get_categories
Retrieve all forum categories to filter content, navigate sections, and identify topic areas in the USCardForum community.
Instructions
Get a mapping of all forum categories.
Returns a CategoryMap object with category_id to category name mapping.
Categories organize topics by subject area.
Common USCardForum categories include sections for:
- Credit card applications and approvals
- Bank account bonuses
- Travel and redemptions
- Data points and experiences
Use category IDs to:
- Filter search results by category
- Understand which section a topic belongs to
- Navigate to specific areas of interest
The mapping includes both main categories and subcategories.
Input Schema
TableJSON Schema
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
No arguments | |||
Implementation Reference
- The MCP tool handler for 'get_categories'. Decorated with @mcp.tool(), it fetches the CategoryMap from the DiscourseClient and returns it as the tool output.@mcp.tool() def get_categories() -> CategoryMap: """ Get a mapping of all forum categories. Returns a CategoryMap object with category_id to category name mapping. Categories organize topics by subject area. Common USCardForum categories include sections for: - Credit card applications and approvals - Bank account bonuses - Travel and redemptions - Data points and experiences Use category IDs to: - Filter search results by category - Understand which section a topic belongs to - Navigate to specific areas of interest The mapping includes both main categories and subcategories. """ return get_client().get_category_map()
- Pydantic BaseModel defining the output schema of the get_categories tool: a dictionary mapping category IDs to names.class CategoryMap(BaseModel): """Mapping of category IDs to names.""" categories: dict[int, str] = Field( default_factory=dict, description="ID to name mapping" ) def get_name(self, category_id: int) -> str | None: """Get category name by ID.""" return self.categories.get(category_id) def __getitem__(self, category_id: int) -> str: """Get category name by ID.""" return self.categories[category_id] def __contains__(self, category_id: int) -> bool: """Check if category ID exists.""" return category_id in self.categories def items(self): """Iterate over category mappings.""" return self.categories.items()
- src/uscardforum/server.py:15-45 (registration)Multi-line import statement from server_tools that includes get_categories, registering it as an MCP tool in the FastMCP server entrypoint.from uscardforum.server_tools import ( analyze_user, bookmark_post, compare_cards, find_data_points, get_all_topic_posts, get_categories, get_current_session, get_hot_topics, get_new_topics, get_notifications, get_top_topics, get_topic_info, get_topic_posts, get_user_actions, get_user_badges, get_user_followers, get_user_following, get_user_reactions, get_user_replies, get_user_summary, get_user_topics, list_users_with_badge, login, research_topic, resource_categories, resource_hot_topics, resource_new_topics, search_forum, subscribe_topic, )
- Helper function in CategoriesAPI that builds the CategoryMap from API response, called indirectly via client.get_category_map() from the tool handler.def get_category_map(self, use_cache: bool = True) -> CategoryMap: """Get mapping of category IDs to names. Args: use_cache: Use cached map if available (default: True) Returns: CategoryMap with ID to name mapping """ if use_cache and self._category_cache is not None: return CategoryMap(categories=self._category_cache) categories = self.get_categories() mapping = {cat.id: cat.name for cat in categories} self._category_cache = mapping return CategoryMap(categories=mapping)
- src/uscardforum/client.py:298-304 (helper)Client wrapper method get_category_map() that delegates to CategoriesAPI, called by get_client().get_category_map() in the tool handler.def get_category_map(self) -> CategoryMap: """Get mapping of category IDs to names. Returns: CategoryMap with ID to name mapping """ return self._categories.get_category_map()