refactor(tools): default structured_output to True, require title

.changes/unreleased/Under the Hood-20260513-085632.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+kind: Under the Hood
+body: Make ToolDefinition.structured_output default to True and require title in generic_dbt_mcp_tool. Decorator now keyword-only.
+time: 2026-05-13T08:56:32.224755-05:00

src/dbt_mcp/dbt_cli/tools.py

@@ -429,6 +429,7 @@ def get_node_details_dev(
     return [
         ToolDefinition(
             fn=build,
+            title="dbt build",
             description=get_prompt("dbt_cli/build"),
             annotations=create_tool_annotations(
                 title="dbt build",
@@ -439,6 +440,7 @@ def get_node_details_dev(
         ),
         ToolDefinition(
             fn=compile,
+            title="dbt compile",
             description=get_prompt("dbt_cli/compile"),
             annotations=create_tool_annotations(
                 title="dbt compile",
@@ -449,6 +451,7 @@ def get_node_details_dev(
         ),
         ToolDefinition(
             fn=docs,
+            title="dbt docs",
             description=get_prompt("dbt_cli/docs"),
             annotations=create_tool_annotations(
                 title="dbt docs",
@@ -460,6 +463,7 @@ def get_node_details_dev(
         ToolDefinition(
             name="list",
             fn=ls,
+            title="dbt list",
             description=get_prompt("dbt_cli/list"),
             annotations=create_tool_annotations(
                 title="dbt list",
@@ -470,6 +474,7 @@ def get_node_details_dev(
         ),
         ToolDefinition(
             fn=parse,
+            title="dbt parse",
             description=get_prompt("dbt_cli/parse"),
             annotations=create_tool_annotations(
                 title="dbt parse",
@@ -480,6 +485,7 @@ def get_node_details_dev(
         ),
         ToolDefinition(
             fn=run,
+            title="dbt run",
             description=get_prompt("dbt_cli/run"),
             annotations=create_tool_annotations(
                 title="dbt run",
@@ -490,6 +496,7 @@ def get_node_details_dev(
         ),
         ToolDefinition(
             fn=test,
+            title="dbt test",
             description=get_prompt("dbt_cli/test"),
             annotations=create_tool_annotations(
                 title="dbt test",
@@ -500,6 +507,7 @@ def get_node_details_dev(
         ),
         ToolDefinition(
             fn=show,
+            title="dbt show",
             description=get_prompt("dbt_cli/show"),
             annotations=create_tool_annotations(
                 title="dbt show",
@@ -510,6 +518,7 @@ def get_node_details_dev(
         ),
         ToolDefinition(
             fn=clone,
+            title="dbt clone",
             description=get_prompt("dbt_cli/clone"),
             annotations=create_tool_annotations(
                 title="dbt clone",
@@ -521,6 +530,7 @@ def get_node_details_dev(
         ToolDefinition(
             name="get_lineage_dev",
             fn=get_lineage_dev,
+            title="Get Model Lineage (Dev)",
             description=get_prompt("dbt_cli/get_lineage_dev"),
             annotations=create_tool_annotations(
                 title="Get Model Lineage (Dev)",
@@ -532,6 +542,7 @@ def get_node_details_dev(
         ToolDefinition(
             name="get_node_details_dev",
             fn=get_node_details_dev,
+            title="Get Node Details (Dev)",
             description=get_prompt("dbt_cli/get_node_details_dev"),
             annotations=create_tool_annotations(
                 title="Get Node Details (Dev)",

src/dbt_mcp/dbt_codegen/tools.py

@@ -163,29 +163,29 @@ def generate_staging_model(
     return [
         ToolDefinition(
             fn=generate_source,
+            title="Generate Source",
             description=get_prompt("dbt_codegen/generate_source"),
             annotations=create_tool_annotations(
-                title="dbt-codegen generate_source",
                 read_only_hint=True,
                 destructive_hint=False,
                 idempotent_hint=True,
             ),
         ),
         ToolDefinition(
             fn=generate_model_yaml,
+            title="Generate Model YAML",
             description=get_prompt("dbt_codegen/generate_model_yaml"),
             annotations=create_tool_annotations(
-                title="dbt-codegen generate_model_yaml",
                 read_only_hint=True,
                 destructive_hint=False,
                 idempotent_hint=True,
             ),
         ),
         ToolDefinition(
             fn=generate_staging_model,
+            title="Generate Staging Model",
             description=get_prompt("dbt_codegen/generate_staging_model"),
             annotations=create_tool_annotations(
-                title="dbt-codegen generate_staging_model",
                 read_only_hint=True,
                 destructive_hint=False,
                 idempotent_hint=True,

src/dbt_mcp/lsp/tools.py

@@ -70,9 +70,9 @@ async def wrapper(*args, **kwargs) -> Any:
     return [
         ToolDefinition(
             fn=call_with_lsp_client(get_column_lineage),
+            title="Get Column Lineage",
             description=get_prompt("lsp/get_column_lineage"),
             annotations=create_tool_annotations(
-                title="get_column_lineage",
                 read_only_hint=False,
                 destructive_hint=False,
                 idempotent_hint=True,

src/dbt_mcp/tools/definitions.py

@@ -14,14 +14,12 @@
 @dataclass
 class GenericToolDefinition[NameEnum: Enum]:
     fn: Callable[..., Any]
+    title: str  # Human-friendly title for the tool
     description: str
     name_enum: type[NameEnum]
-    name: str | None = None
-    title: str | None = None
+    name: str | None = None  # Machine-friendly name for the tool
     annotations: ToolAnnotations | None = None
-    # We haven't strictly defined our tool contracts yet.
-    # So we're setting this to False by default for now.
-    structured_output: bool | None = False
+    structured_output: bool = True
     meta: dict[str, Any] | None = None
 
     def get_name(self) -> NameEnum:
@@ -62,15 +60,16 @@ class ToolDefinition(GenericToolDefinition[ToolName]):
 
 
 def generic_dbt_mcp_tool[NameEnum: Enum](
+    *,
     description: str,
+    title: str,
     name_enum: type[NameEnum],
     name: str | None = None,
-    title: str | None = None,
     read_only_hint: bool = False,
     destructive_hint: bool = True,
     idempotent_hint: bool = False,
     open_world_hint: bool = True,
-    structured_output: bool | None = False,
+    structured_output: bool = True,
     meta: dict[str, Any] | None = None,
 ) -> Callable[[Callable], GenericToolDefinition[NameEnum]]:
     """Decorator to define a tool definition for dbt MCP"""