[ENHANCEMENT] Mcp tool calls needlessly clutter ui

[DarkEden-coding]

Problem (one or two sentences)

Mcp tool calls from the agent show the full tool information without any collapsing functionality, full file path arguments are also shown.

Context (who is affected and when)

Small visual improvements, so everyone.

Desired behavior (conceptual, not technical)

For a cleaner interface the following assumptions/changes could be made:

1. Assume the user knows what the mcp tool does inherently, truncate mcp tool descriptions and instructions and include a small carrot or other element to expend them if needed
2. When the agent passes file paths to mcp tools the workspace root should be autodetected in the paths and removed, truncated, or replaced with a placeholder to reduce cognitive load, can include full path on hover if necessary.

Constraints / preferences (optional)

No response

Request checklist

• I've searched existing Issues and Discussions for duplicates
• This describes a specific problem with clear context and impact

Roo Code Task Links (optional)

No response

Acceptance criteria (optional)

No response

Proposed approach (optional)

No response

Trade-offs / risks (optional)

Needs to keep all current functionality for users who want it, ie make sure to have drop-down and hover interactions to allow for full information viewing when the user wants to.

I've analyzed this issue and here's my proposed implementation plan:

Issue Summary

MCP tool calls currently show full tool descriptions and file paths without any collapsing or truncation, adding visual clutter to the chat UI.

Proposed Changes

1. Truncate/Collapse Tool Descriptions in Chat Context

File: webview-ui/src/components/mcp/McpToolRow.tsx

• Add a new collapsible prop (default true when isInChatContext=true)
• Truncate the description to 1-2 lines using CSS (line-clamp-2)
• Add a small expand/collapse chevron icon when description is truncated
• Show full description on expansion click
• Keep full description visible by default in settings context (MCP settings panel)

2. Truncate Workspace Root Paths in Arguments

New file: webview-ui/src/utils/path-truncation.ts

• Create a utility function truncateWorkspacePaths(jsonString: string, cwd: string) that:
  • Parses JSON argument strings
  • Detects file paths that start with the workspace root (cwd)
  • Replaces the workspace root with ./ or a similar placeholder
  • Returns the modified JSON string for display

File: webview-ui/src/components/chat/McpExecution.tsx

• Import cwd from useExtensionState()
• Apply path truncation to the arguments before displaying in the CodeBlock
• Use the existing PathTooltip component or a custom tooltip to show full paths on hover
• Consider adding a toggle to show raw/truncated arguments if users prefer to see full paths

3. UI/UX Considerations

• All truncated content should be expandable/hoverable to show full information
• Hover states will use existing tooltip patterns (StandardTooltip/PathTooltip)
• Transitions/animations for expand/collapse will match existing patterns
• Settings will remain unchanged (no truncation in MCP settings panel)

Benefits

1. Reduced visual clutter in chat during MCP tool execution
2. Faster comprehension of tool arguments without long path noise
3. Full information still accessible via expand/hover interactions
4. Consistent with user's expectation stated in the issue

Trade-offs

• Slightly more complex component state for expand/collapse
• Need to ensure path detection doesn't incorrectly truncate non-path strings

Please mention @roomote in a comment saying that you approve this plan, and I'll proceed with the implementation.

[DarkEden-coding]

@roomote looks good, make sure to try to keep implementation minimal and constrained to minimal files

I have seen your comment and will proceed with the implementation, keeping it minimal and constrained to as few files as possible. I will open a PR to share progress shortly.

Opened a draft PR with my attempt at addressing this issue: #11161

The implementation is minimal and constrained to 4 files as requested:

• Collapsible descriptions in chat context with expand/collapse toggle
• Workspace path truncation in MCP arguments (replaces full paths with ./)

Feedback welcome!

[krzychdre]

I don’t think we even need a brief description of the tool or a tooltip.
The most minimalist solution appeals to me the most. Let’s just display a box with the tool’s name and a chevron to expand the description.

I've made something similar on my fork:

Please see: https://github.com/krzychdre/Roo-Code/tree/feat/concise-mcp-tool-display