Company
Date Published
Author
David Gomes
Word count
1039
Language
English
Hacker News points
None

Summary

Exploring the potential of generating Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers directly from existing REST API specifications using OpenAPI schemas, the discussion weighs the pros and cons of this approach. While the appeal lies in leveraging already documented APIs to create comprehensive MCP servers, challenges arise due to the fundamental mismatches between the granular, resource-centric nature of REST APIs and the task-oriented design of MCP servers. Simply mapping every API endpoint to an MCP tool can overwhelm large language models (LLMs) and lead to poor user experiences due to complexity and ambiguity in API interactions. Instead, a hybrid approach is recommended, where initial code generation serves as a foundation, followed by selective pruning and refinement of tools to better align with LLM capabilities. This involves crafting higher-level tools that abstract common workflows and provide clearer guidance for LLMs. An example implementation highlights the use of a TypeScript API SDK to create an MCP server that effectively combines API endpoints and higher-level workflows, emphasizing the need for thoughtful design to maximize utility and efficiency.