Get Assignment Dates

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

The "Read-only" claim only restates the readOnlyHint/destructiveHint annotations, so it earns no credit. What does add value beyond annotations is the disclosed output behavior: results are sorted by due date and returned in a compact form. Nothing is said about pagination or limits on large courses, so the disclosure is useful but thin.

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

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

Three short sentences: output contents and ordering first, then the safety hint, then the alternative. Zero filler and the most decision-relevant information is front-loaded.

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

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

For a one-parameter read tool whose annotations cover the safety profile and whose result is described as a compact date listing, the description is nearly sufficient. The remaining gap is scale behavior — whether it returns every assignment in a large course unpaginated — which matters because the description promises "every assignment".

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

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

With one parameter and 100% schema description coverage (including the numeric-string format and the pointer to list_courses), the schema already carries the semantics. The description adds nothing specific about course_id, so the baseline 3 applies.

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

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

States a specific verb (List) and a specific resource (due, lock and unlock dates per assignment in a course) plus the ordering and output shape. It also names list_assignments as the sibling that covers a different need, so an agent can distinguish the two without opening either schema.

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

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

"Use list_assignments when you also need submission status" gives an explicit condition for choosing the alternative, which is the main routing decision an agent faces here. No exclusions are left to inference for a single-course, single-parameter list tool.

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