feat: support dependency detection #970

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opened 2025-10-14 16:32:32 -06:00 by navan · 0 comments

navan commented

2025-10-14 16:32:32 -06:00

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Originally created by @ritvij14 on 4/13/2025

Motivation

For adding a new task, I saw that we have these commands:

# Add a new task using AI
task-master add-task --prompt="Description of the new task"

# Add a task with dependencies
task-master add-task --prompt="Description" --dependencies=1,2,3

# Add a task with priority
task-master add-task --prompt="Description" --priority=high

But when I saw the code for add-task in scripts/modules/commands.js and also similar code for the task in the MCP server folder, I found this code:

				// Prepare dependencies if provided
				let dependencies = [];
				if (options.dependencies) {
					dependencies = options.dependencies
						.split(',')
						.map((id) => parseInt(id.trim(), 10));
				}

But if task master is being used in a very big project, there are chances where a dependency ID gets missed. If dependencies are also used to give the LLM context on what is already done, so that the LLM can look at the older tasks to get more information and background context about the current task, this can lead to missed information.

Proposed Solution

When creating a task using AI, the LLM should be able to get a list of dependencies for the new task using the current information in tasks.json.

The LLM should analyse the previous tasks, and see if there is any direct relation between the current new task being created and any of the tasks listed already in the past. If yes, that task should be included as a dependency for the new task.

*Originally created by @ritvij14 on 4/13/2025* ### Motivation For adding a new task, I saw that we have these commands: ```bash # Add a new task using AI task-master add-task --prompt="Description of the new task" # Add a task with dependencies task-master add-task --prompt="Description" --dependencies=1,2,3 # Add a task with priority task-master add-task --prompt="Description" --priority=high ``` But when I saw the code for add-task in `scripts/modules/commands.js` and also similar code for the task in the MCP server folder, I found this code: ```javascript // Prepare dependencies if provided let dependencies = []; if (options.dependencies) { dependencies = options.dependencies .split(',') .map((id) => parseInt(id.trim(), 10)); } ``` But if task master is being used in a very big project, there are chances where a dependency ID gets missed. If dependencies are also used to give the LLM context on what is already done, so that the LLM can look at the older tasks to get more information and background context about the current task, this can lead to missed information. ### Proposed Solution When creating a task using AI, the LLM should be able to get a list of dependencies for the new task using the current information in `tasks.json`. The LLM should analyse the previous tasks, and see if there is any direct relation between the current new task being created and any of the tasks listed already in the past. If yes, that task should be included as a dependency for the new task.