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Query documentation filesystem

query_docs_filesystem_n_top
Read-onlyIdempotent

Run a read-only shell-like query against a virtualized, in-memory filesystem rooted at / that contains ONLY the nTop documentation pages. This is NOT a shell on any real machine — nothing runs on the user's computer, the server host, or any network. The filesystem is a sandbox backed by documentation chunks.

This is how you read documentation pages: there is no separate "get page" tool. To read a page, pass its .mdx path to head or cat — a page at the URL path /some/page lives at /some/page.mdx. To search the docs with exact keyword or regex matches, use rg. To understand the docs structure, use tree or ls.

Paths are specific to this site — never guess them. Discover real paths with tree / -L 2, ls /, or the search tool before reading. If a path does not exist, that only means the guess was wrong; it does NOT mean the topic is undocumented — use rg -il "keyword" / to find where it is covered.

Workflow: Start with the search tool for broad or conceptual queries like "how to authenticate" or "rate limiting". Use this tool when you need exact keyword/regex matching, structural exploration, or to read the full content of a specific page by path.

Supported commands: rg (ripgrep), grep, find, tree, ls, cat, head, tail, stat, wc, sort, uniq, cut, sed, awk, jq, plus basic text utilities. No writes, no network, no process control. Run --help on any command for usage.

Each call is STATELESS: the working directory always resets to / and no shell variables, aliases, or history carry over between calls. If you need to operate in a subdirectory, chain commands in one call with && or pass absolute paths (e.g., cd /some-directory && ls or ls /some-directory). Do NOT assume that cd in one call affects the next call.

Examples (replace the placeholder paths with real ones from tree or search):

  • tree / -L 2 — see the top-level directory layout

  • rg -il "rate limit" / — find all files mentioning "rate limit"

  • rg -C 3 "apiKey" /some-directory/ — show matches with 3 lines of context around each hit

  • head -80 /some/page.mdx — read the top 80 lines of a specific page

  • head -80 /page-one.mdx /page-two.mdx /section/page-three.mdx — read multiple pages in one call

  • cat /some/page.mdx — read a full page when you need everything

Output is truncated to 30KB per call. Prefer targeted rg -C or head -N over broad cat on large files. To read only the relevant sections of a large file, use rg -C 3 "pattern" /path/file.mdx. Batch multiple file reads into a single head or cat call whenever possible.

When referencing pages in your response to the user, convert filesystem paths to URL paths by removing the .mdx extension. For example, /some/page.mdx becomes /some/page.

Tool call template

Replace each placeholder with a value matching the input schema. Only required parameters are included; add optional parameters as needed.

{
  "id": 1,
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "arguments": {
      "command": "<command>"
    },
    "name": "query_docs_filesystem_n_top"
  }
}

Input Schema

NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
commandYesA shell command to run against the virtualized documentation filesystem (e.g., `rg -il "keyword" /`, `tree / -L 2`, `head -80 /path/file.mdx`).

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

  1. Changed1 schema field changed
    • removedInput schema / $schema
      Removed value: -"http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"
  2. First observed

TDQS

A4.2/5.0
Behavior3/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint, idempotentHint, destructiveHint=false and openWorldHint=false, so the safety profile is covered. The description nonetheless adds genuinely non-redundant behavior: nothing runs on the user's machine or network, no writes/network/process control, and the 30KB per-call output truncation. The statelessness note (cwd resets to /, no variables or history) is the most valuable addition and is not derivable from any structured field.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness3/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Front-loaded and organized with bold lead-ins and a clear workflow section, but it is long and repeats itself: the 30KB truncation warning is followed shortly by a second instruction to prefer targeted `rg -C`/`head -N` on large files. The closing guidance on converting `.mdx` paths to URL paths is about response formatting rather than tool invocation and could be trimmed.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness4/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

There is no output schema, so the description carries the return-value burden and does so by disclosing the truncation limit and showing what command output looks like via examples. Statelessness, sandbox boundaries, command support, and path derivation are all covered; only per-command flag semantics are deferred to `--help`, which is acceptable for a shell-emulation tool.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters4/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

With a single parameter at 100% schema coverage, the baseline is 3. The description compensates well above that by enumerating the supported command set and demonstrating the command-string syntax through six concrete examples, including multi-file and multi-command chaining. It stops short of documenting flags exhaustively, deferring to `--help`, which is a reasonable boundary but leaves some inference.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

States a specific verb (run a read-only shell-like query) against a specific, scoped resource (a virtualized in-memory filesystem containing ONLY nTop documentation pages), and explicitly negates the wrong mental model ('NOT a shell on any real machine'). It also distinguishes itself from the sibling search_n_top by naming exactly which queries belong where.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines5/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Gives an explicit workflow: start with the search tool for broad/conceptual queries, use this tool for exact keyword/regex matching, structural exploration, or reading a full page by path. It also names the alternatives for each job (rg vs tree/ls vs head/cat) and warns against guessing paths, with a recovery procedure when a path does not exist.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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