation, CLI summary display.
Both the CLI command ([INFO] Initialized Perplexity client with OpenAI compatibility layer
[INFO] Initialized Perplexity client with OpenAI compatibility layer
Analyzing task complexity from: tasks/tasks.json
Output report will be saved to: scripts/task-complexity-report.json
Analyzing task complexity and generating expansion recommendations...
[INFO] Reading tasks from tasks/tasks.json...
[INFO] Found 62 total tasks in the task file.
[INFO] Skipping 31 tasks marked as done/cancelled/deferred. Analyzing 31 active tasks.
Skipping 31 tasks marked as done/cancelled/deferred. Analyzing 31 active tasks.
[INFO] Claude API attempt 1/2
[ERROR] Error in Claude API call: 400 {"type":"error","error":{"type":"invalid_request_error","message":"max_tokens: 100000 > 64000, which is the maximum allowed number of output tokens for claude-3-7-sonnet-20250219"}}
[ERROR] Non-overload Claude API error: 400 {"type":"error","error":{"type":"invalid_request_error","message":"max_tokens: 100000 > 64000, which is the maximum allowed number of output tokens for claude-3-7-sonnet-20250219"}}
Claude API error: 400 {"type":"error","error":{"type":"invalid_request_error","message":"max_tokens: 100000 > 64000, which is the maximum allowed number of output tokens for claude-3-7-sonnet-20250219"}}
[ERROR] Error during AI analysis: 400 {"type":"error","error":{"type":"invalid_request_error","message":"max_tokens: 100000 > 64000, which is the maximum allowed number of output tokens for claude-3-7-sonnet-20250219"}}
[ERROR] Error analyzing task complexity: 400 {"type":"error","error":{"type":"invalid_request_error","message":"max_tokens: 100000 > 64000, which is the maximum allowed number of output tokens for claude-3-7-sonnet-20250219"}}) and the MCP tool () have been verified to work correctly with this revised approach.
- Fixed MCP server initialization warnings by refactoring config-manager.js to handle missing project roots silently during startup
- Added project root tracking (loadedConfigRoot) to improve config caching and prevent unnecessary reloads
- Modified _loadAndValidateConfig to return defaults without warnings when no explicitRoot provided
- Improved getConfig to only update cache when loading config with a specific project root
- Ensured warning messages still appear when explicitly specified roots have missing/invalid configs
- Prevented console output during MCP startup that was causing JSON parsing errors
- Verified parse_prd and other MCP tools still work correctly with the new config loading approach.
- Replaces test perplexity api key in mcp.json and rolls it. It's invalid now.
This commit implements several related improvements to the models command and configuration system:
- Added MCP support for the models command:
- Created new direct function implementation in models.js
- Registered modelsDirect in task-master-core.js for proper export
- Added models tool registration in tools/index.js
- Ensured project name replacement when copying .taskmasterconfig in init.js
- Improved .taskmasterconfig copying during project initialization:
- Added copyTemplateFile() call in createProjectStructure()
- Ensured project name is properly replaced in the config
- Restructured tool registration in logical workflow groups:
- Organized registration into 6 functional categories
- Improved command ordering to follow typical workflow
- Added clear group comments for maintainability
- Enhanced documentation in cursor rules:
- Updated dev_workflow.mdc with clearer config management instructions
- Added comprehensive models command reference to taskmaster.mdc
- Clarified CLI vs MCP usage patterns and options
- Added warning against manual .taskmasterconfig editing
Refactors parse-prd MCP tool to properly handle project root and path resolution, fixing the 'Input file not found: /scripts/prd.txt' error.
Key changes include: Made projectRoot a required parameter, prioritized args.projectRoot over session-derived paths, added validation to prevent parsing in invalid directories (/, home dir), improved error handling with detailed messages, and added creation of output directory if needed.
This resolves issues similar to those fixed in initialize-project, where the tool was incorrectly resolving paths when session context was incomplete.
Refactors the initialize_project MCP tool to call a dedicated direct function (initializeProjectDirect) instead of executing the CLI command. This improves reliability and aligns it with other MCP tools.
Key changes include: Modified initialize-project.js to call initializeProjectDirect, required projectRoot parameter, implemented handleApiResult for MCP response formatting, enhanced direct function to prioritize args.projectRoot over session-derived paths, added validation to prevent initialization in invalid directories, forces yes:true for non-interactive use, ensures process.chdir() targets validated directory, and added isSilentMode() checks to suppress console output during MCP operations.
This resolves issues where the tool previously failed due to incorrect fallback directory resolution when session context was incomplete.
- Add support for --title/-t and --description/-d flags in add-task command
- Fix validation for manual creation mode (title + description)
- Implement proper testing for both prompt and manual creation modes
- Update testing documentation with Commander.js testing best practices
- Add guidance on handling variable hoisting and module initialization issues
Changeset: brave-doors-open.md
- Refactor for more reliable project root detection, particularly when running within integrated environments like Cursor IDE. Includes deriving root from script path and avoiding fallback to '/'.
- Enhance error handling in :
- Add detailed debug information (paths searched, CWD, etc.) to the error message when is not found in the provided project root.
- Improve clarity of error messages and potential solutions.
- Add verbose logging in to trace session object content and the finally resolved project root path, aiding in debugging path-related issues.
- Add default values for and to the example environment configuration.
This commit refactors how the MCP server determines the project root directory, prioritizing the path provided by the client session (e.g., Cursor) for increased reliability and simplification.
Previously, project root discovery relied on a complex chain of fallbacks (environment variables, CWD searching, package path checks) within `findTasksJsonPath`. This could be brittle and less accurate when running within an integrated environment like Cursor.
Key changes:
- **Prioritize Session Roots:** MCP tools (`add-task`, `add-dependency`, etc.) now first attempt to extract the project root URI directly from `session.roots[0].uri`.
- **New Utility `getProjectRootFromSession`:** Added a utility function in `mcp-server/src/tools/utils.js` to encapsulate the logic for extracting and decoding the root URI from the session object.
- **Refactor MCP Tools:** Updated tools (`add-task.js`, `add-dependency.js`) to use `getProjectRootFromSession`.
- **Simplify `findTasksJsonPath`:** Prioritized `args.projectRoot`, removed checks for `TASK_MASTER_PROJECT_ROOT` env var and package directory fallback. Retained CWD search and cache check for CLI compatibility.
- **Fix `reportProgress` Usage:** Corrected parameters in `add-dependency.js`.
This change makes project root determination more robust for the MCP server while preserving discovery mechanisms for the standalone CLI.
- Update all tool definitions to use z.string().optional() for projectRoot
- Fix direct function implementations to use findTasksJsonPath(args, log) pattern
- Enables consistent project root detection without requiring explicit params
- Update changeset to document these improvements
This change ensures MCP tools work properly with the smart project root
detection system, removing the need for explicit projectRoot parameters in
client applications. Improves usability and reduces integration friction.
Overhauls the project root detection system with a hierarchical precedence mechanism that intelligently locates tasks.json and identifies project roots. This improves user experience by reducing the need for explicit path parameters and enhances cross-platform compatibility.
Key Improvements:
- Implement hierarchical precedence for project root detection:
* Environment variable override (TASK_MASTER_PROJECT_ROOT)
* Explicitly provided --project-root parameter
* Cached project root from previous successful operations
* Current directory with project markers
* Parent directory traversal to find tasks.json
* Package directory as fallback
- Create comprehensive PROJECT_MARKERS detection system with 20+ common indicators:
* Task Master specific files (tasks.json, tasks/tasks.json)
* Version control directories (.git, .svn)
* Package manifests (package.json, pyproject.toml, Gemfile, go.mod, Cargo.toml)
* IDE/editor configurations (.cursor, .vscode, .idea)
* Dependency directories (node_modules, venv, .venv)
* Configuration files (.env, tsconfig.json, webpack.config.js)
* CI/CD files (.github/workflows, .gitlab-ci.yml, .circleci/config.yml)
- DRY refactoring of path utilities:
* Centralize path-related functions in core/utils/path-utils.js
* Export PROJECT_MARKERS as a single source of truth
* Add caching via lastFoundProjectRoot for performance optimization
- Enhanced user experience:
* Improve error messages with specific troubleshooting guidance
* Add detailed logging to indicate project root detection source
* Update tool parameter descriptions for better clarity
* Add recursive parent directory searching for tasks.json
Testing:
- Verified in local dev environment
- Added unit tests for the progress bar visualization
- Updated "automatically detected" description in MCP tools
This commit addresses Task #38: Implement robust project root handling for file paths.
- Create direct function wrapper in add-task.js with prompt and dependency handling
- Add MCP tool integration for creating new tasks via AI
- Update task-master-core.js to expose addTaskDirect function
- Update changeset to document the new command
- Create direct function wrapper in expand-task.js with error handling
- Add MCP tool integration for breaking down tasks into subtasks
- Update task-master-core.js to expose expandTaskDirect function
- Update changeset to document the new command
- Parameter support for subtask generation options (num, research, prompt, force)
- Create direct function wrapper in next-task.js with error handling and caching
- Add MCP tool integration for finding the next task to work on
- Update task-master-core.js to expose nextTaskDirect function
- Update changeset to document the new command
- Create direct function wrapper in show-task.js with error handling and caching
- Add MCP tool integration for displaying detailed task information
- Update task-master-core.js to expose showTaskDirect function
- Update changeset to document the new command
- Follow kebab-case/camelCase/snake_case naming conventions
Split monolithic task-master-core.js into separate function files within
the mcp-server/src/core/direct-functions/ directory. This change:
- Creates individual files for each direct function implementation
- Moves findTasksJsonPath to a dedicated utils/path-utils.js file
- Converts task-master-core.js to be a simple import/export hub
- Improves maintainability and organization of the codebase
- Reduces potential merge conflicts when multiple developers contribute
- Follows standard module separation patterns
Each function is now in its own self-contained file with clear imports and
focused responsibility, while maintaining the same API endpoints.
The function aimed to abstract the common flow within MCP tool methods (logging, calling direct function, handling result).
However, the established pattern (e.g., in ) involves the method directly calling the function (which handles its own caching via ) and then passing the result to . This pattern is clear, functional, and leverages the core utilities effectively.
Removing the unused simplifies , eliminates a redundant abstraction layer, and clarifies the standard implementation pattern for MCP tools.
Implemented LRU caching for the function to improve performance for repeated requests.
Key changes include:
- Added dependency.
- Introduced a reusable utility function in leveraging a .
- Refactored in to use the caching utility with a key based on task path, filter, and subtask flag.
- Modified to include the boolean flag in the final JSON response structure, nesting the original data under a key.
- Added function and corresponding MCP tool () for monitoring cache performance.
- Improved error handling in for cases where is not found.
This addresses the previous issue of the empty task list likely caused by stale cache entries and provides clear visibility into whether a response is served from the cache.
Relates to #23.9
This commit introduces a major refactoring of the MCP server implementation to prioritize direct function calls over CLI execution, enhancing performance and reliability. It also includes substantial updates to documentation for consistency and interlinking.
**MCP Server & Core Logic Refactoring:**
1. **Introduce Direct Function Wrappers ():**
* Created to house direct wrappers for core Task Master functions (imported from ).
* Implemented as the first wrapper, calling .
* Added utility within to centralize file location logic, removing duplication.
* Established the map for registering these wrappers.
2. **Enhance MCP Utilities ():**
* Added : A primary utility function to streamline MCP tool methods. It handles logging, argument processing (incl. project root normalization), calling the direct action function (e.g., ), processing results via , and formatting the final MCP response.
* Added : Standardizes processing of objects returned by direct function wrappers.
* Added : Filters sensitive/large fields (like , ) from responses sent to the MCP client.
* Added , , to support the new workflow.
* Refactored to use internally, simplifying its usage (though it's now primarily a fallback).
3. **Update MCP Tools (, ):**
* Refactored to use with , significantly simplifying the tool's method.
* Updated (initially) to use the improved (Note: further refactoring to use a direct wrapper for would follow the pattern).
**Documentation Enhancements:**
4. **Comprehensive Interlinking:** Added links across rule files (, , , , , ) to connect related guidelines, improving navigation.
5. **Standardize CLI Syntax ():** Removed legacy ℹ️ Initialized Perplexity client with OpenAI compatibility layer examples, reinforcing ℹ️ Initialized Perplexity client with OpenAI compatibility layer
_____ _ __ __ _
|_ _|_ _ ___| | __ | \/ | __ _ ___| |_ ___ _ __
| |/ _` / __| |/ / | |\/| |/ _` / __| __/ _ \ '__|
| | (_| \__ \ < | | | | (_| \__ \ || __/ |
|_|\__,_|___/_|\_\ |_| |_|\__,_|___/\__\___|_|
by https://x.com/eyaltoledano
╭────────────────────────────────────────────╮
│ │
│ Version: 0.9.30 Project: Task Master │
│ │
╰────────────────────────────────────────────╯
╭─────────────────────╮
│ │
│ Task Master CLI │
│ │
╰─────────────────────╯
╭───────────────────╮
│ Task Generation │
╰───────────────────╯
parse-prd --input=<file.txt> [--tasks=10] Generate tasks from a PRD document
generate Create individual task files from tasks…
╭───────────────────╮
│ Task Management │
╰───────────────────╯
list [--status=<status>] [--with-subtas… List all tasks with their status
set-status --id=<id> --status=<status> Update task status (done, pending, etc.)
update --from=<id> --prompt="<context>" Update tasks based on new requirements
add-task --prompt="<text>" [--dependencies=… Add a new task using AI
add-dependency --id=<id> --depends-on=<id> Add a dependency to a task
remove-dependency --id=<id> --depends-on=<id> Remove a dependency from a task
╭──────────────────────────╮
│ Task Analysis & Detail │
╰──────────────────────────╯
analyze-complexity [--research] [--threshold=5] Analyze tasks and generate expansion re…
complexity-report [--file=<path>] Display the complexity analysis report
expand --id=<id> [--num=5] [--research] [… Break down tasks into detailed subtasks
expand --all [--force] [--research] Expand all pending tasks with subtasks
clear-subtasks --id=<id> Remove subtasks from specified tasks
╭─────────────────────────────╮
│ Task Navigation & Viewing │
╰─────────────────────────────╯
next Show the next task to work on based on …
show <id> Display detailed information about a sp…
╭─────────────────────────╮
│ Dependency Management │
╰─────────────────────────╯
validate-dependenci… Identify invalid dependencies without f…
fix-dependencies Fix invalid dependencies automatically
╭─────────────────────────╮
│ Environment Variables │
╰─────────────────────────╯
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY Your Anthropic API key Required
MODEL Claude model to use Default: claude-3-7-sonn…
MAX_TOKENS Maximum tokens for responses Default: 4000
TEMPERATURE Temperature for model responses Default: 0.7
PERPLEXITY_API_KEY Perplexity API key for research Optional
PERPLEXITY_MODEL Perplexity model to use Default: sonar-pro
DEBUG Enable debug logging Default: false
LOG_LEVEL Console output level (debug,info,warn,error) Default: info
DEFAULT_SUBTASKS Default number of subtasks to generate Default: 3
DEFAULT_PRIORITY Default task priority Default: medium
PROJECT_NAME Project name displayed in UI Default: Task Master
_____ _ __ __ _
|_ _|_ _ ___| | __ | \/ | __ _ ___| |_ ___ _ __
| |/ _` / __| |/ / | |\/| |/ _` / __| __/ _ \ '__|
| | (_| \__ \ < | | | | (_| \__ \ || __/ |
|_|\__,_|___/_|\_\ |_| |_|\__,_|___/\__\___|_|
by https://x.com/eyaltoledano
╭────────────────────────────────────────────╮
│ │
│ Version: 0.9.30 Project: Task Master │
│ │
╰────────────────────────────────────────────╯
╭─────────────────────╮
│ │
│ Task Master CLI │
│ │
╰─────────────────────╯
╭───────────────────╮
│ Task Generation │
╰───────────────────╯
parse-prd --input=<file.txt> [--tasks=10] Generate tasks from a PRD document
generate Create individual task files from tasks…
╭───────────────────╮
│ Task Management │
╰───────────────────╯
list [--status=<status>] [--with-subtas… List all tasks with their status
set-status --id=<id> --status=<status> Update task status (done, pending, etc.)
update --from=<id> --prompt="<context>" Update tasks based on new requirements
add-task --prompt="<text>" [--dependencies=… Add a new task using AI
add-dependency --id=<id> --depends-on=<id> Add a dependency to a task
remove-dependency --id=<id> --depends-on=<id> Remove a dependency from a task
╭──────────────────────────╮
│ Task Analysis & Detail │
╰──────────────────────────╯
analyze-complexity [--research] [--threshold=5] Analyze tasks and generate expansion re…
complexity-report [--file=<path>] Display the complexity analysis report
expand --id=<id> [--num=5] [--research] [… Break down tasks into detailed subtasks
expand --all [--force] [--research] Expand all pending tasks with subtasks
clear-subtasks --id=<id> Remove subtasks from specified tasks
╭─────────────────────────────╮
│ Task Navigation & Viewing │
╰─────────────────────────────╯
next Show the next task to work on based on …
show <id> Display detailed information about a sp…
╭─────────────────────────╮
│ Dependency Management │
╰─────────────────────────╯
validate-dependenci… Identify invalid dependencies without f…
fix-dependencies Fix invalid dependencies automatically
╭─────────────────────────╮
│ Environment Variables │
╰─────────────────────────╯
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY Your Anthropic API key Required
MODEL Claude model to use Default: claude-3-7-sonn…
MAX_TOKENS Maximum tokens for responses Default: 4000
TEMPERATURE Temperature for model responses Default: 0.7
PERPLEXITY_API_KEY Perplexity API key for research Optional
PERPLEXITY_MODEL Perplexity model to use Default: sonar-pro
DEBUG Enable debug logging Default: false
LOG_LEVEL Console output level (debug,info,warn,error) Default: info
DEFAULT_SUBTASKS Default number of subtasks to generate Default: 3
DEFAULT_PRIORITY Default task priority Default: medium
PROJECT_NAME Project name displayed in UI Default: Task Master as the primary CLI.
6. **Add MCP Architecture & Workflow Sections:** Added detailed sections in and explaining MCP server structure and the workflow for adding new MCP tool integrations using the direct function pattern.
7. **Clarify MCP Role:** Updated and to better explain the MCP server's role and its specific utilities.
Overall, this establishes a cleaner, more performant, and maintainable pattern for integrating Task Master functionality with the MCP server, supported by improved documentation.
