Task Dependency Patterns

What it does

When your agent uses it

• Managing multi-step implementations
• Coordinating parallel work
• Tracking completion status

Example prompts

• “/task-dependency-patterns”

Requirements

• Python 3
• Compatibility (from SKILL.md): Claude Code 2.1.277+.
• Pre-approved tools (allowed-tools): Read, Glob, Grep, WebFetch, WebSearch

Workflow steps

4 steps, taken from the step headings in SKILL.md.

1. 1Task Decomposition
2. 2Dependency Chains
3. 3Status Workflow
4. 4activeForm Pattern

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 1f8d8f3. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

• Tool permissions

  Pre-approves these tools, so the agent can use them without asking each time:

  • Read
  • Glob
  • Grep
  • WebFetch
  • WebSearch

  From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

• Runs code

  Ships 1 file in scripts/ (Python), which the agent can run.

  From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.

• Network

  No URLs in SKILL.md.

  From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.

• Credentials

  Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.

  From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

• Compatibility

  Claude Code 2.1.277+.

  From compatibility in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

Context cost

Task Dependency Patterns loads about 1.9k tokens when it runs, and up to ~3.8k if it reads all its reference files. Until then it costs about 69 tokens; SKILL.md has 570 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it

~69

When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches

~1.9k

With references · SKILL.md plus every file in references/, read only if the agent opens them

~3.8k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); the scripts in this folder are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from yonatangross/orchestkit at commit 1f8d8f3, republished under its MIT licence (© yonatangross). 570 words, ~1,892 tokens.

name

task-dependency-patterns

description

Task Management patterns with TaskCreate, TaskUpdate, TaskGet, TaskList tools. Decompose complex work into trackable tasks with dependency chains. Use when managing multi-step implementations, coordinating parallel work, or tracking completion status.

allowed-tools

Read, Glob, Grep, WebFetch, WebSearch

compatibility

Claude Code 2.1.277+.

license

MIT

context

fork

agent

workflow-architect

user-invocable

false

disable-model-invocation

true

metadata.category

workflow-automation

metadata.version

1.0.0

metadata.author

OrchestKit

metadata.complexity

medium

metadata.tags

task-management, dependencies, orchestration, workflow, coordination

Feature: Add user authentication

Tasks:
#1. [pending] Create User model
#2. [pending] Add auth endpoints (blockedBy: #1)
#3. [pending] Implement JWT tokens (blockedBy: #2)
#4. [pending] Add auth middleware (blockedBy: #3)
#5. [pending] Write integration tests (blockedBy: #4)

// Task #3 cannot start until #1 and #2 complete
{"taskId": "3", "addBlockedBy": ["1", "2"]}

pending → in_progress → completed
   ↓           ↓
(unblocked)  (active)

pending/in_progress → deleted

// Delete a task
{"taskId": "3", "status": "deleted"}

1. (implicit team — CC 2.1.178+)       → one team per session; no TeamCreate
2. TaskCreate(subject, description)    → Add tasks to shared list
3. Agent(name, team_name, prompt)      → Spawn teammates into the implicit team
4. TaskUpdate(owner: "teammate-name")  → Assign tasks
5. SendMessage(to, message, summary)   → Direct teammate communication
6. (turn / background ends)            → teammates wind down; Ctrl+F x2 for bg

# Spawn teammate into shared task list
Agent(
  prompt="You are the backend architect...",
  team_name="my-feature",
  name="backend-architect",
  subagent_type="ork:backend-system-architect"
)

# Teammate claims and works tasks
TaskList → find unblocked, unowned tasks
TaskUpdate(taskId, owner: "backend-architect", status: "in_progress")
# ... do work ...
TaskUpdate(taskId, status: "completed")
TaskList → find next task

# Direct message between teammates (params: to, message, summary)
SendMessage(to: "frontend-dev",
  message: "API contract ready: GET /users/:id returns {...}",
  summary: "API contract shared")

# No broadcast primitive — send to each teammate, or post to the shared
# task list (TaskCreate/TaskUpdate) so every teammate sees it
SendMessage(to: "backend-dev",
  message: "Breaking change: auth header format changed",
  summary: "Breaking auth change")

© yonatangross, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

SKILL.md and 12 other files (scripts, references) in src/skills/task-dependency-patterns of yonatangross/orchestkit.

• SKILL.md
• checklists/dependency-checklist.md
• checklists/task-design-checklist.md
• references/dependency-tracking.md
• references/multi-agent-coordination.md
• references/status-workflow.md
• rules/_sections.md
• rules/_template.md
• rules/task-agent-coordination.md
• rules/task-completion-criteria.md
• rules/task-dependency-validation.md
• scripts/task-tree-visualizer.py
• test-cases.json

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 1f8d8f3