MCP tools

pdk-mcp is an MCP server over standard input/output (see Using PDK from an agent to register it). Each tool mirrors a command of the command line and returns the same text report. Tools are annotated for the client: read-only, writes (signed, non-destructive) or destructive. pdk_open and pdk_screenshot add the preview page to the sandbox’s page-config (additive and idempotent); pdk_inspect is destructive because its act steps run the view’s own event scripts on the gateway, which can write tags or databases.

Tool	Kind	Arguments and behavior
pdk_validate	read-only	path (a view.json or a folder) or view (JSON text); project (folder or local gateway project, enables reference checks); focus (code, component path or pointer prefix); profile ("hmi" for design-token lint). See Validating views.
pdk_catalog	read-only	type (component id or name), prop (nested path such as columns[].render), search (text), topic (bindings, transforms, events, view, style, codes). See Looking up components.
pdk_pull	writes locally	path (view or folder in the project, or stylesheet), project (default: the sandbox), force (overwrite local edits).
pdk_deploy	writes	path (local folder or view.json, a sandbox path PDK/X, or the _stylesheet folder); resolved (after a G008, write over the reviewed gateway version). Validates first; returns the preview URL.
pdk_promote	destructive	path (local folder of a deployed PDK/ view, or the _stylesheet folder), to (destination path, default without PDK/), to_project ("target" for the target project), resolved.
pdk_delete	destructive	path (local folder of a pulled view), resolved.
pdk_tags	destructive	action (list, read, write, apply, delete, alarms, history), path, value (for history, comma-separated values), quality, file (tag export JSON for apply), to (folder under PDK/, or _types_/PDK for UDT definitions), depth, every and provider (history). See Simulated tags.
pdk_open	writes (preview)	path (sandbox path or local folder), viewport (WIDTHxHEIGHT). Renders the view and reports load time, components rendered and browser errors.
pdk_inspect	destructive	path, viewport, focus, query, expect, act. See Inspecting running views.
pdk_screenshot	destructive	path, viewport, component (name path such as root/Panel, or popup:<id>/root/... after act), act (steps run before capturing, as in pdk_inspect), compare (a PNG taken before: reports what changed and where, and adds a diff image). Returns a PNG image.
pdk_pages	writes	action (list, add or remove), url (a route like /detail), view (for add, a view of the sandbox like PDK/Detail), title (optional, for add). Routes of the page configuration, so a nav action has a destination; remove only takes routes to views under PDK/. See Working with the gateway.

The server’s instructions describe the whole cycle (catalog, write, validate, deploy, inspect, fix), so a client learns the workflow from the server itself. The browser used by pdk_open, pdk_inspect and pdk_screenshot stays open between calls and closes after PDK_EYES_IDLE_S seconds without use, closing its Perspective sessions on the gateway too.