[go-fan] Go Module Review: modelcontextprotocol/go-sdk

# 🐹 Go Fan Report: Model Context Protocol Go SDK

## Module Overview

The **Model Context Protocol (MCP) Go SDK** is the official SDK for building MCP servers and clients in Go. MCP enables AI assistants to interact with external systems through a standardized protocol. This module is maintained in collaboration with **Google** and represents cutting-edge infrastructure for AI agent integration.

**Module Path**: `github.com/modelcontextprotocol/go-sdk`
**Current Version**: v1.2.0
**Latest Prerelease**: v1.3.0-pre.1 (2026-01-27)
**Repository**: 3,775 ⭐ | Last updated TODAY (2026-02-06)!

## Current Usage in gh-aw

### 📊 Usage Statistics
- **Files**: 16 files (3 implementation + 13 test files)
- **Import Count**: Primarily `mcp` and `jsonrpc` packages
- **Key Usage**: MCP server implementation for exposing gh-aw functionality as MCP tools

### 🔑 Core Implementation

The gh-aw project makes **excellent** use of the MCP SDK in `pkg/cli/mcp_server.go`:

1. **Server Creation**: Uses `mcp.NewServer` with proper capabilities configuration
2. **Tool Registration**: 8 tools registered (`status`, `compile`, `logs`, `audit`, `mcp-inspect`, `add`, `update`, `fix`)
3. **Schema Generation**: Leverages `GenerateOutputSchema` for parameter validation
4. **Elicitation Defaults**: Sets sensible defaults (e.g., `strict: true`, `timeout: 50`, `max_tokens: 12000`)
5. **Error Handling**: Proper use of `jsonrpc.Error` with detailed error data
6. **Context Management**: Excellent context cancellation checks throughout
7. **Logging**: Custom logger integration via `ServerOptions.Logger`
8. **Icons**: Visual indicators for tools (📊📜🔍🔎➕🔄🔧🔨)

### 📂 Key Files

- `pkg/cli/mcp_server.go` - Main MCP server with 8 tool implementations (842 lines!)
- `pkg/cli/mcp_inspect_mcp.go` - MCP server inspection (stdio, Docker, HTTP transports)
- `pkg/parser/mcp.go` - MCP configuration parsing and validation

## Research Findings

### 🚀 Recent Updates (v1.3.0-pre.1)

The latest prerelease brings significant improvements:

<details>
<summary>Schema Caching</summary>

- **Performance win**: Avoids repeated reflection in stateless server deployments
- **Impact**: Faster tool response times, especially for servers that start/stop frequently
- **Relevance**: Could benefit gh-aw MCP server startup times

</details>

<details>
<summary>Logger API Improvements</summary>

- Deprecated old client logger
- New `Logger` field in `ServerOptions` and `ClientOptions`
- More standardized logging interface

</details>

<details>
<summary>Transport Enhancements</summary>

- `DisableListening` option for `StreamableClientTransport`
- Configurable message size limits (`fixes #734`) - supports messages >1MB
- Better error surfacing in HTTP transports

</details>

### 🎯 Recent Bug Fixes

1. **JSON tags in ElicitationCapabilities** - Fixed missing tags for `form` and `url` fields
2. **ErrSessionMissing exported** - Better error handling for session lifecycle
3. **SSE retry improvements** - Progress-based retry limiting prevents infinite loops
4. **HTTP error handling** - Better error reporting in streamable transports

### 📋 Best Practices from Maintainers

From studying the repository and recent changes:

1. **Always use `Capabilities` field** in `ServerOptions`/`ClientOptions` for simplified setup
2. **Check context cancellation** before expensive operations
3. **Use elicitation defaults** to improve user experience
4. **Add tool icons** for better discoverability
5. **Leverage conformance tests** to ensure spec compliance

## Improvement Opportunities

### 🏃 Quick Wins

#### 1. Monitor v1.3.0 Stable Release
**Impact**: High | **Effort**: Low

- Schema caching will improve MCP server performance
- Logger API improvements provide better standardization
- Action: Track release, test in dev, upgrade when stable

#### 2. Add Comprehensive Tool Icons
**Impact**: Medium | **Effort**: Low

- Current: Good coverage with icons on most tools
- Opportunity: Ensure all tools have consistent, meaningful icons
- Benefit: Improved visual navigation and tool categorization

#### 3. Leverage DisableListening Option
**Impact**: Low-Medium | **Effort**: Low

- New in v1.3.0-pre.1 for `StreamableClientTransport`
- Check: Review if gh-aw creates any MCP clients that could reduce resource usage

### ✨ Feature Opportunities

#### 1. Integrate Conformance Tests
**Impact**: High | **Effort**: Medium

- MCP conformance test suite now available
- Benefit: Ensure gh-aw's MCP server is fully spec-compliant
- Action: Add to CI/CD pipeline using `scripts/conformance.sh` pattern
- Reference: https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/conformance

#### 2. Configure Message Size Limits
**Impact**: Medium | **Effort**: Low

- New feature (#734): Configurable message size limits
- Use case: `logs` and `audit` tools can return large outputs
- Current: Using defaults (1MB)
- Opportunity: Review if tools need higher limits

#### 3. Explore OAuth 2.0 Protected Resource Metadata
**Impact**: Low | **Effort**: Medium

- Feature added in v1.2.0 (#643)
- Use case: If gh-aw needs OAuth-protected MCP endpoints
- Currently: Not needed, but available when required

### 📐 Best Practice Alignment

#### Excellent Areas ✅

1. **Context handling**: Already checking `ctx.Done()` at operation starts
2. **Error reporting**: Proper use of `jsonrpc.Error` with codes and data
3. **Schema generation**: Good use of `GenerateOutputSchema` + `AddSchemaDefault`
4. **Tool organization**: Clear, well-documented tools with rich descriptions

#### Enhancement Opportunities

1. **Logging Migration**: Consider migrating to new `Logger` API in v1.3.0
2. **Typed Errors**: Use exported error types like `ErrSessionMissing` where applicable
3. **Context Checks**: Add cancellation checks between long Docker operations (compile tool)
4. **Schema Caching Metrics**: Monitor if schema generation becomes a bottleneck

## Recommendations

### 🎯 Priority 1: Monitor v1.3.0 Release
**Timeline**: Next 1-2 weeks

- Track stable release of v1.3.0
- Test schema caching improvements in development environment
- Prepare upgrade path when stable

### 🧪 Priority 2: Add Conformance Tests
**Timeline**: Next 2-4 weeks

- Integrate MCP conformance test suite
- Add to CI/CD for regression prevention
- Ensures spec compliance as MCP evolves

### 🎨 Priority 3: Tool Icon Audit
**Timeline**: Next sprint

- Review all 8 tools
- Ensure visual consistency
- Consider adding more expressive icons

### 🔄 Priority 4: Performance Monitoring
**Timeline**: Ongoing

- Add metrics around MCP tool response times
- Monitor schema generation overhead
- Prepare for v1.3.0 schema caching benefits

## Next Steps

### Immediate Actions
- ✅ Continue using v1.2.0 (stable and well-supported)
- ✅ Module summary saved to `scratchpad/mods/go-sdk.md`
- 🔄 Track v1.3.0-pre.1 progress toward stable release

### Short-term (1-2 Weeks)
- Add MCP conformance tests to CI/CD
- Review tool icons for consistency
- Monitor v1.3.0 release announcements

### Medium-term (1-2 Months)
- Upgrade to v1.3.0 when stable
- Test and measure schema caching benefits
- Consider logging API migration

### Long-term (Ongoing)
- Monitor MCP spec evolution
- Watch for new SEP (Spec Enhancement Proposal) implementations
- Stay current with conformance test updates

## Final Thoughts

The **gh-aw project is using the MCP SDK exceptionally well**! The implementation shows:

- ✨ **Deep understanding** of MCP concepts and best practices
- 🎯 **Thoughtful tool design** with rich schemas and documentation
- 🛡️ **Robust error handling** and context management
- 📈 **Forward-thinking features** like elicitation defaults and icons

The SDK itself is **actively maintained** and evolving rapidly with Google's collaboration. The v1.3.0-pre.1 improvements (especially schema caching) will provide measurable performance benefits.

**Key Takeaway**: Stay close to the latest releases, integrate conformance tests, and this already-excellent MCP implementation will remain cutting-edge!

---

*Generated by Go Fan 🐹*

*Module summary saved to: `scratchpad/mods/go-sdk.md`*

*Next review: Will cycle through remaining dependencies starting with next most recently updated module*

**References:**
- [MCP Specification]((modelcontextprotocol.io/redacted)
- [go-sdk Repository](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/go-sdk)
- [Conformance Tests](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/conformance)

---

> **Note:** This was intended to be a discussion, but discussions could not be created due to permissions issues. This issue was created as a fallback.







> AI generated by [Go Fan](https://github.com/github/gh-aw/actions/runs/21742178546)
> - [x] expires  on Feb 13, 2026, 7:23 AM UTC

[go-fan] Go Module Review: modelcontextprotocol/go-sdk #14071

Description

🐹 Go Fan Report: Model Context Protocol Go SDK

Module Overview

Current Usage in gh-aw

📊 Usage Statistics

🔑 Core Implementation

📂 Key Files

Research Findings

🚀 Recent Updates (v1.3.0-pre.1)

🎯 Recent Bug Fixes

📋 Best Practices from Maintainers

Improvement Opportunities

🏃 Quick Wins

1. Monitor v1.3.0 Stable Release

2. Add Comprehensive Tool Icons

3. Leverage DisableListening Option

✨ Feature Opportunities

1. Integrate Conformance Tests

2. Configure Message Size Limits

3. Explore OAuth 2.0 Protected Resource Metadata

📐 Best Practice Alignment

Excellent Areas ✅

Enhancement Opportunities

Recommendations

🎯 Priority 1: Monitor v1.3.0 Release

🧪 Priority 2: Add Conformance Tests

🎨 Priority 3: Tool Icon Audit

🔄 Priority 4: Performance Monitoring

Next Steps

Immediate Actions

Short-term (1-2 Weeks)

Medium-term (1-2 Months)

Long-term (Ongoing)

Final Thoughts

Metadata

Metadata

Assignees

Labels

Type

Projects

Milestone

Relationships

Development

Issue actions