What is Mcp Dev Prompter

MCP Dev Prompter is a server implementation of the Model Context Protocol (MCP) designed to provide structured prompts for various development tasks, including software design, coding, and testing. It integrates customized prompt templates into conversations with Claude to enhance productivity and guidance during development processes.

Use cases

The MCP Dev Prompter can be used in numerous development scenarios such as creating high-level system designs, detailed module specifications, coding implementations, and generating test suites. These prompts streamline developer workflows by offering tailored templates that guide users through complex tasks.

How to use

To use MCP Dev Prompter, first install the package and create a directory for your Markdown templates. Start the server with the specified template directory, then initiate a conversation with Claude. Select the desired prompt from the MCP integration options, fill in the necessary arguments, and submit it to generate contextual assistance in development tasks.

Key features

The key features of MCP Dev Prompter include a well-defined template structure with YAML front matter, support for variable usage through Handlebars syntax, the ability to create custom templates, built-in templates for common tasks, and options for real-time changes with a watcher mode. It also includes command-line options for logging and debugging.

Where to use

MCP Dev Prompter can be effectively utilized in software development environments, particularly in team settings where efficient task management and structured guidance are essential. It is suitable for both individual developers and development teams aiming to enhance their design, coding, and testing workflows.

MCP Dev Prompter

MCP Dev Prompter is a server implementation for the Model Context Protocol (MCP) that provides structured, specialized prompts for development tasks. It allows you to integrate customized prompt templates into Claude conversations to help with software design, coding, and testing.

Overview

The MCP Dev Prompter server implements the Model Context Protocol using the @modelcontextprotocol/sdk package to offer a set of carefully crafted prompts for common development tasks such as:

• High-level system design
• Detailed module design
• Code implementation
• Test suite creation

How It Works

The following diagram illustrates how the system processes prompt requests:

sequenceDiagram
    participant Claude as Claude
    participant MCP as MCP Transport
    participant Server as Dev Prompter Server
    participant Loader as Template Loader
    participant Generator as Prompt Generator
    participant Validator as Prompt Validator

    Claude->>MCP: User selects prompt template
    MCP->>Server: listPrompts request
    Server->>Loader: getAvailableTemplates()
    Loader-->>Server: template metadata
    Server-->>MCP: listPrompts response
    MCP-->>Claude: Display available prompts

    Claude->>MCP: User selects specific prompt
    MCP->>Server: getPromptMetadata request
    Server->>Loader: getTemplateMetadata(id)
    Loader-->>Server: template metadata
    Server-->>MCP: getPromptMetadata response
    MCP-->>Claude: Show prompt form with arguments

    Claude->>MCP: User submits filled prompt form
    MCP->>Server: executePrompt request
    Server->>Validator: validatePromptArgs(args)
    Validator-->>Server: validated args
    Server->>Loader: getTemplate(id)
    Loader-->>Server: template content
    Server->>Generator: generatePrompt(template, args)
    Generator-->>Server: generated prompt text
    Server-->>MCP: executePrompt response
    MCP-->>Claude: Insert prompt into conversation

    Claude->>Claude: Process prompt and generate response

Installation

# Install with npm
npm install @modelcontextprotocol/server-dev-prompter

# Or with pnpm
pnpm add @modelcontextprotocol/server-dev-prompter

# Or with yarn
yarn add @modelcontextprotocol/server-dev-prompter

Setup

1. Create a directory for your prompt templates (if you don’t have one already):

mkdir -p templates

2. Create at least one template file (see Templates section below)

3. Start the server with the template directory:

npx mcp-server-dev-prompter --templateDir ./templates

Using with Claude

Once the server is running, you can use the prompts in your Claude conversations:

1. Start a conversation with Claude
2. Click on “Attach from MCP” in the bottom left corner of the interface
3. Click on “Choose an integration”
4. Under “prompter” you’ll see the configured integrations (your loaded templates)
5. Select the prompt template you want to use
6. Fill in any required information
7. Send the prompt to Claude

Creating Templates

Templates are Markdown files with YAML front matter that define the structure and variables for your prompts. They use Handlebars syntax for variable substitution.

Template Structure

A template file consists of:

1. Front Matter (required):

   ---
   description: "What this template does"
   version: "1.0.0"
   arguments:
     variableName:
       description: "What this variable means"
       required: true  # Optional, defaults to template analysis
   ---
   

2. Template Content:
   The rest of the file is the template content using Handlebars syntax.
   Variables used in the content must have corresponding argument definitions.

Example template (high-level-design.md):

---
description: "Generate a high-level design document for a project"
version: "1.0.0"
arguments:
  projectName:
    description: "User-friendly project name"
    required: true
  projectsParentFolder:
    description: "Parent folder for all projects"
    required: true
  projectFolder:
    description: "Subfolder of projectsParent folder containing all project files "
    required: true
---

We are working on the {{projectName}} design and implementation.
The project is in a folder called {{projectsParentFolder}}/{{projectFolder}}

1. PURPOSE

- STATE the core function of the system
- LIST all supported environments
- EXPLAIN key constraints

2. CORE REQUIREMENTS
   ORGANIZE into these MANDATORY categories:

- STORAGE requirements
- ENVIRONMENT support
- PERFORMANCE needs
- OPERATIONAL needs
- POLICY/COMPLIANCE rules

For each requirement:

- START with "MUST" or "SHOULD"
- MAKE it measurable/testable
- CITE any source or justification

# ... rest of the template ...

Variable Usage

You can use variables in two ways:

1. Direct usage (required by default): {{variableName}}
2. Conditional usage (optional by default): {{#if variableName}}...{{/if}}

Available Templates

The project comes with several built-in templates:

1. high-level-design.md - Generates a comprehensive high-level design document
2. detailed-design.md - Creates detailed module specifications
3. generate-code.md - Produces implementation code based on specifications

Custom Templates

You can create your own custom templates by following these steps:

1. Create a new markdown file in your templates directory
2. Add the required YAML front matter with description, version, and arguments
3. Write your template content using Handlebars syntax
4. Restart the MCP Dev Prompter server

Command-Line Options

npx mcp-server-dev-prompter [options]

Options:

• --templateDir <path> - Path to directory containing template files (required)
• --debug - Enable debug logging
• --watch - Watch template directory for changes (restart not required)
• --logDir <path> - Directory for log files (default: ~/Library/Logs/Claude/)
• --inspectorPort <port> - Port for MCP inspector (default: 3000)

Log Management

This project includes scripts for managing Claude log files:

• npm run logs - Tails and follows the last 20 lines of Claude log files
• npm run logs:clean - Deletes all Claude log files

Development

# Install dependencies
pnpm install

# Build with source maps for debugging
pnpm run build:debug

# Run tests
pnpm test

# Start the server
pnpm start

License

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