A coding assistant requires file read, file write, and test runner too — Claude Certified Architect – Foundations Practice — Claude Cert Academy

A coding assistant requires file read, file write, and test runner tools. An architect adds 25 additional DevOps tools "for completeness." What should the architect do instead?

• Keep all 28 tools — the agent will only call what it needs
• Use dynamic tool injection: include only the DevOps tools for tasks that explicitly require DevOps operations; use the 3 core tools otherwise
• Create separate agents: CodingAgent (3 tools) and DevOpsAgent (25 tools), and route tasks to the appropriate agent
• Add tool descriptions that tell Claude to ignore the DevOps tools unless asked

Answer: Create separate agents: CodingAgent (3 tools) and DevOpsAgent (25 tools), and route tasks to the appropriate agent

Both B and C are correct approaches to tool sprawl. Option C (separate agents) is the cleaner architecture — each agent has only the tools it needs, and the coordinator routes based on task type. Option B (dynamic injection) works within a single agent but adds routing logic complexity. All 28 tools in one agent is the anti-pattern to avoid. Descriptions alone do not solve selection confusion.

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