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Developer documentation > DataRobot CLI > Command reference > dr task

dr task

Manage Taskfile composition and task execution for DataRobot templates.

Synopsis

dr task [command] [flags]

Description

The task command group provides utilities for working with Taskfiles in DataRobot application templates. It includes subcommands for composing unified Taskfiles from multiple component Taskfiles and executing tasks. In Agentic AI workflows, you use dr task run deploy to deploy agents and dr task run dev (or task dev) for local development.

Subcommands

  • compose—compose a unified Taskfile from component Taskfiles.
  • list—list available tasks.
  • run—execute template tasks.

dr task compose

Generate a root Taskfile.yaml by discovering and aggregating Taskfiles from subdirectories.

Synopsis

dr task compose [flags]

Description

The compose command automatically discovers Taskfiles in component directories and generates a unified root Taskfile.yaml that includes all components and aggregates common tasks. This allows you to run tasks across multiple components from a single entry point.

Key features:

  • Automatic discovery—finds Taskfiles up to 2 levels deep in subdirectories.
  • Task aggregation—discovers common tasks (lint, install, dev, deploy) and creates top-level tasks that delegate to components.
  • Template support—uses customizable Go templates for flexible Taskfile generation.
  • Auto-discovery—automatically detects .Taskfile.template in the root directory.
  • Gitignore integration—adds generated Taskfile to .gitignore automatically.

Options

  -t, --template string   Path to custom Taskfile template
  -h, --help              Help for compose

Global options

  -v, --verbose    Enable verbose output
      --debug      Enable debug output

Template requirements

To use dr task compose, your directory must meet these requirements:

  1. Contains a .env file—indicates you're in a DataRobot template directory.
  2. Contains component Taskfiles—subdirectories with Taskfile.yaml or Taskfile.yml files.
  3. No dotenv conflicts—component Taskfiles cannot have their own dotenv directives.

Directory structure

Expected directory structure:

my-template/
├── .env                          # Required: template marker
├── .Taskfile.template           # Optional: custom template
├── .taskfile-data.yaml          # Optional: template configuration
├── Taskfile.yaml                # Generated: unified taskfile
├── backend/
│   ├── Taskfile.yaml            # Component tasks
│   └── src/
├── frontend/
│   ├── Taskfile.yaml            # Component tasks
│   └── src/
└── infra/
    ├── Taskfile.yaml            # Component tasks
    └── terraform/

Examples

Basic composition

Generate a Taskfile using the default embedded template:

dr task compose

Output: 

Generated file saved to: Taskfile.yaml
Added /Taskfile.yaml line to .gitignore

This creates a Taskfile.yaml with: - Environment configuration - Includes for all discovered components - Aggregated tasks (lint, install, dev, deploy)

With auto-discovered template

If .Taskfile.template exists in the root directory:

dr task compose

Output: 

Using auto-discovered template: .Taskfile.template
Generated file saved to: Taskfile.yaml

The command automatically uses your custom template.

With custom template

Specify a custom template explicitly:

dr task compose --template templates/custom.yaml

This uses your custom template for generation instead of the embedded default.

Template in subdirectory

dr task compose --template .datarobot/taskfile.template

Generated Taskfile structure

The default generated Taskfile.yaml includes:

---
# https://taskfile.dev
version: '3'
env:
  ENV: testing
dotenv: ['.env', '.env.{{.ENV}}']

includes:
  backend:
    taskfile: ./backend/Taskfile.yaml
    dir: ./backend
  frontend:
    taskfile: ./frontend/Taskfile.yaml
    dir: ./frontend
  infra:
    taskfile: ./infra/Taskfile.yaml
    dir: ./infra

tasks:
  default:
    desc: "ℹ️ Show all available tasks (run `task --list-all` to see hidden tasks)"
    cmds:
      - task --list --sort none
    silent: true

  start:
    desc: "💻 Prepare local development environment"
    cmds:
      - dr dotenv setup
      - task: install

  lint:
    desc: "🧹 Run linters"
    cmds:
      - task: backend:lint
      - task: frontend:lint

  install:
    desc: "🛠️ Install all dependencies"
    cmds:
      - task: backend:install
      - task: frontend:install
      - task: infra:install

  test:
    desc: "🧪 Run tests across all components"
    cmds:
      - task: backend:test
      - task: frontend:test

  dev:
    desc: "🚀 Run all services together"
    cmds:
      - |
        task backend:dev &
        sleep 3
        task frontend:dev &
        sleep 8
        echo "✅ All servers started!"
        wait

  deploy:
    desc: "🚀 Deploy all services"
    cmds:
      - task: infra:deploy
      - task: backend:deploy

  deploy-dev:
    desc: "🚀 Deploy all services to development"
    cmds:
      - task: infra:deploy-dev
      - task: backend:deploy-dev

Task aggregation

The compose command discovers these common tasks in component Taskfiles:

  • lint—code linting and formatting.
  • install—dependency installation.
  • test—running test suites.
  • dev—development server startup.
  • deploy—production deployment operations.
  • deploy-dev—development deployment operations.

For each discovered task type, it creates a top-level task that delegates to all components that have that task.

Custom templates

Create a custom template to control the generated Taskfile structure.

Template file example

Save as .Taskfile.template:

---
version: '3'
env:
  ENV: production
dotenv: ['.env', '.env.{{.ENV}}']

includes:
  {{- range .Includes }}
  {{ .Name }}:
    taskfile: {{ .Taskfile }}
    dir: {{ .Dir }}
  {{- end }}

tasks:
  default:
    desc: "Show available tasks"
    cmds:
      - task --list

  {{- if .HasLint }}
  lint:
    desc: "Run linters"
    cmds:
      {{- range .LintComponents }}
      - task: {{ . }}:lint
      {{- end }}
  {{- end }}

  {{- if .HasInstall }}
  install:
    desc: "Install dependencies"
    cmds:
      {{- range .InstallComponents }}
      - task: {{ . }}:install
      {{- end }}
  {{- end }}

  {{- if .HasTest }}
  test:
    desc: "Run tests"
    cmds:
      {{- range .TestComponents }}
      - task: {{ . }}:test
      {{- end }}
  {{- end }}

  # Custom task
  check:
    desc: "Run all checks"
    cmds:
      - task: lint
      - task: test

Template variables

Templates have access to these variables:

Includes (array): - .Name—component name (e.g., "backend"). - .Taskfile—relative path to Taskfile (e.g., "./backend/Taskfile.yaml"). - .Dir—relative directory path (e.g., "./backend").

Task flags (boolean): - .HasLint—true if any component has a lint task. - .HasInstall—true if any component has an install task. - .HasTest—true if any component has a test task. - .HasDev—true if any component has a dev task. - .HasDeploy—true if any component has a deploy task. - .HasDeployDev—true if any component has a deploy-dev task.

Task components (arrays): - .LintComponents—component names with lint tasks. - .InstallComponents—component names with install tasks. - .TestComponents—component names with test tasks. - .DevComponents—component names with dev tasks. - .DeployComponents—component names with deploy tasks. - .DeployDevComponents—component names with deploy-dev tasks.

Development ports (array): - .DevPorts[].Name—service name. - .DevPorts[].Port—port number.

Example: minimal template

version: '3'
dotenv: ['.env']

includes:
  {{- range .Includes }}
  {{ .Name }}:
    taskfile: {{ .Taskfile }}
    dir: {{ .Dir }}
  {{- end }}

tasks:
  default:
    cmds:
      - task --list

Example: extensive aggregation

version: '3'
dotenv: ['.env']

includes:
  {{- range .Includes }}
  {{ .Name }}:
    taskfile: {{ .Taskfile }}
    dir: {{ .Dir }}
  {{- end }}

tasks:
  {{- if .HasLint }}
  lint:
    desc: "Run all linters"
    cmds:
      {{- range .LintComponents }}
      - task: {{ . }}:lint
      {{- end }}
  {{- end }}

  {{- if .HasInstall }}
  install:
    desc: "Install all dependencies"
    cmds:
      {{- range .InstallComponents }}
      - task: {{ . }}:install
      {{- end }}
  {{- end }}

  {{- if .HasTest }}
  test:
    desc: "Run all tests"
    cmds:
      {{- range .TestComponents }}
      - task: {{ . }}:test
      {{- end }}
  {{- end }}

  {{- if .HasDev }}
  dev:
    desc: "Start all services"
    cmds:
      {{- range .DevComponents }}
      - task: {{ . }}:dev
      {{- end }}
  {{- end }}

  {{- if .HasDeploy }}
  deploy:
    desc: "Deploy to production"
    cmds:
      {{- range .DeployComponents }}
      - task: {{ . }}:deploy
      {{- end }}
  {{- end }}

  {{- if .HasDeployDev }}
  deploy-dev:
    desc: "Deploy to development"
    cmds:
      {{- range .DeployDevComponents }}
      - task: {{ . }}:deploy-dev
      {{- end }}
  {{- end }}

  ci:
    desc: "Run CI pipeline"
    cmds:
      - task: lint
      - task: test
      - task: build

Gitignore integration

The compose command automatically adds the generated Taskfile to .gitignore:

/Taskfile.yaml

This prevents committing the generated file to version control. Each developer generates their own version based on their local component structure.

If you want to commit the generated Taskfile, remove it from .gitignore.

Error handling

Not in a template directory

You don't seem to be in a DataRobot Template directory.
This command requires a .env file to be present.

Solution: Navigate to a template directory or run dr templates setup.

No Taskfiles found

no Taskfiles found in child directories

Solution: Add Taskfiles to component directories or adjust your directory structure.

Dotenv conflict

Error: Cannot generate Taskfile because an existing Taskfile already has a dotenv directive.
existing Taskfile already has dotenv directive: backend/Taskfile.yaml

Solution: Remove dotenv directives from component Taskfiles. The root Taskfile handles environment loading.

Template not found

Error: template file not found: /path/to/template.yaml

Solution: Check the template path and ensure the file exists.

Best practices

Keep components independent

Each component Taskfile should be self-contained:

# backend/Taskfile.yaml
version: '3'

tasks:
  dev:
    desc: Start backend server
    cmds:
      - python -m uvicorn src.app.main:app --reload

  test:
    desc: Run tests
    cmds:
      - pytest

  lint:
    desc: Run linters
    cmds:
      - ruff check .
      - mypy .

Use consistent task names

Use the same task names across components for automatic aggregation:

  • lint—linting.
  • install—dependency installation.
  • test—testing.
  • dev—development server.
  • build—building artifacts.
  • deploy—production deployment.
  • deploy-dev—development deployment.

Commit custom templates

If using a custom template, commit it to version control:

git add .Taskfile.template
git commit -m "Add custom Taskfile template"

Configure development ports

Optionally create a .taskfile-data.yaml file to display service URLs in the dev task. See Taskfile data configuration for complete documentation.

Document custom variables

If your template uses custom variables, document them:

# .Taskfile.template
#
# Custom variables:
# - PROJECT_NAME: Set in .env
# - DEPLOY_TARGET: Set in .env
#
version: '3'
# ...

Test template changes

After modifying a template, regenerate and test:

dr task compose --template .Taskfile.template
task --list
task dev

Taskfile data configuration

Template authors can provide additional configuration for Taskfile generation by creating a .taskfile-data.yaml file in the template root directory.

File location

my-template/
├── .env
├── .taskfile-data.yaml          # Configuration file
├── Taskfile.yaml                # Generated
└── components/

Configuration format

# .taskfile-data.yaml
# Optional configuration for dr task compose

# Development server ports
# Displayed when running the dev task
ports:
  - name: Backend API
    port: 8080
  - name: Frontend
    port: 5173
  - name: Worker Service
    port: 8842
  - name: MCP Server
    port: 9000

Port configuration

Purpose:

The ports array allows template authors to specify which ports their services use. When developers run task dev, they see URLs for each service.

Example output:

When developers run task dev with port configuration:

task mcp_server:dev &
sleep 3
task web:dev &
sleep 3
task writer_agent:dev &
sleep 3
task frontend_web:dev &
sleep 8
✅ All servers started!
🔗 Backend API: http://localhost:8080
🔗 Frontend: http://localhost:5173
🔗 Worker Service: http://localhost:8842
🔗 MCP Server: http://localhost:9000

DataRobot Notebook integration:

The generated dev task automatically detects DataRobot Notebook environments and adjusts URLs:

🔗 Backend API: https://app.datarobot.com/notebook-sessions/abc123/ports/8080
🔗 Frontend: https://app.datarobot.com/notebook-sessions/abc123/ports/5173

This happens automatically when the NOTEBOOK_ID environment variable is present.

Benefits:

  • Improved onboarding—new developers immediately know where services are running.
  • Self-documenting—ports are visible in generated Taskfile and command output.
  • Notebook support—URLs work correctly in DataRobot Notebooks.
  • Reduced confusion—no need to check logs or documentation for port numbers.

Best practices:

  1. List all services—include every service that starts in dev mode.
  2. Use descriptive names—"Backend API" is clearer than "Backend".
  3. Match actual ports—ensure ports match what's in component Taskfiles.
  4. Update when changing—keep configuration in sync with service changes.

When to use this file

Use .taskfile-data.yaml when:

  • Your template has multiple services with different ports.
  • Services use non-standard ports that aren't obvious.
  • You want to improve developer experience.
  • Your template targets DataRobot Notebooks.

You can skip it when:

  • Your template has a single service.
  • Ports are obvious or standard (e.g., 3000 for Node.js).
  • You use custom Taskfile templates with hardcoded values.
  • Port information is already well-documented elsewhere.

File is optional

The .taskfile-data.yaml file is completely optional. If not present:

  • The dev task still works correctly.
  • Services start normally.
  • Port URLs simply aren't displayed.

This allows template authors to add port configuration incrementally without breaking existing templates.

Future extensibility

The .taskfile-data.yaml file uses an extensible format. Future CLI versions may support additional configuration options such as:

  • Custom environment variables for templates.
  • Service metadata (descriptions, dependencies).
  • Deployment configuration.
  • Build optimization hints.

Template authors can future-proof their templates by using this configuration file even if only specifying ports initially.

Example templates

Minimal example:

# .taskfile-data.yaml
ports:
  - name: App
    port: 8000

Full-stack application:

# .taskfile-data.yaml
ports:
  - name: Backend API
    port: 8080
  - name: Frontend
    port: 5173
  - name: Database Admin
    port: 8081
  - name: Redis Commander
    port: 8082

Microservices architecture:

# .taskfile-data.yaml
ports:
  - name: API Gateway
    port: 8080
  - name: Auth Service
    port: 8081
  - name: User Service
    port: 8082
  - name: Order Service
    port: 8083
  - name: Frontend
    port: 3000
  - name: Admin Dashboard
    port: 3001

Workflow integration

Initial setup

# Clone template
dr templates clone python-fullstack my-app
cd my-app

# Set up environment
dr dotenv setup

# Generate Taskfile
dr task compose

# View available tasks
task --list

Development workflow

# Add new component
mkdir new-service
cat > new-service/Taskfile.yaml << 'EOF'
version: '3'
tasks:
  dev:
    desc: Start new service
    cmds:
      - echo "Starting service..."
EOF

# Regenerate Taskfile
dr task compose

# Run all services
task dev

Template updates

When components change:

# Regenerate Taskfile
dr task compose

# Verify new structure
task --list

dr task list

List all available tasks from composed Taskfile.

Synopsis

dr task list [flags]

Description

Lists all tasks available in the current template, including tasks from all component Taskfiles.

Examples

# List all tasks
dr task list

# Show with full task tree
task --list-all

dr task run

Execute template tasks. This is an alias for dr run.

Synopsis

dr task run [TASK_NAME...] [flags]

Description

Execute one or more tasks defined in component Taskfiles. See dr run for full documentation.

Examples

# Run single task
dr task run dev

# Run multiple tasks
dr task run lint test

# Run in parallel
dr task run lint test --parallel

See also