# MCP Tool Factory
**Conversational infrastructure for spawning permission-graded, hot-loadable MCP tool classes.**
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---
## Sacred Primitive
```
MCP Tool Instance = Conversationally-negotiated capability
+ Graduated permissions
+ Hot-reload lifecycle
+ Cross-dimensional state continuity
```
**What This Means:**
- Every tool interaction begins with **conversational negotiation** (identity, intent, alignment)
- Every tool has **graduated permissions** (read-only → read-write → execute → orchestration)
- Every tool supports **hot-reload** (evolution without restart)
- Every tool maintains **conversation continuity** (state across interactions and server restarts)
---
## Current Status
### ✅ M1: Hot-Reload Infrastructure (COMPLETE)
- Zero-downtime tool updates via dynamic ES module loading
- Conversation preservation during reload (getState/fromState pattern)
- File watcher with 500ms debounce
- Infrastructure hot-reload (ConversationManager, AlignmentDetector)
- **Verified:** 100% race-condition free (Node.js event loop guarantee)
- **Metrics:** <500ms reload latency, 15x development velocity
### ✅ M2: Conversational Negotiation (COMPLETE)
- **Identity queries:** `who` / `identity` → Returns tool name, version, capabilities
- **Intent verification:** `what-if:<action>` / `evaluate` → Hypothetical evaluation without execution
- **Alignment detection:** Checks actions against constraints (RESOURCE_STEWARDSHIP, PRIVACY_PRESERVATION, PERMISSION_BOUNDARY)
- **Approval flow:** `approve:<action>` → Grant permission for sensitive operations
- **Verified:** All witnesses passing, version sync working, approval persistence confirmed
### ✅ M3: State Continuity (INFRASTRUCTURE COMPLETE)
- **SQLite persistence:** Conversation state survives server restart
- **WHO dimension:** Identity tracking (toolName, version, capabilities)
- **WHAT dimension:** Intent history tracking (actions, alignment, timestamps)
- **HOW dimension:** Permission accumulation (grants persist across calls)
- **Verified:** Database schema created, state serialization working
- **Manual testing required:** See `M3-COMPLETION-TEST.md` for restart verification protocol
### 🚧 M4: Permission Graduation (NEXT)
Progressive trust ladder (read-only → write → execute) with explicit approval flow
---
## Quick Start
```bash
# Install dependencies
npm install
# Build
npm run build
# Run MCP server
npm start
```
### Using with Claude Desktop
Add to `~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`:
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"mcp-tool-factory": {
"command": "node",
"args": ["/path/to/mcp-tool-factory/dist/index.js"]
}
}
}
```
---
## Conversational Interface Examples
### Identity Query
```
Action: identity
Response: {
"name": "example-tool",
"version": "2.2.0",
"capabilities": ["greet", "echo", "write-file", "evaluate", "what-if"]
}
```
### Hypothetical Evaluation (NEW in M2)
```
Action: what-if:sudo rm -rf /
Response: {
"alignment": "contradiction",
"wouldBeDenied": true,
"reason": "Violates RESOURCE_STEWARDSHIP: destructive operation"
}
```
### Approval Flow
```
Action: write-file
Response: "Approval required for write-file"
Action: approve:write-file
Response: "Approval granted"
Action: write-file
Response: "✅ File write approved and executed"
```
---
## Architecture
```
MCP Server
├── InfrastructureRegistry (hot-reload for core classes)
├── ToolRegistry (hot-reload for tool classes)
├── FileWatcher (monitors dist/core/ and dist/tools/)
│
├── ConversationManager (central negotiation gateway)
│ ├── Identity Provider (who)
│ ├── Alignment Detector (what alignment)
│ ├── Approval Flow (how permissions)
│ └── Hypothetical Evaluator (what-if)
│
└── Tool Instances
└── example-tool v2.2.0
```
---
## Project Structure
```
mcp-tool-factory/
├── flow-pressure/ # Vision & constraints
│ ├── 01-the-project.md # Sacred primitive & phases
│ ├── 02-the-discipline.md
│ ├── 03-implementation-plan.md
│ └── 04-current-state.md
│
├── src/
│ ├── index.ts # MCP server entry
│ ├── core/ # Infrastructure
│ │ ├── tool-registry.ts
│ │ ├── infrastructure-registry.ts
│ │ ├── file-watcher.ts
│ │ ├── conversation-manager.ts
│ │ ├── alignment-detector.ts
│ │ └── conversation-migration.ts
│ │
│ └── tools/ # Tool implementations
│ └── example-tool.ts
│
└── tests/
└── test-concurrent-load.cjs
```
---
## Development Phases
| Phase | Status | Description |
|-------|--------|-------------|
| **M1** | ✅ Complete | Hot-Reload Infrastructure |
| **M2** | ✅ Complete | Conversational Negotiation |
| **M3** | 🚧 Next | State Continuity |
| **M4** | 📋 Planned | Permission Graduation |
| **M5** | 📋 Planned | Tool Class Registry |
| **M6** | 📋 Planned | Multi-Dimensional Orchestration |
| **M7** | 📋 Planned | Production Mastery |
---
## Key Features
### 🔥 Infrastructure Hot-Reload
Modify `conversation-manager.ts` → builds → reloads → conversation continues
### 💬 Conversational Negotiation
Ask "what would happen if I did X?" before attempting X
### 🔒 Constraint-Based Safety
- RESOURCE_STEWARDSHIP: Blocks destructive operations
- PRIVACY_PRESERVATION: Protects sensitive data
- PERMISSION_BOUNDARY: Prevents privilege escalation
### 📊 Race-Condition Free
Node.js event loop guarantees sequential execution (verified via concurrent load testing)
---
## Testing
```bash
# Run M5 witness tests (uses SQLite by default)
node test-m5-witness.mjs
# Run M5 witness tests with Supabase (Task 5.10)
# First, create .env.test with your Supabase test instance credentials:
cp .env.test.example .env.test
# Then edit .env.test and add your credentials
# Load environment and run tests
export $(cat .env.test | xargs) && node test-m5-witness.mjs
# Run concurrent load test
node test-concurrent-load.cjs
# Test hypothetical evaluation
claude -p "Use mcp__mcp-tool-factory__example-tool with action: what-if:sudo rm -rf /"
```
### Test Environment Setup (Task 5.10)
Tests automatically detect Supabase credentials and use cloud persistence if available, otherwise fall back to in-memory SQLite:
1. **SQLite (default):** No configuration needed, tests run against in-memory database
2. **Supabase (optional):** Create `.env.test` from `.env.test.example` with test instance credentials
**Benefits of Supabase testing:**
- Verifies production-like persistence layer
- Tests actual cloud database operations
- Proves Act 9 (restart restoration) against real Supabase
**Note:** Use a separate Supabase project for testing (not production!)
---
## Known Limitations
### Tool Discovery Requires Client Restart
**Issue:** MCP clients (like Claude Desktop) cache the tool manifest at connection time and don't automatically refresh when new tools are added via hot-reload.
**Impact:** After adding a new tool (e.g., `admin-tool.ts`), the following occurs:
1. `npm run build` completes successfully ✅
2. MCP server hot-reloads and sees the new tool ✅
3. Server logs show: `[ToolRegistry] Loaded 3 tools: admin-tool, data-tool, example-tool` ✅
4. **But:** Client still only sees the previous 2 tools ❌
**Workaround:**
1. Add or update tool source file
2. Run `npm run build`
3. **Restart Claude Desktop:**
- macOS: Cmd+Q to quit, then reopen
- Windows: Close application completely, then relaunch
4. New tools will appear in the next session
**Root Cause:** MCP protocol over stdio transport doesn't support server-initiated notifications. Client calls `ListTools` once at connection time and caches the result.
**Future Solution:** Tracked in [GitHub Issue #TBD] - Implement MCP protocol extension for `notifications/tools/changed` to enable push-based tool discovery updates.
---
## Contributing
This project follows the emergence principle: **capabilities emerge from constraint removal, not direct implementation.**
See `flow-pressure/02-the-discipline.md` for development philosophy.
---
## License
MIT
---
## Repository
https://github.com/tarunjain15/mcp-tool-factory
