Tool Selection Preferences

This skill provides guidance on choosing between equivalent tools when multiple options are available. Following these preferences ensures consistent behavior, better performance, and predictable output across all agents.

GitHub Operations

Prefer gh CLI (via Bash) over GitHub MCP tools.

Operation	Preferred	Avoid
View PR details	gh pr view	GitHub MCP pull_request_read
Get PR diff	gh pr diff	GitHub MCP get_commit
List PRs	gh pr list	GitHub MCP list_pull_requests
Search PRs	gh pr list --search "query"	GitHub MCP search_pull_requests
Post PR comment	gh pr comment	GitHub MCP add_issue_comment
View issues	gh issue view	GitHub MCP issue_read
List issues	gh issue list	GitHub MCP list_issues
Create issues	gh issue create	GitHub MCP issue_write
Search code	gh search code "query"	GitHub MCP search_code

Why Prefer gh CLI

1. Already authenticated - Uses user's existing git/GitHub credentials
2. Less indirection - Avoids an extra MCP/tooling hop by talking directly to GitHub APIs
3. Predictable output - Consistent format with --json flag
4. Better errors - Clear, actionable error messages
5. Uses local repo state - Can operate directly on the checked-out repository when appropriate

When GitHub MCP Tools ARE Appropriate

Use GitHub MCP tools only when they provide functionality the CLI lacks:

Use Case	Reason
Inline PR review comments	CLI doesn't support line-specific review comments
Pending review management	Creating/submitting pending reviews with multiple comments
File contents at specific ref	When you need content without cloning the repo

Common gh CLI Patterns

# View PR with specific fields
gh pr view --json number,title,body,baseRefName,headRefName

# Get PR diff
gh pr diff

# List PRs with filters
gh pr list --state open --author @me

# View issue details
gh issue view 123 --json title,body,state,labels

# Search issues
gh issue list --search "bug in:title"

# Post comment to PR
gh pr comment 123 --body "Comment text"

# Get repo info
gh repo view --json nameWithOwner,defaultBranchRef

# Search code across repos
gh search code "pattern" --repo owner/repo

Git Operations

Prefer native git commands over any wrapper or MCP tool.

Operation	Preferred	Avoid
Check status	git status	Any wrapper
View diff	git diff	GitHub MCP diff tools
Create branch	git checkout -b name	GitHub MCP create_branch
Commit changes	git commit	Any remote commit API
Push changes	git push	GitHub MCP push_files

Rationale

Git operations should be local-first. Using MCP tools for git operations:

• Bypasses local hooks (pre-commit, pre-push)
• Doesn't update local repository state
• May cause sync issues between local and remote

Atlassian/Jira Operations

Prefer Atlassian MCP tools (the supported integration in this repo).

The Atlassian MCP server (atlassian/* tools) is the preferred choice for Jira and Confluence operations in this environment. See the Jira skill for detailed guidance.

Documentation Lookups

Prefer MCP tools for documentation:

Source	Tool
Library docs	Context7 (context7/*)
.NET/Microsoft docs	Microsoft Learn (microsoft-docs/*)

These MCP tools provide curated, up-to-date documentation that's more reliable than web searches.

Decision Framework

When unsure which tool to use, apply this framework:

1. Is this a documentation lookup?
   YES → Prefer MCP documentation tools (Context7, Microsoft Learn)
   NO  → Continue to step 2

2. Is there a local CLI tool that does this?
   YES → Use the CLI (gh, git, npm, dotnet, etc.)
   NO  → Continue to step 3

3. Does the MCP tool provide unique functionality?
   YES → Use the MCP tool
   NO  → Prefer CLI if available

4. Does the operation need to respect local state/hooks?
   YES → Must use local tools (git commit, npm install)
   NO  → Either is acceptable