From 9b95e758f4f1fb2021721a939da4af738835e3a8 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Valentin Maerten <maerten.valentin@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 18 Dec 2025 21:50:00 +0100
Subject: [PATCH] fix: cli variables should take priority over aaskfile
 defaults (#2589)

When using `task FOO=bar` with a Taskfile containing
`FOO: '{{.FOO | default "foo"}}'`, the CLI value was being
overwritten by the Taskfile default.

Split the variable merging into two steps:
1. Merge CLI variables (FOO=bar) first so they override Taskfile vars
2. ReverseMerge special variables (CLI_ARGS, CLI_FORCE, etc.) so
   they're available for templating in Taskfile vars

Fixes regression introduced in #2403.

Co-authored-by: Timothy Rule <timothy.rule@gmail.com>
---
 cmd/task/task.go                              | 21 ++++++++++++-------
 executor_test.go                              | 17 +++++++++++++++
 testdata/vars/Taskfile.yml                    |  7 +++++++
 .../TestVars-cli-var-priority-default.golden  |  1 +
 .../TestVars-cli-var-priority-override.golden |  1 +
 5 files changed, 39 insertions(+), 8 deletions(-)
 create mode 100644 testdata/vars/testdata/TestVars-cli-var-priority-default.golden
 create mode 100644 testdata/vars/testdata/TestVars-cli-var-priority-override.golden

diff --git a/cmd/task/task.go b/cmd/task/task.go
index 766eac56..b81e23dd 100644
--- a/cmd/task/task.go
+++ b/cmd/task/task.go
@@ -172,18 +172,23 @@ func run() error {
 		calls = append(calls, &task.Call{Task: "default"})
 	}
 
+	// Merge CLI variables first (e.g. FOO=bar) so they take priority over Taskfile defaults
+	e.Taskfile.Vars.Merge(globals, nil)
+
+	// Then ReverseMerge special variables so they're available for templating
 	cliArgsPostDashQuoted, err := args.ToQuotedString(cliArgsPostDash)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	globals.Set("CLI_ARGS", ast.Var{Value: cliArgsPostDashQuoted})
-	globals.Set("CLI_ARGS_LIST", ast.Var{Value: cliArgsPostDash})
-	globals.Set("CLI_FORCE", ast.Var{Value: flags.Force || flags.ForceAll})
-	globals.Set("CLI_SILENT", ast.Var{Value: flags.Silent})
-	globals.Set("CLI_VERBOSE", ast.Var{Value: flags.Verbose})
-	globals.Set("CLI_OFFLINE", ast.Var{Value: flags.Offline})
-	globals.Set("CLI_ASSUME_YES", ast.Var{Value: flags.AssumeYes})
-	e.Taskfile.Vars.ReverseMerge(globals, nil)
+	specialVars := ast.NewVars()
+	specialVars.Set("CLI_ARGS", ast.Var{Value: cliArgsPostDashQuoted})
+	specialVars.Set("CLI_ARGS_LIST", ast.Var{Value: cliArgsPostDash})
+	specialVars.Set("CLI_FORCE", ast.Var{Value: flags.Force || flags.ForceAll})
+	specialVars.Set("CLI_SILENT", ast.Var{Value: flags.Silent})
+	specialVars.Set("CLI_VERBOSE", ast.Var{Value: flags.Verbose})
+	specialVars.Set("CLI_OFFLINE", ast.Var{Value: flags.Offline})
+	specialVars.Set("CLI_ASSUME_YES", ast.Var{Value: flags.AssumeYes})
+	e.Taskfile.Vars.ReverseMerge(specialVars, nil)
 	if !flags.Watch {
 		e.InterceptInterruptSignals()
 	}
diff --git a/executor_test.go b/executor_test.go
index 48a18807..8649ebdc 100644
--- a/executor_test.go
+++ b/executor_test.go
@@ -263,6 +263,23 @@ func TestVars(t *testing.T) {
 			task.WithSilent(true),
 		),
 	)
+	NewExecutorTest(t,
+		WithName("cli-var-priority-default"),
+		WithExecutorOptions(
+			task.WithDir("testdata/vars"),
+			task.WithSilent(true),
+		),
+		WithTask("cli-var-priority"),
+	)
+	NewExecutorTest(t,
+		WithName("cli-var-priority-override"),
+		WithExecutorOptions(
+			task.WithDir("testdata/vars"),
+			task.WithSilent(true),
+		),
+		WithTask("cli-var-priority"),
+		WithVar("CLI_VAR", "from_cli"),
+	)
 }
 
 func TestRequires(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/testdata/vars/Taskfile.yml b/testdata/vars/Taskfile.yml
index 621a7afb..80db9034 100644
--- a/testdata/vars/Taskfile.yml
+++ b/testdata/vars/Taskfile.yml
@@ -49,3 +49,10 @@ tasks:
       - echo "{{.MESSAGE}}"
 
   from-dot-env: echo '{{.DOT_ENV_VAR}}'
+
+  # Test that CLI variables take priority over Taskfile defaults
+  cli-var-priority:
+    vars:
+      CLI_VAR: '{{.CLI_VAR | default "default_value"}}'
+    cmds:
+      - echo '{{.CLI_VAR}}'
diff --git a/testdata/vars/testdata/TestVars-cli-var-priority-default.golden b/testdata/vars/testdata/TestVars-cli-var-priority-default.golden
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c7f94014
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testdata/vars/testdata/TestVars-cli-var-priority-default.golden
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+default_value
diff --git a/testdata/vars/testdata/TestVars-cli-var-priority-override.golden b/testdata/vars/testdata/TestVars-cli-var-priority-override.golden
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..874da498
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testdata/vars/testdata/TestVars-cli-var-priority-override.golden
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+from_cli