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+# RFC: Enhanced `dependsOn` Syntax
+
+## Background
+
+Today, `dependsOn` entries can only refer to a single task by name (`"build"`) or by package-qualified name (`"pkg#build"`). A common pattern in monorepo task runners is "run `build` in all transitive dependencies first" — tools like Nx (`^build`) and Turborepo (`^build`) support this, but each introduces its own symbol with its own meaning.
+
+The CLI already supports package selection through flags like `--recursive`, `--transitive`, and `--filter`. Rather than invent yet another DSL with new symbols, we reuse the exact same mental model and syntax from `vp run`.
+
+### Design principle
+
+**No new mental models.** If you know how to write `vp run`, you know how to write a `dependsOn` entry. The flag names, filter syntax, and task specifier format are identical.
+
+## Current Syntax
+
+```jsonc
+{
+  "tasks": {
+    "test": {
+      "dependsOn": [
+        "build", // same-package task
+        "utils#build", // task in a specific package
+      ],
+    },
+  },
+}
+```
+
+These simple forms remain valid and unchanged under both proposed styles.
+
+## Proposed Syntax
+
+### Style 1: CLI string syntax
+
+Each `dependsOn` element is a string (or array of strings) written exactly as you would type CLI arguments to `vp run`:
+
+```jsonc
+{
+  "tasks": {
+    "test": {
+      "dependsOn": [
+        // Existing syntax — still works
+        "build",
+        "utils#build",
+
+        // Run `build` across all workspace packages
+        "--recursive build",
+
+        // Run `build` in current package and its transitive dependencies
+        "--transitive build",
+
+        // Run `build` in packages matching a filter
+        "--filter @myorg/core build",
+        "--filter @myorg/core... build", // @myorg/core and its deps
+
+        // Array form — each element is one CLI token
+        ["--filter", "@myorg/core", "build"],
+        ["--transitive", "build"],
+      ],
+    },
+  },
+}
+```
+
+The parser splits a string element on whitespace (like a shell would) and interprets the tokens as `vp run` arguments. The array form avoids splitting entirely — useful when a filter value contains whitespace or for explicitness.
+
+**Supported flags:**
+
+| Flag                 | Short          | Meaning                                                            |
+| -------------------- | -------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------ |
+| `--recursive`        | `-r`           | All workspace packages                                             |
+| `--transitive`       | `-t`           | Current package + its transitive dependencies                      |
+| `--filter <pattern>` | `-F <pattern>` | Packages matching a [filter expression](https://pnpm.io/filtering) |
+| `--workspace-root`   | `-w`           | The workspace root package                                         |
+
+Everything after the flags is the task specifier (e.g. `build`, `pkg#task`).
+
+### Style 2: Object syntax
+
+Each `dependsOn` element can be an object whose keys mirror the CLI flag names:
+
+```jsonc
+{
+  "tasks": {
+    "test": {
+      "dependsOn": [
+        // Existing syntax — still works as plain strings
+        "build",
+        "utils#build",
+
+        // Run `build` across all workspace packages
+        { "recursive": true, "task": "build" },
+
+        // Run `build` in current package and its transitive dependencies
+        { "transitive": true, "task": "build" },
+
+        // Run `build` in packages matching a filter
+        { "filter": "@myorg/core", "task": "build" },
+        { "filter": "@myorg/core...", "task": "build" },
+
+        // Multiple filters
+        { "filter": ["@myorg/core", "@myorg/utils"], "task": "build" },
+
+        // Workspace root
+        { "workspaceRoot": true, "task": "build" },
+      ],
+    },
+  },
+}
+```
+
+**Object fields:**
+
+| Field           | Type                 | Meaning                                                    |
+| --------------- | -------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- |
+| `task`          | `string`             | **Required.** Task specifier (`"build"` or `"pkg#build"`). |
+| `recursive`     | `boolean`            | Select all workspace packages.                             |
+| `transitive`    | `boolean`            | Select current package + transitive dependencies.          |
+| `filter`        | `string \| string[]` | Select packages by filter expression(s).                   |
+| `workspaceRoot` | `boolean`            | Select the workspace root package.                         |
+
+The same validation rules from the CLI apply:
+
+- `recursive` and `transitive` are mutually exclusive.
+- `filter` cannot be combined with `recursive` or `transitive`.
+- When `task` contains a `#` (e.g. `"pkg#build"`), it cannot be combined with `recursive` or `filter`.
+
+## Context: "Current Package"
+
+When `--transitive` or a filter with traversal suffixes (e.g. `@myorg/core...`) resolves packages, "current package" means the package that owns the task containing this `dependsOn` entry — the same package that would be inferred from an unqualified `"build"` dependency today.