fp-go-mcp

name

fp-go-mcp

description

Use this skill when working with the fp-go MCP (Model Context Protocol) server located in github.com/IBM/fp-go/gen/v2. Trigger on mentions of MCP server, fp-go MCP tools, list_skills, use_skill, search_examples, get_example, configuring fp-go for Claude Desktop, or when the user needs to access fp-go examples and skills programmatically. This skill explains how to configure and use the MCP server to access fp-go documentation, examples, and skills.

fp-go MCP Server

Overview

The fp-go MCP (Model Context Protocol) server provides programmatic access to fp-go skills, examples, and documentation. It's located in github.com/IBM/fp-go/gen/v2 and can be integrated into any MCP-compatible client such as Claude Desktop.

Prerequisite: the working directory must contain a go.mod that lists github.com/IBM/fp-go/gen/v2 as a tool dependency (added via go get -tool). The server is launched with go tool gen mcp and uses stdio transport, so no global installation is needed.

The fp-go MCP server exposes four tools:

1. list_skills — List all available fp-go skills
2. use_skill — Retrieve the full content of a specific skill
3. search_examples — Search for Go examples using full-text search
4. get_example — Retrieve a specific example by symbol name

Installation

Add the fp-go generator as a tool dependency in your project:

go get -tool github.com/IBM/fp-go/gen/v2

This makes the tool available via go tool gen without requiring global installation.

Configuration

For Claude Desktop (Anthropic)

Add to your Claude Desktop configuration file:

macOS/Linux: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "fp-go": {
      "command": "go",
      "args": ["tool", "gen", "mcp"],
      "env": {}
    }
  }
}

After configuration, restart Claude Desktop to activate the server.

For Other MCP Clients

The server uses stdio transport and follows the MCP specification. Configure your client to:

• Execute: go tool gen mcp
• Use stdio for communication
• Optionally add --verbose flag for debugging

Available Tools

1. list_skills

Description: List all available fp-go skills with their names, descriptions, and paths.

Parameters: None

Returns:

{
  "skills": [
    {
      "name": "fp-go",
      "description": "Core fp-go patterns and best practices",
      "path": "fp-go"
    },
    {
      "name": "fp-go-pipe-flow",
      "description": "Pipe and Flow composition patterns",
      "path": "fp-go-pipe-flow"
    }
  ]
}

Example Usage:

User: List all available fp-go skills
Assistant: [calls list_skills tool]

Use Cases:

• Discover available skills
• Find skills for specific topics
• Get an overview of fp-go documentation

2. use_skill

Description: Retrieve the full content of a specific skill by name.

Parameters:

• name (required): The skill name from list_skills (e.g., "fp-go", "fp-go-pipe-flow")

Returns:

{
  "name": "fp-go",
  "description": "Core fp-go patterns and best practices",
  "content": "# fp-go v2 — Functional Programming for Go\n\n..."
}

Example Usage:

User: Show me the fp-go-pipe-flow skill
Assistant: [calls use_skill with name="fp-go-pipe-flow"]

Use Cases:

• Load detailed documentation for a specific topic
• Get best practices and examples
• Reference API patterns

Note: The content excludes the YAML frontmatter header — only the markdown content is returned.

3. search_examples

Description: Search for Go examples using full-text search across example names, symbols, packages, documentation comments, and code.

Parameters:

• query (required): Search query (supports SQLite FTS5 syntax)
• package_filter (optional): Filter by package name (e.g., "option", "either")

Returns:

{
  "examples": [
    {
      "id": "option::ExampleMap",
      "package": "github.com/IBM/fp-go/v2/option",
      "symbol": "Map",
      "name": "ExampleMap",
      "doc_comment": "// ExampleMap demonstrates mapping over an Option",
      "code": "func ExampleMap() {\n\t...\n}",
      "output": "Some(42)\n",
      "imports": "import O \"github.com/IBM/fp-go/v2/option\"",
      "file": "option/option_test.go"
    }
  ],
  "count": 1
}

Search Syntax:

• Simple terms: "Map" — finds examples mentioning Map
• Phrases: "\"point free\"" — exact phrase match
• Boolean: "Map AND Option" — both terms required
• Wildcards: "Trav*" — matches Traverse, TraverseArray, etc.
• Package filter: query="Map", package_filter="option" — only option package

Example Usage:

User: Find examples of using Map with Option
Assistant: [calls search_examples with query="Map Option", package_filter="option"]

User: Show me examples of TraverseArray
Assistant: [calls search_examples with query="TraverseArray"]

Use Cases:

• Find examples for specific functions
• Discover usage patterns
• Learn from working code
• Find examples in a specific package

Limits: Returns up to 10 results, ranked by relevance.

4. get_example

Description: Retrieve a specific example by symbol name. Performs exact lookup by symbol or function name.

Parameters:

• symbol (required): Symbol name (e.g., "Map", "Type.Method") or function name (e.g., "ExampleMap")

Returns:

{
  "examples": [
    {
      "id": "option::ExampleMap",
      "package": "github.com/IBM/fp-go/v2/option",
      "symbol": "Map",
      "name": "ExampleMap",
      "doc_comment": "// ExampleMap demonstrates mapping over an Option",
      "code": "func ExampleMap() {\n\t...\n}",
      "output": "Some(42)\n",
      "imports": "import O \"github.com/IBM/fp-go/v2/option\"",
      "file": "option/option_test.go"
    }
  ],
  "count": 1
}

Example Usage:

User: Get the example for Option.Map
Assistant: [calls get_example with symbol="Map"]

User: Show me the ExampleTraverseArray example
Assistant: [calls get_example with symbol="ExampleTraverseArray"]

Use Cases:

• Get a specific example by name
• Retrieve all examples for a symbol
• Access complete example code with imports and output

Note: Supports both exact matches and pattern matching (LIKE queries).

Workflow Examples

Discovering and Using Skills

1. User: "What fp-go skills are available?"
   → Assistant calls list_skills
   → Returns: fp-go, fp-go-pipe-flow, fp-go-http, fp-go-logging, fp-go-lens, fp-go-pr-review, fp-go-mcp

2. User: "Show me the fp-go-pipe-flow skill"
   → Assistant calls use_skill(name="fp-go-pipe-flow")
   → Returns full skill content with examples and best practices

3. User: "Now help me refactor this code using Pipe"
   → Assistant uses the loaded skill to provide guidance

Finding Examples

1. User: "How do I use TraverseArray?"
   → Assistant calls search_examples(query="TraverseArray")
   → Returns ranked examples with code

2. User: "Show me more examples from the array package"
   → Assistant calls search_examples(query="Traverse", package_filter="array")
   → Returns array-specific examples

3. User: "Get the exact example for Array.Map"
   → Assistant calls get_example(symbol="Array.Map")
   → Returns the specific example with full code

Combined Workflow

1. User: "I need to work with Option types"
   → Assistant calls list_skills to find relevant skills
   → Loads fp-go skill with use_skill(name="fp-go")

2. User: "Show me examples of Option.Map"
   → Assistant calls search_examples(query="Map", package_filter="option")
   → Returns examples with code and output

3. User: "How do I compose multiple Option operations?"
   → Assistant references the loaded skill content
   → Calls search_examples(query="Flow Option") for examples
   → Provides guidance based on skill + examples

Troubleshooting

Server Won't Start

Issue: Tool not found or not working

Solution: Ensure the tool is installed in your project:

go get -tool github.com/IBM/fp-go/gen/v2

Then run with:

go tool gen mcp

No Skills Found

Issue: list_skills returns empty list

Solution: The skills are embedded at build time. Update the tool:

go get -tool github.com/IBM/fp-go/gen/v2@latest

Search Returns No Results

Issue: search_examples finds nothing

Solution:

1. Check your search query syntax (SQLite FTS5)
2. Try broader terms (e.g., "Map" instead of "Option.Map")
3. Verify the examples database is embedded (rebuild if needed)

Verbose Logging

Enable verbose mode to see detailed execution:

go tool gen mcp --verbose

Logs go to stderr and include:

• Tool registration
• Tool calls with parameters
• Query execution
• Result counts

Best Practices

For AI Assistants

1. Start with list_skills — Discover available skills before loading
2. Load skills on demand — Use use_skill when needed, not preemptively
3. Search before get — Use search_examples to find relevant examples, then get_example for details
4. Cache skill content — Skills don't change during a session
5. Use package filters — Narrow search results with package_filter

For Users

1. Keep the server running — Configure it in your MCP client for persistent access
2. Use verbose mode for debugging — Helps diagnose issues
3. Update after changes — Run go get -tool github.com/IBM/fp-go/gen/v2@latest when fp-go or skills are updated
4. Combine tools — Use skills for concepts, examples for code

Security Considerations

• Read-only operations — All tools are marked as read-only
• No file system access — Uses embedded data only
• No network access — Operates entirely offline
• Temporary files — Examples database is extracted to temp, cleaned up automatically
• Stdio transport — No network ports or external connections

References

• Model Context Protocol Specification
• fp-go Repository
• fp-go Documentation
• MCP Go SDK