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create-client-tool

create-client-tool

github.com/cognitedataDevelopment61.9k installsUpdated 1d ago
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About create-client-tool

A development skill for scaffolding an AtlasTool that lets an Atlas Agent invoke browser-side app logic. It uses TypeBox schemas for validation and connects the tool to useAtlasChat.

Key features

  1. 01Define tool parameters with TypeBox
  2. 02Validate arguments at runtime
  3. 03Execute browser-side logic and return results
  4. 04Register tools with useAtlasChat
  5. 05Render structured tool-call details

Use cases

  1. 01Expose chart or UI logic to an Atlas Agent
  2. 02Let an agent navigate app panels
  3. 03Return structured browser-side results in chat

Install

Copy the command and run it in a terminal.

$npx skills add https://github.com/cognitedata/builder-skills --skill create-client-tool

After installing, type/create-client-toolin Claude Code to confirm it loaded.

Details

From the project README

Create a Client Tool

Scaffold an AtlasTool named $ARGUMENTS. If the app has no approved in-app useAtlasChat, implement a Fusion action via integrate-fusion-agent instead.

Prerequisite: vendored src/atlas-agent/ and @sinclair/typebox from integrate-atlas-chat.

Background

Client tools let the Atlas Agent invoke browser-side logic — charts, local state, UI panels, navigation. The agent decides when to call; the app executes and returns a result.

  1. Agent responds with a clientTool action
  2. TypeBox validates the arguments
  3. execute() runs in the browser and returns { output, details }
  4. output (string) is sent back to the agent
  5. details is available on message.toolCalls for the UI to render

Step 1 — Understand the codebase

Before writing anything, read:

  • The file where useAtlasChat is called (often src/App.tsx or a chat hook) to find where tools is passed — imports are typically from ./atlas-agent/react after integrate-atlas-chat
  • Any existing tool definitions to match the file/naming conventions

Step 2 — Define the tool

Use Type from @sinclair/typebox for the parameters schema (compile-time types + runtime validation).

import { Type } from "@sinclair/typebox";
import type { AtlasTool } from "./atlas-agent/types";

export const myTool: AtlasTool = {
  name: "my_tool",            // snake_case — this is what the agent uses to invoke it
  description:
    "One sentence describing what this tool does and when the agent should call it.",
  parameters: Type.Object({
    exampleParam: Type.String({ description: "What this param is for" }),
    optionalNum: Type.Optional(Type.Number({ description: "..." })),
  }),
  execute: async (args) => {
    return {
      output: "Plain text summary sent back to the agent",
      details: {
        // Any structured data you want available in the UI via message.toolCalls
      },
    };
  },
};

Adjust the ./atlas-agent/... path if the tool file is not directly under src/ next to the atlas-agent folder (for example ../atlas-agent/types from src/tools/).

TypeBox quick reference
SchemaUsage
Type.String()string
Type.Number()number
Type.Boolean()boolean
Type.Literal("foo")exact value
Type.Union([Type.Literal("a"), Type.Literal("b")])enum
Type.Array(Type.String())string[]
Type.Object({ ... })object
Type.Optional(...)mark any field optional

Always add a description on the tool and on each parameter — the agent uses those strings.


Step 3 — Wire into useAtlasChat

Find the useAtlasChat call and add the tool to the tools array:

const { messages, send, ... } = useAtlasChat({
  client: isLoading ? null : sdk,
  agentExternalId: AGENT_EXTERNAL_ID,
  tools: [myTool],   // add here
});

Step 4 — Render tool results (if needed)

If the tool returns structured details, render them in the message list. message.toolCalls is a ToolCall[] — one entry per tool call (client-side and server-side) in call order.

{msg.toolCalls?.map((tc, i) => (
  // tc.name    — tool name
  // tc.output  — the string sent back to the agent
  // tc.details — your structured data (cast to your known shape)
  <MyToolOutput key={i} data={tc.details as MyToolDetails} />
))}

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