lesson1

Lesson 1: Creating Your First MCP Server

This lesson demonstrates how to create a basic Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides a simple greeting functionality. You'll learn how to structure, build, and use your MCP server in various IDEs like Cursor, Windsurf, and VS Code.

Video

Creating Your First MCP Server (from GitHub Tutorial Series)

Project Structure

server/
├── package.json        # Node.js project configuration
├── tsconfig.json      # TypeScript configuration
└── src/
    ├── index.ts       # Main server implementation
    └── tools/         # Tool implementations
        └── greeting.ts # Greeting tool definition

Key Components

1. Server Setup (index.ts)

   • Creates an MCP server instance
   • Defines tool list
   • Implements tool call handlers
   • Sets up stdio transport

2. Tool Implementation (tools/greeting.ts)

   • Defines tool interface
   • Implements tool logic

Building the Server

1. Install dependencies:

   cd server
   npm install

2. Build the server:

   npm run build

This will:

• Compile TypeScript to JavaScript
• Make the output executable
• Generate files in the build/ directory

Using in Different IDEs

Cursor

1. Install the MCP extension
2. Point to your built server in the MCP settings
3. The greeting tool will be available in your AI commands

Windsurf

1. Configure the MCP server path in settings
2. The greeting functionality will be accessible through Cascade

VS Code

1. Install the MCP extension for VS Code
2. Configure the extension to use your built server
3. Access the greeting tool through the command palette

Key Concepts

• MCP Server: A standardized way to extend AI capabilities in IDEs
• Tools: Modular functions that can be called by the IDE
• Transport: Communication layer (stdio in this case)
• Request Handlers: Logic for processing tool requests

Next Steps

• Try modifying the greeting tool
• Add new tools to the server
• Explore more complex MCP features