delete_file
Remove files or directories from project structures. Use with caution as deletions are permanent and cannot be undone. Supports recursive deletion of non-empty directories when explicitly enabled.
Instructions
Delete a file or directory. Use with extreme caution as this operation cannot be undone. When deleting directories, all contents will be permanently removed. The recursive option must be explicitly set to true to delete non-empty directories. Only works within allowed directories.
Input Schema
TableJSON Schema
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| path | Yes | Path to the file or directory to delete | |
| recursive | No | Set to true to delete directories and their contents recursively. Required for non-empty directories. | |
| force | No | Set to true to force deletion even if file is read-only. Use with caution. |
Implementation Reference
- src/delete-file.ts:38-142 (handler)The main handler function that executes the delete_file tool logic, including input validation, path safety checks, recursive directory deletion, force options, and detailed success/error responses.export async function handleDeleteFile(args: any, allowedDirectories: string[]) { const { path: targetPath, recursive = false, force = false } = args; if (!targetPath) { throw new McpError(ErrorCode.InvalidParams, "Path is required"); } // Resolve to absolute path const resolvedPath = path.resolve(targetPath); // Check if path is within allowed directories const isPathAllowed = allowedDirectories.some(dir => { const normalizedDir = path.resolve(dir).replace(/\\/g, '/'); const normalizedPath = resolvedPath.replace(/\\/g, '/'); return normalizedPath === normalizedDir || normalizedPath.startsWith(normalizedDir + '/'); }); if (!isPathAllowed) { throw new McpError(ErrorCode.InvalidParams, `Path "${resolvedPath}" is not within allowed directories`); } try { // Check if path exists if (!fs.existsSync(resolvedPath)) { throw new McpError(ErrorCode.InvalidParams, `Path "${resolvedPath}" does not exist`); } // Get file stats to determine if it's a file or directory const stats = fs.statSync(resolvedPath); const isDirectory = stats.isDirectory(); if (isDirectory) { // Check if directory is empty const contents = fs.readdirSync(resolvedPath); const isEmpty = contents.length === 0; if (!isEmpty && !recursive) { throw new McpError( ErrorCode.InvalidParams, `Directory "${resolvedPath}" is not empty. Set recursive=true to delete directory and all its contents.` ); } // Delete directory if (recursive) { fs.rmSync(resolvedPath, { recursive: true, force: force }); } else { fs.rmdirSync(resolvedPath); } const message = `# Directory Deletion Successful\n\n✅ Successfully deleted directory "${targetPath}"${recursive ? ' and all its contents' : ''}\n\n**Details:**\n- Path: ${resolvedPath}\n- Type: Directory\n- Recursive: ${recursive ? 'Yes' : 'No'}\n- Force: ${force ? 'Yes' : 'No'}`; return { content: [ { type: "text", text: message } ] }; } else { // Delete file if (force) { // Remove read-only attribute if forcing try { fs.chmodSync(resolvedPath, 0o666); } catch (chmodError) { // Ignore chmod errors, proceed with deletion } } fs.unlinkSync(resolvedPath); const message = `# File Deletion Successful\n\n✅ Successfully deleted file "${targetPath}"\n\n**Details:**\n- Path: ${resolvedPath}\n- Type: File\n- Force: ${force ? 'Yes' : 'No'}`; return { content: [ { type: "text", text: message } ] }; } } catch (error: any) { if (error instanceof McpError) { throw error; } // Provide more specific error messages let errorMessage = `Failed to delete "${targetPath}": ${error.message}`; if (error.code === 'ENOTEMPTY') { errorMessage = `Directory "${targetPath}" is not empty. Use recursive=true to delete directory and contents.`; } else if (error.code === 'EACCES' || error.code === 'EPERM') { errorMessage = `Permission denied when trying to delete "${targetPath}". Try using force=true or check file permissions.`; } else if (error.code === 'EBUSY') { errorMessage = `File "${targetPath}" is currently in use and cannot be deleted.`; } throw new McpError(ErrorCode.InternalError, errorMessage); } }
- src/delete-file.ts:12-36 (schema)The tool definition object containing the name, description, and inputSchema for parameter validation of the delete_file tool.export const deleteFileTool = { name: "delete_file", description: "Delete a file or directory. Use with extreme caution as this operation cannot be undone. When deleting directories, all contents will be permanently removed. The recursive option must be explicitly set to true to delete non-empty directories. Only works within allowed directories.", inputSchema: { type: "object", properties: { path: { type: "string", description: "Path to the file or directory to delete" }, recursive: { type: "boolean", description: "Set to true to delete directories and their contents recursively. Required for non-empty directories.", default: false }, force: { type: "boolean", description: "Set to true to force deletion even if file is read-only. Use with caution.", default: false } }, required: ["path"], additionalProperties: false } };
- src/index.ts:33-44 (registration)Registration of the deleteFileTool in the MCP server's ListToolsRequestHandler, making it discoverable by clients.server.setRequestHandler(ListToolsRequestSchema, async () => { return { tools: [ exploreProjectTool, listAllowedTool, searchTool, renameFileTool, deleteFileTool, checkOutdatedTool ] }; });
- src/index.ts:65-67 (registration)Routing of the 'delete_file' tool calls to the handleDeleteFile handler in the MCP server's CallToolRequestHandler.case "delete_file": return await handleDeleteFile(args, ALLOWED_DIRECTORIES);
- src/index.ts:16-16 (registration)Import of the deleteFileTool definition and handleDeleteFile function from the delete-file module.import { deleteFileTool, handleDeleteFile } from './delete-file.js';