should-i-use
Server Configuration
Describes the environment variables required to run the server.
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| SHOULD_I_USE_DATA | No | Path to a custom libraries.json snapshot (same shape as the bundled data). If not set, the bundled snapshot is used. |
Instructions
Guidance the server publishes about itself, which clients place ahead of the tool catalog so the model reads it before choosing anything.
This server publishes no instructions, or was last inspected before Glama recorded them.
Capabilities
Features and capabilities supported by this server
Protocol revision2025-11-25
| Capability | Details |
|---|---|
| tools | {} |
Tools
Functions exposed to the LLM to take actions
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| pick_libraryA | Given a coding task, recommend 1-3 libraries from the should-i-use index with one-line reasoning and an honest warning about the top pick. Use before installing anything. |
| should_i_useA | Honest verdict on a specific library: 4-axis scores with reasons, when to skip it, and maintenance signals (last push, weekly downloads). |
| alternativesA | Curated alternatives to a library, each with a one-line "prefer it when" and a verdict if the alternative is also indexed. |
| how_do_iA | Return the 1-2 best code snippets for a task with a library, plus the gotcha for each. Snippets are correct for the indexed version. Far cheaper in tokens than a docs dump. |
| docs_linkA | Official docs URL and GitHub repo for a library, one line each. Use when the clamped answers are not enough. |
Prompts
Interactive templates invoked by user choice
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
No prompts | |
Resources
Contextual data attached and managed by the client
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
No resources | |
TDQS
Scored across 5 tools
Each tool has a distinct role: discovering libraries for a task (pick_library), evaluating a known library (should_i_use), exploring alternatives (alternatives), getting usage snippets (how_do_i), and finding documentation (docs_link). There is no overlap in purpose or input type.
Tool names are a mix of verb phrases (pick_library, how_do_i), noun phrases (alternatives, docs_link), and a sentence-like phrase (should_i_use). While all lowercase with underscores, the lack of a consistent syntactic pattern makes the naming unpredictable.
With 5 tools, the server is well-scoped and each tool serves a clear, distinct function. The count falls comfortably within the ideal 3-15 range for a focused toolkit.
The tool set covers the complete library decision workflow: discovering candidates, evaluating a library, comparing alternatives, obtaining usage code, and accessing official docs. There are no obvious gaps for the server's stated purpose.