RAT MCP Server (Node.js)

Retrieval Augmented Thinking MCP Server - A reasoning tool that processes structured thoughts with metrics, branching, and revision capabilities.

Installation

Simple 3-Step Process

git clone https://github.com/stat-guy/retrieval-augmented-thinking.git
cd retrieval-augmented-thinking
npm install -g .

Verify Installation

Test that the installation worked:

npx mcp-server-rat-node --help

Success indicator: If you see `RAT MCP Server (Node.js) running on stdio`, your installation is ready!

Claude Desktop Configuration

Add to your Claude Desktop configuration file:

macOS: `~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`

Windows: `%APPDATA%/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "retrieval-augmented-thinking": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["mcp-server-rat-node"]
    }
  }
}

After adding the configuration, restart Claude Desktop to load the RAT server.

Usage

The server provides a single `rat` tool for processing structured thoughts:

// Basic usage
{
  "thought": "I need to analyze this problem step by step...",
  "nextThoughtNeeded": true,
  "thoughtNumber": 1,
  "totalThoughts": 3
}

// With revision
{
  "thought": "Let me reconsider my previous analysis...",
  "nextThoughtNeeded": false,
  "thoughtNumber": 2,
  "totalThoughts": 3,
  "isRevision": true,
  "revisesThought": 1
}

// With branching
{
  "thought": "Alternative approach: what if we consider...",
  "nextThoughtNeeded": true,
  "thoughtNumber": 2,
  "totalThoughts": 4,
  "branchFromThought": 1,
  "branchId": "alt-path-1"
}

Tool Parameters

Required

• `thought` (string): The thought content to process
• `nextThoughtNeeded` (boolean): Whether another thought is needed to continue
• `thoughtNumber` (integer): Current thought number in the sequence
• `totalThoughts` (integer): Total expected thoughts (adjustable)

Optional

• `isRevision` (boolean): Whether this revises a previous thought
• `revisesThought` (integer): The thought number being revised
• `branchFromThought` (integer): Thought number to branch from
• `branchId` (string): Unique identifier for this branch
• `needsMoreThoughts` (boolean): Extend beyond totalThoughts if needed

Response Format

{
  "thought_number": 1,
  "total_thoughts": 3,
  "metrics": {
    "complexity": 0.342,
    "depth": 0.521,
    "quality": 0.643,
    "impact": 0.289,
    "confidence": 0.758
  },
  "analytics": {
    "total_thoughts": 5,
    "average_quality": 0.612,
    "chain_effectiveness": 0.145
  },
  "next_thought_needed": true,
  "visual_output": "┌─ 💭 Thought 1/3 ─────────────────┐\\n│ Analysis shows clear patterns... │\\n├─ Metrics ──────────────────────┤\\n│ Quality: 0.64 | Impact: 0.29... │\\n└─────────────────────────────────┘"
}

Troubleshooting

If Installation Fails

The installation process includes automatic permission fixes. If you encounter issues:

1. Ensure you have Node.js and npm installed

2. Try the alternative installation method:

npm install -g git+https://github.com/stat-guy/retrieval-augmented-thinking.git

3. For rare permission issues:

chmod +x $(npm bin -g)/mcp-server-rat-node

Verification Steps

Before configuring Claude Desktop, always verify:

npx mcp-server-rat-node --help

If this shows "RAT MCP Server (Node.js) running on stdio", you're ready to configure Claude Desktop.

Testing

Run the test suite:

npm test

Test tool execution:

node test-tool.js

License

This MCP server is licensed under the MIT License. This means you are free to use, modify, and distribute the software, subject to the terms and conditions of the MIT License. For more details, please see the LICENSE file in the project repository.