/deps
Visualize and analyze story/epic dependency graphs with critical path detection, circular dependency identification, and actionable recommendations.
Quick Start
/agileflow:depsParameters
Examples
View Complete Dependency Graph
/agileflow:depsShows ASCII graph of all stories and their dependencies with status indicators, critical path, and blocking story analysis.
Analyze Epic Dependencies
/agileflow:deps EPIC=EP-0010Visualizes dependencies only within the authentication epic, helping understand order of work.
Check Specific Story Dependencies
/agileflow:deps STORY=US-0032Shows what this story depends on and what stories depend on it, plus impact analysis.
Export as Mermaid Diagram
/agileflow:deps FORMAT=mermaidGenerates Mermaid diagram format suitable for documentation or GitHub.
Find Critical Path Only
/agileflow:deps ANALYSIS=critical-pathShows only the longest dependency path (bottleneck for project completion).
Detect Circular Dependencies
/agileflow:deps ANALYSIS=circularScans for impossible-to-complete cycles and suggests fixes.
Output Format
ASCII Graph (Default)
Story Dependency Graph
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Legend:
✅ Done 🟢 Ready 🟡 In Progress 🔵 In Review ⚪ Blocked
EP-0010: Authentication Epic
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ ✅ US-0030 - Database schema │
│ │ │
│ ├─▶ ✅ US-0031 - User model │
│ │ │ │
│ │ ├─▶ 🟡 US-0032 - Login endpoint (in-progress) │
│ │ │ │ │
│ │ │ ├─▶ 🟢 US-0033 - Login UI │
│ │ │ │ │
│ │ │ └─▶ ⚪ US-0045 - Password reset (blocked) │
│ │ │ │
│ │ └─▶ ✅ US-0034 - JWT middleware │
│ │ │
│ └─▶ 🔵 US-0035 - User registration (in-review) │
│ │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Critical Path:
US-0030 → US-0031 → US-0032 → US-0033 (11 days total)
Blocking Stories:
US-0040 blocks: US-0041, US-0042 (⚠️ High impact)
US-0032 blocks: US-0033, US-0045 (⚠️ High impact)
Circular Dependencies: None detected ✅Mermaid Diagram Format
Analysis Types
Critical Path
Shows: The longest dependency chain from start to end
Helps identify:
- Which stories are bottlenecks
- Most critical path to project completion
- Where delays have maximum impact
- Stories to prioritize for completion
Critical Path: US-0030 → US-0031 → US-0032 → US-0033
Duration: 8 days
⚠️ US-0032 is in-progress on critical path
→ Any delay here delays entire epicCircular Dependencies
Shows: Stories that depend on each other in a cycle
Example of circular dependency problem:
❌ CIRCULAR DETECTED!
Cycle: US-0050 → US-0051 → US-0052 → US-0050
Impact: ⚠️ CRITICAL - These stories cannot be completedHow to fix:
- Review architectural design
- Break dependency by introducing abstraction
- Create interface/contract story
- Refactor one story to break the cycle
Blocking Stories
Shows: Stories that block the most other work
Identifies high-impact bottlenecks:
High Impact Blockers:
┌────────┬──────────────────┬────────┬──────────────┐
│ Story │ Title │ Status │ Blocks │
├────────┼──────────────────┼────────┼──────────────┤
│ US-0040│ Stripe integ. │ 🟢 Ready│ 2 stories │
│ US-0032│ Login endpoint │ 🟡 WIP │ 2 stories │
└────────┴──────────────────┴────────┴──────────────┘
Action: Start US-0040 immediately (blocks payment epic)Story Status Indicators
Common Scenarios
Scenario: Story is High Priority But Blocked
⚪ US-0045 - Password reset (blocked)
Waiting for: US-0032 (Login endpoint, 75% done)
Recommendation:
- Check US-0032 progress daily
- Consider pairing to accelerate if delayed
- US-0045 can start as soon as US-0032 is doneScenario: Found a Circular Dependency
❌ Services have circular dependency
Current: Auth → User → Session → Auth (cycle)
Solution:
1. Create US-0055: "Auth/User service contract"
2. Make all three depend on US-0055 (new foundation)
3. Now: Auth/User/Session → US-0055 (no cycle)Scenario: Critical Path Story at Risk
US-0032 is on CRITICAL PATH but in-progress
⚠️ Currently 75% done, but original estimate was 2d
If it slips:
- US-0033 blocked (1d delay)
- US-0045 blocked (2d delay)
- Entire epic completion delayed
Recommendation:
- Daily standup on progress
- Pair if needed to accelerate
- Identify blockers immediatelyParallel Work Opportunities
Command identifies stories that can be worked in parallel:
Stories That Can Start Now (No Blockers):
EP-0010: Authentication
✅ US-0033 (Login UI) - AG-UI available
✅ US-0040 (Stripe integ.) - HIGH PRIORITY
Recommended Assignments:
AG-UI: US-0033 (ready now)
AG-API: US-0040 (high impact blocker)Integration with Other Commands
- Before sprint planning: Run
/depsto understand risks - During sprint: Monitor critical path with
/board - When investigating blockers: Use
/depsto see what depends on this story - When adding dependencies: Re-run to check for new risks
- When a story is blocked: Use
/deps STORY=US-XXXXto see the chain
Best Practices
- Check before each sprint - Dependencies can change as stories are refined
- Prioritize blocking stories - Start high-impact blockers early
- Monitor critical path - Stories on critical path deserve extra attention
- Detect cycles early - Run
/deps ANALYSIS=circularregularly - Sequence dependent work - Start foundational stories first
- Document dependencies clearly - Use story frontmatter to link dependencies
Related Commands
/sprint- Sprint planning respects dependencies/board- View sprint progress and blockers/blockers- Track and resolve blocked stories/story-validate- Validate dependencies exist/metrics- Correlate cycle time with dependency depth