# How to get the running task stack instance?

**URL:** <https://discuss.gradle.org/t/how-to-get-the-running-task-stack-instance/13543>\
**Category:** Help/Discuss\
**Created:** [January 5, 2016, 8:37pm UTC](https://discuss.gradle.org/t/how-to-get-the-running-task-stack-instance/13543 "2016-01-05T20:37:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![flashflexpro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/977dab/32.png) [@flashflexpro](https://discuss.gradle.org/u/flashflexpro)\
**Post date:** [January 5, 2016, 8:37pm UTC](https://discuss.gradle.org/t/how-to-get-the-running-task-stack-instance/13543/1 "2016-01-05T20:37:39Z")

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For example:  
uploadArchives dependsOn war  
war dependsOn classes  
classes dependsOn compileJava

so how do I find out how compileJava is triggered on runtime?

is compileJava is triggered by

1. user running “gradle uploadArchives”
2. user running “gradle war”
3. user running “gradle classes”

thank you!

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Lance\_Java](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/gradle/user_avatar/discuss.gradle.org/lance_java/32/787_2.png) [@Lance\_Java](https://discuss.gradle.org/u/Lance_Java)\
**Post date:** [January 5, 2016, 11:32pm UTC](https://discuss.gradle.org/t/how-to-get-the-running-task-stack-instance/13543/2 "2016-01-05T23:32:34Z")

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You might find the [task tree plugin](https://github.com/dorongold/gradle-task-tree) useful

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bmuschko](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/gradle/user_avatar/discuss.gradle.org/bmuschko/32/5458_2.png) [@bmuschko](https://discuss.gradle.org/u/bmuschko)\
**Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 1:07pm UTC](https://discuss.gradle.org/t/how-to-get-the-running-task-stack-instance/13543/3 "2016-01-06T13:07:38Z")

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General rule here is: If a task is a task dependency then it will be executed at runtime. Executed does not necessarily mean that its actions are executed. It could be `UP-TO-DATE` or `SKIPPED`.

To your question. `compileJava` is a task dependency all all the tasks you list: 1)-3)