tally_list_exported_books

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

Goes well beyond the readOnlyHint/openWorldHint annotations: discloses that values are snapshots from a scheduled export, warns not to quote figures as 'now', states it works with TallyPrime closed, and flags text fields as data rather than instructions (prompt-injection defense). This is exactly the extra behavioural context annotations cannot carry.

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?

Front-loaded with the core purpose, then clearly delimited WHEN TO USE / RETURNS / DOES NOT RETURN sections. Despite its length, each block carries distinct, non-redundant information an agent needs, so nothing reads as filler.

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?

With no output schema and no parameters, the description fully compensates by specifying what is returned (company name, currency, as-at timestamp) and what is not (live figures). An agent has everything required to call it correctly and interpret the result.

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?

The tool takes zero parameters, so there is no parameter semantics to document and the baseline is 4. The description reasonably adds nothing about inputs, which is correct for a parameterless listing call.

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+resource ('list the companies whose exported spreadsheets are on this computer') and adds a distinguishing scope detail — the last-read timestamp. It is clearly separable from the live-data siblings like tally_list_companies and the file-reading tally_read_exported_table.

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?

Gives explicit, condition-driven guidance: use as the FIRST call when TallyPrime is closed or unreachable and before answering from exported files, plus a cost note. It stops short of naming a sibling alternative (e.g. tally_list_companies) the way a 5 would, but the when-to-use condition is unambiguous.

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