expression evaluation via mcp protocol bridge
Bridges Claude AI with the expr-lang expression evaluation engine through the Model Context Protocol (MCP), enabling Claude to execute arbitrary expressions and receive computed results. The integration translates Claude's tool-calling requests into expr-lang AST evaluation, marshaling results back through MCP's standardized resource/tool interface. This allows Claude to perform dynamic computation without embedding a full runtime in the LLM context.
Unique: Directly exposes expr-lang's expression evaluation engine as an MCP tool, allowing Claude to treat expression evaluation as a first-class capability rather than embedding computation logic in prompts or requiring custom API wrappers
vs alternatives: Simpler than building a custom REST API for expr-lang evaluation and more direct than asking Claude to perform symbolic math in-context, as it leverages MCP's standardized tool-calling protocol
variable context management for expression evaluation
Manages stateful variable bindings and context across multiple expression evaluations within a Claude conversation. The MCP server maintains a session-scoped variable store that Claude can populate, update, and reference in subsequent expressions, enabling multi-step computations where intermediate results feed into later expressions. Variables are scoped to the MCP session and cleared on server restart.
Unique: Provides session-scoped variable persistence within the MCP server, allowing Claude to treat variable assignment and retrieval as discrete tool calls rather than embedding state in prompts or relying on Claude's context window for intermediate values
vs alternatives: More efficient than asking Claude to track variables in its context window (saves tokens and reduces hallucination risk) and simpler than implementing a full database backend for conversation state
function definition and invocation in expressions
Enables Claude to define custom functions within expr-lang's expression syntax and invoke them across multiple evaluations. Functions are registered in the MCP server's function registry and can reference variables, accept parameters, and return computed values. This allows Claude to abstract repeated computation patterns into reusable functions without modifying the MCP server code.
Unique: Allows Claude to dynamically define and register functions in expr-lang's runtime without requiring MCP server code changes, treating function definition as a first-class tool call rather than a static configuration step
vs alternatives: More flexible than static function libraries and faster to iterate than modifying server code, though less performant than pre-compiled functions due to runtime parsing overhead
type-aware expression parsing and validation
Parses and validates expressions against expr-lang's type system before evaluation, providing Claude with early feedback on syntax errors, type mismatches, and undefined variable references. The parser uses expr-lang's AST construction to detect issues without executing the expression, enabling Claude to refine expressions iteratively. Validation results include detailed error messages with line/column information.
Unique: Exposes expr-lang's parser as a separate validation tool, allowing Claude to validate expressions without executing them and receive structured error feedback for iterative refinement
vs alternatives: More reliable than asking Claude to validate expressions in-context and faster than trial-and-error execution, though less comprehensive than a full static type checker
multi-expression batch evaluation with result aggregation
Processes multiple expressions in a single MCP call and returns aggregated results, reducing round-trip latency for workflows that need to evaluate many expressions. The batch evaluator executes expressions sequentially (or in parallel if supported by the backend) and collects results with per-expression error handling, allowing Claude to retrieve multiple computed values in one request. Results are returned as a structured array with metadata about each evaluation.
Unique: Aggregates multiple expression evaluations into a single MCP call with structured result collection, allowing Claude to amortize MCP overhead across many expressions rather than issuing individual requests
vs alternatives: More efficient than sequential individual expression calls and simpler than implementing a custom batch API, though not as fast as true parallel evaluation if expressions have dependencies
expression result formatting and serialization
Converts expr-lang evaluation results into multiple output formats (JSON, CSV, plain text, formatted tables) for integration with downstream tools and Claude's output capabilities. The formatter handles type conversion, null/undefined handling, and precision control for numeric results. This enables Claude to present computed values in formats suitable for different contexts (e.g., JSON for APIs, tables for reports).
Unique: Provides multiple output formatters for expr-lang results as discrete MCP tools, allowing Claude to choose output format based on downstream requirements without embedding format logic in expressions
vs alternatives: More flexible than fixed output formats and easier to use than asking Claude to manually format results, though less customizable than implementing a full templating system