dev_workflow

description: Guide for using Task Master to manage task-driven development workflows globs: */ alwaysApply: true

Task Master Development Workflow

This guide outlines the typical process for using Task Master to manage software development projects.

Primary Interaction: MCP Server vs. CLI

Task Master offers two primary ways to interact:

1. MCP Server (Recommended for Integrated Tools):

   • For AI agents and integrated development environments (like Cursor), interacting via the MCP server is the preferred method.
   • The MCP server exposes Task Master functionality through a set of tools (e.g., get_tasks, add_subtask).
   • This method offers better performance, structured data exchange, and richer error handling compared to CLI parsing.
   • Refer to mcp.mdc for details on the MCP architecture and available tools.
   • A comprehensive list and description of MCP tools and their corresponding CLI commands can be found in taskmaster.mdc.
   • Restart the MCP server if core logic in scripts/modules or MCP tool/direct function definitions change.

2. task-master CLI (For Users & Fallback):

   • The global task-master command provides a user-friendly interface for direct terminal interaction.
   • It can also serve as a fallback if the MCP server is inaccessible or a specific function isn't exposed via MCP.
   • Install globally with npm install -g task-master-ai or use locally via npx task-master-ai ....
   • The CLI commands often mirror the MCP tools (e.g., task-master list corresponds to get_tasks).
   • Refer to taskmaster.mdc for a detailed command reference.

Standard Development Workflow Process

• Start new projects by running initialize_project tool / task-master init or parse_prd / task-master parse-prd --input='<prd-file.txt>' (see taskmaster.mdc) to generate initial tasks.json
• Begin coding sessions with get_tasks / task-master list (see taskmaster.mdc) to see current tasks, status, and IDs
• Determine the next task to work on using next_task / task-master next (see taskmaster.mdc).
• Analyze task complexity with analyze_project_complexity / task-master analyze-complexity --research (see taskmaster.mdc) before breaking down tasks
• Review complexity report using complexity_report / task-master complexity-report (see taskmaster.mdc).
• Select tasks based on dependencies (all marked 'done'), priority level, and ID order
• Clarify tasks by checking task files in tasks/ directory or asking for user input
• View specific task details using get_task / task-master show <id> (see taskmaster.mdc) to understand implementation requirements
• Break down complex tasks using expand_task / task-master expand --id=<id> --force --research (see taskmaster.mdc) with appropriate flags like --force (to replace existing subtasks) and --research.
• Clear existing subtasks if needed using clear_subtasks / task-master clear-subtasks --id=<id> (see taskmaster.mdc) before regenerating
• Implement code following task details, dependencies, and project standards
• Verify tasks according to test strategies before marking as complete (See tests.mdc)
• Mark completed tasks with set_task_status / task-master set-status --id=<id> --status=done (see taskmaster.mdc)
• 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.mdc)
• Add new tasks discovered during implementation using add_task / task-master add-task --prompt="..." --research (see taskmaster.mdc).
• Add new subtasks as needed using add_subtask / task-master add-subtask --parent=<id> --title="..." (see taskmaster.mdc).
• Append notes or details to subtasks using update_subtask / task-master update-subtask --id=<subtaskId> --prompt='Add implementation notes here...\nMore details...' (see taskmaster.mdc).
• Generate task files with generate / task-master generate (see taskmaster.mdc) after updating tasks.json
• Maintain valid dependency structure with add_dependency/remove_dependency tools or task-master add-dependency/remove-dependency commands, validate_dependencies / task-master validate-dependencies, and fix_dependencies / task-master fix-dependencies (see taskmaster.mdc) when needed
• Respect dependency chains and task priorities when selecting work
• Report progress regularly using get_tasks / task-master list
• Reorganize tasks as needed using move_task / task-master move --from=<id> --to=<id> (see taskmaster.mdc) to change task hierarchy or ordering