fix: modify recent_activity args to be strings instead of enums

Signed-off-by: phernandez <paul@basicmachines.co>

Author: phernandez

src/basic_memory/mcp/tools/recent_activity.py

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 """Recent activity tool for Basic Memory MCP server."""
 
-from typing import Optional, List
+from typing import List, Union
 
 from loguru import logger
 
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 
 @mcp.tool(
     description="""Get recent activity from across the knowledge base.
-    
+
     Timeframe supports natural language formats like:
     - "2 days ago"  
     - "last week"
@@ -25,21 +25,24 @@
     """,
 )
 async def recent_activity(
-    type: Optional[List[SearchItemType]] = None,
-    depth: Optional[int] = 1,
-    timeframe: Optional[TimeFrame] = "7d",
+    type: Union[str, List[str]] = "",
+    depth: int = 1,
+    timeframe: TimeFrame = "7d",
     page: int = 1,
     page_size: int = 10,
     max_related: int = 10,
 ) -> GraphContext:
     """Get recent activity across the knowledge base.
 
     Args:
-        type: Filter by content type(s). Valid options:
-            - ["entity"] for knowledge entities
-            - ["relation"] for connections between entities
-            - ["observation"] for notes and observations
+        type: Filter by content type(s). Can be a string or list of strings.
+            Valid options:
+            - "entity" or ["entity"] for knowledge entities
+            - "relation" or ["relation"] for connections between entities
+            - "observation" or ["observation"] for notes and observations
             Multiple types can be combined: ["entity", "relation"]
+            Case-insensitive: "ENTITY" and "entity" are treated the same.
+            Default is an empty string, which returns all types.
         depth: How many relation hops to traverse (1-3 recommended)
         timeframe: Time window to search. Supports natural language:
             - Relative: "2 days ago", "last week", "yesterday"
@@ -59,14 +62,17 @@ async def recent_activity(
         # Get all entities for the last 10 days (default)
         recent_activity()
 
-        # Get all entities from yesterday
+        # Get all entities from yesterday (string format)
+        recent_activity(type="entity", timeframe="yesterday")
+
+        # Get all entities from yesterday (list format)
         recent_activity(type=["entity"], timeframe="yesterday")
 
         # Get recent relations and observations
         recent_activity(type=["relation", "observation"], timeframe="today")
 
         # Look back further with more context
-        recent_activity(type=["entity"], depth=2, timeframe="2 weeks ago")
+        recent_activity(type="entity", depth=2, timeframe="2 weeks ago")
 
     Notes:
         - Higher depth values (>3) may impact performance with large result sets
@@ -86,11 +92,27 @@ async def recent_activity(
     if timeframe:
         params["timeframe"] = timeframe  # pyright: ignore
 
-    # send enum values if we have an enum, else send string value
+    # Validate and convert type parameter
     if type:
-        params["type"] = [  # pyright: ignore
-            type.value if isinstance(type, SearchItemType) else type for type in type
-        ]
+        # Convert single string to list
+        if isinstance(type, str):
+            type_list = [type]
+        else:
+            type_list = type
+
+        # Validate each type against SearchItemType enum
+        validated_types = []
+        for t in type_list:
+            try:
+                # Try to convert string to enum
+                if isinstance(t, str):
+                    validated_types.append(SearchItemType(t.lower()))
+            except ValueError:
+                valid_types = [t.value for t in SearchItemType]
+                raise ValueError(f"Invalid type: {t}. Valid types are: {valid_types}")
+
+        # Add validated types to params
+        params["type"] = [t.value for t in validated_types]  # pyright: ignore
 
     response = await call_get(
         client,

tests/mcp/test_tool_memory.py tests/mcp/test_tool_build_context.pytests/mcp/test_tool_memory.py renamed to tests/mcp/test_tool_build_context.py

@@ -5,12 +5,9 @@
 
 from mcp.server.fastmcp.exceptions import ToolError
 
-from basic_memory.mcp.tools import build_context, recent_activity
+from basic_memory.mcp.tools import build_context
 from basic_memory.schemas.memory import (
     GraphContext,
-    EntitySummary,
-    ObservationSummary,
-    RelationSummary,
 )
 
 
@@ -83,53 +80,6 @@ async def test_get_discussion_context_not_found(client):
 ]
 
 
-@pytest.mark.asyncio
-async def test_recent_activity_timeframe_formats(client, test_graph):
-    """Test that recent_activity accepts various timeframe formats."""
-    # Test each valid timeframe
-    for timeframe in valid_timeframes:
-        try:
-            result = await recent_activity(
-                type=["entity"], timeframe=timeframe, page=1, page_size=10, max_related=10
-            )
-            assert result is not None
-        except Exception as e:
-            pytest.fail(f"Failed with valid timeframe '{timeframe}': {str(e)}")
-
-    # Test invalid timeframes should raise ValidationError
-    for timeframe in invalid_timeframes:
-        with pytest.raises(ToolError):
-            await recent_activity(timeframe=timeframe)
-
-
-@pytest.mark.asyncio
-async def test_recent_activity_type_filters(client, test_graph):
-    """Test that recent_activity correctly filters by types."""
-    # Test single type
-    result = await recent_activity(type=["entity"])
-    assert result is not None
-    assert all(isinstance(r, EntitySummary) for r in result.primary_results)
-
-    # Test multiple types
-    result = await recent_activity(type=["entity", "observation"])
-    assert result is not None
-    assert all(
-        isinstance(r, EntitySummary) or isinstance(r, ObservationSummary)
-        for r in result.primary_results
-    )
-
-    # Test all types
-    result = await recent_activity(type=["entity", "observation", "relation"])
-    assert result is not None
-    # Results can be any type
-    assert all(
-        isinstance(r, EntitySummary)
-        or isinstance(r, ObservationSummary)
-        or isinstance(r, RelationSummary)
-        for r in result.primary_results
-    )
-
-
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 async def test_build_context_timeframe_formats(client, test_graph):
     """Test that build_context accepts various timeframe formats."""

tests/mcp/test_tool_recent_activity.py

@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
+"""Tests for discussion context MCP tool."""
+
+import pytest
+
+from mcp.server.fastmcp.exceptions import ToolError
+
+from basic_memory.mcp.tools import recent_activity
+from basic_memory.schemas.memory import (
+    EntitySummary,
+    ObservationSummary,
+    RelationSummary,
+)
+from basic_memory.schemas.search import SearchItemType
+
+# Test data for different timeframe formats
+valid_timeframes = [
+    "7d",  # Standard format
+    "yesterday",  # Natural language
+    "0d",  # Zero duration
+]
+
+invalid_timeframes = [
+    "invalid",  # Nonsense string
+    "tomorrow",  # Future date
+]
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_recent_activity_timeframe_formats(client, test_graph):
+    """Test that recent_activity accepts various timeframe formats."""
+    # Test each valid timeframe
+    for timeframe in valid_timeframes:
+        try:
+            result = await recent_activity(
+                type=["entity"], timeframe=timeframe, page=1, page_size=10, max_related=10
+            )
+            assert result is not None
+        except Exception as e:
+            pytest.fail(f"Failed with valid timeframe '{timeframe}': {str(e)}")
+
+    # Test invalid timeframes should raise ValidationError
+    for timeframe in invalid_timeframes:
+        with pytest.raises(ToolError):
+            await recent_activity(timeframe=timeframe)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_recent_activity_type_filters(client, test_graph):
+    """Test that recent_activity correctly filters by types."""
+
+    # Test single string type
+    result = await recent_activity(type=SearchItemType.ENTITY)
+    assert result is not None
+    assert all(isinstance(r, EntitySummary) for r in result.primary_results)
+
+    # Test single string type
+    result = await recent_activity(type="entity")
+    assert result is not None
+    assert all(isinstance(r, EntitySummary) for r in result.primary_results)
+
+    # Test single type
+    result = await recent_activity(type=["entity"])
+    assert result is not None
+    assert all(isinstance(r, EntitySummary) for r in result.primary_results)
+
+    # Test multiple types
+    result = await recent_activity(type=["entity", "observation"])
+    assert result is not None
+    assert all(
+        isinstance(r, EntitySummary) or isinstance(r, ObservationSummary)
+        for r in result.primary_results
+    )
+
+    # Test multiple types
+    result = await recent_activity(type=[SearchItemType.ENTITY, SearchItemType.OBSERVATION])
+    assert result is not None
+    assert all(
+        isinstance(r, EntitySummary) or isinstance(r, ObservationSummary)
+        for r in result.primary_results
+    )
+
+    # Test all types
+    result = await recent_activity(type=["entity", "observation", "relation"])
+    assert result is not None
+    # Results can be any type
+    assert all(
+        isinstance(r, EntitySummary)
+        or isinstance(r, ObservationSummary)
+        or isinstance(r, RelationSummary)
+        for r in result.primary_results
+    )
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_recent_activity_type_invalid(client, test_graph):
+    """Test that recent_activity correctly filters by types."""
+
+    # Test single invalid string type
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError) as e:
+        await recent_activity(type="note")
+    assert (
+        str(e.value) == "Invalid type: note. Valid types are: ['entity', 'observation', 'relation']"
+    )
+
+    # Test invalid string array type
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError) as e:
+        await recent_activity(type=["note"])
+    assert (
+        str(e.value) == "Invalid type: note. Valid types are: ['entity', 'observation', 'relation']"
+    )