/task

Context

• Task description: $ARGUMENTS

Your Task

STEP 1: Parse Task Description

• EXTRACT task requirements from $ARGUMENTS
• DETERMINE project type from available files (package.json, go.mod, etc.)
• IDENTIFY task category:
  • IF contains "test" → test runner task
  • IF contains "dev" OR "serve" → development server task
  • IF contains "build" → build task
  • IF contains "format" OR "fmt" → formatting task
  • ELSE → custom command task

STEP 2: Analyze Existing Zed Configuration

• CHECK if .zed directory exists
• IF .zed/tasks.json exists:
  • READ current configuration using Read tool
  • PARSE existing task labels to avoid duplicates
  • IDENTIFY patterns in existing tasks
• ELSE:
  • PREPARE to create new tasks.json structure

STEP 3: Generate Task Configuration

CREATE task object with:

• Label: Descriptive name based on $ARGUMENTS
• Command: Appropriate command based on project type and available scripts
• Working Directory: Always use $ZED_WORKTREE_ROOT
• Terminal Settings:
  • use_new_terminal: true for servers, false for quick tasks
  • allow_concurrent_runs: true for tests/formatters, false for servers
• Reveal Behavior:
  • "always" for servers
  • "no_focus" for tests/builds
  • "never" for formatters

APPLY Zed variable best practices:

• $ZED_WORKTREE_ROOT for project-level operations
• $ZED_FILE for file-specific tasks
• $ZED_COLUMN/$ZED_ROW for cursor-aware operations

STEP 4: Create or Update tasks.json

IF .zed/tasks.json doesn't exist:

• CREATE .zed directory using Bash tool
• GENERATE new tasks.json with single task in array format
• WRITE file with proper JSON formatting

ELSE:

• READ existing tasks.json
• PARSE JSON structure
• ADD new task to existing array
• PRESERVE all existing tasks
• WRITE updated configuration using Edit tool

STEP 5: Provide Usage Instructions

• DISPLAY final task configuration in formatted JSON
• EXPLAIN Zed keyboard shortcuts:
  • cmd-shift-p → search "task: spawn"
  • task: rerun to repeat last task
  • Consider creating keybindings for frequent tasks
• DOCUMENT relevant Zed variables used in the task

Task Templates

Test Runner:

{
  "label": "Test current file",
  "command": "bun test $ZED_FILE",
  "cwd": "$ZED_WORKTREE_ROOT",
  "use_new_terminal": false,
  "allow_concurrent_runs": true,
  "reveal": "always"
}

Development Server:

{
  "label": "Start dev server",
  "command": "bun dev",
  "cwd": "$ZED_WORKTREE_ROOT",
  "use_new_terminal": true,
  "allow_concurrent_runs": false,
  "reveal": "always"
}

Formatter:

{
  "label": "Format file",
  "command": "bun fmt $ZED_FILE",
  "cwd": "$ZED_WORKTREE_ROOT",
  "use_new_terminal": false,
  "allow_concurrent_runs": true,
  "reveal": "never"
}

Zed Variables

• $ZED_WORKTREE_ROOT: Project root directory
• $ZED_FILE: Currently selected file
• $ZED_COLUMN: Current cursor column
• $ZED_ROW: Current cursor row

Usage

/tool:zed:task "run tests"
/tool:zed:task "start dev server"
/tool:zed:task "format current file"

Examples

Example 1: Test Runner

/tool:zed:task "run tests"

Creates a test task that runs the project's test command, reveals output on errors, and allows concurrent runs.

Example 2: Development Server

/tool:zed:task "start dev server"

Creates a dev server task with a new terminal, prevents concurrent runs, and always shows output.

Example 3: File Formatter

/tool:zed:task "format current file"

Creates a formatting task for the current file, never reveals output, and allows concurrent runs.

After Task Creation

1. Use cmd-shift-p and search for "task: spawn"
2. Select your task from the list
3. Use "task: rerun" to repeat the last task
4. Consider creating keybindings for frequently used tasks