feat: exclude task from being included

task_test.go

@@ -1305,6 +1305,34 @@ func TestIncludesInterpolation(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestIncludesWithExclude(t *testing.T) {
+	var buff bytes.Buffer
+	e := task.Executor{
+		Dir:    "testdata/includes_with_excludes",
+		Silent: true,
+		Stdout: &buff,
+		Stderr: &buff,
+	}
+	require.NoError(t, e.Setup())
+
+	err := e.Run(context.Background(), &ast.Call{Task: "included:bar"})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, "bar\n", buff.String())
+	buff.Reset()
+
+	err = e.Run(context.Background(), &ast.Call{Task: "included:foo"})
+	require.Error(t, err)
+	buff.Reset()
+
+	err = e.Run(context.Background(), &ast.Call{Task: "bar"})
+	require.Error(t, err)
+	buff.Reset()
+
+	err = e.Run(context.Background(), &ast.Call{Task: "foo"})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, "foo\n", buff.String())
+}
+
 func TestIncludedTaskfileVarMerging(t *testing.T) {
 	const dir = "testdata/included_taskfile_var_merging"
 	tests := []struct {

taskfile/ast/include.go

@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
 
 	"github.com/go-task/task/v3/errors"
+	"github.com/go-task/task/v3/internal/deepcopy"
 	omap "github.com/go-task/task/v3/internal/omap"
 )
 
@@ -15,6 +16,7 @@ type Include struct {
 	Optional       bool
 	Internal       bool
 	Aliases        []string
+	Excludes       []string
 	AdvancedImport bool
 	Vars           *Vars
 	Flatten        bool
@@ -84,6 +86,7 @@ func (include *Include) UnmarshalYAML(node *yaml.Node) error {
 			Internal bool
 			Flatten  bool
 			Aliases  []string
+			Excludes []string
 			Vars     *Vars
 		}
 		if err := node.Decode(&includedTaskfile); err != nil {
@@ -94,6 +97,7 @@ func (include *Include) UnmarshalYAML(node *yaml.Node) error {
 		include.Optional = includedTaskfile.Optional
 		include.Internal = includedTaskfile.Internal
 		include.Aliases = includedTaskfile.Aliases
+		include.Excludes = includedTaskfile.Excludes
 		include.AdvancedImport = true
 		include.Vars = includedTaskfile.Vars
 		include.Flatten = includedTaskfile.Flatten
@@ -115,6 +119,7 @@ func (include *Include) DeepCopy() *Include {
 		Dir:            include.Dir,
 		Optional:       include.Optional,
 		Internal:       include.Internal,
+		Excludes:       deepcopy.Slice(include.Excludes),
 		AdvancedImport: include.AdvancedImport,
 		Vars:           include.Vars.DeepCopy(),
 		Flatten:        include.Flatten,

taskfile/ast/tasks.go

@@ -56,6 +56,12 @@ func (t1 *Tasks) Merge(t2 Tasks, include *Include, includedTaskfileVars *Vars) e
 		// taskfile are marked as internal
 		task.Internal = task.Internal || (include != nil && include.Internal)
 		taskName := name
+
+		// if the task is in the exclude list, don't add it to the merged taskfile and early return
+		if slices.Contains(include.Excludes, name) {
+			return nil
+		}
+
 		if !include.Flatten {
 			// Add namespaces to task dependencies
 			for _, dep := range task.Deps {

taskfile/reader.go

@@ -112,6 +112,7 @@ func (r *Reader) include(node Node) error {
 				Flatten:        include.Flatten,
 				Aliases:        include.Aliases,
 				AdvancedImport: include.AdvancedImport,
+				Excludes:       include.Excludes,
 				Vars:           include.Vars,
 			}
 			if err := cache.Err(); err != nil {

testdata/includes_with_excludes/Taskfile.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+version: '3'
+
+includes:
+  included:
+    taskfile: ./included/Taskfile.yml
+    excludes:
+        - foo
+  included_flatten:
+    taskfile: ./included/Taskfile.yml
+    flatten: true
+    excludes:
+      - bar
+
+tasks:
+  default:
+    cmds:
+      - echo "called_dep" > called_dep.txt

testdata/includes_with_excludes/included/Taskfile.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+version: '3'
+
+tasks:
+  foo: echo foo
+  bar: echo bar

website/docs/usage.mdx

@@ -393,6 +393,8 @@ You can run `task foo` directly without the namespace.
 You can also reference the task in other tasks without the namespace. So if you run `task greet` it will run `greet` and `foo` tasks and the output will be :
 
 ```text
+Greet
+Foo
 ```
 
 If multiple tasks have the same name, an error will be thrown:
@@ -409,14 +411,14 @@ If multiple tasks have the same name, an error will be thrown:
     version: '3'
     includes:
       lib:
-		    taskfile: ./Included.yml
-		    flatten: true
-
-		tasks:
-		  greet:
-		    cmds:
-		      - echo "Greet"
-		      - task: foo
+        taskfile: ./Included.yml
+        flatten: true
+
+    tasks:
+      greet:
+        cmds:
+          - echo "Greet"
+          - task: foo
 		```
 
 
@@ -427,9 +429,9 @@ If multiple tasks have the same name, an error will be thrown:
 		version: '3'
 
 		tasks:
-		  greet:
-		    cmds:
-		       - echo "Foo"
+      greet:
+        cmds:
+		      - echo "Foo"
 		```
 
 
@@ -438,12 +440,50 @@ If multiple tasks have the same name, an error will be thrown:
 If you run `task -a` it will print:
 ```text
 task: Found multiple tasks (greet) included by "lib"
-
 ```
 
+If you the included Taskfile has a task with the same name as a task in the main Taskfile,
+you may want to exclude it from the flattened tasks.
+
+You can do this by using the [`excludes` option](#exclude-tasks-from-being-included).
+
+### Exclude tasks from being included
+
+You can exclude tasks from being included by using the `excludes` option. This option takes the list of tasks to be excluded from this include.
+
+<Tabs defaultValue="1"
+      values={[
+        {label: 'Taskfile.yml', value: '1'},
+        {label: 'Included.yml', value: '2'}
+      ]}>
+
+  <TabItem value="1">
+    ```yaml
+    version: '3'
+      includes:
+        included:
+          taskfile: ./Included.yml
+          excludes: [foo]
+    ```
+
+
+  </TabItem>
+  <TabItem value="2">
+
+    ```yaml
+    version: '3'
+
+    tasks:
+      foo: echo "Foo"
+      bar: echo "Bar"
+    ```
+
 
+  </TabItem></Tabs>
 
+`task included:foo` will throw an error because the `foo` task is excluded but `task included:bar` will work and display `Bar`.
 
+It's compatible with the `flatten` option.
 
 ### Vars of included Taskfiles
 

website/static/schema.json

@@ -634,6 +634,13 @@
                         "type": "string"
                       }
                     },
+                    "excludes": {
+                      "description": "A list of tasks to be excluded from inclusion.",
+                      "type": "array",
+                      "items": {
+                        "type": "string"
+                      }
+                    },
                     "vars": {
                       "description": "A set of variables to apply to the included Taskfile.",
                       "$ref": "#/definitions/vars"