---
description: Task Workflow System for project implementation across multiple task files within the tasks/ directory.
globs: **/*
alwaysApply: true
---
# Task Workflow System (Multi-File in `tasks/` Directory)
- **Purpose:** Standardize task implementation with proper tracking and status updates across a distributed task list.
- **Implementation:** Tasks are distributed across `tasks/tasks-N.md` files, indexed by `tasks/tasks-index.md`.
## Overall Task Management Structure
- **Index File (`tasks/tasks-index.md`):**
- Contains the **Overall Project Task Summary** (Total Tasks, Pending, Complete for the _entire_ project).
- Contains the **Task File Index**, mapping Task ID ranges to specific `tasks/tasks-N.md` files.
```markdown
## Overall Project Task Summary
- **Total Tasks**: {Total for project}
- **Pending**: {Pending for project}
- **Complete**: {Complete for project}
## Task File Index
- `tasks/tasks-1.md`: Contains Tasks {start_id_1} - {end_id_1} ({task_count_1} tasks)
- `tasks/tasks-2.md`: Contains Tasks {start_id_2} - {end_id_2} ({task_count_2} tasks)
- ...
```
- **Task Files (`tasks/tasks-N.md`):**
- Each file starts with its own local summary:
```markdown
## Summary (tasks-N.md) // Clarify which task file this summary is for
- **Tasks in this file**: {Count for this file}
- **Task IDs**: {start_id_N} - {end_id_N} // e.g., 001 - 030
```
- Followed by the `## Tasks` section containing individual tasks.
- **Task Structure (within `tasks/tasks-N.md`)**
- Tasks are defined with:
````markdown
### Task ID: {ID}
- **Title**: Example title
- **File**: example/file/path (relative to project root, excluding project root dir)
- **Complete**: [ ]
#### Prompt:
```markdown
DETAILED PROMPT INCLUDING TARGET FILE PATH AND CONTEXT
```
````
```
```
## Task Management Workflow
### 1. Locating a Task
- **When user requests "next task":**
1. Open and consult `tasks/tasks-index.md` to understand the overall project status and identify the sequence of task files.
2. Iterate through `tasks/tasks-1.md`, `tasks/tasks-2.md`, etc., in numerical order as listed in the index.
3. Within each `tasks/tasks-N.md` file, find the first task where `Complete: [ ]`. This is the next task.
4. Note the `tasks/tasks-N.md` file this task resides in.
- **When user specifies a Task ID (e.g., "Task 042"):**
1. Open and consult `tasks/tasks-index.md`.
2. Read the "Task File Index" to determine which `tasks/tasks-N.md` file contains that Task ID.
3. Open the identified `tasks/tasks-N.md` file (e.g., if Task 042 is in `tasks-2.md`, open `tasks/tasks-2.md`).
4. Locate the task with the specified `### Task ID: {ID}`.
### 2. Task Implementation
- **Always review overall project context as needed:**
```javascript
// ✅ DO: If architectural context is needed, refer to `docs/architecture.md` and other relevant architecture documents located in the `docs/` directory.
// The task prompt itself should be the primary guide for implementation details.
```
- **Implement each task according to its prompt and specified `File` path.**
```javascript
// ✅ DO: Focus implementation *only* on the file specified in the task's "File:" field.
// ✅ DO: Follow the detailed instructions, context, and references within the task's "Prompt:" section.
```
### 3. Updating Task Status (Critical)
- After successfully implementing a task:
1. **Locate the task** within its specific `tasks/tasks-N.md` file (as identified in Step 1).
2. **Change its status:** Modify `Complete: [ ]` to `Complete: [x]` in that specific `tasks/tasks-N.md` file.
3. **Update the local summary within that `tasks/tasks-N.md` file (Optional but Recommended):**
- If feasible, decrement "Pending" and increment "Complete" counts for _that file's specific summary_. This is secondary to updating the main index.
4. **Update the Overall Project Task Summary in `tasks/tasks-index.md`:**
- Decrement "Pending" by 1.
- Increment "Complete" by 1.
5. **Save changes** to both the modified `tasks/tasks-N.md` file and `tasks/tasks-index.md`.
```javascript
// ✅ DO: Update "Complete: [ ]" to "Complete: [x]" in the correct `tasks/tasks-N.md` file.
// ✅ DO: Update "Pending" and "Complete" counts in `tasks/tasks-index.md`.
// ❌ DON'T: Modify task IDs, titles, or prompts unless explicitly instructed for a correction.
```
### 4. Notification
- Inform the user of successful task completion.
- Provide a summary of changes made (files modified).
- State the Task ID and Title of the completed task and which `tasks/tasks-N.md` file it was in.
## Task Creation Guidelines (If AI needs to add/modify tasks)
- **Adding New Tasks Based on User Requests:**
1. **Determine Target Task File:** The user or AI must decide which `tasks/tasks-N.md` file the new task belongs to.
- If inserting into an existing sequence, identify the `tasks/tasks-N.md` file.
- If adding to the very end of the project and the last `tasks-N.md` is full (e.g., based on line count or task count), a new `tasks/tasks-N+1.md` file might need to be conceptually created (the Task Master agent would typically handle new file creation).
2. **ID Assignment:**
- **End of a `tasks/tasks-N.md` file:** Use the next sequential number based on the highest ID _globally_ (from `tasks/tasks-index.md` "Total Tasks").
- **Between Existing Tasks (within a `tasks/tasks-N.md` file):** Use decimal extension format (e.g., 002-1, 002-2).
```javascript
// ✅ DO: Ensure Task ID reflects implementation order.
// ✅ DO: Use decimal extension for insertions.
```
3. **Structure:** Add the task to the chosen `tasks/tasks-N.md` file using the standard Task Structure.
4. **Update Summaries:**
- Update the local summary in the modified `tasks/tasks-N.md` file (increment "Tasks in this file", adjust ID range if necessary).
- Update the "Total Tasks" and "Pending" counts in `tasks/tasks-index.md`.
- If a new `tasks/tasks-N+1.md` file was notionally created, update the Task File Index in `tasks/tasks-index.md`.
- **Task Template (for reference when creating new tasks):**
````markdown
### Task ID: [ID]
- **Title**: [Concise description]
- **File**: [Target file path, no project root, e.g., src/components/MyComponent.js]
- **Complete**: [ ]
#### Prompt:
```markdown
**Objective:** ...
**File to Create/Modify:** {e.g., src/components/MyComponent.js}
**User Story Context:** ...
**Detailed Instructions:**
...
**Acceptance Criteria (for this task):**
...
```
````
## Navigation and File Management within `tasks/` Directory
- **To find the "next pending task":**
1. Open `tasks/tasks-index.md`. Review the "Task File Index".
2. Starting with `tasks/tasks-1.md` (or the first file listed in the index), open it.
3. Scan for the first task with `Complete: [ ]`. If found, this is the target task and its file.
4. If not found in the current file, proceed to the next `tasks/tasks-N.md` file listed in the index and repeat step 3.
- **To find a specific Task ID `{ID}`:**
1. Open `tasks/tasks-index.md`.
2. Read the "Task File Index" to identify which `tasks/tasks-N.md` file contains Task ID `{ID}`.
3. Open that specific `tasks/tasks-N.md` file (e.g., if `tasks-index.md` indicates Task 042 is in `tasks/tasks-2.md`, then open `tasks/tasks-2.md`).
4. Search within that file for `### Task ID: {ID}`.
- **When updating task status:**
1. Identify the correct `tasks/tasks-N.md` file for the task being updated.
2. In that specific file, modify `Complete: [ ]` to `Complete: [x]`.
3. **Critically, open `tasks/tasks-index.md` and update the "Overall Project Task Summary" (Pending and Complete counts).**
4. Ensure both modified files (the `tasks/tasks-N.md` and `tasks/tasks-index.md`) are saved.
## Important Considerations for the AI IDE Agent
- All task-related files (`tasks-index.md` and `tasks-*.md`) are located within the `tasks/` directory at the root of the project.
- The `tasks/tasks-index.md` file is the **primary source of truth for overall project progress and for locating tasks within the specific `tasks/tasks-N.md` files.**
- Always update `tasks/tasks-index.md`'s summary when a task in any `tasks/tasks-N.md` file is marked complete.
- When asked for the "next task," ensure you are checking files in the correct numerical order as indicated by the `tasks/tasks-index.md`.
- All other project documentation (PRD, Architecture, Stories, etc.) is expected to be in a `docs/` directory at the root of the project.
