{
  "schema": "explore-better.mcp-value.v1",
  "generatedAt": "2026-07-14T11:24:55.905Z",
  "appVersion": "0.2.0",
  "protocolVersion": "2025-11-25",
  "methodology": {
    "repetitions": 3,
    "correctnessFirst": true,
    "timingScope": "MCP timings include the tool call and job polling. PowerShell timings include process startup and command execution.",
    "limitation": "This is a deterministic functional comparison, not a universal performance ranking. A persistent warm shell may have lower startup latency."
  },
  "environment": {
    "platform": "win32",
    "architecture": "x64",
    "node": "v24.12.0",
    "cpu": "Intel(R) Core(TM) Ultra 9 275HX"
  },
  "fixture": {
    "files": 380,
    "logicalBytes": 385495,
    "catalogEntries": 360,
    "queryMatches": 8,
    "duplicateGroups": 3,
    "duplicateFiles": 9,
    "reclaimableBytes": 49152
  },
  "summary": {
    "workflowsPassed": 3,
    "workflowsTotal": 3,
    "mcpSpecificProofsPassed": 6,
    "mcpSpecificProofsTotal": 6,
    "conclusion": "MCP does not replace a shell. It adds typed discovery, live Explore Better context, bounded outputs, least-authority profiles, and application-level file semantics that generic terminal access does not provide by default."
  },
  "workflows": [
    {
      "id": "filename-search",
      "label": "Find matching reports",
      "groundTruth": {
        "matches": 8
      },
      "mcp": {
        "correct": true,
        "medianMs": 9.8,
        "medianOutputBytes": 4646,
        "runsMs": [
          11.4,
          9.8,
          2
        ],
        "interface": "typed search_files response"
      },
      "powershell": {
        "correct": true,
        "medianMs": 536.1,
        "medianOutputBytes": 369,
        "runsMs": [
          537.5,
          454.4,
          536.1
        ],
        "interface": "custom Get-ChildItem pipeline serialized to JSON"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "duplicate-space",
      "label": "Find content duplicates",
      "groundTruth": {
        "groups": 3,
        "duplicateFiles": 9,
        "reclaimableBytes": 49152
      },
      "mcp": {
        "correct": true,
        "medianMs": 130.4,
        "medianOutputBytes": 24270,
        "runsMs": [
          264.1,
          130.4,
          105.5
        ],
        "interface": "cancellable find_duplicates job"
      },
      "powershell": {
        "correct": true,
        "medianMs": 580.5,
        "medianOutputBytes": 355,
        "runsMs": [
          625.3,
          560.3,
          580.5
        ],
        "interface": "custom size-group and Get-FileHash pipeline"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "disk-usage",
      "label": "Measure disk usage",
      "groundTruth": {
        "files": 380,
        "logicalBytes": 385495
      },
      "mcp": {
        "correct": true,
        "medianMs": 72.3,
        "medianOutputBytes": 132639,
        "runsMs": [
          60.2,
          73.3,
          72.3
        ],
        "allocationAccuracy": "exact",
        "allocatedBytesReported": true,
        "interface": "cancellable analyzer job with treemap and allocation metadata"
      },
      "powershell": {
        "correct": true,
        "medianMs": 445.4,
        "medianOutputBytes": 520,
        "runsMs": [
          452.5,
          426.7,
          445.4
        ],
        "allocationAccuracy": "not-reported",
        "allocatedBytesReported": false,
        "interface": "custom Get-ChildItem and Measure-Object pipeline"
      }
    }
  ],
  "proofs": [
    {
      "id": "schema-discovery",
      "label": "Model-discoverable typed contract",
      "passed": true,
      "detail": "17 profile-permitted tools exposed with JSON input schemas; destructive tools are absent from discovery."
    },
    {
      "id": "bounded-pagination",
      "label": "Bounded pagination",
      "passed": true,
      "detail": "A 360-entry folder returned exactly 25 entries and an opaque continuation cursor."
    },
    {
      "id": "live-ui-context",
      "label": "Live file-manager context",
      "passed": true,
      "detail": "The AI read live tab context, opened a folder in a new left-pane tab, then observed the revised pane state."
    },
    {
      "id": "root-boundary",
      "label": "Authorized-root enforcement",
      "passed": true,
      "detail": "A read outside the profile root was rejected with OUTSIDE_ROOTS. A normal shell retains the user's broader filesystem authority."
    },
    {
      "id": "read-only-discovery",
      "label": "Read-only capability reduction",
      "passed": true,
      "detail": "plan_delete, plan_transfer, plan_text_write, and apply_operation were not exposed to the read-only profile."
    },
    {
      "id": "allocation-semantics",
      "label": "File-manager-specific allocation semantics",
      "passed": true,
      "detail": "Analyzer returned labeled exact allocation data; the generic PowerShell baseline reported logical bytes only."
    }
  ],
  "transport": {
    "implementation": "ExploreBetterMcp.exe Go stdio sidecar over authenticated same-user Electron named pipe",
    "discoveredTools": 17,
    "rawToolCalls": 32
  }
}