eyaltoledano/claude-task-master · error

CORE_FUNCTION_ERROR

CORE_FUNCTION_ERROR

Error message

${result?.message || 'Core function failed to parse PRD or returned unexpected result.'}

What it means

After invoking the core parsePRD, the wrapper checks for result.success (parse-prd.js:187-201). If the core function returns without a success flag — a failure structure, an unexpected shape, or undefined — the wrapper reports CORE_FUNCTION_ERROR, preferring the core function's own `message` and falling back to a generic explanation. It signals the PRD parsing pipeline itself reported failure rather than an argument/filesystem problem.

Source

Thrown at mcp-server/src/core/direct-functions/parse-prd.js:195

			logWrapper.success(successMsg);
			return {
				success: true,
				data: {
					message: successMsg,
					outputPath: result.tasksPath,
					telemetryData: result.telemetryData,
					tagInfo: result.tagInfo
				}
			};
		} else {
			// Handle case where core function didn't return expected success structure
			logWrapper.error(
				'Core parsePRD function did not return a successful structure.'
			);
			return {
				success: false,
				error: {
					code: 'CORE_FUNCTION_ERROR',
					message:
						result?.message ||
						'Core function failed to parse PRD or returned unexpected result.'
				}
			};
		}
	} catch (error) {
		logWrapper.error(`Error executing core parsePRD: ${error.message}`);
		return {
			success: false,
			error: {
				code: 'PARSE_PRD_CORE_ERROR',
				message: error.message || 'Unknown error parsing PRD'
			}
		};
	} finally {
		if (!wasSilent && isSilentMode()) {
			disableSilentMode();

View on GitHub (pinned to c0c98d367c)

Solutions

1. Read `error.message` in the response — it carries the core function's own failure message when available.
2. If it mentions existing tasks, re-run with force: true (overwrite) or append: true (merge).
3. Verify AI provider credentials/environment (API keys) are available to the MCP server process.
4. Confirm package versions of the MCP server and scripts/core are in sync, since shape mismatches produce the generic fallback message.
5. Inspect the PRD content — empty or non-requirements documents can yield a failed parse.

Example fix

// before
await parsePRDDirect({ projectRoot, input: prd }, log);
// CORE_FUNCTION_ERROR: Task file already exists...

// after — explicitly choose overwrite or append
await parsePRDDirect({ projectRoot, input: prd, force: true }, log);

if (!process.env.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY && !process.env.PERPLEXITY_API_KEY) {
  console.warn('No AI provider keys detected; parse_prd core may fail.');
}
const fs = require('fs');
if (fs.existsSync(tasksOutputPath) && !force && !append) {
  console.warn('tasks.json exists; pass force or append to avoid core refusal.');
}

function isCoreFunctionError(result) {
  return result != null && result.success === false && result.error?.code === 'CORE_FUNCTION_ERROR';
}

const result = await parsePRDDirect({ projectRoot, input, force, append }, log);
if (isCoreFunctionError(result)) {
  console.error('parse-prd core failed:', result.error.message);
  // act on the core message: credentials, existing tasks.json (force/append), PRD content
}

When it happens

Trigger: Core parsePRD resolves with { success: false, message } (e.g. AI provider failure, no tasks generated, force/append conflict handling) or returns an unexpected structure (null/undefined/partial result).

Common situations: Missing or invalid AI API keys so the core generation fails; the PRD produced zero parseable tasks; a version mismatch where the core parsePRD returns a shape this wrapper doesn't recognize; an existing tasks.json without --force/--append causing the core function to decline overwriting.

Understand the failure class

• Parsing and encoding errors: unexpected token, malformed input — why parsers reject input and how to find the real culprit.

Related errors

• CORE_FUNCTION_ERROR
• CORE_FUNCTION_ERROR
• CORE_FUNCTION_ERROR
• ANALYZE_CORE_ERROR
• UNEXPECTED_ERROR

AI-assisted analysis of eyaltoledano/claude-task-master@c0c98d367c (2026-08-29). Data as JSON: /api/errors/f89c6919b39f780f. Report an issue: GitHub.