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the output format (ascii/json/markdown) is one piece, but the other side is input schema. mcp declares what args are valid and their types upfront, so the model can't hallucinate a flag that doesn't exist. cli tools don't expose that contract unless you parse --help output, which is fragile.

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So far, cli --help seems to work quite well. I'm optimizing the cli to interact with the agent, e.g., commands that describe exactly what output is expected for the cli DSL, error messages that contain DSL examples that exactly describe the agent how to fix bugs, etc. Overall i think the DSL is more token efficient that a similar JSON, and easier to review for humans.

fair point on token efficiency -- dsls are usually tighter than json. where i see mcp still winning is tool discovery: the client learns what tools exist and what args they take without having to try calling them first or knowing the commands upfront. with cli you have to already know the tool exists.

This can be easily done using CLAUDE.md or similar. Easier than registering the MCP with the agent.

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