rune-tasks

name	rune-tasks
description	Manage hierarchical task lists using the rune CLI tool. Create, update, and organize tasks with phases, subtasks, status tracking, task dependencies, and work streams for multi-agent parallel execution. Use when this capability is needed.
metadata	{"author":"arjenschwarz"}

Rune Task Management Skill

Manage hierarchical task lists using the rune CLI tool.

Command Reference

Creating and Listing

• rune create [file] --title "Title" - Initialize task file (required)
• rune create [file] --title "Title" --reference "file.md" - With references (repeatable)
• rune list [file] - Display tasks (supports --filter, --format, --stream N, --owner "name")
• rune next [file] - Get next incomplete task
• rune next [file] --one - Show only first incomplete path (single task chain)
• rune next [file] --phase - Get all tasks from next phase
• rune next [file] --stream N --claim "agent-id" - Claim ready tasks in stream
• rune streams [file] - Show stream status (--available, --json)
• rune find [file] --pattern "term" - Search tasks

Task Management

• rune add [file] --title "Task" - Add task (options: --parent, --phase, --stream, --blocked-by, --owner)
• rune complete [file] [task-id] - Mark completed (positional ID)
• rune progress [file] [task-id] - Mark in-progress
• rune uncomplete [file] [task-id] - Mark pending
• rune update [file] [task-id] --title "New" - Update task (options: --details, --stream, --blocked-by, --owner, --release)
• rune remove [file] [task-id] - Remove task and subtasks

Organization

• rune add-phase [file] "Phase Name" - Add phase header
• rune has-phases [file] - Check if file uses phases
• rune renumber [file] - Recalculate IDs (creates .bak, use --dry-run to preview)
• rune add-frontmatter [file] --reference "file.md" - Add references (repeatable)
• rune add-frontmatter [file] --meta "key:value" - Add metadata

Batch Operations

Execute multiple operations atomically:

rune batch [file] --input '{"file":"tasks.md","operations":[...]}'

Operation types:

• add - Required: title. Optional: parent, phase, stream, blocked_by, owner, requirements, requirements_file
• update - Required: id. Optional: title, status (0/1/2), details, references, stream, blocked_by, owner, release
• remove - Required: id
• add-phase - Required: name

Status values: 0=pending, 1=in-progress, 2=completed

Important: Array fields (references, requirements, blocked_by) must be JSON arrays, not comma-separated strings.

Use hierarchical task IDs (e.g., "1", "2.1") in blocked_by; rune resolves to stable IDs internally.

Use "dry_run": true to preview changes without applying.

Key Concepts

Task Status

• [ ] Pending | [-] In-progress | [x] Completed

Phases

H2 headers (## Phase Name) that group tasks. Tasks numbered globally across phases.

Task Dependencies

Tasks can block other tasks using --blocked-by "1,2". A task is "ready" only when all blockers are completed. Circular dependencies are rejected. Stable IDs (7-char alphanumeric, hidden as HTML comments) survive renumbering.

Work Streams

Partition tasks for parallel execution. Default stream is 1. Use rune streams to see ready/blocked/active counts per stream.

Task Ownership

Agents claim tasks via --claim or --owner. Claimed tasks show owner; use --release to unclaim.

Git Integration

With discovery enabled, omit filename to auto-discover from branch:

# .rune.yml or ~/.config/rune/config.yml
discovery:
  enabled: true
  template: "specs/{branch}/tasks.md"

Branch prefixes like feature/ are stripped automatically.

Workflow Guidelines

Single Agent

1. rune list --filter pending to see work
2. rune next to identify next task
3. Mark in-progress when starting, completed when done
4. Use batch operations for multiple related changes

Multi-Agent

1. rune streams --available to find streams with ready tasks
2. rune next --stream N --claim "agent-id" to claim stream work
3. Each agent works independently within its stream
4. Complete tasks to unblock dependents in other streams
5. Use --release when giving up a task

Best Practices

1. Use rune batch for related changes (atomic)
2. Keep task status current
3. Use --blocked-by to define execution order
4. Partition independent work into streams
5. Use --dry-run to preview changes
6. Use phases for workflow stages
7. Keep hierarchy shallow (avoid deep nesting)

Error Handling

• Task not found: Use rune list to see valid IDs
• Circular dependency: Restructure dependencies to break cycle
• Phase not found: Create with rune add-phase first
• Batch validation failure: Fix invalid operation and retry (entire batch fails if any operation invalid)
• Git discovery failure: Check config, template path, and that you're on a feature branch

Response Format

When managing tasks:

1. Explain operations to perform
2. Execute rune commands
3. Show results
4. Confirm what was accomplished

For detailed batch examples and patterns, read references/patterns.md.

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