Update tasks
update_taskModify task status, properties, and dependencies while capturing lessons learned to inform future work. Use before and after task execution, updating multiple tasks together when possible.
Instructions
Updates the status and/or other properties of one or more tasks. Must use this tool before executing tasks, and when finished executing tasks. Should always include lessons learned to inform future tasks. Important: Always update multiple tasks in a single call if dependencies allow it.
Input Schema
TableJSON Schema
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| tasks | Yes | The tasks to update |
Implementation Reference
- tools/update_task.ts:91-113 (handler)The primary handler function for the 'update_task' tool. It processes updates for multiple tasks using handleUpdateSingleTask, computes incomplete tasks order, and returns structured results.
export async function handleUpdateTask({ tasks }: UpdateTaskArgs, taskDB: TaskDB, singleAgent: boolean) { const updatedTasks = new Array<Task>() for (const taskUpdate of tasks) { const task = handleUpdateSingleTask(taskUpdate, taskDB) updatedTasks.push(task) } const taskID = tasks.map((t) => t.taskID)[0] const incompleteTaskIDs = taskDB.incompleteTasksInTree(taskID).map((t) => t.taskID) const res = { tasksUpdated: updatedTasks.map((t) => toBasicTaskInfo(t, false, t.status !== DoneStatus && t.status !== FailedStatus, t.status === TodoStatus) ), incompleteTasksIdealOrder: singleAgent ? incompleteTaskIDs : undefined, } return { content: [], structuredContent: res, } satisfies CallToolResult } - tools/update_task.ts:23-77 (schema)Zod schemas defining the input validation for the update_task tool: TaskUpdateSchema for single task updates and UpdateTaskArgsSchema for multiple tasks.
const TaskUpdateSchema = z.object({ taskID: TaskIDSchema.describe('The identifier of the task to change status'), set: z .object({ status: TaskStatusSchema.optional().describe('The new status of this task'), title: TaskTitleSchema.optional(), description: TaskDescriptionSchema.optional(), goal: TaskGoalSchema.optional(), criticalPath: TaskCriticalPathSchema.optional(), estimatedComplexity: TaskComplexitySchema.optional(), }) .optional() .describe('Optional properties to update on this task'), add: z .object({ dependsOnTaskIDs: TaskIDSchema.array().min(1).optional().describe('New tasks that this task depends on'), definitionsOfDone: TaskDefinitionsOfDoneSchema.optional(), uncertaintyAreas: TaskUncertaintyAreasSchema.optional(), lessonsLearned: z .string() .min(1) .array() .min(1) .optional() .describe('Lessons learned while executing this task that may inform future tasks'), verificationEvidence: z .string() .min(1) .array() .min(1) .optional() .describe( 'Verification evidence that this task was executed as planned, and that the definitions of done were met' ), }) .optional() .describe('Optional properties to add to this task'), remove: z .object({ dependsOnTaskIDs: TaskIDSchema.array().min(1).optional().describe('Tasks that this task no longer depends on'), }) .optional() .describe('Optional properties to remove from this task'), }) type TaskUpdate = z.infer<typeof TaskUpdateSchema> export const UpdateTaskArgsSchema = z.object({ tasks: TaskUpdateSchema.array().min(1).describe('The tasks to update'), }) type UpdateTaskArgs = z.infer<typeof UpdateTaskArgsSchema> - tools/update_task.ts:115-229 (helper)Helper function that applies a single task update, including status transition validations, property sets/adds/removes, and dependency checks.
function handleUpdateSingleTask({ taskID, set, add, remove }: TaskUpdate, taskDB: TaskDB) { const task = taskDB.get(taskID) if (!task) { throw new Error(`Task not found: ${taskID}`) } if (set) { const { status: newStatus, title, description, goal, criticalPath, estimatedComplexity } = set const oldStatus = task.status const critPathDepsNotDone = task.dependsOnTaskIDs.filter((depTaskID) => { const depTask = taskDB.get(depTaskID)! return depTask.criticalPath && depTask.status !== 'done' }) const transitionValidations: Array<{ from?: TaskStatus; to: TaskStatus; validate: () => void }> = [ { from: DoneStatus, to: FailedStatus, validate() { throw new Error(`Can't transition from ${oldStatus} to ${newStatus}`) }, }, { from: FailedStatus, to: DoneStatus, validate() { throw new Error(`Can't transition from ${oldStatus} to ${newStatus}`) }, }, { to: DoneStatus, validate() { if (critPathDepsNotDone.length > 0) { throw new Error( `Can't transition task ${taskID} to ${newStatus}: Critical path dependencies are not ${DoneStatus}: ${critPathDepsNotDone.join( ', ' )}` ) } }, }, ] transitionValidations .filter((tv) => !tv.from || tv.from === oldStatus) .filter((tv) => tv.to === newStatus) .forEach((tv) => tv.validate()) if (newStatus) { task.status = newStatus } if (title) { task.title = title } if (description) { task.description = description } if (goal) { task.goal = goal } if (typeof criticalPath !== 'undefined') { task.criticalPath = criticalPath } if (estimatedComplexity) { task.estimatedComplexity = estimatedComplexity } } if (add) { const { definitionsOfDone: addDefinitionsOfDone, uncertaintyAreas: addUncertaintyAreas, lessonsLearned: addLessonsLearned, verificationEvidence: addVerificationEvidence, } = add if (addDefinitionsOfDone) { task.definitionsOfDone.push(...addDefinitionsOfDone) } if (addUncertaintyAreas) { task.uncertaintyAreas.push(...addUncertaintyAreas) } if (addLessonsLearned) { task.lessonsLearned.push(...addLessonsLearned) } if (addVerificationEvidence) { task.verificationEvidence.push(...addVerificationEvidence) } } if (remove) { const { dependsOnTaskIDs: removeDependsOnTaskIDs } = remove if (removeDependsOnTaskIDs) { task.dependsOnTaskIDs = task.dependsOnTaskIDs.filter((depTaskID) => !removeDependsOnTaskIDs.includes(depTaskID)) } } return task } - tools/index.ts:34-37 (registration)Registration of the update_task tool in the central toolHandlers map, mapping the name to its handler and schema.
[UPDATE_TASK]: { handler: handleUpdateTask, schema: UpdateTaskArgsSchema, } satisfies ToolHandlerInfo, - tools/update_task.ts:81-89 (registration)Tool definition object for update_task, used in the tools() export array for tool listing.
export const updateTaskTool = { name: UPDATE_TASK, title: 'Update tasks', description: `Updates the status and/or other properties of one or more tasks. Must use this tool before executing tasks, and when finished executing tasks. Should always include lessons learned to inform future tasks. Important: Always update multiple tasks in a single call if dependencies allow it.`, inputSchema: zodToJsonSchema(UpdateTaskArgsSchema, { $refStrategy: 'none' }), }