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Get API Surface

get-api-surface
Read-onlyIdempotent

Lists API declarations—types and members—within a selected scope with references, accessibility and obsolete status, enabling inventory of accessible surface area.

Instructions

Lists API declarations from source in the selected scope, with symbol references, accessibility and obsolete status. Use this to inventory accessible types and members; use search-symbols to locate declarations by name, or get-symbol-info to inspect one symbol. Omitted scope searches the loaded solution. Defaults to Public accessibility, includes obsolete symbols and returns up to 100 symbols. Check symbols.hasMore before treating the inventory as complete.

Input Schema

NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
scopeNoThe search scope.
workspaceNoProvide workspaceId, alias, path, or any combination.
symbolsLimitNoMaximum number of results to return.
includeObsoleteNoWhether obsolete symbols should be included.
minimumAccessibilityNoThe minimum accessibility threshold as Public, Protected, or Internal.Public

Output Schema

NameRequiredDescriptionDefault

No arguments

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

  1. Changed10 schema fields changedv1.0.5
    • addedInput schema / $defs
      Added value: +{
      +  "project": {
      +    "properties": {
      +      "name": {
      +        "type": "string"
      +      },
      +      "path": {
      +        "description": "Workspace-relative path.",
      +        "type": "string"
      +      },
      +      "projectId": {
      +        "type": "string"
      +      },
      +      "targetFramework": {
      +        "type": "string"
      +      }
      +    },
      +    "type": [
      +      "object",
      +      "null"
      +    ]
      +  }
      +}
    • addedInput schema / properties / scope / properties / document / properties / project / $ref
      Added value: +"#/$defs/project"
    • removedInput schema / properties / scope / properties / document / properties / project / properties
      Removed value: -{
      -  "name": {
      -    "type": "string"
      -  },
      -  "path": {
      -    "description": "Workspace-relative path.",
      -    "type": "string"
      -  },
      -  "projectId": {
      -    "type": "string"
      -  },
      -  "targetFramework": {
      -    "type": "string"
      -  }
      -}
    • removedInput schema / properties / scope / properties / document / properties / project / type
      Removed value: -[
      -  "object",
      -  "null"
      -]
    • addedInput schema / properties / scope / properties / project / $ref
      Added value: +"#/$defs/project"
    • removedInput schema / properties / scope / properties / project / properties
      Removed value: -{
      -  "name": {
      -    "type": "string"
      -  },
      -  "path": {
      -    "description": "Workspace-relative path.",
      -    "type": "string"
      -  },
      -  "projectId": {
      -    "type": "string"
      -  },
      -  "targetFramework": {
      -    "type": "string"
      -  }
      -}
    • removedInput schema / properties / scope / properties / project / type
      Removed value: -[
      -  "object",
      -  "null"
      -]
    • addedInput schema / properties / scope / properties / projects / items / $ref
      Added value: +"#/$defs/project"
    • removedInput schema / properties / scope / properties / projects / items / properties
      Removed value: -{
      -  "name": {
      -    "type": "string"
      -  },
      -  "path": {
      -    "description": "Workspace-relative path.",
      -    "type": "string"
      -  },
      -  "projectId": {
      -    "type": "string"
      -  },
      -  "targetFramework": {
      -    "type": "string"
      -  }
      -}
    • removedInput schema / properties / scope / properties / projects / items / type
      Removed value: -[
      -  "object",
      -  "null"
      -]
  2. Changed1 schema field changedv1.0.4
    • changedOutput schema / (root)
      Previous value: -nullNew value: +{
      +  "$defs": {
      +    "warningInfo": {
      +      "properties": {
      +        "code": {
      +          "description": "The stable machine-readable warning code.",
      +          "type": "string"
      +        },
      +        "message": {
      +          "description": "The human-readable warning message.",
      +          "type": "string"
      +        }
      +      },
      +      "required": [
      +        "code",
      +        "message"
      +      ],
      +      "type": "object"
      +    }
      +  },
      +  "oneOf": [
      +    {
      +      "properties": {
      +        "data": {
      +          "description": "Tool-specific result payload.",
      +          "properties": {
      +            "symbols": {
      +              "description": "The returned exported API symbols.",
      +              "properties": {
      +                "hasMore": {
      +                  "description": "Whether additional items were available beyond this page.",
      +                  "type": "boolean"
      +                },
      +                "items": {
      +                  "description": "Items returned in this page.",
      +                  "items": {
      +                    "properties": {
      +                      "accessibility": {
      +                        "description": "The declared accessibility.",
      +                        "type": "string"
      +                      },
      +                      "isObsolete": {
      +                        "description": "Whether the symbol is marked obsolete.",
      +                        "type": "boolean"
      +                      },
      +                      "symbol": {
      +                        "description": "The exported symbol.",
      +                        "properties": {
      +                          "displayName": {
      +                            "description": "The display name of the symbol.",
      +                            "type": "string"
      +                          },
      +                          "documentationCommentId": {
      +                            "description": "The documentation comment identifier, when available.",
      +                            "type": [
      +                              "string",
      +                              "null"
      +                            ]
      +                          },
      +                          "kind": {
      +                            "description": "The symbol kind.",
      +                            "type": "string"
      +                          },
      +                          "location": {
      +                            "description": "The optional source location of the symbol.",
      +                            "properties": {
      +                              "column": {
      +                                "description": "The one-based column number.",
      +                                "type": "integer"
      +                              },
      +                              "document": {
      +                                "description": "The resolved document.",
      +                                "properties": {
      +                                  "documentId": {
      +                                    "description": "The document identifier.",
      +                                    "type": "string"
      +                                  },
      +                                  "path": {
      +                                    "description": "The normalized document path.",
      +                                    "type": "string"
      +                                  },
      +                                  "projectId": {
      +                                    "description": "The owning project identifier.",
      +                                    "type": "string"
      +                                  }
      +                                },
      +                                "required": [
      +                                  "documentId",
      +                                  "path",
      +                                  "projectId"
      +                                ],
      +                                "type": [
      +                                  "object",
      +                                  "null"
      +                                ]
      +                              },
      +                              "line": {
      +                                "description": "The one-based line number.",
      +                                "type": "integer"
      +                              },
      +                              "selector": {
      +                                "description": "The canonical selector that can resolve this source location again.",
      +                                "properties": {
      +                                  "span": {
      +                                    "properties": {
      +                                      "document": {
      +                                        "description": "Provide exactly one of path or documentId.",
      +                                        "properties": {
      +                                          "documentId": {
      +                                            "description": "Workspace-local document ID.",
      +                                            "type": [
      +                                              "string",
      +                                              "null"
      +                                            ]
      +                                          },
      +                                          "path": {
      +                                            "description": "Workspace-relative path.",
      +                                            "type": [
      +                                              "string",
      +                                              "null"
      +                                            ]
      +                                          },
      +                                          "project": {
      +                                            "description": "Disambiguates documents with matching paths or IDs.",
      +                                            "properties": {
      +                                              "name": {
      +                                                "type": [
      +                                                  "string",
      +                                                  "null"
      +                                                ]
      +                                              },
      +                                              "path": {
      +                                                "description": "Workspace-relative path.",
      +                                                "type": [
      +                                                  "string",
      +                                                  "null"
      +                                                ]
      +                                              },
      +                                              "projectId": {
      +                                                "type": [
      +                                                  "string",
      +                                                  "null"
      +                                                ]
      +                                              },
      +                                              "targetFramework": {
      +                                                "type": [
      +                                                  "string",
      +                                                  "null"
      +                                                ]
      +                                              }
      +                                            },
      +                                            "type": [
      +                                              "object",
      +                                              "null"
      +                                            ]
      +                                          }
      +                                        },
      +                                        "type": "object"
      +                                      },
      +                                      "range": {
      +                                        "description": "Zero-based UTF-16 range.",
      +                                        "properties": {
      +                                          "length": {
      +                                            "description": "UTF-16 code-unit length.",
      +                                            "maximum": 2147483647,
      +                                            "minimum": 0,
      +                                            "type": "integer"
      +                                          },
      +                                          "start": {
      +                                            "description": "Zero-based UTF-16 offset.",
      +                                            "maximum": 2147483647,
      +                                            "minimum": 0,
      +                                            "type": "integer"
      +                                          }
      +                                        },
      +                                        "type": "object"
      +                                      }
      +                                    },
      +                                    "required": [
      +                                      "document",
      +                                      "range"
      +                                    ],
      +                                    "type": "object"
      +                                  }
      +                                },
      +                                "required": [
      +                                  "span"
      +                                ],
      +                                "type": [
      +                                  "object",
      +                                  "null"
      +                                ]
      +                              },
      +                              "snapshot": {
      +                                "description": "The exact immutable workspace snapshot associated with this location.",
      +                                "properties": {
      +                                  "snapshotId": {
      +                                    "format": "uuid",
      +                                    "type": "string"
      +                                  },
      +                                  "transactionRevision": {
      +                                    "type": [
      +                                      "integer",
      +                                      "null"
      +                                    ]
      +                                  },
      +                                  "workspaceEpoch": {
      +                                    "type": "integer"
      +                                  },
      +                                  "workspaceId": {
      +                                    "format": "uuid",
      +                                    "type": "string"
      +                                  }
      +                                },
      +                                "required": [
      +                                  "workspaceId",
      +                                  "workspaceEpoch",
      +                                  "snapshotId",
      +                                  "transactionRevision"
      +                                ],
      +                                "type": "object"
      +                              },
      +                              "span": {
      +                                "description": "The resolved text span.",
      +                                "properties": {
      +                                  "length": {
      +                                    "description": "UTF-16 code-unit length.",
      +                                    "maximum": 2147483647,
      +                                    "minimum": 0,
      +                                    "type": "integer"
      +                                  },
      +                                  "start": {
      +                                    "description": "Zero-based UTF-16 offset.",
      +                                    "maximum": 2147483647,
      +                                    "minimum": 0,
      +                                    "type": "integer"
      +                                  }
      +                                },
      +                                "type": [
      +                                  "object",
      +                                  "null"
      +                                ]
      +                              }
      +                            },
      +                            "required": [
      +                              "snapshot"
      +                            ],
      +                            "type": [
      +                              "object",
      +                              "null"
      +                            ]
      +                          }
      +                        },
      +                        "required": [
      +                          "displayName",
      +                          "kind"
      +                        ],
      +                        "type": [
      +                          "object",
      +                          "null"
      +                        ]
      +                      }
      +                    },
      +                    "required": [
      +                      "accessibility"
      +                    ],
      +                    "type": "object"
      +                  },
      +                  "type": [
      +                    "array",
      +                    "null"
      +                  ]
      +                },
      +                "totalCount": {
      +                  "description": "Complete result count, when available without additional expensive work.",
      +                  "type": [
      +                    "integer",
      +                    "null"
      +                  ]
      +                }
      +              },
      +              "type": "object"
      +            }
      +          },
      +          "type": [
      +            "object",
      +            "null"
      +          ]
      +        },
      +        "ok": {
      +          "const": true,
      +          "description": "Whether the tool invocation succeeded."
      +        },
      +        "snapshot": {
      +          "description": "Exact immutable workspace snapshot associated with the result, when available.",
      +          "properties": {
      +            "snapshotId": {
      +              "format": "uuid",
      +              "type": "string"
      +            },
      +            "transactionRevision": {
      +              "type": [
      +                "integer",
      +                "null"
      +              ]
      +            },
      +            "workspaceEpoch": {
      +              "type": "integer"
      +            },
      +            "workspaceId": {
      +              "format": "uuid",
      +              "type": "string"
      +            }
      +          },
      +          "required": [
      +            "workspaceId",
      +            "workspaceEpoch",
      +            "snapshotId",
      +            "transactionRevision"
      +          ],
      +          "type": "object"
      +        },
      +        "warnings": {
      +          "description": "Non-fatal warnings the agent should consider.",
      +          "items": {
      +            "$ref": "#/$defs/warningInfo"
      +          },
      +          "type": "array"
      +        }
      +      },
      +      "required": [
      +        "ok",
      +        "data",
      +        "snapshot"
      +      ],
      +      "type": "object"
      +    },
      +    {
      +      "properties": {
      +        "continuation": {
      +          "description": "Action the agent should take before retrying or continuing.",
      +          "oneOf": [
      +            {
      +              "additionalProperties": false,
      +              "properties": {
      +                "instruction": {
      +                  "description": "Agent-facing instruction explaining how to continue.",
      +                  "minLength": 1,
      +                  "type": "string"
      +                },
      +                "kind": {
      +                  "const": "CallTool",
      +                  "description": "Action required before the original request can continue."
      +                },
      +                "tool": {
      +                  "description": "Tool to call before continuing the original request.",
      +                  "minLength": 1,
      +                  "type": "string"
      +                }
      +              },
      +              "required": [
      +                "kind",
      +                "tool",
      +                "instruction"
      +              ],
      +              "type": "object"
      +            },
      +            {
      +              "additionalProperties": false,
      +              "properties": {
      +                "instruction": {
      +                  "description": "Agent-facing instruction explaining how to continue.",
      +                  "minLength": 1,
      +                  "type": "string"
      +                },
      +                "kind": {
      +                  "const": "ChooseTool",
      +                  "description": "Action required before the original request can continue."
      +                },
      +                "tools": {
      +                  "description": "Allowed tool choices from which the agent must select one.",
      +                  "items": {
      +                    "description": "Name of a tool the agent may choose.",
      +                    "minLength": 1,
      +                    "type": "string"
      +                  },
      +                  "minItems": 1,
      +                  "type": "array",
      +                  "uniqueItems": true
      +                }
      +              },
      +              "required": [
      +                "kind",
      +                "tools",
      +                "instruction"
      +              ],
      +              "type": "object"
      +            },
      +            {
      +              "additionalProperties": false,
      +              "properties": {
      +                "instruction": {
      +                  "description": "Agent-facing instruction explaining how to continue.",
      +                  "minLength": 1,
      +                  "type": "string"
      +                },
      +                "kind": {
      +                  "const": "RetryRequest",
      +                  "description": "Action required before the original request can continue."
      +                }
      +              },
      +              "required": [
      +                "kind",
      +                "instruction"
      +              ],
      +              "type": "object"
      +            },
      +            {
      +              "additionalProperties": false,
      +              "properties": {
      +                "instruction": {
      +                  "description": "Agent-facing instruction explaining how to continue.",
      +                  "minLength": 1,
      +                  "type": "string"
      +                },
      +                "kind": {
      +                  "const": "ReviseRequest",
      +                  "description": "Action required before the original request can continue."
      +                }
      +              },
      +              "required": [
      +                "kind",
      +                "instruction"
      +              ],
      +              "type": "object"
      +            },
      +            {
      +              "additionalProperties": false,
      +              "properties": {
      +                "instruction": {
      +                  "description": "Agent-facing instruction explaining how to continue.",
      +                  "minLength": 1,
      +                  "type": "string"
      +                },
      +                "kind": {
      +                  "const": "ResolveExternally",
      +                  "description": "Action required before the original request can continue."
      +                }
      +              },
      +              "required": [
      +                "kind",
      +                "instruction"
      +              ],
      +              "type": "object"
      +            }
      +          ]
      +        },
      +        "diagnostics": {
      +          "description": "Diagnostics that explain the failed invocation.",
      +          "items": {
      +            "properties": {
      +              "id": {
      +                "description": "The diagnostic identifier.",
      +                "type": "string"
      +              },
      +              "location": {
      +                "description": "The optional source location of the diagnostic.",
      +                "properties": {
      +                  "column": {
      +                    "description": "The one-based column number.",
      +                    "type": "integer"
      +                  },
      +                  "document": {
      +                    "description": "The resolved document.",
      +                    "properties": {
      +                      "documentId": {
      +                        "description": "The document identifier.",
      +                        "type": "string"
      +                      },
      +                      "path": {
      +                        "description": "The normalized document path.",
      +                        "type": "string"
      +                      },
      +                      "projectId": {
      +                        "description": "The owning project identifier.",
      +                        "type": "string"
      +                      }
      +                    },
      +                    "required": [
      +                      "documentId",
      +                      "path",
      +                      "projectId"
      +                    ],
      +                    "type": [
      +                      "object",
      +                      "null"
      +                    ]
      +                  },
      +                  "line": {
      +                    "description": "The one-based line number.",
      +                    "type": "integer"
      +                  },
      +                  "selector": {
      +                    "description": "The canonical selector that can resolve this source location again.",
      +                    "properties": {
      +                      "span": {
      +                        "properties": {
      +                          "document": {
      +                            "description": "Provide exactly one of path or documentId.",
      +                            "properties": {
      +                              "documentId": {
      +                                "description": "Workspace-local document ID.",
      +                                "type": [
      +                                  "string",
      +                                  "null"
      +                                ]
      +                              },
      +                              "path": {
      +                                "description": "Workspace-relative path.",
      +                                "type": [
      +                                  "string",
      +                                  "null"
      +                                ]
      +                              },
      +                              "project": {
      +                                "description": "Disambiguates documents with matching paths or IDs.",
      +                                "properties": {
      +                                  "name": {
      +                                    "type": [
      +                                      "string",
      +                                      "null"
      +                                    ]
      +                                  },
      +                                  "path": {
      +                                    "description": "Workspace-relative path.",
      +                                    "type": [
      +                                      "string",
      +                                      "null"
      +                                    ]
      +                                  },
      +                                  "projectId": {
      +                                    "type": [
      +                                      "string",
      +                                      "null"
      +                                    ]
      +                                  },
      +                                  "targetFramework": {
      +                                    "type": [
      +                                      "string",
      +                                      "null"
      +                                    ]
      +                                  }
      +                                },
      +                                "type": [
      +                                  "object",
      +                                  "null"
      +                                ]
      +                              }
      +                            },
      +                            "type": "object"
      +                          },
      +                          "range": {
      +                            "description": "Zero-based UTF-16 range.",
      +                            "properties": {
      +                              "length": {
      +                                "description": "UTF-16 code-unit length.",
      +                                "maximum": 2147483647,
      +                                "minimum": 0,
      +                                "type": "integer"
      +                              },
      +                              "start": {
      +                                "description": "Zero-based UTF-16 offset.",
      +                                "maximum": 2147483647,
      +                                "minimum": 0,
      +                                "type": "integer"
      +                              }
      +                            },
      +                            "type": "object"
      +                          }
      +                        },
      +                        "required": [
      +                          "document",
      +                          "range"
      +                        ],
      +                        "type": "object"
      +                      }
      +                    },
      +                    "required": [
      +                      "span"
      +                    ],
      +                    "type": [
      +                      "object",
      +                      "null"
      +                    ]
      +                  },
      +                  "snapshot": {
      +                    "description": "The exact immutable workspace snapshot associated with this location.",
      +                    "properties": {
      +                      "snapshotId": {
      +                        "format": "uuid",
      +                        "type": "string"
      +                      },
      +                      "transactionRevision": {
      +                        "type": [
      +                          "integer",
      +                          "null"
      +                        ]
      +                      },
      +                      "workspaceEpoch": {
      +                        "type": "integer"
      +                      },
      +                      "workspaceId": {
      +                        "format": "uuid",
      +                        "type": "string"
      +                      }
      +                    },
      +                    "required": [
      +                      "workspaceId",
      +                      "workspaceEpoch",
      +                      "snapshotId",
      +                      "transactionRevision"
      +                    ],
      +                    "type": "object"
      +                  },
      +                  "span": {
      +                    "description": "The resolved text span.",
      +                    "properties": {
      +                      "length": {
      +                        "description": "UTF-16 code-unit length.",
      +                        "maximum": 2147483647,
      +                        "minimum": 0,
      +                        "type": "integer"
      +                      },
      +                      "start": {
      +                        "description": "Zero-based UTF-16 offset.",
      +                        "maximum": 2147483647,
      +                        "minimum": 0,
      +                        "type": "integer"
      +                      }
      +                    },
      +                    "type": [
      +                      "object",
      +                      "null"
      +                    ]
      +                  }
      +                },
      +                "required": [
      +                  "snapshot"
      +                ],
      +                "type": [
      +                  "object",
      +                  "null"
      +                ]
      +              },
      +              "message": {
      +                "description": "The diagnostic message.",
      +                "type": "string"
      +              },
      +              "severity": {
      +                "description": "The diagnostic severity.",
      +                "enum": [
      +                  "Hidden",
      +                  "Info",
      +                  "Warning",
      +                  "Error"
      +                ],
      +                "type": "string"
      +              }
      +            },
      +            "required": [
      +              "id",
      +              "message"
      +            ],
      +            "type": "object"
      +          },
      +          "type": "array"
      +        },
      +        "error": {
      +          "description": "Structured error details when the invocation failed.",
      +          "properties": {
      +            "code": {
      +              "description": "Stable machine-readable error code.",
      +              "type": "string"
      +            },
      +            "correlationId": {
      +              "description": "Correlation identifier for matching the failure to server-side diagnostics, when available.",
      +              "type": [
      +                "string",
      +                "null"
      +              ]
      +            },
      +            "message": {
      +              "description": "Human-readable explanation of the failure.",
      +              "type": "string"
      +            }
      +          },
      +          "required": [
      +            "code",
      +            "message"
      +          ],
      +          "type": "object"
      +        },
      +        "ok": {
      +          "const": false,
      +          "description": "Whether the tool invocation succeeded."
      +        },
      +        "warnings": {
      +          "description": "Non-fatal warnings the agent should consider.",
      +          "items": {
      +            "$ref": "#/$defs/warningInfo"
      +          },
      +          "type": "array"
      +        }
      +      },
      +      "required": [
      +        "ok",
      +        "error"
      +      ],
      +      "type": "object"
      +    },
      +    {
      +      "properties": {
      +        "diagnostics": {
      +          "description": "Diagnostics that explain the failed invocation.",
      +          "properties": {
      +            "detailsAvailable": {
      +              "const": true
      +            },
      +            "detailsTool": {
      +              "const": "get-error-details"
      +            }
      +          },
      +          "required": [
      +            "detailsAvailable",
      +            "detailsTool"
      +          ],
      +          "type": "object"
      +        },
      +        "error": {
      +          "description": "Structured error details when the invocation failed.",
      +          "properties": {
      +            "code": {
      +              "const": "UnhandledException"
      +            },
      +            "correlationId": {
      +              "format": "uuid",
      +              "type": "string"
      +            },
      +            "message": {
      +              "const": "Tool execution failed."
      +            }
      +          },
      +          "required": [
      +            "code",
      +            "message",
      +            "correlationId"
      +          ],
      +          "type": "object"
      +        },
      +        "ok": {
      +          "const": false,
      +          "description": "Whether the tool invocation succeeded."
      +        },
      +        "reporting": {
      +          "description": "Error-reporting workflow available for an unhandled failure.",
      +          "properties": {
      +            "canPrepare": {
      +              "type": "boolean"
      +            },
      +            "prepareTool": {
      +              "type": [
      +                "string",
      +                "null"
      +              ]
      +            },
      +            "state": {
      +              "enum": [
      +                "Available",
      +                "AlwaysApproved",
      +                "DisabledByConfiguration",
      +                "ApprovalUnavailable"
      +              ],
      +              "type": "string"
      +            }
      +          },
      +          "required": [
      +            "state"
      +          ],
      +          "type": "object"
      +        }
      +      },
      +      "required": [
      +        "ok",
      +        "error",
      +        "diagnostics"
      +      ],
      +      "type": "object"
      +    }
      +  ],
      +  "type": "object"
      +}
  3. First observedv1.0.2

TDQS

A4.6/5.0
Behavior4/5

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

Annotations already cover readOnly, idempotent and non-destructive, and the description goes further by disclosing the operating defaults: omitted scope means the loaded solution, Public minimum accessibility, obsolete symbols included, and a 100-symbol cap with a hasMore flag. It stops short of saying how the surface is shaped (flat list vs hierarchy by type/member) or whether inherited/private members are excluded, which matters for an inventory tool.

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

Conciseness4/5

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

Three sentences, front-loaded with purpose then routing then defaults, with no filler. The final sentence is dense, stacking four separate defaults plus the hasMore caveat, which would read better split.

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?

An output schema exists, so return shape needn't be restated, and the description still flags the one return property the agent must act on (symbols.hasMore). For a zero-required-parameter, read-only inventory tool with rich annotations, nothing an agent needs in order to call it correctly is missing.

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 baseline is 3, and the description adds genuine semantics beyond the schema: the meaning of an omitted scope ('searches the loaded solution'), the default accessibility threshold, and the fact that obsolete symbols are included by default (the schema gives includeObsolete no default). It does not explain scope.kind selection trade-offs beyond that, so not a full 5.

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

Purpose5/5

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

States a specific verb and resource ('Lists API declarations from source in the selected scope') and enumerates what each entry carries: symbol references, accessibility and obsolete status. It then explicitly differentiates itself from search-symbols (name lookup) and get-symbol-info (single-symbol inspection), so an agent can pick it without opening either schema.

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

Usage Guidelines5/5

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

Gives an explicit use case ('inventory accessible types and members') and names the two alternatives it is not, with the condition that selects each. The closing instruction ('Check symbols.hasMore before treating the inventory as complete') tells the agent how to use the result correctly, not just when to call it.

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