# Technical Debt Assessment and Remediation Plan for simplenote_mcp/server/server.py
## 1. Documented Technical Debt
### a. Global Variables
- Use of `global` for `simplenote_client`, `note_cache`, and `background_sync` leads to maintainability and concurrency issues.
- These globals make testing and refactoring harder.
### b. Error Handling
- Inconsistent error handling; some blocks catch broad exceptions, others are too narrow or missing.
- Error messages are sometimes generic or duplicated.
### c. Code Duplication
- Initialization logic for cache and Simplenote client is repeated in multiple places.
- Patterns for checking and initializing resources are not DRY.
### d. Logging
- Logging is verbose and sometimes redundant.
- Some log messages are not actionable or are repeated.
### e. Dependency Management
- No explicit dependency management or checks for required packages.
- No requirements.txt or pyproject.toml update for new/changed dependencies.
### f. Testing Coverage
- No clear separation of concerns for easier unit testing.
- Logic is tightly coupled, making mocking and testing difficult.
### g. Performance
- Cache and background sync initialization can be redundant or inefficient.
- No clear strategy for avoiding race conditions or startup delays.
## 2. Prioritization of Improvements
| Priority | Area | Impact | Complexity |
|----------|---------------------|---------------|------------|
| High | Global Variables | High | Low |
| High | Error Handling | High | Low |
| High | Code Duplication | High | Medium |
| Medium | Logging | Medium | Low |
| Medium | Testing Coverage | Medium | Medium |
| Medium | Performance | Medium | Medium |
| Low | Dependency Mgmt | Low | Low |
## 3. Recommendations
### a. Refactoring Strategies
- Encapsulate global state in a singleton or context object.
- Move repeated initialization logic into helper functions or classes.
- Use dependency injection for easier testing.
### b. Error Handling
- Standardize error handling with custom exceptions and clear messages.
- Avoid catching broad `Exception` unless necessary; prefer specific exceptions.
### c. Code Readability
- Add docstrings and comments for complex logic.
- Use type hints consistently.
- Remove commented-out or dead code.
### d. Testing Coverage
- Refactor logic into smaller, testable functions.
- Add unit tests for cache, client initialization, and tool handlers.
### e. Performance
- Ensure cache and background sync are initialized only once.
- Use async patterns and locks to avoid race conditions.
### f. Dependency Management
- Add or update `requirements.txt` or `pyproject.toml` to reflect actual dependencies.
- Use virtual environments for isolation.
## 4. Next Steps
- Begin by refactoring global variables and deduplicating initialization logic.
- Standardize error handling and logging.
- Modularize code for improved testability.
- Document all changes and add TODOs for future improvements.
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*This document should be updated as technical debt is addressed and new issues are discovered.*
