Dependency Commands¶

Commands for managing task dependencies and relationships.

Add Dependency¶

Create a dependency between tasks.

tf dep add SOURCE TARGET [OPTIONS]

The SOURCE task blocks/relates-to the TARGET task.

Options¶

Option	Short	Description
`--type`	`-t`	Dependency type

Dependency Types¶

Type	Description
`blocks`	Hard dependency (default) - SOURCE must complete before TARGET
`related`	Soft link - Reference between related tasks
`parent-child`	Hierarchical relationship
`discovered-from`	Traceability - Track where a task originated

Examples¶

# Design must complete before implementation
tf dep add tf-design tf-implement

# Explicit blocking dependency
tf dep add tf-design tf-implement --type blocks

# Related tasks (soft link)
tf dep add tf-bug1 tf-bug2 -t related

# Track origin
tf dep add tf-issue123 tf-task456 -t discovered-from

Remove Dependency¶

Remove a dependency between tasks.

tf dep remove SOURCE TARGET

Examples¶

tf dep remove tf-design tf-implement

View Dependency Tree¶

Show dependencies for a task.

tf dep tree TASK_ID [OPTIONS]

Options¶

Option	Description
`--depth`	Maximum depth to display
`--all`	Include all dependency types

Output¶

tf-implement
├── blocked by:
│   └── tf-design (closed)
│       └── tf-research (closed)
└── blocks:
    ├── tf-test (open)
    │   └── tf-deploy (open)
    └── tf-docs (open)

Find Ready Tasks¶

Find tasks with no open blocking dependencies.

tf ready [OPTIONS]

A task is "ready" when: - Status is open - All blocking dependencies are closed - Not a Plan (Plans can't be executed directly)

Options¶

Option	Short	Description
`--type`	`-t`	Filter by type
`--priority`	`-p`	Filter by priority
`--assignee`	`-a`	Filter by assignee
`--label`	`-l`	Filter by label
`--limit`	`-n`	Max results

Examples¶

# All ready tasks
tf ready

# Ready bugs
tf ready -t bug

# Ready high-priority
tf ready -p 0,1

# Top 5 ready tasks
tf ready -n 5

Dependency Graph¶

Generate a visual dependency graph.

tf admin graph [OPTIONS]

Options¶

Option	Description
`--format`	Output format (dot, svg, png)
`--output`	Output file path
`--filter`	Filter expression

Examples¶

# Generate DOT format to stdout
tf admin graph

# Generate SVG file
tf admin graph --format svg --output deps.svg

# Generate PNG file
tf admin graph --format png --output deps.png

# Filter by status
tf admin graph --filter "status=open"

DOT Output¶

digraph dependencies {
  rankdir=LR;
  node [shape=box];

  "tf-design" [label="Design API" style=filled fillcolor=lightgreen];
  "tf-implement" [label="Implement API" style=filled fillcolor=lightyellow];
  "tf-test" [label="Write Tests"];
  "tf-docs" [label="Update Docs"];

  "tf-design" -> "tf-implement";
  "tf-implement" -> "tf-test";
  "tf-implement" -> "tf-docs";
}

Common Patterns¶

Sequential Workflow¶

Tasks that must be done in order:

tf create "Step 1: Research"
tf create "Step 2: Design"
tf create "Step 3: Implement"
tf create "Step 4: Test"

tf dep add tf-step1 tf-step2
tf dep add tf-step2 tf-step3
tf dep add tf-step3 tf-step4

Research → Design → Implement → Test

Parallel Tasks with Sync Point¶

Multiple tasks that converge:

tf create "Frontend work"
tf create "Backend work"
tf create "Integration"

tf dep add tf-frontend tf-integration
tf dep add tf-backend tf-integration

Frontend ─┐
          ├→ Integration
Backend  ─┘

Feature with Prerequisites¶

A feature that requires setup first:

tf create "Add payment support" -t feature
tf create "Set up Stripe account"
tf create "Get API keys"
tf create "Implement payment flow"

tf dep add tf-stripe tf-implement
tf dep add tf-keys tf-implement

Stripe Account ─┐
                ├→ Implement Payment
Get API Keys  ──┘

Epic with Subtasks¶

Breaking down a large task:

tf create "User Authentication" -t epic
tf create "Login page" --parent tf-auth
tf create "Logout" --parent tf-auth
tf create "Password reset" --parent tf-auth

# Login before logout
tf dep add tf-login tf-logout

Validation¶

TrakFlow validates dependencies:

Rule	Error
No self-reference	"Cannot add dependency to itself"
Tasks must exist	"Task not found: {id}"
No cycles (optional)	"Creates circular dependency"

Cycle Detection¶

TrakFlow can detect circular dependencies:

# This would create a cycle: A → B → C → A
tf dep add tf-c tf-a
# Warning: Creates circular dependency

Query Dependencies¶

Find Blocked Tasks¶

tf list --status blocked

Find Tasks Blocking Others¶

tf dep tree tf-abc123

Find Orphan Tasks¶

Tasks with no dependencies:

tf admin analyze

Impact on Operations¶

Closing Tasks¶

When you close a task, dependent tasks may become ready:

tf close tf-design
# tf-implement is now ready (if it was only blocked by tf-design)

Reopening Tasks¶

Reopening a task re-blocks its dependents:

tf reopen tf-design
# tf-implement is blocked again

Best Practices¶

Keep graphs simple - Avoid overly complex chains
Use meaningful types - Choose the right dependency type
Document why - Add notes explaining dependencies
Review regularly - Clean up stale dependencies
Check for cycles - Before adding dependencies
Don't over-connect - Not everything needs to be linked
Use labels for grouping - Instead of related dependencies for categorization