- Enhance MCP server robustness and usability:
- Implement smart project root detection with hierarchical fallbacks
- Make projectRoot parameter optional across all MCP tools
- Add comprehensive PROJECT_MARKERS for reliable project detection
- Improve error messages and logging for better debugging
- Split monolithic core into focused direct-function files
- Implement full suite of MCP commands:
- Add task management: update-task, update-subtask, generate
- Add task organization: expand-task, expand-all, clear-subtasks
- Add dependency handling: add/remove/validate/fix dependencies
- Add analysis tools: analyze-complexity, complexity-report
- Rename commands for better API consistency (list-tasks → get-tasks)
- Enhance documentation and developer experience:
- Create and bundle new taskmaster.mdc as comprehensive reference
- Document all tools with natural language patterns and examples
- Clarify project root auto-detection in documentation
- Standardize naming conventions across MCP components
- Add cross-references between related tools and commands
- Improve UI and progress tracking:
- Add color-coded progress bars with status breakdown
- Implement cancelled/deferred task status handling
- Enhance status visualization and counting
- Optimize display for various terminal sizes
This major update significantly improves the robustness and usability
of the MCP server while providing comprehensive documentation for both
users and developers. The changes make Task Master more intuitive to
use programmatically while maintaining full CLI functionality.
- 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.
- Add cancelled status to UI module for marking tasks cancelled without deletion
- Improve MCP server resource documentation with implementation examples
- Update architecture.mdc with detailed resource management info
- Add comprehensive resource handling guide to mcp.mdc
- Update changeset to reflect new features and documentation
- Mark task 23.6 as cancelled (MCP SDK integration no longer needed)
- Complete task 23.12 (structured logging system)
- Update subtask 23.10 with details on resource and resource template implementation
- Add resource management section to architecture.mdc with proper directory structure
- Create comprehensive resource implementation guide in mcp.mdc with examples and best practices
- Document proper integration of resources in FastMCP server initialization
- 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
Ensures that the 'details' field, which can be updated via 'update-subtask', is correctly rendered when viewing a specific subtask.
fix(test): Remove empty describe block causing Jest error
Removes a redundant block in that contained a hook but no tests.
chore: Add npm script
This commit fixes an issue with the dependency management system where
dependencies between subtasks of the same parent task were not being
handled correctly. Previously, when trying to add a dependency between
subtasks (e.g., making 23.8 depend on 23.13), the system incorrectly
interpreted it as a circular dependency of the parent task depending
on itself.
Changes:
- Modified add-dependency and remove-dependency commands to preserve
string format for subtask IDs containing dots instead of converting
them to integers
- Updated dependency detection logic to properly handle string-based
subtask IDs
- Added specific tests verifying both successful dependency chains
and circular dependency detection between subtasks of the same parent
The fix ensures proper task ordering for development workflows where
related subtasks must be completed in sequence (like establishing tests
before implementing a feature). It maintains backward compatibility with
existing task structures while correctly enforcing dependency chains
within subtask groups.
Tests:
- Added tests for valid dependency chains between subtasks of the same parent
- Added tests for circular dependency detection in subtask relationships
- Added specific test for the 23.8->23.13->23.10 subtask dependency chain
Resolves the issue where the suggested task development workflow couldn't
be properly enforced through the dependency management system.
Fix issue with kebab-case validator incorrectly flagging single-word flags like --prompt. Refactor detectCamelCaseFlags to properly handle all single-word flags. Update tests to verify correct behavior with single-word and camelCase flags. Add support for alternative flag formats in init command (e.g., -my_name). This fixes a bug where users couldn't use the --prompt flag directly and had to use -p instead.
- Fix tests using ES Module best practices instead of complex mocking
- Replace Commander.js mocking with direct action handler testing
- Resolve ES Module import/mock issues and function redeclaration errors
- Fix circular reference issues with console.log spies
- Properly setup mock functions with jest.fn() for method access
- Improve parse-prd command functionality
- Add default PRD path support (scripts/prd.txt) so you can just run `task-master parse-prd` and it will use the default PRD if it exists.
- Improve error handling and user feedback
- Enhance help text with more detailed information
- Fix detectCamelCaseFlags implementation in utils.js yet again with more tests this time
- Improve regex pattern to correctly detect camelCase flags
- Skip flags already in kebab-case format
- Enhance tests with proper test-specific implementations
- Document testing best practices
- Add comprehensive "Common Testing Pitfalls and Solutions" section to tests.mdc
- Provide clear examples of correct testing patterns for ES modules
- Document techniques for test isolation and mock organization
This commit introduces several significant improvements:
- **Enhanced Unit Testing:** Vastly improved unit tests for the module, covering core functions, edge cases, and error handling. Simplified test functions and comprehensive mocking were implemented for better isolation and reliability. Added new section to tests.mdc detailing reliable testing techniques.
- **CLI Kebab-Case Flag Enforcement:** The CLI now enforces kebab-case for flags, providing helpful error messages when camelCase is used. This improves consistency and user experience.
- **AI Enhancements:**
- Enabled 128k token output for Claude 3.7 Sonnet by adding the header.
- Added a new task to to document this change and its testing strategy.
- Added unit tests to verify the Anthropic client configuration.
- Added and utility functions.
- **Improved Test Coverage:** Added tests for the new CLI flag validation logic.
- Enhanced the function in ℹ️ Initialized Perplexity client with OpenAI compatibility layer
_____ _ __ __ _
|_ _|_ _ ___| | __ | \/ | __ _ ___| |_ ___ _ __
| |/ _` / __| |/ / | |\/| |/ _` / __| __/ _ \ '__|
| | (_| \__ \ < | | | | (_| \__ \ || __/ |
|_|\__,_|___/_|\_\ |_| |_|\__,_|___/\__\___|_|
by https://x.com/eyaltoledano
╭────────────────────────────────────────────╮
│ │
│ Version: 0.9.24 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: 0.9.24 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 to correctly handle kebab-case flags by:
- Converting camelCase options back to kebab-case for command line arguments.
- Checking the original CLI arguments to determine the format used by the user.
- Preserving the original flag format when passing it to the underlying script.
- Special handling for and flags to ensure they are correctly interpreted.
- Updated boolean flag handling to correctly manage negated options and preserve user-specified formats.
- Marked task 022 as done and updated the status of its sub-tasks in .
- Added tasks 26, 27 and 28 for context improvements related to task generation
This commit ensures that all kebab-case flags are handled consistently across the CLI, improving user experience and command reliability.
