When to Use This vs gh CLI
| Task | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Local repo PRs (create, merge, view) | gh | Already authenticated for current repo |
| Read files from any repo/branch/tag | mcporter | get_file_contents with ref param |
| Search code across GitHub | mcporter | search_code with language/org/path filters |
| Get PR diff as structured data | mcporter | pull_request_read(method: "get_diff") |
| Cross-repo issue/PR queries | mcporter | No need to clone or switch repos |
| Create/push files to remote repos | mcporter | push_files for multi-file commits |
| Review PRs programmatically | mcporter | pull_request_review_write with line comments |
| Repo/org-level search | mcporter | search_repositories, search_users |
| Quick local checks (status, log, diff) | gh / git | Faster, no network call |
Call Syntax
# Colon-delimited (shell-friendly, best for simple args)
mcporter call github.TOOL_NAME key:value key2:value2 --output json
# Function-call style (better for complex/quoted args)
mcporter call 'github.TOOL_NAME(key: "value", key2: "value2")' --output json
Always use --output json for machine-readable results.
Tool Catalog Summary (40 tools)
| Category | Count | Key Tools |
|---|---|---|
| Pull Requests | 10 | pull_request_read, create_pull_request, merge_pull_request, list_pull_requests, pull_request_review_write |
| Repo Exploration | 8 | get_file_contents, search_code, list_commits, get_commit, search_repositories |
| Issues | 8 | issue_read, issue_write, add_issue_comment, list_issues, search_issues |
| Repo Management | 6 | create_branch, push_files, create_or_update_file, create_repository |
| Releases | 3 | list_releases, get_latest_release, get_release_by_tag |
| Users & Teams | 4 | get_me, search_users, get_teams, get_team_members |
| AI | 1 | assign_copilot_to_issue |
Full parameter details: Read references/tool-catalog.md or run mcporter list github --all-parameters
Workflows
1. Review a Pull Request
# Get PR overview (title, body, state, author, merge status)
mcporter call 'github.pull_request_read(owner: "org", repo: "repo", pullNumber: 42, method: "get")' --output json
# Get the full diff
mcporter call 'github.pull_request_read(owner: "org", repo: "repo", pullNumber: 42, method: "get_diff")' --output json
# List changed files
mcporter call 'github.pull_request_read(owner: "org", repo: "repo", pullNumber: 42, method: "list_files")' --output json
# Get CI/check status
mcporter call 'github.pull_request_read(owner: "org", repo: "repo", pullNumber: 42, method: "get_status")' --output json
# Read existing review comments
mcporter call 'github.pull_request_read(owner: "org", repo: "repo", pullNumber: 42, method: "get_review_comments")' --output json
# Submit a review with inline comments
mcporter call 'github.pull_request_review_write(owner: "org", repo: "repo", pullNumber: 42, method: "create", event: "COMMENT", body: "Looks good overall", comments: "[{\"path\": \"src/main.py\", \"line\": 15, \"body\": \"Consider error handling here\"}]")' --output json
2. Explore a Remote Repository
# Browse repo root (returns directory listing)
mcporter call 'github.get_file_contents(owner: "org", repo: "repo", path: "")' --output json
# Read a specific file
mcporter call 'github.get_file_contents(owner: "org", repo: "repo", path: "src/config.py")' --output json
# Read file at a specific branch/tag/PR
mcporter call 'github.get_file_contents(owner: "org", repo: "repo", path: "README.md", ref: "refs/heads/develop")' --output json
mcporter call 'github.get_file_contents(owner: "org", repo: "repo", path: "README.md", ref: "refs/tags/v1.0.0")' --output json
mcporter call 'github.get_file_contents(owner: "org", repo: "repo", path: "README.md", ref: "refs/pull/42/head")' --output json
# View recent commits
mcporter call 'github.list_commits(owner: "org", repo: "repo", perPage: 10)' --output json
# Get a specific commit's diff
mcporter call 'github.get_commit(owner: "org", repo: "repo", sha: "abc1234")' --output json
# List branches and tags
mcporter call 'github.list_branches(owner: "org", repo: "repo")' --output json
mcporter call 'github.list_tags(owner: "org", repo: "repo")' --output json
3. Search Code Across GitHub
# Search by content
mcporter call 'github.search_code(query: "content:useEffect language:typescript org:vercel")' --output json
# Search in a specific repo and path
mcporter call 'github.search_code(query: "content:DATABASE_URL repo:HelloWorldSungin/ArkNode-AI path:src/config")' --output json
# Search by filename
mcporter call 'github.search_code(query: "filename:CLAUDE.md org:anthropics")' --output json
# Combine multiple filters
mcporter call 'github.search_code(query: "content:FastAPI language:python org:tiangolo path:docs")' --output json
Query syntax for search_code: content:X language:Y org:Z repo:A/B path:C filename:D extension:E
4. Manage Issues
# Create an issue
mcporter call 'github.issue_write(owner: "org", repo: "repo", method: "create", title: "Bug: login fails on mobile", body: "Steps to reproduce...", labels: "[\"bug\", \"mobile\"]", assignees: "[\"username\"]")' --output json
# Get issue with comments
mcporter call 'github.issue_read(owner: "org", repo: "repo", issue_number: 99, method: "get")' --output json
mcporter call 'github.issue_read(owner: "org", repo: "repo", issue_number: 99, method: "get_comments")' --output json
# Search issues across repos
mcporter call 'github.search_issues(query: "is:open label:bug org:HelloWorldSungin")' --output json
# Close an issue
mcporter call 'github.issue_write(owner: "org", repo: "repo", method: "update", issue_number: 99, state: "closed", state_reason: "completed")' --output json
# Add a comment
mcporter call 'github.add_issue_comment(owner: "org", repo: "repo", issue_number: 99, body: "Fixed in PR #100")' --output json