modelcontextprotocol / modelcontextprotocol/python-sdk
Improving how function docstring gets converted to tool's jsonschema for FastMCP
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Description
Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe.
Tool descriptions are not parsed as expected from the function docstring when using FastMCP. This affects tool calling performance.
Currently, FastMCP does some function inspection to create the docstring here:
- https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/python-sdk/blob/775f87981300660ee957b63c2a14b448ab9c3675/src/mcp/server/fastmcp/tools/base.py#L55-L59
- https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/python-sdk/blob/775f87981300660ee957b63c2a14b448ab9c3675/src/mcp/server/fastmcp/utilities/func_metadata.py#L105-L174
From my understanding, it creates a FuncMetadata model in pydantic which then gets converted to jsonschema.
Current behaviour:
If we have a tool such as:
def add_numbers(a: float, b: float) -> float:
"""
Adds two numbers and returns the result.
Args:
a (float): The first number.
b (float): The second number.
Returns:
float: The sum of a and b.
"""
return a + b
it gets parsed into:
>>> func_arg_metadata = func_metadata(add_numbers)
>>> parameters = func_arg_metadata.arg_model.model_json_schema()
>>> parameters
{'properties': {'a': {'title': 'A', 'type': 'number'}, 'b': {'title': 'B', 'type': 'number'}}, 'required': ['a', 'b'], 'title': 'add_numbersArguments', 'type': 'object'}
>>> add_numbers.__doc__
'\nAdds two numbers and returns the result.\n\nArgs:\n a (float): The first number.\n b (float): The second number.\n\nReturns:\n float: The sum of a and b.\n'
Describe the solution you'd like
It'd be nicer to follow one of the python docstring styles and parse out the argument descriptions from the docstring.
{
"name": "add_numbers",
"description": "Adds two numbers and returns the sum.",
"parameters": {
"type": "object",
"properties": {
"a": {
"type": "number",
"description": "The first number to add."
},
"b": {
"type": "number",
"description": "The second number to add."
}
},
"required": ["a", "b"]
}
}
Describe alternatives you've considered
we used to do this in a previous python version of goose: https://github.com/block/goose/blob/eccb1b22614f39b751db4e5efd73d728d9ca40fc/packages/exchange/src/exchange/utils.py#L82-L107
here are some test examples: https://github.com/block/goose/blob/eccb1b22614f39b751db4e5efd73d728d9ca40fc/packages/exchange/tests/test_utils.py#L32-L136
Additional context
I am happy to add this in - wanted to post this first to check that you're okay with enforcing a docstring style ("google", "numpy", "sphinx") & adding griffe as a dependency.
Contributor guide
First steps
- Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
- Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
- Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
- Open a pull request that references the issue number.
Research direction
Start in src/mcp/server/fastmcp/tools/base.py and src/mcp/server/fastmcp/utilities/func_metadata.py, then review the linked Goose utility and test examples. First determine which docstring style and parser dependency are acceptable. Done means supported argument and function descriptions appear in the generated JSON schema, with tests covering the chosen style.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- python
- Domain
- api, backend-api-design
- Issue type
- Feature
- Difficulty
- 4/5
- Estimated time
- 3-5 days
- Activity status
- Quiet
- Clarity
- Mostly clear
- Newbie friendliness
- 52/100