hamza-usmani/winapp-mcp-demo

WinAppCli MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that exposes Microsoft's WinAppCli tools to Claude Desktop and other MCP clients.

Prerequisites

1. Python 3.10+ - For running the MCP server
2. Claude Desktop - To use with Claude

Installation

Quick Setup

1. Clone or download this repository to a local directory

2. Run the setup script:

   python setup_mcp_server.py
   

   This script will:

   • ✅ Check Python version compatibility
   • ✅ Verify WinAppCli installation or install it via WinGet
   • ✅ Install other required dependencies
   • ✅ Generate example Claude Desktop configuration
   • ✅ Start the MCP server

3. Configure your MCP client:

   For Claude Desktop:

   • Copy the configuration from claude_desktop_config.example.json to:
     • Location: %APPDATA%\Roaming\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
   • Update the path to server.py if needed
   • Restart Claude Desktop

   For VS Code with GitHub Copilot:

   • Open VS Code Settings (File → Preferences → Settings)
   • Search for "MCP" or "Model Context Protocol"
   • Click "Edit in settings.json"
   • Add the MCP server configuration:

     {
       "github.copilot.chat.mcp.enabled": true,
       "github.copilot.chat.mcp.servers": {
         "winappcli": {
           "command": "python",
           "args": ["C:\\full\\path\\to\\server.py"]
         }
       }
     }
     

   • Replace C:\\full\\path\\to\\server.py with the actual path to your server.py
   • Restart VS Code

Usage Examples

Once configured, you can ask Claude to help with Windows app development tasks:

Example 1: Initialize a New Project

"Initialize a Windows app project in the current directory with all necessary assets"

Example 2: Generate a Manifest

"Generate an AppxManifest.xml for my app called 'MyApp' published by 'MyCompany' with version 1.0.0.0"

Example 3: Create an MSIX Package

"Package the app in ./dist folder into an MSIX file, generate and install a certificate for signing"

Example 4: Add Debug Identity

"Add debug identity to my app at ./bin/MyApp.exe so I can test Windows APIs"

Commands timeout

Some operations (like packaging) can take time. The server has a 5-minute timeout per command.

Permission errors

Some operations (like certificate installation) require administrator privileges. Run Claude Desktop as administrator if needed.