HemSoft/mcp-server-demo

MCP Server Demo

A sample Model Context Protocol (MCP) server built with C# and .NET that demonstrates how to create custom tools for AI assistants. This server provides two simple tools: Echo and ReverseEcho.

Features

• Echo Tool: Returns a greeting message with the input text
• ReverseEcho Tool: Returns the input text with characters reversed
• Built with the ModelContextProtocol.Server library
• Compatible with any MCP host (VS Code, Claude Desktop, etc.)

Prerequisites

• .NET 10.0 or later
• VS Code with GitHub Copilot extension (for VS Code integration)

Building the Server

1. Clone this repository:

   git clone https://github.com/HemSoft/mcp-server-demo.git
   cd mcp-server-demo
   

2. Build the project:

   dotnet build
   

3. Run the server (for testing):

   dotnet run
   

Using with VS Code

To use this MCP server with VS Code and GitHub Copilot:

Method 1: Using the VS Code MCP Extension

1. Install the MCP extension in VS Code
2. Open VS Code settings and navigate to the MCP configuration
3. Add a new server configuration:

   {
     "mcpServers": {
       "mcp-server-demo": {
         "command": "dotnet",
         "args": ["run", "--project", "path/to/mcp-server-demo/mcp-server-demo.csproj"],
         "env": {}
       }
     }
   }
   

Method 2: Using MCP Configuration File

1. Create or edit the MCP configuration file in your VS Code workspace (.vscode/mcp.json):

   {
     "mcpServers": {
       "mcp-server-demo": {
         "command": "dotnet",
         "args": ["run", "--project", "./mcp-server-demo.csproj"],
         "cwd": "f:\\github\\HemSoft\\mcp-server-demo"
       }
     }
   }
   

2. Restart VS Code or reload the window

3. The MCP server will be automatically connected when GitHub Copilot starts

Using with Claude Desktop

To use this server with Claude Desktop:

1. Build the project in Release mode:

   dotnet build -c Release
   

2. Edit your Claude Desktop configuration file:

   • Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
   • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
   • Linux: ~/.config/claude/claude_desktop_config.json

3. Add the server configuration:

   {
     "mcpServers": {
       "mcp-server-demo": {
         "command": "dotnet",
         "args": ["path/to/mcp-server-demo/bin/Release/net10.0/mcp-server-demo.dll"],
         "env": {}
       }
     }
   }
   

4. Restart Claude Desktop

Available Tools

Echo

• Description: Echoes the message back to the client with a greeting
• Parameters:
  • message (string): The message to echo
• Example: Input "Hello World" returns "Hello from C#: Hello World"

ReverseEcho

• Description: Returns the input message with characters in reverse order
• Parameters:
  • message (string): The message to reverse
• Example: Input "Hello World" returns "dlroW olleH"

Testing the Server

Once connected to an MCP host, you can test the tools by asking the AI assistant to:

• "Echo the message 'Hello MCP'"
• "Reverse the string 'Once upon a time'"
• "Use the echo tool to say something"

Troubleshooting

Server Not Connecting

• Ensure .NET 10.0 is installed and accessible via the dotnet command
• Check that the file paths in your configuration are correct
• Verify the server builds without errors (dotnet build)

Tools Not Available

• Restart your MCP host application
• Check the MCP host logs for connection errors
• Ensure the configuration JSON is valid

Development

This project demonstrates the basic structure of an MCP server in C#:

• Program.cs: Main entry point and tool definitions
• mcp-server-demo.csproj: Project file with dependencies
• Uses ModelContextProtocol.Server NuGet package

To add new tools:

1. Create a new static method in the EchoTool class (or create a new class)
2. Decorate with [McpServerTool] and [Description] attributes
3. Rebuild and restart the server

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.