Custom Tools

Custom Tools

Custom tools are model-callable functions that plug into the same tool execution pipeline as built-in tools.

A custom tool is a TypeScript/JavaScript module that exports a factory. The factory receives a host API (CustomToolAPI) and returns one tool or an array of tools.

What this is (and is not)

• Custom tool: callable by the model during a turn (execute + TypeBox schema).
• Extension: lifecycle/event framework that can register tools and intercept/modify events.
• Hook: external pre/post command scripts.
• Skill: static guidance/context package, not executable tool code.

If you need the model to call code directly, use a custom tool.

Integration paths in current code

There are two active integration styles:

1. SDK-provided custom tools (options.customTools)

   • Wrapped into agent tools via CustomToolAdapter or extension wrappers.
   • Always included in the initial active tool set in SDK bootstrap.

2. Filesystem-discovered modules via loader API (discoverAndLoadCustomTools / loadCustomTools)

   • Exposed as library APIs in src/extensibility/custom-tools/loader.ts.
   • Host code can call these to discover and load tool modules from config/provider/plugin paths.

Model tool call flow

LLM tool call
   │
   ▼
Tool registry (built-ins + custom tool adapters)
   │
   ▼
CustomTool.execute(toolCallId, params, onUpdate, ctx, signal)
   │
   ├─ onUpdate(...)  -> streamed partial result
   └─ return result  -> final tool content/details

Discovery locations (loader API)

discoverAndLoadCustomTools(configuredPaths, cwd, builtInToolNames) merges:

1. Capability providers (toolCapability), including:
   • Native OMP config (~/.xcsh/agent/tools, .xcsh/tools)
   • Claude config (~/.claude/tools, .claude/tools)
   • Codex config (~/.codex/tools, .codex/tools)
   • Claude marketplace plugin cache provider
2. Installed plugin manifests (~/.xcsh/plugins/node_modules/* via plugin loader)
3. Explicit configured paths passed to the loader

Important behavior

• Duplicate resolved paths are deduplicated.
• Tool name conflicts are rejected against built-ins and already-loaded custom tools.
• .md and .json files are discovered as tool metadata by some providers, but the executable module loader rejects them as runnable tools.
• Relative configured paths are resolved from cwd; ~ is expanded.

Module contract

A custom tool module must export a function (default export preferred):

import type { CustomToolFactory } from "@f5xc-salesdemos/xcsh";

const factory: CustomToolFactory = (pi) => ({
 name: "repo_stats",
 label: "Repo Stats",
 description: "Counts tracked TypeScript files",
 parameters: pi.typebox.Type.Object({
  glob: pi.typebox.Type.Optional(pi.typebox.Type.String({ default: "**/*.ts" })),
 }),

 async execute(toolCallId, params, onUpdate, ctx, signal) {
  onUpdate?.({
   content: [{ type: "text", text: "Scanning files..." }],
   details: { phase: "scan" },
  });

  const result = await pi.exec("git", ["ls-files", params.glob ?? "**/*.ts"], { signal, cwd: pi.cwd });
  if (result.killed) {
   throw new Error("Scan was cancelled");
  }
  if (result.code !== 0) {
   throw new Error(result.stderr || "git ls-files failed");
  }

  const files = result.stdout.split("\n").filter(Boolean);
  return {
   content: [{ type: "text", text: `Found ${files.length} files` }],
   details: { count: files.length, sample: files.slice(0, 10) },
  };
 },

 onSession(event) {
  if (event.reason === "shutdown") {
   // cleanup resources if needed
  }
 },
});

export default factory;

Factory return type:

• CustomTool
• CustomTool[]
• Promise<CustomTool | CustomTool[]>

API surface passed to factories (CustomToolAPI)

From types.ts and loader.ts:

• cwd: host working directory
• exec(command, args, options?): process execution helper
• ui: UI context (can be no-op in headless modes)
• hasUI: false in non-interactive flows
• logger: shared file logger
• typebox: injected @sinclair/typebox
• pi: injected @f5xc-salesdemos/xcsh exports
• pushPendingAction(action): register a preview action for hidden resolve tool (docs/resolve-tool-runtime.md)

Loader starts with a no-op UI context and requires host code to call setUIContext(...) when real UI is ready.

Execution contract and typing

CustomTool.execute signature:

execute(toolCallId, params, onUpdate, ctx, signal)

• params is statically typed from your TypeBox schema via Static<TParams>.
• Runtime argument validation happens before execution in the agent loop.
• onUpdate emits partial results for UI streaming.
• ctx includes session/model state and an abort() helper.
• signal carries cancellation.

CustomToolAdapter bridges this to the agent tool interface and forwards calls in the correct argument order.

How tools are exposed to the model

• Tools are wrapped into AgentTool instances (CustomToolAdapter or extension wrappers).
• They are inserted into the session tool registry by name.
• In SDK bootstrap, custom and extension-registered tools are force-included in the initial active set.
• CLI --tools currently validates only built-in tool names; custom tool inclusion is handled through discovery/registration paths and SDK options.

Rendering hooks

Optional rendering hooks:

• renderCall(args, theme)
• renderResult(result, options, theme, args?)

Runtime behavior in TUI:

• If hooks exist, tool output is rendered inside a Box container.
• renderResult receives { expanded, isPartial, spinnerFrame? }.
• Renderer errors are caught and logged; UI falls back to default text rendering.

Session/state handling

Optional onSession(event, ctx) receives session lifecycle events, including:

• start, switch, branch, tree, shutdown
• auto_compaction_start, auto_compaction_end
• auto_retry_start, auto_retry_end
• ttsr_triggered, todo_reminder

Use ctx.sessionManager to reconstruct state from history when branch/session context changes.

Failures and cancellation semantics

Synchronous/async failures

• Throwing (or rejected promises) in execute is treated as tool failure.
• Agent runtime converts failures into tool result messages with isError: true and error text content.
• With extension wrappers, tool_result handlers can further rewrite content/details and even override error status.

Cancellation

• Agent abort propagates through AbortSignal to execute.
• Forward signal to subprocess work (pi.exec(..., { signal })) for cooperative cancellation.
• ctx.abort() lets a tool request abort of the current agent operation.

onSession errors

• onSession errors are caught and logged as warnings; they do not crash the session.

Real constraints to design for

• Tool names must be globally unique in the active registry.
• Prefer deterministic, schema-shaped outputs in details for renderer/state reconstruction.
• Guard UI usage with pi.hasUI.
• Treat .md/.json in tool directories as metadata, not executable modules.