autotask-mcp dev_workflow.instructions.md

Taskmaster Development Workflow

This guide outlines the standard process for using Taskmaster to manage software development projects. It is written as a set of instructions for you, the AI agent.

• Your Default Stance: For most projects, the user can work directly within the master task context. Your initial actions should operate on this default context unless a clear pattern for multi-context work emerges.
• Your Goal: Your role is to elevate the user's workflow by intelligently introducing advanced features like Tagged Task Lists when you detect the appropriate context. Do not force tags on the user; suggest them as a helpful solution to a specific need.

The Basic Loop

The fundamental development cycle you will facilitate is:

1. list: Show the user what needs to be done.
2. next: Help the user decide what to work on.
3. show <id>: Provide details for a specific task.
4. expand <id>: Break down a complex task into smaller, manageable subtasks.
5. Implement: The user writes the code and tests.
6. update-subtask: Log progress and findings on behalf of the user.
7. set-status: Mark tasks and subtasks as done as work is completed.
8. Repeat.

All your standard command executions should operate on the user's current task context, which defaults to master.

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Standard Development Workflow Process

Simple Workflow (Default Starting Point)

For new projects or when users are getting started, operate within the master tag context:

• Start new projects by running initialize_project tool / task-master init or parse_prd / task-master parse-prd --input='<prd-file.txt>' (see @taskmaster.instructions.md) to generate initial tasks.json with tagged structure
• Configure rule sets during initialization with --rules flag (e.g., task-master init --rules vscode,windsurf) or manage them later with task-master rules add/remove commands
• Begin coding sessions with get_tasks / task-master list (see @taskmaster.instructions.md) to see current tasks, status, and IDs
• Determine the next task to work on using next_task / task-master next (see @taskmaster.instructions.md)
• Analyze task complexity with analyze_project_complexity / task-master analyze-complexity --research (see @taskmaster.instructions.md) before breaking down tasks
• Review complexity report using complexity_report / task-master complexity-report (see @taskmaster.instructions.md)
• Select tasks based on dependencies (all marked 'done'), priority level, and ID order
• View specific task details using get_task / task-master show <id> (see @taskmaster.instructions.md) to understand implementation requirements
• Break down complex tasks using expand_task / task-master expand --id=<id> --force --research (see @taskmaster.instructions.md) with appropriate flags like --force (to replace existing subtasks) and --research
• Implement code following task details, dependencies, and project standards
• Mark completed tasks with set_task_status / task-master set-status --id=<id> --status=done (see @taskmaster.instructions.md)
• Update dependent tasks when implementation differs from original plan using update / task-master update --from=<id> --prompt="..." or update_task / task-master update-task --id=<id> --prompt="..." (see @taskmaster.instructions.md)