add-backend-tool
Add a new tool to the backend OpenAI function calling system. Use when user mentions "new tool", "add tool", "backend function", "agent capability", or wants to extend what the AI agent can do.
When & Why to Use This Skill
This Claude skill empowers developers to seamlessly extend an AI agent's capabilities by adding new backend tools to the OpenAI function calling system. It provides a structured workflow for defining function schemas, implementing robust helper logic with error handling, and integrating these tools into the agent's execution loop, ensuring the agent can perform increasingly complex and specialized tasks.
Use Cases
- Extending Agent Functionality: Quickly add custom tools for specific tasks like directory management, file manipulation, or system-level operations to broaden the agent's reach.
- Third-Party API Integration: Wrap external service APIs into function calls, allowing the agent to interact with platforms like GitHub, Slack, or specialized web scraping services.
- Custom Workflow Automation: Create specialized backend functions to automate repetitive terminal commands or complex data processing pipelines directly through the AI interface.
- Enhanced Security and Reliability: Implement custom guardrails, timeout logic, and error handling for new tools to ensure secure and stable agent performance in production environments.
| name | add-backend-tool |
|---|---|
| description | Add a new tool to the backend OpenAI function calling system. Use when user mentions "new tool", "add tool", "backend function", "agent capability", or wants to extend what the AI agent can do. |
Add Backend Tool
Instructions
Read
backend/main.pyto understand existing tool patterns:- Find the
toolslist with function definitions - Review helper functions (read_file, write_file, run_terminal_command, web_search)
- Find the
Create the helper function:
def new_tool_name(param1: str, param2: int = 10) -> str: """Docstring explaining the tool.""" try: # Implementation return result except Exception as e: return f"Error: {str(e)}"Add tool definition to the
toolslist:{ "type": "function", "function": { "name": "new_tool_name", "description": "What this tool does and when to use it", "parameters": { "type": "object", "properties": { "param1": {"type": "string", "description": "..."}, "param2": {"type": "integer", "description": "..."} }, "required": ["param1"] } } }Add tool invocation handler in the WebSocket message loop:
elif func_name == "new_tool_name": result = new_tool_name(**args)Update mode restrictions if needed:
- Agent mode: full access
- Chat mode: add to allowed list only if read-only/safe
Examples
- "Add a tool to list directory contents"
- "Create a tool for git operations"
- "Add web scraping capability"
Guardrails
- Include proper error handling with try/except
- Add timeout for any long-running operations
- Consider security implications (Chat mode restrictions)
- Never hardcode API keys or secrets
- Document the tool's purpose in the function docstring