Mcp.TaskAndResearch 1.0.0-beta1

MCP Task and Research Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for task management and research workflows, with an optional Blazor Server UI dashboard.

Quick Start (5 minutes)

Step 1: Clone & Publish

git clone https://github.com/your-repo/mcp-task-and-research.git
cd mcp-task-and-research
dotnet publish src/Mcp.TaskAndResearch/Mcp.TaskAndResearch.csproj -c Release -o ./publish

Step 2: Add VS Code MCP Configuration

Create or edit .vscode/mcp.json in any project where you want to use the task manager:

{
  "servers": {
    "task-and-research": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "dotnet",
      "args": [
        "C:/path/to/mcp-task-and-research/publish/Mcp.TaskAndResearch.dll"
      ],
      "env": {
        "DATA_DIR": "C:/path/to/your-project/.mcp-tasks",
        "TASK_MANAGER_UI": "true",
        "TASK_MANAGER_UI_AUTO_OPEN": "true"
      }
    }
  }
}

Important: Use absolute paths for both the DLL and DATA_DIR to ensure the server works correctly regardless of the working directory.

Example Configuration (Windows)

{
  "servers": {
    "task-and-research": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "dotnet",
      "args": [
        "C:\\dg-task manager\\mcp-task-and-research\\publish\\Mcp.TaskAndResearch.dll"
      ],
      "env": {
        "DATA_DIR": "C:\\projects\\my-project\\.mcp-tasks",
        "TASK_MANAGER_UI": "true",
        "TASK_MANAGER_UI_AUTO_OPEN": "true"
      }
    }
  }
}

Step 3: Start Using

1. Reload VS Code or use "Developer: Reload Window" (Ctrl+Shift+P)
2. The browser opens automatically to the Tasks UI (if TASK_MANAGER_UI_AUTO_OPEN=true)
3. Use MCP tools via Copilot/Claude: plan_task, execute_task, verify_task, etc.

Environment Variables

Features

MCP Tools

• Task Management: Create, update, split, verify, and manage tasks with dependencies
• Research Mode: In-depth exploration of programming topics
• Process Thought: Record structured reasoning steps
• Project Rules: Initialize and manage project conventions

Blazor UI Dashboard

When TASK_MANAGER_UI=true:

• Tasks View: DataGrid with sorting, filtering, search, status indicators
• Task Details: Dialog for viewing/editing tasks, dependencies, related files
• History View: Browse all task activity including archived tasks (see below)
• Settings View: Configure preferences, theme, language

History & Task Archival

When you clear the task list (via clear_all_tasks MCP tool or UI), completed tasks are automatically saved to snapshot files in the memories/ folder. The History View displays:

• Active tasks: Current tasks from tasks.json
• Archived tasks: Previously cleared tasks from all snapshot files

This means you never lose visibility into past work - cleared tasks remain viewable in History indefinitely.

UI Features

• Dark/Light Theme: Toggle with persistent preference
• Keyboard Shortcuts: Ctrl+N (new), Ctrl+F (search), Ctrl+S (save), Ctrl+R (refresh), Esc (close), ? (help)
• Responsive Layout: Mobile-friendly with adaptive navigation
• Real-time Updates: Tasks sync instantly between MCP and UI
• Error Handling: User-friendly error messages with recovery

Architecture

How It Works

┌─────────────────┐     ┌──────────────────┐
│   MCP Client    │────▶│  MCP Server      │
│ (Copilot/Claude)│     │  (stdio)         │
└─────────────────┘     └────────┬─────────┘
                                 │
                        ┌────────▼─────────┐
                        │   Shared DI      │
                        │   Container      │
                        └────────┬─────────┘
                                 │
              ┌──────────────────┼──────────────────┐
              │                  │                  │
     ┌────────▼────────┐ ┌──────▼───────┐ ┌───────▼───────┐
     │   TaskStore     │ │ MemoryStore  │ │  RulesStore   │
     │   (tasks)       │ │ (context)    │ │  (conventions)│
     └────────┬────────┘ └──────────────┘ └───────────────┘
              │
     ┌────────▼────────┐
     │  Blazor UI      │  (optional, auto-port)
     │  (MudBlazor)    │
     └─────────────────┘

• Shared Services: UI and MCP share the same data stores via DI
• Real-time Sync: Changes via MCP tools appear instantly in UI and vice versa
• Conditional Hosting: UI only starts when TASK_MANAGER_UI=true

Project Structure

src/Mcp.TaskAndResearch/
├── Config/           # Configuration and path resolution
├── Data/             # TaskStore, MemoryStore, data models
├── Prompts/          # Prompt template builders
├── Server/           # MCP server configuration
├── Tools/            # MCP tool implementations
├── UI/               # Blazor UI (when enabled)
│   ├── Components/   # Razor components
│   ├── Services/     # UI services
│   └── Theme/        # MudBlazor theme
└── wwwroot/          # Static assets

Development

Prerequisites

• .NET 9 SDK
• VS Code with GitHub Copilot or Claude extension

Build from Source

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/your-repo/mcp-task-and-research.git
cd mcp-task-and-research

# Build (debug)
dotnet build

# Run tests
dotnet test

# Publish release build
dotnet publish src/Mcp.TaskAndResearch/Mcp.TaskAndResearch.csproj -c Release -o ./publish

Rebuilding After Updates

When you pull updates from the repository:

cd mcp-task-and-research
git pull
dotnet publish src/Mcp.TaskAndResearch/Mcp.TaskAndResearch.csproj -c Release -o ./publish

Note: You must stop the MCP server before republishing (reload VS Code or close it), otherwise the DLL will be locked.

Run Standalone (Development)

For development without an MCP client:

# MCP server only (no UI)
dotnet run --project src/Mcp.TaskAndResearch

# With UI enabled
set TASK_MANAGER_UI=true && dotnet run --project src/Mcp.TaskAndResearch
# Then open http://localhost:9998

Using dotnet run vs Published DLL

For production use, always use the published DLL - it's faster to start and doesn't require recompilation.

Known Limitations

1. JSON File Storage: Tasks are persisted to DATA_DIR/tasks.json - changes from both UI and MCP tools are saved immediately
2. Single Project: Currently reads from one DATA_DIR; no multi-project switching in UI
3. No Authentication: UI has no auth; use for local development only
4. SignalR Reconnection: Brief stale data possible during connection recovery

License

MIT License - See LICENSE file for details