mcp: embed example calls in top-level tool descriptions (#723)

* mcp: embed example calls in top-level tool descriptions

agents (esp. claude sonnet) hallucinate param names from training-data
priors — `pr_number` instead of `pull_number`, `summary` instead of
`body`, full subcommand strings jammed into `git({command})` like it
were `shell({command})`. each error burns a tool round-trip plus a
follow-up ToolSearch, ~40+ events / 24h, no observable recovery cost
to us but visible to users in agent logs.

cheapest fix: add a sample formatted function call to every affected
tool's top-level description. example anchors are more reliable than
schema descriptions alone because the model treats descriptions as
narrative but call examples as canonical structure. for `git` and
`shell` (whose `command` fields collide), include explicit
counter-examples disambiguating which tool owns which shape.

no schema aliases / coercion yet — try the cheap thing first; if the
next audit window still shows the same hallucination rate, layer
aliases on top per #585's recommendation.

closes #585, closes #701

* mcp: drop negative anchors from tool descriptions

negation is a footgun in tool descriptions — telling the model "NOT
pr_number" makes pr_number more salient, not less. let the positive
example carry the schema and trust the model to read it.

removes:
- "the parameter is pull_number (a number), NOT pr_number" and
  similar across checkout_pr, get_pull_request, list_pull_request_reviews,
  get_review_comments, create_pull_request_review
- "NOT summary, message, or content" on report_progress
- "WRONG: git({ command: 'log --oneline' })" counter-example on git
- redundant param-type restatements after the example (e.g. "depth is a
  number, not a string" on git_fetch, "description is required" on shell)

keeps a single positive example per tool. for tools with multiple call
shapes (git, git_fetch, push_branch), two positive examples instead of
one + a counter-example.
This commit is contained in:
Colin McDonnell
2026-05-13 22:45:08 +00:00
committed by pullfrog[bot]
parent 868576a474
commit b8ac42e875
11 changed files with 41 additions and 24 deletions
+9 -3
View File
@@ -65,7 +65,9 @@ export function CreateCommentTool(ctx: ToolContext) {
return tool({
name: "create_issue_comment",
description:
"Create a comment on a GitHub issue or PR. For progress/plan updates on the current run use report_progress instead. Use type: 'Plan' for plan comments.",
"Create a comment on a GitHub issue or PR. " +
'Example: `create_issue_comment({ issueNumber: 1234, body: "Thanks for the report." })`. ' +
"For progress/plan updates on the current run use report_progress instead. Use type: 'Plan' for plan comments.",
parameters: Comment,
execute: execute(async ({ issueNumber, body, type: commentType }) => {
const bodyWithFooter = addFooter(ctx, body);
@@ -310,7 +312,9 @@ export function ReportProgressTool(ctx: ToolContext) {
return tool({
name: "report_progress",
description:
"Share progress on the associated GitHub issue/PR. The first call creates a comment; subsequent calls update it in place. Call this at the end of every run with a brief final summary (1-3 sentences) unless the mode guidance instructs otherwise. The current task list is automatically appended in a collapsible section — do not restate individual steps.",
"Share progress on the associated GitHub issue/PR. The first call creates a comment; subsequent calls update it in place. " +
'Example: `report_progress({ body: "Implemented the auth check and added tests." })`. ' +
"Call this at the end of every run with a brief final summary (1-3 sentences) unless the mode guidance instructs otherwise. The current task list is automatically appended in a collapsible section — do not restate individual steps.",
parameters: ReportProgress,
execute: execute(async (params) => {
let body = params.body;
@@ -445,7 +449,9 @@ export function ReplyToReviewCommentTool(ctx: ToolContext) {
return tool({
name: "reply_to_review_comment",
description:
"Reply to a PR review comment thread (NOT issue comments — this only works for inline review comments on PR diffs). Call exactly ONCE per parent comment you address in AddressReviews mode — duplicate calls with the same body are a no-op. Keep replies extremely brief (1 sentence max).",
"Reply to a PR review comment thread (NOT issue comments — this only works for inline review comments on PR diffs). " +
'Example: `reply_to_review_comment({ pull_number: 1234, comment_id: 567890, body: "Fixed by adding a null check." })`. ' +
"Call exactly ONCE per parent comment you address in AddressReviews mode — duplicate calls with the same body are a no-op. Keep replies extremely brief (1 sentence max).",
parameters: ReplyToReviewComment,
execute: execute(async ({ pull_number, comment_id, body }) => {
const bodyWithFooter = addFooter(ctx, body);