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by MissionSquad

technicalIndicators_minusDI

Calculate the Minus Directional Indicator (-DI) to identify bearish market trends by measuring downward price movement strength for a given stock symbol and time period.

Instructions

Minus Directional Indicator (-DI)

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

  • The handler implementation for the 'technicalIndicators_minusDI' tool. It registers the tool and defines the execute function that calls executeAvantageTool with the specific Alpha Vantage method av.technicalIndicators.minusDI(params).
    server.addTool({
      name: "technicalIndicators_minusDI",
      description: "Minus Directional Indicator (-DI)",
      parameters: schemas.TechnicalIndicatorsMinusDiParamsSchema,
      execute: (
        args,
        context // Let type be inferred
      ) =>
        executeAvantageTool(
          "technicalIndicators_minusDI",
          args,
          context,
          (av, params) => av.technicalIndicators.minusDI(params)
        ),
    });
  • Specific parameter schema for the technicalIndicators_minusDI tool, which is an alias/description extension of the base time period schema.
    export const TechnicalIndicatorsMinusDiParamsSchema = TechnicalIndicatorsTimePeriodOnlyParamsSchema.describe('Parameters for MINUS_DI.');
  • Base schema TechnicalIndicatorsTimePeriodOnlyParamsSchema used by the tool's parameters, extending common indicator params with time_period.
    export const TechnicalIndicatorsTimePeriodOnlyParamsSchema = TechnicalIndicatorsCommonIndicatorParamsSchema.extend({
        time_period: z.string().describe('Number of data points used to calculate the indicator.'),
    }).describe('Parameters for indicators requiring symbol, interval, and time_period.');
  • Shared helper function executeAvantageTool used by all tools including technicalIndicators_minusDI. Manages authentication, caching of AVantage client, executes the library method, and formats response.
    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?

No annotations are provided, so the description must fully disclose behavioral traits. However, it offers no information about what the tool does operationally (e.g., whether it calculates, fetches, or processes data), its effects (e.g., read-only vs. mutative), performance characteristics, or error handling. This leaves the agent with no understanding of the tool's behavior beyond its name.

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 the description is extremely concise (a single phrase), it is under-specified rather than efficiently informative. It lacks essential details about the tool's purpose and usage, making it ineffective. Conciseness should not come at the cost of clarity, and this description fails to provide meaningful content in its brevity.

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?

Given the complexity of a technical indicator tool with 5 parameters, no annotations, and no output schema, the description is severely incomplete. It does not explain what the tool returns, how it processes inputs, or its role within the broader set of sibling tools. This inadequacy leaves critical gaps for an agent to understand and use the tool correctly.

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?

The input schema has 100% description coverage, providing clear documentation for all 5 parameters. The description adds no additional parameter semantics beyond what the schema already specifies. According to the rules, with high schema coverage (>80%), the baseline score is 3 even without parameter info in the description, which applies here.

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

Purpose1/5

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

The description 'Minus Directional Indicator (-DI)' is a tautology that merely restates the tool name without explaining what the tool does. It provides no verb indicating action (e.g., 'calculate', 'retrieve', 'analyze') and offers no context about the resource or operation involved. This fails to distinguish it from sibling tools or clarify its function.

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?

The description provides no guidance on when to use this tool versus alternatives. It does not mention any specific use cases, prerequisites, or comparisons with sibling tools like 'technicalIndicators_plusDI' or other technical indicators. Without such context, an agent cannot determine appropriate usage scenarios.

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

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