Remove Streamlined

Safely remove tasks, files, or components from the orchestration system with full dependency analysis, impact assessment, and automated reference cleanup.

When to Use This Command

Run this command when...

• You need to remove a task from the orchestration system and want all dependencies and references updated automatically
• A feature or component is being deprecated and you want to cleanly detach it from the task graph
• You want impact analysis before removing anything to understand what else will be affected
• You need to clean up completed or abandoned tasks while preserving system consistency
• You are pruning stale items from the orchestration backlog with full traceability

Quick Start

Copy
# .claude/commands/remove-streamlined.md
---
name: Remove Streamlined
description: Remove tasks or components with dependency and impact analysis
command: true
---
Remove safely: $ARGUMENTS

1. Identify the target for removal
2. Analyze dependencies and downstream impact
3. Present impact report for confirmation
4. Execute removal and update all references
5. Verify system consistency

Copy
# Invoke the command
claude "/remove-streamlined TASK-003"

# Expected output
# > Analyzing TASK-003 for removal...
# > Impact Analysis:
# >   Direct dependencies: TASK-004, TASK-007 (will need re-linking)
# >   Referenced in: sprint-plan.md, status-report.md
# >   Blocked tasks: none
# > Confirm removal? [y/n]
# > Removing TASK-003...
# > Updated: TASK-004 (removed dependency), TASK-007 (removed dependency)
# > Updated: 2 documentation files
# > Removal complete. System consistency verified.

Core Concepts

Concept	Description
Impact Analysis	Scans all tasks, docs, and references to show the full effect of removal before executing
Dependency Rewiring	Automatically updates or removes dependency links in tasks that referenced the removed item
Force Mode	Bypasses confirmation prompts for scripted or batch removal scenarios
Cascade Detection	Identifies tasks that become orphaned or unblocked as a side effect of removal
Consistency Check	Post-removal verification ensures no dangling references or broken dependency chains

Remove Streamlined Pipeline
============================

  Target ID --> Impact Scan --> Dependency Map --> Confirm
      |              |               |               |
  Validate      Find all          Map upstream    Show impact
  existence     references        and downstream  to user
                                  links               |
                                                      v
                              Verify <-- Update Refs <-- Execute
                                |            |             |
                           Check for    Rewire deps    Delete task
                           danglers     Update docs    Clean files

Configuration

Parameter	Description	Default	Example	Required
$ARGUMENTS	Task ID or component name to remove	none	"TASK-003"	Yes
force	Skip confirmation prompt	false	true	No
cascade	Also remove orphaned dependent tasks	false	true	No
dry_run	Show impact analysis without executing removal	false	true	No
archive	Move to archive instead of permanent deletion	true	false	No

Best Practices

1. Always review the impact analysis -- Even for tasks you believe are isolated, the impact scan may reveal unexpected dependencies. Read the report before confirming.

2. Use dry_run for batch operations -- Before removing multiple tasks, run each with dry_run: true to understand the cumulative effect on the dependency graph.

3. Prefer archive over delete -- Keep archive: true (the default) so removed tasks can be restored if needed. Permanent deletion should be reserved for test data or duplicates.

4. Remove leaf tasks first -- When cleaning up a group of related tasks, start with tasks that have no dependents and work inward. This avoids complex cascade situations.

5. Check for blocked tasks after removal -- A removed task may have been blocking others. After removal, review newly unblocked tasks to see if they should be started.

Common Issues

Cascade removes more than expected: When cascade: true is set, deeply connected tasks can trigger chain removal. Always preview with dry_run first to see the full cascade tree.

Archived tasks still appear in reports: Some report commands include archived tasks by default. Use --exclude-archived flags in report commands or clean up the archive periodically.

Removal blocked by active dependencies: Tasks with in-progress dependents cannot be removed without force. Either complete or reassign the dependent tasks first, or use force: true with caution.