def add_task(
            self,
            title,
            tags=None):
        """*Add a task to this taskpaper object*

        **Key Arguments:**
            - ``title`` -- the title for the task.
            - ``tags`` -- tag string (*'@one @two(data)'*) or list of tags (*['one', 'two(data)']*)

        **Return:**
            - ``task`` -- the new taskpaper task object

        **Usage:**

            To add a task to an object (document, project, or task) use:

            .. code-block:: python

                newTask = doc.add_task("this is a task I added", "@with @tags")
        """
        self.refresh
        task = title.strip()
        if task[:2] != "- ":
            task = "- " + task

        if tags:
            if isinstance(tags, list):
                if "@" not in tags[0]:
                    tagString = (" @").join(tags)
                    tagString = "@" + tagString
                else:
                    tagString = (" ").join(tags)
            else:
                tagString = tags

            tagString = tagString.strip()
            task += " " + tagString

        newTask = self._get_object(
            regex=re.compile(
                r'((?<=\n)|(?<=^))(?P<title>- ((?! @).)*)( *(?P<tagString>( *?@[^(\s]+(\([^)]*\))?)+))?(?P<content>(\n(( |\t)+\S.*)|\n( |\t)*)*)', re.UNICODE),
            objectType="task",
            content=task
        )

        # ADD DIRECTLY TO CONTENT IF THE PROJECT IS BEING ADDED SPECIFICALLY TO
        # THIS OBJECT
        oldContent = self.to_string(indentLevel=1)
        newContent = self.to_string(
            indentLevel=1, tasks=self.tasks + newTask)

        if self.parent:
            doc = self.parent._update_document_tree(
                oldContent=oldContent,
                newContent=newContent
            )

        self.content = self.content.replace(self.to_string(indentLevel=0, title=False), self.to_string(
            indentLevel=0, title=False, tasks=self.tasks + newTask))

        doc = self
        while doc.parent:
            doc = doc.parent
        doc.refresh

        if not self.parent:
            parent = self
        else:

            parent = doc.get_project(self.title)
        if not parent:
            parent = doc.get_task(self.title)

        thisTask = parent.get_task(title)

        self.refresh

        return thisTask