dev-loop-mcp

start_loop

Initiates a TDD development workflow by decomposing tasks, guiding through test-driven development phases, and managing integration testing to deployment.

Instructions

Start a new TDD development loop. Returns an instruction telling you what to do first. Keep calling advance_loop after each step until the loop reaches DONE or FAILED. Phases: INIT → DECOMPOSE → TDD_LOOP → BUILD → DEPLOY → INTEG_TEST → INTEG_FIX → QUALITY_REVIEW → CLEAN_TREE_CHECK → PUSH_AND_PR.

Tool call template

This tool declares no required parameters. Add optional parameters from the input schema as needed.

{
  "id": 1,
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "arguments": {},
    "name": "start_loop"
  }
}

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description
`description`	No	Natural language description of the work to be done.
`tasks`	No	Pre-decomposed task list. If provided, skips DECOMPOSE.
`branch`	No	Git branch name. Generated from description if omitted.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

First observedv0.1.0Apr 18, 2026

TDQS

A3.9/5.0

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 discloses the tool's purpose and procedural flow (phases, interaction with advance_loop), but lacks details about potential side effects, error conditions, authentication needs, or what 'DONE or FAILED' states entail. It provides basic behavioral context but misses important operational details.

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

Conciseness5/5

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

The description is efficiently structured in two sentences: the first states the purpose and return value, the second provides crucial procedural guidance and lists all phases. Every element serves a clear purpose with zero wasted words.

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 tool's complexity (managing a multi-phase development loop) and the absence of both annotations and output schema, the description provides adequate procedural context but lacks details about return values, error handling, and operational constraints. It's complete enough to understand the basic workflow but leaves important implementation questions unanswered.

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 three parameters thoroughly. The description adds no additional parameter information beyond what's in the schema. According to scoring rules, when schema coverage is high (>80%), 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 action ('Start a new TDD development loop') and the resource (the loop itself), with a specific verb. However, it doesn't explicitly distinguish this from its sibling 'start_debug_loop' beyond the name difference, leaving some ambiguity about when to choose one over the other.

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?

The description provides explicit usage guidance: it tells the agent to 'Keep calling advance_loop after each step until the loop reaches DONE or FAILED' and lists all the phases of the loop. This gives clear procedural context for when and how to use this tool in relation to its sibling 'advance_loop'.

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

Deploy Server