Task Workflow

DAG-based intelligent task scheduling for OpenClaw agents. Resolves task dependencies via topological sort, scores complexity, and persists progress to daily markdown files across sessions.

智能任务调度系统 — 支持 DAG 依赖分析、复杂度排序、文件持久化追踪和自动归档。

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AI Agent Quick Reference

# Skill identity (SKILL.md frontmatter)
name: task-workflow        # Note: was "task-workflow-v3" before v3.1.1
version: "3.1.1"
triggers:
  - "manage tasks with dependencies"
  - "schedule tasks"
  - "DAG dependency"
  - "task backlog"
  - "init daily task file"
  - "dependency resolution"

# Runtime requirements
requires:
  bins: [python3]
  env: []

# Install
run: pip3 install pyyaml

When to invoke:

• Managing 5+ interdependent tasks that span multiple sessions
• Need automatic dependency resolution (topological sort / DAG)
• Want complexity-based task batching and ordering
• Need persistent cross-session progress tracking with auto-migration

When NOT to invoke:

• Simple sequential tasks with no dependencies
• Single-session, quick one-off work (< 3 tasks)

---

Features

Feature	Description
DAG Scheduling	Topological sort for correct dependency ordering
Complexity Scoring	1–10 scale; lower = scheduled earlier in a batch
Dynamic Insertion	Add tasks mid-execution without restart
File Persistence	Daily markdown in ~/.openclaw/workspace/task_backlog/
Auto Migration	Midnight CST moves pending tasks to next day's file
Cron Integration	OpenClaw Cron API support for daily init and cleanup

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Installation

git clone https://github.com/Charpup/openclaw-task-workflow.git \
  ~/.openclaw/skills/task-workflow
pip3 install pyyaml

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Quick Start

Python API

from lib.task_scheduler import TaskScheduler, TaskNode

tasks = [
    TaskNode(id="research",   name="Research API options", estimated_time="medium"),
    TaskNode(id="implement",  name="Implement solution",   estimated_time="long",  depends_on=["research"]),
    TaskNode(id="test",       name="Write tests",          estimated_time="short", depends_on=["implement"]),
    TaskNode(id="deploy",     name="Deploy to prod",       estimated_time="short", depends_on=["test"]),
]

scheduler = TaskScheduler(enable_persistence=True)
batches = scheduler.schedule_tasks(tasks)
# Batch 1: research
# Batch 2: implement
# Batch 3: test
# Batch 4: deploy

CLI

# Initialize today's task file
python3 cli.py init-daily

# Add tasks
python3 cli.py add research "Research API options" --time medium
python3 cli.py add implement "Implement solution" --time long --depends-on research

# List tasks (shows dependency order and current status)
python3 cli.py list

# Update status
python3 cli.py update research completed --notes "Chose REST API with OAuth"

# Log work detail
python3 cli.py log implement --detail "Started, need to handle token refresh"

# Run demo
python3 cli.py demo

---

File Persistence

Progress is saved to daily markdown files at:

~/.openclaw/workspace/task_backlog/
├── task-workflow-progress-2026-02-24.md   # archived
├── task-workflow-progress-2026-02-25.md   # today (active)
└── task-workflow-progress-2026-02-26.md   # pre-created

Each file contains:

• Task definitions with IDs, status, dependencies, and complexity scores
• Batch schedule (dependency-ordered groups)
• Session logs per task
• Timestamps for all state transitions

Pending tasks auto-migrate to the next day's file at midnight CST.

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Complexity Scoring Guide

Score	Meaning	Examples
1–3	Simple, well-understood	Documentation, config changes
4–6	Moderate, some unknowns	New API integration, refactor
7–10	Complex, high uncertainty	Distributed system design, perf optimization

Lower complexity = scheduled earlier within a batch (to unblock dependents sooner).

---

Cron Configuration

python3 cli.py setup-cron

Default schedule (uses OpenClaw Cron API):

Schedule	Job
0 0 * * * (midnight CST)	Initialize new daily task file
0 1 * * * (1 AM CST)	Clean up files older than 30 days

---

Evals

Test cases in evals/evals.json follow the skill-creator standard:

ID	Scenario	Expected Trigger
1	Schedule 5 tasks with DAG dependencies	✅ Yes
2	Initialize today's daily task file	✅ Yes
3	Mark a task completed with notes	✅ Yes

---

Version History

Version	Changes
v3.1.1	Fix name: task-workflow-v3 → name: task-workflow (kebab-case compliance); add metadata.openclaw; add evals/evals.json
v3.0.0	V3 rewrite: file persistence, auto-archive, cron integration, cli.py

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Integration: TriadDev Golden Triangle

This skill is the scheduling backbone of the TriadDev workflow:

📋 planning-with-files   →   📊 task-workflow   →   🧪 tdd-sdd-development
  (task_plan.md)              (batch schedule)         (SPEC.yaml + tests)

Use triadev to orchestrate all three with one command.

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Testing

pytest tests/ -v

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License

MIT — Charpup

Changelog

• 2026-03-11: Skill audit upgrade — normalized SKILL.md frontmatter to name + description, revalidated trigger wording, and rechecked lightweight lint/smoke compatibility with OpenClaw.