Simple Task Master (SimpleTM)

A lightweight task management system for Claude desktop code projects that doesn't require API keys, designed to work with Desktop Commander MCP.

Features

• Create and track tasks with titles, descriptions, and priorities
• Break down tasks into subtasks
• Set task dependencies to enforce order of work
• Track task status (pending, in-progress, done)
• Parse PRD documents to automatically extract tasks
• Get the next task to work on based on dependencies and priorities
• Works directly with Claude desktop code and Desktop Commander MCP
• Organize tasks by project

Quick Start

Option 1: MCP (Recommended)

1. Install the package

# Navigate to the simple-task-master directory
cd simple-task-master

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Link the package for global use
npm link

2. Add the MCP config to your editor:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "simple-tm": {
      "command": "simple-tm-mcp",
      "args": [],
      "env": {
        "DEBUG": "false"
      }
    }
  }
}

3. Enable the MCP in your editor

4. Prompt Claude to initialize SimpleTM:

Can you please initialize simple-tm into my project?

5. Use common commands directly through Claude:

Can you list all my tasks?
What's the next task I should work on?
Can you help me implement task 3?
Can you help me break down this task into subtasks?
Can you show me all tasks for the Frontend project?

Option 2: Using Command Line

Installation

# Navigate to the simple-task-master directory
cd simple-task-master

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Link the package for global use
npm link

Initialize a new project

# Navigate to your project directory
cd your-project-directory

# Initialize SimpleTM
simple-tm init

This will create a .tasks.json file in your project to store tasks.

Common Commands

# List all tasks
simple-tm list

# Add a new task
simple-tm add --title "Implement login form" --priority high

# Add a task to a specific project
simple-tm add --title "Create API endpoint" --project "Backend"

# Update a task
simple-tm update --id abc123 --status in-progress

# Parse a PRD and generate tasks
simple-tm parse-prd --path your-prd.txt

# Parse a PRD and assign tasks to a project
simple-tm parse-prd --path your-prd.txt --project "Frontend"

# Get the next task to work on
simple-tm next

# Get the next task for a specific project
simple-tm next --project "Backend"

# Break down a task into subtasks
simple-tm expand --id abc123 --subtasks "Design UI,Implement validation,Add error handling"

# List all projects
simple-tm projects

# Switch to a project
simple-tm switch --project "Frontend"

MCP Tools Reference

When using Claude with Desktop Commander MCP, you can use these tools directly:

• list_tasks - List all tasks, optionally filtered by status and project
• add_task - Add a new task with optional project assignment
• update_task - Update an existing task
• set_task_status - Set the status of a task
• parse_prd - Parse a PRD document and extract tasks with optional project assignment
• next_task - Get the next task to work on, optionally filtered by project
• expand_task - Break down a task into subtasks
• list_projects - List all projects with task counts
• switch_project - Switch to a different project or create a new one

Task Structure

Tasks in SimpleTM have the following structure:

• id: Unique identifier for the task
• title: Brief title of the task
• description: Detailed description of what the task involves
• status: Current state (pending, in-progress, done)
• priority: Importance level (high, medium, low)
• projectName: Name of the project this task belongs to
• dependencies: IDs of tasks that must be completed before this task
• subtasks: List of smaller, more specific tasks that make up the main task
• createdAt: When the task was created
• updatedAt: When the task was last updated

Project-Specific Tasks

SimpleTM fully supports project-specific tasks, allowing you to:

1. Create projects: Assign tasks to specific projects to organize your work.

2. Switch between projects: Focus on one project at a time, or work across multiple projects.

3. Project-specific views: Filter tasks by project to see only relevant work.

4. Project status tracking: View task counts by project to track progress.

Working with Projects

# List all projects
simple-tm projects

# Add a task to a specific project
simple-tm add --title "New feature" --project "Frontend"

# List tasks for a specific project
simple-tm list --project "Frontend"

# Get the next task for a specific project
simple-tm next --project "Frontend"

# Switch to a specific project as your current focus
simple-tm switch --project "Frontend"

# Extract tasks from a PRD and assign to a project
simple-tm parse-prd --path requirements.txt --project "Backend"

When using Claude with the MCP, you can work with projects naturally:

Can you show me all tasks for the Backend project?
What's the next task I should work on for the Frontend project?
Can you create a new task to implement user authentication for the Backend project?
Please switch to the Frontend project.

Best Practices

1. Start with a PRD: Use the parse_prd tool to quickly extract tasks from your requirements document.

2. Break down complex tasks: Use the expand_task tool to break complex tasks into manageable subtasks.

3. Set dependencies: Ensure task dependencies are properly set to maintain the correct workflow.

4. Track progress: Regularly update task statuses to keep the project moving forward.

5. Use Claude efficiently: Let Claude help you manage tasks by asking about the next task to work on or breaking down complex tasks.

6. Organize by project: Use projects to keep different parts of your work separate and organized.

License

MIT

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Made for use with Claude and Desktop Commander MCP