What is Hippycampus

Hippycampus is an open-source MCP Server built on LangChain, designed to automatically convert any REST endpoint into MCP resources. It supports dynamic loading of OpenAPI specifications and integration with Langflow for visual workflow creation.

Use cases

Use cases for Hippycampus include creating automated workflows that utilize REST APIs, developing applications that require real-time data updates through SSE, and simplifying the process of integrating OpenAPI specifications into existing systems.

How to use

To use Hippycampus, install the necessary prerequisites such as Python 3.12.9 and the UV package manager. After setting up a virtual environment, install Hippycampus and Langflow. You can run it in CLI mode or as an MCP Server using specific commands. Ensure to configure the Google AI Studio API key and set the environment variables as needed.

Key features

Key features of Hippycampus include dynamic loading of OpenAPI specifications, integration with Langflow for creating visual workflows, and the ability to run in both CLI and MCP Server modes. It also supports SSE (Server-Sent Events) for real-time communication.

Where to use

Hippycampus can be used in various fields such as software development, API management, and workflow automation. It is particularly useful for developers looking to streamline the integration of REST APIs into their applications.

Hippycampus

A LangChain-based CLI and MCP server that supports dynamic loading of OpenAPI specifications and integration with Langflow.

Prerequisites

• Python 3.12.9
• UV package manager
• Google AI Studio API key
• Langflow (for visual workflow creation)

Installation

# Install UV if you haven't already
curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh

# Create and activate virtual environment
uv venv
source .venv/bin/activate  # On Windows use: .venv\Scripts\activate

# Install hippycampus and its dependencies
uv pip install -e .

# Install langflow
uv pip install langflow

Configuration

Google AI Studio API Key

1. Visit Google AI Studio
2. Click “Create API Key” in the top right
3. Copy the generated key and set it as an environment variable:

export GOOGLE_API_KEY='your-api-key-here'

Running the Applications

CLI Mode (no MCP server)

uv run hippycampus-cli

MCP Server Mode (SSE)

uv run hippycampus-server --transport sse --port 8000

Langflow Server

Ensure the MCP server is running before starting Langflow.

1. Set the components path environment variable:

# Get your current working directory
pwd
# Use the output to set the components path
export LANGFLOW_COMPONENTS_PATH="/output/from/pwd/langflow/components"

2. Start the Langflow server (add --dev for development mode):

uv run langflow run

3. Open your browser and navigate to http://localhost:7860

Using Custom Components in Langflow

1. In the Langflow UI, locate the custom components:

   • OpenApi Service: For loading OpenAPI specifications
   • Hippycampus MCP Server: For connecting to the MCP server over SSE

2. Configure the components:

   • OpenApi Service: Use https://raw.githubusercontent.com/APIs-guru/unofficial_openapi_specs/master/xkcd.com/1.0.0/openapi.yaml for testing
   • MCP Server: Use http://localhost:8000/sse

See the Screencast Demo for a visual guide.
Screencast Demo

Note that the official XKCD swagger files contain an error and specify the comic_id field as a number instead of an
integer, there is a fixed version in the test folder.

Troubleshooting

• Authentication errors: Check if GOOGLE_API_KEY is set correctly
• Missing components in Langflow: Verify LANGFLOW_COMPONENTS_PATH points to the correct directory
• Connection issues: Ensure the MCP server is running before connecting via Langflow
• If components don’t appear in Langflow, try restarting the Langflow server
• Use the cli to debug openapi_builder/spec_parser and agent interaction issues before running in MCP/Langflow.

License

MIT License

Copyright © 2024 Ray Cromwell

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
of this software and associated documentation files (the “Software”), to deal
in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
copies or substantial portions of the Software.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED “AS IS”, WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
SOFTWARE.