pocketflow/cookbook/pocketflow-mcp

PocketFlow MCP Demo

This project shows how to build an agent that performs addition using PocketFlow and Model Context Protocol (MCP). It presents a comparison between using MCP and basic function calling approaches.

Features

• Addition operations through a simple terminal interface
• Integration with Model Context Protocol (MCP)
• Comparison between MCP and direct function calling

How to Run

1. Set your API key:

   export OPENAI_API_KEY="your-api-key-here"
   

   Or update it directly in utils.py

2. Install and run:

   pip install -r requirements.txt
   python main.py
   

MCP vs Function Calling

To compare both approaches, this demo provides local function alternatives that don't require MCP:

• To use traditional function calling instead of MCP, replace:
  • get_tools() with local_get_tools()
  • call_tool() with local_call_tool()

This allows you to see the difference between the two approaches while keeping the same workflow.

Function Calling

• Functions are directly embedded in application code
• Each new tool requires modifying the application
• Tools are defined within the application itself

MCP Approach

• Tools live in separate MCP servers
• Standard protocol for all tool interactions
• New tools can be added without changing the agent
• AI can interact with tools through a consistent interface

How It Works

flowchart LR
    tools[GetToolsNode] -->|decide| decide[DecideToolNode]
    decide -->|execute| execute[ExecuteToolNode]

The agent uses PocketFlow to create a workflow where:

1. It takes user input about numbers
2. Connects to the MCP server for addition operations
3. Returns the result

Files

• main.py: Implementation of the addition agent using PocketFlow
• utils.py: Helper functions for API calls and MCP integration
• simple_server.py: MCP server that provides the addition tool