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mcp-server-text-editor

by bhouston
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Claude Text Editor MCP Server

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An open-source implementation of the Claude built-in text editor tool as a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server. This package provides the same functionality as Claude's built-in text editor tool, allowing you to view, edit, and create text files through a standardized API.

Features

  • Identical API to Claude's Text Editor: Implements the exact same interface as Claude's built-in text editor tool

  • MCP Server Implementation: Follows the Model Context Protocol standard for AI tool integration

  • File Operations:

    • View file contents with optional line range specification

    • Create new files

    • Replace text in existing files

    • Insert text at specific line numbers

    • Undo previous edits

Related MCP server: MCP Text Editor Server

Supported Claude Text Editor Versions

This package implements an equivalent tool to the built-in Claude text editor tool versions:

  • text_editor_20241022 (Claude 3.5 Sonnet)

  • text_editor_20250124 (Claude 3.7 Sonnet)

But using the tool name 'text_editor' to avoid name conflicts with built-in Claude tools.

Installation

# Install from npm
npm install mcp-server-text-editor

# Or with pnpm
pnpm add mcp-server-text-editor

Usage

Starting the Server

# Using npx
npx -y mcp-server-text-editor

# Or if installed globally
mcp-server-text-editor

Configuring in Claude Desktop

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "textEditor": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "mcp-server-text-editor"]
    }
  }
}

Tool Commands

View

View the contents of a file or directory.

{
  "command": "view",
  "path": "/path/to/file.js",
  "view_range": [1, 10] // Optional: Show lines 1-10 only
}

Create

Create a new file with the specified content.

{
  "command": "create",
  "path": "/path/to/file.js",
  "file_text": "console.log('Hello, world!');"
}

String Replace

Replace text in a file.

{
  "command": "str_replace",
  "path": "/path/to/file.js",
  "old_str": "console.log('Hello, world!');",
  "new_str": "console.log('Hello, Claude!');"
}

Insert

Insert text at a specific line.

{
  "command": "insert",
  "path": "/path/to/file.js",
  "insert_line": 5,
  "new_str": "// This line was inserted by Claude"
}

Undo Edit

Revert the last edit made to a file.

{
  "command": "undo_edit",
  "path": "/path/to/file.js"
}

Development

Prerequisites

  • Node.js 18+

  • pnpm

Setup

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/bhouston/mcp-server-text-editor.git
cd mcp-server-text-editor

# Install dependencies
pnpm install

# Build the project
pnpm build

Scripts

  • pnpm build: Build the TypeScript project

  • pnpm lint: Run ESLint with auto-fixing

  • pnpm format: Format code with Prettier

  • pnpm clean: Remove build artifacts

  • pnpm clean:all: Remove build artifacts and node_modules

  • pnpm test: Run tests

  • pnpm test:coverage: Run tests with coverage report

Testing

This project uses Vitest for testing.

To run the tests:

# Run all tests
pnpm test

# Run tests with coverage report
pnpm test:coverage

The test coverage report will be generated in the coverage directory.

License

MIT

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

  1. Fork the repository

  2. Create your feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)

  3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some amazing feature')

  4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)

  5. Open a Pull Request

Available Tools

1 tool
text_editorB

View, create, and edit files with persistent state across command calls. This tool is identical with Claude's built in text editor tool called text_editor_20241022

ParametersJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
commandYesThe commands to run. Allowed options are: `view`, `create`, `str_replace`, `insert`, `undo_edit`.
descriptionYesThe reason you are using the text editor (max 80 chars)
file_textNoRequired parameter of `create` command, with the content of the file to be created.
insert_lineNoRequired parameter of `insert` command. The `new_str` will be inserted AFTER the line `insert_line` of `path`.
new_strNoOptional parameter of `str_replace` command containing the new string (if not given, no string will be added). Required parameter of `insert` command containing the string to insert.
old_strNoRequired parameter of `str_replace` command containing the string in `path` to replace.
pathYesAbsolute path to file or directory, e.g. `/repo/file.py` or `/repo`.
view_rangeNoOptional parameter of `view` command when `path` points to a file. If none is given, the full file is shown. If provided, the file will be shown in the indicated line number range, e.g. [11, 12] will show lines 11 and 12. Indexing at 1 to start. Setting `[start_line, -1]` shows all lines from `start_line` to the end of the file.

TDQS

B3.1/5.0
Behavior3/5

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

With no annotations provided, the description carries the full burden. It mentions 'persistent state across command calls,' which is a useful behavioral trait not evident from the schema. However, it lacks details on permissions, error handling, file system interactions, or what 'persistent state' entails operationally. The description adds some value but leaves significant behavioral aspects unexplained.

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

Conciseness3/5

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

The description is two sentences: the first is front-loaded with core functionality, but the second sentence about being identical to another tool adds no value for tool selection and wastes space. It could be more concise by omitting the redundant second sentence.

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

Completeness3/5

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

Given the complexity (8 parameters, no annotations, no output schema), the description is somewhat incomplete. It covers basic purpose and a behavioral trait (persistent state), but lacks details on usage context, error cases, or output expectations. For a multi-command tool with no output schema, more guidance would be helpful.

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 already documents all parameters thoroughly. The description adds no parameter-specific information beyond what's in the schema. According to the rules, with high schema coverage, the baseline is 3 even with no param info in the description.

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?

The description clearly states the tool's purpose: 'View, create, and edit files with persistent state across command calls.' It specifies the actions (view, create, edit) and resource (files), and mentions the persistent state feature. However, it doesn't distinguish from siblings since there are none, and the second sentence about being identical to another tool adds no functional clarity.

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

Usage Guidelines2/5

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 mentions it's 'identical with Claude's built in text editor tool,' but this doesn't help an agent decide between this and other file manipulation tools. There are no explicit when/when-not scenarios or prerequisites described.

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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TDQS

B3.2/5.0
Disambiguation5/5

With only one tool, there is no possibility of confusion or overlap between tools. The tool has a single, clear purpose for file editing with persistent state, making disambiguation trivial.

Naming Consistency5/5

A single tool named 'text_editor' follows a clear and consistent naming pattern. There are no other tools to compare against, so no inconsistency can exist.

Tool Count2/5

A single tool for a text editor server feels thin and under-scoped. While it covers basic file operations, typical text editors would benefit from additional tools for tasks like search/replace, formatting, or managing multiple files, making this count borderline inadequate.

Completeness2/5

The tool surface is severely incomplete for a text editor domain. It lacks essential operations such as search within files, undo/redo functionality, file management (e.g., rename, delete), or formatting options, which are core to text editing workflows.

Maintenance

ActivityInactive
ResponsivenessUnresponsive

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