estimate_complexity

Estimates task complexity and effort requirements by analyzing tasks and influencing factors to help plan development work effectively.

Instructions

Estimates the complexity and effort required for a task or feature.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`task`	Yes	The task to estimate
`factors`	No	Factors affecting complexity

Implementation Reference

src/tools/cognitive.ts:472-514 (handler)

The handler function for 'estimate_complexity' tool. It receives task description and optional factors, generates a structured Markdown report estimating effort breakdown, total hours (optimistic/realistic/pessimistic), complexity score, risks, and recommendations.

export function estimateComplexityHandler(args: any) {
    const { task, factors = [] } = args;

    const estimate = `# Complexity Estimate: ${task}

## Complexity Factors
${factors.length > 0 ? factors.map((f: string) => `- ${f}`).join("\n") : "Standard complexity assumed"}

---

## Effort Breakdown

| Component | Effort | Risk |
|-----------|--------|------|
| Research/Design | 1-2 hours | Low |
| Core Implementation | 2-4 hours | Medium |
| Testing | 1-2 hours | Low |
| Edge Cases | 1-2 hours | Medium |
| Documentation | 0.5-1 hour | Low |
| Review/Refinement | 1 hour | Low |

## Total Estimate
- **Optimistic**: 6-8 hours
- **Realistic**: 8-12 hours
- **Pessimistic**: 12-16 hours

## Complexity Score
**Medium** (3/5)

## Risk Factors
- [ ] Unknown dependencies
- [ ] Integration complexity
- [ ] Performance requirements
- [ ] Security considerations

## Recommendations
- Break into smaller tasks if estimate > 8 hours
- Add buffer for unknowns (20-30%)
- Identify blockers early
`;

    return { content: [{ type: "text", text: estimate }] };
}

src/tools/cognitive.ts:463-470 (schema)

The input schema definition using Zod for validating the tool's parameters: required 'task' string and optional 'factors' array.

export const estimateComplexitySchema = {
    name: "estimate_complexity",
    description: "Estimates the complexity and effort required for a task or feature.",
    inputSchema: z.object({
        task: z.string().describe("The task to estimate"),
        factors: z.array(z.string()).optional().describe("Factors affecting complexity")
    })
};

src/index.ts:85-85 (registration)
Registration of the 'estimate_complexity' tool in the main toolRegistry Map used by the stdio MCP server.
```
["estimate_complexity", { schema: estimateComplexitySchema, handler: estimateComplexityHandler }],
```
src/server.ts:95-95 (registration)
Registration of the 'estimate_complexity' tool in the toolRegistry Map used by the HTTP MCP server.
```
["estimate_complexity", { schema: estimateComplexitySchema, handler: estimateComplexityHandler }],
```

src/index.ts:33-43 (registration)

Import statement that brings in the estimateComplexitySchema and estimateComplexityHandler from cognitive.ts for use in tool registration.

import {
    planTaskSchema, planTaskHandler,
    reflectOnCodeSchema, reflectOnCodeHandler,
    analyzeArchitectureSchema, analyzeArchitectureHandler,
    debugProblemSchema, debugProblemHandler,
    brainstormSolutionsSchema, brainstormSolutionsHandler,
    compareApproachesSchema, compareApproachesHandler,
    estimateComplexitySchema, estimateComplexityHandler,
    generateTestsSchema, generateTestsHandler,
    explainCodeSchema, explainCodeHandler
} from "./tools/cognitive.js";

Code-MCP