Fix invalid tree view task nesting across markdown structure

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -2,6 +2,14 @@
 
 All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file.
 
+## Unreleased
+
+### Bug Fixes
+
+* **tree view:** prevent invalid task nesting across headings, bullets, and intervening text
+  - Reset parser hierarchy when non-task structural lines break a task block
+  - Ignore stale or invalid parent links in tree rendering when parent and child cross heading boundaries
+
 
 ## [9.13.1](https://github.com/Quorafind/Obsidian-Task-Genius/compare/9.13.0...9.13.1) (2025-12-11)
 
@@ -842,4 +850,4 @@ All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file.
 
 ### Tests
 
-* improve test reliability and fix flaky date tests ([d66a13a](https://github.com/Quorafind/Obsidian-Task-Progress-Bar/commit/d66a13a5f41a5ea74d22c7b9215087aef80b5b07))
+* improve test reliability and fix flaky date tests ([d66a13a](https://github.com/Quorafind/Obsidian-Task-Progress-Bar/commit/d66a13a5f41a5ea74d22c7b9215087aef80b5b07))

README.md

@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ Task Genius plugin transforms Obsidian into a powerful task management system wi
 
 For detailed feature documentation, visit [taskgenius.md](https://taskgenius.md).
 
+Task hierarchy in tree-style views follows real markdown structure. Tasks are no longer treated as children across intervening bullets, text, or heading boundaries just because a later line is more indented.
+
 ---
 
 ## Installation

pnpm-workspace.yaml

@@ -3,3 +3,4 @@ packages:
 
 onlyBuiltDependencies:
     - esbuild
+    - "@codemirror/language" 

src/__tests__/taskParser.test.ts

@@ -710,6 +710,61 @@ This project involves software development tasks.
 			expect(tasks[3].content).toBe("Child task 2");
 			expect(tasks[3].metadata.parent).toBe(tasks[0].id);
 		});
+
+		test("should not treat tasks after an intermediate bullet as children", () => {
+			const content = `- [ ] Parent task
+  - Plain bullet
+    - [ ] Nested task`;
+			const tasks = parser.parseLegacy(content, "test.md");
+
+			expect(tasks).toHaveLength(2);
+			expect(tasks[0].content).toBe("Parent task");
+			expect(tasks[0].metadata.children).toHaveLength(0);
+			expect(tasks[1].content).toBe("Nested task");
+			expect(tasks[1].metadata.parent).toBeUndefined();
+		});
+
+		test("should not treat tasks after intervening text as children", () => {
+			const content = `- [ ] Parent task
+  Notes about the parent
+  - [ ] Nested task`;
+			const tasks = parser.parseLegacy(content, "test.md");
+
+			expect(tasks).toHaveLength(2);
+			expect(tasks[0].content).toBe("Parent task");
+			expect(tasks[0].metadata.children).toHaveLength(0);
+			expect(tasks[1].content).toBe("Nested task");
+			expect(tasks[1].metadata.parent).toBeUndefined();
+		});
+
+		test("should not link tasks across headings and plain bullets", () => {
+			const content = `# Tasks
+
+
+- [ ] This is a task
+- [ ] This other task
+
+- [ ] This a new task
+
+- [ ] Tirst other
+### New section
+- Bullet
+
+- [ ] This task should be not chilren of "This other task"`;
+			const tasks = parser.parseLegacy(content, "test.md");
+
+			expect(tasks).toHaveLength(5);
+			expect(tasks[0].content).toBe("This is a task");
+			expect(tasks[1].content).toBe("This other task");
+			expect(tasks[2].content).toBe("This a new task");
+			expect(tasks[3].content).toBe("Tirst other");
+			expect(tasks[4].content).toBe(
+				'This task should be not chilren of "This other task"',
+			);
+			expect(tasks[4].metadata.parent).toBeUndefined();
+			expect(tasks[1].metadata.children).toHaveLength(0);
+			expect(tasks[3].metadata.children).toHaveLength(0);
+		});
 	});
 
 	describe("Edge Cases", () => {

src/__tests__/treeViewUtils.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+import { Task } from "../types/task";
+import { isValidTreeParent, tasksToTree } from "../utils/ui/tree-view-utils";
+
+function createTask(
+	id: string,
+	content: string,
+	line: number,
+	heading: string[] = [],
+	parent?: string,
+	filePath = "test.md",
+): Task {
+	return {
+		id,
+		content,
+		filePath,
+		line,
+		completed: false,
+		status: " ",
+		originalMarkdown: `- [ ] ${content}`,
+		metadata: {
+			tags: [],
+			children: [],
+			heading,
+			parent,
+		},
+	};
+}
+
+describe("tree view hierarchy guards", () => {
+	it("rejects parent links that cross headings", () => {
+		const parent = createTask("parent", "Parent", 4, ["Tasks"]);
+		const child = createTask(
+			"child",
+			"Child",
+			10,
+			["New section"],
+			parent.id,
+		);
+
+		expect(isValidTreeParent(child, parent)).toBe(false);
+	});
+
+	it("keeps valid parent links in the same heading", () => {
+		const parent = createTask("parent", "Parent", 4, ["Tasks"]);
+		const child = createTask("child", "Child", 5, ["Tasks"], parent.id);
+
+		expect(isValidTreeParent(child, parent)).toBe(true);
+	});
+
+	it("treats invalid parent links as roots when building a tree", () => {
+		const parent = createTask("parent", "This other task", 4, ["Tasks"]);
+		const independent = createTask(
+			"independent",
+			'This task should be not chilren of "This other task"',
+			10,
+			["New section"],
+			parent.id,
+		);
+
+		const roots = tasksToTree([parent, independent]);
+
+		expect(roots.map((task) => task.id)).toEqual(["parent", "independent"]);
+	});
+});

src/components/features/table/TreeManager.ts

@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { TreeNode, TableRow, TableCell, TableColumn } from "./TableTypes";
 import { SortCriterion } from "@/common/setting-definition";
 import { sortTasks } from "@/commands/sortTaskCommands";
 import { t } from "@/translations/helper";
+import { isValidTreeParent } from "@/utils/ui/tree-view-utils";
 
 /**
  * Tree manager component responsible for handling hierarchical task display
@@ -91,10 +92,14 @@ export class TreeManager extends Component {
 		tasks.forEach((task) => {
 			const node = this.treeNodes.get(task.id);
 			if (!node) return;
+			const parentTask = task.metadata.parent
+				? taskMap.get(task.metadata.parent)
+				: undefined;
 
 			if (
 				task.metadata.parent &&
-				this.treeNodes.has(task.metadata.parent)
+				this.treeNodes.has(task.metadata.parent) &&
+				isValidTreeParent(task, parentTask)
 			) {
 				// This task has a parent
 				const parentNode = this.treeNodes.get(task.metadata.parent);

src/components/features/task/view/content.ts

@@ -9,7 +9,10 @@ import {
 import { Task } from "@/types/task";
 import { TaskListItemComponent } from "./listItem"; // Re-import needed components
 import { ViewMode, getViewSettingOrDefault } from "@/common/setting-definition"; // 导入 SortCriterion
-import { tasksToTree } from "@/utils/ui/tree-view-utils"; // Re-import needed utils
+import {
+	tasksToTree,
+	isValidTreeParent,
+} from "@/utils/ui/tree-view-utils"; // Re-import needed utils
 import { TaskTreeItemComponent } from "./treeItem"; // Re-import needed components
 import { t } from "@/translations/helper";
 import TaskProgressBarPlugin from "@/index";
@@ -1218,7 +1221,9 @@ export class ContentComponent extends Component {
 		for (let i = start; i < end; i++) {
 			const rootTask = this.rootTasks[i];
 			const childTasks = this.notFilteredTasks.filter(
-				(task) => task.metadata.parent === rootTask.id,
+				(task) =>
+					task.metadata.parent === rootTask.id &&
+					isValidTreeParent(task, rootTask),
 			);
 
 			const treeComponent = new TaskTreeItemComponent(

src/components/features/task/view/treeItem.ts

@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import { TaskSelectionManager } from "@/components/features/task/selection/TaskS
 import { showBulkOperationsMenu } from "./BulkOperationsMenu";
 import { TaskStatusIndicator } from "./TaskStatusIndicator";
 import { TaskTimerManager } from "@/managers/timer-manager";
+import { isValidTreeParent } from "@/utils/ui/tree-view-utils";
 
 export class TaskTreeItemComponent extends Component {
 	public element: HTMLElement;
@@ -1398,7 +1399,10 @@ export class TaskTreeItemComponent extends Component {
 			// Find *grandchildren* by looking up children of the current childTask in the *full* taskMap
 			const grandchildren: Task[] = [];
 			this.taskMap.forEach((potentialGrandchild) => {
-				if (potentialGrandchild.metadata.parent === childTask.id) {
+				if (
+					potentialGrandchild.metadata.parent === childTask.id &&
+					isValidTreeParent(potentialGrandchild, childTask)
+				) {
 					grandchildren.push(potentialGrandchild);
 				}
 			});

src/dataflow/core/ConfigurableTaskParser.ts

@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@ export class MarkdownTaskParser {
 					const [level, headingText] = headingResult;
 					this.currentHeading = headingText;
 					this.currentHeadingLevel = level;
+					this.clearIndentStack();
 					i++;
 					continue;
 				}
@@ -251,6 +252,8 @@ export class MarkdownTaskParser {
 
 				this.updateIndentStack(taskId, indentLevel, actualSpaces);
 				this.tasks.push(enhancedTask);
+			} else {
+				this.handleNonTaskLine(line);
 			}
 
 			i++;
@@ -1313,6 +1316,18 @@ export class MarkdownTaskParser {
 		this.indentStack.push({ taskId, indentLevel, actualSpaces });
 	}
 
+	private handleNonTaskLine(line: string): void {
+		if (line.trim().length === 0) {
+			return;
+		}
+
+		this.clearIndentStack();
+	}
+
+	private clearIndentStack(): void {
+		this.indentStack = [];
+	}
+
 	private getStatusFromMapping(rawStatus: string): string | undefined {
 		// Find status name corresponding to raw character
 		for (const [statusName, mappedChar] of Object.entries(

src/utils/ui/tree-view-utils.ts

@@ -1,5 +1,39 @@
 import { Task } from "../../types/task";
 
+function normalizeHeadingPath(task: Task): string[] {
+	const heading = task.metadata.heading;
+	if (Array.isArray(heading)) {
+		return heading.map((item) => String(item).trim().toLowerCase());
+	}
+	return [];
+}
+
+export function isValidTreeParent(child: Task, parent?: Task): boolean {
+	if (!parent) {
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	if (child.filePath !== parent.filePath) {
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	if ((child.line ?? 0) <= (parent.line ?? -1)) {
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	const childHeadingPath = normalizeHeadingPath(child);
+	const parentHeadingPath = normalizeHeadingPath(parent);
+	if (
+		childHeadingPath.length > 0 &&
+		parentHeadingPath.length > 0 &&
+		childHeadingPath.join("\n") !== parentHeadingPath.join("\n")
+	) {
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	return true;
+}
+
 /**
  * Convert a flat list of tasks to a hierarchical tree structure
  * @param tasks Flat list of tasks
@@ -9,7 +43,13 @@ export function tasksToTree(tasks: Task[]): Task[] {
 	// Create a map for quick task lookup
 	const taskMap = new Map<string, Task>();
 	tasks.forEach((task) => {
-		taskMap.set(task.id, { ...task });
+		taskMap.set(task.id, {
+			...task,
+			metadata: {
+				...task.metadata,
+				children: [...(task.metadata.children || [])],
+			},
+		});
 	});
 
 	// Find root tasks and build hierarchy
@@ -18,10 +58,13 @@ export function tasksToTree(tasks: Task[]): Task[] {
 	// First pass: connect children to parents
 	tasks.forEach((task) => {
 		const taskWithChildren = taskMap.get(task.id)!;
+		const parentTask = task.metadata.parent
+			? taskMap.get(task.metadata.parent)
+			: undefined;
 
-		if (task.metadata.parent && taskMap.has(task.metadata.parent)) {
+		if (task.metadata.parent && isValidTreeParent(task, parentTask)) {
 			// This task has a parent, add it to parent's children
-			const parent = taskMap.get(task.metadata.parent)!;
+			const parent = parentTask!;
 			if (!parent.metadata.children.includes(task.id)) {
 				parent.metadata.children.push(task.id);
 			}