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engineering-standards

engineering-standards

by rajgurung
OverviewSchemaSourceRelated ServersDiscussionsAdmin
TypeScript

Staff Engineer Review

staff_engineer_review

Run through a staff engineer thinking checklist for your current phase, from pre-coding to incident response. Identify risks and apply engineering standards before you proceed.

Instructions

Run through the staff engineer thinking checklist for a given context (pre-code, pre-pr, post-merge, incident)

Tool call template

Replace each placeholder with a value matching the input schema. Only required parameters are included; add optional parameters as needed.

{
  "id": 1,
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "arguments": {
      "phase": "<phase>"
    },
    "name": "staff_engineer_review"
  }
}

Input Schema

NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
phaseYesThe phase of work to get the checklist for
contextNoBrief description of what you're working on

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

  1. First observedv0.1.0

TDQS

B3.1/5.0
Behavior2/5

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

No annotations are provided, so the description must carry the behavioral burden. It only says 'run through the checklist' and does not state whether the tool returns a checklist, evaluates the provided context, or has any side effects; output expectations are undisclosed.

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?

One sentence with no filler, and the main verb and resource are front-loaded. However, the phase list repeats schema information with less precision, so the space is not used as effectively as it could be.

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

Completeness2/5

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

With no output schema and no annotations, the description is too thin to fully prepare an agent. It does not explain what the checklist output looks like, how the optional context parameter affects the result, or why one enum value is absent from the listed phases.

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 coverage is 100%, so the schema already documents phase and context. The description adds only an approximate phase list that does not exactly match the enum and omits 'during_implementation', providing minimal additional meaning and some potential confusion.

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?

Clearly states it runs the staff engineer thinking checklist, and the phase list conveys the resource and intended scope. It is distinguishable from the sibling review tools, though 'given context' is vague and the phase labels are paraphrased rather than exact enum values.

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

Usage Guidelines3/5

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

The parenthetical phase list gives some sense of when to use it: pre-code, pre-pr, post-merge, incident. However, it does not explicitly say when not to use it or contrast it with alternatives like review_branch_name or review_commit_message.

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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