xlide-excel-word-powerpoint-access-office-vba-mcp

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Edit form design

xlide_edit_form

DestructiveIdempotent

Modify an Office form design: add or remove controls or set control properties, then save the file. Works for UserForms and Access forms.

Instructions

Changes one form's design and saves the file: add a control, remove one, or set a property on one. Geometry is in points for a UserForm and twips for an Access design. Setting a property to null clears it, putting the control back at its default. Removing a container takes its children with it, so ask the user first. Adding a control does not write its event procedure; do that with xlide_write_module on the form's code module.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description
`top`	No	For add_control.
`left`	No	For add_control.
`width`	No	0 uses the type's default.
`action`	Yes	'add_control', 'remove_control' or 'set_property'.
`height`	No	0 uses the type's default.
`caption`	No	For add_control on an Access design: the control's caption.
`section`	No	For add_control on an Access design: the band to put it in, such as Detail, PageHeaderSection or PageFooterSection. xlide_list_forms names the ones a design has. Ignored for a UserForm, which has no bands.
`container`	No	For add_control: the Frame or page to put it in.
`file_path`	Yes	Absolute path to the Office file.
`form_name`	Yes	Form to change.
`control_name`	Yes	The control to add, remove or change.
`control_type`	No	For add_control: Label, TextBox, CommandButton, CheckBox, OptionButton, ComboBox, ListBox, Frame, MultiPage, Image, SpinButton and the rest.
`property_name`	No	For set_property: the property to set.
`property_value`	No	For set_property. null clears it to the default.
`allow_protected`	No	Permit saving a password-protected VBA project. Set true only after the user agrees.
`allow_invalidate_signature`	No	Permit saving a change that removes the VBA project's digital signature, where applicable. Set true only after the user agrees.

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
No arguments

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed2 schema fields changedv1.2.2Sep 30, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / allow_invalidate_signature / description

Previous value: -"Ask the user first."New value: +"Permit saving a change that removes the VBA project's digital signature, where applicable. Set true only after the user agrees."

changedInput schema / properties / allow_protected / description

Previous value: -"Ask the user first."New value: +"Permit saving a password-protected VBA project. Set true only after the user agrees."

First observedv0.1.0Sep 20, 2026

TDQS

A4.4/5.0

Behavior5/5

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

Annotations already disclose destructive/idempotent/readOnly, so the bar is lower, yet the description still adds real behavior: units differ by host (points vs twips), null clears a property back to default, and removing a container cascades to its children. These are consequences an agent must know before calling and are not derivable from the annotations.

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

Conciseness5/5

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

Four tight sentences, front-loaded with what the tool does and the three action modes, followed by the unit rule, the destructive caveat, and the sibling handoff. Every sentence carries distinct information; no filler.

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

Completeness5/5

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

For a 16-parameter mutation tool with an output schema and full annotation coverage, the description supplies the missing behavioral contract: units, cascade deletion, default-clearing semantics, and the event-procedure gap. Nothing an agent needs to call this correctly is left unexplained.

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

Parameters4/5

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

Schema coverage is 100%, so the schema carries most parameter meaning, but the description adds semantics the schema omits: the measurement unit (points for UserForm, twips for Access) and the null-clears-to-default behavior of set_property. Modest but genuine value over the baseline.

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

Purpose4/5

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

States a specific verb and resource and enumerates the three modes of operation (add a control, remove one, set a property). That is far more than a restatement of the name. It does not, however, distinguish itself from the sibling xlide_manage_form, which appears to overlap in scope.

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

Usage Guidelines4/5

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

Gives explicit routing guidance for one case ('Adding a control does not write its event procedure; do that with xlide_write_module') and a precondition for destruction ('ask the user first'). It never explains when to reach for this tool instead of the nearby xlide_manage_form, so the sibling coverage is incomplete.

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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