Skip to main content
Glama
MissionSquad

MCP Avantage

by MissionSquad

technicalIndicators_dx

Calculate the Directional Movement Index (DX) to identify trend strength in financial markets using symbol, interval, and time period parameters.

Instructions

Directional Movement Index (DX)

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
symbolYesThe stock symbol (e.g., "IBM").
intervalYesTime interval (e.g., "daily", "60min", "weekly"). Check Alpha Vantage docs for valid intervals per indicator.
datatypeNoData format for the response.json
monthNoSpecific month for intraday intervals (YYYY-MM format).
time_periodYesNumber of data points used to calculate the indicator.

Implementation Reference

  • src/index.ts:1385-1396 (registration)
    Registration of the MCP tool 'technicalIndicators_dx' using server.addTool, specifying name, description, Zod input schema, and execute handler that wraps the Alpha Vantage library's technicalIndicators.dx method.
    server.addTool({
      name: "technicalIndicators_dx",
      description: "Directional Movement Index (DX)",
      parameters: schemas.TechnicalIndicatorsDxParamsSchema,
      execute: (
        args,
        context // Let type be inferred
      ) =>
        executeAvantageTool("technicalIndicators_dx", args, context, (av, params) =>
          av.technicalIndicators.dx(params)
        ),
    });
  • Zod schema definition for input parameters of the technicalIndicators_dx tool, extending the common time-period-only schema with description.
    export const TechnicalIndicatorsDxParamsSchema = TechnicalIndicatorsTimePeriodOnlyParamsSchema.describe('Parameters for DX.');
  • The execute handler function provided to MCP server for the tool, which calls the generic executeAvantageTool wrapper passing the specific library method av.technicalIndicators.dx(params).
    execute: (
      args,
      context // Let type be inferred
    ) =>
      executeAvantageTool("technicalIndicators_dx", args, context, (av, params) =>
        av.technicalIndicators.dx(params)
      ),
  • Generic helper function used by all AVantage MCP tools, including technicalIndicators_dx, to manage API key, create AVantage instance, execute the library method, handle responses and errors, and return JSON stringified data.
    async function executeAvantageTool<TArgs, TResult>(
      toolName: string,
      args: TArgs,
      context: Context<Record<string, unknown> | undefined>, // Use the imported Context type directly
      avantageMethod: (
        av: AVantage,
        args: TArgs
      ) => Promise<{ error?: boolean; reason?: string; data?: TResult }>
    ): Promise<string> {
      logger.info(`Executing '${toolName}' tool for request ID: ${context}`);
      logger.debug(`Args for ${toolName}: ${JSON.stringify(args)}`);
    
      // --- Authentication & Resource Management ---
      // Access extraArgs safely - it might be null or undefined
      const extraArgsApiKey = context.extraArgs?.apiKey as string | undefined;
      const apiKey = extraArgsApiKey || config.apiKey;
    
      if (!apiKey) {
        logger.error(`'${toolName}' failed: Alpha Vantage API key missing.`);
        throw new UserError(apiKeyErrorMessage);
      }
      logger.debug(
        `Using AV API key (source: ${extraArgsApiKey ? "extraArgs" : "environment"}) for ${toolName}`
      );
    
      try {
        // Get or create AVantage instance managed by ResourceManager
        const av = await resourceManager.getResource<AVantage>(
          apiKey, // Cache key is the resolved API key
          "avantage_client", // Type identifier for logging
          async (key) => {
            // Factory Function
            logger.info(
              `Creating new AVantage instance for key ending ...${key.slice(-4)}`
            );
            // AVantage library reads AV_PREMIUM from process.env internally
            return new AVantage(key);
          },
          async (avInstance) => {
            // Cleanup Function (no-op needed for AVantage)
            logger.debug(`Destroying AVantage instance (no-op)`);
          }
        );
    
        // --- Library Call ---
        const result = await avantageMethod(av, args);
    
        // --- Response Handling ---
        if (result.error) {
          logger.warn(
            `'${toolName}' failed. Reason from avantage: ${result.reason}`
          );
          throw new UserError(result.reason || `Tool '${toolName}' failed.`);
        }
    
        if (result.data === undefined || result.data === null) {
          logger.warn(`'${toolName}' completed successfully but returned no data.`);
          return "null"; // Return string "null" for empty data
        }
    
        logger.info(`'${toolName}' completed successfully.`);
        // Stringify the data part of the response
        return JSON.stringify(result.data);
      } catch (error: any) {
        logger.error(
          `Error during execution of '${toolName}': ${error.message}`,
          error
        );
        // If it's already a UserError, rethrow it
        if (error instanceof UserError) {
          throw error;
        }
        // Otherwise, wrap it in a UserError
        throw new UserError(
          `An unexpected error occurred while executing tool '${toolName}': ${error.message}`
        );
      }
    }
Behavior1/5

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

With no annotations provided, the description carries the full burden of behavioral disclosure but adds nothing beyond the name. It doesn't indicate if this is a read-only query, a calculation, requires authentication, has rate limits, or what the output entails, making it completely inadequate for behavioral understanding.

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

Conciseness2/5

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

While concise, the description is under-specified—it's a single phrase that fails to convey necessary information. Conciseness should not come at the cost of clarity; here, the brevity results in insufficient content, not efficient communication.

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

Completeness1/5

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

For a tool with 5 parameters, no annotations, and no output schema, the description is severely incomplete. It doesn't explain the tool's function, usage, behavior, or output, failing to compensate for the lack of structured data and leaving the agent with minimal actionable information.

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

Parameters3/5

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

Schema description coverage is 100%, so the schema fully documents all 5 parameters. The description adds no additional meaning or context about the parameters, such as typical values for 'time_period' or how 'month' interacts with 'interval'. Baseline 3 is appropriate when the schema handles all parameter documentation.

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

Purpose2/5

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

The description 'Directional Movement Index (DX)' restates the tool name with minimal expansion, making it tautological. It doesn't specify what the tool does (e.g., calculate, retrieve, or analyze the DX indicator) or what resource it operates on, leaving the purpose vague beyond the name.

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

Usage Guidelines1/5

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

No guidance is provided on when to use this tool versus the many sibling technical indicators (e.g., ad, aroon, sma) or other tools in the server. The description lacks any context, prerequisites, or alternatives, leaving the agent with no usage direction.

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

Install Server

Other Tools

Latest Blog Posts

MCP directory API

We provide all the information about MCP servers via our MCP API.

curl -X GET 'https://glama.ai/api/mcp/v1/servers/MissionSquad/mcp-avantage'

If you have feedback or need assistance with the MCP directory API, please join our Discord server