## Why
Codex still models model-visible tools and executable behavior largely
inside `codex-core`, which makes it harder to evolve the tool system
toward a single reusable abstraction for built-ins, MCP-backed tools,
dynamic tools, and later tools injected from outside core.
This PR takes the next incremental step in that direction by moving the
common execution-facing pieces out of core and separating them from
core-only orchestration. The intent is to let shared tool abstractions
improve in one place, while `codex-core` keeps the parts that are still
inherently host-specific today, such as `ToolInvocation`, dispatch
wiring, and hook integration.
This PR is mostly moving things around. The only interesting piece is
this abstraction:
https://github.com/openai/codex/pull/22359/changes#diff-81af519002548ba51ed102bdaaf77e081d40a1e73a6e5f9b104bbbc96a6f1b3dR13
## What changed
- Added `codex_tools::ToolExecutor<Invocation>` as the shared execution
trait for model-visible tools.
- Moved the reusable execution support types from `codex-core` into
`codex-tools`:
- `FunctionCallError`
- `ToolPayload`
- `ToolOutput`
- Refactored core tool implementations so that execution behavior lives
on `ToolExecutor<ToolInvocation>`, while `ToolHandler` remains the
core-local extension point for hook payloads, telemetry tags, diff
consumers, and other orchestration concerns.
- Kept the registry and dispatch flow behaviorally unchanged while
making the shared/extracted boundary explicit across built-in, MCP,
dynamic, extension-backed, shell, and multi-agent tool handlers.
## Verification
- `cargo test -p codex-tools`
- `just fix -p codex-tools`
- `just fix -p codex-core`
- `cargo test -p codex-core` progressed through the updated tool
surfaces and then hit the existing unrelated multi-agent stack overflow
in
`tools::handlers::multi_agents::tests::tool_handlers_cascade_close_and_resume_and_keep_explicitly_closed_subtrees_closed`.
# Tool System Refactor
- Centralizes tool definitions and execution in `core/src/tools/*`:
specs (`spec.rs`), handlers (`handlers/*`), router (`router.rs`),
registry/dispatch (`registry.rs`), and shared context (`context.rs`).
One registry now builds the model-visible tool list and binds handlers.
- Router converts model responses to tool calls; Registry dispatches
with consistent telemetry via `codex-rs/otel` and unified error
handling. Function, Local Shell, MCP, and experimental `unified_exec`
all flow through this path; legacy shell aliases still work.
- Rationale: reduce per‑tool boilerplate, keep spec/handler in sync, and
make adding tools predictable and testable.
Example: `read_file`
- Spec: `core/src/tools/spec.rs` (see `create_read_file_tool`,
registered by `build_specs`).
- Handler: `core/src/tools/handlers/read_file.rs` (absolute `file_path`,
1‑indexed `offset`, `limit`, `L#: ` prefixes, safe truncation).
- E2E test: `core/tests/suite/read_file.rs` validates the tool returns
the requested lines.
## Next steps:
- Decompose `handle_container_exec_with_params`
- Add parallel tool calls
