ArtificialChatInc/kiro-q-bridge

Kiro-Q Bridge v4

Clean, Fast, Reliable COMMUNICATION Bridge Between Kiro IDE and Amazon Q Developer

At Kiro's release in July 2025, Q Developer was integrated as an extension its own separate chat interface. Until now though, Kiro & Q could not talk directly to each other, so we've built a lightweight, production-ready MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that enables seamless communication between Kiro IDE and Amazon Q Developer. This is a global Kiro utility that works across all your Kiro projects without needing to be always open in the Kiro IDE.

🤝 Kiro + Amazon Q Developer: The Perfect Development Partnership

🌟 What Makes This Integration Revolutionary

With Q's new AWS account access and enhanced capabilities, this bridge unlocks unprecedented development power:

• 🔍 Live Infrastructure Monitoring: Q analyzes your actual AWS resources while you code
• 💰 Real-time Cost Optimization: Immediate feedback on resource usage and cost implications
• 🛡️ Continuous Security Auditing: Proactive security recommendations based on your actual setup
• 📊 Performance Intelligence: Data-driven optimization suggestions from your live metrics
• 🚀 Deployment Orchestration: Intelligent CI/CD recommendations based on your actual pipelines

Individual Strengths & Limitations

Core Competency Analysis

Kiro IDE Strengths

• Precision Tooling: Exact cursor positioning, multi-cursor editing, advanced find/replace
• Development Workflow: Integrated terminal, debugging, version control, extensions
• Performance: Fast file operations, efficient syntax parsing, responsive UI
• Project Management: Workspace handling, file tree navigation, project-specific settings
• Developer Experience: Customizable interface, keyboard shortcuts, productivity features

Kiro IDE Limitations

• Static Intelligence: No learning or adaptation capabilities
• Limited Reasoning: Cannot analyze patterns across projects or suggest architectural improvements
• Manual Decision Making: Requires developer input for most decisions
• Context Isolation: Limited awareness of broader project goals or industry best practices
• Reactive Nature: Responds to user actions rather than proactively suggesting improvements

Amazon Q Developer Strengths

• Advanced Reasoning: Pattern recognition, architectural analysis, best practice recommendations
• Broad Knowledge: Access to vast programming knowledge, frameworks, and methodologies
• 🆕 AWS Integration: Direct access to your AWS account, resources, and live metrics
• 💰 Cost Intelligence: Real-time cost analysis and optimization recommendations
• 🛡️ Security Monitoring: Live security posture assessment and vulnerability detection
• 📊 Performance Insights: CloudWatch integration for real-time performance analysis
• Proactive Assistance: Can anticipate needs and suggest improvements
• Cross-Project Intelligence: Understands relationships between different codebases
• Learning Capability: Adapts to user preferences and project patterns
• Documentation Excellence: Superior at explaining complex concepts and generating documentation

Amazon Q Developer Limitations

• No Direct Execution: Cannot directly modify files, run commands, or interact with development tools
• Implementation Gap: Can suggest solutions but cannot implement them directly
• Tool Integration: Cannot directly interact with IDEs, terminals, or development environments
• ✅ Context Boundaries: RESOLVED - Now has AWS account access for real-time infrastructure context
• ✅ Real-time Constraints: RESOLVED - Can monitor AWS resources and performance metrics

🚀 Synergistic Benefits of Integration

1. 🆕 Infrastructure-Aware Development

• Live AWS Monitoring: Q watches your actual AWS resources while you code
• Cost-Conscious Coding: Real-time feedback on resource usage and cost implications
• Security-First Development: Continuous security analysis of both code and infrastructure
• Performance-Driven Decisions: CloudWatch metrics inform architectural choices

2. Intelligent Code Development

• Q Analyzes → Kiro Implements: Q reviews code patterns and suggests improvements, Kiro makes precise edits
• Real-time Feedback Loop: Q monitors Kiro's changes and provides continuous guidance
• Contextual Suggestions: Q understands current project state through Kiro's status updates

3. Proactive Project Management

• Cross-Project Orchestration: Q manages multiple Kiro projects simultaneously
• 📊 Live Performance Monitoring: Q analyzes real AWS CloudWatch metrics, not just project reports
• 💰 Cost Management: Automatic alerts for expensive operations and optimization opportunities
• Workflow Optimization: Q suggests process improvements based on Kiro's activity patterns

4. Enhanced Problem Solving

• Diagnostic Partnership: Q analyzes error patterns, Kiro provides detailed system information
• Solution Implementation: Q designs solutions, Kiro executes them with precision
• Iterative Refinement: Continuous feedback loop for solution optimization

5. Knowledge Amplification

• Learning Acceleration: Q explains concepts while Kiro demonstrates implementation
• Best Practice Integration: Q ensures code follows industry standards, Kiro enforces them
• Documentation Synchronization: Q generates docs that match Kiro's actual implementation

6. Productivity Multiplication

• Automated Workflows: Q designs efficient processes, Kiro executes them reliably
• Predictive Assistance: Q anticipates needs based on Kiro's project patterns
• Seamless Context Switching: Q maintains project context as Kiro switches between tasks

🎯 What This Integration Enables

For Developers:

• ✅ AI Pair Programming: Continuous intelligent assistance without leaving the IDE
• ✅ 🆕 Infrastructure-Aware Coding: Real-time AWS resource monitoring while you develop
• ✅ 💰 Cost-Conscious Development: Immediate feedback on expensive operations and optimizations
• ✅ 🛡️ Security-First Approach: Live security analysis of both code and deployed infrastructure
• ✅ Proactive Problem Solving: Issues identified and solutions suggested before they become critical
• ✅ Cross-Project Intelligence: Insights and patterns from your personal development work
• ✅ Automated Documentation: Real-time documentation that stays synchronized with code
• ✅ 📊 Performance Optimization: CloudWatch-driven insights and improvement suggestions

For Individual Developers:

• ✅ Personal AI Assistant: Q learns your coding patterns and provides personalized suggestions
• ✅ 💰 Cost Awareness: Individual visibility into AWS spending for your projects
• ✅ 🛡️ Security Guidance: Personal security recommendations for your code and deployments
• ✅ Continuous Learning: Q adapts to your preferences and improves over time
• ✅ Quality Improvement: Automated code review and suggestions tailored to your work
• ✅ Skill Development: Intelligent guidance to help you learn and grow as a developer

For Organizations:

• ✅ Development Velocity: Faster development cycles with intelligent automation
• ✅ 💰 Cost Optimization: Significant AWS cost savings through intelligent resource management
• ✅ 🛡️ Security Compliance: Automated security auditing and compliance monitoring
• ✅ 📊 Operational Excellence: Data-driven decisions based on real infrastructure metrics
• ✅ Code Quality: Consistent application of best practices across all projects
• ✅ Risk Reduction: Proactive identification of potential issues and technical debt
• ✅ Innovation Enablement: More time for creative work, less time on routine tasks

🔄 The Feedback Loop

┌─────────────┐    Real-time Status    ┌─────────────┐
│   Kiro IDE  │ ────────────────────► │  Amazon Q   │
│             │                       │             │
│ • Executes  │ ◄──── Intelligent ──── │ • Analyzes  │
│ • Monitors  │       Guidance         │ • Suggests  │
│ • Reports   │                       │ • Learns    │
└─────────────┘                       └─────────────┘
       ▲                                     │
       │              Enhanced               │
       └──────────── Capabilities ──────────┘

This creates a multiplicative effect where 1 + 1 = 3, as each tool amplifies the capabilities of the other, resulting in development capabilities that exceed the sum of their individual parts.

🆕 Amazon Q Developer: Latest 2024-2025 Capabilities

🔐 AWS Account Integration (Game Changer)

• Direct AWS Console Access: Q can now read your actual AWS resources, configurations, and deployments
• Real-time Infrastructure Insights: Live analysis of your EC2, Lambda, S3, RDS, and other AWS services
• Cost Optimization: Automatic recommendations based on your actual AWS usage patterns
• Security Auditing: Real-time security posture analysis of your AWS environment
• Resource Management: Intelligent suggestions for scaling, optimization, and cleanup

🚀 Enhanced Development Features

• Multi-Language Mastery: Advanced support for Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Java, C#, Go, Rust, and 15+ languages
• Framework Intelligence: Deep understanding of React, Angular, Vue, Django, Flask, Spring Boot, .NET, and modern frameworks
• Infrastructure as Code: Expert-level Terraform, CloudFormation, CDK, and Pulumi assistance
• DevOps Integration: CI/CD pipeline optimization, Docker containerization, Kubernetes orchestration
• Database Expertise: Advanced SQL optimization, NoSQL design patterns, database migration strategies

🧠 Advanced AI Reasoning

• Architectural Analysis: System design reviews, microservices patterns, scalability assessments
• Performance Profiling: Code optimization, bottleneck identification, efficiency improvements
• Security Best Practices: Vulnerability detection, secure coding patterns, compliance guidance
• Testing Strategy: Unit test generation, integration testing, test automation frameworks
• Documentation Generation: Automatic API docs, code comments, architectural diagrams

🔄 Real-time Collaboration

• Live Code Review: Continuous analysis as you type with intelligent suggestions
• Context Preservation: Maintains conversation history and project understanding across sessions
• Multi-Project Awareness: Understands relationships between different repositories and services
• Individual Focus: Personalized assistance tailored to your coding patterns and preferences

Issues Resolved from Previous Versions

v3 Issues Fixed:

• ❌ MCP timeout errors (-32001)
• ❌ Configuration conflicts (user vs workspace)
• ❌ Filename corruption and line breaks
• ❌ JSON-RPC 2.0 protocol non-compliance
• ❌ 7 competing MCP servers causing resource conflicts
• ❌ 67% code duplication and redundancy
• ❌ 200-500ms startup times
• ❌ Mixed Python/Node.js implementations

v4 Solutions:

• ✅ Single Node.js MCP server (<50ms startup)
• ✅ Clean JSON-RPC 2.0 protocol compliance
• ✅ Minimal codebase (5 essential files)
• ✅ Clear configuration management
• ✅ Robust error handling
• ✅ Fast message queuing system

Architecture

kiro-q-bridge-v4/
├── mcp-server.js          # Single MCP server (Node.js) with project tags
├── config.json           # Project configuration
├── install.sh            # Simple installer
├── test.sh               # Test script
├── view-messages.sh      # View messages by project
├── link-messages.sh      # Link messages to current project
└── README.md             # This file

Quick Start

# Clone and install
git clone https://github.com/ArtificialChatInc/kiro-q-bridge.git
cd kiro-q-bridge
./install.sh

# Restart Kiro IDE
# Test the connection (available in any project)

Usage

Once installed, the bridge is available globally in Kiro IDE:

Available Tools:

• kiro_status - Get bridge status and current project info
• send_to_q - Send messages to Amazon Q with priority levels

Message Management:

# View all messages across projects
./view-messages.sh

# View messages for specific project
./view-messages.sh my-project-name

# Link message history to current project
./link-messages.sh

🔍 CRITICAL: Accessing Your Kiro-Q Conversation History

📁 Message File Location: ~/.kiro/q-messages.json

This file contains ALL communication between you, Kiro, and Amazon Q. It's stored in your home directory's .kiro folder, NOT in your current project.

How to Access the Conversation History:

Option 1: Open Directly in Kiro IDE

• Press Cmd+P (Quick Open) or Ctrl+P
• Type: ~/.kiro/q-messages.json
• Press Enter to open

Option 2: Use File Menu

• Go to File → Open
• Navigate to your home directory
• Show hidden files (if needed)
• Open .kiro folder → q-messages.json

Option 3: Copy to Current Workspace

cp ~/.kiro/q-messages.json ./kiro-q-messages.json

Option 4: Use Our Utility Scripts

# View formatted messages in terminal
./view-messages.sh

# Create symbolic link in current project
./link-messages.sh

Option 5: Terminal View

# View raw JSON
cat ~/.kiro/q-messages.json

# Pretty formatted view (requires jq)
cat ~/.kiro/q-messages.json | jq .

What You'll Find in the Message History:

• ✅ All your messages to Amazon Q
• ✅ Q's responses and analysis
• ✅ Project context tags for each message
• ✅ Timestamps and priority levels
• ✅ Complete conversation threads
• ✅ Cross-project communication history

💡 Pro Tip: Keep this file open in a tab for easy access to your ongoing Q conversations!

Key Features

• 🚀 Fast: Sub-50ms startup time (vs 200-500ms in v3)
• 🔒 Reliable: Proper JSON-RPC 2.0 protocol compliance
• 🎯 Simple: 7 files, single responsibility architecture
• 🌍 Portable: Works on macOS, Linux, Windows
• 📁 Project-Aware: Global message history with automatic project tagging
• 🛠️ Utility Scripts: View and manage messages across all projects
• 🔧 Global Installation: Works in ANY Kiro project without setup

Why v4?

This version completely reimplements the bridge to solve critical issues:

Message Format

Messages are stored globally with project context:

{
  "id": "kiro-v4-1760985202589",
  "timestamp": "2025-10-20T18:33:22-05:00",
  "project": "my-awesome-project",
  "from": "Kiro",
  "to": "Amazon Q",
  "message": "Your message here",
  "priority": "high",
  "status": "queued",
  "version": "v4"
}

Requirements

• Kiro IDE with MCP support
• Node.js (any recent version)
• Amazon Q access

🛠️ Available MCP Tools

Amazon Q has access to these tools for communicating with Kiro:

1. kiro_status

Get current Kiro IDE status and active project information

{
  "timestamp": "2025-10-20T18:33:37-05:00",
  "version": "4.0.0",
  "bridge_active": true,
  "current_project": "kiro-q-bridge-v4",
  "kiro_dir": "/Users/[username]/.kiro",
  "message_file": "/Users/[username]/.kiro/q-messages.json",
  "server_type": "node-v4"
}

2. send_to_q

Send messages to Amazon Q with priority levels

{
  "message": "Check the build status in your current project",
  "priority": "high"
}

🔄 Communication Flow

Kiro → Q Messages (Project-Aware):

1. User invokes send_to_q tool in Kiro
2. Message tagged with current project name
3. Stored in global queue at ~/.kiro/q-messages.json
4. Amazon Q receives message with project context

Q → Kiro Messages:

1. Amazon Q sends messages through MCP protocol
2. Messages appear in conversation history
3. Project context maintained throughout conversation
4. Global message history accessible across all projects

📁 File Structure

~/
├── .kiro/
│   ├── settings/mcp.json        # MCP server configuration
│   └── q-messages.json          # Global message queue with project tags
└── Documents/kiro-q-bridge-v4/  # This repository (optional location)
    ├── mcp-server.js            # Main MCP server
    ├── install.sh               # Global installer
    ├── view-messages.sh         # Message viewer utility
    └── link-messages.sh         # Message linker utility

Troubl

eshooting

MCP Server Not Connecting?

# Check if Node.js is in PATH
which node

# Test the server directly
./test.sh

# Restart Kiro IDE after installation

Messages Not Appearing?

• Ensure Kiro IDE is restarted after installation
• Check MCP server status in Kiro's feature panel
• Verify ~/.kiro/q-messages.json exists after sending a message

Bridge Not Starting?

# Check Node.js version
node --version

# Test server directly
echo '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1,"method":"initialize","params":{}}' | node mcp-server.js

# Check MCP configuration
cat ~/.kiro/settings/mcp.json

🌟 Use Cases

1. Proactive Monitoring

Amazon Q detects issues and sends alerts to Kiro:

"High memory usage detected in your-project project"

2. Cross-Project Coordination

Q manages multiple Kiro projects simultaneously:

"Switch to project X and run tests while Y is building"

3. Performance Optimization

Q analyzes patterns and suggests improvements:

"Consider using npm ci instead of npm install for faster builds"

4. Development Assistance

Q provides context-aware help based on current project:

"I see you're working on kiro-q-bridge-v4. The test.sh script shows all tests passing."

🔒 Security Features

• Safe Operation: Read-only status monitoring
• Project Isolation: Messages tagged by project but stored globally
• No Command Execution: v4 focuses on communication, not command execution
• Audit Trail: All messages logged with timestamps and project context

Contributing

This is an open-source project. Contributions welcome!

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Test thoroughly
5. Submit a pull request

License

MIT License - see repository for details.

🎉 Benefits

✅ Direct Communication - No more manual relay between Q and Kiro
✅ Global Coverage - Works across ALL Kiro projects
✅ Real-time Status - Q always knows what Kiro is doing
✅ Project Awareness - Messages tagged with project context
✅ Persistent History - Messages survive Kiro restarts
✅ Zero Configuration - Works in any project after installation
✅ Fast & Reliable - Sub-50ms startup, proper JSON-RPC 2.0

🔍 Monitoring

View Message History:

# View all messages across projects
./view-messages.sh

# View messages for specific project  
./view-messages.sh my-project-name

# View raw message file
cat ~/.kiro/q-messages.json | jq .

Real-time Status: Use the kiro_status tool in Kiro to see:

• Bridge running status
• Current project detection
• Message file location
• Server version and type

🚀 Migration from v3

If you're upgrading from v3, see the for detailed instructions. Key improvements:

• 60+ files → 7 files: Dramatically simplified architecture
• Python → Node.js: Faster startup and better MCP integration
• Multiple servers → Single server: No more configuration conflicts
• Project-specific files → Global with tags: Simpler management

Support

• Issues: Report bugs via GitHub Issues
• Discussions: Use GitHub Discussions for questions
• Documentation: See the migration guides for detailed setup
• Previous Version: kiro-q-bridge v3 (legacy)

Amazon Q can now be your AI pair programming partner that actively collaborates with Kiro! 🤖🚀

Made with ❤️ for the Kiro IDE community